#SpringKickoff2019: Championship Sunday’s Most Versatile Guards
Championship Sunday is where stars are born. Gold Crown in Denver, Colorado brought out some of the West’s best to compete for the title of being crowned. “Champs”. There were plenty of solid guards who stood out on the day…
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Continue ReadingChampionship Sunday is where stars are born. Gold Crown in Denver, Colorado brought out some of the West’s best to compete for the title of being crowned. “Champs”. There were plenty of solid guards who stood out on the day but here are five guards who showcased their versatility.
D Anthony Pennington – Team KC
One of the standouts of the entire weekend and surely of championship Sunday was Pennington. He is a smooth change of pace guard that is able to get himself going with his outside shot and then fill in the holes throughout the rest of the game. He possesses an outside game while also being able to adjust and knock down the mid-range jumper as well as at the paint in traffic. He is a long guard with length that he uses on both ends of the floor and just as talented as he is offensively he makes sure to keep that same energy on the defensive end as well. Pennington scored 21 points including four 3-pointers to lead KC against the D1 Ambassadors to get to the championship and against a familiar foe, Team Buddy Buckets, he was able to get 11 points while impacting the game in other ways.
Taylor Harris – Colorado Chaos
This Colorado Chaos team came to play this weekend and their best player was combo-guard Taylor Harris. Harris is a guard that gets it done on both ends of the court and is a true playmaker that makes the right play. He carved defenses up for the weekend and against Game point he came alive to secure the victory. He had 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the way. He was very active in the game and aggressive on both ends which helped him get going. What was more impressive was his seven steals which started runs for Chaos. To follow that up he had his best offensive game of the weekend against Wyoming Power. He had 22 points while also recording six assists and rebounds. He took what the defense gave him and played guard duties with Chaos missing their point guard of the weekend while also doing his usual slashing, cutting and finding the open spot defensively.
Conner Younger – Team KC
Younger had himself a game against New Mexico D1 Ambassadors and was a reason that KC built such a lead as he had 19 points while knocking down multiple 3-pointers in a row to take away the momentum from the Ambassadors. He finished with five 3-pointers in the game and showed off his beautiful shooting stroke. He was able to space the floor and that opened things up for himself and teammates as the Ambassadors could not adjust. Against Buddy Buckets in the championship he kept up that same type of range. He had four 3-pointers for 12 points and opened thing sup for his teammates. He also was able to find the open man and show that he could also be a primary ball handler when needed. He is a hard worker that made smart passes to cutters while not forcing too much. He has a tight handle and is able to get himself open but is always moving He is progressing each game and found himself in a rhythm that required a heat check or two. I would highly recommend getting a look at him as he is a guard with range that every team could use.
Isaiah Hayes – Colorado Miners
In a game with multiple division I caliber players one of the biggest standouts was Hayes who remains one of the most versatile players in the state. He is able to defend multiple positions and is a pest on defense. Offensively is where he is making the most improvement as he attacks the paint and is either looking for a foul or a body. He has been attempting to dunk on a player every single game and has all of the intangibles to be one of the state’s best two-way players. Against Team Buddy Buckets he brought intensity. He defended multiple positions, played on and off ball and is a bolt of energy. He was able to finish with nine points while scoring in explosive ways at the rim and also knocked down a 3-pointer which started a run. He had multiple rebounds in traffic, a few assists and two steals which he then started the break with. Hayes is a guard that is showing steady progress and I expect to have a big summer as a player to keep on people’s radars.
Chase Hettinger – Colorado Mayhem
In Mayhem’s early win over Colorado United the player of the game and standout was Hettinger. Hettinger is a versatile wing that can put the ball on the floor as well as shoot the ball from deep. He is able to attack the basket and also possesses range on his jump shots. He is crafty at the rim and is a combo-guard that uses his size. He can put the ball on the floor but also gets into the lane and will either finish with a dunk, layup or free throw as he looks for contact. He had 21-points in the game and also had a couple dunks. Hettinger is an unsigned senior that should be settling down soon as he is definitely a next level player with a high ceiling.