Guard Prospects Who Had Big Performances on Championship Sunday

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The end of Presidents' Day weekend means that the state tournament is right around the corner. County and Conference tournaments ended on Sunday, where there were strong performances over the course of the day, especially in the backcourt. Here are the guard prospects who had big performances on Championship Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153959' first='Dylan' last='Harper'], 6'6 SG Don Bosco Prep 2024</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harper had a game-high 24 points in the Bergen County Jamboree final to lead the Ironmen to their second straight county title. The Rutgers commit attacked the basket strong as he was unafraid of drawing contact and finished nicely around the basket. Harper used his size to see over his defender and rose up with confidence on his jumper. He used his length to get deflections on the defensive end and made good decisions with the ball in his hands. Harper is looking to finish his high school career with a state title and should do so with his ability to score at all levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1580578' first='Jayden' last='Hodge'], 6'5 SG St. Rose 2026</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hodge was dominant for the Purple Roses in the Shore Conference Tournament final as he had 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 6'5 guard was aggressive form the beginning as he was hunting his shots early and drew contact around the rim. Hodge shot the ball with confidence on the perimeter and was able to find holes in the zone. He ripped down rebounds on both ends of the floor and was able to get steals to generate the fast break. Hodge is a talented guard prospect who should have a big state tournament for St. Rose.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411630' first='AJ' last='Altobelli'], 5'11 PG Union Catholic 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Altobelli had eight points and nine assists as he helped the Vikings to their first Union County Tournament title. The 5'11 guard found his open teammates in the halfcourt and made good decisions with the ball in his hands. Altobelli used his handle to get into the paint and finished nicely around the basket. He got deflections on the defensive end as he finished off the game with three steals. Altobelli's ability to run the offense is something that will help Union Catholic over the course of the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595673' first='Jalen' last='Grant'], 6'0 PG Roselle Catholic 2026</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant led the Lions with 18 points in the title game as he was able to score inside and out. The 6'0 guard used his tight handle to beat his defender off the bounce and finished nicely around the basket. Grant also knocked down a pair of triples as he shot the ball with confidence on the perimeter. He showed the ability to play off the ball as well and moved his feet well on the defensive end. Grant has four 20-point games on the season and should raise that number in the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1389143' first='Griffin' last='Linstra'], 6'4 CG Manasquan 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Linstra led the Warriors with 12 points and 10 rebounds as he was able to impact the game at both ends of the floor. The 6'4 guard attacked the basket strong as he was able to get into the paint off the bounce and finish around the basket. Linstra was able to draw contact in the paint and ran the offense during points of the game. He fought for rebounds on both ends of the floor and played tough on-ball defense. Linstra is a gritty guard prospect who should continue to make plays at both ends of the floor during the state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other Prospects to Watch:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153277' first='Peyton' last='Seals'], 6'4 SG Ramapo 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1407063' first='Elijah' last='Peters'], 6'4 SG Union Catholic 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2202020' first='Avery' last='Lynch'], 6'3 SG St. Rose 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411408' first='Jordan' last='Ghee'], 6'3 SG Don Bosco Prep 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153996' first='Jaden' last='Kelly'], 6'4 SG Roselle Catholic 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->