Will Avance, 6’1″ point guard; Lawrence North
- Relentlessly looking to get downhill when he puts the ball on the floor. Crafty scorer around the basket and also not remotely afraid of taking contact.
- Improving as a playmaker. Avance makes great ball screen reads with is screening partner. Still needs better vision to either slot, but he sees the corners well on either side, regardless of direction.
- Potential lockdown defender. At worst, he’s a plus-defender who might gamble a bit off the ball. No fake hustle though. He’s back into the play quickly if he misses. Super motor!
- His shot is looking better. From 3PT, it’s mostly off the catch. Not punishing defenders yet for going under ball screens, but he’s looking at it now.
- Reported offers: IUPUI, Miami (OH), Tennessee Martin. Definite D1 prospect. The more consistent his shot becomes, the more mid-major he is.
Sean Black, 5’10” point guard; Warren Central
- Ultra-quick and strong, Black is a plus-shooter behind the 3PT line, so he’s a tough cover on a closeout.
- He does like to swing for the fences when he penetrates, but he’s doing a better job at, not just finding teammates, reading the help and anticipating openings. Great vision in transition!
- He’s a plus-defender who can be a lockdown defender. He just needs to improve awareness off the ball. He shifts from being player dominant to ball dominant in his scope, and it can sometimes change possession by possession.
- Tremendous teammate and leader. He never quits on a play. Along with Avance, he has one of the best motors in the class.
- Reported offers: IU-East, IU-South Bend – the competitive NAIA level is his floor, and Indiana has the best NAIA leagues around. I can see a D2 taking a chance on him.
Vinny Buccilla, 6’2″ point guard; Hamilton Southeastern
Ball distributing point guard, who can kind of be vanilla at times, but at the end of it, he makes his teammates better. Passes on time, on target.- Great off ball movement, especially as a screener. It’s important because the ball doesn’t stick with him. But he isn’t just a ball mover. He gets teammates open too.
- He could be more aggressive looking to score. Even getting downhill more to a floater would create more defensive rotations. (* he has put up better offensive numbers since last view in early December)
- A willing defender, he can guard his position. Decent length, good off ball instincts. Rebounds his position pretty well on the defensive end.
- Reported offers: Trinity Christian – He’s a prototypical, NAIA 4th scoring option point guard, good enough to help the top teams win. Hit the open shot, make everyone else around him better. He has several D3 schools looking at him as well.
Ronald Johnson, 6’1″ point guard; Park Tudor
Aggressive with the ball, Johnson is always hunting shots, and as one of the top shooters at the position, he should.- As he penetrates, there are times he could make a better read of defensive rotations, not just passing vs. shooting, but back action and/or fill reads to the slots.
- Johnson is a capable defender, and when he’s locked in, he can guard his position. He’s strong enough to cross match, and on smaller wings, he would be capable of guarding 1-3 at the level he’s being recruited thus far.
- Even though his default position is to take the shot, he’s improved managing possessions. Improving the timing of his reads will help other shooters get into shot easier. However, his ability to create his own is an asset, especially should a possession not go smoothly.
- No reported offers – An NAIA school looking for a scoring point guard would be wise to take a look. He has several D3 suitors.
Malik Stanley, 6’0″ point guard; Warren Central
- Best vision and best passer in the class. To borrow a quarterback concept, he passes teammates open. Stanley will change his pace and approach, cherry picking which defender is to help with the sole purpose of creating the opening for his teammate.
- It doesn’t hurt that he is among the best shooters at the position in the class. A quick, smooth release, and he can hurt you over the top of a ball screen.
- He doesn’t jump off the page physically. He’s quick, but not the quickest. While 6’0″ isn’t an issue these days, especially at the D2 and low D1 level, he’s not long. He doesn’t attack the rim like others do.
- Stanley can certainly guard his position, and with his offers, he’s a plus-defender. Good ball defender and rarely out of position off the ball.
- Reported offers: Barry, Fairmont State, Indianapolis, Marian, Southern Indiana, Tampa. It’s nice to see the instate D2’s on board. If I’m a low D1, I’m taking a chance on Stanley.
