Keyshon Joyner might stand 5-foot-9, but he packs a big punch.
The MacDuffie School and Middlesex Magic guard is a true floor general and a high-level competitor who can do a little bit of everything despite his size. Joyner is a native of Worcester, Mass., a symbol of the city’s toughness and molded by some of its best guards.
Joyner led MacDuffie in scoring and assists last season in a rebuilding year, and after a strong grassroots season with the Magic, the Class of 2027 guard looks ready for another leap this winter in his second season as the starting point guard for the Mustangs, who have high hopes in NEPSAC Class AA. MacDuffie head coach Kurt Steiner likens Joyner to a “Mighty Mouse” guard, the shorter point guards like former Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas or former Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell who will their teams to victory.
“They're relentless, they’re tough, they never stop fighting,” Steiner said. “He’s just a constant heartbeat for us to get the job done and win.”
For our latest prospect watch, we caught up with Steiner to break down Joyner’s game and potential.
Playmaking ability
“I think that starts with his IQ. Understanding pick and roll reads, just a guy who can read and react and just make the right play. Obviously within our offense, he just knows how to score in every facet. He makes guys better, always has his eyes up looking to make a play. I think last year he was more in a scoring role for us because we didn’t have a lot of scoring threats, but this year, he has guys to set the table with so it’s really fun. He can finally hit guys in the corner, hit the lift, he’s a great pocket passer and he can pass with both hands, left and right. He was a QB growing up in Pop Warner, he can throw right and left hand, shoot right and left hand and that helps a lot with his playmaking ability. He can bounce it, hook passes, just really dicey and creative. It’s fun watching his game. We’ve been trying to get him a little more wiggle, but he’s really added weight to his frame, so he can really hold those guys on the screens, on his hip, take the bump.”
High IQ
“He’s just a true basketball junkie, a guy that’s obsessed with the game and a gym rat. He grew up around great guards with Amir Jenkins, Tahlan Pettway, that North High team, you got coach Al Pettway who’s a guard, Tishaun Jenkins, Naadir Tharpe in that circle. He’s just had a lot of guys that he’s learned from, from the city of Worcester. It’s great for his development.”
Worcester toughness
“He’s just a gritty guard. He loves to win, he just wants to win. We play rock, paper, scissor, shoot, or we’ll have (NBA) 2K or Fortnite tournaments in the student center, and the kid’s screaming at the TV trying to win. That’s just a testament to his competitive nature. He’s a guy you want to win with, because he just wants it more than anyone else. It’s cool because that circle of guys that he watched growing up and his toughness was built in the city of Worcester. His eighth grade year, he was taking the train from Union Station to South Station at 5 a.m. just to go to school at Cathedral (in Boston) every morning. Just a kid with a ball in his hand and a backpack ready to go to school. He matured young, especially going through that. He was ready jumping into the prep school world of just living on his own, working out on his own at times and just being very disciplined with his schedule.”
Leadership
“He’s going to be a captain for us this year with Pat (Sagna) and Elijah (Avery-Turner). He’s not an introvert, but he’s a very humble kid and just getting him louder and speaking up and putting guys in their place, and he has been. I think with him being on the Magic and running point for them, that helped a lot this summer in his development. Just being a vocal guy, being a leader, being a true point guard. He’s like those Chris Pauls, he’s really a guy that sets up the table for others and can run an offense. He’s an extended version of me, which is great. He’s like a coach on the floor. It shows a lot about his maturity.”
Bigger than his height
“Defensively, he’s got a good chest. He bodies guys, but he’s also good at boxing out. He knows how to use his body to seal guys and to hold his box out, especially against bigger guards. He has to be creative on those second-chance opportunities. He’s a blue-collar kid, so diving for loose balls, bringing 94 feet of energy on defense, he’ll do that. He’s a guy we expect to create a lot of steals and deflections for us, so having a pesky 5-9, 5-10 guard, level with the ball, he’s going to make a lot of plays in transition for us. He just knows how to use his body and size to his advantage, especially if bigs are coming down on rebounds, he knows how to poke or strip down low and he’s really smart on when to gamble on those plays.”
Mid-major potential
“What’s great about Keyshon is that not only does he get it done on the basketball court, he gets it done in the classroom and the community. He’s a kid I don’t have to worry about with his grades. He had a 4.0 last year and he’s a high-academic kid. I could definitely see him in those high-academic schools, like those Patriot League schools, but he’s a Division 1 guard, no question. And with the college transfer portal world, he might go low-major but I think he’s a mid-major point guard right now. I think he can fit in the A-10. I just feel like he’s overlooked because of his size. But the guy is a technician with both of his hands, he’s a creator, high IQ, loves the game, true competitor. One thing we’ve been working on with him a lot is his range. He can shoot. If guys go under (the screen), he can knock down the 3. I think his strength that not a lot of guards have, he has a floater package with his right and left hand, and he has great pivot, great footworks. You see him with up and unders, those reverse pivots, we call them the Kobe footwork. He has all that. He’s a gym rat. He’s a student of the game, loves the game and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him end his career in the A-10. That’s where I think he can be. … He takes great shots, he’s so creative around the rim. He can create on his own, create separation, he’s a true point guard. He’s a special kid.”
