Under-The-Radar 2023 Point Guards (1/2)
Check out my analysis on some prospects who need to be on your radar with how they produced during the live period. These guys really were turning heads every time they were in the gym! TJ Ford Jr 2023 5’10 Ridge…
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Continue ReadingCheck out my analysis on some prospects who need to be on your radar with how they produced during the live period. These guys really were turning heads every time they were in the gym!
TJ Ford Jr 2023 5’10 Ridge Point High School (TJ Ford Basketball 2023)
TJ was dominant for every second he was on the floor, showing off his blazing end to end speed and the natural ability he has to finish in the lane. It does not matter what kind of defense is being thrown at him, he always gets by his first defender and forces the defense to react once he gets into the second level of the court. He has explosive leaping ability which allows him to hang in the air and finish around defender’s outstretched arms. He has the ability to contort his body to get away from contact while also adjusting his shot angle to avoid defenders. He made every finish in the book look routine with the ease in which he scores the basketball. He threw down one of the best dunks I have seen in some time from the point guard position (See Below). He is a creative scorer off the bounce who knows just the right time to get his shot off as soon as he shifts them in the slightest. He has the ability to pass his teammates open and always seems to have his head up to make the right read. Time after time he found streaking teammates on the break and put pin point passes over the top of his opponents. Each pass he makes has the right amount of juice or touch depending on the situation. On the defensive side of the ball, it is clear he has lived on the court with the way he baits opponents into lazy passes that allow him to go coast to coast. He is an elite player playing the passing lanes and came up with numerous steals.
Jayden Barrs Jayden Barrs 6'2" | PG Manor | 2023 State TX 2023 6’2 Manor High School (ASAK 17U Elite)
Jayden is an explosive guard who has the ability to play off the ball, and on both sides of the ball. He is a very impressive athlete with how quickly he moves laterally, but also how he leaps toward the rim. When he does not have the ball, he is constantly in motion, and loves to catch his opponent sleeping with a well timed back cut. He is a high level slasher with a fantastic motor which wears on his opponents. With a live dribble he showed an ability to attack in the full court, and loves taking advantage of the fast break. I would like to see him work on his decision making in the half court to become a more combo guard type player. On the defensive side of things, he uses his motor to close out hard on his opponents and do all of the little things necessary to have a successful team. I was very impressed by his basketball IQ and how he baited opponents into lazy passes.
JaCovey Campbell JaCovey Campbell 5'8" | PG Accelerated Prep | 2024 TX 2023 5’9 McKinney High School (Team Grrr)
JaCovey is an intelligent point guard who thrives in the half court, he creates a plethora of shot opportunities for his teammates. He is great at getting into the teeth of the defense and kicking it out to his shooters on the wing. His ability to create opportunities for his teammates in the half court allows everyone to touch the ball and affect the game. He seems to be reading the game just one step ahead of the defense every time down the court. I was very impressed with how well he uses his eyes to manipulate the defense, literally moving his opponents out of his way with a simple head fake. He routinely set up his bigs in the half court, and calmly operated the pick and roll. He made good decisions every time he had the ball in his hands. Campbell is the kind of old school point guard that is almost becoming a lost art this day in age. He is not just a passer, he got into the teeth of the defense and finished at the rim even dispute the size disadvantage.
Cooper Heaton 2023 6’0 Round Rock High School (TWE 2023)
Cooper is a complete three level scorer at the combo guard position who lives at the free throw line due to his aggressiveness and his skill attacking the rim. There were plenty of instances where he adjusted the ball in the air to draw contact and put the other team in foul trouble. Heaton was his team’s leading scorer in most games this weekend due to his ability to score off the bounce in the midrange and beyond the arc. Once the defense sat back to cut off his driving angles he calmly shot over the top of them. He drew plenty of attention on the offensive end and was good at stepping through a second defender closing out and making the right read to set up a teammate for an easy look. I would like to see him continue to work on operating out of the triple threat and creating space out of the triple threat with jab moves and hesitations.
AaShon Holmes AaShon Holmes 6'1" | PG San Antonio Harlan | 2023 State TX 2023 6’1 San Antonio Harlan High School (San Antonio King Hoops 17U Gold)
Aashon is a complete three level scorer who is a real threat every time he comes into the half court. I was blown away by his shot making ability off the bounce, and he dazzled and danced around his defenders with a live dribble. His creative handle allows him to get anywhere he wants on the court. He can control the tempo of the game like a point guard and is great at changing his speed to keep his defenders off balance. He lives in the paint off of his ability to get around defenders, and is a very consistent finisher in the paint. He knows how to use every inch of the floor to his advantage, he is aware and knows which dribble moves he can use to create space on the baseline or the sideline. He was a show every time he finished on the break as well, he is a beast going coast to coast! Holmes is a real threat to score and manipulate the defense in whatever way he wants.