West Mania: Standout 16u Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — The MADE Hoops and EHA Circuit collaboration put together another strong event in the Southern California area this weekend. The event featured a collection of show company teams from the EYBL, 3SSB and Puma circuits in addition to many of the top independent teams out west. Below we break down the best guards we saw at the 16u level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2384270' first='Aiden' last='Sanchez'] | 2027 | Beauchamp Elite (WA)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanchez is a savvy scoring guard who is at his best when knocking down perimeter jumpers from the three-point and mid-range levels of the floor. The 5-foot-11 sophomore quickly gets to his spots off the bounce and smoothly transitions into his pull-up jumper.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436268' first='Gary' last='Ferguson'] | 2027 | Oakland Soldiers</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ferguson has dynamic playmaking ability in transition and half-court offensive settings as his combination of vision, feel for the position and crafty scoring ability at the rim makes him a tough cover for defenders. The 6-foot-3 sophomore is always looking to push the tempo in transition for a paint touch where he can score at the rim or find a teammate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2375385' first='Jalen' last='Davis'] | 2027 | Beauchamp Elite (WA)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis was one of the best prospects we saw on the 16u level over the weekend and it had a lot to do with his feel for the game as a true point guard. The Bremerton (WA) sophomore took turns creating for teammates with high IQ and pinpoint placement on his passes and did a great job of controlling pace and tempo without getting sped up. Davis also showed his scoring punch at all three levels of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jay Virgil | 2027 | Jalen Green Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Virgil is a strong-framed point guard whose ability to get downhill in transition and absorb and finish through contact stood out as his best offensive trait. In the half-court setting, the 6-foot-1 sophomore used his physicality to play through defensive bumps and get into the lane where he scored or dished to an open teammate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">LJ Diamond | 2027 | Dream Vision</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Diamond is one of Arizona's top prospects in the 2027 class and it was easy to see why. The 6-foot-2 sophomore flashed dynamic playmaking ability in transition where he used his athletic gifts of speed and vertical athleticism to blow past defenders at-will and get to the rim where he elevated and nullified rim protectors. Diamond had a number of impressive dunks and body-contorting athletic finishes at the cup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2212733' first='Siincere' last='Hudson'] | 2027 | Dream Vision</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudson is a hard-nosed and physical point guard who is best when putting his head down and bullying his way to the paint for high percentage finishes. One of the most intriguing parts of Hudson's game is on-ball defensive presence. The 6-foot-2 sophomore sits in a stance, moves well laterally when containing ball handlers and uses his physicality to keep opponents off balance and out of the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2215149' first='Trevor' last='Dickson'] | 2027 | Oakland Soldiers</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dickson was one of the better pure shooters we saw among 16u prospects over the weekend. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard out of central California power Modesto Christian has elite consistency in catch and shoot situations and his ability to get his shot off in a hurry without compromising his mechanics is the sign of a high level perimeter shot maker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->