The Best Young Guards in Hendersonville

Andrew Force July 21, 2026 @ 08:42 PM

<p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='3573481' first='Deuce' last='Singleton']</em></p>   <p>Forget school classification. Forget size of school. This feature will only look at location.  Who are the best young guards in Hendersonville?</p>   <p><strong>Included Teams</strong><br> 1. Beech<br> 2. Pope John Paul II<br> 3. Merrol Hyde<br> 4. Hendersonville</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3141892' first='Dillon' last='Springs'] / 2029 PG / Pope John Paul II</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3141892' first='Dillon' last='Springs'] earned the @PrepHoopsTN Combine Young Player MVP in June. He finished his 15u AAU season well in Louisville. Facing Carolina Premier 15u he was a little timid when collecting an inbounds pass under pressure. He needs to get stronger and also use his shoulder to create some. Quickness and skill are his separators currently. JP2 sees Dillon as the heir apparent to Anthony Wiggins. Maybe. That position could see a transfer added in the next year plus though. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3700509' first='Eliot' last='Johnson'] / 2028 G / Merrol Hyde</h2>   <p>As a sophomore, Eliot finished second among Merrol Hyde Hawks in scoring with 15.8 points per game. The young man also helped significantly with 4.1 rebounds per. Fourteen different games Eliot played 30+ minutes! One modest downside to Eliot's game is inefficient scoring. He will miss 6-10 shots some nights though he averaged just over 45% from the field in 2025-2026. Johnson's big scoring games included 21 against White House, 24 versus University School of Nashville, 25 on Valor Prep and 26 points over Christian Community (White House). Johnson is not all that speedy. He does have some nice bounce. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3573481' first='Deuce' last='Singleton'] <span><strong style="font-weight: bold">/ 2029 SG-SF / Pope John Paul II</strong></span></h2>   <p>Big, strong kid. Stands about 6'4". Going to be one of the strongest physically in his class this next winter. His game is raw right now. Facing a smaller team late Saturday (7/18) morning Singleton did not take any jumpshots, so that evaluation is incomplete. Slashing is a strength, but he could have been even more assertive in the game. The size advantage, specifically among STARS 15u Premier was substantial and yet they hardly leaned upon it. He did communicate in-game with his teammates. That is somewhat rare among high school hoopers particularly younger hoopers. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3337321' first='Elijah' last='Stevenson']<span><strong style="font-weight: bold"> </strong><span style="font-weight: bold"><strong style="font-weight: bold">/ </strong>2029 G / </span></span>Beech</h2>   <p> A breakout star for Beech High in 2025-2026, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3337321' first='Elijah' last='Stevenson'] </strong>earned minutes and a strong reputation quickly within the storied program. Stevenson was abnormally strong for a freshman along with the owner of elite quickness. Unfortunately, he did not play late spring or this summer after undergoing surgery for an ACL tear as April opened. When he gets back to 100% Elijah will be battling for the best '29 guard in the city.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3476186' first='Earl' last='Bennett Jr.'] / 2029 G / Pope John Paul II</h2>   <p>Explosive guard. Transferred in from Franklin Road Academy. [player_tooltip player_id='3476186' first='Earl' last='Bennett Jr.'] already earned a Georgia State offer with his insane athleticism and bounce. Earl's Dad works for Vanderbilt University and played in the NFL after college. There could be some favoritism towards that school. We will see down the line.</p>

PICTURED: Deuce Singleton Deuce Singleton 6'4" | SF Pope John Paul II | 2029 State TN