Ward was easily one of the top passers I saw from the early slate of playoff games. He’s able to set up a lot of passing lanes by bringing the ball down with pace and keeping that pace in the halfcourt with quick passes and movement. He set the tone early with a couple of quick assists on the go in the halfcourt, then buried a couple of 3s to keep the defense from being able to key in on one aspect of his game. Ward was in control for much of the game, seeing the flow, making good decisions, and fitting passes through some tight windows. He’s a really talented passer on the go and will be a key guy as Timberline attempts to keep their season alive against Lakes tonight.

As up and down as Ward can be, when he is up, he can swing a game in a matter of possessions. He has highlight ability both with his passing and shooting the deep ball, and even continues to get stronger finishing over defenders at the hoop. He sometimes gets a little loose with the ball but has high upside if he can sharpen his ballhandling a bit.

Ward is a kid that keeps piquing my interest a little bit more every time I see him. He shows some skill to play either guard spot, but also still lacks some consistency in certain areas for you to say he’s better at one spot than the other. He can defend really well at times, puts pressure on ballhandlers and has the hands to get tips and swipe dribblers. He also looks like a pretty effective 3-point shooter and creator off the dribble when things are going well. And while he looked better at the showcase, he still lacks enough consistency to be completely trusted at either spot. If he continues to show more and more consistency, he should be a reliable two-way guard who can be a big impact player.