2022 Rankings Update: Top Combo-Guards
Prep Hoops Colorado recently updated its class of 2022 rankings, and this is one of our favorite classes as it is full of gym rats who want to get better, and there will continue to be shifts made to this…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Colorado recently updated its class of 2022 rankings, and this is one of our favorite classes as it is full of gym rats who want to get better, and there will continue to be shifts made to this class.
This is a class that we have seen the most of with tournaments, private workouts, underground runs, and plenty of BallerTV.
Let’s take a look at the classes’ top combo guards.
Jackson Keil Jackson Keil 6'1" | CG Sterling | 2022 State CO – Sterling
Keil was an essential piece to the 21-4 Sterling team playing their best ball of the season and had a chance to win it all. Keil is a do-it-all combo-guard that moved exceptionally well without the ball finding holes in the defense and letting it fly from deep to open up the defense but was also very comfortable with the ball in his hands as well. The 6’2 combo guard put up 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists a game as a sophomore and is a player that opposing teams had on the bulletin board as he can hurt a team in different ways. He had his outside shot falling and also is a playmaker that makes the right play. The Tigers will rely on him next season to be the captain and leader of a young team, and with the way that he played this summer on the Colorado Hawks, one of the best 16U teams in the entire country, as their leading scorer for the summer, he looks ready to carry the torch. Keil is a natural scorer with good instincts, and with his impressive play, all summer comes in at No.8 in the class and can rise with a big season.
Elijah Knudsen Elijah Knudsen 5'10" | CG Mead | 2022 State CO – Mead
Last season, Mead was on a historical run for their school. They lost the first game of the season and then reeled off 25 wins in a row. Mead was the favorites heading into the Final 4 as the No.1 team in all of 4A, and a valuable piece of that team was their 3-point specialist, Elijah Knudsen Elijah Knudsen 5'10" | CG Mead | 2022 State CO . The 5’9 guard put up 11.6 points a game as he shot 40% from beyond the arc and looked to get stronger and expand his game. Knudsen is my pick as one of the most improved players of the summer as he went from a sharpshooting guard that sat in the corner and torched team after team to now being a balanced threat and one of the most challenging players in the state to defend. He is swift and always on the move. He comes off of screens, reads the pick and roll, and also can break a defender down with his dribble. What is not discussed enough is his heart. Knudsen is a gym rat that maybe played the most basketball of anyone this summer. He plays well above his size and gets the best of taller defenders as he is an ambidextrous finisher with a lightning-quick release and can score in bunches. He has improved as a passer and can set teammates up, and heading into his junior season. It will all lie on his shoulders to get Mead going. I feel confident and saying he will improve in every single category while still being a sniper. He comes in at No. 13 in the class.
Aidan Kuhl Aidan Kuhl 6'0" | SG Rocky Mountain | 2022 State #245 Nation CO – Rocky Mountain
Kuhl could’ve been in the stock boosters or top combo-guards article as he had an incredible high school season from an individual standpoint and carried that on to be one of the top head-turners of the summer. Kuhl is a quiet assassin that lets his game do the talking and does whatever is needed. For Rocky Mountain, Kuhl was the second-leading scorer in all of the 5A Front Range as he averaged 17.6 points a game in only his sophomore season. He saw multiple double teams, box, and 1 zones, and different looks to try and slow him down and still put up big numbers. Kuhl carried that play into the summer as he has been a workhorse in underground runs. He is a difficult cover that uses his speed, scores in various ways, makes the right pass, and has been shooting lights out. He refuses to be scored on, plays above his size, and is a tremendous positional rebounder that is as tough as nails. Kuhl made a considerable jump in the rankings and comes in as the No.15 player in the class.
Mason Black Mason Black 6'3" | CG Falcon | 2022 State CO – Falcon
Black is a bucket. He was the bright spot on a Falcon team that underachieved but still put up a team-high 19.4 points a game, which showed that no matter the situation, he could score. This year the Falcons should be better, and it only further helped him prepare for a summer that he turned plenty of heads and got on college radars. Black was an elite scorer for Pluto Prospects and also came to underground runs and stood out. Black is a marksman from deep and hits the 3-ball at a high clip. He moves well without the ball, finds his spots, and takes confident shots. Mason might be the best mid-range shooter in the entire state with a beautiful shooting stroke. He is an athletic combo guard that uses his speed and strength, gets into a zone on offense, and finishes nicely around the rim. Black is improving as a playmaker, and once he opens up that part of his game, he will be one of the more formidable players to defend. He had a solid off-season and will be ready to lead the way come season. Black comes in at No.17, and I anticipate he will rise.
Jaiden Flowers Jaiden Flowers 5'10" | CG Palmer | 2022 State CO – Palmer
Flowers was an essential young piece for Palmer last season as he was able to get a year of varsity under his belt and learn the ropes. He will head into a telling junior season where he will be a part of a surprisingly strong 1-2 punch. With the progression he made this summer with the Colorado Hawks, he will be ready to show what he has. Flowers seemed to work on his game and put the time in to correct flaws. Flowers became a dangerous shooter that once his feet were set, he was consistently knocking them down and provided the Hawks with a nice inside-out touch. Flowers can put the ball on the floor and either set up teammates for easy finishes or go up for a bucket of his own. Being surrounded by some of the best players in the state on one of the best 16U teams in the country can have a player like him be a bit overlooked, but he still held his own, improved on his game, and will head into next season ready to take over the reins.