Extremely Underrated Guards - Summer Finale TOC

This summers Summer Finale Tournament of Champions in Des Moines, IA did not disappoint. The competition was tough and there was a big reason why top D1 coaches (Baylor, Tennessee, Michigan, UCLA, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.) were front and center at HyVee Hall. If you were looking for a top level guards this was the place to be whether you wanted a small guard or a big guard.     [player_tooltip player_id='311394' first='Alyssa' last='Bartlett'] 5'6 PG 2025 (Southeast Polk High School) Des Moines, IA- Alyssa's game is way bigger than her height. She commands the floor and directs traffic as you want out of your point guard. She's extremely vocal and is unafraid to hold her teammates accountable. Alyssa is aggressive with the basketball being able to create off the dribble, shoot the 3 with a quick release and creatively finish in the lane through contact. Did I mention that on the defensive end she RELENTLESS pressuring the ball and giving up no ground? Oh and if you like a point guard that's going to go get a rebound she can do that too!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/6F1529A3-B473-40FB-AE40-BAB907DCBA35.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-468641" width="398" height="483" /></figure>       [player_tooltip player_id='385706' first='Taylor' last='Barnes'] - 6'0 Guard 2025 (South Grand Prairie High School) Dallas, TX- Taylor showed that she is a versatile player from being able to stretch the floor to hit the 3 on a consistent basis. Her mid-range game is tough as she uses her athleticism to rise up over players and also commands the block when posting up. She is very quick and can guard 1-5. If she gets the rebound on the defensive end she can go coast to coast using speed and strength. Great athletic build and can handle the ball. Taylor is a DOG on the defensive end from blocking shots, pressuring the ball handler and hyping her teammates.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/112DBF5F-5B3B-437F-8A79-BCD967AA8271-768x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-468622" width="487" height="649" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='63033' first='Molly' last='Joyce'] 2023 5'7 Point Guard (Bishop Garrigan High School) Algona, IA [player_tooltip player_id='63033' first='Molly' last='Joyce'] is a SAVAGE on the basketball court! Smooth lefty that will do anything to get to the basket. Shooter, defender, rebounder, hustler are words that I would describe her as. She is very quick with and without the ball. She never shows negative emotions on the court so you never know what she's thinking. She's a D1 commit to Truman State and they got a steal!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/Molly-Joyce1-1024x759.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-288250" width="486" height="359" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='311360' first='Jaeden' last='Pratt'] 2025 5'8 Point Guard (Ankeny Centennial High School) Des Moines, IA [player_tooltip player_id='311360' first='Jaeden' last='Pratt'] is your all around player that is the glue to any team she's on. She's does all of the little things to impact the game. She will push the ball up the floor with her eyes up always looking for any opportunities to hit the open player. She communicates on the defensive end letting her teammates know what's happening on the floor. She is easily the most athletic player on her squad and can touch the rim (talk about major hops!) She will track down any fast break the other team think they have and make a huge stop! She's going to snatch every rebound, hit the open shot and even get to the basket using her speed and athleticism. She just received her first of many D1 offers!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/BD404A06-0811-43F0-8038-2A66AA8AE7FA-745x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-468640" width="355" height="488" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='830777' first='Madilyn' last='Gewirtz'] 2024 6'0 Guard/Forward (Highland High School) Phoenix, AZ - Madilyn is a long guard who can play guard or center. She can push the ball up the floor, face up to play 1 on 1 and can create off the dribble. She crashes the boards non stop and uses her long arms to not only snatch rebounds but block shots. Madilyn has a smooth game and is even tempered on the court. Her teammates look to her as a go-to player which certainly has been earned!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/07/FCD0C543-F14B-4DB6-B0B1-64BFF8CEC85A-768x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-468626" width="421" height="561" /></figure>

This summers Summer Finale Tournament of Champions in Des Moines, IA did not disappoint. The competition was tough and there was a big reason why top D1 coaches (Baylor, Tennessee, Michigan, UCLA, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.) were front and center at HyVee Hall. If you were looking for a top level guards this was the place to be whether you wanted a small guard or a big guard.