Hoop Mountain: Top Guard Performers

Here were the guards who performed well at the Hoop Mountain Shootout in the games that PHI was evaluating!   Michael Nee Glenbard East 2026   Maybe the best shooter in the state. Nee made a couple of threes before putting the ball on the deck and scoring layups at the rim. D1 prospect who gets to show he's more than a shooter.    [player_tooltip player_id='2298580' first='Kaydin' last='Williams'] Glenbard East 2026   Recent rransfer from CPS to Suburbs. Kaydin is a tough guard who can fill it up as a scorer. He's a shooter who can mix things up and get to the basket if the defense presses up on him. Williams had some strong buckets in the blowout win early Saturday morning.     [player_tooltip player_id='2334404' first='Tre' last='Watkins'] Metea Valley 2026   Tre seemed to be continuing his groove from this spring on the PH Circuit.   A very good three-level scoring guard who makes difficult plays look routine. He took good shots from the corner and put pressure on the defense by attacking the lane. Watkins is also active with his hands which helped him swipe a few steals. Two of them he converted to fastbreak dunks. Could be a sleeper prospect for some schools.   [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] Yorkville Christian 2026   The always elusive Riley did a little bit of everything on Saturday. He scored well in an up-tempo setting getting out with the ball and putting the pressure on defenses with his speed. Jayden is dangerous because he is good at scoring and passing especially if he beats the first defender and gets into the heart of the defense. He knows how to make plays for others to set himself up to score later. Riley is a well-rounded guard who should be on some D1s radar.     Cam Mercer Riverside Brookfield 2026   Mercer is a veteran varsity guard who caught heat early from deep. He plays with a good pace and motor. His best moment came when a loose ball got away and he dove on the ground for it and made an over-the-head pass from a seated position to get an assist. Cam is leading by example and could be a sleeper in the class.   Terrell Purnell West Aurora 2028    Terrell is a young guard who provided a lift off the bench with two corner threes and two steals which led to him scoring layups on fastbreaks. He's a scrappy guard with some size at 6'1 that can be a factor this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='2125687' first='Travis' last='Brown'] West Aurora 2027   Brown is a dynamic guard who got off to a slow start but couldn't miss once he got rolling. Travis is slick with the ball and found a mix of scoring and distributing during a late run. He also made the final assists to win the game. It will be a big summer for him as the top player for this West Aurora squad.   [player_tooltip player_id='1552428' first='Marshawn' last='Cocroft'] Kaneland 2026    Marshawn is a good change-of-pace guard who scores the ball well using a tight handle and change-of-pace moves to beat defenders. Cocroft is tough on ball screens and knows how to mix it up between passing and looking to score.    [player_tooltip player_id='2323275' first='Adam' last='Flowers'] Downers Grove South 2026   Adam is a bigger guard who shot the ball well from deep. He is shifty with his handle and plays at a good rhythm for the game. Flowers can play as the lead guard or off the ball. He's a dependable passer who has the upper body strength to take bumps and finish plays.    [player_tooltip player_id='2877539' first='Lester' last='Watson'] Thornwood 2028   Watson is a bigger guard who had a very good freshman season that went under the radar. He's a drive and kick lead guard who can also score when needed. For an underclassman he doesn't get sped up against aggressive defenses.     [player_tooltip player_id='2879381' first='Mekhi' last='Young'] Thornwood 2028    Young is a slick guard who has the ball on a string. He is the other freshman guard who had some success playing varsity this season. Mekhi has good court vision and looks to make the right play with the rock. As a scorer he can finish with scoop layups and floaters. The combination of Watson and Young complement each other. They have an exciting future ahead of them.    [player_tooltip player_id='2531970' first='Ben' last='Ojala'] Evanston 2028    Ojala is hard hard-playing guard who gets after it on both sides of the ball. I enjoyed watching him compete as he showed good anticipation for steals on defense that turned into points. Ben has good ball skills and is more than just an outside shooter. As he grows and keeps playing with a high motor some Division 1 schools will be knocking at the door.    [player_tooltip player_id='2532320' first='Eli' last='Poulakidas'] Neuqua Valley 2027   Eli is a high-level shooter who made a pair of threes in the game I watched. He does a good job of spacing away from the ball and is usually two passes away from draining a shot.

Here were the guards who performed well at the Hoop Mountain Shootout in the games that PHI was evaluating!