Continental League Preview: Top Wings/Combo Guards
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 the most interesting to watch is the Continental league as there are so many of the state’s top player competing on a nightly basis. Here is a look at some of the top combo guards/wings in the Continental league.
Chase Hettinger – Castle View — 2019
Chase is my pick for POY in the Continental league. There isn’t a thing he doesn’t do. He can shoot it, he gets to the rim almost as good as any player in the state, he plays above the rim, he rebounds and defends and is the go-to player each and every night. What stands out is how he does all of these things when the opposing team’s whole game plan is to stop him and he still manages to make it happen. As a junior he put up 18.7 points a game and that was through double teams at times. He is an efficient scorer that got even better over the summer and should not only be looking to be the best player in the conference but with team success has a chance to win Mr. Basketball this year. I expect him points per game to increase this year and garner plenty of attention from colleges.
Jaylen Eikenberg – Rock Canyon 2019
Jaylen is on a team that lost most of their best players but he still remains. He might possibly be the state’s best overall defenders as he can guard positions 1-4 and with his strength might be able to guard centers. He is active in the passing lane, uses his body and is aggressive defensively which opens things up offensively. His maturation as a player has shown him become a capable scorer and playmaker on offense which is balancing out his game and will surely start seeing colleges come after him his senior year. Last year Rock Canyon was the favorite to win the entire thing but fell just a bit short as they had a very talented group. This year, they aren’t expected to have the same season but with Jaylen leading the way nothing is outside of the realm of possibility.
Simon May – Mountain Vista — 2019
With the two leading scorers for the Golden Eagles graduating last season it will be up to Simon May to lead the way. As a junior he put up 10 points a game and was the team’s leading rebounder by a large margin as he put up 7.3 rebounds a game. He is a player with good size that boxes out, gets it up the court fast and can bring it up himself and plays from the inside out. He’s a very consistent scorer who will be looked upon to score a bit more this year as he has the capability to finish at the rim or knock it down from deep. The bulk of the attention will be on him each night to produce and create so his ability to do it all will have to be on display throughout the entire season.
Joseph Dalton – Chaparral — 2019
Joseph is a 6’4 combo guard with range. He can hit every shot on the court and excels beyond the arc. He plays well off ball and one of the under rated parts of his game is his ability to put it on the floor and get to the rim. He is a tough player to guard as he has a quick first step and a smooth left hand pull up. He also isn’t afraid to go inside and score in the paint while also getting up for a few dunks last season. Joseph sees the floor well and was also one of the team’s leading rebounders last season. He times the ball wells on rebounds and gets after it and I expect him to lead the team in scoring this upcoming season and prove he is one of the state’s best all-around players.
Sufyan Elkannan – Legend — 2019
Sufyan is coming off of a year that he averaged 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds a game while also playing the passing lanes well which got him 1.3 steals a game. He’s an all-around player that gets it done because he is one of the most athletically gifted players in the conference. He attacks the rim with such tenacity that even if he does miss he’s most likely getting the rebound and it’s going to be a foul or basket. He has a great feel for the game and is great around the painted area. He has great strength and runs the baseline well. While he isn’t a knock down shooter he does possess the ability to knock down 3-point jumpers which disallows the opposing team to place a big man on him which he’s too quick for but makes it difficult for them to place a guard on him as he’s too strong. He’s a mismatch offensively. On defense he is active and jumps the passing lane which creates steals and open dunks in transition. He uses his body and can guard multiple positions; this Legend team is as balanced as they’ve been in years and with Sufyan on the wing they have a chance to matchup with every team in the state.