2029 Rankings: Breaking down the top guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The incoming sophomore class had many players take another step on the court and standout. Here is a breakdown of some guards in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Top Tier:</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top tier of players contains some of the top players overall in this class. [player_tooltip player_id='1239084' first='Lucia' last='Mayorquin'] leads the way as the top player in the class. She is a dynamic guard who can play anywhere on the court, scoring with ease and having the ability to change her pace nicely. She has received many Division 1 offers and is poised for another big season. [player_tooltip player_id='1350114' first='Aleya' last='Smith'] is another top guard in this class. She made a big impact on the court as a freshman last year, showing high confidence and an elite deep shot. Smith doesn't need much space to get her shot off either, being able to use her nice step back to get enough space for herself. Union could utilize her even more as next year arrives. Another player Union is going to lean on is [player_tooltip player_id='1249193' first='Kadee' last='Spike']. She is another guard who is gaining Division 1 offers and interests very quickly. She is quick on the court, having quick handles while changing her pace smoothly. Her deep shot is also outstanding, being able to catch fire after seeing a few go in. [player_tooltip player_id='1309406' first='Savannah' last='Jeannot'] is another talented guard who belongs in the Top Tier category. She helped lead Bellevue to a state championship last season but more importantly, has grown her game a lot over the AAU season. Her offensive game could be the most dynamic in the class, being able to score from all 3 levels while displaying an elite crossover when getting to the bucket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>The Next Tier:</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These next few guards are players who are still elite players and some of them future D1 athletes if they can continue on the path they are on. [player_tooltip player_id='1306439' first='Reagan' last='Applin'] comes to mind, she is a guard with quick agility and can read opposing teams fast to break down the weak spots. She attends a smaller school but really had a fantastic AAU season against high level competition. She scores from all 3 levels but her ability to break down defenders stands out the most. [player_tooltip player_id='1309957' first='Nakiah' last='Barrett'] is a high level defender who brings energy to the court every time she steps on it. Barrett's deep shot is excellent as she can drain it from anywhere on the court, contested or not. She stays strong in the paint, not being afraid of contact when trying to finish or grab rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id='1308478' first='Camille' last='Phaysith'] is another high level guard who continues to grow her game in a big way. She scores with ease, displaying an advanced offensive game and being able to get buckets from all 3 levels. She has elite vision too as she always makes the extra pass and sees open teammates. [player_tooltip player_id='1263280' first='Raquel' last='Dunnam'] continues to refine her game in a big way too, being a two way player. She defends at a high level while being able to guard multiple positions. Her shot from deep stands out on the offensive side but she can also attack the gaps and get through contact to get buckets down low. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>On The Rise Tier:</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These next few guards are still players who makes big impacts for their teams while on the court, while still growing their games. [player_tooltip player_id='1692187' first='Kailee' last='Maldonado'] is a player who could be in the tier above as well. She is a high level facilitator who makes the extra pass to her teammates but can also get her own buckets. She is going to have a big role for Chiawana next season and I think could rise in these rankings easily. [player_tooltip player_id='1308399' first='Savannah' last='Johnson'] is another guard who had a great season for Bellevue. With their roster being so stacked, they will continue to play a lot of players and Johnson will get more minutes with time coming. She is great in transition, running the court well and seeing open teammates down the court. Be on the watch for Johnson. SaFine Sampson is a player who had a great freshman showcase last year and I knew was poised for a big high school career. She uses her elite vision often, seeing teammates often and being unselfish every possession. She is strong on the court too, using her strength to her advantage in the paint being able to out-body opponents with no problem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->