2023 Rankings Update: Top Combo Guards
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The Class of 2023 has officially started their senior year of high school and they’ve been practicing as they prepare to play their final season of high school basketball. This class boasts some of the top scorers in the state…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2023 has officially started their senior year of high school and they’ve been practicing as they prepare to play their final season of high school basketball. This class boasts some of the top scorers in the state and a ton of talented players that are committed to play at the next level. The top 5 combo guards in this class have been really impressive throughout their high school careers, so I don’t expect their senior years to be any different. Let’s take a look at those guards and what they bring to their teams.
Ford is a special player. She not only has a ton of talent, but she brings so much more to the floor than just that. She truly leads her team in a lot of different ways. Ford’s talent cannot be questioned though. Her averages have been extremely impressive all throughout her high school career. Last season, the Murray State commit averaged 20.9 ppg and 9.7 rpg, while shooting 32.6% from 3 and 82.1% from the free throw line. Ford’s numbers speak for themselves, but they also don’t account for her complete game. She’s an elite ball handler, an elite passer, and she can lock you down defensively. With the way Ford produces, it’s impossible to not include her in the conversation for the 2023 Miss Kentucky Basketball award.
Another player that should be in the conversation for Miss Kentucky Basketball, Thompson is one of the top overall players in the state without question. She can score on just about anyone because of her versatility. If you put a guard on her, she can elevate over them to knock down shots or she can get to the rim where she finishes really well, even with contact. If you put a big on her, she can knock down shots if they don’t step out to guard her or she can drive right around them if they do. She’s a match-up nightmare for opposing teams and she will have a ton of talent surrounding her at Manual this year. I think Thompson is about to finish her high school career extremely strong before she moves on to play D-I basketball at the University at Buffalo.
Highlights
Tolbert is one of the talented players that Thompson will have around her this season, and she has kind of been the glue to Manual’s team since she started with them. She is such an underrated player. One of the best defenders in the state, Tolbert will take on any challenge that is thrown at her. In fact, I’ve seen her get stops on 6’0+ post players simply by outworking them. Offensively, she’s just as impressive. Her IQ is so high and she can handle pressure so well. Tolbert is really effective playing point guard or off of the ball. She can knock down shots, draw fouls, and finish floaters as well.
Guess is certainly one of the top scorers in the state. Last season, she averaged 21.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg while helping lead her team to a 23-8 record. She finished as the 13th leading scorer in the state last season and I think her numbers will be even higher this year. Guess is a really tough defensive assignment because you can stay in front of her, but she’ll still find ways to score. She’s a true 3-level scorer. She’s also an excellent decision maker. Guess defends well and she actually is Crittenden County’s leading scorer and rebounder as we begin this season.
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I had seen Gentry play this Spring and she looked really good, but when I saw her at the PGH Top 250 Expo in September, I was beyond impressed. Her ability to score on anyone and in many different ways is special. She was keeping the ball up high on her jump shots, making her nearly impossible to block. Gentry was finishing through contact and in creative ways around the basket as well. She nearly averaged a double-double last season at 15.1 ppg and 9.6 rpg. Gentry can contribute in all aspects of the game and I think she’ll easily average an impressive double-double in her final high school season.