SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Class of 2002 Top Point
Guards In SoCal--(Oct. 24, 1999)

It's time for SoCalHoops' own annual post-summer, pre-season fall list of  "Top Players in SoCal" at each position in each class. The first group we're going to focus on is the class of 2002's point guards, and we've selected the top 35 players in the class at this position. We've broken them down into two groups, (Top 15, and Next 20), but we have not used numerical rankings. Maybe we should, and maybe someday we will, but for now we don't. . 

Why not use numerical rankings?  Because college coaches make their own evaluations, and the point of our lists is not to "rank" players, but to get the word out about players to those in a position to do something about recruiting them, i.e., the college coaches.  Most club coaches, high school coaches, fans and other players already know about the guys listed here, and likewise, so do a lot of the college coaches.  We hope more decide to check these guys out sometime during the next three years.  Some of these players will be good enough eventually and lucky enough to get recruited at the D-I level, while others will get recruited at various other levels, whether D-II, D-III or NAIA.  Some will wind up at JUCO's because they may not qualify.  All of them have the chance to, but they'll need to get it done in the classroom first. The bottom line is that it's  too early to tell what will happen to these players. And that's also one of their real plusses too:   They're young, have got more of their high school careers in front of them than they have behind them, and if they work hard and are lucky enough to avoid injury, they'll continue to improve, get bigger, stronger, and eventually make it to the next level.

We obviously have not seen every player in SoCal in the sophomore class.  We've listed those players we believe are among the best who have played particularly well this past summer and fall,  especially at some of the higher profile events.  We've reviewed all of our prior lists, all the rosters from tournaments we viewed this summer, re-read articles we've written since last June, and reviewed our notes and tapes of players.  The list include players from Fresno in the North, to San Diego in the South, i.e., the entire SoCal region.  Most of the players listed have already drawn the attention of other recruiting services (such as Recruiting USA (Benezra and Mayemura), Fullcourt Press, Clark Francis'  HoopScoop,  Dave Telep's PrepStars Recruiting, and others).  Some are "ranked" elsewhere by the other guys, and some are not.

Each player is listed at his primary position. If you don't see a player on a list where you'd expect, look at another position (like shooting guard) because he may be listed elsewhere. The list which follows is SoCal sophomore point guards.  A "point guard" is generally the guy who brings the ball up, sets up the offense, controls the team's play, and is usually more of a playmaker than a scorer;  it's usually the guy with the most assists on a team, with the best passing skills, who finds the open man. In general a top point guard has excellent vision, good court sense, makes his teammates better, knows when to drive and when to dish, can shoot if necessary and has a good handle, pushes the ball on the break and generally has good quickness.

If we've left a player off the list, it may or may not be an oversight, but if you think someone deserves to be on the list who isn't shown, just let us know.

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