Christmas Break Evaluations: 2022 Guards
The holiday break is over and we are playing major catchup as we have been on the road for the last three weeks. There are a ton of evaluations to get to and we are breaking these up as we…
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Continue ReadingThe holiday break is over and we are playing major catchup as we have been on the road for the last three weeks. There are a ton of evaluations to get to and we are breaking these up as we have more than 150 from the break. Today, we are focusing on 2022 we saw.
Colin Comer – 6’2 SG 2022 – Greensburg (IN)
***8 points against Southport (IN)***
Comer has grown a little bit since the last time we have seen him and with that he looks a little more dynamic. Had a big three off the catch but then showed a nice cut and layup in traffic. The up-and-under in the first half, though, was one fo the more athletic things we have seen from him. He’s also added a little bit of strength and that looks like the beginning of a shift in his development. Will be interesting to watch and see if he can continue to mix in scoring avenues that aren’t shooting from deep.
Peter Suder – 6’3 SG 2022 – Carmel (IN)
***21 points against Evansville Reitz (IN)***
This was by far the best offensive game we have seen from him. He is starting to shoot the ball, not only more, but better. He’s a guy that hasn’t really looked to shoot mainly because the release and touch were never really lining up. But now, he has shown that he has that kind of form that should be repeatable and if he’s gaining confidence, then we love the direction he could go. He was really aggressive all together, looking to score as often as possible which was much needed. He’s always been able to drive and finish but that jumper just made him so much more dangerous.
Brandon Northern – 6’0 PG 2022 – Silver Creek (IN)***
***17 points against Blackhawk Christian (IN)***
This was a game that really showed the progression of Northern. The lead guard doesn’t look like a freshman anymore and seemed to really understand his role and played well within it. He’s got some speed and if he can get in transition, he sees the floor really well and can make plays for himself but especially his teammates. He did show some toughness with a rebound putback early in the game and then defensively when he was able to get a turnover up top that turned into easy points. Most was just opportunistic but his ability to score like this and still allow Kaufman and Kooper to play in their way really gives this team a three-headed monster that is tough to stop.
Nick Klaiber – 6’1 PG 2022 – Bloomington North (IN)
***20 points against Scottsburg (IN)***
Nick is a quick lead guard who plays a tick quicker than everyone else. He’s a guy that can do a little bit of everything but will need to fix the jumper a bit. A little too much of a push shot right now and it tends to be short/long too often. However, he is great in the lane and has quite a bit of toughness that you can’t just foul him and not expect him to get the and-one.
Bryce Williams – 6’1 PG 2022 – Fishers (IN)
***13 points against New Palestine (IN)***
Bryce is a slightly built guard who is kind of a combo guard right now but should continue to grow with time. He’s pretty quick with the ball and was able to really take advantage of a lot of his opportunities. He’s great in the lane but also a pretty capable shooter so far. Doesn’t yet have the strength to be high-end as a creator in the lane but does have the skillset that can grow.
Charlie Smith – 6’1 PG 2022 – Fishers (IN)
***10 points against New Palestine (IN)***
Charlie is a bigger guard who has some size on the frame and should really round out pretty quickly here. He was pretty advantageous as they played in the open floor a lot in this game. He had a couple really tough drives at the rim and you could tell that he’s able to finish those plays because he can take a hit. Didn’t see a diverse game but this was one of the few games we have seen in his young career where he was producing well. He has grown a bit so will be interesting to see how things grow.
Steele Brasfield – 6’5 SF 2022 – New Palestine (IN)
***6 points against Fishers (IN)***
Steele is a long, lanky wing with some length and a gun from distance. He was really good off the catch looking to shoot quickly and often. He does have enough handles to drive a bit but is much more set right now to be a guy that produces mostly from distance. He has great size already and should fill out the frame over the next few years. There is enough upside there, especially if he shows some dribble-drive ability that could lead to more mid-range opportunities.
Carter Whitehead – 5’10 PG 2022 – Southridge (IN)
***6 points against Brownstown Central (IN)***
Carter is a smaller lead guard with plenty of strength and some confidence on the ball. Doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and seems to handle pressure well. He has some offense but it can come and go. Today, he was able to get a couple threes off in the third quarter and gave him some confidence and the team some much needed momentum. He’s not a guy that looks to score much but did show that he had it in his bag.
Cayden Vasko – 6’1 PG 2022 – Lowell (IN)
***5 points against Herron (IN)***
Vasko is a growing guard that has added a ton of size in the last year. Now getting closer to 6’2 at this point, Vasko has the ball handling going well and showed enough that he should be a guy that stays on the ball long term. Jumper looks to still be a useful tool for him but would like to see him become a little more aggressive with it. His length seems to be adding some more value as a perimeter player and could turn into a better defensive presence down the road.
Maddox Schmelz – 6’1 SG 2022 – New Albany (IN)
***10 points against Andrean (IN)***
Maddox is a solid off guard with a good frame already and some strength to play with. Pretty standard scoring guard skill set as he mixed in a solid perimeter jumper and some dribble-drive game. Jumper looks good but does cock his shot back on his should quite a lot. Ha some real toughness that he plays with and seems to feed off of it. Should be a competitive guy to watch in the future.
