Top 250 Expo: Outstanding 2023 Guards
Perhaps no class at our Top 250 Expo in an overall sense impressed more than the 2023’s, it was well represented by a flurry of names who either currently populate our rankings or are sure to use springboards like this…
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Continue ReadingPerhaps no class at our Top 250 Expo in an overall sense impressed more than the 2023’s, it was well represented by a flurry of names who either currently populate our rankings or are sure to use springboards like this one to pop up on radars all over the state. Here are some guards who really shined:
Keion Wallace Keion Wallace 6'3" | SF Effingham County | 2023 State GA , 6-3, PG, Effingham County
Wallace displayed the confidence and moxie of a seasoned vet in opening up the day’s play with a nice offensive repertoire, he’s big and physical already and uses that size to create space or rise over smaller defenders, he combined a nice handle with soft hands and shooting touch out past the arc, loved his work from the guard spot in near the basket as he could easily slide over to a forward spot and be just as effective there.
RJ Kennedy RJ Kennedy 6'1" | CG Fayette County | 2023 State GA 5-11, SG, Fayette County
A terrific athlete and smooth mover out there, Kennedy gets up and down the floor with such ease and is particularly adept and spotting up smartly (playing off of 2022 PG Jameel Rideout Jameel Rideout 6'2" | PG Berkmar | 2022 State GA ) where he can get off his sweet-looking jumper from range, has nice rise for a guy under 6 feet, got after it at the defensive end as well, a good-looking 2-man prospect at this stage that could really make a jump if he adds size to his shooting skill.
Austen Colton
Austen
Colton
5'9" | PG
East Coweta | 2023
State
GA
, 5-9, PG, East Coweta (pictured above)
Early in the summer Colton out on a show against a super-talented group from Norcross Heat at SSA and hasn’t slowed at all in establishing himself as one of the truly exciting guard prospects in the class, there isn’t a whole lot Colton can’t do offensively, be it blowing by people with an advanced handle, seeing the floor like few others as a distributor, range to the arc and then down to the cup where his penetrating ability even at 5-9 makes him an elite finisher, will be a spark for a young but talented group down in Coweta County and one to watch all winter long.
Gabe Omoregie, 6-4, SG, Dacula
Arguably the day’s best overall performance before my eyes came from Omoregie, who like everyone playing with and against mixed grades still dominated in a fashion that was eye-opening, he was simply too strong for anyone guarding him and he pulled out all the offensive moves in dropping buckets from all over and throwing down slams off the break, he was tremendous on the boards matching up with one of the 2022 class’ best rebounders in Providence Christian’s 6-8 Tony Carpio Tony Carpio 6'7" | PF Providence | 2022 State GA , his soft hands and polished acumen were in full effect and will be something to watch for another athletic Falcons club this season.
David Thomas David Thomas 6'2" | PG Eagle's Landing | 2023 State #197 Nation GA , 6-3, PG, Eagle’s Landing
Perhaps the most polished of all the guards from a standpoint of “ready to make a varsity impact tomorrow” is Thomas, he packs a low-to-ground-kind-of-strong with a crafty quickness that is brutal to guard, add to his ability to get to the rack as well as anyone a classic Isasih-Thomas mid-range game that his clear high basketball-IQ scopes out with a veteran’s presence, on a day where high-level guard play was coming at us from all angles it was a real treat for me to see this big-time, true lead guard recruit get it done for the first time.
Jermaine Smoak Jermaine Smoak 6'3" | SF Heirway Christian | 2022 State GA , 6-4, SG, Cumberland Christian
Much like Omoregie, Smoak put on a physicality display that was simply overwhelming in spots, not quite the high riser the Dacula youngster is, Smoak gets his work in from further away from the basket with more ease at this stage, a nice stroke from 3 means you must get out on him, but even built like a linebacker he can still get by you and rise up plenty for a full finish, playing in the lesser knows GAPPS means coaches will have to dig deeper and work the roads harder to catch this good-looking young guard prospect who can really grow into something special as he seasons.