Top 5 shooting guards heading into the 2018-19 season
A shooting guard can make a point guard’s job very easy. When the floor general pulls the basketball up the floor, chances are he’s looking for a scorer on the wing.
The shooting guard could be the point guard’s top choice, so he has to be able to score the basketball, whether it’s from the outside or the inside. If not, then the point guard will have to either score, find scoring from the small forward or go inside to one of the post players.
August is in full swing, and the high school basketball season is getting closer. There are plenty of talent at the shooting guard position in the state of Tennessee, but I narrowed my list down to five, based on the guys I have already seen, either on my IPhone 8 or in a summer tournament.
Let’s get to it. Here are the top five shooting guards heading into the 2018-19 season:
Matthew Murrell, Whitehaven High School
Junior shooting guard Matthew Murrell has the footwork of a Russell Westbrook, with the scoring ability of a DeMar DeRozan. He has a nice crossover and gets to the basket with ease. Murrell isn’t quiet elite from the outside yet, but he can knock down shots when needed.
Expect Murrell to have a solid junior season, possibly be one of the Tigers’ top scorers, and rack up more Division 1 offers.
Julius Dixon, Fayetteville High School
Julius Dixon is a special guard because he’s always in the gym working on his game. He’s always trying to find different ways to score. Dixon can easily average between 20-30 points a game. He can score from the outside and is hard to stop when the lane is open. Expect Dixon to have a great senior season.
Randy Brady, Brentwood Academy
Sophomore Randy Brady can get off his jump shot in a matter of seconds. His style of play is similar to Ray Allen. At 6-foot-4, Brady averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Jerry Peters Memphis Summer Classic back in June. Brady’s goal is to be a great two-way player, sort of what Kawhi Leonard has become in recent years. He has the length to be like Leonard, with the offensive game to go along with it.
Alden Applewhite, Lausanne Collegiate School
Alden Applewhite can play both guard positions, which is why Lausanne has a chance to go far next season. He’s only a sophomore and stands at 6-5. He has solid ball handling skills, but needs to find a consistent jump shot. Applewhite’s length helps him get a lot of points in the paint. One of Applewhite’s best offensive performances over the summer came in the Jerry Peters Memphis Summer Classic when he had 23 points in a 64-50 loss to Brentwood Academy.
Sky Forest, Lausanne Collegiate School
Senior guard Sky Forest made this list because he will, most likely, lead the Lynx in scoring next season. He’s more of a slasher than a shooter, which sits just fine with him. Lausanne has other weapons that can score from the outside. Forest is always looking to attack the basket. He uses his upper body strength to his advantage. If the defender isn’t at least 6-foot, Forest is going to have an easy time scoring the basketball because he’s 6-3.