Top 5 4A Guards of the Year
The season is officially over and it is time to give some guys some well deserved recognition from this past season. While there were many players that had tremendous seasons, I tried highlighting the best of the best. These are…
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Continue ReadingThe season is officially over and it is time to give some guys some well deserved recognition from this past season. While there were many players that had tremendous seasons, I tried highlighting the best of the best. These are the top guards in their given conference:
1. Jaelen House (Shadow Mountain 2019)
It should be no surprise that House and Blacksher are at the top of this list. Both of these guys had great seasons and high school careers all around. House proved that he is a top defender, not only in AZ but the entire class of 2019. He played great in the playoffs and was the driving force behind Shadow Mountain’s come back win against Salpointe in this year’s state semifinals.
2. Jovan Blacksher (Shadow Mountain 2019)
I went back and forth on where Blacksher should be placed on this list, whether he should be number 1 or number 2. I think he has definitely proved himself enough to be considered the best guard in 4A and the state. However, I decided to put House ahead of him because House is the main driving force on that team. However, Blacksher is one heck of a player. He looked absolutely unstoppable against Salpointe in the semifinals. He was able to get to the rim with ease and simply could not miss a jumper.
3. Evan Nelson (Salpointe 2020)
Evan Nelson had a great season and once again showed why he is a D1 prospect. He is not only great at scoring the ball but he is a great facilitator. He has a tremendous feel for the game and great passing vision. He was able to handle the pressure defense of House and Blacksher pretty well and I think that is the main reason that Salpointe was in that game and even led for most of it. Nelson will be the best guard in this conference next year.
4. Jackson Ruai (Amphi 2019)
Jackson Ruai makes this list mainly for his defense but he definitely improved his scoring. Many college coaches that I’ve talked to about Ruai were worried if he would be able to score the ball at the next level and were mainly concerned about his shooting. I think he did enough this year to silence those doubts and has shown that he can be a very effective guard at the next level. He is also one of the best perimeter defenders that I have ever seen.
5. Johnny Diaz (Deer Valley 2019)
Johnny Diaz is the heart and soul of that ridiculously successful Deer Valley team. Diaz may not put up crazy stats but he is the number one reason for that programs success in recent years. Diaz has an unmatched fire and passion that he plays with that gives him a huge edge over his opponents. The kid is a proven winner and that’s all he wants, he just wants to win.