Tucker Biven – 6’1 SG 2022 – New Albany (IN)
***10 points against Andrean (IN)***
Tucker is a tall guard who can really do a lot going at the rim. A little bigger and has a ton of strength to go right now. He’s not a guy that seems to look to shoot much but he does have a lot of ability in the lane, a good chunk due to his strength and demeanor. Kind of a put-his-head-down kind of guard and had some pretty good success with it.
Drew Adzia – 5’8 PG 2022 – Crown Point (IN)
***11 points against Chesterton (IN)***
Drew is a smaller lead guard that has some speed on the ball and isn’t afraid to try and make a play. He’s really good as a creator for his teammates, seemingly looking to penetrate and dish but still providing enough offense. His driving game is solid and should only get better as he adds size and strength, still on the smaller side right now. But did show a nice pull-up three as well.
Travis Grayson – 5’9 PG 2022 – Chesterton (IN)
***12 points against Crown Point (IN)***
Grayson is a tough, small guard who can really make some plays. He looks great when driving as he has a pretty good first step and is a bowling ball that defenders just bounce off of. He didn’t look to shoot a ton but he does have that in his bag at times. But, he’s so good and creation and leading with his mentality on the floor. Defensively he has the skill to really be effective as an on-ball guy because of that speed and shake.
E.J. Smith – 5’10 PG 2022 – Noblesville (IN)
***5 points against Northridge (IN)***
Smith is a slight guard with some great speed and feel for the game. He’s the type of guy that is willing to do a lot of the work and really light it up when he gets his chances. He had a couple triples and a few cuts to the rim that got him in the scoring column. He has a really good idea of where he needs to be and is willing to bypass a shot for a teammates chance and that for a young guard is really helpful for their development. Should really grow with this team.
Rocco Roshel – 5’10 PG 2022 – Sullivan (IN)
***9 points against Terre Haute South (IN)***
Rocco is a solid guard who might be more of an-off guard at this point but can light it up from distance. Had a couple big threes early in the game that he got off quick enough. He’s added some strength but is on the smaller side in terms of height. Can handle the ball enough but his best skill is that perimeter jumper and moving to get it in position.
Randy Kelley – 5’11 PG 2022 – Sullivan (IN)
***14 points against Terre Haute South (IN)***
Randy is a big guard who has added strength to the frame and looks physically ready to take on developmentally. He was great as he was looking to drive this game, able to finish through contact and drew a ton of fouls. He’s a little right-hand dominant but he’s still tough to stop. Didn’t see him really look to shoot but he can do it a bit. He’s gotten strong and that seems to show in his game as he’s looked to go right at defenders more. Might be closer to 6’0 and if he can get over than, he’s got a real chance to become one of the better point guard options in the state.
Leland Walker – 6’0 PG 2022 – North Central (IN)
***26 points against Homestead (IN)***
Leland continues to go out every game and just dominate. He’s a guy that doesn’t have a ton of strength on the frame yet but he’s so strong and tough and the more firepower you put around him, the better he is. The high-IQ guard did a lot of his work as a perimeter shooter, hitting 5 triples, most coming in the second half when they were going off and pulling away. He can drive plenty well but this was him seeing an opening and exposing it. They played him soft defensively on the wing and he had a ton of pure pull-ups in transition.
C.J. Pieper – 6’1 SG 2022 – Bishop Dwenger (IN)
19 points on 5/5 shooting, 8/9 from the free throw line, 2 rebounds against Brebeuf Jesuit (IN)***
Pieper is a tall off-guard with a really good knack for getting in the lane. He was finishing with both hands and some toughness. He drew a lot ocotnact and fouls, making his way to the line and going 8/9 from the charity stripe. Not a guy that I thought would be really good locked in as a point guard but could help when needed. Like him looking to drive and when needed to pull-up from distance and knock down a jumper.
Rasheed Jones – 6’5 SF 2022 – Marion (IN)
****13 points on 5/12 shooting, 7 rebounds against Cathedral (IN)***
Jones is a big wing who can really shoot the ball and has some major upside. He’s not afraid to take a shot and was a little too free at times but then again he has a tendency to get hot. Release is a little long but he so tall that defenders aren’t going to be able to touch him. Thought he was better this time around as a rebounding influence. Was actively looking to get in the paint and mix it up, using his size and getting a trio of offensive boards. One ended up as a putback for him. But, he’s not a guy yet that is going to score as a driving threat yet. He’s getting better but for his size, athleticism, and shooting ability, he should have a really good chance to get a lot better sooner rather than later.
Tayshawn Comer – 6’0 PG 2022 – Cathedral (IN)
***18 points 3/12 shooting, 10/15 from the free throw line, 4 rebounds, 6 assists against Marion (IN)***
Comer is a tough lead guard who can really score the ball and lead a team. He’s so good in his feel for the game so when parts of this game were uptempo, he could play well in transition and setup his teammates for easy buckets. But then immediately turn and make plays in a half court set. He wasn’t necessarily great at finishing in this one, though, as Marion’s length might have hurt him a bit but his touch wasn’t on. He did, however still score 18 points and drew 8 fouls and hit 10/15 from the line.