Top 2026 Point Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='2358333' first='Justin' last='Nordin']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Late January, we updated the 2026 player rankings. In this feature the focus is on point guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2026","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"77246","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"24753","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679812e00963a"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Baylor School moved a talented Lithuanian to their resplendent mountain campus over the summer. Meet <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2560261' first='Mantas' last='Paldauskas']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2560261"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679812e00ad40"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>1/25/25:</strong> Elite shooter. Eager passer. Comfortable running the Pick'n'roll. Crafty around the lane. Mantas stands about 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fluctuating 40's</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the players ranked in the 40's overall are point guards and most of them look like future college players. Traditionally, guys in the 30-50 range ultimately sign Division II or JuCo. Could their best some movement among them? Almost certainly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1574449' first='Jackson' last='Simmons'] - 21.0 ppg, 58 3's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1911257' first='Hudson' last='McKnight']<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2194624' first='Eli' last='Brown'] - 14.7 ppg, 48 3's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2352383' first='JiYair' last='Rose'] - 19.1 ppg, 36 3's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1683902' first='Parker' last='Lane'] - 11.7 ppg, 1.2 spg, 35 3's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1277246' first='Shavar' last='Young Jr.']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Climbers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1923548' first='Jackson' last='McCutcheon']</strong> (Brentwood) improved his agility and handle dramatically in the last year, so he climbed as did Knoxville Catholic lead guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2349746' first='Carson' last='Asbaty']</strong>. Carson fights with an uncommon tenacity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bearden's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2358333' first='Justin' last='Nordin']</strong> soared up the rankings after displaying two-way competence at the Tennessee Classic just after Christmas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->