2020 Unsigned Combo-Guards Still Available Mid-May

<p>The 2019-20 high school basketball regular season and playoffs have long been over, but there are still are quite a few unsigned seniors left who have not yet committed to a college. With all travel ball events being put on indefinite hold, unsigned seniors didn’t get one final opportunity to showcase themselves to college coaches.</p> <p>In addition to that, the NCAA transfer portal exploded, and college coaches seemingly opted to go with more proven college talent than taking a chance on a senior in the absence of the spring live period.</p> <p>Here are some seniors I’ve watched this season who are still unsigned and could probably help a college team at some level, whether that be D1-DIII or even NAIA and JuCo.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="915361" first="James" last="Abbey Jr."] – Thomas Jefferson</span></em></p> <p>Abbey Jr. is one of the tougher guards that has a knack for scoring the basketball. He can score in various ways, but when he puts his head down and makes a decision to get to the rim, he often succeeds. He also is a combo-guard that can defend multiple positions and gives you a bit of everything when he is on the floor. This season he averaged 9.6 points, three assists, three rebounds, and 2.7 steals a game and showcased that he can explode at times, such as his 25 points against Northfield. If a small school is looking for a competitor that is willing to work hard and prove himself, then I think Abbey can check off a few boxes as a scrappy defender that can give a few minutes.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/JamesAbbeyJr1/status/1257733239852040192?s=20</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;"><em>Jaden Stoffel – Manual</em></span></p> <p>Stoffel is certainly the top scorer remaining, and when you look at accolades, he has done it all. Stoffel is a 2x First Team All-State member that also was a major part of Manual’s championship team his junior season as he put up big numbers and led the Thunderbolts to an 18-7 record with a chance to repeat his senior year. Stoffel can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court with deadly range and is not gun shy about letting it fly. He is a three-level scorer that also can pass, but with the role that he had, he looked to shoot it more often than not. Stoffel gets to the rim and finishes with either hand, gets out in the open court and dunks, and also reads what the defense gives him for easy scoring opportunities. In Stoffel’s senior season, he put up 25 points a game and scored 30 points or more in nine games with a season-high of 41 points. He is a bucket that still has not made a decision, so strike fast while the iron is hot.</p> <p>https://youtu.be/KeZdPCu6YEc</p> <p style="text-align: center;">[player_tooltip player_id="915304" first="Darius" last="Hornbuckle"] – Thomas Jefferson ‘</p> <p>Hornbuckle has been the Spartans go-to scorers for multiple years now and is a playmaking guard that has unlimited range. He does not turn down many looks from beyond the arc and can create for himself and others. Hornbuckle is great in PnR situations as he reads the defense and either can knock down the shot or find the cutter for an easy dump-off. Hornbuckle got hot a few times throughout his senior year and exploded for big scoring games such as his 27 points against Falcon, 26 points versus Mountain Vista, or 28 points against Kennedy. In Hornbuckle’s senior season, he averaged 16.7 points a game and also 3.2 rebounds a game as well. If a school is looking for a microwave option that can score in bunches, Hornbuckle is a player that I would recommend.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="915309" first="Tre" last="Titus"] – Cherokee Trail</span></em></p> <p>For Cherokee Trail this season, Titus did a bit of everything and will play a lead guard spot at the next level. He has good size and also is a crafty finisher that can both go inside and score or light it up from beyond the arc as well. The 6’2 guard was one of the only bright spots for the Cougars this season and almost single-handedly pulled away with some wins by himself. Titus had some incredible games where he got himself going and did not look back, such as his 38 point blowup against Mullen or 26 points outing against Smoky Hill. I’ve always said if you surround Titus with four other talented players and he will still find a way to shine. He is a creative finisher that truly scores the ball—I am not sure that he has many colleges looking so a school should take a chance and be happy about it.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="915318" first="Reece" last="Kelly"] – Mountain Vista</strong></span></em></p> <p>Kelly is undoubtedly one of the best players still available in the 2020 class and one that I will surely recommend. He just might be my top option, and it is a bit shocking that he has not been picked up by now. Kelly had a great career for the Golden Eagles, but what he was able to do with the ball in his hands his senior season was impressive. Kelly shot as good as any player in the state and was one of the top scorers as the Co-Continental Player of the Year put up 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds a game. Kelly shot 47% from beyond the arc, and that was while hitting 85 3-pointers on the season. His ability to affect the game with his rebounds and starting the break, as well as opening up the offense with his shooting, had him as one of the top combo-guards in the state. If Kelly decides not to go to a school for basketball, what a career it was and a legacy of buckets that he leaves at Mountain Vista. There are some schools interested; let's see what he decides.</p>