Crafty Combo Guards in 2027

Today, we'll continue our rankings coverage with a look at the combo guard position.   In this update, 54 prospects were ranked from the combo guard spot. At the top of that list is Masters Academy International's [player_tooltip player_id='2470964' first='Antonio' last='Pemberton']. A household name in New England, Pemberton was one of the breakout stars of the summer and a national stock riser who recently announced a Final Eight in his recruitment that includes Boston College, Creighton, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and UCLA.   Here are five more combo guards that moved the needle this spring and summer.    Callahan, a guard out of the St. Thomas More School in Connecticut, comes in at #7 among the combo guards and #27 overall. The 6'5" lefty is one of the best connectors in the region and proved as much all summer long while running with the Middlesex Magic. He can play on or off the ball, makes great decisions as a facilitator in the half-court, and has a high basketball IQ as an off-ball cutter. He can score it at multiple levels and fill a variety of roles on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, it's more of the same, as his combination of basketball IQ, positional size, and physicality allows him to guard multiple spots while also impacting games as a rebounder. Callahan was a spring stock riser and recently added an Eastern Michigan offer to a list that already includes Iona, Oral Roberts, Siena, and more.     Payne, a guard out of the Brimmer & May School in Massachusetts, comes in at #8 among the combo guards and #34 overall. The 6'2" guard used this summer to show that he's capable of filling whatever role is needed on the floor. A primary handler, creator, and scorer for Brimmer & May, he moved off the ball more with the Mass Rivals and took on a jack-of-all-trades role. He's capable of scoring at multiple levels, particularly late in the clock, and has plenty of wiggle off the bounce with the ball in his hands. Defensively, he's competitive on the ball and does a great job of moving his feet to stay in front of opposing ball-handler. Payne's recruitment got a major bump this summer as he picked up offers from Albany, Stonehill, and UMBC.     Ellis-Cipriano, a guard out of the St. Andrew's School in Rhode Island, comes in at #12 among the combo guards and #64 overall. The 6'3" guard plays with plenty of athletic pop, does a nice job of creating space off the bounce, and is capable of hitting jumpers in the mid-range and from behind the arc. He can operate as an on-ball creator or slide off the ball and become an instant impact scorer. Defensively, his length is an asset and his size allows him to guard any perimeter spot. Ellis-Cipriano has played his way into scholarship interest and will be one to continuing track once the offers start to come in.     Grudzien, a guard out of Woodstock Academy in Connecticut, comes in at #22 among the combo guards and #113 overall. The 6'1" guard has the strength needed to play through contact, knows how to play at different speeds with the ball in his hands, and is a relentless competitor on both ends of the floor. He's better scoring around the basket than from the perimeter, but does such a good job of navigating traffic, that he rarely has to settle for anything outside of the paint. Defensively, he's tough at the point of attack, makes opposing ball-handlers uncomfortable, and is willing to give up his body to make winning plays. Grudzien has the ability to help a college program from Day 1 and should see plenty of recruitment this fall.     Cassamajor, a guard out of the Brooks School in Massachusetts, comes in at #39 among the combo guards and #193 overall. The 5'11" guard plays with solid open floor quickness, nice burst off the bounce in the half-court, and the ability to finish plays in a variety of ways around the rim. He makes good reads out of ball screens and does a nice job of finding open shooters off of his drives. On the other end of the floor, he can really move his feet to stay in front of opponents and does a nice job of plugging holes when he's off the ball. Division III programs looking for a guard that can play on or off the ball should be inquiring this fall.    Tomorrow, we'll continue our positional breakdowns with a look at the shooting guards and the small forwards.

Today, we'll continue our rankings coverage with a look at the combo guard position.