Denver Prep League: Top Guards in the Conference
The high school season is just around the corner and we’re previewing a few of the state’s most competitive conferences. One that will be interesting to watch specifically at the guard position is the Denver Prep League. Here is a look at some of the top guards throughout the conference.
JoVon Nelson – George Washington–2019
JoVon is a true point guard that truly pushes the pace and gets others involved. He isn’t a player that wows with athleticism but is a player that uses his speed to get to his spot and has to be accounted for on the offensive end. JoVon is a tenacious defender that applies on ball pressure for the whole game and makes it hard for the opposing guard. He uses his body and is a two-way player that his teammates rally behind. He sets the tone on the defensive end that opens things up offensively and this year will take over the primary ball handling responsibilities. He will have a better overall year being the veteran leader and with such a young team will be the emotional captain that calms the storm as well.
Darius Hornbuckle – Thomas Jefferson –2020
Darius is one of the league’s top scorers and that was only in his sophomore season. He led the team in scoring at 15.3 points a game and can change the outcome of the game with his shooting abilities. He has deep range and can create off of the dribble. He has a good feel for the game and is dangerous in pick and roll situations and one of the most underrated parts of his game that often goes unnoticed is his ability to pass. He is an above average player with great court vision and that has to be shown in the regular season as it is in AAU. He is asked to carry the scoring load and that takes away from his passing but with the emergence of his big men and hopefully one other perimeter player stepping up this year he is able to show that he can run a team and get others involved or score for himself which he seems best at. Big year coming for Darius.
Antonio Carrillo – Denver West – 2019
While Denver West did not have the type of year that they wanted there was still production that came out of a few of their players. One that really stood out was Antonio that really did it all. As far as statistics goes he was one of the conferences most balanced players as he was asked to do it all. He put up 8.4 points a game and also dished 2.7 assists. What was really impressive was how aggressive he was on the boards as a guard. He recorded 5.7 rebounds a game and attempted to fight in games and his play can probably add a few wins to West this year if he keeps up his play.
Jahuale Veazy – Lincoln – 2020
Jahuale is a player that the state will soon know as he has went under the radar. He has worked his way up and ran the team the best he can although he is surrounded by great players. He has taken on the guard role of getting others involved and pushing his players. He is a leader by example and takes on the ball handling capabilities. Lincoln is a team that excels in isolation situations and with another player that is capable of scoring off of the dribble it makes the Lancers a more dangerous team. I would like to see him score a bit more and be more aggressive with the ball in his hands and not just defer. He is a player that can score and create with the ball in his hands, just has to showcase it more this year.
Ty Foster – Lincoln – 2020
Foster is not only one of the best guard in the conference but really has what it takes to be one of the best guards in the state and this is the year that I feel that he proves it. With the team success that I feel Lincoln will have this year this will be a year that puts Foster on the map. He is a guard that can do everything and can take over the game at any moment. He can score, has great ball handling capabilities and that will only free up the rest of his game. He is a player that is versatile and that versatility will only lead to better stats going into junior year. He is a division I player.