Northern Colorado Team Camp: Playmaking Combo Guards

Excellent facilitating or pressuring the rim themselves, these guards kept opponents honest due to their offensive activity. Either from self-created looks or off-ball activity, these guards made opposing defenses work.     Nieto's smart decision making and crafty handle allowed him to be a routine contributor for Riverdale Ridge on the weekend. Taking on a large role, particularly with his dramatic increase in shooting volume, Nieto is sliding right into the lead guard role with ease. Following the departure of lead guard Marcus Hinh last season, Nieto is set for a dramatic increase in production for the 2024-25 high school season. Even without the ball, Nieto was able to put pressure on opposing defenses. Patiently awaiting his man to turn their head, quickly attacking the lane following such openings.     Mortensen continually attacked the basket, leveraging his height and handle to draw fouls or attempt shots around the rim. Active pressuring the rim, he attracted plenty of help defense through his matchups. Far from just a scorer, Dee-Mortensen kept his options open for kickouts to shooters, capable of reading who to pass towards depending on the defense's position.     Hammond got to his spots with ease, quicker than the vast majority of opposing perimeter defenders. His explosive moves to create space on drives and pull-up shot attempts were intriguing to say the least. Dependable reading ball screens to leverage the defense and target weak points, Hammond is a particularly quick thinker with the ball. Continuing to gain strength while improving his acceleration, the guard is primed for a big year at Cherry Creek. This is on top of the fact that Hammond has one of the smoothest mid-range jumpers in the state, but why he gets to those attempts on such volume is in equal parts from his quickness with the ball.     Hood is another proactive playmaker and rebounder for Rocky Mountain, quick to take advantage of whatever opportunity may present itself. Especially active crashing the offensive glass, the guard took advantage of many weak box outs. His quick reactions were notable in the halfcourt, actively making the extra pass once helpside approached. Defensively, Hood stayed active in the passing lanes, getting out a hand early to disrupt the opposing passing lanes.     Franz took what the opposing defenses gave him, actively pressuring the rim with or without the ball. Routinely slipping into the lane from fast breaks or backdoor cuts, he constantly looked to put himself in scoring position for efficient looks. Along the perimeter, Franz took advantage of openings in the driving lane, attacking closeouts before opponents could gather their position. A threat to attack the lane with either hand, the 2027 guard will be yet another up and coming playmaker within Liberty's young roster.     A quick decision maker with the ball, Matkin continues to be a steady option at Rocky Mountain. Routinely tasked with orchestrating the initial halfcourt sets, the guard's continued consistency with his handle has allowed him more opportunities as a driver and off the dribble shotmaker out of ball screens.

Excellent facilitating or pressuring the rim themselves, these guards kept opponents honest due to their offensive activity. Either from self-created looks or off-ball activity, these guards made opposing defenses work.