THE BEST BALL-HANDLING POINT GUARDS FOR 2023

INTRODUCTION: Arizona has many outstanding point guards in 2022-2023. Here is a profile of five of the best in the state.     [player_tooltip player_id='115507' first='Sienna' last='Cherwinski'] - is a 5-7 senior point guard who plays for Xavier Prep as well as her grassroots team, Arizona Select. One scout commented on her game: "She has great shot accuracy, good court vision, natural leadership, and relentless defense which all combine to make her a top prospect." This past summer she played in a Summer School Championship competition in Orange County, California. Sienna is bilingual having learned Spanish from her mother who was raised in Colombia. She participated in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program which invited many South American and European players to partake in a skills camp. She is the captain of her team. Xavier Prep went 19-6 in 2021-2022, and she averaged 16.1 points per game to go along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Xavier Prep lost in last season's state playoffs to Perry High School. 50-45. She had 21 points earlier in the season in a win over Chandler High School. For her first three years with the varsity - a total of 67 games - she averaged 8.7 points a game. Max Preps awarded her Player of the game on three different occasions.   EVALUATION: Sienna is an outstanding ball-handler that gets all of her teammates involved in the Xavier Prep offense. She is also a natural team leader both on and off the court. She has now played on the varsity for three seasons and is gaining more and more confidence in her game, both offensively and defensively. With a number of returning players for her senior season, Sienna and her Xavier Prep teammates should be hard to beat in 2022-2023.     [player_tooltip player_id='208251' first='Katie' last='Burns'] - Is a 5-7 senior point guard for Catalina Foothills High School who also plays for her club team, the Tucson Rattlers. Last season she led her team in both assists and steals. Playing in a total of 61 games over three varsity seasons, Katie averaged 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 5.7 steals. In three years her assist totals have increased each year: 1.8 as a freshman, 4.5 as a sophomore, and 5.7 as a junior. As a freshman, she hit a three-point shot with six seconds remaining to defeat Cholla in the 4A Kino Region. Here's one scout's assessment of her game: "She loves to push the pace and get easy baskets in transition. She can score at all three levels which make for a very difficult match-up. She is as excited as it comes at the point guard position. She has the ability to make an impact on whatever college she steps into." She was nominated for Player of the Week honors with a 25-point performance against Tucson High School in February of 2021 while a sophomore.   EVALUATION: Katie has outstanding basketball skills as a playmaker, scorer, and defender. She can score at all three levels, run the fast break and execute in transition. Katie also has great court awareness and is an outstanding teammate. She is also a tireless defender. With many starting players back, Catalina Foothills can make a deep run in the 2023 playoffs.     [player_tooltip player_id='138092' first='Hannah' last='Beard'] - is a 5-5 senior point guard for Verrado High School and also plays for her grassroots team, 602 Lady Nation. She averaged 7.6 points per game as a freshman but only 4.0 as a sophomore. Hannah averaged 5.3 assists per game as a freshman and increased it to 6.2 as a sophomore. In steals per game, she averaged 5.1 her first year and 4.5 as a sophomore. She was selected as Player of the Game a total of 10 different times by Max Preps from November 2019 to February 2021. Verrado lost to Millenium in the 2021 state playoffs, 47-24. In her varsity career, she has had a number of games with double-digit assists. She had a double-double for the Lady Vipers (10 assists and 10 steals) in a game against North Canyon. Hannah can shoot from beyond the arc, handle the ball superbly and defend very well. She is also an Honorable Mention member of the Sports 360 All-Academic Girls Basketball Team with a weighted GPA of 3.33. Her father, Vernon Beard, Verrado's Head Basketball Coach, had this to say about Hannah: "She can run an offense to let players get easy baskets while being able to create her own shot when needed."   EVALUATION: Hannah is a tremendous ball-handler who gets all of her teammates involved in the Lady Vipers' offense. She almost always leads her team in both assists and steals. She has had a number of double-doubles in those two categories. Hannah can shoot effectively from beyond the arc and has great court awareness. She is ready for a spectacular senior season.     OLIVIA ARVELLO - is a 5-6 senior point guard for Valley Vista High School in Surprise. The Monsoon has won state titles in five of the last six years. Olivia was selected as Player of the Game by Max Preps when she scored 19 points and had seven steals against Sunnyslope. She was also Player of the Game in Valley Vista's win over Xavier College Prep. This is her fourth year on the varsity. She averaged 10.5 points as a freshman, 5.8 as a sophomore, and 11.0 as a junior. Her assists average has gone up each year - 1.5, 2.2, and 3.1 - in a total of 50 games. Her career scoring average is 9.1 Her club team is West Coast Elite. One scout's evaluation of Olivia's game: "She can handle pressure, knock down shots from the perimeter and pass the ball extremely well. Her court vision is extraordinary as she is able to throw no-look passes for wide-open layups for her teammates. She has a nice mid-range jumper and executes off the dribble. Defensively, she is aggressive and likes to pressure the ball. Look for her to be a key player in Monsoon's success this year." Olivia was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year in her region. Valley Vista beat Perry High School in last year's 6A State Championship game.   EVALUATION: Olivia is a tremendous all-around talent who definitely will be playing at the next level. Offensively, she is an outstanding point guard who makes all of her teammates better. She drives the lane very well, finishing at the rim. Defensively she is an aggressive player with great hands, leading to steals and deflections. Again, Valley Vista is loaded as they play in 2023 for their sixth state title in seven seasons.     BRIA MEDINA - is a 5-5 senior point guard for Salpointe Catholic High School. Her team lost to Seton Catholic in the State Championship game last year (70-62) and Bria had eight points and four steals in the game. In two full years on the varsity (50 games), she is averaging 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 steals. A scout commented on her game: "She is a defensive menace, creating multiple turnovers and averages close to four steals per game. Bria has a very quick first step, and she's both aggressive and controlled to the basket. She is equally strong going to her left or right with high intelligence." Another scout commented on her play in last fall's Expo 250: "She is the textbook definition of a solid point guard. She led her team well and is confident while on the court. Even if the paint is congested, there is no doubt in her mind that she could get to the rim and come out shooting free throws from the foul line. Her ability to read the defenders well and also see the entire floor at all times on offense makes her stand out above the rest."   EVALUATION: Bria is considered one of the best all-around point guards in the state. She makes all of her teammates better, distributing the ball to the other four starters. She has an extremely high basketball IQ and is considered a terror at the defensive end of the court. With many starters returning, Salpointe Catholic should make a strong playoff run in 2023.