Josiah Vargas — 5″10 Point Guard — Class of 2028 — Team FVV 16U/Boylan Catholic High School (IL)

Any coach looking for a lightning fast point guard with exceptional court vision should definitely check out Josiah Vargas. He has natural skills at that position and his quickness makes him a tough match for any opponent. He’s also a great general on the floor directing traffic and making sure his teammates are in the right position to succeed. He had an ability to calm the pace down when things would get shaky but when his team is in rhythm, he’s out front leading transition buckets. He’s just as efficient on defense creating numerous steals leading to those fast break points on offense.

Durant Stokes — 6″3 Guard/Forward — Class of 2028 — Team FVV 16U/Jefferson High School (IL)

Durant Stokes is a big wing player who can play inside and out. His midrange game would be his best attribute from my perspective. He’s got great guard skills but he’s tough as nails in the paint. He’s got some great footwork at his disposal inside but he can also take his defender off the dribble from the perimeter. And he gives full effort and energy on both ends of the court. He’s a great passer as well but his defense combined with his size and athletic ability causes problems for opponents on that end of the floor.

Josiah Bowen — 6″2 Shooting Guard — Class of 2028 — OGB Elite 16U/Belmont High School (MA)

Josiah Brown might’ve been the shiftiest guard that I saw over the weekend. He has great body control and he uses it to his advantage when looking to score from any spot on the court. He is a pure scorer and is not shying away from it. He can definitely score in bunches but what really impressed me is his willingness to pass even if he had an open look on the perimeter. He definitely believes in making the right play before adding to his score total and if that helps his teammates get into a similar flow, all the better for him and his team.

Jayden Harvey — 5″10 Point Guard — Class of 2028 — OGB Elite 16U/Randolph High School (MA)

Jayden Harvey was the conductor of this fast-paced offensive machine for OGB Elite. His handles were absolutely crazy. A natural born leader at that position and he was efficient with the rock while showing off those handles. He has no problem putting his head down and going downhill into the paint. He’s very comfortable, however, leading the sets of their offense and making sure he gets his teammates the ball in the right spots. It’s hard to see any back court mate of Harvey’s not thriving with the chemistry he provides at the point guard position.

Caleb Boyd — 5″11 Forward/Center — Class of 2028 — Road To Greatness/Marian Catholic High School (IL)

I’m not sure if any of these young bucks know about a street baller from back in the day named ‘Escalade’ but if you haven’t heard of him, google him. Caleb Boyd reminds me of him skill-wise. Boyd won’t be your tallest front court player but he’s got the size to body anybody up in the paint if he wants to. But that’s not what impressed me the most. Caleb has great guard skills to be playing at the forward/center position. He can bring it up the court, dribble around and through you and hit you with a fancy finish if he’s in that groove. His favorite aspect of his game is dribbling, of course, because why not?? And he’s got a nice jumper to go along with all of these skills he displays on the court.

Devonne Carothers — 6″2 Forward/Center — Class of 2029 — Road To Greatness/Homewood-Flossmoor High School (IL)

Devonne Carothers is another stretch 4 who loves to get active in the paint especially on the defensive end. He has great skill in all facets but he likes taking advantage of his size to box out opponents and clean up the glass. He normally plays at the center position but his skills allow him to play from the wing as a stretch-4 as well. He’s really good at using his hands to get steals and rebounds. And he’s a decent shooter from the outside as well. WIth 3 years of high school eligibility remaining, he still has room to grow and put on even more muscle before it’s all said and done.

Treyvon Davis — 6″2 Combo Guard — Class of 2027 — Beating The Odds Basketball 17U/Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School (OH)

Treyvon Davis has exceptional size for a combo guard on this level and it meshes well with the skill he brings to the court. He reminds me of OJ Mayo from back in the day as far as his build and ability to score at will. He takes pride in being a two-way player and shows great aggression and energy on the defensive side of the floor. He’s focused on becoming an all-around player who can do it all. Davis is built like a football player so that makes him a tough match-up for any guard defending him. He’s built “ford tough” and he should excel at the next level thanks to his scoring ability inside and out.

Mason Waechter — 6″5 Guard/Forward — Class of 2027 — Beating The Odds Basketball 17U/Brookside High School (OH)

I still can’t get over how mammoth these kids are at this stage of their careers and Mason Waechter was the epitome of that sentiment while in Grand Rapids. At first glance, you need to ask him for that birth certificate because he could easily be mistaken as a D1 player when you see him warming up. And then the skill he puts on display makes it even more evident that he is going to be special on the next level. Mason was extremely active on both ends of the court. But when he would get the ball inside on the offensive end, he was virtually impossible to stop. Mason has a great wingspan to go with that 6″5 frame and when he’s coming down the court full steam ahead, just get out of his way and avoid the embarrassment.

Mikey White — 5″11 Point Guard — Class of 2027 — DFTP Elite 17U/Kenosha Bradford High School (WI)

Mikey White was arguably the best scoring point guard I saw from the entire weekend. Every time the ball got in his hands, all I could do was anticipate the next exciting move, pass or shot that he was going to take. He is a legitimate triple threat at his position. But the best attribute that I saw from him was his shooting range. He wasn’t afraid to pull up from anywhere on the court and if his team was in a drought, he would be the first one to put an end to that the first chance he would get. If he’s driving through traffic to the cup, the fancy up and under reverse layups would come naturally for him. But again, he can shoot from any spot in the halfcourt so when the defender presses him on the perimeter, it sets him up for an easy blow-by to the rack.