MIAA Early-Season Round Up: Unsigned Senior Guards

The MIAA season is in full swing, and I've gotten to watch a solid number of the higher-ranked teams so far, whether in person or via stream. There are obviously too many teams and players to see them all, but I try to get out to see as many as possible (which is difficult while being a college coach, so bear with me).   I'll be covering some of the most impressive players I've seen throughout the end of December and beginning of January.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/12/miaa-early-season-round-up-new-names-on-my-radar/">MIAA early-season round up: new names on my radar</a>   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/12/miaa-early-season-round-up-unsigned-senior-wings-and-bigs/">MIAA Early-Season Round Up: Unsigned Senior Wings and Bigs</a>   To continue on, here are some unsigned senior guards — these are all guys who have impressed early on and should be viewed as potential D3 or reclass candidates.    When I watched Newburyport play North Reading earlier this season, it was Atherton who impressed me more than any other player on the court. The 6-foot-1 senior is a skilled combo guard who can shoot it from the outside and the mid range but is also an adept driver and facilitator. He was able to penetrate the lane at will with his quickness and strength, and then he used his improved explosiveness to finish at the hoop against a variety of different players. Atherton is a late bloomer who is ready to play at the D3 level right now and will be a key piece for a Newburyport squad poised to make a state championship run. He's a pure hooper.     Leanna is another stud in the Newburyport backcourt. The 6-foot-1 guard shoots the laces off the ball and has range as soon as he crosses half court. If you don't guard him out there, he'll make you pay (and he did against North Reading). I was also really impressed with the senior's ability to make plays in the passing lanes defensively. He's quite active, and he uses his instincts and athleticism to create easy transition buckets for himself. Leanna is another D3 player who will fit right in at the next level.     McDonald has one of the greenest lights I've seen in the MIAA, and for good reason. The Walpole senior isn't that tall—he's only 6-foot-2 on a good day—but he has a ridiculously quick release that allows him to get three-point looks of at a high volume, both off the dribble and on the move. In the one game I saw him play, he hit an insane number of contested threes, including a game-winner at the buzzer after an up fake. When the defense overplays him, McDonald can also drive the lane and finish with composure and patience. He also plays hard defensively. Another definite D3 player.     Fein is an all-around athlete who has really impressed me this season with the little things he's able to do for his squad. Defensively, he's phenomenal in the passing lanes and causes absolute havoc on that end with his instincts and length. He has already had a good number of breakaway steals this year, both on and off the ball. Offensively, the 6-foot guard uses his athleticism and length to extend for finishes at the hoop, and he also shoots it well from the perimeter. An improved handle would be really huge for his college hopes, but he can probably get it done.     Piper is a uniquely skilled MIAA guard. He's taller than most other public school point of attack guards at 6-foot-3, but he moves quite well for his size and is super shifty with the ball in his hands. When he gets into the lane, he uses his long arms to finish, and he has an ambidextrous ability with both hands that makes him quite difficult to consistently contest, no matter how tall you are. He needs to improve his outside shot, but Piper is absolutely a D3 players because of his athleticism and finishing ability alone.     Lok is insanely undersized at 5-foot-8, but the senior from Oliver Ames High School makes up for his lack of physical tools with supreme skill level and IQ. He gets into the lane consistently with his quick and under-control handle, and then he has a knack for finding teammates in both the dunker spots and on the perimeter. He also makes open threes when you give him space, though his size limits his ability to get them off. Lok is a true floor general, but it might be his size that stops some D3 colleges from recruiting him. Regardless, he's the motor of a really solid OA squad.     Houle is a super skilled guard for an Attleboro High School squad that is one of the better teams in the state. The 5-foot-11 guard has a wonderful looking pull-up jumper; he gets lots of elevation on it, his footwork is under control and compact, and he has a nice looking release from both the perimeter and the mid range. The senior also has good passing instincts and is a better defender than you'd think given his size—he has some surprisingly good hops, which he uses for rim protection. Houle is a definite D3 player whose offensive skills and IQ should translate quite well to the next level.

The MIAA season is in full swing, and I've gotten to watch a solid number of the higher-ranked teams so far, whether in person or via stream. There are obviously too many teams and players to see them all, but I try to get out to see as many as possible (which is difficult while being a college coach, so bear with me).