WNY #E75 Recap - The Guards pt. 2

Monday, June 16th, 2025

Continuing on with the recap of the guards from the event, here are more standouts in the backcourt who caught our eye on Friday night at Aquinas.

Gannon Culver, Fairport - Culver can step into three's from the perimeter, while also making an impact in transition with his speed and finishing. He makes his mark on the defensive end with his ability to jump passes and get deflections.                        

Kyler Ferguson, Aquinas Institute - Ferguson thrives as a rhythm shooter from beyond the arc. He's able to knock down shots off the catch at a solid clip, and can create space with his handle to get shots off.                        

Nikolas Yudin, Phelps - Yudin fits the niche of a defensive minded guard that playmakes on that end of the floor. The guard gets physical with good control and toughness to keep the ball in front of him, while covering the other teams top option in the backcourt. He's got a solid pull-up game with a knack to getting to his spots offensively.                        

Kyler Stevenson, Corning-Painted Post - Stevenson has great touch on shots inside the arc, as he's able to convert off-balance in the lane, or with defenders bringing the contact. His shooting stands out off the catch, as well as at the free throw line where he can get to pretty often.                        

Marque Sudduth, The Park School - Sudduth is a crafty guard that can really get defenders off balance with his ability to shift from side-to-side and manipulate his tight handle on the ball. He's got a pretty smooth pull-up game and footwork to score when getting downhill in the lane.                        

Roman Maldonado, Irondequoit - Maldonado's moves with the ball allow him to get past defenders pretty consistently. He has good control of the ball and shift to his handle, while he finishes inside on the move among contesting defenders.                        

Cooper Grassel, Gananda - Grassel is a pretty consistent shooting threat from outside which helps open up the floor for him to make an impact in other facets of the game. He can get inside to score, make reads to get others involved offensively, and has good hands on the defensive end.                        

Caden Carey, Arkport Central - Carey's blend of footwork, mobility and strength on the defensive end allows him to play stout defense on opposing guards. He does a good job offensively of penetrating the paint and making the quick decision to go up or spray it out, while also being able to knock down some shots off the catch.                        

Jerome Shanklin Jr, Cheektowaga Central - Shanklin has an eye for getting to the basket, and the moves to get there. The guard's ability to steer past defenders with crossover's and his quick burst stands out, and he can finish in the lane on either side of the basket.    

Carter Peterson, Waterloo - Peterson's skill on the wing caught our eye throughout the night. He proved he was able to shoot the ball at a high clip throughout drills and games, and did so pretty efficiently. His two-way play is notable too as he plays tough defense and forces turnovers.                        

Christian Zarzycki, Cheshire Academy - Zarzycki's shooting versatility was on display throughout the night as he made shots on the move as well as knocking down stand-still trey's from deep. Outside of shooting, he finished inside well and made passing reads. He'll migrate southeast to join Cheshire Academy moving forward.                            

Richie Miles, Wayne - Miles made a name for himself this past winter as a lethal shooting threat from beyond the arc as he averaged 46% at the conclusion of the high school season. He's got a quick load up to his shot to get them off with little space, which also allows him to make shots on the move.                        

Dylan Strang, Gananda - Strang is another knockdown shooting threat we got eyes on at the event. He shines particularly well off the catch, relocating to space and rising into his shots. Keep an eye on him as he develops his handle, and becomes a threat to score off the bounce.                        

Jeremiah Morales Diaz, Eastridge - The Eastridge senior guard is still available in the class of 2025! His ability to change the game in transition with his speed down the court is notable. He's a shooting threat from outside that can stack up buckets, and draws contact on drives to get to the line.                        

Anthony Sanchez, Sci Tech - The Westfield native's speed with the ball allows him to fly around the floor. Combinred with his ability to make decisions on the fly, Sanchez can really make things happen as a facilitator and downhill scorer.                        

Antonio Nurse, Fairport - The 2028 guard is a tremendous perimeter defender who has the ability to pressure the ball the entire length of the court. On offense, he is able to knock down perimeter shots both on the catch, and off the bounce.                         

Jared Reynolds, Liverpool - The lefty guard from Liverpool High School possesses both great size and incredible shooting ability at the guard spot. He has the skills to finish at the rim, and knock shots down from beyond the arc.                         

Marquis Harris, Bishop Timon - Harris is an aggressive perimeter defender who is able to pester much taller players on the ball. On offense he is relentless attacking the basket, and is able to finish through contact frequently.                        

Gary Alexander, St. Joe's - Alexander is a lengthy guard who plays at his own pace in the halfcourt. The 2028 guard played up while in 8th grade, and saw tremendous success attacking the basket.                        

Jose Castro Jr, Global Concepts - The 5-foot-10 guard is aggressive attacking the basket, and can finish layups over defenders with either hand. During his freshman season with the Gators he was also great from beyond the arc, including a buzzer beater 3 back in January.                         

Jalen Stone, Central HS - Stone is a shooter with tremendous range, giving him the ability to knock down perimeter shots off the dribble with confidence. He is also comfortable playing off the ball and relocating for catch and shoot shots.                                       

Zeidahn Ofori, Victor Central - Ofori's early blend of size and guard skills caught our eye when watching the freshman guard operate. He was able to show off his scoring abilities in drills/games, and has upside to keep note of.                        

Jack Miles, Wayne - Another half of the Miles brothers, Jack is another sharpshooting option. He steps into shots from outside and gets them off pretty quickly. He can attack of the bounce to create shots or hit them off the catch.                        

Demarcus Samuels, St Marcellinus - Samuels brings a level of fluidity to the court, and was able to get inside off the bounce in this setting. His finishing and athleticism are notable aspects of his game as well.                        

Jonathan Grover, Perry - Grover finished off his freshman season this year as a known top-tier shooting threat for his Perry HS squad. The guard thrives as a floor spacing, off-ball shooting threat that connnects at a high clip off the catch.                        

Kingston Downs, Northstar Christian - Downs punches up above his size with the scrappy guard play he brings to the floor. His motor and toughness on defense caught our eye as he flew around the court, getting deflections that led to turnovers, and making winning plays on that end of the court.                        

Ty Wheaton, Fairport - Wheaton can score it in a variety of ways. He does a great job of running out in the break to collapse the defense for drives, or stretch the floor from outside.                        

Hunter Vogt, Gananda - Vogt thrives as an off-ball guard scoring threat who can really make things happen off the bounce. He's able to see holes in the defense to get to the basket and finish around the rim consistently. Vogt also showed good shooting potential in space.   

Maurice Walls, Eastridge - The guard's willingness to defend caught our eye as he did a good job of clogging up passing lanes guarding the ball. He's got a handle, vision and some scoring skills to make note of heading into his senior year.                     

Norman Simmons III, East HS - The southpaw guard has upside to monitor if he continues to develop into a traffic director at the guard position. Simmons showed off some shooting skills while playing competitive defense and looking to get to the basket.                        

Stay tuned as we dive into the wings and forwards in tomorrow's Western New York Elite 75 Recap!