Who Is South Dakota’s Best Senior Shooting Guard?
Today the case is made for three different senior shooting guard prospects in South Dakota as…. The Best. Who do you think is the best? Is it somebody else not on our list? In reviewing this discussion we’ve went back…
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Continue ReadingToday the case is made for three different senior shooting guard prospects in South Dakota as…. The Best. Who do you think is the best? Is it somebody else not on our list?
In reviewing this discussion we’ve went back to look at film of each and gave you three different things that we really like from each.
Paul Bruns Paul Bruns 6'4" | SG Dakota Valley | 2021 State SD of Dakota Valley.
- First of all, Paul isn’t just a shooting guard, he’s a North Dakota committed guard that Paul Sather will also be able to trust with the basketball at point if needed. Paul in transition is a sure thing to get a step into the paint and hit that soft pull-up or find a teammate with the perfect lead. He’s a playmaker in ever sense of the word and has been well taught at Dakota Valley in how to play the team game.
- There are intangibles that Paul has that push him ahead of other two-guards not just in his own state, but in many of the surrounding states as well. One of those difference makers for Paul is his left hand dominant shooting stroke that is quick to release and often catches defenders off guard. Then you have his experience playing at a young age with both the South Dakota Attack and his high school then. Finally, Bruns is surely one of the best rebounding guards you will ever see as he averages double digit numbers on that end for DV.
- Bruns shooting hands are simply special. Going to the basket Paul can take a hit and angle himself to either side to finish, right or left hand. And what makes his three point shot so special? After the range and consistency you have to look at his release. When it comes to the pull-up or separation the release comes off the dribbling hand in an instant with the ball staying high. When it comes to the three Paul does bring it down a bit but you still see as pretty a release as you will find.
Brady Fritz Brady Fritz 6'2" | SG Winner | 2021 State SD of Winner.
- Brady is a 6-foot-2, 175 pound explosive guard that has a gift for finding attacking space where opponents in South Dakota just can’t defend. The final step of his attack is often to a tough angle space that he can easily finish but defenders simply can’t get to. Brady will pull a reverse or a last dribble kiss off the glass that the help was not prepared for.
- The next thing that Brady has is body control. The type of body control that likely makes him an excellent football weapon as well as a player that can finish around the rim despite where his balance is. We’ve seen Brady make shots with his back to the rim, with his shoulders parallel to the sideline and he has to touch a shot in over the glass, and then there are some of these 100 mile per hour dunks beating the transition defender to the cup. Fritz body control is outstanding.
- The shooting touch. Brady is too athletic to fall into the category of “shooter” because he scores on the move so much. And because he has to take so many shots for his team the three-point numbers may not be in the high 30s/low 40s but he will make 35 percent of them because the release is pure. Solid three point shooter that may be even higher when Brady doesn’t have so many defenders chasing him.
Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'1" | SG Sioux Falls Washington | 2021 State SD of SF Washington
- Could/Should Eli be with the point guard group? I think the answer is yes but in looking at his film again and reviewing past evaluations this is a player that you could use in both roles. As far as the point guard role goes, Eli can attack left or attack right and equally have the comfort in making a play. In fact his attack moving left off the ball screen led to an array of plays that helped Washington win games. Good shooter off that screen going left, attacks hard, and put the ball on the hands of teammates for quality chances.
- I’m a big fan of the Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'1" | SG Sioux Falls Washington | 2021 State SD pull-up jumper. Moving off the ball screen or attacking to lift in transition the Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'1" | SG Sioux Falls Washington | 2021 State SD pull-up moves from the fast lane at a full 80mph into a floating touch shot that is dropped in softly. What’s even better is that Williams has the strength to move a positioned defender off of him even if that defender was able to keep him in front.
- Love how Williams uses the bounce pass. For some the bounce pass can be wasted and ill-timed, but Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'1" | SG Sioux Falls Washington | 2021 State SD uses it as a perfect lead, and other times as the perfect way to move the ball away from defenders that are in position. Eli’s leads to cutters are a thing of beauty.
The Others Category.
Akok Aguer of SF Washington.
Conner Geddes Conner Geddes 6'3" | SG Harrisburg | 2021 State SD of Harrisburg.
Michael Paulson Michael Paulson 6'3" | SG Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2021 State SD of SF Roosevelt.
Micah Swallow Micah Swallow 6'3" | SG Rapid City Central | 2021 State SD of Rapid City Central.
Xavier Van Beek Xavier Van Beek 6'0" | SG Sf Christian | 2021 State SD of Sioux Falls Christian.