Chi-Town Tip Off: Top 16U Guards
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This past weekend at the Prep Hoops Chi-Town Tip Off, a number of talented guards laced up their shoes and hit the court. Here is a list of some of the best guards that I saw play at the Chi-Town…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend at the Prep Hoops Chi-Town Tip Off, a number of talented guards laced up their shoes and hit the court. Here is a list of some of the best guards that I saw play at the Chi-Town Tip Off:
Clyde Lee — Minnesota Hoopers — 5-foot-10 — PG
For the Minnesota Hoopers 16U squad, Lee was the straw that stirred the drink. He was extremely active on defense, as he tipped passes, pressured ball handlers, created turnovers, and even had a big blocked shot. On offense, Lee made some tough pull-up jumpers and showed an ability to get to the rim and finish.
Maurice Gibbs — Pride Roc — 5-foot-9 — PG
In a victory, Gibbs was deadly in transition. The Pride Roc prospect used his speed to create turnovers, which led to layups. He may be undersized for his position, but the point guard makes up for his lack of size with skill and toughness. If Gibbs continues to improve, I believe that he will have a very bright future at the high school level.
Amarias Stephens — All In Athletics — 5-foot-11 — PG
Even though Stephens’ All In Athletics team really struggled in a blowout loss, the point guard didn’t watch the scoreboard. Instead, he put his head down and played his best basketball in the second period. His court vision and awareness allowed him to find open teammates for easy layups. I was also very impressed by his ball-handling skills. Many prospects in Stephens situation would have quit. But because he didn’t, he earns a spot on this list.
Marshaun Flakes — B3 Athletics — 6-foot-2 — SG
I was extremely impressed by what Flakes was able to do in all aspects of the game at the Chi-Town Tip Off. The shooing guard played incredible defense and made the opposing team take notice of his scoring ability. In a winning effort for B3 Athletics, Flakes tallied 27 points. He made plays at the rim and converted on some difficult outside jumpers. Overall, Flakes was one of the more complete prospects that played this past weekend.
Jamariea Dalton Jamariea Dalton 6'3" | SG Fond Du Lac | 2023 State WI — Power Five — 6-foot-2 — SG
I have no doubt that Dalton is going to become a star in Wisconsin’s 2023 class. The shooting guard out of Fon Du Lac has all of the tools necessary to dominate at the high school level and eventually develop into a college-caliber player. He is great on defense, athletic, and very polished as a scorer for his age.
AC Strok — Wisconsin Academy — 6-foot-4 — SG
I only caught the second half of Strok’s performance for Wisconsin Academy. But in those 16 minutes, the shooting guard showed that he is a true prospect with true skill. Standing at 6-foot-4, the shooting guard has good positional size, which he can use to elevate and score over smaller defenders. I am excited to see what Strok can do for the rest of this AAU season.
Dwight Lomax — Rush Academy — 5-foot-9 — PG
Out of all the prospects that I watched play in Chicago, Lomax was probably the hardest working player. In the first half, the point guard came out on fire. He swiped at the ball and created turnovers and dove on the floor every time there was a loose ball. Later in the game, defense turned into offense, as Lomax made some jump shots and finished at the rim.
Marcus Pigram Marcus Pigram 6'3" | SG Whitney Young | 2023 State IL — 6-foot-3 — Meanstreets — PG
Playing on an extremely talented Meanstreets team, I thought that Pigram did a really great job at distributing the ball to open shooters. He controlled the pace on offense and played very aggressive on defense. Pigram may not be the best player on his Meanstreets team, but he is certainly very important to their success.