San Diego Week 1 guard standouts

Basketball is back in San Diego.  With 10 days of high school hoops in the books, we recap some of the action in a series of articles looking at the best players we’ve seen based on position, grade and upside. This article looks at the top guard performances we’ve seen so far.  Best guard performances: Chris Howell Chris Howell 6'6" | PG Torrey Pines | 2021 State #205 Nation , 6-7 2021 PG, Torrey Pines Howell continues to evolve as a prospect, especially on the offensive end. He had 21 points against a very good Santa Fe Christian team in a game where he hit four shots outside the paint. His release and mechanics have improved, and while not a knockdown shooter, his midrange and three-point have improved enough that you must honor it. This opens up so much more of his penetrating and passing game, which he also had on display, notching 8 assists.  DJ Sanders DJ Sanders 6'0" | CG Bonita Vista | 2021 State , 6-0 2021 PG, Bonita Vista In one of the most impressive performances I’ve seen in a while, Sanders scored an efficient 40 points against Mission Bay, scoring at will from all three level. The lefty had it going attacking the basket and exploiting the Bucs’ lack of rim protection. When the defense sagged on him, he made them pay knocking down multiple three pointers, his release looking much improved from last season. Defensively, he frustrated the Bucs younger guards into a number of turnovers.  MoMo Stokes MoMo Stokes 5'9" | PG Bonita Vista | 2021 State , 5-11 2021 PG, Bonita Vista Stokes finished off what Sanders started against the Buccaneers, scoring 30 of his 37 points in the second half (yes, the two guards accounted for 77 of BV’s 99 points in a regulation game). Stokes has a silky smooth jumper, but he excels getting two feet in the paint and using his explosive athleticism and balance to finish through contact.  Nick Herrmann Nick Herrmann 6'2" | SG Torrey Pines | 2021 State , 6-3 2021 G, Torrey Pines Herrmann put on an excellent performance in the double OT win over SFC, finishing with a game-high 28 points, 8 assists and 6 boards for the Falcons. Herrmann came out strong in the first half, striking from all three levels. In the second half, he became more of a facilitator, driving and kicking to open teammates, and making the extra pass to lead to open shots.  Hayden Gray Hayden Gray 6'2" | PG Santa Fe Christian | 2021 State , 6-4 2021 PG, Santa Fe Christian The Azusa Pacific commit made big plays all night for the Eagles, attacking off the dribble, knocking down midrange and three-point shots, and creating scoring opportunities for teammates. Defensively, he was very active on the ball against Howell in the halfcourt.  Keatten Smith Keatten Smith 6'1" | CG Santa Fe Christian | 2021 State , 6-3 2021 SG, Santa Fe Christian Smith has been known for his marksmanship from deep, but in this game, he unveiled big improvement attacking the ball off the dribble and finishing around the rim. He scored a team-high 22 points, and used his underrated length and defensive timing to make Herrmann work hard for his points in the second half.  Sebastian Medina, 6-4 2022 G, San Ysidro Medina is a big part of the new look Cougars. He has a strong frame and does a nice job using his footwork and change of pace to get into the paint, where he shows off his passing IQ and crafty scoring ability. An underrated aspect of his game is his feathery shooting touch from midrange and out to the college three.  Wayne Hampton, 6-2 2021 G, Hoover Hampton has returned after a serious knee injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season, and has been solid in two viewings (vs San Diego and San Ysidro). He plays at his own pace and does an excellent job keeping defenses off balance by changing speed and pace.  Myles Bennett, 6-1 2021 G, San Diego Bennett emerged from an early season slump with his best game of the season against Hoover in a comeback win. The athletic lefty has nice burst and is a crafty finisher around the basket, and his midrange pull-up and spot-up shooting from three have become big weapons for him this year. The next step for him will be to continue to develop as a playmaker for others, using his ability to get into the paint to generate offense on drive-and-kick or dump offs to bigs in pick-and-roll situations.  Kenny Gonzalez Jr., 5-11 2022 PG, Mission Bay Gonzalez, a transfer from Mater Dei Catholic, has emerged as a steadying force for the Buccaneers. He has a nice blend of quickness, feel and a solid pull-up game he uses as a counter to defenses overplaying his penetration.