Top Combo-Guards at Underground Invitational V
/Underground run V happened this week, and it continues to get better and better. It was the highest number of prospects in the gym at once with some new players in the gym and elevated play by some of the…
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Continue Reading/Underground run V happened this week, and it continues to get better and better. It was the highest number of prospects in the gym at once with some new players in the gym and elevated play by some of the returners. Here are some of the top combo guards on the day.
Ben Hageman Ben Hageman 6'3" | PF Windsor | 2021 State CO — Windsor
Hageman has been a standard fixture at the underground runs, and this is the best that he has looked. He played with extreme effort and made it a point to score the basketball. Hageman played with a sense of urgency and attacked. He is one of the best finishers in the gym as he goes with either hand, and he also stepped out and hit 3-pointers as well, which was new for me. On defense, he is an excellent perimeter defender that moves his feet. He comes up with steals and also stays in front of his man. Stock boosting day for him, and you can see him getting more confident.
Jordan Whitaker Jordan Whitaker 6'2" | SF Smoky Hill | 2021 State CO – Smoky Hill
Whitaker is the quiet assassin. He does not say much but lets the game come to him. It was the first time that he came to the run, and he played well early on. He got in the open court and finished at the rim, stepped out and hit 3-pointers, and also was going for blow-by layups. His offense opened up the rest of his game as he is a player that can score in various ways and is athletic. He had a dunk on the day, stepped over defensively, and was great as a help-side defender.
Isaiah Thomas Isaiah Thomas 6'5" | CG Manitou | 2021 State CO – Manitou Springs
Thomas has become a regular at the run, and he adds one extra piece every single time out. He had a great pass on his first play, which set up the rest of his day. Thomas is a high IQ combo guard that makes winning plays. He is boxing out, spacing the floor with excellent positioning and everything in between. He does not have to score the ball to be useful as he goes the extra mile. Thomas has good size and is a bruiser. He gets inside and looks for contact, has a solid shooting stroke from outside, and keeps plays alive as a great rebounder. Thomas is another player that continues to stand out and get better, as he seems to understand that it is about working on your game around some of the state’s top players.
Mason Black Mason Black 6'3" | CG Falcon | 2022 State CO — Falcon
Black is one of the state’s top shooters that not many are talking about as he is a sniper from deep, and he has a deadly midrange. Falcon has good size as a combo guard and can get his shot off against anyone. The 2021 combo guard gets to his spots on the floor and lets it fly. He is not shy on the offensive end of the floor and puts points up in bunches. In this run, he was the leading scorer on the day, and he did it with ease. Black has a high basketball IQ and knows where holes are on the defense. He runs lanes correctly, spaces the floor with his shot but is not afraid to get inside and finish with creative layups. The next step in his evolution will be becoming more of a playmaker. Once he can get others involved while also being a dangerous scoring threat, he will be one of the toughest players to defend in the state. He continues to shine.
Julian Hammond Julian Hammond 6'1" | SG Cherry Creek | 2021 State #209 Nation CO – Cherry Creek
Hammond was not even 24 hours removed from committing to the University of Colorado, making him the second Division I commit in the state, and how does he celebrate? By getting into the gym. That is what it is about. The target on his back was already big, being the top player in the state, but now the hard work begins. He has to remain in the gym and come into every single setting with a goal to get better and area to get better in. In this run, he said he wanted to work on his defense and playmaking, and he did a better job on both ends. His jumper is pure, and it is known that he can score with the best of them. No surprise that he came in with his confidence at an all-time high on the offensive end, but he did make it a point to work on how he involved teammates. Hammond had other top scorers on his team, and he worked well alongside them. He had skip passes, quarterback outlet passes, and dump-offs to cutters. He also came up with steals and blocks and showed that he could be a two-way threat. It is excellent to see Hammond in this setting, and hopefully, he continues to come to work on new parts of his game. Solid day for him, and now it has to go to each setting with a purposeful emphasis.