Best high school boys basketball point guards in the nation entering the 2023-24 season

Expect these 20 ball-handlers to lead their teams this winter

With October in the rearview mirror, the high school boys basketball season is just around the corner, with Alabama being the first state to tip off Thursday.

SBLive Sports is highlighting some of the best players in the nation heading into the winter season, which starts with Montverde Academy ranked No. 1 in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Top 25.

Over the next week and a half, we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at some of the best of the best in high school boys basketball. To get things started, we’ll begin with the players who specialize in handling the ball.

Here are 20 of the best point guards in the nation entering the 2023-24 high school boys basketball season. 

Darius Acuff Jr., jr., IMG Academy (Florida)

Acuff Jr. averaged 21.4 points and 5.7 assists per game as a sophomore, leading Cass Tech to the program’s first Michigan Division 1 state championship. The five-star junior is now at IMG Academy. 

JaMicah Adair, sr., Jefferson Davis (Alabama)

Adair did it all for Jefferson Davis a season ago, averaging 35 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He was the leading scorer in Alabama Class 7A as a junior. 

Christian Anderson, sr., Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)

A Michigan commit, Anderson transferred from The Lovett School (Georgia) to Oak Hill Academy over the summer. The four-star point guard averaged 28 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals during his sophomore and junior seasons with the Lions. 

Maurice Austin, sr., Pueblo South (Colorado)

The reigning Class 5A player of the year, the 5-foot-8 Austin is a two-way force for Pueblo South. He put up 27.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.3 steals last winter. 

Tyler Bike, sr., Trinity (New Hampshire)

Bike averaged 25.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals a season ago. For his efforts, Bike was voted New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year. 

Cayden Boozer, jr., Columbus (Florida)

His twin brother, Cameron, gets more attention, but Cayden Boozer is also a five-star prospect who runs Columbus’ attack. As a sophomore, he averaged 15.1 points, five rebounds, 4.4 assists and two steals. 

Jason Crowe Jr., so., Lynwood (California)

Crowe Jr. had a monster freshman season for Lynwood, putting up 36 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.5 steals. He is a five-star sophomore with offers from Louisville and UCLA, among others. 

Zoom Diallo, sr., Prolific Prep (California)

Diallo was voted Washington Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists for Curtis. The five-star prospect is now the point guard for a Prolific Prep team with national title aspirations. 

Boogie Fland, sr., Archbishop Stepinac (New York)

A five-star recruit, Fland committed to Kentucky in October. He is a strong two-way point guard who put up 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and two steals during his junior season for Archbishop Stepinac. 

Davis Fogle, jr., Anacortes (Washington)

One of the biggest risers on the recruiting circuit, Fogle is now a four-star prospect whose offers include Boise State, Nebraska and Washington. He runs the point for an Anacortes team that should contend for a state title. 

Mason Klabo, jr., Fargo Davies (North Dakota)

Klabo lit it up as a sophomore, averaging 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 40 percent from three-point land. He holds offers from several mid-major programs and is receiving interest from Wisconsin. 

Ahmad Nowell, sr., Imhotep Charter (Pennsylvania)

A four-star UConn commit, Nowell plays with physicality as a 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard. He is a strong outside shooter and tenacious defender. 

Travis Perry, sr., Lyon County (Kentucky)

The all-time leading scorer in Kentucky history, Perry enters his senior season with 4,359 career points. The four-star prospect averaged 32.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 4.7 steals as a junior en route to Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year honors. 

Tahaad Pettiford, sr., Hudson Catholic (New Jersey)

A left-handed playmaker, Pettiford is an electric guard who excels as a creator on the offensive end. He is a five-star prospect who committed to Auburn back in February.

Labaron Philon, sr., Link Academy (Missouri) 

Philon was voted Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 34.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals for Baker. The four-star Kansas commit is playing for national power Link Academy this season.

Styles Phipps, sr., St. Mary’s (Arizona)

A four-star Grand Canyon commit, Phipps excels as a scorer and distributor for St. Mary’s. He averaged 29.1 points, 10.1 assists, six rebounds and 3.1 steals during his junior season.

Ty Price, jr., Butler County (Kentucky) 

Another superstar guard from the Bluegrass State, Price put up 31.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals during his sophomore season. The 6-foot junior is being targeted by Auburn, Memphis and Mississippi State, among others. 

Makel Smith, sr., Morehead (North Carolina) 

Smith averaged 24.2 points as a sophomore and increased it to 34.8 last winter for Morehead. He also tallied 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.2 steals and one block. 

Tyler Tanner, sr., Brentwood Academy (Tennessee)

Tanner averaged 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.1 steals as a junior for a Brentwood Academy team that captured the program’s ninth state championship. The Vanderbilt commit was voted Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year. 

Rob Wright, sr., Montverde Academy (Florida)

The Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, Wright averaged 22.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, five assists and 2.4 steals for Class 4A runner-up Neumann-Goretti. The four-star Baylor commit took his talents to Montverde Academy during the offseason. 

(Cayden Boozer photo by Brian Smith)

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports