A Fearless Point Guard at The Smoke

Grassroots held “The Smoke” live period tournament at Grand Valley State University and other nearby high schools from May 16th to 18th. The tournament featured a variety of clubs and college coaches from multiple states in attendance. A saying that's stuck with me since I first heard it is "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Undersized guards need to have that "fight" to excel on the court. A particular guard from [program_tooltip program_id='1226083' first='West' last='Michigan Drive'] put that fight on full display Friday as I watched her game. Here are several 2027 and 2028 guards with "fight" to keep on your radar this summer.    Breyelle is a promising prospect from the [program_tooltip program_id='715386' first='Great' last='Northern Elite'] 15U program. She started the game with a quick layup off the opening tip and effectively got downhill throughout the game. Breyelle chased down a breakaway and deflected the ball off her opponents leg to cause a turnover--she constantly kept her hands active to cause steals. Breyelle blew by with a burst down the baseline to score a contested layup off two feet and drained a wing triple. She grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed the ball the length of the floor, and split two defenders to score an impressive left-handed layup. Breyelle trapped the ball, deflected the pass, and took the steal all the way for a layup off two feet. She showed her toughness by playing through pain after hard contact and is a two-way guard from the U.P. with great potential.     Maliyah used her athleticism and aggression to make a noticeable impact on both ends for [program_tooltip program_id='1226083' first='West' last='Michigan Drive']-2028-Paiz at The Smoke. She swiped the ball and outraced everyone in transition to score a full-speed layup, then drove downhill to add another assertive layup. Maliyah has outside range, draining a wing three, and crashed the boards to secure offensive rebounds. Maliyah used both hands to block a shot with authority and will be a prospect to follow this summer.     Gabby had one of the best floater games at The Smoke, and she had a solid Saturday for Mystics 517. Gabby penetrated gaps using sweeps and crossover, then dropped in many contested floaters in the paint. She jumped high into the air to bat down a pass, grabbed the ball, and accelerated to score two points in transition. Gabby is a true competitor and an exciting guard prospect to watch whenever she touches the court.     Taylor had me out of my seat during her game on Friday at The Smoke. She has a gritty, hard-nosed style you can't help but love when you watch her play and a fearlessness that stands out. Taylor put her defender off balance with a jab step and blew by to finish a strong layup off two in traffic. She buried heavily contested triples on back-to-back possessions with a lightning-quick release. Taylor used a between-the-legs, behind-the-back, hesitation, double-crossover combination to freeze her defender, then drove hard into a defender's chest, scored the and-one layup, then knocked down her free throw. She battled for offensive rebounds and was one of the most exciting point guards to watch at the tournament.     Maya has an athletic burst that grabbed my attention during her games with [program_tooltip program_id='1226083' first='West' last='Michigan Drive'] 16U Bowers at The Smoke. She made outstanding lob entry passes over defenders for assists and drained a moonshot 3-pointer in the corner. Maya created space to attack with her crafty lateral pushout dribbles and hesi-crossovers. Maya gets downhill and is a guard I'm excited to see more of this summer.     Karsyn impressed me greatly at The Smoke during my first time watching her compete. She changed directions on a dime with her shifty crossover dribbles and was dialed in from 3-point distance. Karsyn buried a long one from the wing and added two more triples off the bounce. She drove hard downhill to score a contested layup and kicked the ball out to perimeter shooters. Karsyn worked hard to secure rebounds and pushed the ball quickly up the court with her eyes up to find open teammates. She snagged steals on defense and moved to open space without the ball. Keep your eyes on Karsyn this spring with Mystics 517.     Kwynn came down from the U.P. and beamed with next-level potential at The Smoke. She attacked hard with a baseline drive, side-stepped the defender, and finished the contested layup. Kwynn drained a corner three, sprinted over from helpside position to block shots, and drove hard to score many left-handed layups. Kwynn moved well without the ball, cutting to catch and score with her left hand off two feet. She scanned the court to find open teammates and made accurate passes. One of Kwynn's best moments happened when she snagged a steal on defense, pushed the ball full-speed in transition, then made a quick transfer to her left for the layup. She's a prospect to watch for [program_tooltip program_id='715386' first='Great' last='Northern Elite'] 15U.     Wren is a guard who showed promise with [program_tooltip program_id='1226083' first='West' last='Michigan Drive'] 16U Bowers at The Smoke. She used crafty crossover dribbles to gain the edge and drove hard to earn trips to the charity stripe. Wren put her foot down and beat defenders on her way to a contested layup off two feet--she's a player to watch this summer with Hudsonville.

Grassroots held “The Smoke” live period tournament at Grand Valley State University and other nearby high schools from May 16th to 18th. The tournament featured a variety of clubs and college coaches from multiple states in attendance. A saying that's stuck with me since I first heard it is "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Undersized guards need to have that "fight" to excel on the court. A particular guard from West Michigan Drive put that fight on full display Friday as I watched her game. Here are several 2027 and 2028 guards with "fight" to keep on your radar this summer.