Chipotle Nationals: Thursday Guard Standouts

Chipotle Nationals had their quarterfinal round on Thursday with four competitive games at Hamilton Southeastern High School. In this article I'll break down the guard standouts from Thursday's action.    A dominant performance by Miller who led all scorers and fueled Montverde Academy to the win, it was unbelievable watching the Kent State commit go to work offensively. An incredibly efficient scorer, Miller had some tough buckets at the rim, finishing with either hand and hanging through traffic. Using a quick release off the catch, Miller went four for six on 3-pointers and his pull-up after multiple between the legs dribble moves was the toughest bucket of the day. One of the most underrated players nationally, Miller has a chance to stand out right away at Kent State next season.     Another efficient day for Sadler, who continues to show why he's regarded as one of the top point guards in the nation. Sadler came out the gates on fire, knocking down a flurry of 3-pointers in the first half to give CIA Bella Vista a significant advantage heading into halftime that they would hold on to win. Sadler also had a couple assists off lobs, having the touch and timing with his teammates. I thought Sadler was an obvious snub from the McDonald's All American game, but because he missed it he looked extremely fresh and ready to go to try and lead his team to a national title.     The end of a legendary high school career from Smith Jr, one of the most competitive kids I've ever watched play and the definition of a winner. Smith left it all on the court, keeping an overmatched Paul VI team competitive for the entire game against a taller, deeper and more talented CIA Bella Vista squad. I've seen significant growth from Smith Jr as an isolation scorer this season, being able to turn the corner from the top of the key and knock down tough baseline shots as well. I also was encouraged by his high 3-point attempt rate in this one, firing 11 at the rim on Thursday night. The offensive growth Smith Jr has shown on the ball will have him appear on way too early top 5 NBA draft mocks for the 2027 class.     Spire struggled offensively as a team on Thursday but Gibson was a clear bright spot on both ends of the court. Knocking down a couple early 3-pointers and getting fouled on another, Gibson's scoring jolt helped bring Spire back into the game after a slow start. Defensively is where Gibson made his biggest impact, with three blocks and a pair of steals. When Gibson makes perimeter shots, can get downhill off the dribble and make a big defensive impact, it's easy to see why he's regarded as a top 10 prospect nationally in the 2027 class.     One of the elite shooters nationally, Thompson was cooking from long distance during Thursday's nightcap and hit maybe the shot of the day with a nasty pull-up 3-pointer late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter after Dynamic Prep had taken a one point lead, Thompson gave Link their last lead of the game with an and-1 layup with just under 90 seconds left. One of the most talented 2027 scorers in the country, Thompson showed why he's so highly regarded on Thursday night.

Chipotle Nationals had their quarterfinal round on Thursday with four competitive games at Hamilton Southeastern High School. In this article I'll break down the guard standouts from Thursday's action.