The lefty point guard did a little bit of everything to help keep Westmoore running and deliver the win. His biggest” winning play” moment came with about two minutes left and all the momentum shifting in Southmoore’s direction. He stole an inbounds pass and raced to the other end for a score that halted a run and would help the Jaguars weather the storm.  It was a good representation of the solid play by Loper.  He was able to get to the rim consistently in the first half, where he finished with either hand. Including some nifty switch hand finishes in traffic.  The junior even splashed a few jumpers, including one nice 15 foot stepback jumper in the third quarter.

Loper is a cerebral lead guard that excels when put into the role of running a team and creating for his teammates. With Rogue ‘ last=”] 16U, he consistently impressed with his vision, reading ball screens and seemingly always making the right read. Along with the mental strides he made as a floor general, Loper has seen his athleticism take a good leap. As he’s stronger off the dribble and as a finisher. The Westmoore Jaguar is shaping up to be one of the more complete guards in the class.

This spring and summer has brought fun viewing to identifying the growing strengths of Westmoore’s potential floor general.  He’s growing into an improved athlete, a two handed slam in transition was proof of that. But it’s more than those physical growths, it’s watching him direct traffic and his improving vision and passing. Loper had a couple nice drives and finishes as well in one of Rogue ‘ last=”]’ last=”]’ last=”]’s victories, indicating he should be ready for a bigger role this winter with the Jaguars.

Grant Barnard Grant Barnard 6'2" | PG Westmoore | 2025 State OK is a strong guard with great vision and feel for the game. Loper rarely forces shots but takes advantage of what comes to him in the flow of the game, often times using his patience to find open teammates in positions to score. Grant is very solid through contact when finishing often times initiating it with the defender before going up. Loper’s offensive game is coupled by a subtle defensive prowess with great anticipation in the passing lanes and quick to initiate the break off a turnover. Grant is in a great position to have a breakout summer so stay tuned

Throughout the viewings, Loper was consistently getting by defenders and making a living in the paint. With the way he shifts on crossover and drives, he had a slippery quality that gave him a great success rate on drives. At the rim he had a mix of good finishers and good reads to find open shooters along the perimeter. This vision and feel as a playmaker was also evident with some of the tight angle passes and reads he made in pick and roll situations.

Another small but vital aspect to his success as the floor general for the Rogue, his willingness to pitch it ahead in transition. In watching other games this early in grassroots season, too often players miss the opportunity to make the simple but very effective pass ahead. Loper in these viewings kept his eyes ahead and by making these “simple” plays, stood out. He’s off to a strong start this spring and looks poised to play a huge role for Westmoore next winter.

Another top 16U program at the event was the Rogue. They have a roster filled with good size and shooting. And it was Loper who drove the offense in a huge opening win on Saturday against a talented UAA Dallas program. Loper was credited with 11 assists in that victory. After having a good sophomore season as a key role player for Westmoore, this game was sign that the rising 2025 prospect could be ready to make a huge jump this summer during his pivotal year of 16U grassroots ball.