UIL Playoff Previews – 6A Region 3 – Guards (Part 2/2)
The regional quarterfinals in the UIL playoffs are complete and the semis are up next! The 6A Division started with a total of 128 teams with the top 32 teams from each of the four regions. Texas has some of…
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Continue ReadingThe regional quarterfinals in the UIL playoffs are complete and the semis are up next! The 6A Division started with a total of 128 teams with the top 32 teams from each of the four regions. Texas has some of the greatest players in the nation and it has already been quite a show this year with teams full of talent across the board, with plenty more tough and exciting matchups to come. Below we preview some of the top guards that represented or are still representing their teams in the 6A Region 3 playoff bracket.
More 6A Playoff Previews:
Region 1: Guards | Wings | Bigs
Region 2: Guards | Wings Pt. 1 / Wings Pt. 2 | Bigs
Region 3: Guards Pt. 1 / Guards Pt. 2 | Wings | Bigs
Chris Johnson Chris Johnson 6'6" | CG Montverde Academy | 2023 State #27 Nation FL – 6’5″ – SG/PG – Junior – Fort Bend Elkins
Johnson, Prep Hoops’ #1 ranked combo guard and #5 overall player in the 2023 class in Texas, led the way for a talented and deep Fort Bend Elkins team that finished with a 29-5 record and a district championship. In his junior season, he paced the Knights with 20 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He’s a scoring machine with very good defensive instincts and basketball intellect. He has a very solid shooting form that is automatic from anywhere on the court off the catch or off the bounce, getting open with very few dribbles, with range that extends all the way out several feet beyond even the NBA line. He also has extreme composure and patience from distance, throwing up a pump fake, letting the defender fly by him, and then putting up a quick shot as soon as he has a clear look at the basket. He can take it inside, as well, as an athletic finisher with exciting dunks on fast breaks and tough finishes through traffic in the half court. He’s also a very intelligent and seasoned defender, with fantastic hands and footwork as a point-of-attack defender, staying in front of his man with quickness, and then snapping his hands in the way of the ball at just the right moment for a steal. He’s a decisive and high IQ help defender too, coming over for emphatic blocks and completely smothering and trapping opponents in double teams, and getting his hands on the ball as the opponent tries to dribble past his zone. He’s an above average rebounder from the guard position, fearlessly getting into the paint and finding the right spots to secure rebounds and fight for the ball. Johnson had a fantastic junior season with a Fort Bend Elkins team full of talent, but they unfortunately fell short of their aspirations this year in the playoffs, losing to the Cypress Creek Cougars in the second round. He has a bright future ahead of him, though, and is sure to make some noise with the Knights in his senior season.
Justin Mitchell – 5’9″ – PG – Sophomore – Fort Bend Elkins
Mitchell is a smooth floor general with a natural feel for the game. Even at such a young age, he is in complete control of the game with the ball in his hands. He appears calm and composed leading the offense, controlling the ball and maneuvering through the opposing defense, finding openings, attacking them, and then making beautiful and decisive passes to his teammates. He can make strong and accurate passes with either hand. He has fantastic vision and awareness, keeping his head up the entire time as he controls the ball. He has solid acceleration and change of pace, hitting studder steps to slow the defense down and then quickly attacking once he gets his defender on his heels. He is very intelligent and has such a high basketball IQ as a floor general, he truly has a bright future running the Fort Bend Elkins team over his next two years of high school. Not only can he run the point as good as anyone, but he also has a very reliable shot from 3-point range, both off the dribble and off the catch. The defense must stay tight on him on the perimeter to deter the long-range shot, but then he uses his quickness to blow right past the defense and set up his full offensive arsenal of playmaking and shot creation for the entire team. Further encouraging his ability as a point guard, he loves setting up his teammates before anything else, explaining his role to Prep Hoops as “getting my teammates involved and scoring when needed.” The Knights may be losing a lot of senior starters after their second-round exit in the playoffs this year, but they are in good hands moving forward with Justin Mitchell in control of their offense.
Ashton McKenzie – 6’1″ – SG/PG – Senior – Fort Bend Elkins
McKenzie is one of the several impressive guards on a talented Fort Bend Elkins team and offers a solid complimentary piece in the guard rotation as a 3-and-D threat. He has incredible defensive instincts and seems to always find himself in the correct positioning to pick off passes and disrupt the flow of the offense, especially on the perimeter, getting his hands on the ball as his man receives it or simply getting right in the way of a pass for a clean pick. He has solid athleticism combined with good timing that make him an above average shot blocker for his position and height, coming away with emphatic swats in the paint on chase downs or when he slides over to help on an opponent driving to the basket. On offense, he is a very reliable catch-and-shoot threat with a strong base and a low-rising shot that is extremely accurate from deep, even several feet beyond the 3-point line. He rarely forces his shot and willingly moves the ball around the court to find the best shot possible for his team as an extremely unselfish player. His speed also allows him to be a dangerous fast break threat as he sprints down court off a turnover or rebound and can get ahead of the entire crowd in a split second for an easy finish. McKenzie embraces his role in the crowded backcourt for the Knights and summed up his game and impact on the team this year as “playing good defense, rebounding, knocking down shots, and just making the smart play.”
