Sophomore Point Guards Ready for Success

Introduction: Arizona high school girls basketball has many outstanding sophomore point guards. Here's a look at five of the best.   [player_tooltip player_id='443661' first='OLIVIA' last='OWENS'] - is a 5-10 sophomore point guard who plays for Phoenix Country Day as well as her grassroots team, Arizona Elite. She already has, as a sophomore, a college scholarship offer from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Phoenix Country Day recently won the PCDS Desert Classic. One scout commented on her game: "She is one of the top up-and-coming guards on the West Coast. She can score at all three levels and has a very high basketball IQ for her age. I'm excited to see her develop as a player and person." Olivia specializes in both steals and shooting threes from beyond the arc. She was All-Division as a freshman when she played for the Phoenix Fire Prep. She was also named"Under the Radar Player of the Year." As a freshman, she averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Another scout had this to say about Olivia's game: "She plays two levels up with her grassroots team and excels in her role. She is an elite defender and a nightmare match-up for opposing guards. She plays with a ton of energy and is very quick laterally. She is instant offense and can score in bundles. She uses her speed to explode by defenders and finish in the lane. She is also more than capable of knocking down shots from the perimeter."   EVALUATION: Olivia is a transfer to Phoenix Country Day from PHH Prep where she learned both offensive and defensive fundamentals. She is an explosive scorer and can hit both the perimeter jumper as well a from beyond the arc. She is also a tireless defender with quick hands and feet.     [player_tooltip player_id='558906' first='KAILYN' last='HOLSEY'] - is a 5-8 sophomore point guard for Coronado High School as well as her club team, Arizona Pride. She was the only freshman named to the SUSD All-District team. She averaged 5.5 points a game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists, and 2.7 steals for the Lady Dons. One scout talked about Kailyn's game: "It is extremely hard to find time for her to rest or come out of a game. She defends, runs the floor on both offense and defense, and she rebounds and talks." Through the early part of the 2022-2023 season, she is averaging 7.5 points per game along with 9.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals. She was recently selected by Max Preps as Player of the Game.   EVALUATION: Kailyn has a work ethic that gives 100% all the time. She has improved dramatically in her overall game in the last year much of which can be attributed to her father, Eric, who is an assistant coach at CHS. She is also an outstanding defender and a natural-born leader.     [player_tooltip player_id='558928' first='ISABELLA ' last='WEBB'] - is a 5-5 sophomore point guard for Mica Mountain High School. Alex Jackson is her head coach. To date, she is averaging 10.6 points per game and leads her team in both rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.1). The Lady Thunderbolts have played 12 games through mid-December. Isabella was nominated for the WaFd Player of the Week Award (November 28-December 4) for having a double-double in early December (a 57-46 win). She finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, and a block. She also was selected to the 4A Girls Basketball All-Freshman team.   EVALUATION: Isabella is currently second on her team in scoring and leads Mica Mountain in both rebounds and assists. She had a double-double at the start of the season. She is an outstanding distributor of the basketball and has improved both her shooting and ball-handling skills. On defense, she is a tireless defender.     AUBREY BILLIPS - is a 5-4 sophomore point guard who plays for Basha High School in Chandler. She is currently averaging 2.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. She also plays on the Basha badminton team. The Lady Bears took part recently in the Lady Changer Turkey Shootout with a number of other schools that took place at McClintock High School. Basha also took part in the MLK Dream Classic. Playing for Head Coach Chinifeia Bright, Aubrey has shown improvement in her all-around game every day. Last summer she had a communication internship program with a coach from Basha.   EVALUATION: Aubrey is a sophomore point guard who is only getting better daily on offense and defense. She is improving her offensive skills, especially her shooting and driving ability in the lane., She has a high basketball IQ and is very athletic. On defense, she is a gritty defender with quick hands which leads to steals and deflections. She is now ready for a breakout sophomore season.     [player_tooltip player_id='530986' first='KYLIE' last='RARRICK'] - is a 5-6 sophomore point guard who plays for Sunnyslope High School. Through seven games this season, she is averaging 5.1 points per game. Earlier this season, she had 15 points in a win over Maricopa High School, and against Desert Ridge High School, she did not have a turnover. As a freshman for the Lady Vikings, she played in 24 varsity games in the always-tough 6A Southwest Conference and averaged 2.6 points per game.   EVALUATION: Kylie is a 5-6 point guard who is beginning to come into her own. She plays at 100% all the time at both ends of the court. Her ball-handling skills and shooting have improved over the last year and she has become a better defender. Her leadership skills and overall confidence are also improving daily.

Introduction: Arizona high school girls basketball has many outstanding sophomore point guards. Here's a look at five of the best.