Ireland, Bateman, Shelton, ??

[LIONS90045]

The Lions have been blessed with a string of exceptional Point Guards, all of them All-WCC players.

Who will fill in the Point Guard shoes for the Lions this year?

Candidates are: Justin Wright, Justice Hill, Will Johnson and Dominick Harris. This group are all exceptional talents brought in by Coach Johnson recruiting. I have not included Noah Taitz since he really hasn't played for the Lions and is in his second year here. Frankly, unless he proves to be an excellent player, he will have a tough time getting minutes this season.

The candidates data per game are:

Justin Wright 24.9 minutes, 13.1 points, 1.1 assists, FG 51.8%, FT 84.7%
Justice Hill 25.9 minutes, 12.3 points, 3.4 assists, FG 49.2%, FT 79.6%
Will Johnson 23.1 minutes, 9,4 points, 2.6 assists, FG 37.9%, FT 91.7%
Dominick Harris 23.9 minutes, 11.6 points, 1.1 assists, FG 44.8%, FT 76.5%.

All admirable figures for a group of capable guards.

My take right now is a close contest between Wright and Hill, both 5th year players and in their final season.
Wright has been the man of the moment but Hill actually has a better assist record and has played more time each game. Hill has won a WCC Player of the Week award, Wright was named to the Cayman Islands Classic all tournament team.
Johnson's stats are a slight notch below Wright and Hill but he is "automatic" from the FT line.
Harris is more a wing rather than a real guard but could be considered a shooting guard. Harris has two seasons left to play. Johnson has one more season eligibility unless I'm missing a "Covid-type" extension.

Perhaps the next few games will tell the tale of who fills the PG shoes this season.
Any opinions? There will be no penalties for "wrong" picks.

[ALioninWinter]

I don’t think we’ll see a “Ireland, Batemon, Shelton” type experience this year if only because this year’s team has a lot more talent. The mere fact that there’s some debate over who could be this years “IBS” player attests to the talent we see on the roster.

As I’ve mentioned in a couple other posts, my vote goes to Wright. He seems more comfortable moving with the ball. He’s strong and uses his strength well driving the key. His outside shot is good enough that opponents have to respect it so they can’t play back on him. He seemed to get into coach’s doghouse a bit during the Jackson State game due to a couple poor passes and a defensive lapse but it looks like he’s worked his way out since then.

Hill seems more comfortable shooting the ball vs driving the hoop. Nothing against him. I like his play and he and Wright seem to work well together. I see him as a strong 2 with a good ability to also play the 1.

Johnston has a lot of grit and hustle but he’s a step below Wright and Hill. Johnston sometimes over commits on defense. He needs to practice shooting more. We need him as a deadeye from 2 and 3 point range, not just from the FT line.

You’re right, Harris is a wing-type player. Too bad he isn’t a bit taller. Tremendous talent who can really help the team. But he’s gotta figure out how to harness and use that talent to good effect. He’s not a point guard so I don’t put him in the same group as the other 3.

[boothlion]

I believe Wright had 2 years of eligibility when he signed. The extra year being a covid year; he had 3 years at NC Central.

lmulions.com/news/2023/4/6/mens-basketball-lions-strengthen-backcourt-with-pair-of-talented-upperclassmen-guards.aspx

I agree with a lot of what Winter has to say. I’m good with the shared minutes and am ok with Harris coming off the bench but would like to see a bit more time with Juice and Harris on the court together.

[LIONS90045]

Booth - thanks for that correction re Wright. I misread his status.
Good to hear that he will be back next season too!

[lmu2015]

Wright, Harris, and Johnston should form a heck of a backcourt next year - would love to see us play more of a 3 guard lineup.

[pumpfake]

Class of 24 LMU point guard recruits Aaron Glass and Gavin Hightower also could be in the mix. Both feature LMU (with a couple other schools) on their twitter profile page. I like our odds sign one of them.

[LIONS90045]

Poor Taitz getting lost with all the talent on the team
He might be very good

[ALioninWinter]

Glass and Hightower are both Class of 2025. Glass is a shooting guard with offers from ASU, Washington, Weber State, plus others. I couldn’t find much on Hightower. He plays at Windward. That’s where Nick Stover played. Pretty low level competition there.