Friday Night Standouts: STL Point Guards Shine

<p>It was a big Friday night for a talented group of point guards from St. Louis, who showed up and showed out in leading their respective teams to victories last night. Here is what they did last night.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984502" first="Rob" last="Martin"] 5’9 CBC: The 2022 guard put in a scintillating display of offensive wizardry in leading the Cadets to a 71-56 over Cardinal Ritter in an early-season showdown. He got buckets at all three levels while using his speed and to consistently get into the lane and finish.  What we also saw last night was a 3-point stroke that was on point. He was knocking down treys off the dribble and with creative escape moves. If that continues to happen, good luck trying to guard him. He also handed out seven assists.</p> <p>Trasean White 6’1 Confluence Prep Academy: The 2022 guard enjoyed a career performance in the Titans’ 81-75 overtime victory over Belleville East at the Alton (IL) Thanksgiving Tip-Off. He scored a career high 38 points while  also handing out nine assists, which meant he had a hand in more than two-thirds of his team’s offensive output. He’s athletic and he can break down defenders and get into the lane with the best of them. In a fast-paced game, he was constantly on the attack and finishing in the paint as he came up with one big bucket after another in a close game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984944" first="Larry" last="Abbey"] 5’9 University City: The thick-bodied 2022 guard had a stellar performance in a 69-61 victory over host St. Francis Borgia in the semifinals of the Borgia Turkey Tournament. He scored a career-high 30 points while handing out seven assists. He displayed great endurance as he had the ball in his hands for virtually the entire game. He did most of his damage on penetrating drives where he used his strength and slick handles to break down defenders. He also delivered some nice passes, particularly to 6’5 teammate [player_tooltip player_id="1180104" first="Carleton" last="Thomas"], who feasted as the rim.</p> <p>Aaron Walker Jr 5’8 SLUH: The 2023 guard was the smallest player on the court, but he had the biggest impact in the Junior Bills victory over a talented Father Tolton team in the first game of the MCC-AAA Cross Challenge at Cardinal Ritter. He scored a team-high 21 points as he used his speed and quickness to its full advantage. He can apply good ball pressure on the defensive end and he can be a blur in the transition game when he gets into the open court.</p> <p>([player_tooltip player_id="984502" first="Rob" last="Martin"] photo courtesy of Nate Latsch)</p>