AZ’s Best: Top ’26 Point Guards to watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today we begin a series to keep tabs on some of the top point guards from the Class of 2026 to watch in Arizona. With the club season winding down and coming to an end and high school hoops on the horizon, this will serve as a primer with players to watch this coming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Point guards are the focal point of the offense. Statistics can sure help, but many factors go into evaluating a point guard outside of the box score. The intangibles, the leadership, the ability to make quick decisions, body language, coachability, basketball IQ, etc., weight into scouting reports on lead guards. The handle, and court vision are two other key factors that I look at when evaluating this position. We will dive into some of the top decision-makers in the state here below. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This three-part series will break down 15 point guards across the state. We'll begin with five to watch this upcoming season and beyond. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='808288' first='Rylee' last='Fraley-Gonzales'] <strong>Pinnacle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a sophomore, Gonzales averaged 4.6 assists per game in 2023, leading her class in that category. She appeared in 28 games, compiling 130 assists to 66 turnovers. That gave her a strong assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.97 on the season, a major factor in evaluating point guards. She put up 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game to go with those 4.6 assists along with 1.7 steals per contest. She shot 45 percent on the season and 29 percent from three-point range. She enters her junior year for Pinnacle next season and should have an expanded role and will be a player we keep tabs on. The 5'5" guard is ranked 53rd overall in <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/arizona/rankings/2026-rankings/">our 2026 rankings</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='660218' first='Shanielle' last='Mallory'] <strong>Kellis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mallory enters her junior season looking to break out in a big way. The 5'4" point guard is currently ranked number 21 overall in our 2026 rankings. She is capable of passing the rock (4.3 assists per game) but even more impressive is her ability to get buckets and make an impact defensively. As a sophomore at Kellis (Glendale), she averaged 18.3 points per game along with 5.5 steals per contest. She put up a strong 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio and will look to build off a strong season. Mallory will need to improve the field goal percentage as an area of improvement, but there is a lot to like about her all-around game and she will only continue to get better. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='808127' first='Ella' last='LaFountain'] <strong>Eastmark</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LaFountain put together a strong sophomore season at Eastmark and will look to build off that momentum in her junior season. The 5'6" point guard from Mesa is ranked 61 overall in our 2026 rankings. In 27 contests, she averaged 8.1 points, 4.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. Ella posted a solid assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.96, ranking among the best sophomores in Arizona. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='847114' first='Chanel' last='Yellowman'] <strong>Estrella Foothills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yellowman had herself a strong season, finishing with the highest assist-to-turnover ratio (min. 3 assists per game) in her class for Estrella Foothills. She appeared in 33 games during her sophomore season, averaging 7.5 points, 3.3 assists, 3.3 steals, and 2.7 rebounds per contest. The 5'6" guard is ranked 55th overall in our class of 2026 rankings. We'll be keeping tabs on her progression as she continues to develop and display her multi-faceted game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='754705' first='Ashley' last='Shaw'] <strong>Desert Vista</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shaw saw limited time as a sophomore on varsity for Desert Vista a season ago, but she is on the rise with her recovery from injuries. The skilled 5'7" point guard is ranked as our #2 overall PG prospect and 37th overall in the state. Our Cedric Cobb recently wrote about her performance at the EXPO here: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2024/09/the-expo-top-performers-part-2/">The EXPO: Top Performers Part 2</a>. Her poise and ability to let the game come to her makes her a player to watch this season and beyond. <br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->