Thanksgiving Week Standout Guard Play (Part 2)
A lot of good interaction came out of Part 1, so let’s see if we can keep it going. Here is part 2 of some standout guards that I saw during the tournaments I attended during the Thanksgiving week. …
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Continue ReadingA lot of good interaction came out of Part 1, so let’s see if we can keep it going. Here is part 2 of some standout guards that I saw during the tournaments I attended during the Thanksgiving week.
Brady Dunn (6’3/Combo Guard/2022)
School: Oak Mountain HS
Instagram: brady.dunn14
Twitter: @N/A
Tournament: Mountain Brook Spartan Turkey Jam
Brady is a high-level scorer that had consistent production in the match-up against Eufaula. I took a quick liking to his game when he showed a smooth mid-range pull-up J. Brady is one of the most dangerous shooters I saw during the Thanksgiving week because he has range and can get into his shot off the bounce or in c&s opportunities.
He has excellent shooting mechanics and doesn’t need much space to get his shot off.
He is a nightmare for defenses as his shooting spaces the floor for other creators on his team to operate in space. His scoring will be huge for Oak Mountain the rest of the season as he is probably the most valuable asset on the Oak Mountain team and their hopes of accomplishing their season goals.
Brady finished with 20pts in the contest against Eufaula.
Offers: None
Deondrian Washington (6’6/Shooting Guard/2023)
School: Bay HS (Panama City, FL)
Instagram: deondrian_
Twitter: @DeondrianW
Tournament: Spain Park Jag Classic
Deondrian and his squad are from Panama City, FL, outside of our coverage area, but we will show him some love since he played in our state over the holidays. D is a tantalizing wing player who showed his ability to score the rock in numerous ways. He has good length that makes him a versatile tool on both ends of the court. His length and versatility cause problems as he can score over the top of smaller guards, minimize movement of ball-handlers with his on-ball defense, and make passers think twice before attempting to pass the rock in his area as he plays the passing lanes well.
He showed that he has range as well, as he knocked down several trey balls from well-behind the arc.
I will be watching D from afar and wish him and his crew the best the rest of the season.
Deondrian finished with 17pts against Dobyns-Bennett (TN)
Offers: None
LJ Holifield (5’11/Point Guard/2023)
School: Faith Academy HS
Instagram: lj2.___
Twitter: @thereald1.lj
Tournament: Vestavia Hills Sneaky Pete’s Rebel Classic
LJ is a steady piece for the Faith Academy crew. He is listed as a PG but showed that he can handle the scoring load for his squad. He was productive in both aspects of being on-ball and off. With the ball in his hands, he did an excellent job facilitating the offense, creating for his teammates, and being the critical piece early in the contest to keep Faith close. He showed good vision, he is an accurate passer that dropped dimes so that the recipient could immediately produce, and overall he had a very good floor game.
When he was off-ball, I was impressed with his ability to move without the ball, as his cuts were crisp and with purpose.
In the second half, LJ impacted the game without scoring and took on more of the floor-general role, and although LJ and his crew gave a gritty performance, they came up short in their contest against Sipsey Valley.
LJ finished with 13pts against Sipsey Valley.
Offers: None
Camden Taylor Allen Reid (5’9/Point Guard/2022)
School: Falkville HS
Instagram: Camden2_reid
Twitter: @N/A
Tournament: Hanceville Thanksgiving Tournament
Camden was one of the most reliable floor leaders I saw during the Thanksgiving week. Things went well for Falkville when the offense went through Cam’s hands. He has a good feel for the game and was a step ahead of the opponents at times. He is listed as a PG and does an excellent job in finding a balance between scoring and facilitating. He facilitates well, but his scoring prowess was the most notable. He showed that he can score from behind the arc, but the strength of his offense was when he was attacking off the bounce, getting in the paint, converting with a floater, or getting all the way to the cup.
He makes the most of each possession on the offensive end, and he took care of the ball.
For Falkville to accomplish their goals this year, Camden will have to be consistent with his production night in and night out.
Camden finished with 16pts against Vinemont.
Offers: None
Brayden Tyler Newton (5’11/Combo Guard/2022)
School: Curry HS
Instagram: braydentylernewton
Twitter: @braydennewton7
Tournament: Hanceville Thanksgiving Tournament
Brayden brought a lot of energy to the court and played with a lot of confidence. His mindset was definitely set on scoring the rock as he looked for his offense from the tip. He has to be considered a threat to score every time the ball touches his hands. He was extremely strong on his attacks and getting to the cup off the bounce. He embraced the contact and at times initiated it without dropping the shoulder or extending his arm. By doing this, he excelled in drawing fouls on the D. His ability to get to the line was one of the things that separated Brayden from many of the players I saw over the Thanksgiving break.
Now just as strong as he was off the bounce, he is a true marksman from behind the arc.
He can stroke the rock from behind the arc and made his c&s opportunities count. He is definitely a player that knows how to get buckets and showed it with his performance against Corner.
Brayden finished with 25pts against Corner in a double OT thriller.
Offers: None
Stay tuned…More is coming…