UAA/EYBL Underrated Guards
In this article:
These guards caught my eye this past weekend providing solid all-around play, coming through for their teams in crucial situations and providing much-needed boosts when things weren’t going well. They have been solid all spring and summer but really stood…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThese guards caught my eye this past weekend providing solid all-around play, coming through for their teams in crucial situations and providing much-needed boosts when things weren’t going well. They have been solid all spring and summer but really stood out in the most recent UAA and EYBL sessions. They are reliable players who can be counted on to ride through the highs and the lows and provide steady production to anchor their teams.
Boen Phelps Boen Phelps 6'2" | SG Freeman | 2023 State WA 6’2 CG Freeman ’23 | Hooptown Elite
When I watched Phelps last weekend, he was tasked with being a playmaker on offense while guarding the other team’s best playmaker as well. He’s extremely strong at the guard position and with his great quickness, he’s able to stay in front and chest up ball-handlers. His strength allows him to stay on balance through contact, so when he’s really up in a ball handler’s grill he has the base to make quick moves and attack openings in the dribble. This led to him getting three steals in game one, and he finished the weekend with 1.6 steals per game. Not only has he provided stout defense, but Phelps also adds a multi-faceted attack from the point and off-guard spots, showcasing great vision as a passer as well as the ability to get to the hoop with his strong frame and complete a variety of finishes. From the tip, he brings infectious energy on both ends and has really been a do-it-all guard for the highly talented Hooptown Elite.
Mason Thomas Mason Thomas 6'1" | SG Federal Way | 2024 State WA 6’1 CG Franklin Pierce ’24 | Seattle Rotary
Thomas boasts an attack that very few employ at his age. He rarely is out of control because he has such an awesome ability to protect the ball, shield defenders, and take his time prodding the defense and analyzing the court. He’s got the quick handle to win one-on-one and the shiftiness to slide between defenders and finish at the hoop. But what has really been his bread and butter is his skill with his back to the basket. Not many guards can match Thomas’s lower body strength and he’s able to back defenders down with high efficiency, either making his way to the hoop or spotting an open cutter for an assist. I watched his game against Mokan at the EYBL Session 4 where much of his team struggled to get things going and establish a flow. Thomas demonstrated the ability to be a calming presence in the midst of turmoil and he effectively established a pace on offense and dictated what he wanted to do. With a combo of threes and drives to the hoop, he was able to stop a big run from Mokan and give his team another opportunity to fight back.
Ryan Lafferty Ryan Lafferty 6'5" | CG Mt Spokane | 2024 State #320 Nation WA 6’5 CG Mt Spokane ’24 | Seattle Rotary
Before last weekend, Lafferty was in the top 20 for assists per game on the 16U EYBL circuit. It was a rough weekend for his Rotary team, going 0-4 and losing by an average of about 30 points. However, you can learn a lot about what is really inside a player when he’s getting his butt whooped. Lafferty showed not just the physical toughness to keep fighting and battling on both ends of the floor, but he showed he has the mental toughness too. Even as their deficit grew, Lafferty continued to attack the paint, incite motion offensively, and get teammates involved all while staying within himself and not trying to win it back in one play. He took it one play at a time, using his skills to create off the bounce and get to the hoop, while also locking in defensively, working through screens and switches showing that at 6’5 he can guard bigs inside in a pinch. There will be much better weekends ahead for Lafferty but he showed the right mentality in the face of defeat.
Tait Spencer Tait Spencer 6'3" | SG Great Futures Prep | 2025 State WA 6’3 SG Battle Ground ’24 | Team Stuck
Spencer really amazed me with his play last weekend in Georgia. In Session 3 of the UA Live, he shot over 50%, contributed scoring, rebounding, and had almost a steal per game. He had been playing solid ball starting in the spring and seems to have kept it rolling into summer. In their game against Texas Impact, Spencer was far and away the best finisher on the floor. He simply knows how to play ball. He’s got a great first step and uses the jab well to send defenders one way while he goes the other. When he’s at the rim he’s one of the best in his age group at absorbing contact to sink the shot. He knows how to keep defenders off balance in transition with hesitations and euro steps, and is a slithery player around the rim. That worm mentality also applies to chasing down rebounds and loose balls. Spencer was locked in last weekend and continues to build on an outstanding spring/summer.
Kofi Peyton Kofi Peyton 6'4" | SG Federal Way | 2024 State WA 6’3 CG Federal Way ’24 | Seattle Rotary
The first thing that comes to mind with Peyton is “Steady Eddy.” Most often when he gets the rock he already has an idea of what he’s going to do with it. Whether it’s rising up for a jumper, keeping the ball and defense moving, or sizing up his defender, you can tell Peyton is always thinking one step ahead out there. He catches the ball ready to attack, can knock it down consistently from the corner, mid-range, and works just as well coming off a screen on the catch and shoot as he does putting it on the floor and pulling up. He has been a reliable outlet for guards driving and dishing, and abuses defenses that sink too far in. I can’t wait to see how he fits in at Federal Way after making the move over from Chief Sealth in the high school season. He should have a big coming-out party in his junior year and hopefully, we’ll get to see how he handles the pressure under the playoff lights next season.