First Live Period: Under-The-Radar Guards To Watch (16U, Part I)
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.
Chase Hettinger, 6-5, Billups Elite
Hettinger and Billups will be in Dallas beginning Friday for the first stop on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit, and the 16U group begins play at 8:40 p.m. (Texas time) at the Bill R. Johnson Center against M33M Elite. What Hettinger should display is a smooth game with an ability to really shoot it from the outside. He’s long and athletic and can play multiple guard positions. Hettinger splashed onto the scene by averaging 17.3 points as a sophomore at Castle View, and he should only pick up steam this weekend. He’s got the tools to be a low- to mid-major Division I prospect.
Davon Walker, 5-7, Boykins Academy
As one of the top point guards in the 2019 class, Walker has been a big varsity contributor for two years at Douglas County under former NBA standout Earl Boykins. Walker is a very solid ball-handler who you can depend on to get a team set up and moving, but he also shows the ability to be a consistent scorer with his ability to attack and finish inside among bigger players. He’s got a nice first step and can beat defenders off the dribble.
Andre Sepeda, 5-8, Colorado Chaos
Another undersized guard who already has two years of heavy varsity experience under his belt, Sepeda has a great feel for the game, shoots it well from the outside and is unselfish at the point guard spot — a true floor general. Sepeda also is a young player who really gets after it on the defensive end, using a high motor and tenacity to hang with bigger guards. Sepeda will be playing with the Colorado Chaos 16U Elite squad this weekend at the SoCal Hoop Review in California.
Stephen Hayes, 6-2, Colorado Hawks
The Overland standout is becoming more and more comfortable in the guard spot, his skills with the ball in his hand seemingly growing with every tournament. Hayes is a gifted attacker of the basket. He’s most impressive penetrating along the baseline, where he demonstrates good vision and is also a strong finisher. While Hayes flies a little under the radar sharing the backcourt with nationally ranked guard Kenny Foster, he’s a talented guard with a high ceiling who is rising quickly. He was impressive during the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off earlier this month on both ends of the court. Hayes will help lead the Hawks into the Dallas stop of the Adidas Gauntlet stop, with their first game coming at 7:20 p.m. Friday at North Crowley High School against Team Elite Orange out of Douglasville, Georgia.
Avery Rembao, 6-5, Colorado Premier
Rembao will be demonstrating his versatile skill set with Premier at the Dallas stop of the NY2LA Association circuit. He’s got great size for his class that he uses to play multiple position. He can pull bigger defenders to the perimeter and has the ability to beat them off the dribble and finish. He’s good a good mid-range pull up, good strength and a high motor. Rembao averaged a team-leading 14.3 points per game as a sophomore at Loveland this season.