2021 Rankings Update: Underappreciated Guards

<p>Our Prep Hoops So-Cal staff came together last week to update our class of 2021 rankings for the region. This piece takes a closer look at some guards who might fly under-the-radar and not get enough credit for what they did for their respective high school programs this past season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747088" first="Godfrey" last="Little"]</strong>, Eastvale Roosevelt - Little is a big time shot maker off the bounce. His first step allows him to get by defenders closing out and he has the ability to pull-up and hit a one or two dribble pull-up or step back and drill a rhythm three-pointer. Little always seems to come through with clutch shots with the game on the line and that’s because of the confidence he has in himself.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="680242" first="Melo" last="Sanchez"]</strong>, Chula Vista Mater Dei - Sanchez has an old-school feel to his game that not everyone appreciates in the current state of hoops. He’s not an explosive athlete, super quick in the open floor or flashy in his approach, but the 6-foot-4 combo guard has an impressive all-around skill-set. Sanchez can initiate offense with his ball skills, vision and IQ, but can also play off the ball as he can score in the mid-post and find cutters out of that same position.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747093" first="Langston" last="Redfield"]</strong>, Capistrano Valley - Redfield falls under the same category as Sanchez in that he’s not a freakish athlete, but his basketball IQ and ability to see the floor make up for it. The 6-foot-4 Orange County-based point guard is the very definition of pass-first and unselfish, which sometimes comes as a detriment to his offensive output. Redfield can control the pace of the game not only as a primary ball-handler, but also because of his ability to rebound the defensive glass at a high rate for his position.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747103" first="Hayden" last="Gray"]</strong>, Santa Fe Christian - In the games I’ve seen Gray, he’s has that true feel for the game that you look for in a guy to run a team. The 6-foot-2 point guard rarely gets sped up when pressured, handles on-ball pressure with poise and uses change of speed to get into the paint and find shooters for open looks. Gray has crafty finishing ability around the basket when he chooses to score, but he’s more apt to create for others.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951263" first="Jake" last="Blazona"]</strong>, Santa Margarita - Blazona is a true floor general. He commands the ball throughout the course of a game, rarely turns it over, runs offense to a "T," and his teammates and coaching staff have the utmost trust that he will might the right basketball play no matter the time or situation. The 6-footer rarely looks to score, unless its a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off of good ball movement, but his impact on the game goes well-beyond the scoring column.</p>