#PHThePlatform Standout Guard Play
There was terrific guard play at #PHThePlatform, and so many games were decided by the players at the on-ball and off-ball positions. Let’s look at a few of the standouts guards who made significant impacts… Isaiah Stone (5’11/CG/2023) Team:…
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Continue ReadingThere was terrific guard play at #PHThePlatform, and so many games were decided by the players at the on-ball and off-ball positions. Let’s look at a few of the standouts guards who made significant impacts…
Team: Pistons Elite ’23
Instagram: Isaiahhstone_
Twitter: @Isaiahhstone11
Isaiah is listed as a CG but will have to settle into the lead guard position at the next level. He did show that he could score the rock as he dropped 22pts (12-14, 86% from FT; all in 2nd-half) as he led his team in an impressive 65-62 come-from-behind victory over Arnold Elite. He ran the show, went for big points in this match-up, and was his squad’s best player on the court.
He was tough off the bounce as Arnold Elite guards had their hands full trying to keep Isaiah out of the paint.
Isaiah was in attack mode and getting in the paint with ease, and with the pressure he was putting on the defense, he also drew a lot of fouls and found his way to the line. Isaiah’s relentless competitive nature got his team back in the game and, ultimately, the victory. As he looks to get attention from the next level, he will have to show that fight on both ends of the court and raise his PG play from good to exceptional. I encourage Isaiah to dive into the book ‘Good To Great’ by James Collins, as it will help with his mental approach to his development and his leadership skills.
Team: North Alabama Elite 2023
Instagram: W_lloyd09
Twitter: @Lloyd09W
William is an exciting CG with a wonderful balance between facilitating and scoring. He is productive at either spot when he is on or off-ball. He knows how to control the pace of the game, understands when to push the tempo, and when to slow it down. He plays with an excellent feel for the game, understands time and score, and what needs to be done at the moment. He is a very skilled player, has good handles, and excellent shooting mechanics with deep range. He is not a player you can go under the screen on, as he demands a hard hedge or a lock and trail, and if he isn’t disrupted, he will cause the defense problems coming off the ball screen. He isn’t a lightning-quick guard, but he plays with a very high IQ and knows how to maneuver off the bounce to get by his defender.
If you give him space, he will knock down the open perimeter J.
He facilitates the offense well and keeps everyone on the court happy and in the flow of the game. For a program looking for a PG at the next level that can be a true floor general and score when needed, William is a player that deserves a look. He is a good, not great, athlete who beats you with his smarts and skills.
Team: On Geaux Elite
Instagram: @3tim3s
Twitter: @3tim3ss
Ian has good positional size and length. His length helped him to impact the game on the glass and scoring over smaller guards. He has the length and the talent to be an excellent two-way player, but he will have to be more committed to the defensive end of the floor in order for that to become a reality. He has translatable skills yet still needs development in his offensive skill set and on-ball defensive technique.
Ian is at his best when he is slashing to the paint and either creating his own shot or creating opportunities for his teammates.
He is not a high-volume shot-taker, but he can score when needed. He has a good feel for playing on-ball and off, and in the contest against Team Takeoff, his facilitating was a key piece to helping his team secure the 70-65 win. He finished the game with 10pts.
LeTavian Crockett (6’2/PG/2023)
Team: Louisiana Fire 2023
Instagram: scooter4_
Twitter: @letavian4
LeTavian was one of the most talented scorers at the guard spot I saw at #PHThePlatform. He is a downhill attacking guard that is extremely tough to contain in iso situations. His burst and quick first step kept defenders on their heels and at his mercy. He is a score-first PG that is an all-level scorer, and his threat of scoring makes him a valuable playmaker for his teammates.
He plays with a good feel, understanding, and pace at the lead guard spot.
LeTavian is still learning the game and what part of his game is needed at the moment. He is such a talented scorer yet unselfish floor general that it was times that the team needed his scoring, but he was trying to get others going, which is no problem, but he is a talent that can get his own shot at any time. In the 77-78 loss to H.G. Tigers, he finished with 21pts (6pts from behind the arc).
Team: Team Takeoff
Instagram: Co3per
Twitter: @Co3per
Darryl showed a capacity to control and take over the flow of a game, which he did in the match-up against On Geaux Elite. With his team needing scoring in the 2nd half, DC took the lead and had an impressive 9pt, all from behind the arc, second-half performance. He didn’t just look for his own shot but also created for his teammates.
He pushed the rock hard in transition, making good decisions leading to easy buckets.
He was a little turnover prone, but he did not allow the mistakes to affect the next play. His game is very polished in certain areas, especially when it comes to his stroke from behind the arc, but he has so much development and growth in front of him. He shot the ball well from behind the arc throughout the weekend. Look for DC to raise his stock this month. DC finished with 14ps (12pts from behind the arc) in the 65-70 loss to On Geaux Elite.
Myles Cannon Hale (6’4/SG/2023)
Team: Tennessee Edge
Instagram: _cannonhale12_
Twitter: @CannonHale1
Myles is a 6’4 scorer from behind the arc. Knocking down the trey-ball is his bread and butter, and he shot it well the entire weekend. I did not catch any of his games on day one, but he followed up day one performances with a good shooting performance on day two. He is a hard-playing guard that has to be accounted for, and because he demands the full attention of his defender, who cannot help off him, he creates a lot of spacing for his teammates.
He was amongst the top shooters I saw the entire weekend.
On day one, Myles went for 19pts (15pts from behind the arc) against Pistons Elite, and 9pts (all from behind the arc) against Arnold Elite. In the match-up against Premium Ballerz Youth Organization, Myles went for 11pts (9pts from behind the arc) in a 37-59 loss.
Team: Premium Ballerz Youth Organization
Instagram: Tre.getoff
Twitter: @Trerutherford3
Tre was a day one Top Performer whose game provides a lot of value because of his elite shooting talent. He can flat-out shoot the rock, and his shots were not even touching the rim or moving the nets.
He has some intangibles that, coupled with his skills, makes him intriguing.
The truth about the matter is this when it comes to Tre; you see, he is a ’22 kid. It is possible that he just has not been in a place where he got the looks, and he may be one of the kids coming out of high school affected by the transfer portal. Beyond his ability to score the rock, Tre showed throughout the weekend he is a steady presence on both ends of the floor, plays with a good understanding of the game, and is an athletic guard that finishes nicely at and above the rim. Tre currently holds an offer from Columbia State, but he was out this weekend looking to improve his value, and he took advantage of the stage and accomplished what he set out to do. Tre finished with a team-high 16pts (12pts from behind the arc) in a 65-73 loss to Sky Ice Elite on day one, and on day two, he finished with 12pts (6pts from behind the arc) in a 59-37 win over Tennessee Edge, two contest I got a chance to watch him play in during the weekend.