EYBL 16s: Standout Guards

Devin Ugland April 29, 2025 @ 07:27 PM

<p>MESA, Ariz. — The 2025 Nike EYBL circuit kicked off last Friday night at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa with many of the country's top prospects and teams beginning their quest to qualify for Peach Jam in July. We were in the gym all weekend and below are the top guards we watched at the 16u level.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Avery Huston | 2027 | Drive Nation</h4>   <p>Huston might be the third go-to guy behind highly-rated 2027 teammates Ryan Hampton and Marcus Spears, Jr., but the 6-foot-4 combo guard is as important as anyone on the Drive Nation 16s squad. Huston is as skilled as they come with the ability to knock down catch-and-shoot three's and attack closeouts and get to the rim. Huston often surprised shot blockers with his pop of athleticism off the floor and finished drives above the rim and through contact.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Delton Prescott III | 2027 | Arizona Unity</h4>   <p>Prescott is one of the best tempo-pushing point guards out west and the open court style of play of club basketball enhances his ability to create for teammates in transition. The 5-foot-9 sophomore is lightning quick with the ball in his hands, gets paint touches almost every time down the floor and is a willing passer and set-up guy for his teammates. Though Prescott plays the game at breakneck speed, he is always under control and makes the high IQ play.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jamal McKnight, Jr. | 2027 | Team Durant</h4>   <p>McKnight gave me some throwback point guard vibes with his aggressive downhill mindset and ability to use his strength and speed to blow by defenders and get into the lane where he scored through contact or found an open teammate. The physical sophomore brings a toughness to both ends of the floor that you don't often see from young prospects. McKnight has natural feel for the position when it comes to controlling pace and tempo of a game.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1680985' first='Josiah' last='Jones'] | 2027 | JL3</h4>   <p>Jones is a savvy scorer who uses his smooth ball handling, body control and changes of speed and direction to get to his scoring spots. Jones flashed a balanced and fluid pull-up jumper with great elevation and the ability to create space from his defender on side-steps and step-back moves. Jones also thrives in isolation settings where he uses his ball-handling and shiftiness to get defenders off-balance which allows him to get into the paint for crafty finishes.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">King Gibson | 2027 | Team United | Pictured</h4>   <p>Gibson might be the best all-around guard we saw on the 16u level. The 6-foot-4 guard pops off the floor with his advanced shot creating and shot making abilities from all three levels of the floor. Gibson is as shifty as they come off the bounce and difficult to contain in transition and half-court settings. He uses his slithery attacking to get to the rim and score with savvy but he can also pull-up for off-bounce mid range and three-point shots. The more you watch Gibson the more you see his high level instincts as a playmaker.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Navorro Bowman | 2027 | Team Why Not</h4>   <p>Bowman is a bit of a sleeper on the national level but that statement will not be true for long. The 6-foot-2 guard isn't a guy who will wow you with fancy ball-handling or poster-type finishes but Bowman is a high IQ decision-maker whose approach to the game is simple but effective. Bowman is a strong-framed finisher who stays on balance through contact and scores at the rim and can knock down open catch and shoot threes.</p>

MESA, Ariz. — The 2025 Nike EYBL circuit kicked off last Friday night at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa with many of the country's top prospects and teams beginning their quest to qualify for Peach Jam in July. We were in the gym all weekend and below are the top guards we watched at the 16u level.