Live at Lakepoint: Leading from the Point

The level of guard play in general at Select Events Live at Lakepoint was outstanding enough that the point guards deserve their own article and shine for the high level at which they produced. Each brought a unique and different skill set to the table for the teams, but they all ate in front of crowded baselines full of college coaches. These players lead their teams with their play, their voice, and their effort. All are to be commended for their play.    Jordan's pass-first mindset accompanied by her rare athleticism and elite ball handling make her one of the very pest guards and players in the 2027 class. Whether it is during the prep season or during travel ball, no matter who the opponent is, Speller leaves it all on the court giving maximum effort the entire game. She does not take plays off and hates to lose. She is one of the best passers in the country and makes her teammates (many of whom are also highly ranked) better by getting them the ball in positions to score. You can also count on seeing 2-3 plays that only a handful of players in the country can make when Jordan gets out on the fast break, whether it is a highlight reel pass or finish, as she is electric in open space with the ball. When I spoke with her a month ago she was in the process of setting up her official visits and told me she knew two schools that were getting one. She sounded like she would like to make her college decision before the school season starts around November but did not know for sure. I have coached against and watched Jordan since she was in middle school and believe she will make whatever Power Four program she chooses a lot better.     Madison was very impressive in the game I watched against an excellent WV Thunder Perry team. The first big play she made was swatting a ball out of bounds on a lay up with both players high in the air. She also applied good on-ball defensive pressure throughout the game for [program_tooltip program_id='713644' first='[program_tooltip program_id='713452' first='FBC' last='']' last='Reign'] making everything difficult on opposing ball handlers with her active hands and quick feet. Offensively, she definitely lived up to the hype smoothly scoring the ball in a variety of ways against other future college players. She worked extremely hard when she was off the ball, cutting and running off screens to create space for her shot. She knocked down a big three on a flare cut from the top of the key in the first half with excellent form and a quick release as the defender closed out. When her teammate picked up her dribble near the top of the key she did a great job setting up the defender, flashing to the wing before cutting backdoor for a left handed layup. Pojani also used a quick inside out dribble off the catch to knock down another three from the wing. Against one of the very best 16U S40 teams, Madison was as good as advertised finishing with 24 points including five three point shots made.     In a very competitive game, against a very good team, going against another very talented guard with multiple college offers, Wallace was excellent again for WV Thunder Perry. She looks and plays like running the show was what she was born to do. Maddy finished the game with 15 points (three 3PM), nearly 10 assists, and handful of rebounds but it was her leadership that impressed me more than anything. Her communication back and forth with her Coach Perry about what play to run and then communication to her teammates relaying that information was excellent. Her passing ability was ultra-impressive again and decision making was excellent on the break were she distributed the ball to her teammates in positions to score. She was efficient scoring the ball herself, shooting the ball very well from behind the three point line in both games I saw at Lakepoint. Wallace does a great job turning defense into offense very quickly when she secures the rebound or outlet pass wasting no time pushing the ball out in transition resulting in quick and easy points for her team. Very high basketball IQ to go along with all of her skill.     Trinity is a combo guard, but when I saw her this high school season and again with [program_tooltip program_id='713492' first='[program_tooltip program_id='713452' first='FBC' last='']' last='Legacy'] at Lakepoint she had the basketball in her hands a lot of the time she was on the court. During that time Husband was as efficient and impressive as she was when I saw her play against North Forsyth in January. She can put the ball in the basket in a lot of different ways and does so very efficiently. The precision she uses to score is the same she shows when finding her teammates in good positions to score the ball. Trinity doesn't force shots or passes and very rarely turns the ball over. She is a very strong and consistent ball handler that has the ability to shake defenders off to create space when necessary and the speed to blow by most as well. She could easily play both positions on the next level in college, but I like her about to facilitate and distribute the basketball as much as I do her scoring package on offense. She is an active defender on the ball, in the passing lanes, in help side defense, and very good in full court pressure situations.     Aubrey is one of the very best point guards and players in her class nationally and that was made crystal clear as she again played way up in age with [program_tooltip program_id='713452' first='FBC' last=''] Kentucky 17U UAA on the main court against the best competition. Bush is a smooth lefty who plays with a maturity far beyond her years. She never got sped up and played the game at her pace. She was outstanding with the basketball in her hands both creating easy scoring opportunities for teammates and herself in the half court and on the break. In the half court she took instruction well from Coach Mo and picked apart the Duval Elite defense with pinpoint accuracy on her passes while facilitating the offense. She was efficient scoring the ball from both the perimeter and finishing at the rim over defenders and through contact. Nothing about Aubrey, her size, nor her game would lead anyone to believe that she hasn't even started high school yet. She is a Power Four player without a doubt and I am glad I saw her as early as I did.

The level of guard play in general at Select Events Live at Lakepoint was outstanding enough that the point guards deserve their own article and shine for the high level at which they produced. Each brought a unique and different skill set to the table for the teams, but they all ate in front of crowded baselines full of college coaches. These players lead their teams with their play, their voice, and their effort. All are to be commended for their play.