Class of 2018: Top Point Guards
Tennessee is blessed with two of the top 2018 point guards in the nation.
Best in Class
Darius Garland, Alex Lomax
Leadership. To be a great point guard you have to lead good men to greatness. Take a look at the resume of Tennessee’s top lead guards.
Darius Garland scored 30 points to earn Brentwood Academy (30-2) boys basketball program their third consecutive Tennessee DII-AA State Championship. Garland proved he can operate on the ball for both his AAU program and high school this year. Originally a terrific spot-up shooter, Garland grew a little bit and improved his lateral mobility. Now there is no question he can spearhead an attack.
Alex Lomax (Memphis East) helped his squad to a back-to-back title and even forced some old head Memphis men to consider 2016-2017 Memphis East among the greatest Memphis-based high school teams of All-Time. Lomax also pushed his 2016 Team Penny team to the Peach Jam EYBL final four.
On the Cusp (3-5)
Tyler Harris, Mark Freeman, DeAndre Barrett
The trio of Tyler Harris, Freeman, and Barrett (Tennessee Prep) offer an array of attacking options. Team Thad’s spirited ball-handler Harris (Cordova) dashes end-to-end. He helps continue the proud Team Thad tradition of exceptional on-ball defense. Harris possesses that frightening first step quickness that sends chills down defender’s spines.
Markylan Freeman (Southwind) is running with M33M 17u and while he is also shy of 6′ he can finish around the trees. Freeman doesn’t have Harris’ explosion laterally, but he can knock down jumpers off the dribble or catch-and-shoot.
Third Tier (6-10)
Camron Johnson, Jordan Johnson, Carlos Sandifer, Christian Jones, Junior Clay
Memphis consistently produces elite guards and this tier features three more (Johnson, Sandifer, Jones). The inclusion of Camron Johnson (Brentwood Academy) might catch some fans off guard, but he has three state titles to his credit. Johnson will play football for Vanderbilt, but his disruptive basketball instincts are invaluable.
July is huge for Carlos Sandifer. Competing with the Jackson Tigers he expects to turn some heads. Sandifer’s highlight reel reveals good lower body balance and nice court vision.
Junior Clay (McCallie) is the top 2018 PG east of Nashville. His state semifinal performance in March stamped his place in the state’s best guards. He scored 55% of his team’s points in a must-win game against Montgomery Bell Academy in MBA’s backyard.
Fourth Tier (11-17)
Caleb Fields, Jaden Lewis, Levert Smith Jr., Dennis Stallings, Bryce McBride, Justin Dozier, Kevon McMahon
The fourth grouping has some very diverse prosects. Levert Smith Jr. vaulted into the conversation with a steady playoff run at Oak Ridge. Jaden Lewis (Summit HS) often gets overlooked because he plays south of Nashville away from the spotlight. Dennis Stallings (Whites Creek) and Justin Dozier (East Hamilton) are creating a lot of buzz on the AAU circuit.
Lewis (pictured left) runs with Demontay Dixon for Summit High School, which could net him extra D1 eyeballs in the fall/winter months.
Fifth Tier (18-22)
Keyonte Calloway, Mycan James, Taelyr Gatlin, Mullek Bradford, Antwan Beans
Taelyr Gatlin (Brighton) is leaping up and out of this group with his play in June. Running with Jackson Tigers now, Gatlin is sure to tuck some offers into his back pocket this month. Like Beans he hails from the west side of the state. James and Calloway handle the ball in Nashville and Mullek Bradford is out of Cleveland, TN.
Top 40 PGs (23-40)
Daraon Jones, Austin Lasater, Gray Michael, Jordan Lockridge, K.J. Hawkins, Robert Wilcox III, Decorrian Kelly, Drew Weikert, Tai Carter, Joseph Norwood, Michael Archie, Carrington Maclin, Myles Rasnick, Brandon Mason, Dezmin McClain, Dakota McGowan, Josh Woods, David Smith Jr.
Ultimately Tai Carter (Summit) will play college football. Like Cam Johnson he is a wonderful two-sport high school athlete. Decorrian Kelly (Bolton) is a blur with the ball in his hands. Strong summers could net overlooked guards like Dezmin McClain (Whites Creek), Jordan Lockridge (Mt. Juliet), and Dakota McGowan (Bearden) college sniffs.
Overview
Point guard is certainly the deepest position in the state for 2018. Garland and Lomax have opportunities to push towards pro careers after college. Free scorers like Harris and Freeman are going to be fantastic college players. By camping with colleges a few have already made their first impressions, but July is the month where the other top guards seek their first college offers.