Skills Summit: Upperclass Stock-Rising Guards

<p>TUSTIN, Calif. — The sixth Hoops By Ugland (yes, me) Skills Summit brought together 145 prospects from across Southern California and beyond Sunday at Tustin high school. There was a mix of highly-touted, under-the-radar and unknown prospects all of whom got to showcase their abilities in front of many of the region's top scouts and media. Below we break down the upperclass guards - 2026 and 2027 prospects - who raised their stock.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2815219' first='Asher' last='Haloossim'] | 2027 | Windward</h4>   <p>Haloossim put together a big spring and summer with his high school and club teams and carried that momentum into this event. The 6-foot point guard was thriving in the up-and-down tempo of the games where he got paint touches and finished at the rim in transition and was also knocking down the open three-point shot. Haloossim brought a strong leadership presence and voice to his team and flashed some really savvy and unselfish playmaking.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jeramiah Turner | 2026 | Tri-City Christian</h4>   <p>Turner is an effort, energy and hustle player who has a knack for the ball and always seemed to be in the mix on the glass and when pursuing loose balls. The 6-foot-2 guard out of San Diego is a physical driver and finisher who can power his way through contact and use his downhill speed to blow past defenders in the open court. Turner also impacted the game on the defensive end as he used his strong frame and ability to pressure and contain to make his assignment uncomfortable off the bounce.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436290' first='Joey' last='Albala'] | 2027 | Redondo Union</h4>   <p>Albala is truly your prototypical point guard. The 5-foot-8 junior has a tight handle, quick burst off the dribble, the ability to keep defenders on his hip and uses changes of speed and direction to manipulate defenders to get to his spots. Albala showed that he is the opposite of a score-first guard and made it a point to always keep his eyes surveying the floor to make plays for teammates. Despite his lack of true size, Albala is an effective finisher around the basket because he understands how to play off of two feet and use pivots and shot fakes to get a clean look at the rim.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Joshua King | 2026 | Orange Lutheran</h4>   <p>King missed all of last season with an injury but he is back healthy and looked to be in top form on Sunday. The 6-foot-3 guard is an absolute lights' out shooter with deep and consistent range both off the catch and off the bounce. King is confident shooting with little time or space available because of his ability to rise up and shoot over the top of defenders but he also creates clean catch-and-shoot opportunities with his off-ball movement.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Layden Kauka | 2026 | Kohala (HI)</h4>   <p>Another one of the better "true" point guards in this event, Kauka flew all the way from Hawaii to attend the camp and made the most of the long trip. The 6-foot-2 senior is a high IQ decision-maker who operates at his own pace and his basketball savvy to go along with his smooth but explosive speed and athleticism allowed him to get wherever he wanted off the bounce. Kauka was not a player who could be sped up when pressured and his willingness to advance the ball up the floor sparked transition offense while his fundamental off-two foot drives created countless open three's for his teammates. Kauka is unselfish with laser sharp vision and passing ability.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Shawn Bernard | 2027 | Brea Olinda</h4>   <p>Bernard was one of the biggest surprises of the event for me and the Orange County-based junior firmly planted himself on the radar. The wiry 6-foot combo guard showcased a smooth feel for the game when creating for himself and others with his best trait being his ability to stretch the floor to the three-point line. Bernard was nearly automatic from behind the arc with his feet set and time and space but also showed the savvy and basketball IQ to create for teammates out of ball screens and when earning a paint touch in transition.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2779912' first='Tyler' last='Holmquist'] | 2026 | Sonora</h4>   <p>It's easy to tell that Holmquist is the son of a coach because of the way he quickly grasped concepts, executed them in the skills stations and carried over that coaching to the games. The 6-foot-3 lefty is a dead-eye shooter off the catch with tight shooting mechanics and a quick release that allow him to get his shot off in tight quarters. Where Holmquist showed his basketball IQ was in his willingness to do the little things: he didn't over-handle the ball, he practiced good shot selection and was a guy who would make the extra pass.<br></p>

TUSTIN, Calif. — The sixth Hoops By Ugland (yes, me) Skills Summit brought together 145 prospects from across Southern California and beyond Sunday at Tustin high school. There was a mix of highly-touted, under-the-radar and unknown prospects all of whom got to showcase their abilities in front of many of the region's top scouts and media. Below we break down the upperclass guards - 2026 and 2027 prospects - who raised their stock.