2022 Rankings Update: Top 25 Positional Breakdown – Guards
In the introduction story to our updated class of 2022 rankings, we mentioned the balance we saw – from a positional standpoint – among the top prospects in this class. In this piece we take a closer look at that…
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Continue ReadingIn the introduction story to our updated class of 2022 rankings, we mentioned the balance we saw – from a positional standpoint – among the top prospects in this class. In this piece we take a closer look at that positional parity starting with the 12 guards in the Top 25. Below are the first six.
No. 3 Dylan Andrews Dylan Andrews 6'3" | PG AZ Compass Prep | 2022 State #23 Nation AZ , Windward – Andrews is one of the more polished all-around prospects on the west coast, let alone the SoCal Region. The 6-foot-3 point guard helped lead the Wildcats to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title with his ability to control pace, create for himself and teammates off the bounce and knock down open perimeter jump shots. Andrews is our top-rated guard because of how he impacts the game in a variety of ways.
Windward’s [player_tooltip player_id="954224" first="Dylan" last="Andrews"] comes in at No. 3 in our class of 2022 rankings update because of how he impacts the game in a variety of ways at the highest level.No. 7 Tajavis Miller, Servite – If there was such a thing as an underrated Top 10 prospect, it’s Miller. Not a whole lot of people see the 6-foot-3 point guard with his high school team and club program and those people are missing out on one of the toughest and best playmaking guards in SoCal. Miller uses his physicality and downhill speed to be a beast of a transition finisher and he’s showed progress with his three-point shooting, though he has to become a more consistent threat from the perimeter.
No. 11 Christian Watson Christian Watson 6'4" | PG Long Beach Poly | 2022 State CA-S , Long Beach Poly – Watson continued to expose layers of his game this season that made us hold him in high value. The lanky 6-foot-3 point guard keeps growing physically as well as within his skill-set as his ball skills and playmaking ability progressed drastically throughout his sophomore year. Watson still has some work to do with his perimeter shooting, but, even being ranked fairly high, he still has tons of upside.
No. 12 Devon Arlington Devon Arlington 6'3" | PG San Marcos | 2022 State CA-S , San Marcos – Arlington is one of the most fierce competitors you’ll find among SoCal prospects in any class. The 6-foot-3 point guard comes in as our top-ranked player in San Diego because of his ability to lead and will a team to victory. Arlington slices defenses up in transition and half-court settings where he uses his speed and strength to get to the rim and finish through and around contact. Arlington’s biggest area of improvement moving forward is with his perimeter jumper.
No. 15 Benny Gealer Benny Gealer 6'1" | PG Rolling Hills Prep | 2022 State CA-S , Rolling Hills Prep – Gealer is one of the more explosive and dynamic scorers in the class. The 6-foot-1 combo guard is a deadly three-point shooter who also has soft touch on his floater and finishes craftily around the basket. Gealer is wired to score, but can be used as a secondary ball handler when needed. The next step for Benny is to work on reading the defense when driving into the paint to better create for teammates.
No. 17 Barrington Hargress Barrington Hargress 6'0" | PG Ribet Academy | 2022 CA-S , Ribet Academy – Hargress is a physical, high motor point guard who thrives in the open floor setting. The 6-footer has broad shoulders and a low center of gravity, both of which allow him to absorb bumps and finish through contact in transition. Hargress is also a tough on-ball defender who moves well laterally and keeps his assignment in front. Hargress is another guard who needs to retool his three-point shot.