Summer Review: Guards & Wings Under the Radar

Labor Day has come and gone and summer basketball is officially over. With the recruiting season beginning this week, we have unofficially begun the 2019-2020 season. In this first edition of my summer review, we will talk about some under the radar guards and wings. These players should open a few eyes as schools hit the road recruiting. Kevin Lemons, Jr. / C.E. Byrd & Shreveport Tarheels / 6'2" / 2020 Lemons was the most important player for each one of his teams this summer. The reason is very simple. He is one of the most versatile players in north Louisiana. Lemons can play point guard or wing, can defend guard and wing positions, and rebounds well for a guard. He attacks the goal with either hand. When he is on the floor, the play of that team is much better than without him. Lemons looks to lead the Yellow Jackets on a deep playoff run in his last season. Along the way, he should impress some coaches with his versatility. Otis Smith / Bossier High / 6'1" / 2020 Smith is one of the most athletic defenders in the Louisiana prep ranks. While he may be right over six feet, he defends with his heart, quickness, and athleticism. Last season he took the top offensive player on the opposite team as his defensive assignment. More times than not, that player had his worst offensive night. Along with his defensive prowess, Smith picked up his scoring this summer. He consistently knocked down the corner three and scored in transition. Smith also had a couple of alley-oops that got the crowd out of their seats. If Bossier is the 3A champion at the end of the season, Smith's play will be one of the key reasons. Shammah Bryant / Bossier High / 6'5" / 2021 Bryant was a walking highlight reel during the Bossier summer league and the other various team camps the Bearkats attended during the summer. He also has some highlights from the AAU circuit. Myself and others were still wondering who he was because he had not been seen on the varsity scene in north Louisiana. This coming season, Bryant will be one of the players to watch. His athleticism jumps at you when he is on the floor. The best part is he can really play. Bryant has the handles of a small guard and a sweet stroke from deep. Embracing the Bossier defensive culture will be key for him. If he defends, Bryant has all state potential in him. Eric McKnight / Southwood High & LA Roundballers / 6'4" / 2021 A surprise wing/guard who turned heads during the grassroots season and team camps was Eric McKnight. He got spot minutes last year with the 1-5A winning Cowboys. This year he is pushing to start and/or play big minutes. McKnight came into his own when Isreal Edwards (6'2", 2020) went to play on another grassroots team. From there, McKnight displayed his all around game. He rebounds and pushes up the floor like a guard. McKnight couples that with a three point set shot that he shots with consistency. If he is guarded tightly, he has a mid-range pull-up tha is deadly. His most intriguing asset is his ability to run the wing. With his long strides, he beats most guards and bigs down the floor. With his talent, the Cowboys will be in line to repeat as district champs and challenge for the 5A title. Rodney Pete / Barbe High / 6'4" / 2020 At the Northwestern State team camp, I got a chance to watch them and wing Rodney Pete was very impressed. Pete has the mixture of an old school game mixed with wing skills. He attacks the rim against wings and guards but not the same way. With smaller guards he posted them on the block and attacked with post moves and short jumpers. With wings and bigs, he attacked them of the dribble. Pete was also able to make a three from the top of the arc. The elbows and the blocks are where he operates and he is very good at it. Because he can handle and initiate offense, he is a threat in more ways than one. Providing he has some help when basketball season rolls around, Pete will definitely help Barbe make a strong playoff push. Benjamin Ponder / Calvary Baptist & LA Select Millsap / 6'2" / 2021 Ponder has been one of the most impressive wings this summer. More so because he has made himself into a wing. In his sophomore year, he was more of a rebounder and energy player. During the summer, he has worked on his mid-range game and his handles. What has resulted is a player who can take it coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound or step out and hit a short jumper. Ponder still uses those energy plays to create extra possessions for his team. Now, he is an offensive threat off the dribble, or in the paint, if he gathers the board. Ponder has clever footwork and can finish around the rim effectively. With Ponder's improvement and the other playmakers that they have, the Cavs have title hopes for this upcoming season. The recruiting season will see many players accrue interest from different schools. I will be surprised if these six guards/wings do not begin picking up their own offers as the recruiting moves into the high school season.