Queen of the Commonwealth: Standout Guards (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like in the previous articles, I need to preface this article by saying that I did get to see some teams play more games than others, though I did catch every team at least once, so this series is based on what I was able to see in the time I spent at Bullitt East rather than stats or results. I saw a ton of talented players and teams over the 4 day tournament, but here are some of the players that really stood out to me at the guard position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["254562"],"_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":"Teams will place a focus on stopping Bradley and she still consistently manages to put the ball in the basket at a high level. She is one of the best shooters in the state and she has crazy range on her shot. Bradley is also one of the best overall scorers in the state and she currently ranks 3rd on the state's leaderboards when it comes to scoring with her 23.6 points per game (10 game KHSAA minimum). Her versatility as a scorer makes her extremely hard to stop, as well as her ability and willingness to create for her teammates. Teams have to respect her no matter where she is on the court and she continuously proves to be one of the best players around.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["164392"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Holtman has the size to beat you when she's going to the basket and the skills to beat you in every other area. She's got a really high release on her shot that makes her extremely hard to block, but she can also shot fake and go around her defender, so she's a really tough defensive assignment. Holtman faced some tough defensive assignments herself and she really showed her ability to alter shots and be disruptive as a defender. She was also making great passes to her teammates, but whenever her team needed a basket, it was clear that they could rely on Holtman to score that much-needed bucket.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["167103"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Thornsbury is the definition of a 2-way player. She makes as much happen defensively as she does offensively and that's saying a lot in itself because she is such a solid offensive threat. She can beat you in so many ways. Thornsbury is a strong outside shooter, but she can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. She can also get into the paint or to the rim where she finishes well with contact and in crafty ways. Thornsbury brings a ton of defensive intensity and is constantly disrupting the opposing team's offense.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["358942"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Bailey can really put the ball in the basket, but she's not a selfish player and she's on a team with a lot of really talented players, so I think it really speaks to her talent when I say that she scored her 1,000th career point in the championship game. She's got a quick first step and she can finish in some creative ways around the basket, including through contact. However, she can also knock down shots and makes great fakes, so you have to really work to stop her. Bailey is also one of the strongest defenders I saw. She has great hands and can play suffocating on-ball defense.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["254278"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Riley has such a smooth game. The first game I watched, her shots weren't falling and yet, she was still one of the most impressive players on the floor. She was making some great passes and really creating for her teammates. Riley showed off her ball handling skills even while facing heavy pressure. She has really good form on her shot and she can knock them down from deep range even with little space between her and a defender. Riley makes strong drives to the basket, but recognizes help defense and kicks it when they step over.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["321711"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Housley is such a big scoring threat because of her high IQ and versatility as a scorer. She's an excellent shooter and she can hit from anywhere once she passes that half court line, but she also utilizes fakes so well to get the defense off of their feet. Housley can finish in various ways inside of the perimeter. Pull-up jumpers, floaters, layups, etc. She shifts her body to finish some really tough shots around the rim as well. Housley's got good strength and she consistently crashed the boards. She was a difference maker on both ends of the floor.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["164412"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"While I believe Drakeford would've had a big season for Mercer County regardless, it has been really impressive to see her take on such a big role in the absence of top 2023 player, [player_tooltip player_id='164385' first='Timberlynn' last='Yeast']. She has excellent ball handling skills and is a 3 level scorer. She can create space, especially with her step-backs, but she doesn't need much room to get her shot off. Drakeford can finish at the basket or anywhere in between as well. The way she changes speeds is really impressive and allows her to get a step on the defense whenever she wants. Drakeford was a disruptive defender also.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["311948"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Chandler plays so hard and when she's knocking down outside shots, she's extremely hard to stop because she's an excellent driver as well. She can get to the rim or score in the mid-range. She has good handles and while she doesn't have to bring the ball down the floor for the Vikings, she certainly has the ability to handle pressure. Chandler's ability to constantly make hustle plays always stands out to me because that speaks to her willingness to do whatever it takes to help her team win. She's a huge piece of the puzzle for a great Rowan County team.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":8,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63adf53272eae"} /-->