2024 Watch List: Top Guards (Part 2)

<p>We take a look at breaking down our 2024 watch list by taking a look at part two of just some of the top guards in the class, looking at point and combo guards.</p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1259544" first="Damon" last="Thompson"] | 6’0” | John Marshall</span></strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Thompson-Damon-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1084865" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Thompson-Damon-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Thompson stepped up big as a freshman with the Blue Magic club team last year when Richmond commit [player_tooltip player_id="798691" first="Jason" last="Nelson"] went down, and he’ll have the ball in his hands this year for John Marshall. The 6’0” guard is naturally gifted and still a hard worker, and he flat out knows how to score the basketball and run a team at the same time. He can create space off the bounce and knock down tough shots from multiple levels, he gets hot quickly and can score it in bunches and he plays with a poise well beyond his years.</span></p> <p class="p3"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1259671" first="Jahleel" last="Jackson"] | 6’1” | Potomac School</span></strong></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">A tough minded and high motor guard on both ends, Jackson is a smooth lefty that is a dual threat to score it and make others better on the regular. He’s a tone setter who brings it on both ends of the floor, he has a quick first step and good wiggle off the bounce and he can knock it down consistently from deep. He’s part of a talented up and coming group at Potomac School and had a great summer, feeling like he could be a breakout guard in the DMV this year.</span></p> <p class="p3"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1259624" first="Chance" last="Mallory"] | 5’5” | STAB</span></strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Chance-Mallory.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1172184" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Chance-Mallory-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Mallory has been playing significant minutes for STAB since he was in eighth grade, and while he isn’t the biggest guy he will go toe-to-toe with anyone on the floor. He’s highly skilled as he can play on or off the basketball, he has deep and effortless range from deep and he’s savvy and tough on both ends of the floor. He continuously makes the right play and is always in the place to make a play and he never backs down from a challenge.</span></p> <p class="p3"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1259672" first="EJ" last="Joyner"] | 5’8” | Menchville</span></strong></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Joyner, who’s the son of Hampton U coach Buck Joyner, is another talented young guard to put in the Menchville lineup that has some of the best 2023 talent in the state. The 5’’8” guard is quick and shifty off the bounce, he has good quickness laterally and end-to-end and he’s dynamic as he can make cuts and create space easily. He has a great feel as both a scorer and a set up man and his toughness is infectious to his team whenever he’s on the floor.</span></p> <p class="p3"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1260004" first="Ty" last="Campbell"] | 5’11” | George Wythe (Whytheville)</span></strong></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Campbell isn’t the biggest guy but when I saw him with VA Havoc Roanoke this summer he impressed with his toughness, skillset and killer mentality. He’s highly skilled off the bounce as he has a good handle and changes speeds well, he can make tough shots from multiple levels and can create for both himself and others with ease. He’s a tone setter on both ends and simply has a knack for scoring the ball in a number of different ways.</span></p>