The evolution of a point guard is evident based on the time the player puts into work on their skills. For Tobias Howard, the time in the gym has helped him develop into a solid floor general.

This summer the North Gwinnett junior has emerged as one of the top point guards in the Classs of 2015. Howard showed leadership, the ability to run a team and skills to play on or off the ball. He is coming into his own and a lot of that comes from just time spent on improving his skills.

“They call me a gym rat,” Howard said. “I am always in the gym working on my game trying to get better.”

His commitment to improve has attracted interest from Appalachian State, Radford, Kennesaw State and UAB. All have had the opportunity to watch Howard during the summer as a member of Stackhouse Elite.

He showed them things that catch a college coaches eye and keeps them intrigued. One thing they may have noticed is Howard’s ability to shoot the ball. He has a solid mid-range but has depth in his shot as well. He worked the pick-and-roll well and handled pressure with ease.

During The Preview, Howard ran his team efficiently. His development and understanding of the game looked like that of a veteran who has been putting in some work. Howard has done so since he was a youngster.

Back in the day, his offensive style was like many players in middle school, get the ball and find a lane to the basket. He and his dad, Tobias Sr., went to the gym and worked on his game. His father told him the jumper needed to improve.

“When I was younger I just relied on my dribble to get to the basket,” the younger Howard said.

They spend countless hours in the gym working on his game. This summer he also went to the NBA Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, VA. Any time Howard either watches against a player or attends a camp, he is looking to add to his game.

Howard took notice of fellow Georgia native Jaylen Brown while at the Top 100. The junior forward is the No. 1 player in the state. Brown had a strong summer and Howard saw exactly why. His fellow classmate is a relentless competitor. A nugget he intends on adding to his game.

“I took that from his game and need to add that to mine,” Howard said. “He doesn’t really take any plays off. He just goes hard all the time. He doesn’t worry about nothing. He plays like he’s in open gym.”

The development of a point guard has many stages and Howard is taking the steps to be one of the best.