By: Cooper Hart
6’2” ’27 Chris Gomez (NC Spartans Neisler)
Gomez is a recent addition to the 2027 class and he’s already one of the age’s more impactful and productive players. He’s a true combo guard that can create for himself and others at an exceptionally high level. His ball skills are incredibly mature for his age, already being able to act as a high-usage initiator. The handle is crafty and efficient, his body control and touch when finishing is at a plus level to his counterparts, and his shot-making has gone from small flashes to real bursts over the past four months. Defensively, he’s very versatile, able to guard 1-4 effectively, and has a good sense of when to gamble and when not to. He’s even shown that he can protect that rim at a high level for his size. While his skillset is very well-rounded and mature, the part of his game that is by far the most promising is his feel and decision-making. He plays the game one step ahead and always knows where the other nine players are. He’s a natural leader and his teammates thrive off his communication and energy on and off the court.
6’2” ’26 Ian Bailey (Team Vision)
Bailey has been quietly trending upward as one of the best guards in NCs 2026 class all spring. Over the past month or so, his ascent has made a lot more noise as he’s been the best player on the floor in a handful of high-profile matchups. What immediately stands out about Bailey is his willingness to play the right way. He’s always going to get his teammates involved and operate within the framework of the offensive structure. As a passer, Bailey is one of the very few guards in the state that can consistently make live dribble passes with either hand. He makes exceptional reads on drives, ball screens, and in transition, making the advantage created even bigger by the accurate live dribble passing. As a scorer, he’s shown growth in his confidence to take and make tough shots. He’s especially comfortable in the mid-range, getting to different pull-ups, fadeaways, and stepbacks with consistency. He continues to be a >40% shooter from deep and one of the most comfortable rim finishers around. Just overall incredible dynamism from one of the best true lead guards in the state.
5’8” ’27 Walker Montague (WCBA)
Montague was nothing short of outstanding in Session 1, controlling the game in seemingly every aspect despite his lack of superior size and athleticism. His biggest strength is his shooting and the gravity that comes with it. He’s a great shooter off-the-dribble, comfortable in situations ranging from simple one-dribble pull-ups to escaping a ball screen trap and getting the shot up before completely reorganizing. His footwork when moving off the ball is mature and efficient, doing a really good job at relocating to open space and using off-ball screens to create separation. Montague also has a solid understanding of what to do when teams overplay his shot. He’s great at attacking closeouts and finding teammates for easy baskets after second-line rotations. He can hit the mid-range pull-up and showed the ability to make complex passing reads on occasion. Montague should be a rare undersized freshman that can make a varsity impact right away at Cardinal Gibbons this winter.
6’8” ’25 Dylan Clark (Team MVL)
Clark was arguably the most offer-worthy player that I saw in Session 1, simply dominating the paint on both ends of the court. He’s a 6’8” post with great frame, mobility, fluidity, and touch for his size. He has the softest hands of maybe any big I’ve seen this spring; he catches anything he can get a hand on. Clark is a strong rim runner, capable post option, and great screener. He throws his frame around well offensively as he’s not afraid to initiate contact and he dunks any chance he gets. His strongest trait right now is his defense as his rim protection abilities are truly special. His mobility and physicality give him an immediate defensive floor, but his instincts, timing, and awareness give him a unique ceiling. He blocks or alters seemingly every shot near the rim and is more than willing to make multiple efforts to get a stop. Between the intangible physical traits and his understanding of how to succeed on the court it’s surprising that Clark’s recruitment hasn’t taken off yet. Expect to see that uptick happen in the next calendar year as the schools that would recruit him turn more of their attention to the 2025 class.
5’11” ’25 Miles Leaks (Upward Stars Carolinas)
Leaks is one of those guards that will make a steady and consistent impact at a high level of college basketball, despite being undersized. He’s a lethal and reliable shooting threat that, even on his worst games, still manages to stay one shot away from heating up. His shot mechanics are compact and efficient, he doesn’t waste motion and the reliance on a smooth transfer of energy gives him shooting consistency like very few others have. As a point guard, Leaks does a really good job of keeping his dribble alive, a skill that few high schoolers really understand. He probes the defense with a methodical approach, handling pressure well and keeping defenses honest with his play creation sense. If he gets too deep and doesn’t like what he has, he simply pulls the ball out and attacks from another angle, hence why keeping his dribble alive is so important. That ability to reattack in the same possession is especially dangerous considering how quickly he can change speeds; defenses simply can’t relax when he has the ball. Leaks is also a quietly good passer, sacrificing flashy highlights for accurate, defense-busting plays. His vision and ball placement are truly high-level, rounding him out as one of the best all-around guards at his size.