HS Preview: ’27 Breakout Guard Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school season in Southern California is just under a month away and we wanted to take some time to shine a spotlight on some players who are poised to make a big leap as players and recruits. Below we take a look at seven junior guards who we believe will boost their stock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2815219' first='Asher' last='Haloossim'] | Windward</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Haloossim put together a strong summer with his high school team and All In Elite club team which resulted in his recruitment pick up steam. The 6-foot point guard is always in attack mode in transition but stays under control with his eyes up the floor looking to make a play for a teammate. Haloossim's most intriguing skill is his scoring ability both as a primary ball handler or off the ball. He can knock down mid-range jumpers off the bounce, finish craftily around the basket and is a spot up shooting threat in catch-and-shoot situations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2307230' first='Cisco' last='Munoz'] | La Mirada</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Munoz's transfer from Vista Murrieta to La Mirada has put him in closer proximity to scouts and media types who see the type of player that he is. The 5-foot-11 point guard is far too low in our current class ranking and his performances this fall will result in him moving up in our next update. What makes Munoz so effective is the pace he plays with and how deceptive he can be with his changes of speed and direction when driving to the cup. To add to that, Munoz can really shoot the three-ball and mid-range jumpers with consistency, forcing opposing defenders to respect his offensive repertoire in a variety of settings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436284' first='Jayden' last='Barnes'] | Sonora</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a lot of Orange County public school players who don't get enough love but we made sure to include Barnes here because he is one of the most under-appreciated players in the area. The 6-foot point guard has an explosive first step that he uses to get by his primary defender and into the paint where he can explode to the rim and finish in a variety of ways. Barnes has also shown the ability to fill it up from the perimeter with off-bounce jumpers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436255' first='Jayden' last='Yim'] | Corona Centennial</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yim is a cerebral playmaking point guard who packs a scoring punch when he needs to. The 6-foot junior is a steady ball handler and decision-maker who knows when to push tempo where he gets paint touches, draws in the defense, and makes the smart read and pass to an open shooter. Yim is a consistent three-point shooter off the catch who can beat defenders off the bounce in isolation with his quick first step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2916714' first='Mattai' last='Carter'] | Loyola</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We saw Carter in the spring and he is one of the biggest "sleeper" type guards in the area. At 6-feet-3 with quick vertical bounce, the junior is a transition and paint scoring threat with his ability to get downhill and elevate over the top of rim protectors and score at the rim. Carter has also shown the ability to knock down perimeter jumpers off the bounce with his impressive elevation, balance and body control. He has been battling injuries over the last few months but if he is healthy look for him to be a breakout player in the Mission League.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2435370' first='Pierce' last='Thompson'] | Harvard-Westlake</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson gained some buzz with an impressive performance at the Border League earlier this month and that should carry over into the season. The 6-foot-3 junior stayed patient his first two years at Harvard-Westlake as he played limited minutes behind a couple McDonald's All-Americans and spent that time learning and developing. Thompson is a sharpshooting guard who can bury perimeter jumpers off the catch and off the dribble and has flashed improvements to his ball handling, playmaking and feel for creating with the ball in his hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->