PHI Spring Exposure Camp: Top 2025 Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look back at the best 2025 guards from the <strong>Prep Hoops Illinois Spring Exposure Camp</strong> this past weekend in I saw in Aurora.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marcus Bowder - Hammond Central (IN) 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bowder is a bigger guard who displayed excellent vision on fastbreaks. He found players cutting to the basket and spotting up in the corner. Marcus has a good feel and plays at a steady pace. As a scorer he does a good job at finishing layups whenever he touches the paint. Bowder's shot didn't fall as much as I would have liked to see it. His major draw is his size and knowledge of how to play in the flow of a game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Davee Edwards - Bolingbrook 6'0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edwards is a guard who excelled in fastbreak opportunities. He gets the ball out of his hands quickly by advancing the ball ahead. He's a smart guard who continuously moves when off the ball which often ends up with him slashing to the rim for a layup. Davee is dangerous with his length because before you know it he can swipe the ball and he's on the other end finishing a layup. He's next in line of a long list of successful guards from the Brook.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1598738' first='Kaiden' last='Taylor'] - Bishop McNamara 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was impressed at how well Taylor competed on both ends of the court. He was very active crashing the offensive boards which is what initially caught my attention. As I watched he made several shots from all three levels. A hard-working player who didn't shy away from the competition. Kaiden shocked me most when he held his own in the post with much bigger players while playing defense. He didn't give them much ground and often forced them into difficult shots. Taylor will be a player who plays at a small school after next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1766505' first='Aiden' last='Derose'] – Homewood Flossmoor 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aiden has the length and agility to compete with anyone. He's a slender guard with good timing on defense. He had several steals that turned into transition points. In the half-court, he did a good job at turning the corner on guys and getting in the lane for layups. Derose is an average shooter who has the right mechanics to improve. He made some athletic plays at the rim as well. Should be a rotation guy next season at HF!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Terry Ricks - Westinghouse 5'10&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smaller impact guard who can score from all three levels with consistency. Ricks played on a stacked guard squad that moved the ball well and often he was rewarded with open shots. Terry didn't miss most shots. He shot the ball sometimes well off from the three-point line. As a defender he gets into the ball handler causing them to speed up and make quick decisions. Ricks is a player to monitor next season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1874723' first='Dylan' last='Jackson']- Little Village HS 5'11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson is a tough defensive guard who turns guys and creates havoc with his full-court pressure. Dylan is a strong finisher in the lane often over bigger defenders. Can become a solid contributor as his shot improves.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mathew Martinez - Von Stueben 6'2&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martinez is a control-the-pace type of guard. He can play on or off the ball. He was very good at making shots when off the ball. He has the ball skills to play in pick-and-roll situations as he can pass the ball well in tight spots. Mathew's foot speed can improve to make himself a better on-ball defender and he will get some attention from small colleges in the area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->