Top Upperclass Guards on Club Opening Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southern California — There were multiple club and individual showcase events in Southern California over the weekend as players and programs shift their focus from the high school season to the club season. We were able to hit three events - NXTPro in Seal Beach, the Pangos All-American Preview in Long Beach and the BattleZone at Orange Lutheran high school. We break down the top upperclass guards we watched.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436300' first='AJ' last='Okoh'] | 2027 | DreamVision 3SSB</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Okoh was highly effective as the primary ball handler for a talented DreamVision team. The 6-foot junior possesses dynamic speed and athleticism in the open court which he used to his advantage when pushing the pace, catching defenders on their heels and getting into the paint for at-rim finishes. Okoh played a fast tempo but never looked sped up and made smart decisions on when to create for himself and when to create for teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436285' first='Carter' last='Fulton'] | 2027 | Compton Magic 3SSB</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fulton is a quick, confident and aggressive downhill guard who is at his best when carving through the lane for paint touches and finishes. The 6-foot-1 junior is one of the fastest players with the ball in his hands and is hunting paint touches - and usually earns them - each time he has the ball in his hands in transition. Fulton is a fearless scorer in the lane who can also knock down pull-up jumpers off the bounce.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436276' first='Grayson' last='Coleman'] | 2027 | Team CPSA</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coleman can really score in bunches but is also a capable playmaker and decision-maker with the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-2 combo guard fills it up from the perimeter with off-catch three's and off-dribble mid-range jumpers. Coleman operates with a steady pace, high IQ understanding of how to move without the ball and showed patience when hunting his mid-range spots out of ball screens.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2435386' first='Hunter' last='Caplan'] | 2027 | Cali Gold 3SSB</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caplan is one of Southern California's premier perimeter shooters and he had that on full display over the weekend. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is a lethal three-point and mid-range shooting threat both off the catch and off the bounce but it's what he does as an off-ball mover that makes him such a tough cover. Caplan moves with purpose, understands spacing and angles when running defenders off of screens and can sprint through the ball and into a balanced jumper in one motion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436274' first='Jordan' last='Hampton'] | 2027 | Build Your Way Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hampton continues to expand his game and is becoming more and more confident with more experience and reps. The 6-foot-2 point guard was really good on the ball for BYWE on the first SoCal stop of the NXTPro circuit with his ability to balance scoring and distributing while being a disruptor on the defensive end. Hampton knocked down open threes in rhythm, attacked the rim with confidence and made the simple but effective pass at the right times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2622343' first='Nick' last='Giarrusso'] | 2026 | Cali Gold 3SSB</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Giarrusso is one of the top unsigned seniors out west and should draw plenty of interest over the next few months playing on the 3SSB circuit. The 6-foot-5 SoCal product is a jack-of-all-trades type of player with elite feel for the game, the ability to make high IQ decisions and plays in transition and half-court offense and impact the offensive and defensive glass. Offensively, Giarrusso is best as a driver, slasher and finisher around the basket and has a willingness to create for teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2647040' first='Nico' last='Mott'] | 2027 | Coastal Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mott is one of the most underrated scorers in the region and his creativity in isolation and ability to take - and make - tough shots made him a tough cover in the games we watched him play. The 6-foot combo guard is a crafty ball handler who uses change of speed, direction and hesitations to get defenders off-balance which allows him to get to his scoring spots. Mott's shot-making ability frustrates opposing defenders and forces them to extend further than they would like to.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436261' first='Sloane' last='Harris'] | 2027 | Compton Magic 3SSB</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harris has a combination of physicality, speed and explosive vertical athleticism that makes him one of the best transition and paint scorers in SoCal's 2027 class. The 6-foot-3 junior is always in attack mode in transition and was hunting poster dunks throughout the weekend. Harris' physicality allows him to seek out contact, absorb it, finish through it and often get to the free throw line for an old-fashioned three-point play. Where Harris makes his most important impact is on the defensive end. His size, strength and lateral speed make him one of the better on-ball pressure defenders in SoCal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->