#MoJoTipOffClassic Standout Guard Play

The #MoJoTipOffClassic gathered some of the top young talents in the state when it came to the girls. These young ladies did not disappoint and gave us a day full of exciting lady hoops.   Here are some of the standout players at the guard spot.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-353849 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/PGH-Aniya-Hubbard-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="318048" first="Aniya" last="Hubbard"] (5’9/Combo Guard/2022)   School: Hoover HS Instagram: aniya_hubbard Twitter: @aniya_hubbard   I haven’t seen a more aggressive guard off the bounce in the girls’ game in Alabama like Aniya since Kaneisha Horn, the Ramsay graduate. When Aniya got downhill against Sparkman, they literally had no answer for her off the bounce. We have Aniya ranked as the #1 player in Alabama, and her dominance at the classic attested to why she is ranked where she is. Aniya was arguably the best athlete at the classic and was a lethal force at the rim off the bounce. She thrived in transition and drew fouls easily against the Sparkman defenders. <blockquote> The lefty showed that she can knock down the perimeter J and is a proven bucket getter from anywhere on the floor. </blockquote> If Aniya stays on the trajectory she has begun the season on, her stock will rise, even more, headed into her collegiate career next year.   Aniya finished with 23 points against Sparkman.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-353850 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/PGH-Reniya-Kelly-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="318502" first="Reniya" last="Kelly"] (5’7/Point Guard/2023)   School: Hoover HS Instagram: ReniyaK_ Twitter: @ReniyaK   Reniya is one of the most complete point guards that I have seen in the girls’ game this year from Alabama going back to the AAU season. She is a big-time playmaker for herself and her teammates, and even though she finds a balance between scoring and facilitating, she does both exceptionally well. She plays with a ton of confidence and is one of the biggest offensive weapons on the Hoover Lady Bucs squad. At the classic, she had all of her dazzling creative talents on display. Whether she was hitting her defender with a chance of pace move, or a step back J, or a mid-range pull-up, she kept defenders guessing and often confused. <blockquote> She can literally get hers whenever she wants, but her willingness to pass and get others involved shows her unselfishness. </blockquote> She has excellent vision and understands that the ball moves faster than anyone else on the court. She drops dimes and hits her teammates on time and on target. Very few girls can do what Reniya can do with the ball in her hands, and if Hoover is going to accomplish their season goals, the ball definitely needs to be in Reniya’s hands.   Reniya finished with 17pts against Sparkman.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-348725 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/PGH-Jaylen-Pleasant-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Jaylen Deloris Denise Pleasant (5’4/Point Guard/2023)   School: Mortimer Jordan HS Instagram: Offixial.jp23 Twitter: @pleasant_jaylen   This was my second time seeing Jaylen this year, and she was just as impressive in this performance as in the first. She showed me even more that Mortimer Jordan has a reliable PG that they can trust with the ball in her hands. She takes care of the ball, gets Mortimer Jordan into what Coach Robinson wants offensively, gets the ball to their shooters, and can personally put points on the board with ease. I can tell that she mentally processes the game at a quick rate and is a step ahead of her opponents when it comes to the mental aspect of the game and seeing action and open opportunities early. <blockquote> Coach Robinson has a lot of weapons on this squad, and whatever he game plans, Jaylen can administer. </blockquote> She is productive in iso opportunities and puts defenders at her mercy.   Jaylen finished with 19pts against Hillcrest.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-353851 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/PGH-Olivia-Vandergriff-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Olivia Vandergriff (5’8/Combo Guard/2023)   School: Guntersville HS Instagram: liv_vandergriff Twitter: @livvandergriff   Olivia is a walking skillset. Her fundamentals and the soundness of her game were one of the best I saw at the classic. As you watch Olivia, it is as though she is playing chess on the court while others are playing checkers. She plays under control and has a balanced floor game. Her skillset gives her elasticity across the board and gives her head coach many options when she is on the court. She controls the game for 2-seconds off of every catch as she explores options and quickly analyzes the next best move for her team. <blockquote> She has the handles to create, counter moves to work around ways defenders try to take away certain options, and she moves well without the ball in her hands. </blockquote> I am about to mention something that might surprise you, but she even used a shot fake; yes, I know I was wondering the same thing if players knew what that move was. She did not use it just once, but she used it a few times and created the defensive closeout. We all know the best time to drive is when the defender is closing out, and Olivia did just that from her ability to create a closeout by utilizing the shot fake. One of the most impressive aspects of Olivia’s game was heard early, and that was her constant communication on the defensive end of the court.   Olivia finished with 7pts against Hamilton.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-353852 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/PGH-Shila-Nicole-Marks-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Shila Nicole Marks (5’8/Point Guard/2025)   School: Lauderdale County HS Instagram: shila.marks21 Twitter: @ShilaMarks21   Let me introduce you to one of the best shooters from behind the arc that I saw at the classic. Shila has acquired a special set of skills that will make her a nightmare in her high school career and beyond. Shila demands attention as soon as she steps across half-court, and when in transition, she creates problems for teams defensive transition as the normal rules are challenged as a defender must account for her run to the arc. <blockquote> If high school was tracking a shooter’s percentage on catch-and-shoot looks, Shila more than likely would rank among the top in that category. </blockquote> As with all shooters, especially in the high school game, the question comes when teams run her off the line or faceguard her denying the catch, and the question then becomes for this young freshman shooter, how well can she move without the ball to get open for her shot.   Shila finished with 19pts (15pts from behind the arc) against Spain Park.