2023 Rankings Update: New Guards (Pt. 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no better time to revamp a class ranking after a full season worth of viewing teams and players and that's exactly what we did with the class of 2023. There were many prospects who played their way into the latest rankings and in this piece we take a closer look at the guards who cracked the SoCal Top 175.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1814765' first='Kelcy' last='Phipps'], Bishop Montgomery</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phipps has put together a fantastic year as the signal caller for the 26-win, Open Division qualifying Knights. The 6-foot-2 point guard is as steady as they come with the ball in his hands, plays with good pace and a high basketball IQ and is a solid positional team and on-ball defender. Phipps, a Portland State-signee, checks in at No. 37 overall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1814768' first='Shadale' last='Knight'], Rancho Cucamonga</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Knight's dynamic playmaking ability in transition is what caught our eye with him and put him on the rankings radar. We saw him at length in fall leagues across the Southland prior to the season and he raised his stock there but continued on that upward swing by helping Rancho Cucamonga to a 23-win season. Knight, who debuts at No. 47 overall, is a quick and shifty guard who plays with a ton of confidence and has impressive shot-making abilities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1814769' first='Kristian' last='Gonzalez'], Mater Dei/Chula Vista </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzalez is one of San Diego's best scoring guards and played his way into the top 50 prospects in SoCal. The 6-foot-2 combo guard averaged 20.4 points per game for the Crusaders this season on strong shooting numbers of 50 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. We saw Gonzalez nearly single-handedly lead his team to a win at the St. Francis showcase as he scored 29 points - many of those on tough shots - in a one-point loss to Crespi. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Anthony Smith, Jr., Rancho Verde </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith's game might go under-appreciated by some because he's not the flashiest of guys on the floor but his multi-faceted impact on the game is hard to ignore. The 6-foot-2 guard does a little bit of everything from defending the opponent's best perimeter player to being a hard-nosed driver and finisher to being able to knock down open perimeter shots. Smith's two-way toughness and motor is as impressive as any prospect in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1814774' first='JV' last='Brown'], Rolling Hills Prep</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are few prospects who can rival the pure shooting ability that Brown has shown over the last couple of years. The 6-foot-4 lefty has been one of the more lethal catch and shoot threat's from three-point range over the last couple of seasons and he has added some off-the-bounce game to his arsenal, which really caught our eye. Brown led Rolling Hills Prep to 23 wins this season and him expanding his game has him at No. 70 in our rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->