Summer Recap: SoCal Stock-Rising Guards in ’26

<!-- 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 2026 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='2131783' first='Antwain' last='Johnson'] | Anaheim Canyon</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson landed at Anaheim Canyon as a transfer and this summer it looked like there couldn't be a better fit for him. Stylistically, the 6-foot-3 lefty likes to play in open space and a free-flowing type system which is what Canyon does best for its guards. Johnson is a savvy creator off the dribble who has improved his mid-range and three-point shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956509' first='DeLan' last='Grant'] | St. Francis</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant has always been an intriguing prospect because his combination of size, strength and shooting ability isn't seen much at the high school level. The 6-foot-3 rising junior has a Desmond Bane-like build and is a consistent catch-and-shoot threat from three-point range. One thing that I have wanted to see from Grant is improving his off-dribble creation and scoring ability, which I think he did this spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956545' first='Jalen' last='Williams'] | San Marcos</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is one of the best pure shooters in SoCal and has been for awhile but this spring and summer he flashed plenty of off-dribble playmaking and shot-making that moved him from the shooting guard category into the combo guard realm. The 6-foot-2 rising junior had some big scoring outbursts for Players Play on the New Balance circuit which earned him a handful of Division II offers and interest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2137372' first='Josiah' last='Johnson'] | Orangewood Academy</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson will likely go down as a top five stock-riser of the summer regardless of class and/or position. The 6-foot-3 combo guard burst onto the scene with Los Angeles Elite and established himself as a dynamic transition playmaker with elite burst, speed and athleticism in the open court. One of Johnson's most effective offensive attributes is his ability to knock down the stop and pop mid-range jumper with quick elevation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956507' first='Luke' last='Barnett'] | Mater Dei</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barnett is one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the state but he doesn't always get credit for the other basketball things he does at a high level. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is a sneaky vertical athlete who gets downhill when attacking closeouts and can finish over or through contact. The trait that stands out most about Barnett is his competitiveness. The rising junior gives maximum effort on both ends and brings a fearlessness approach to the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->