Five Underrated Guards to Watch at the Spring Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out these five "under-the-radar" guards this weekend at Sportika.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913936' first='Rian' last='Dwyer'] | NJ Rise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading with defense first, Rian creates scoring opportunities for her and her teammates by forcing a ton of turnovers. She's small and scrappy with really quick hands and sharp anticipation, especially when hawking the perimeter. She picks off passes and ignites the break, either taking it to the basket all by herself or slowing down the pace to execute a play. An "equal opportunity" point guard, she's able to score and dish very effectively. Her offense comes equipped with a shifty step-back jumper, long 3 ball and the ability to carve paths to the basket at will. A committed two-way game is going to propel a big breakout this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1851554' first='Kaitlyn' last='Coffey'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaitlyn is a quiet worker who can quickly light it up with multi-level scoring. She doesn't necessarily rely on any one shot because her offense is quite balanced. While she's certainly a dangerous 3-point threat, she's just as lethal in transition with her ability to slash through defenders and get to the rim. She creates scoring opportunities for herself, but also thrives without the ball, getting to her spots and delivering off the catch. She isn't showy, flashy or animated... but she's very efficient and makes smart decisions on the fly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259185' first='Hailey' last='Mulhearn'] | CJ Hawks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hard-nosed approach and relentless workhorse attitude makes Hailey one to watch! She isn't afraid to do whatever the team needs to get a win. She's super tough, makes adjustments when needed and sticks with the assignment to produce results. She's one of the "glue girls" on this team because of that ability to chip in whenever and wherever; she gels the team and gets the girls moving cohesively. Her ball handling is much improved and does a terrific job keeping ball movement fluid and finding gaps to deliver dimes. It's always refreshing to see a player compete with intensity but also radiate joy on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1851568' first='Julia' last='Librizzi'] | United NJ</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Julia's hustle sets the tone for a United squad that loves to push pace and attack the basket. She does a great job in transition blitzing the floor but not getting out-of-control or making a rushed decision. She's highly coachable and at the same time, does a great job figuring it out on her own in real time. While guidance from coaches is always there, she displays the ability to make independent [and smart] decisions on the floor through trial and error process. She's a total team player with infectious energy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1851561' first='Alanna' last='Vieira'] | NJ Bulldogs x Triple Threat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alanna runs the show as this team's true point guard. There's a lot packed into her 5'3" frame! She's exceptionally poised and does a fantastic job creating for her teammates while being hawked and heckled by defenders. Sharp vision allows her to find open and cutting teammates she can zoom passes to and avoid turning the ball over while under immense pressure. Her offense is complete with smooth short jumpers and a very pretty floater. Defensively, she applies ball pressure and does a great job bothering the ball-handler to force turnovers and ignite the break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->