Dirty Work: Small School Guards
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Not every guy gets to attempt 20 shots a game. Not everyone runs the point. But there are a whole lot of jobs that must be done for a team to succeed. Team-first guys do the dirty work that it…
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Continue ReadingNot every guy gets to attempt 20 shots a game. Not everyone runs the point. But there are a whole lot of jobs that must be done for a team to succeed. Team-first guys do the dirty work that it takes to win. And often they miss out on the spotlight.
Here are a few small school guards who do some of that dirty work (in alphabetical order):
Jaxson Brandl Jaxson Brandl 6'2" | CG Greeley County | 2023 State KS , 6-foot guard, 2023, Greeley County:
Brandl is not overlooked by any means. His all-around production earned him first-team 1A Div. 2 last year. But the small-school guard’s overall stat line is still a little bit surprising. Brandl averaged 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 steals, which helped to produce a lot of his 19.5 points per game. For just a 6-foot guy, he defended with 2.0 blocks a game.
Keagan Dimler, 6-foot-2 guard, 2022, Hanover:
Dimler plays on a really deep and talented team, so he doesn’t get a lot of headlines. But he sure fills a lot of holes and provides a lot of glue for the state champion Wildcats. He dished out 5.3 assists and pulled down 4.2 rebounds. He also contributed an impressive 3.8 steals.
Braxton Harrison, 6-foot-2 guard, 2022, Cimarron:
Here’s a name that hasn’t been spoken nearly enough. Harrison did it all for the Bluejays last season, getting after on the boards and at the defensive end. He averaged 7.4 rebounds and produced 3.6 steals a game, while also dishing out 2.4 assists
Dameion Hatten Dameion Hatten 6'3" | CG Sedan | 2022 State KS , 6-foot-3 guard, 2022, Sedan:
Hatten is widely appreciated around the club scene for his gritty, hard-nosed style. He plays every spot, guards every position, and never backs down from physicality. For the Devils, he crashes the boards to the tune of 9.1 rebounds a game. Hatten terrorizes opponents with his combination of strength, agility and length, leading to 3.0 steals an outing.
Ethan Waters, 6-foot guard, 2023, Fairfield:
A rising-junior to watch in central Kansas, Waters stuffed the stat sheet last year. Just 6-feet tall, he corralled 8.2 rebounds a game. An active defender, he committed 2.7 steals and blocked 1.1 shots per contest. Aside from scoring 15.5 points per game for the Falcons, Waters also dished out 2.0 assists.