2025 WPIAL Guards Set To Rise

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Spring AAU season is always the prime opportunity for young players to make their mark and gain regional or even national attention from scouts, reporters and college coaches. Today we look at a handful of Pittsburgh area 2025 guards who could make serious noise for themselves in this AAU season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188639' first='Rowan' last='Carmichael']</strong> | G| Avonworth 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A heady guard who can score the basketball, Carmichael can hit shots from spots all over the floor. He's a tough player who handles the ball well and can facilitate a halfcourt set. He had another big high school season individually. The son of a college head coach, he's got a wealth of knowledge at his disposal every night at home and it translates onto the floor. The 2025 WPIAL crop has some top tier prospects in the backcourt, but Carmichael should be in the mix among the top guards in the region for his class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1403792' first='Courtney' last='Wallace']</strong> | G | Neighborhood Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's a multi-year starter who has been a key piece of the puzzle as TNA has come on as a potential program to watch in the Steel City hoops scene. A talented multi-level scorer. Wallace is a good ballhandle who can move the rock in a halfcourt set and has a very high basketball IQ. Gets to the rim with a nice first step off the bounce and finishes through traffic with either hand. A prospect to watch and has scholarship interest. Comes from a basketball family. His dad played at Perry and at a stellar career at Duquesne.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1189638' first='Michael' last='Santicola']</strong> | G | Moon Twp</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 D1 prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1187981' first='Elijah' last='Guillory']</strong> backcourt mate, Santicola has a big upside as a prospect himself and was very impressive when we saw him during the season vs a top regional squad in Pittsburgh Central Catholic. He's a long and lean 6'5" guard who's a very good shooter and can knock shots down from beyond the arc. He has a high ceiling and should rise up the Prep rankings over the next few months of AAU basketball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notorious Grooms</strong> | G | Uniontown Area</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high octane guard who is at his best with the rock in his hands getting out on the fast break, he can get to the rim and finish through contact and also can hit shots from out on the wing. Has an expanding offensive game but can also move the ball and get teammates involved in the half court. Uniontown is on the rise and he's one of the leaders. He'll be one of the top players in the area next season, especially with Laurel Highlands graduating a host of key pieces. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188605' first='Shamar' last='Simpson']</strong> | G | Neighborhood Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simpson is a combo guard with a well rounded skillset as a top player in Class A. He's got solid ballhandling skills and can score from a variety of spots. A physical player who can be trusted with the ball in his hands at crunch time to make a big shot or find an open teammate. He and Wallace are the leaders of TNA as they try to push and challenge defending state champ Imani Christian next winter. With two seasons to go, he could grow into a potential scholarship level prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->