2024 Rankings Update: Top Point Guards
In this article:
The 2024 class is filled with talent. The point guard position has an excess of talent, including 2 of the top 3 players in the incoming junior class. These players really set the pace for their team’s offense and the…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2024 class is filled with talent. The point guard position has an excess of talent, including 2 of the top 3 players in the incoming junior class. These players really set the pace for their team’s offense and the 5 on this list do that at a high level. Here are the top 5 point guards in the latest 2024 rankings update:
Shaelyn Steele Shaelyn Steele 5'5" | PG Russell | 2024 State KY | Russell HS | WV Thunder 16U UAA
If you get the chance to watch Steele play, I highly recommend paying close attention because you will not only leave impressed, but you will be highly entertained. For starters, she plays hard 110% of the time she’s on the floor. She plays excellent defense, both on and off of the ball. She can come up with steals even on the best ball handlers. Offensively, there’s really nothing Steele can’t do. She handles the ball so well, even when she’s facing heavy pressure. She has a really high basketball IQ and great court awareness as well. As a scorer, she can put the ball in the basket at all 3 levels and she can finish through contact. Every single time I watch Steele play, I somehow walk away even more impressed than the last time. There is a reason she jumped to the #1 spot and she’s showing those reasons on the GUAA circuit right now.
Trinity Rowe Trinity Rowe 5'7" | PG Pikeville | 2024 State KY | Pikeville HS | FBC Reign 16U UAA
Rowe is another high IQ point guard who can make things happen against the best of them. She has a lot of ball handling skills and she utilizes them well. She sees the floor and she can blow you away with her passing abilities. Rowe is a leader and coach on the floor. That really shines through when you watch her play regardless of who she is playing with. Rowe is going to outsmart defenders and read a play ahead no matter who she is facing. You don’t often see players that have a true love for the game in the way Rowe does, but it leaves me with zero doubts that she is going to continue on her success from last season and this AAU season as she goes into her junior year.
Carlie Thurmond Carlie Thurmond 5'7" | PG Bethlehem | 2024 State KY | Bethlehem HS | Kentucky Premier 17U Blue Star
Thurmond is the kind of player that you can rely on to lockdown your opponent’s best player on one end and consistently score on the other end of the floor. Her speed and length are great, but the way she uses it is special. She can get multiple steals in any given game. Thurmond is also an excellent passer. She is a very unselfish player and she really creates a lot of offense for her team. She can bring the ball down the court or play off of the ball, but she makes her presence known either way. Thurmond can shoot the 3 or make one of her quick drives to get into the paint or to the basket, showing a lot of versatility as a scorer. She’s a true impact player.
Carly Smith Carly Smith 5'6" | PG Owsley County | 2024 State KY | Owsley County HS
Smith had an extremely successful sophomore season and she’s poised to have even more success as she goes into her junior year. She can score from inside or out and she is very smart with her shot selection. Her shooting percentages last season really showcase that as she shot 49.5% from 3 (46 of 93) and 52.3% overall (162 of 310). Smith has deep range, so the defense has to get out on her, but if they close out too tight, she will go right around them. She also uses ball fakes well and can finish through contact. Other strengths in Smith’s game include ball handling and passing.
Paige Medley Paige Medley 5'5" | PG Meade County | 2024 State KY | Meade County | Team Firstep 2024
Medley really has a lot of skills to go along with her natural speed and quickness. As a ball handler, she can weave through traffic and handles pressure well. She delivers passes to her teammates and can create scoring opportunities for them. Medley is an excellent outside shooter with deep range and a quick release. She also makes great drives and is a really solid defender. She can apply a lot of pressure to the offense while managing to stay in front. I’m expecting big things from Meade County this season and Medley will play a big role in that.