Freshmen Guards Who Might Make an Early Impact

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a group of freshmen who make an impact on the varsity level each year. This season will be no different. But until things get rolling, it's impossible to predict who it will be. Playing time and opportunity is the determining factor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But that being said, we watched a few 2027 guards this summer who really impressed. Given the opportunity, they might be ready to compete on the varsity level. So keep an eye on these guys:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205712' first='Elijah' last='Bwami']</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2027, Blue Valley Northwest, MoKan:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ok, so playing time is harder to get at Blue Valley Northwest than just about anywhere. The program is just loaded. So we're not saying Bwami will play a big role this year. But we're including him here because he so impressed this summer. He's a big, physical guard who can handle the ball and play tough. He's one of the best point guard we watched from the class this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Le'Andre Franklin</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2027, KC-Washington:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>KC-Washington brings back some nice pieces from a good team a year ago. Would a springy, athletic point guard be able to carve out a role with the varsity? Franklin appears to be a competent ball handler and distributor who might be up to the task. He has some ability to penetrate and dish, some talent for playmaking and the versatility to be a threat off the ball too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205759' first='Porter' last='Gill']</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2027, Rock Creek, SSA Hoops:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gill is capable of playing the point or off the ball, and he has the size to potentially slip into the varsity team as a ninth grader. He can really shoot it, which will help him press for playing time. He plays under control and makes smart passes and has enough athleticism to compete with older players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205722' first='Luke' last='Henderson']</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2027, Independent School (Wichita), Kansas Players (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2A runners-up from a year ago graduated almost everyone. They will be an almost entirely different squad from a season ago. There will certainly be a chance for Henderson, a physically solid point man with good skills. He has vision to find openings in the floor and open shooters. His strength makes him a tough defender, and when he gets an opponent on his hip, he can plow ahead with either hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205706' first='Avant' last='Riley']</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard, 2027, Derby, Kansas Players:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be really tough for young guards to find playing time at Derby this year. The Panthers bring back several veteran backcourt players from their tournament run. But Riley impressed so much last summer, he is worthy of mention here. He is really good at breaking down a defender off the bounce and getting to jumpshots in the midrange. He also sees open shooters and dishes intelligently on penetration. The guy can also hit from deep, which will make him one of the crowd at Derby.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->