2025 Rankings Update: Top Shooting Guards
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As we wrap up this Summer, let’s take a look at the extremely talented shooting guard position. The class of 2025 is loaded with talent and the shooting guard position boasts 6 players that are ranked among the top 25…
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Continue ReadingAs we wrap up this Summer, let’s take a look at the extremely talented shooting guard position. The class of 2025 is loaded with talent and the shooting guard position boasts 6 players that are ranked among the top 25 players in their class. Looking at the top 5 SG’s, I see 5 players that really put in the work this Summer with their AAU teams and 5 players that should go on to play at a high level in college. So, let’s take a deeper look at those players.
Barrier’s a special player that is constantly looking to make even more improvements to her game. Every chance I got to watch her play this Summer, I was beyond impressed by her defensive intensity. She was facing some of the best competition around and continuously proving that she can play at a high level. Barrier played excellent on-ball defense, applying heavy pressure and making it extremely tough on whoever she was guarding, but she also was getting into the passing lanes so well off of the ball. She runs the floor, can finish at the rim, and can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. Her shooting form is beautiful as well. Barrier moves without the ball and makes some really fantastic passes. Her handles are also solid. She has been dominating at Montgomery County for years now and I’m excited to see how much she’s able to improve her already impressive numbers this season.
I’m expecting Johnson to have a phenomenal year with her Anderson County squad. She has a ton of talent and her team also graduated their top 3 scorers, including Kentucky’s 2022 Miss Basketball recipient. Johnson can do it all and she has excellent length. She consistently runs the floor and plays hard. She can finish through contact and she makes great drives to the basket. Johnson’s outside shooting is very strong as well. She catches ready to fire and she shot nearly 40% from 3 in her freshman season. She also uses her length to block shots, get deflections, come up with steals, and alter shots defensively. Johnson is a really good rebounder as well, and I could easily see her average a double-double throughout her sophomore season.
Bale continues opening a lot of eyes across the state, and her stock certainly rose this Spring and Summer. The lefty is smooth and contributes to the game in a variety of ways whenever she’s on the floor. Bale makes good passes, has good handles, and utilizes hesitations so well. She’s got good speed and is an excellent 3 level scorer. Bale can drive past her defenders and finish at the rim, but she also can finish through floaters and pull-up jumpers. However, you better respect her outside shooting as well because she has deep range and shoots the ball at a high percentage. Bale’s free throw percentage is also very high and she can finish through contact, so she’s a tough defensive assignment for anyone.
You won’t find many players that are quicker than Duck, with or without the ball in her hands. She can get past her defender and she can finish at the rim. However, she also uses floaters well and she can knock down 3’s. There’s a lot of versatility in Duck’s game and I’d expect her role to grow exponentially for CAL this season as they just graduated 2 dynamic guards in Jaya McClure and Abigail Embry. Defensively, she also really gets after it and is disruptive. Duck’s constantly ready to get the steal, whether she’s guarding the ball or in the passing lanes. She is a true spark no matter who she is playing with or who she is playing for, so watching her alongside incoming freshman, Brianna Wilkins, and CAL’s talented vets should be very entertaining.
Molden is an extremely high IQ player and she flat out competes when she’s on the court. She plays so hard and she never backs down. Molden crashes the boards and gets rebounds, she defends, she makes hustle plays, and she’s vocal. She has all the skills you would want in a point guard or shooting guard, so you can put her at any guard position and she’s going to be successful. Molden handles pressure and is an excellent passer. She also has fantastic form on her shot and makes great drives to the basket. She can really put the ball in the basket at a high level. I expect Molden’s stock to just continue going up as more coaches and scouts are able to watch her play because she is going to be a star.