Player Spotlight: Gio Guzman of Bishop Gorman (NV)

This is the time of year I begin to spotlight unsigned seniors who are deserving of continuing their play at the college level. My visit last weekend to Las Vegas uncovered a gem in 2012 G 5’9″ Gio Guzman of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman. Unlike some players who never get in front of coaches, Guzman’s situation is just the opposite. Playing for national powerhouse Gorman, Guzman directs traffic with a roster full of D1 talent on a high profile team.

With all the attention going to a roster that includes the country’s #1 prospect in 2012, Shabazz Muhammad, 6’9″ Rosco Allen (Stanford), 6’9″ Ben Carter (Oregon, UNLV, or Utah) it’s sometimes easy to overlook who steers the ship and keeps the high octane crew happy. That guy is Guzman!

Unsigned Senior 2012 PG Gio Guzman of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman (NV)

Coaches, when you take the time to look at the video below you’ll see that Guzman, although undersized has quick feet and stays in front of his man defensively. On the offensive end the last thing he looks to do is shoot it. However, I observed him in the Las Vegas Super 80 Showcase and he did/was capable of knocking down both the three pointer as well as the mid range shot.

Guzman’s superior strength is in running a team and understanding how and when to deliver the ball on time to his finishers. That’s an art in itself. As you watch the video below of Guzman’s 2010-2011 (junior year) note the crafty passes, the understanding of spacing, and the fact that when he penetrates it’s with a purpose…usually to make a team mate look extremely good as he drops the dime for the easy bucket.

As I took the time to interview Guzman I was struck by his poise and his humble demeanor and respect for the game. Gorman’s athletic reputation is excellent as are Guzman’s grades and standardized test scores. His goal after his playing days are to be a coach who gives back his knowledge to other young people.

His goal is to play Division 1 basketball. I believe that’s realistic with a team in a conference that fits his abilities. He is not putting all his eggs in the D1 basket though and is open to the right D2 school. Geographical consideration is not a factor as he is willing to consider any area of the country. Interested coaches can contact me at 512-791-5455 or at TexasBasketball@aol.com for further information.