Second Live Weekend: Steve’s Top Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the second week of the live period in Illinois I was blessed to make it to both sites again <strong>Ridgewood Live Event </strong>and <strong>Midwest Crossroads Showcase</strong> in Normal. In covering both events I've noticed that compared to last season the 2025 class is low on post players but heavy on guards. Here is a short list of guards who are right around the low-major D1 list to high level D2s.&nbsp; Here are some of the guard that caught my attention during the second live period.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2044507' first='Brent' last='Taylor'] Lincoln Way East 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Athletic scoring guard who can play above the rim in transition. Taylor likes to score in the lane but is also a good shooter from the perimeter. Has good length that translates to the defensive side of the ball. Plays a steady pace of basketball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1545145' first='Lyncoln' last='Koester'] Mt. Zion 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big combo guard who is a deep shot maker. Lincoln uses his size as an advantage to get to the basket. He draws attention and makes touch passes to his teammates. Crafty guard when driving&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1977254' first='Luke' last='Smith'] Addison Trail 6'1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luke is a very heady guard. He posted some big scoring numbers using his high basketball IQ. He's a willing passer who can shoot and finish well in traffic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1545133' first='Makai' last='Kvamme'] DePaul Prep 6'1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A guard who's considered the ultimate winner. He is an unselfish guard who can score when he sees fit. He has precision on his passes and is a three-level threat. Very competitive combo guard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2326966' first='Moses' last='Wilson'] Waubonsie Valley 6'4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long and lanky guard who is bouncy around the rim and is very active on defense. He uses great anticipation on defense which helps him collect blocks, steals, and rebounds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2105218' first='Payton' last='Edwards'] Bloom 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hardnosed guard who has good ball skills and can make tough shots look routine. He's a guard who you can rely on to get big stops as a defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1545120' first='Marcos' last='Gonzales'] Brother Rice 6'1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Very savvy guard who takes what defenses give him and makes plays off that. He's good around the paint as a shooter and passer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2105209' first='Reid' last='Olson'] Nile North 6'0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An electric guard on the court. Big shot maker and every bit of a coach's son. He knows the game because he's been around it his whole life. Quick twitched handle with unlimited shooting range.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1385286' first='Derek' last='Bishop'] Mundelein 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop plays at his own pace. He is a bulky combo guard who is more of a 1 than 2. He shoots the ball with consistency but is also dangerous getting downhill. He finishes at the rim multiple ways.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1433337' first='AJ' last='Demirov'] Crystal Lake South 6'0&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AJ is a scoring playmaker who is a tough cover for defenses to figure out. He's strong off the bounce getting into the lane where finishing with touch is an option or zipping a pass out for a three could also be just as effective. Demirov has a basketball IQ that can translate right away to the college level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1385307' first='Cameron' last='Thomas'] Mount Carmel 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring guard who already possesses the physical tools from first glance. He can fill it up from three and is solid from 15 feet. Thomas can catch a rhythm once he sees the ball go through the net once.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1766472' first='Donte' last='Montgomery'] Oak Lawn 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Donte is a wiry scoring guard who can also steal some possessions at the point. Smooth guard with the rock has deep range on his shot but is also elusive when attacking off the dribble. Montgomery is also a solid athlete who can finish at the basket with either hand.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->