Colby’s April Stock Risers: 2023 Guards
The month of April included two live weekends where prospects had the ability to showcase their skills in front of college coaches from all levels. As usual, we witnessed a few rise above the rest and get their spring started…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe month of April included two live weekends where prospects had the ability to showcase their skills in front of college coaches from all levels. As usual, we witnessed a few rise above the rest and get their spring started with big performances, scholarship offers and plenty of talk throughout the internet. For this article, I’ll be taking a look at five guards from the local 2023 class who fit the mold described above.
Solomon Ball Solomon Ball 6'3" | CG Brewster Academy | 2023 State #106 Nation NLG | Team Melo
There’s one place to start with this topic and it’s Solomon Ball Solomon Ball 6'3" | CG Brewster Academy | 2023 State #106 Nation NLG . A 6-foot-3 southpaw guard, Ball took the scene by storm this April and while he had high majors tracking him prior, he turned the interest into a bevy of offers. 13 high major offers to be exact. He has a great frame for this size that should fill out nicely over time with broad shoulders to go with explosive athleticism and graceful shiftiness. Ball is a dynamic scoring lead guard who can do so from anywhere on the floor. He’s a plus rebounder for his position and is taking strides in becoming a better playmaker for others. He recently took an unofficial visit to UConn while Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Providence, Miami, George Mason, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, USC, Arizona State and Xavier extended offers. I’ll be vouching for Ball to be in our top 5 discussion (at the least) for the updated player rankings.
Austin Abrams Austin Abrams 6'3" | SG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State MD | Mid-Atlantic Select
Abrams is one of the purest shooters you’ll find in the MD/DC area. He put together a nice month of April including a couple of big scoring outings that showed college coaches his capabilities with a more involved role on the ball. Abrams terrorizes defenses in a variety of ways as a marksman. He can spot up in transition, knock down shots off pin down screens and is getting better at getting into his shot smoothly off the bounce. Abrams is commanding interest from low-to-mid major programs and if can continue to improve as a defender, I’d advise CAA programs to take a long look.
Tre Green Tre Green 6'3" | SG Glenelg Country | 2022 State MD | Team Melo MD23
Green is a bona fide scoring guard who can get buckets in bunches. He did so as a senior this past winter for Glenelg Country and continues to do so for Team Melo MD23. The 6-foot-3 lefty is capable of creating space in the mid-range to get into pull up jumpers, he has the athleticism to surprise defenders at the rim and has the balance and mechanics on catch and shoots to knock down three’s with little daylight. Green is set to do a post-grad prep season at Bridgton Academy where if he continues to polish his overall game, I think he could develop into a low-to-mid Division I prospect easily.
Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD | Team Durant
It’s good to see Lamothe get back into form as he was last spring for Team Durant . The 6-foot-4 combo guard spent the month of April posting busy stat lines that also included efficient scoring performances. His quick-twitch ability with the ball seems to be improving and he’s especially good at fitting passes into tight windows to cutting teammates for clean looks. He recently completed an official visit to Georgetown, will visit Maryland unofficially tomorrow and has Penn State and UCF recruiting him heavily.
KJ Gardner KJ Gardner 6'2" | SG Springdale Prep | 2023 State MD | Global Squad
Gardner impressed me with his play at Pitt Jam Fest. He also caught the eye of low major coaches in attendance. Similar to Ball, Gardner has an intriguing frame that should further develop in a college conditioning program. He’s a 6-foot-1 lefty guard who can play on or off the ball. He has more of a scoring approach from his position, but is aware that he needs to become more of a point guard since that will be his role at the next level. His plus length allows him to defend either guard position and he also rebounds at a higher level than most guards. His game still has holes to this point, but with a productive summer and a focused fall, we should see more low major programs get serious about recruiting Gardner.