2023 Rankings: Top PG’s Outside the Top 20

<p>Today in our rankings coverage we will be taking a look at the point guards who are outside of the top overall rankings in the class. The 2023 class is one of the deeper classes in some time with a big pool of very similar and impactful players. Let’s look at some of the point guards in this middle portion of the rankings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#37 [player_tooltip player_id="1146272" first="Brian" last="Hawthorne"], 6’2, St James, Drive 5: A true floor general with tremendous size for the point guard position. Great combination of court vision, length, and anticipation on the basketball floor leads to Hawthorne really controlling tempo, getting guys great shots, and create for himself. Has a tremendous motor and his teammates at both the high school and grassroots level feed off of it. Hawthorne can step up and knock down big shots, efficient off two feet on attacks, and handles the ball really well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#38 [player_tooltip player_id="1080195" first="Makaen" last="Hastings"], 5’10, Solomon, PGU: A really solid playmaker off the dribble, Hastings found ways to score in the paint or dish to teammates for good opportunities this high school season after not shooting it as well as normal during the junior campaign. The consistency from 3 has come back during this spring season which adds another element to his downhill game and creation off the bounce. Crafty finisher around the rim after getting the primary defender on his hip.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#41 [player_tooltip player_id="1080177" first="Malik" last="O’Atis"], 5’11, Shawnee Mission NW: A big time on ball defender and hard nosed point guard. Will have a much greater role this high school season with more of the keys in his hand to run the show. Oatis has the tools on offense to really rise up this list in the future with a quick burst with the ball, toughness in the paint, and drive and kick game. Oatis is a super athletic point guard who uses that athletic advantage to wreak havoc from the point guard spot.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#47 [player_tooltip player_id="1146283" first="Landon" last="Kaufman"], 5’11, Moundridge, PGU (PICTURED): A point guard that plays with great pace, control, and purpose on the floor when handling the basketball. Is a terrific passer especially when sucking up secondary defenders as Kaufman knows where to find his teammates on cuts and kick outs. Kaufman has a nice in and out move and crossover to create space and get defenders off balance. A solid jump shooter and is comfortable shooting over contests as well as operating in traffic with the ball.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#53 [player_tooltip player_id="1200613" first="Parker" last="Leeds"], 6’1, Emporia, SSA Elite Black: A continuously improving point guard who got a lot of run and usage this high school season as the lead guard for a growing Emporia progam. Leeds is super quick in transition, can weave through traffic, and finish on both sides of the rim, as Leeds has some terrific tough finishes in his repertoire. Can get going from three and has a good looking shot from the perimeter. Has the tools and has shown he can be a prime on ball defender and guard rebounder.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#59 [player_tooltip player_id="1080200" first="Sincere" last="Austin"], 5’11, Topeka West: A rising guard with a ton of upside and ability. Has had some really high moments in his high school career so far and with some long term consistency is a stock rising candidate. Good athleticism with quick twitch handle to get downhill, is a strong athletic finisher, and gets to his spots where he is comfortable scoring off the dribble. Will have a huge role next high school season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>#61 [player_tooltip player_id="1080203" first="Ryle" last="Riddlesperger"], 6’1, Hugoton, WKE: Helped lead Hugoton to a very successful season and post season run, Riddlesperger has backed it with a solid late spring session run with WKE. Continues to expand his offensive game to incorporate more playmaking and shot creation off the dribble to accommodate his big time 3 pt shot making. He has made some really solid passes in transition and created more for others this grassroots run so far and continues to shoot it well. </p>