Standout Sophomore Guards at Deep South Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The guard play at Deep South Classic was very impressive in the sophomore class. There was an abundance of guards (point guards, shooting guards, combo guards, etc.) in the building who had some serious "game" and various skill sets In this article, we highlight some of the Sophomore guards who stood out at the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644593' first='Adrianna' last='Skraban'] / 2025 PG / Oviedo High School / OBC 2025 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["644593"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":644764,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a7e244a517"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Skraban was one of the best young leaders I saw on a basketball court. She was undoubtedly the leader of the team. She communicated with teammates in the huddle and on the court and she continuously put players in the right position. Skraban distributed the ball to open teammates and she made great entry passes to her teammates down low. She was a crafty player with the ball in her hands and also without. No moment was too big for the guard and she competed on the court in every situation. Skraban rebounded well for a guard and made great passes up the court. She shot the ball well at all levels and particularly shot it well from deep. Skraban played with a high basketball IQ and was always prepared for the moment. No moment was too big for the Sophomore. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644595' first='Kynia' last='Hughes'] / 2025 SG / Port St Lucie HS / BGH Ligers 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["644595"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":644774,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a864122033"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hughes was an impressive guard who was smooth and unflappable. In addition to those intangibles, she could really put the ball in the basket. She also had good timing on when to get out on the break. She read the floor well and got out on fast breaks when she knew her teammates would secure the rebound. Hughes was also special in the half-court setting where she utilized her midrange game. She also made timely cuts to the basket for easy scores in the paint. For a young player, she has a good understanding of scoring points and can rack them up in a hurry. Hughes also rebounded well from the guard position. She had several put-backs for scores. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644596' first='Cameron' last='Slate'] / 2025 / Clark Advanced Learning Center / BGH Ligers 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["644596"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":644791,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a8641220f5"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slate played very well at Deep South Classic. The 5'7 guard has good length and was able to use it to get deflections, and steals. Offensively, she was very confident and efficient from three three-point lines. She was also impressive in her ability to catch the ball in traffic and score on the inside. Defensively, Slate played aggressively at times and wasn't afraid to pick up a few fouls. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644594' first='Josie' last='Harshbarger'] / 2025 SG / Oviedo HS / OBC 2025 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["644594"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":644816,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a864122169"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I really liked the athleticism of Harshbarger. She got it going in the second half of one of her games and seemed to energize her team. She did a good job of getting downhill and getting to the basket. Harshbarger is a big guard and physically strong enough to finish through the contact. Harshbarger also showed she could connect on the outside from behind the arc. She is the "athlete" on the court for her team and she defends well, gets downhill, can score in transition, and excels when she is defended one on one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='434835' first='Reese' last='Mayer'] / 2025 PG / Bishop Kenny HS / DME Travel </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["434835"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a8641221c8"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mayer was very solid at Deep South Classic. She was very aggressive at the top of the key and made very good decisions on the floor. She really did a great job on the pick-and-roll. She took a few shots off the pick, fed it to the big in the roll, or kicked it to the wing who knocked down about 5 threes. Most of those plays were successful because of Mayer's threat as a shooter and her ability to read the defense. She is a high-energy player who gets involved on both ends of the court. Her basketball IQ and decision-making were the intangibles that stood out at the Deep South Classic. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->