Incoming Freshman Guards to Watch
This is a list of young guards who probably won’t be making a ton of noise for their varsity squads, but don’t be surprised if a few of them crack the rotation and even carve out important roles for their…
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Continue ReadingThis is a list of young guards who probably won’t be making a ton of noise for their varsity squads, but don’t be surprised if a few of them crack the rotation and even carve out important roles for their teams. However, each of them has shown more than enough in the AAU seasons to make themselves names to know for the future. Here are some 2026 guards that you need to get to know now before the secret is out.
Karson Maze (2026) | 5’4 | CG | Mead | Hooptown Elite
Maze is a smaller player who knows how to use his size to his advantage. He has honed his skills as a ball handler and is super shifty with the ball. On defense, he’s a pest near the ball and uses a combo of quickness and craftiness to be effective on both ends of the court. He can get to the hoop and finish without being too bothered by bigger players, and he has smartly developed an outside shot that extends defenses and stretches the court for himself and others.
Ismail Guyo (2026) | 6’4 | CG | Nathan Hale | Seattle Select
Even when Guyo doesn’t have his best game it is still clear the amount of potential he has. He swallows up opposing guards on the defensive end, using his length both to stop drives and close off their vision of passing lanes. The combination of size and fluidity he possesses at his young age is not easy to find. Guyo has great skill on the ball, shows a good nose for getting to the rim, and already has a reliable shot from outside. He’s still raw but the young guard has immense promise going forward.
Jerome Toby (2026) | 5’7 | PG | Lummi Nation | FOH
The tiny guard was one of the more poised players I saw at Las Vegas Live. He is always in control and has an uncanny knack for keeping his dribble through pressure while also keeping vision of the court. Toby is a very high-level point guard for his age. His feel and understanding of how to orchestrate offensive movement and the ability to execute it is exactly what you look for in a point guard. Toby can knock down the outside shot at a good rate and has no trouble getting to the hoop. He is already a fairly polished player and will be a name to keep tabs on this season.
Luke Unruh (2026) | 6’1 | SG | Woodinville | FOH
Unhruh is one of the few players to have a truly dependable floater he can go to time and again. First, he has to get to the middle, which he does by acting fast off of the catch, changing direction and speed as soon as he gets the ball. This immediate attack often catches the defender flat-footed, a big reason why Unruh is so successful at getting inside. Once he’s in there he can go to his floater or find a kick-out pass. He didn’t seem to make many bad plays with Friends of Hoop, and was smart about where to attack and when.
Landen Northrop (2026) | 6’2 | SG | Richland | Hooptown Elite
I watched Northrop at his last event down in Vegas and as first impressions go, it was pretty dang good. He started out slow, showing off some skill with his size but not being super aggressive. Then somewhere near the end of the first half he went and hit a step-back three out of nowhere. It was a beautiful shot, a little surprising at the time, but it got my attention. After that, he drove towards the hoop and finished through some tough contact, and the switch was flipped. He came down and hit another step-back three in rhythm just a little later. Northrop really turned the aggression up as the game went on but was still a smart player, picking his spots and playing to his strengths.