Summer Recap: SoCal Stock-Rising Guards in ’25

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the summer club and high school seasons coming to a close, we wanted to take a look back at which class of 2025 guards raised their stock over the last few months. We were in countless gyms across the west coast watching games and prospects and the list of names below are the prospects we saw who upped their resumes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1903788' first='Collin' last='Haugh'] | Dana Hills</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many will classify Haugh's game as a bit gimmicky - especially with his high school team - as he has an unlimited green light to take shots whenever and wherever he wants. While the critics do have a point, it doesn't take away from the talent and shot-making ability that the 5-foot-11 guard possesses. Haugh has unlimited range off the catch and off the bounce, is creative when creating space from defenders an has one of the quickest releases among shooters in SoCal. Haugh showed that he has a chance to be a viable NAIA or Division III scoring guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1896226' first='Chris' last='Carrillo'] | La Jolla Country Day</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carrillo had a successful summer as the point guard of Gamepoint's 3SSB team and will receive a bump in our next rankings update. The 5-foot-11 rising senior epitomizes the "game-managing" brand of point guard as he controls pace and tempo well and brings a pass-first mentality to the floor. Carrillo's court vision in transition and willingness to advance the ball up the floor show his basketball IQ and unselfishness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2404086' first='Donald' last='Thompson'] | Washington Prep</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson has proved to be one of the quickest players with the ball that we saw all summer. The 6-foot-2 combo guard has blow-by speed in open court and half-court settings but it's his elite change of speed and direction that really pop for him as a prospect. Thompson uses his burst and ball handling to get defenders off-balance and create space for him to get off a step-back jumper from the three-point or mid-range levels of the floor. Another aspect of Thompson's game that stood out was his defensive intensity and effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1896210' first='Isaiah' last='Johnson'] | Campbell Hall</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been singing Johnson's praises for the last two years as he's continued to grow as a player. The 5-foot-10 point guard opened eyes at Section 7 in Arizona as he was one of the event's leading scorers and he helped BTI's PRO 16 team to a circuit championship alongside some other top-ranked players on the west coast. Johnson is a crafty and high IQ playmaker/scorer who impacts winning and a handful of Division I programs recognized that and extended scholarship offers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630705' first='Malachi' last='Knight'] | Leuzinger</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Something I noticed that was a positive change in Knight's game was his improved feel as a playmaker and improved shot selection. Knight has always been a high volume scoring guard who has the ability to score in bunches, but I always thought that some tunnel vision got in the way of him expanding his passing ability. Knight definitely simplified and slowed down his offensive game and it boosted his ability to find teammates for open shots. This change didn't result in him being less of a scoring threat but rather a more efficient one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630641' first='Tariq' last='Bridges'] | St. Pius X-St. Matthias</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bridges has always been one of the best spot shooters in SoCal's 2025 class but, when watching him at Section 7, it was clear that he has put in the work on other parts of his game to become a more balanced offensive player. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has an effective shot fake that he uses to get into a balanced and consistent mid-range jumper. Bridges has also tightened his ball handling, which has allowed him to better handle pressure and create for himself and teammates off the bounce.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->