Seemingly whenever Ballard wanted to push it in transition he had the combination of burst to pull away from defenders and quickness to navigate through defenders and get to the rim. He’s a smart finisher at the rim, and even hit his trademark floater a couple times. The game breaking shiftiness of the junior isn’t anything new.  But now in his third year as a key contributor for the Trojans, he’s looking a more mature floor general in the halfcourt. Playing with more patience, vocal leadership and general poise. His ability to switch from a tempo setting transition pusher to organizing his teammates in then halfcourt will be crucial as Douglass looks to repeat.

Ballard enjoyed an impressive sophomore season as the man at the control’s of Class 4A champions Douglass. He’s a shifty guard, with great end to end speed, who routinely got into the paint to score himself while also setting up his teammates for highlight reel ally oops or kicking it to open shooters. Now as a junior he’s set for an even bigger scoring and leadership role as the potential engine that will power the Trojans’ attempts to go back to back in Class 4A.

A speedy up tempo guard, Ballard is a hooper. Along with outstanding end to end speed, he has great change of direction in the halfcourt which often puts a lot of pressure on defenders. While he has the athleticism to finish in traffic at the rim, he has also developed an outstanding tear drop floater. After playing a huge part in Douglass’ Class 4A title, he gradually earned more playing time for MoKan’s Peach Jam bound E16 squad.  His overall game management and playmaking skills still need improvement, but he has flashes of good vision when attacking. That along with the infectious energy he plays the game with, indicates improvement is likely to come on that front.

It was a 9 AM tip, but that didn’t slow down the shifty sophomore one bit. Ballard had 10 points in the first frame as he helped the Trojans race to an early edge. He got his points by racing by the Saints’ guard with hesitation moves and general shiftiness that made him impossible to keep out of the paint. The sophomore has been a consistent threat as a downhill attacker this year, with a soft tear drop floater that seemingly gets better with every viewing.

Douglass sophomore Landry Ballard Landry Ballard 6'1" | PG/CG Douglass | 2025 State OK is the other rising star in the state’s 2025 class. While Scott is more of a shooter, Ballard has the reputation of being a guard that gets downhill in a hurry. Ballard is a very physical guard that has a gear that few 2025 prospects have when they have the ball in their hands. But the thing that puts Ballard ahead of some of those other guards is his ability to be in full control. Too many times do you see a guard use that speed and acceleration and it becomes out of control. Ballard has a nice touch when he gets to the rim and he’s also developed a floater to his offensive game. Ballard has provided the Trojans with yet another option on the offensive end of the floor. He’s had multiple games this season where he’s gone for 20+ points.

Ballard was a dynamic scorer for Douglass in the rim with his ability to get down hill. One consistent theme for Ballard when watching him this season has been the floater he breaks out to finish in traffic. It’s rare to see a young prospect with such a soft and smooth floater. In transition situations, he shows good vision as a facilitator. With so many weapons around him at Douglass, he has a great opportunity to continue to develop his floor general and playmaking qualities in the half court. Which will be a crucial step in his development for the next level.