Will Barton Elite Camp: 2025 Guards

The annual Will Barton Elite Camp took place at the SEED School of Maryland yesterday and as usual, the field of prospects was loaded with talent from around the country. Throughout the week, I'll be spotlighting various positions and classes who stood out throughout the event and move on to the pool of talented 2025 guards.   [player_tooltip player_id='1370503' first='Tyler' last='Jackson']   This sort of event is perfect for a naturally skilled scorer such as Jackson. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is extremely difficult to contain due to his twitchy burst, ability to counter in the blink of an eye and the consistency with which he converts tough, contested shots. There were countless occasions where the defender thought they had Jackson stopped only for him to pull off an acrobatic layup or jumper to demoralize any effort on the defensive end.   Nigel James | LuHi   James is similar to Jackson in that he has infinite counters to his attack, but James is more of a slashing lead guard who scores it at a high level around the basket and not so much from the outside at this point in his development. Still, James wreaked havoc on the defense time and time again with paint touches and crafty finishes. He seemingly got to the bucket whenever he pleased, but also did so with intentions of making plays for others when he didn't have clean look. He'll be a name to watch in the NIBC this season and moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='1259624' first='Chance' last='Mallory'] | St. Anne's-Belfield   Mallory impressed from start to finish with his overall feel for the game. Whether it was in the drill portion, 3-on-3 or 5-on-5, his ability to make quick reads and smart decisions off the bounce was evident. In the game portion of camp, he was a tactician in ball screen scenarios. He made the big pay for not making an aggressive hedge by pulling up from deep, split the screen with regularity before making things happen in the paint or would drag the big towards the sideline and quickly locate the open man to expose the advantage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1494112' first='Troy' last='Henderson'] | John Marshall   Henderson was a new name for me, but didn't take long to have his impact felt with his shot-making ability. Capped off with winning the championship in the three-point contest, Henderson spent the afternoon getting shots up with high volume and good results. He did a nice job of sprinting to open windows as the defense rotated and although his footwork on the catch prior to the release takes a second, Henderson still got his shot off cleanly throughout the duration of camp. He'll be a name that I track this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1361710' first='Danny' last='Carbuccia'] | Archbishop Stepinac   Carbuccia provided a balanced approach as a point guard especially once the games took place. Like the other guards listed above, Carbuccia has good instincts when it comes to creating enough space to get his looks. Although he may not have the most explosive athleticism to this point, he can finish around the basket acrobatically with either hand. He also made sound primary reads off actions that led to buckets for others or was the catalyst for a play unfolding that resulted in two points for his team.   [player_tooltip player_id='1598809' first='Mason' last='Ellison'] | Loyola Blakefield   Ellison's fluidity is what always catches the eyes of coaches and scouts who aren't as familiar. He isn't necessarily a guy who thrives in isolations, but can be very effective off the catch and getting to his spots within 1-to-2 dribbles. His strides, balance and pace in the process all translate very well to the college game. He made timely cuts as other guards penetrated for scores at the rim or exposed wild closeouts by quickly flooring it off the catch before using the impressive elevation he gets on his jump shot in the mid-range.

The annual Will Barton Elite Camp took place at the SEED School of Maryland yesterday and as usual, the field of prospects was loaded with talent from around the country. Throughout the week, I'll be spotlighting various positions and classes who stood out throughout the event and move on to the pool of talented 2025 guards.