Nike Extravaganza: Nine Standout Guards

<p>SANTA ANA — The 31st Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei high school featured 14 games over two days, highlighting some of the top teams from California, Arizona and Nevada. We were in the building for all nine games Saturday and below are the top nine guard performances.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436269' first='Brandon' last='Granger'] | 2027 | St. Bernard</h4>   <p>The dynamic scoring and playmaking guard did everything he could to will St. Bernard to a win but the Vikings fell short, losing on a buzzer beating layup in double overtime. The 5-foot-9 junior is one of the quickest and shiftiest players in Southern California and that combination allowed him to get to the rim at-will where he finished with a crafty bucket or drew contact to get to the free throw line. Granger finished with 35 points, including 14 for 18 from the free throw line, in a 2OT loss to Mira Costa.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2828496' first='Cameron' last='Anderson'] | 2028 | Roosevelt</h4>   <p>Anderson continues his emergence from glue guy and complimentary piece last season to a go-to guy as a sophomore. Anderson used his combination of size, high IQ when attacking angles and at-rim finishing ability to lead the Mustangs to a 20-point win over St. Augustine. The 6-foot-4 combo guard was an automatic paint touch - either off the drive or when cutting without the ball - and scored an efficient 24 points on 8-for-10 from the field.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956521' first='Elijah' last='Smith'] | 2026 | Damien</h4>   <p>Smith doesn't always lead the Spartans in the scoring column but his impact on both ends of the floor is clear when you dig deeper in the box score. The 5-foot-9 point guard stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over San Juan Hills. Smith is a floor general type of point guard whose pass-first mentality, ability to push in transition and get Damien organized into offense has been crucial to the Spartans' strong season.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956522' first='Jackson' last='Haggins'] | 2026 | Roosevelt</h4>   <p>The Montana-commit is one of the region's best spot-shooters from three-point range but has improved his ball skills and attack mentality which has resulted in him becoming a more well-rounded offensive threat. Haggins knocked down two three's on Saturday but his ability to get to the free throw line off the dribble has opened up another layer of offense for the senior. Haggins finished with 19 points (9-for-12 FT), four rebounds and three assists in a win over St. Augustine.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jayden Mysin | 2026 | Aliso Niguel</h4>   <p>Mysin had his high energy and effort on full display in the Wolverines' win over Dos Pueblos. The 6-foot-3 senior was slashing his way to the rim for high percentage finishes both off the bounce and when moving and cutting without the ball. Mysin finished with 23 points, on 11-for-18 from the field.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956507' first='Luke' last='Barnett'] | 2026 | Mater Dei</h4>   <p>Barnett is a really tough cover with his combination of deep range shooting ability and downhill athleticism and he's even tougher when playing at home. The 6-foot-3 Kansas-bound shooting guard dropped 28 points, including six three-pointers, in a loss to Coronado (NV). Barnett is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the region and, if not forced off the line, can really strain a defense by forcing it to over-extend.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2815177' first='Paxx' last='Bell'] | 2027 | Mira Costa</h4>   <p>Bell is an under-the-radar prospect in SoCal's 2027 class and his multi-faceted impact was evident on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is a physical driver and finisher at the rim who rebounds in and out of his area and is a respectable three-point shooter off the catch. Bell, a junior, finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a double overtime win over St. Bernard.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Tariq Johnson | 2029 | Servite</h4>   <p>Johnson is a member of the talented 2029 guard class who doesn't get talked about enough but perhaps his performance Saturday will open some more eyes to just how talented he is. The 5-foot-10 point guard plays with a fearlessness and confidence well beyond his years and that approach led to him scoring 25 points on 10-for-14 from the field and four assists in a win over Los Alamitos. Johnson is at his best when pushing in transition and getting to the rim but can also knock down perimeter jumpers.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Zaire Rasshan | 2027 | Damien</h4>   <p>Rasshan played less than three quarters of game action but still finished with 18 points, including four three-pointers, in a lopsided win over San Juan Hills. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard knocked down four three-pointers and also showed off his smooth mid-range scoring ability. Rasshan is one of the fastest-rising two guards in SoCal.</p>

SANTA ANA — The 31st Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei high school featured 14 games over two days, highlighting some of the top teams from California, Arizona and Nevada. We were in the building for all nine games Saturday and below are the top nine guard performances.