2021 VYPE Holiday Invitational: Top 2023 Guards

<p>Check out my breakdowns on the top guards in attendance at the 2021 VYPE Holiday Invitational down in Houston this Christmas break! </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ethan To 2023 5’11 Fort Bend Austin High School<br /> Ethan is a two way combo guard who thrives on knocking down big shots and coming up with steals to run in transition. He has fearless NBA level range and the confidence to pair with it. He thrives at knocking down shots off the catch from atop the key, on the wings and even in the corners. I was really impressed with his overall shot making ability. I would like to see him work to get into his spots in the midrange with more consistency, he is a dynamic shooter who will get more and more attention as the season continues on, and if he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim or even a simple one to two dribble pull up in the midrange, he can become that much more deadly.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Tristan Williams 2023 Stratford High School </p> <p>Tristan is an impressive athlete who flies around the court, and has a great motor and hustle. He was efficient when he got downhill and attacked the rim and was a steady shooter in the midrange. He was great at finding the weak spots in the zone and waiting for the pass to come. I loved his energy that he provided on the defensive end, he was fearless and defending the rim and contesting shots in the paint. I would like to see him get more fluid with his overall handle, and work on transitioning out of the triple threat into a more explosive mood to get around his defender. He does not get sped up much, so it will be fun to watch him incorporate better moves into his game. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNv8KJIkAkE&amp;list=PLhpX-Pzz1eYqQN2cG4BtJA9fBN-GLoawQ&amp;index=57</p> <p>Josh Bento 2023 6’0 Woodlands Christian Academy </p> <p>Josh is a creative combo guard who is great at playing off the ball. His consistent movement off the ball put steady pressure on the back side of the defense and allowed his lead guard (senior [player_tooltip player_id="889590" first="Austin" last="Benigni"]) room to take defenders off the dribble. He was a reliable shooter when given the time to catch and shoot and was fearless and putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim. I loved watching him put constant stress on whoever defended him. I would like to see him get more confident with his shot in the midrange after a defender comes out too hard to close out on him. His shot making ability is something teams will have to key on, especially next year as he likely takes over Benigni’s role... </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4nyZLqzeIk&amp;list=PLhpX-Pzz1eYqQN2cG4BtJA9fBN-GLoawQ&amp;index=29</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="787342" first="Chris" last="Johnson"] 2023 Wing 6’4 Fort Bend Elkins High School<br /> Chris is a dynamic scorer with great size at the combo guard position, his ability to handle the ball, get downhill and get his shot off the dribble was incredibly impressive. His constant aggression and willingness to attack the basket ended up putting a ton of pressure on the defense of every team he faced. He lived in the paint and subsequently the free throw line as well. I was blown away by his ability to dominate in the midrange with his back to the basket, he was incredibly tough to defend once the defense was on its heels trying to protect the paint and he rose up for a quick two dribble pull up. His patience and ability to control the tempo of the game really stood out, I have yet to see him get sped up or rushed into bad looks by intense defense. He ended up being one of the tournaments top scorers. Johnson is going to end up being a very special player, and a college coach is going to get one hell of a prospect.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-91dno97muA&amp;list=PLhpX-Pzz1eYqQN2cG4BtJA9fBN-GLoawQ&amp;index=50</p>