2027 Guards to Know

Check out my analysis on some 2027 guards you MUST know going into the July Live Period! These ladies have been really turning heads with how well they are producing on the court at such a young age! <strong>Emerie Gonzalez </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2027 5’3 Duncanville MS (Mid Cities Smoke 2023)</span> Emerie has been getting on so many college coaches radar’s through her play at the oldest division since she was a 7th grader. I was very impressed with how well she could control the game and run an offense. She constantly set up her teammates with pinpoint passes, but really has been turning heads with her shot making ability beyond the arc. She has the ability to truly score across all three levels of the floor, and relentlessly attacks her defender every time down the court. I loved watching her shift her opponent and get into the paint, and use her patience and basketball IQ to manipulate them with head fakes and shot fakes. She is incredibly aware with the ball in her hands, constantly making the right decisions wether she was scoring or creating opportunities for her teammates. She loves getting into the paint and finishing, however I would like to see her work more on finishing with her off hand. She has a tendency to go back to her right hand, which is completely understandable with her age! This future Pantherette looks to be taking the torch of one of the most well known high school basketball programs in the state. <strong>Mackenzie Teuton </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2027 5’1 James Bowie MS (Just Play Elite 2026 JT)</span> Mackenzie is a sharp shooting guard who loves to move without the ball and keep her opponent on their toes. I was very impressed with her willingness to move and manipulate the defense with her motion. She loves catching and shooting from the corners and the wings, allowing her to be a real weapon at the shooting guard position. Teuton has an incredibly quick trigger, with a high release point which makes her incredibly deadly after her opponent draws their attention in the paint. She loves getting her shot off after shifting her opponent and made her defenders pay for biting on head fakes and quick one to two dribble pull ups. I would like to see her work on initiating offense and creating more opportunities with a live dribble. <strong>Benita Byrd</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">2027 5’5 Kinkaid High School, TX (Just Play Elite 2026 JT)</span> Benita is a skilled and lanky guard who can score from all three levels of the floor, but also plays hard on both sides of the ball. She is skilled enough to manipulate the defense with a live dribble and initiate offense for her teammates. She routinely scored off the bounce from the midrange and beyond the arc. She always seemed to knock down open looks when she got to set her feet. She consistently finished in the paint and was good at sneaking around her defender and then sealing them on her back for easy looks down low. I was very impressed with her ability to find space and use it to get through traps and turn the corner on her opponents within the half court. In the full court she is dynamic and a real problem to opposing defenses with her ability to make the right decisions and also get around her defenders. Another thing I loved seeing about her game was her willingness to dive on the floor after loose balls. She consistently fought on the ground for loose balls and long rebounds. I loved seeing all of that fight she had in her game. <strong>Kamdyn Flora</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">2027 5’8 TX (Just Play Elite 2026 JT)</span> Kamdyn is a highly skilled combo guard with a real ability to punish teams from the outside. She has a quick release and a knock down set shot from the corners and wings. She is a creative shotmaker in the paint and the midrange, who showed an ability to hang in the air and fade away from her opponents. I was very impressed with the ease in which she scored with her back to the basket, she routinely found space by fading away and rising up over her defenders. She can also work out of the mid-post and create looks while her teammates cut on the back side of the play. On the defensive side of the floor, she routinely picked off lazy passes in the passing lane and always had her head up to cut off angles for her opponents to catch the ball. This allowed her to work on the fast break, and also spot up in the corners for easy jumpers in the midrange or beyond the arc.