Wes Leonard Tulip Tipoff: Best Point Guards
Last weekend, the West Michigan Lakers hosted the annual Wes Leonard Strength and Honor Tulip Tipoff! The event offered a great look at some local, West Michigan talent, and many players across a variety of positions stood out from the crowd. I have already covered some combo guards and wings that stood out from the event. Below are some point guards who had an impressive weekend!
Noah Wiswary – 6’1 – 2019 – Sporting U/Unity Christian
Wiswary was the best point guard in the event! He has a solid handle, but what he does best is create for and assist his teammates. He would find them off of drives and dishes, kicks out from the paint, cuts on their part. In transition, he could thread the needle or, in the half court, he could draw defenders to himself and find a teammate open. On a team full of good passers and outside shooters, Wiswary stood out as the floor general and the best at both passing and shooting. In the first two games of his I saw, he had four made threes apiece. In the tournament semifinal, he totaled in at six!
Clayton Dykhouse – 6’0 – 2019 – West Michigan Lakers/Zeeland East
Dykhouse has one of the best handle/speed combos on this list. I took note that he handled pressure and contact well as he brought the ball up. He also created a bit of it himself to draw fouls and/or get defenders where he wanted them. Off the dribble, he could bring the ball up to initiate the offense, but he was also scoring threat. He could break down and beat defenders to get into the lane. There he finished (and could do so contested) or dished off to one of his two 6’8 teammates when their defenders shifted to stop him. Finally, Dykhouse has an outside shot to add even more depth to his offensive game.
Brock Stevens – 6’1 – 2020 – Impact Elite 16u/Calvin Christian
Stevens was the go-to guard to bring the ball up for a talented Impact Elite squad. He primarily did so in order to set up the offense, out of which he could then stay high to get the ball back as a safety or play as a shooting guard and hit threes after the ball has been moved around. His shot from deep was pretty consistent, and he made several. Stevens was also a great defender. Playing on-ball defense, he would pester opponents. Additionally, he was on the look-out for opportunities to pick off passes, out of which he led the break to score.
Nate Deyman – 6’0 – 2019 – West Michigan Lakers/Jenison
Deyman proved to be a dangerous scoring threat among several for the Lakers. He first got my attention by hitting outside shots, and he would go on to keep it by showcasing his scoring ability. In addition to three-pointers, he did well at the rim. He could convert strong, traditional finishes as well as more creative ones that strayed from convention in ball- and body-placement. This proved effective when Deyman had to finish against contests from taller or more athletic opponents. In a specific instance, he showed that he could score quickly in bunches, and he put up a fast seven points, making a three and two contested layups. Deyman was also one of a few different Lakers to bring up the ball at times.
Danyel Bibbs – 5’7 – 2020 – Grand Rapids Storm 16u/GR Union
Bibbs is an undersized guard, but the fact that he is a dual-sport athlete shows in his solid build and hustle. He soared in for rebounds and closed out on shooters, rewarded with rebounds and tipped shots, respectively. Off of these rebounds, he pushed the tempo in bringing the ball up the floor and found teammates in transition. Offensively, he is solid and contributes with both points (mostly 2’s) and assists.
Justin Bates – 5’10 – 2020 – Camp Darryl Basketball Academy/Charlotte
Bates was quick and had a nice handle. With changes of speed, hesitations, and head fakes off the dribble, he got defenders to bite and was able to drive past them. In doing this on the perimeter, he forced defenders to play him honestly and created openings for himself and others. He had a few passes from the wing or on drives. He also showed he could shoot from outside and was confident enough in his shot to take it off the break when he had space.
Micah Seats – 6’2 – 2020 – West Michigan Lakers 16u/Stevensville Lakeshore
Seats had some moments in which he displayed great spacial awareness and passing ability. He once had the ball under the rim in a position where he could not score but flicked it over his shoulder to a teammate for an assist. Also notable was his on-ball defense as his active hands made entry passes difficult. Though he did not put up major scoring numbers, he got steals and assists while also showing he could hit threes off the dribble and make floaters in the lane.
Ali Mousavi – 5’10 – 2020 – Michigan Triple Threat 16u/Okemos
With his team down big and in need of a boost, Mousavi came through with some outside shots to keep them competitive. He also did well at the rim despite his stature. He could beat his defender off the dribble with a move or quick first step. Then, once near the rim, he did well in his placement of the ball to sneak it in and evade being blocked by taller opponents. As a ball handler, he displayed a solid handle and showed the beginnings of moves and footwork that, with development, could really make him dangerous.