Hightower had a great spring with NW Rotary Rebels. He demonstrated his efficacy as a point guard, setting things in motion, defending his butt off, and scoring when the opportunity presents itself. He continued that type of steadying play this past weekend and just does a great job protecting his dribble, getting the ball where it needs to go, and making sure they get into their sets smoothly. He had a handful of on-ball steals with his quick hands, made a ton of nice feeds while attacking the basket, and knocked down open shots in space.

Has a high IQ on both ends and he rarely turns the rock over. Can make all the basic passes at a high level, understands how to properly enter the ball to the post, uses pivots and his body to create space after pick-ups to find teammates, and puts good pace and accuracy on his swings, skips, and kickouts. He feels the extra defender really well, especially when they blitz him on screens, and can quickly release the ball to the open man. Understands where mismatches are, how to get the ball there, and creates a lot of open lanes for teammates to cut and crash the boards when he penetrates.

Hightower has been a great addition to Garfield’s backcourt, giving them another reliable ballhandler who can bring a calming presence on the ball and defend opposing ballhandlers at a high level. He’s a guy who has shown great facilitating and decision-making, is patient on the attack, uses good footwork to get around defenders, and can knock down open shots from deep. He’s had an immediate impact in the Bulldogs’ rotation.