2021 Combo Guards
The peach state’s class of 2021 has a good selection of guards that will find themselves headed to play collegiate basketball around this time next year. There are true point guards with good ball-handling that are great at facilitating offenses…
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Continue ReadingThe peach state’s class of 2021 has a good selection of guards that will find themselves headed to play collegiate basketball around this time next year. There are true point guards with good ball-handling that are great at facilitating offenses and making plays for their teammates, and there are several shooting guards that can really put the ball in the basket whether it be from long distance or at the rim.
The combo guard position title is assigned to those guards that possess both good-ball handling and scoring ability. They mesh the true point guard and shooting guard positions together for a nice blend of skill and ability to switch between the two without losing effectiveness in the game. Their versatility at the guard position usually draws their opponents’ best defender requiring them to be able to make good reads on the offensive end. Here are a few listing from our rankings update.
Kayla McPherson Kayla McPherson 5'7" | CG Madison County | 2021 State #13 Nation GA | 5’7″ | Madison County
When watching McPherson play, the first thing anyone will recognize is that she is going to score the basketball. She has a scorers mentality and is extremely athletic. She is a threat anywhere on the floor with endless range behind the three-point line, a variety of finish moves at the rim, and quickness to get around any defender assigned to her. She is shifty and changes speeds with an understanding of how hard it makes for players to defend her. Her advanced ball-handling alone makes her good in the point guard role, but she also shows a good understanding of when to put pressure on the defense in transition and when to slow it up to avoid traps and forced plays. When taking on the pressure she is still able to see the entire floor and can deliver the ball to open teammates in spaces that they are capable of finishing. She does have a tendency to get trigger happy, but I believe that when she has multiple threats around her she would become even more of a distributor while still maintaining her scoring production. Defensively she has the ability to be elite. She has the speed to bait offensive players to make passes than she will run through for quick transition baskets while also having the toughness to body up guards looking to get around her.
De’Mauri Flournoy De’Mauri Flournoy 5'7" | PG Carrollton | 2021 State #69 Nation GA | 5’7″ | Carrollton
Flournoy fits the definition of a combo guard perfectly. She has the skill set of a true point guard including great ball-handling, court vision, and diverse passing and yet she can score the ball at a high level. She can create separation off the bounce to get open jumpers or use dribble moves to shift defenders creating driving opportunities where she showcases great versatility with her finishes. I was most impressed with the fact that when the ball is in her hands she is constantly probing for the correct read. Even when making strong decisive drives to the basket, she can deliver over the shoulder passes to weakside wings and corners or made mid-air decisions to drop passes off to her post around the basket for open scores. She is a very good shooter beyond the arc as well and does not force attempts. She does not shy away from contact and as a result, she finds her self at the foul line multiple times throughout games. She is also a good defender that uses quickness and instincts to beat offensive players to spots often times forcing turnovers or offensive fouls. She is one of the best in the state at the position.
Ashuntee Weems Ashuntee Weems 5'10" | CG Douglass | 2021 State GA | 5’10″ | Douglass
Weems is a long and athletic prospect that can play either guard position when asked. She handles the ball well and has the height to see the floor over most point guards attempting to apply pressure. She also has a quick first step and long strides that can get her to the rim in two dribbles from the perimeter. She is an average three-point shooter that when left unchecked can knock it down pretty consistently. She is most aggressive in transition when she sees a path to the rim. Defensively she is able to defend bigger perimeter players with size to match up. Her size can also cause smaller guards challenges because of her leaping ability to contest jump shots and to challenge drives at the rim without fouling, even able to pick up a block here and there throughout games. She has the potential to be a consistent scoring threat. She is a good passer, especially when leading guards in transition or making post-entry passes away from primary and help defenders.
Cheyenne Holloman Cheyenne Holloman 5'10" | CG Pope | 2021 State GA | 5’10″ | Pope
A big guard with a strong frame, Holloman is a great pick up for smaller schools. She has great composure and is rarely rattled with what the defense throws at her. I was very impressed with her ability to pass out of traps and double teams which is a credit to her strong upper body. That strength also shows when finishing through contact. She finds herself at the line looking to make the free throw attempt after converting the layup through contact. She is smart and has a good understanding of how to read defensive rotations, sometimes anticipating where the open teammate will be. She defends with a lot of energy when on the ball and does a good job of stopping drives or taking charges when in help defense. She is a decent three-point shooter but prefers to muscle defenders to the rim.
Kionna Gaines Kionna Gaines 5'10" | SG Carver-Columbus | 2021 State #37 Nation GA | 6’0″ | Carver-Columbus
Gaines causes mismatch nightmares for opposing defenders with her combination of length and quickness. She has mastered the right to left crossover to get by defenders to get to the rim or to her spots for mid-range jump shots. She has nice mechanics when shooting jump shots but stills needs to improve on her accuracy from behind the arc. Because of her long frame and athleticism, she has the potential to be a dominant rebounding guard and it shows on film when she decides that she wants the ball. She is a solid passer and can deliver the ball with either hand off the bounce and has the strength to make good cross-court passes that spend very little time in the air. Defensively she has great versatility and can guard any perimeter player. With her size, she also has the potential to take smaller guards to the post area where she could use a face-up game or just bully some attempts to the rim for easy baskets.
Mosley runs the point for her team.Patsy Mosley Patsy Mosley 5'9" | CG Maynard Jackson | 2021 State GA | 5’9″ | Maynard Jackson
Mosely brings great ball-handling and speed to the combo guard position. She is especially dangerous in transition where her ability to weave through multiple defenders on the way to the rim is fun to watch. She is an above-average three-point shooter and also has a very nice floater that she makes very consistently just inside the free-throw line. She is a good passer that makes quick decisions when penetrating the lane. She takes on-ball pressure well and can get by defenders with useful dribble move combinations. She has the quickness and length to be a good defender, but she is not as invested on that side of the ball just yet. Even with that said, she shows glimpses of what she is capable of throughout the course of games. She plays with an edge that allows her to impact the game in multiple ways offensively.