Grant Van Hoozer – 5’8″ – PG – Senior – Seven Lakes
Van Hoozer is a spectacular floor general for the Seven Lakes Spartans and was a vital piece this year in their pursuit of a district championship and an impressive 32-4 record. He’s quick and shifty with the ball, dribbling low to the ground with the ability to change speeds in an instant, and he finds seams and cracks in the defense to squeeze through while still maintaining complete control of the ball. He has his head up at all times as he maneuvers through the defense and has the strength to whip passes to his teammates as he attacks the paint, collapses the defense, and creates open opportunities on the perimeter for everyone on the team. He could be surrounded by defenders, and he still finds ways to wrap around them or jump high enough over them to get an accurate pass into the hands of his teammates. His awareness is outstanding as he drives the lanes and sees guys cutting to the basket, fitting bounce passes perfectly just out of reach of defenders to get it to the open man. He also has an extremely quick shot release with strong mechanics coming off the dribble. He can be dribbling around defenders, creating space while also keeping his head up in case an open teammate becomes available for a pass, and he has a seamless transition from any dribble move into his jump shot, with a quick single motion from the bounce into his shooting form, making it very difficult to defend. For someone that has the ball in hands so much, he is also a very solid and active off-ball threat with constant movement and a more than reliable catch-and-shoot skillset from beyond the arc. On defense, his height may offer up some kind of disadvantage, but he is still strong and quick enough to hold his own on the perimeter, staying in front of his man and sneaking in for steals at any given moment. He puts himself in good positioning, as well, to offer up any kind of help defense as the opportunity presents itself. It was a successful regular season for Van Hoozer and the Spartans, but they unfortunately fell short of their playoff hopes, losing to the Bellaire Cardinals by 3 points in a tough second round battle.
Anthony Bates Jr. Anthony Bates Jr. 6'3" | PG Katy Seven Lakes | 2024 State #307 Nation TX . – 6’3″ – PG/SG – Sophomore – Seven Lakes
Bates, Prep Hoops’ #2 ranked combo guard and #8 overall in the state of Texas for the class of 2024, is a talented guard that can score on all three levels efficiently, create for others, and defend the other team’s best perimeter player, resulting in an MVP finish in his division this year. His ball handling is smooth and controlled at all times, using his body well to protect the ball and using his creativity to create space, allowing him to either run the offense from the point position or run in isolation for a score, getting to his spots with ease. He has an impressive single-motion pullup jumper off the dribble from anywhere on the court and an extremely accurate catch-and-shoot threat with extensive range. He’s a creative finisher in the paint, as well, using a combination of strength, athleticism and agility to find various ways to get the basket, pulling off euro steps, hop steps, scoop layups, and more. He has a low and strong defensive stance with quick hands and good instincts to force a turnover against any level of ball handler. He uses his long arms to sneak in for steals, locking up any perimeter player, even in the full court press, and he has incredible timing and feel to get numerous blocks in any given game, both in the paint and on the perimeter. Bates and the Spartans came up short in the playoffs this year, losing in the second round, and they will be losing several starters in their graduating class, but Bates will be looking to lead them back in the playoffs next year as a junior and he will be one of the top players to watch as he continues to develop his game.
Tahaad Davis – 6’3″ – SG/PG – Senior – Seven Lakes
Davis, the offensive player of the year in his district with a season average of 17 points per game, is an athletic and intelligent slashing guard that can score on all three levels. His movement off the ball is absolutely beautiful, making hard cuts at exactly the right time in exactly the right place nearly every possession. He dissects the defense and understands when to make his move in the open seams, timing it perfectly as the defense adjusts to the ball handler, getting an open look at the basket once he receives the ball for an emphatic slam. He has incredible footwork to go along with his intelligent movement and can get open in various ways, no matter how the defense is set. He can also handle the ball very well and keeps it under control, utilizing that same intelligence he has without the ball while he handles it, getting to the paint and then coming up with an array of moves to find a way to get the two points near the basket. His athleticism allows him to dunk it nearly every time, either off alley oops or self-created dunks, but he also has the agility to maneuver and adjust around defenders, and the strength to plow right through defenders, again using his footwork to create just enough space in the post to get off a clean shot. He’s a very reliable catch-and-shoot threat from range, but his handling and footwork also make him deadly on dribble pullups from midrange and beyond the arc. He has a certain bounce to his step as he dribbles around the defense on the perimeter, and he can stop on a dime as he attacks the paint at full speed to pullup from midrange, giving him just enough space to rise up high for a clean shot. He also has a very effective step back and crossover in his arsenal that virtually always create the space he needs to rise up for a shot wherever he is on the court. His athleticism and timing give him the ability to get some huge blocks in the paint and he has impressive defensive instincts to fly into passing lanes and attack ball handlers to force turnovers and then immediately push it the other way for a fast break dunk. Even with the second-round loss this year in the playoffs, Davis was excited to make his playoff debut in his high school career and he had an impressive approach to his first playoff experience, telling Prep Hoops, “I can help my team by being a great teammate, lifting [them] up [and] praising them when they are doing well and get on them, as well, when we are slacking, with that right there it will help build confidence and trust between us.”