Backcourt Breakouts: '26 Guards Who Took Over May Live Period

The first live period brought a lot of excitement in which certain prospects continued to boost their stocks and set themselves apart from amongst their classes while others eruptied out onto the scene and made a name for themselves. With the May live period fully in the rearview mirror, let's dive into some prospects at the guard position that had eye popping performances over the recruiting calendar's first live period.    Over the course of the May live period, [player_tooltip player_id='1859568' first='Shaan' last='Nayar'] showcased his ability to be a lethal perimeter threat, shooting the three ball at a high clip, with range too. The Ranney combo guard also displayed his ability to handle the basketball and be an effective distributor of the basketball, making plays for others. Defensively, Nayar played the passing lanes with excellent anticipation while also pressuring the ball out on the perimeter, resulting in a handful of turnovers for his opponent.     Capable of being effective with and without the basketball in his hands, [player_tooltip player_id='1412111' first='Brian' last='Tassey'] had a strong showing over the May live period that displayed his offensive versatility. Capable of creating off the bounce and getting to his spots efficiently as well as knocking down open shots from the perimeter, Tassey showcased his ability to play alongside anybody and be an effective piece on offense.     As big a stock riser in the state of New Jersey as anyone so far this spring, Jordan Ghee continued his strong play through the live period, ultimately picking up an offer from Coach Grant Billmeier and NJIT. Ghee showcased much of what makes him a unique combination between positional size and fluidity at the guard position. Smooth and efficient off the bounce, Ghee every game, continues to showcase his ability to get to his spots under control and at a pace that seems to never get too sped up.     Averaging 7.5 PPG and 6.5 APG for Epic Elite during UA Rise's first session, Patrick Sagna continued to showcase his improving ability to set his teammates up for clean open looks offensively, all while also using his quickness to create offense for himself and put pressure on the rim. Sagna also showcased his ability to make the right reads in PnR situations and keep the defense honest. A prospect that should be on the radar for a lot of Ivy and Patriot League programs, Sagna is generating interest from Air Force, Penn, Yale, and others.     Every bit of the definition of a dynamic floor general, [player_tooltip player_id='2628166' first='Santonio' last='Waide'] benefited as much as anyone from a strong initial live period. Hearing from an array of LM schools, Waide showcased his ability to dissect the defense and create opportunities to score for his teammates— using his quickness to get in the paint and hit dump offs and find open shooters. Completely capable of generating offense for himself, Waide also excelled at creating offense off the bounce from multiple spots on the floor. Waide picked up an offer from Rider and has received interest from the likes of NJIT, Stony Brook, San Diego, Fairfield, Hofstra, Siena, Canisius, and La Salle.     Despite being undersized, Mickell Taylor continues to play bigger than his 6'0" frame suggests— playing with a level of toughness and grittiness that allows him to be effective on both sides of the floor. Over the course of the May live period, Taylor Jr. played very well within himself— knocking down open outside shots while also displaying his ability to be a dangerous threat in isolation and PnR scenarios. A pest at the POA defensively, Taylor continued to showcase his ability to effectively pressure the ball out on the perimeter and turn defense into offense.

The first live period brought a lot of excitement in which certain prospects continued to boost their stocks and set themselves apart from amongst their classes while others eruptied out onto the scene and made a name for themselves. With the May live period fully in the rearview mirror, let's dive into some prospects at the guard position that had eye popping performances over the recruiting calendar's first live period.