5-Pack: 2021 Guards to Watch

The change in the recruiting cycle is going to be a big change for everyone. Right as we thought we were going to be getting out on the road, we get shut down. So, in order to spend as much effort as we can in getting players seen, we are going to do what we call, 5-Packs.

With these, we want to highlight 5 players who are similar in class and position. We have some time to dive into some quick thoughts and film. Today, we are looking at 2021 guards in Josie Petrulis Josie Petrulis 5'6" | SF Brownell Talbot | 2021 State NE , Hannah Strom Hannah Strom 5'7" | SG South Sioux City | 2021 State NE , Maddie Portwine Maddie Portwine 5'11" | CG York | 2021 State NE , Sidney Swanson Sidney Swanson 5'8" | PG West Point Beemer | 2021 State NE , and Celia Hacker.

Josie Petrulis Josie Petrulis 5'6" | SF Brownell Talbot | 2021 State NE – 5’8 CG – Brownell-Talbot HS – Nebraska Attack
Petrulis is a guard who simply gets things done on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. While she isn’t flashy with her game she is in control of the ball and has the ability to score in a variety of ways. She can knock down an outside jumper but she can also get into the paint and score with either hand. One thing that stands out about her game to me is her ability to keep her eyes up going down the floor. She has a very solid motor and can score on the inside against smaller defenders with her strength. I like the passion that she seems to play with every time on the floor and a big summer AAU season could propel her onto the radar of many schools.

Hannah Strom Hannah Strom 5'7" | SG South Sioux City | 2021 State NE – 5’7 SG – South Sioux City HS – United Sports Academy
Strom catches your attention on the offensive end with her shooting ability but one of the more unheralded aspects of her game is her defensive ability. She has quick hands allowing her to steal a ball while locking down a player but she also has great anticipatory skills. She jumps passing lanes very well and pushes the ball up the floor quickly looking to run in transition. She has a quick release allowing her to get the shot off as defenders are flying toward her and she also has the ability to drive to the rim. Strom is consistently improving her game and has improved her game a lot from this summer through the end of the high school season. Once AAU resumes it is a good bet that college coaches will be flocking to watch Strom play with  United Sports Academy.

Maddie Portwine Maddie Portwine 5'11" | CG York | 2021 State NE – 5’10 CG – York HS – Team Factory
The first thing that stands out about Portwine is her length and ability to get to the rim while under control. She creates space well for herself to get a shot off but she’s also very good off the catch. Her range extends well beyond the 3-point line and her ability to score at all three levels is very evident early on. She is a very good defender due to her lateral quickness and ability to use her hands on the defensive end of the floor.  She has really improved her facilitating ability over the past year and that is one thing that sticks out to me as being much improved since the summer last year. I can definitely see her getting a wide range of interest at all levels with her combination of shooting, passing, quickness, and length.

Sidney Swanson Sidney Swanson 5'8" | PG West Point Beemer | 2021 State NE – 5’7 PG – West Point-Beemer HS – Nebraska Attack
One of the first things that catch your eye when you watch Swanson is her ability to deceive defenders with her ball handling. She is strong with both hands and can change pace with the ball really well. Her ability to read the defender and then make her move with the ball is among the best in the state regardless of class. Last summer Swanson impressed me with her ability to attack the basket but over the past five months has infinitely improved her ability to get to her spot on the floor. Swanson’s defensive ability also doesn’t go unnoticed as she reads opposing players really well and can strip the ball with ease if they get sloppy with their handles. There are three words to really describe Swanson: tough, tireless, and crafty.

Celia Hacker – 5’6 CG – Omaha Marian HS – Team Factory
Hacker is one of the state’s best shooters. You can tell very early on by either watching her play in person or on her Hudl film below. She has the ability to shoot the ball at a high level coming off screens, in transition, or off the catch. Her ball-handling has improved over the past year and she has developed into being one of the best free-throw shooters in the state. Despite her small stature, she can finish at the rim really well with the body control that she possesses. Hacker can score from anywhere on the floor at a very high level and will be one of the top scorers in the state next season. As an underrated defender with a scoring ability that can pack a punch, I won’t be surprised to see some very strong DII programs after her sprinkled in with some Division I schools.