With a high volume role on the ball awaiting him as St. Rose’s lead guard with the high school season approaching, freshman Rian Bennett Jr. Rian Bennett Jr. 6'4" | SG St. Rose | 2030 #56 Nation NJ showed several encouraging signs of what that responsibility could yield this winter. Bennett Jr. was aggressive in looking to score— demonstrating good pace off the bounce, consistently getting to his spots without allowing ball pressure to speed him up, creating mid range pull ups and rising up over late contests paired with quick finishes at the rim when exploiting driving angles. The mid range area for tough pull ups stood out, seeming to be an area where Bennett Jr. excels at and it’ll be interesting to monitor how that shot profile develops throughout his freshman season.

Bennett has some intriguing tools to develop at the lead guard spot. His first step and handle allow him to get where he wants with the ball, and his natural instinct is to create for teammates before hunting his own offense. Becoming more aggressive as a scorer will be the next step, particularly as he adds strength and becomes more comfortable playing through contact. If the three-point shot continues to come along, Bennett has a chance to become a much more complete offensive guard.

Bennett has great positional size and is an unselfish passer. Often he takes one or two dribbles before pulling up or making a nice find over his defender. A crafty ball-handler, he has shown little issue in being able to get to his spots. His creation and scoring give him a path to making a big impact at St. Rose.