2028 Guards Emerging From July Live Period

The July live period of the 2025 NCAA recruiting calendar concluded earlier this month, and it didn't disappoint. Throughout New Jersey, several Class of 2028 prospects made a name for themselves with impressive performances—particularly at the guard position—boosting their profiles and separating from the pack. With the evaluation window now closed, it's the perfect time to spotlight some of the 2028 guards who stood out over the past few weeks.    Showing clear growth in his game as a creative and crafty three level scorer, [player_tooltip player_id='2202021' first='Aidan' last='Carter'] strung together impressive performances over both July live periods— scoring the basketball in a variety of ways finishing at the rim with nice touch, smooth mid range up pull ups off the dribble, and knocking down three point shots from deep range off the dribble and off the catch. The smooth jumbo guard also demonstrated his sharp passing ability finding open teammates and creating clean scoring chances for others.     Proving himself as a poised and skilled guard, [player_tooltip player_id='2504902' first='Jamieson' last='Young'] demonstrated his capability to play with control and balance, effectively blending perimeter shooting with attacking off the bounce within the flow of the offense. He finished well around the basket and in the mid-range when chased off the three-point line, showing patience and touch. A confident and efficient three-point shooter, Young is effective both off the catch and on the move. He also displayed excellent court vision, consistently finding open teammates in transition and in half-court sets when drawing multiple defenders.     Continuing to showcase his reliability as both a knock down shooter from the perimeter and a strong and confident ball handler, [player_tooltip player_id='2763609' first='Jake' last='Ellis'] demonstrated his ability to make plays and do whatever was required of him to impact the game— spacing the floor and consistently hitting shots from three point range off the catch, handling the ball against pressure, as well as finishing plays in transition. Ellis plays with a high level of intensity and toughness and that was on full display throughout the course of both July live periods.     [player_tooltip player_id='2504904' first='Izayah' last='Cooper'], a true floor general with elite vision and a strong feel for the game, impressed with his point guard intangibles. He consistently kept his dribble alive, showed excellent court awareness by finding open teammates, and demonstrated a relentless commitment to ball movement, keeping the offense flowing and actively involving others. Cooper also showcased his ability to score the basketball from different spots when the offense called for him to do so.     A skilled combo guard with a smooth and confident play style, [player_tooltip player_id='2683648' first='Jayce' last='Rodriguez'] showcased his elite shotmaking ability throughout both July live periods—consistently hitting shots from the perimeter off the catch, navigating various screens, and creating space with a variety of dribble combination moves and hesitation dribbles to get in the mid range area. Rodriguez tapped into some of the creativity he possesses off the dribble and looked impressive in which he efficiently did so.     [player_tooltip player_id='2305481' first='Jaylen' last='Lewis'] consistently proved to be a dangerous three-point threat, effectively spacing the floor and knocking down shots from the perimeter. He also showed the ability to attack off the bounce, getting into the paint to create for both himself and his teammates. Additionally, Lewis helped relieve pressure from the primary ball handler by stepping in to run the offense when needed.

The July live period of the 2025 NCAA recruiting calendar concluded earlier this month, and it didn't disappoint. Throughout New Jersey, several Class of 2028 prospects made a name for themselves with impressive performances—particularly at the guard position—boosting their profiles and separating from the pack. With the evaluation window now closed, it's the perfect time to spotlight some of the 2028 guards who stood out over the past few weeks.