YAIAA guards talk finer points

Recently, eight of the YAIAA's top guards talked basketball with GameTimePA reporter Brandon Stoneburg. Here's what they had to say about their favorite guards to watch, what makes a good guard go and more:

Question: Is there a basketball player (college or pro) who you emulate or look up to on the court?

Eli Brooks, Spring Grove: "Steph Curry. When I was younger, I couldn’t really shoot the ball that well, so I was a go-to-the-basket kind of guy. But after watching him and seeing how a 3-point shot can open up the game in so many ways, I try to put his skill set into mine as much as I can.”

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Montrel Morgan, William Penn: "For a long time it was all about Derrick Rose. I used to buy his shoes, watch all of his highlights and I'd steal the moves that'd work for me. Since he hasn't played often I've watched Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving and De'Angelo Russell because they're so in control of the game."

Kate Bauhof, York Catholic: "Steph Curry, just because of his shot."

Courtney Dimoff, Red Lion: "Maya Moore. She does a little bit of everything and I have looked up to her leadership and skills since she has played for UConn. She is always a part of the play."

Josh Bailey, West York: "Allen Iverson. He was such an exciting player to watch."

Jared Wagner, Central York: "Most recently, I liked to watch a lot of Tyus Jones while he was at Duke. He wasn't the most athletic guard but he was really smart with the ball and hardly ever turned it over."

Jacey Shipley, South Western: "I would say I somewhat look up to Steph Curry because of the way he can handle the ball and dominate the court."

Kyle Krout, Hanover: "Steve Nash. I idolized him when I was a kid. The way he facilitates the game is remarkable. He ran the show when he played and I try to really base my game off of what he did."

Q: Who is your favorite fellow guard to watch in the YAIAA?

Brooks: "Jared Wagner. He’s very upbeat and uptempo. If you put the ball anywhere near him, he’s diving for it. A good guard is a good leader and he was a leader as a junior last year playing with seniors. He had the biggest impact on Central’s team last season, I believe."

Morgan: "I really enjoy Josh Bailey from West York and Donovian Maxfield from Northeastern. They're both very smart guards who run the show for their team. Eli Brooks is another, he's just highly skilled and he continues to get better."

Bauhof: "Emma Saxton because of her defense."

Dimoff: "Elise Knobloch from Delone Catholic. She is super quick and good with the ball. She's also very hard to pressure defensively."

Bailey: "Trey Shifflett because he’s a good player all around. He has really improved since his freshman year."

Wagner: "Obviously I'm biased and like watching all my fellow York Ballers guards. Outside of those guys I would probably say I enjoy watching Eli Brooks the most. Really talented guard and can do more than just score for his team."

Shipley: "I always loved to watch and play against Soukaina Tracy from Hanover. She can shoot and is able to drive very well because of her height."

Krout: "Max Lampe who plays for Gettysburg. I was privileged to play an AAU season with him and he is someone who is extremely tough to guard. He finishes and shoots the ball exceptionally well." 

Q: What makes a good guard?

Brooks: "A good guard has to be a branch off the coach. You have to play a leadership role because you’re basically a coach on the court. You’re controlling things out there."

Morgan: "A good guard can create for their team and make the players around them better. They should definitely be a leader for any team, whether leading vocally or leading by example." 

Bauhof: "Being a leader on and off the court."

Dimoff: "Seeing the floor, knowing your teammates, knowing when and how to pass the ball efficiently, talking all over the place, taking over when needed, and defensively being all over the place." 

Bailey: "You have to have good decision-making skills and you have to be a leader on and off the court."

Wagner: "I think good guards are guys who can be an extension of the coach and those who can control the pace of the game to best suit his team. The latter being something I know I need to work on to improve my game."

Shipley: "A good guard is someone who has the ability to drive the ball and finish, and have a good shot on offense. They also need to be quick with their ball handling and quick on defense."

Krout: "Movement without the ball. In my opinion that is one of the most important things. Most guards are stagnant, and when they get the ball they try to create a shot. A good guard creates his shot before he even has the ball."