Indy: Top 17U Point Guards
Between the EYBL, UAA, adidas Silver, Nike Midwest Takeover, and Terrific 24, the city of Indianapolis was a basketball fan’s dream this weekend. Every coach and scout had more wristbands than a preteen girl when the Livestrong era was in full-swing and every team had the opportunity to play in front of college coaches as the spring Live Period came to a close.
Ohio performed pretty well overall and we’ll take time to extensively recap all of the top performers at each grade level, starting with 2019 point guards.
Trey Syroka, 5’10” PG, All Ohio Gold / Whitmer
Syroka continually impresses with his vision and confidence as a lead guard. He’s very much aware of everything that’s happening at all times. Syroka creates unique passing lanes by using his handle to get into the lane. However, there are a few occasions where he gets into trouble on the drive and isn’t able to cleanly pass out of it. Regardless, his ability to dictate pace is special.
Andre Gordon, 6’2” PG, C2K Elite / Huntington Prep (formerly Sidney)
Gordon is able to dribble through any sort of ball pressure. His handle is nasty. The MM/HM prospect also uses that ability to create space for mid-range jumpers. Meanwhile, Gordon has an uncanny ability to challenge shot-blockers by elevating off two feet and controlling his body for contested finishes. Very quick defender.
Milton Gage, 5’10 PG, Cincy Lakers / Chamindade-Julienne
We’ll take Gage on our team any day of the week because of his defensive intensity and ability. He’s a tough on-ball defender given his quickness, toughness, and communication. The kid is a bulldog out there. He also has packed on some muscle since our last viewing.
However, he wasn’t afforded any opportunity to create with the ball this weekend, mostly stranded off to the side as others pounded the rock. Therefore, hard to evaluate his offensive abilities at the moment.
Sean Marks, 5’10” PG, Mid Ohio Pumas / Olentangy
Marks should thrive as an off-ball point guard at the Division II level in college. His strength is clearly as an outside shooter. Marks’s range extends feet beyond the arch, as his high-arching right-shoulder release is money when he’s open.
However, Marks does struggle to create and protect the ball against active length. Therefore, we’d consider trotting him out there with a second reliable ball-handler.
Chris Painter, 5’11” PG, Nova (James) / St. Vincent-St. Mary
Painter came out aggressive for Nova this weekend on both ends of the floor. He caused multiple turnovers in the passing lanes by shooting the gap. Also, Painter seeks his shot in the mid-range with their second unit. The Akron prospect has stupendous speed and was absolutely flying past opponents in coast-to-coast situations. He combines the athleticism with great awareness and a solid frame, making Painter a very nice defensive player. High-IQ.
Ryan Nunn, 5’11” PG, Northwest Ohio Basketball Club / Findlay
Nunn received an offer from Goshen over the weekend — the first for him. He’ll have a chance to potentially add others from the NAIA and D-II level throughout the season if he keeps it up.
Nunn, who is asked to primarily score for Findlay, impressed with his unselfishness and passing. His pace and ability to create space can compromise a defense quickly. He took advantage by dropping dimes to forwards. Meanwhile, Nunn is still hitting the jumper with range. He’s also a very good athlete and is able to rise for some rebounds.
Tehree Horn, 6’2” PG, All Ohio Gold / Southview
The wiry combo guard has a very nice handle. Despite dealing with pressure all weekend, Horn just makes one move and is able to continue the possession. He’s mainly a facilitator, but Horn is also able to pull-up off the dribble around the elbow. Nice floater. He can defend either guard spot.
Javohn Garcia, 6’3” PG, All Ohio Red EYBL / Pickerington Central
Garcia has pretty much everything you’re looking for in a point guard. First of all, his instincts are very mature. He delivers passes to the right people, in the right spot, at the right time. Meanwhile, even when he loses a step on defense, Garcia is able to get deflections while chasing with his length. Makes very, very few poor decisions on the court. Garcia was pass-first despite having a three-level scoring ability.