War For The North: Guard Standouts

Breaking down seven of the top guards I saw over the weekend at Prep Hoops Next’s War For The North!

Lamont Hamilton (2026 PG, Wisconsin Elite National)- Lamont is a talented prospect coming out of Racine, Wisconsin. I couldn’t find a height listed, but he has good positional size at this point, and was one of the most athletic players I saw all weekend with his explosiveness at the rim, speed in the open floor, and lateral quickness. He’s more than just his physical traits though, as he has a shifty handle to create separation with ease, as well as incredible body control in the air to finish in a variety of ways. Hamilton brings a maturity to the floor that is rare at the middle school level, and he forces so many turnovers with his speed and instincts defensively. While most of his scoring comes at the rim, he’s a capable shooter from outside as well. Really like his passing vision in the lane, and he also showed off his bounce with a two hand dunk in one game.

Cedric Tomes (5’9 2026 PG, Team Tyus Blue)- Tomes has such an advanced feel for the game, and it’s one of the reasons why Team Tyus Blue was able to take home the 14u title. He reads ball screens like a high school upperclassman, able to get his man on his hip and be in full control for the rest of the play. Tomes can pull up from three if his man goes under, he can deliver a pocket pass to his rolling big, or get his man on his hip and extend to finish at the rim if his defender goes over the screen. His range extends to well beyond the arc, and he has the ability to shoot off the catch or dribble.

Jayden Wright (5’6 2026 PG, Illinois Attack)- The quick and poised floor general helped lead his Illinois Attack team to the 14u championship game with his two-way play. I really liked his defensive ability as he’s able to pick up full court and make it difficult for opposing team’s to get into their offense. In the half-court he fights to get over screens, and has the quickness to stick to his man like glue. In transition he’s a good decision maker with the ball who knows when to pass and when to take it all the way to the rim to finish for himself.

Tian Chatman (2026 G, Team FSA)- I didn’t see a listed height for Tian, but if I had to guess I’d say he’s roughly 6’1-6’2. In eighth grade he has exceptional positional size, and he puts that to use defensively. He’s able to move his feet laterally with small guards, but with his long frame he’s able to block shots, tip passes, or force steals/jump balls with his timing to reach in when his man makes a mistake. In the first game I watched he didn’t look to shoot much, but in the next game he was a lot more assertive offensively. Tian was showcasing his change of direction with the ball and getting downhill to attack the rim. He’s a solid athlete at his size which allowed him to rise up over defenders and finish at a high rate, while also having a nice looking shot from beyond the arc. High potential prospect moving forward in Minnesota.

Da’Kori Parker (2027 G, Harbor Impact)- When Da’Kori had the ball in his hands, you never knew what was going to happen. He was such an exciting player to watch as he could handle the ball in ways that not many middle schoolers can. His lightning quick crossover allowed him to blow by any defender in his way, and he excelled at finishing through contact. Parker has good instincts jumping passes to get out in transition and also showed some range from beyond the arc.

Paul McNeil (2026 PG, Chapman Basketball Academy Gold Elite)- One of the quickest players of the weekend was Paul McNeil of Chapman Academy. He found success getting to the rim at will, and has the athleticism to hang in the air and contort his body to finish in a variety of ways. McNeil showed his hustle as well, on one play diving for a loose ball and then delivering an assist while still on the ground. Paul was also one of the best on-ball defenders I saw all weekend, as he’s an absolute pest who can stick to his man like glue.

Ayden Snyder (5’7 2026 PG, ItsNthn Elite)- Ayden was one of the better players I saw on Sunday, as his ability to score and facilitate helped his team’s offense tremendously. He plays with good pace with the ball in his hands, and is so dangerous when he gets into the lane. When on the attack he does a good job of keeping his eyes up to locate open teammates, but his floater is what makes him dangerous as a scorer. Ayden showed the ability to float the ball up with either hand, and finish at a high rate due to his ability to softly put the ball on the rim.