San Diego’s best available – point guards
With just a few weeks left until the start of the playoffs, unsigned seniors have fewer opportunities to showcase their talents.
But, some have done a lot during the year to boost their stock.
Who are some of the top unsigned players in San Diego? Prep Hoops So-Cal takes a deep dive into the unsigned player pool in a series of posts.
First up, we examine the best available point guards, followed by combo guards, shooting guards, wing forwards and posts.
San Diego’s Best Available – Point Guards
1. Damien Miller – 5-9, 140, Orange Glen – This is an easy call. The hyper athletic and super productive and efficient lead guard is a triple double waiting to happen (16.3 PPG, 9.3 APG, 8.8 RPG). Physically, Miller has great length for his size (6-2 wingspan) and explosive vertical athleticism. Miller’s vision in drive-and-kick situations is superb, and he has the strength and explosiveness to attack the basket and finish through contact at will, with either hand. His shooting has improved, but he doesn’t take a ton of shots from the outside. Miller has excellent ball control, only turning it over 1.1 times per contest. Defensively, he is one of the top on-ball defenders in the section.
2. Nashom Carter – 5-10, 170, Christian – Very strong and compact point guard has a college-ready physique. He plays with excellent pace and makes great reads out of the pick-and-roll. Carter is a solid shooter from the perimeter with good, repeatable mechanics. Defensively, Carter sits in a stance and moves his feet as well as any guard you’ll see, and excels at both position defense and creating live-ball turnovers. Much like Miller, Carter is a productive rebounder given his size and distributes the ball to open teammates. Intangibly, Carter is an excellent leader and a vocal floor general.
3. JC Canahuate – 6-1 165, Army Navy Academy – Crafty scoring point guard has a good build, solid length and good ball skills. Can score from all three levels, both facing up and in the post. Canahuate has the strength and body control to finish through contact, though better finishing with his right than his left. He doesn’t have great burst or explosiveness, but does a great job changing speeds with the dribble. Defensively, Canahuate has improved but his effort level vacillates on that end.
4. Cameron Barry – 6-0 160, West Hills – Prolific scoring point guard has been on a tear offensively, averaging over 34 points per contest. Barry has deep range on his jump shot, and is equally deft off the dribble and off the catch. Shot selection is sometimes an issue, as he has the ultimate green light at this level. While asked to score more for his undersized team, Barry has shown flashes of solid pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop play. Defensively he has the length to be a best on defense, but his effort level and lateral quickness must improve on that end.
5. Gage Sanders – 6-0 150, Steele Canyon – Long, wiry scoring point guard who possesses prolific shooting range and nice burst off the dribble. Has improved his overall lateral quickness and athleticism, which has made him more of a threat off the dribble. High-IQ passer is solid in pick and roll and drive and kick situations. Needs to get stronger to finish plays through contact. Sanders, much like Barry, needs to improve his effort level on the defensive end.
6. Malik Campbell – 6-3 165, San Ysidro – Physically, Campbell has the most upside on the list and has the potential to be an elite defender in the halfcourt. Blessed with great length (6-7+ wingspan) and lateral quickness, Campbell cuts off dribble drives and collects steals by getting his hands on balls in passing lanes. Campbell handles the ball capably enough to initiate the offense, and is a willing passer off the bounce. Offensively, Campbell is very raw, his offense generated largely in transition and dribble drives to the basket. Improving his handle with his off hand and his ability to shoot from midrange and three should be priorities at this point.
7. Chris Modica – 6-1 190, Hoover – A stocky floor general, Modica uses his size well to overpower smaller defenders. Not overly quick, but Modica has a solid first step, and does a good job keeping defenders on their hip until he gets into the paint, where he finishes with an array of runners, floaters and pull-ups. He shoots at a decent clip from three, but is streaky at times. Modica has good vision, but sometimes forces passes into tight spaces, which results in unforced turnovers. Defensively, he shows flashes of being a good on-ball defender, but improving his lateral quickness will help him in that area.
8. Amari Green – 6-1 185, Helix – Big-bodied point guard has improved his conditioning this year, allowing him to be more explosive off the dribble. High IQ passer who runs the pick and roll with precision. Really good understanding of when to score and when to pass. Plays with solid pace in the half court, and does a good job changing speeds in the open court. Green is a very good defender, who slides his feet quickly to stay in front of his defender. While improved as a perimeter shooter, he needs to be more consistent to keep defenders honest.
9. Timmy Crawford – 5-10 170, Montgomery – Crawford has a compact frame, and makes up for his lack of explosiveness and quickness off the dribble with a high-IQ approach on the offensive end. Crawford is excellent at changing pace, has great body control on his finishes, and has a nose for the basket. He’s a streaky shooter from the perimeter, often exchanging makes and misses. Crawford can score and defend in the post, using his low center of gravity to his advantage. Defensively, Crawford works hard and stays in front of his man, and uses his quick hands to collect steals. Despite his stature, Crawford is an excellent rebounder.
T-10. Kobe Gatti – 6-0 170, Westview – Efficient floor general is one of the best perimeter shooters on the list. Gatti is best in the halfcourt, where he plays with good pace and finds gaps in the defense to knock down jump shots, especially of the pull-up variety. He also excels at shooting off the catch. Gatti is a good, but not great passer, as he looks to score more often than to distribute. Defensively, he plays hard, which compensates for his lack of great lateral quickness.
T-10. James Allen – 5-9 150, Mt. Miguel – Speedy floor general is the catalyst for the Matadors halfcourt and transition attack. In the halfcourt, he does a good job mixing speeds and using his burst to get past the first level of the defense, where he makes good pocket passes to cutters. Allen understands how to play pick-and-roll, but forces the issue at times, resulting in turnovers. Allen has a very solid pull-up jump shot and his shot from three is playable when given space. The main question with Allen is how much bigger he will be able to get, as he has narrow shoulders and a slight frame.
Next up: Reggie Jackson, Mater Dei Catholic; Sam Crespy, Canyon Crest; Andres Tovar, Orange Glen; Brenton Bell, Kearny; Eric Pompa, EC Southwest; Cristian Garrett, Guajome Park Academy; Neilryan Pangilinan, Sweetwater; Thomas Tolentino, Preuss; Nikolai Kim, Del Norte