Top 50 Earned Not Given: Lead Guards Impress

Basing these players off size, skill, and presence on the court each showed the ability to lead a team, initiate and facilitate offense in the halfcourt, and defend their position well. Not all would be considered pure point guards, but most all project to play that position on the next level. They all bring their unique style and personality to the court differentiating themselves from the rest of the pack.    No one at the showcase played better than Kenzie which is a theme that seems to be the case almost every time I watch her play. Having done so a lot, I can say with confidence that pressuring her with the ball high in the halfcourt with one defender is not a good idea defensively. Whether it was in three on three or five versus five, Hinkson punished defenders who chose to push up on her when she had the ball. She used her elite ball handling (on full display during the skills portion) and quickness to blow by her defender before finishing at the rim or finding an open teammate, In theory that should work, the problem is Kenzie is an outstanding shooter from three as well. If you give her too much space, then she will bury shots from the perimeter. All of the skills she possesses along with the physical gifts make her one of the very best Juniors in Georgia. She currently holds offers from Furman, Jacksonville State, Mercer, and West Georgia. I expect that list to grow substantially over the next two years.     Walton was hard to miss flashing some impressive dribble combinations and moves as she sped by defenders with the basketball. Walton got from point A to point B as quick as anyone at the camp and made some highlight reel passes once she broke the initial line of defense. Whether it was pushing the ball in transition or getting into the paint in the halfcourt, Walton was excellent distributing the ball. Jayla also showed the ability to score if the help did not stop her with the basketball several times. One of the best plays of the day saw her utilize that ball handling and quickness to beat her defender before smoothly laying the ball up and off the glass for two with her left hand. I had heard a lot of good things about her over the last 12 months and now I know why. Her offensive skills and fundamentals were impressive during skill work.     Makayla has proven over the last three years that she is more than capable of playing with and holding her own against Georgia's best guards. She is a true throwback to when I played in the 90's and early 2000's at the point guard position. Whether it is with her talented travel team or at Holy Innocents, you know what you are getting every time Weaver hits the court. She plays with an extremely high IQ picking and choosing when to distribute and when to score. She is lightening quick handling the ball and has sneaky, slick handles that makes her very hard to stay in front of. She uses that quickness on the defensive end applying on ball pressure and jumping into the passing lanes. I asked her when she was making her college decision and she told me she wasn't sure but probably before the season starts. She currently holds offers from in state schools Shorter, Young Harris, Georgia College, and Clark Atlanta along with Lander and St. Clair Community College from outside of Georgia.     Weaver's game is very similar, but not identical to her older sister Makayla. She is as quick as a cat, whether she has the basketball or not. Tiny hurt teams inside and out on the offensive end, scoring and distributing the basketball. She is an excellent shooter from three-point range while also possessing the ability to finish over defenders at her size in the paint. She has played in some of the biggest tournaments in the country with Holy Innocents and has been consistently good against elite competition. Do not let her size fool you, she can play in any high school game in Georgia and do just fine.     Kayden is one of the more underrated point guards in the state in the 2028 class. Having watched her play several times with GAC, I know that she plays the game with an intelligence and maturity beyond her years. No matter the setting the smooth southpaw always performs well and Sunday was no different. David does all the things a coach wants their lead guard to do- push the ball when the numbers are in their favor but have the patience to pull the ball out when an easy bucket isn't available. She doesn't pound the basketball or waste dribbles, instead gets the ball where it should go on time and target. Kayden is a very good finisher at the rim and shooter from the perimeter. Her decision-making is what I like the most about her game. She did an excellent job getting Power Four prospect and high school teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='1226988' first='Peyton' last='Frazier'], the ball at UGA team camp when I saw them play this Summer. If teams chose to leave her to double or gave too much help, then she punished them by putting the ball in the basket effectively and efficiently herself. She will be a very good player in college.     Kyleigh was not a player I was familiar with coming into the event, but I knew there were some last-minute sign-ups from Tennessee. I think the trip was well worth it as Morgan not only stood out throughout the camp, but finished very strong playing in the All-Star game. Kyleigh shot the ball very well from deep, but it was her ability to get to the rim and finish with both hands when she got there that was most impressive. Morgan stayed around the ball and was in the middle of a lot of the action during her shifts on the floor putting herself in positions to score on loose balls and offensive rebounds. After a strong Spring and summer playing with AEBL, Morgan will play with East Tennessee Air and Craig Campos next year.     Sams was one of the best players on my side of the court during five on five, not only competing against, but standing out against kids 2-3 years older than her. Her size and length certainly helped as she cut and sliced her way to the rim repeatedly finishing with an impressive package using her dominant left hand. Defenders were nearly helpless as Sams put together inside out and hesitation moves, shot and jab fakes that you would expect from someone much older. I was curious about her jump shot (she did not need to use it all day) until she ended five versus five play by pulling up and knocking down a three in transition off the dribble. She will be ranked high in the 2030 class when the new update is released.

Basing these players off size, skill, and presence on the court each showed the ability to lead a team, initiate and facilitate offense in the halfcourt, and defend their position well. Not all would be considered pure point guards, but most all project to play that position on the next level. They all bring their unique style and personality to the court differentiating themselves from the rest of the pack.