3SSB Session I: Nine Standout 17u Guards

<p>LADERA RANCH — The Open Gym Premier facility in Ladera Ranch, Calif. played host to the first 3SSB session of the club season. Adidas sponsored teams from the west coast and beyond came to Southern California for a four-game live period tune up. Below are the standout guards we watched on the 17u level.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Amir Jenkins | 2026 | BABC | Pictured</h4>   <p>Jenkins led BABC to a perfect 4-0 record on the weekend and took over down the stretch in a tight win over Compton Magic. The 6-foot-2 point guard is a quick and physical attacker of the basket whose ability to get paint touches forces defenses to collapse and he made the right plays out of those situations. Jenkins is best at slicing through lanes in transition for finishes at the rim but is also consistent with his pull-up jumper and uses his size and strength to dribble himself into post-ups and score in the paint.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cedric Tomes | 2026 | D1 Minnesota</h4>   <p>Tomes is a well-paced and high IQ point guard who balances scoring and distributing well. The 6-footer is a steady ball-handler and decision-maker, even when pressured, and is best when playing out of ball screens where he can step behind it and knock down a three or work his way into the lane where he plays off of two feet and creates for a teammate.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1703096' first='Elias' last='Obenyah'] | 2026 | Team Lillard</h4>   <p>Obenyah is as solid as they come on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-4 guard uses his length, broad shoulders and strength to guard multiple positions defensively and clean up the defensive glass from the guard spot. Offensively, Obenyah is more efficient than flashy. He can initiate offense as a playmaker or take over a game with his ability to use his physical tools to get into the lane and score through contact. Obenyah also has a reliable mid-range jump shot.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956616' first='Jaden' last='Bailes'] | 2026 | Gamepoint</h4>   <p>Bailes is a high-volume scoring guard who puts his stamp on a game with his shot-making ability. The 6-foot-1 junior can knock down deep three-point shots off the catch and off the bounce and is also good at using the dribble and change of speed and direction to get into his mid-range jumper. Bailes averaged 16.3 points per game on the weekend.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">JJ Sullivan | 2025 | [program_tooltip program_id='2270834' first='Iowa' last='United']</h4>   <p>Sullivan was one of the best spot-shooters we saw on the weekend. At 6-feet-1, the left-handed sharpshooter had the ultimate green light from behind the arc and his 56.3% three-point percentage on the weekend justified that. Sullivan has a lightning quick release off the catch and off the move, did a great job of relocating to open space when guards drove or his bigs got a touch, and stepped into shot-ready mechanics with confidence.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Mason Magee | 2026 | Compton Magic</h4>   <p>Magee is a defense-oriented point guard whose ability to pressure opposing ball-handlers while still containing and stopping the drive is the force behind Compton Magic's stagnating perimeter defense. Offensively, Magee is a tempo pusher and tempo controller whose speed and steady decision-making results in his team getting clean offensive looks in transition.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1660062' first='Navon' last='Shabazz'] | 2026 | [program_tooltip program_id='2270834' first='Iowa' last='United']</h4>   <p>Shabazz is what I like to refer to as a "show-running" point guard. The 6-foot-4 big-bodied junior did a little bit of everything in leading [program_tooltip program_id='2270834' first='Iowa' last='United'] to a 4-0 record on the weekend but his biggest impact was in the efficiency he ran his team with. Shabazz rarely took a bad shot or made a bad decision, knocked down open three-point shots when they came his way and organized his team into its half-court offense.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2622343' first='Nick' last='Giarrusso'] | 2026 | Open Gym Premier</h4>   <p>Giarrusso is steady-handed and clear-minded point guard who won't garner a ton of attention with explosive athleticism or wild shot-making ability but instead stands out for his poise and decision-making at the point. The 6-foot-6 junior is one of the more underrated prospects in California right now but that might not be the case for long as he showed the ability to break down defenders for paint touches where he made the right scoring or passing play off of two feet.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1845363' first='Rajan' last='Roberts'] | 2026 | Jalen Green Elite</h4>   <p>Roberts is your prototypical physical and athletic slashing guard whose strength is in his ability to get to the rim in any situation. The 6-foot-1 junior out of Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif. used his strong frame and burst off the bounce to earn paint touches, initiate contact with rim protectors and finish through it at the rim. Roberts was always in attack mode in transition and used his open court speed to get the defense on its heels which resulted in countless at-rim buckets in transition.</p>

LADERA RANCH — The Open Gym Premier facility in Ladera Ranch, Calif. played host to the first 3SSB session of the club season. Adidas sponsored teams from the west coast and beyond came to Southern California for a four-game live period tune up. Below are the standout guards we watched on the 17u level.