2023 Rankings Update: New Guards (Pt. 3)

Devin Ugland February 28, 2023 @ 02:30 PM

<p>There's no better time to revamp a class ranking after a full season worth of viewing teams and players and that's exactly what we did with the class of 2023. There were many prospects who played their way into the latest rankings and in this piece we take a closer look at the guards who cracked the SoCal Top 175.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1819829' first='Carson' last='Brown'], Tesoro</h4>   <p>Brown had been flying under the radar a bit playing deep down in Orange County but his impressive scoring outputs and leading Tesoro to the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA championship has firmly planted him in our top 70. Brown is a deep shooting threat both off the bounce and off the catch and has poured in numerous 30-plus point efforts in both the regular season and postseason in helping the Titans to 29 wins on the season so far.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1817843' first='Dylan' last='Black'], Mira Costa</h4>   <p>Black is a steady, do-it-all type of combo guard whose playmaking and shot-making abilities have paced the Mustangs' program to one of its best seasons in recent memory. Black can play both on or off the ball with his ball skills, driving and dishing and perimeter shooting touch. Mira Costa, behind Black and other players, have put 27 wins on the board this season.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1823246' first='Gavin' last='Murphy'], Calabasas</h4>   <p>Murphy is one of the more prolific three-point shooters in all of Southern California. The 6-foot-1 senior is averaging better than 24 points per game this season and was named a First Team All-Marmonte League selection. Murphy has deep and consistent range from three and showed that he can hit off the catch and off the bounce from multiple spots behind the arc.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1815299' first='Trent' last='Turner'], Loyola</h4>   <p>Turner's impact for Loyola came mostly as a high IQ setup guy for teammates. The 6-foot guard had dynamic open court speed and great vision on the break which allowed him to find teammates for open shots. Turner, who doubles as a lacrosse player, had the strength to take contact on drives, stay on balance, and make plays for himself or teammates.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1815302' first='Delyle' last='Williams'], St. John Bosco</h4>   <p>Williams isn't the premier guy on the Braves' CIF Southern Section Open Division runner up squad but his contributions were invaluable for Bosco. The 6-foot-1 combo guard showed that he has elite perimeter defensive instincts and fundamentals and is a guy the Braves count on to play a big role on the defensive end. Offensively, Williams was effective because he doesn't need the ball to impact the game on that end. Williams is a great mover without the ball and his cuts often led to easy layups.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1815313' first='Joby' last='Barnes'], Walnut</h4>   <p>Barnes was one piece of one of the best guard tandem's in SoCal this season. Alongside teammate [player_tooltip player_id='994941' first='Malik' last='Khouzam'], Barnes averaged 15.6 points per game this season for a Walnut team that went 28-3. Barnes was an interchangeable piece for the Mustangs as he showed he could be a playmaker for himself or teammates. Barnes' speed and athleticism allowed him to be a drive and kick or finisher at the rim but his perimeter shooting consistency helped him play off the ball as well.</p>

There's no better time to revamp a class ranking after a full season worth of viewing teams and players and that's exactly what we did with the class of 2023. There were many prospects who played their way into the latest rankings and in this piece we take a closer look at the guards who cracked the SoCal Top 175.