Skills Summit: Top Guard Performances (Pt. 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>IRVINE — The 5th annual Hoops By Ugland Skills Summit took place Sunday at Beckman high school and featured more than 80 class players from the classes of 2025-2028 from throughout the state of California. Below we take a look at the top guard performers from the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2425687' first='Acen' last='Jimenez'] | 2026 | La Habra</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jimenez is out to show that he belongs in the conversation among the best point guards in Southern California and certainly helped that cause on Sunday. The 6-foot-1 junior is a savvy ball-handler and heady playmaker who got two feet in the lane any time he wanted. Jimenez consistently made the right plays - whether scoring or distributing - and you could tell his teammates enjoyed playing alongside him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2404084' first='Da'Vian' last='Brooks'] | 2025 | Knight</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooks is one of the more underrated point guards in the state and Big West and Big Sky programs should be making the trip out to Knight high school in Palmdale to check in with him. The 6-foot-3 senior has elite speed and quickness in open court and half-court settings and uses it to blow by defenders for paint touches and at-rim finishes. Brooks is also a deadly jump shooter from three-point and mid-range areas of the floor and can fill up the scoring column in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630668' first='Denis' last='Woods'] | 2025 | Bishop Montgomery</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woods was back for his second Skills Summit and we noticed a difference in his frame as he's become much stronger and much more physical over the last 12 months. The enhanced physicality allowed Woods to stay on balance through contact and get to the rim where he finished through contact. The senior also ran his team with efficiency and set teammates up in areas where they could be successful.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630621' first='Hudson' last='Mayes'] | 2025 | Redondo Union</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mayes was one of the more physically and athletically gifted prospects in this event and he used his those tools well on both ends of the floor. The senior, who holds multiple Division 1 offers, got to the rim at-will and finished with some highlight-reel dunks and through contact. Mayes is also a consistent mid-range jump shooter off of one and two dribbles and that part of his game was also dialed in Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956522' first='Jackson' last='Haggins'] | 2026 | Roosevelt</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because Haggins has been playing alongside three Division 1 caliber players with his high school it is sometimes difficult for him to show his full arsenal but the 6-foot-2 junior looked supremely confident at this event. Haggins is known as a catch and shoot guy with deep and consistent range but Sunday he was making things happen for himself and teammates off the dribble. The junior utilized two-foot jump stops and pivots to nullify shot blockers and get clean looks at the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->