2025 Rankings: Backcourt Grinders

<p>This group of backcourt grinders includes guys who will wear you down physically and mentally, on the defensive end, in the hustle game, and simply with their constant activity. These guards include a few of our 2025 stock risers and two new additions to this rankings update.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Stock Risers</em></h3>    <p class="text-gray-700">Boone is a competitor on the court who provides high energy, pressure defense, pace on the break, and hard-nosed slashing in the half-court. He's a shifty guard with good explosion out of his moves and has been a big energy starter on both ends of the floor. He's got a knack for making plays and creating turnovers on the defensive end that translate into lots of transition points, and he approaches the game with an "attack" mentality that puts pressure on his opponents all over the hardwood.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Swanson played a big role for Shorecrest as a balanced point guard who has the traditional skills of a table setter but also has shown the skills to finish in the paint with varied finishes. He can take it in and draw contact, pull up short with floaters, and is efficient at picking his spots to shoot from the outside. He's the kind of player who does whatever is needed of him to grind out a win. He averaged 10 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals per contest this season and helped Shorecrest to a 21-4 regular season and a state playoff birth.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Steen-Gix is a grinder on the defensive end and does all the little things you need to build energy and momentum. He's a good athlete, has the lateral quickness to compete on the perimeter, and the toughness to get downhill and to the rim. He gives 100% when he's out there and was able to put together mini-runs of his own during the season with his attacking mindset on both ends of the floor.</p>    <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><em>New Additions</em></h3>    <p class="text-gray-700">Lynd was an effective scorer for Mead throughout the year and did a lot of it by simply grinding defenders down physically. He's a load for a lot of guards to handle, can take them down to the blocks and back them down, can get the angle on drives and power through defenders, and he's active on the offensive boards. He's in constant motion, and his strength/endurance helped him finish in the top ten of his league's scoring leaders at around 14 points a game.</p>     <p>Chuol's ability to affect the game across multiple categories was in large part due to his constant activity. He's only 5-foot-11, but has some length for his size, which contributed to his impact on the glass (5.6 rpg) and defensively (1.7 spg). He was second on the team in points (12.8) and first in assists (4.1), showing he can play as a pass-first point but also knows when to pick his spots and is a strong finisher at the cup.</p>

This group of backcourt grinders includes guys who will wear you down physically and mentally, on the defensive end, in the hustle game, and simply with their constant activity. These guards include a few of our 2025 stock risers and two new additions to this rankings update.