First Live Period: Under-The-Radar Guards To Watch (16U, Part II)
The spring AAU season will be in full swing this weekend as the first live period gets underway.
Teams from Colorado will be out on the road as they prepare to put their best foot forward in front of college coaches.
Here are some 2019 guards to keep an eye on out on the trail this weekend.
Steven Croell, 6-4, Colorado Titans
Running the floor and creating in transition. Attacking the offensive glass. Penetrating the lane and making plays for others. Croell did just about everything for the Titans during an impressive overall showing at the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off earlier this month. A coach’s son, Croell simply demonstrates a great IQ and court awareness on both ends. He’s a rock solid player who consistently makes winning plays. With good size, he can play multiple positions.
Tanner Baird, 6-2, Colorado Titans
Though not as tall and perhaps not quite on his level, Baird reminds one a little bit of former Titans standout Justinian Jessup, who is now at Boise State. Baird is a crafty lefty who has a good understanding of angles and spacing that allow him to get to the basket and finish. He’s a solid outside shooter who has a quick release of the catch. He’s got quick hands on defense and is often wreaking havoc with a lengthy frame. The best description of Baird’s game is smooth — he doesn’t waste a lot of motion and is concise with his decision-making with the ball — and he matches that with an impressive motor.
Darien Meyers, 6-3, The Force
Meyers was one of the more impressive guards from a penetration standpoint at the Kick Off. He’s deceptive with his movements, making good use of jab steps and rip throughs to create the split second he needs to get a step on his defender. Meyers has good touch once he gets to the rim. While Meyers can improve as a playmaker once he heads downhill, he’s hard to stop once he has his sights set on the basket. On top of that, he has a mechanically sound stroke from 3-point range and can get hot from beyond the arc in a hurry. Meyers and The Force will be in Dallas this weekend at the NY2LA stop. We’d expect him to start garnering some attention this spring and summer as his game expands.
Jordan Malm, 6-0, Wyoming Power
The guard jumped out at the Kick Off by catching fire from long range. He was able to knock down 3-pointers off the dribble, in transition and coming off screens. He’s also a deft ball-handler, who protects the ball well under pressure, and he gets after it on the defensive end. Malm is a small-college prospect (D-II, D-III, NAIA) who will continue to elevate his game as he grows stronger.
Grant Wilkinson, 6-1, Colorado Thunder
The Pine Creek standout is a versatile backcourt player, demonstrated by the 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and two steals per game he averaged for the Eagles during his sophomore season. Wilkinson is a pass-first lead guard who likes to get others involved. He has a good knack for reading defenses. As he improves his strength, he should become even more effective attacking the basket.