Reebok Breakout Power Rankings: Point Guards

The 2011-12 high school basketball season tips off in a handful of states later this month with some national independents less than three weeks away from season-openers.

MaxPreps begins its look at the upcoming season by breaking down the nation's top point guards – regardless of class. Rankings are based on high school success and production and potential for impact this winter.

Next week we go big with a look at the top centers.

2011-12 Point Guard Power Rankings



1. Kyle Anderson, 6-7, 215, Sr., St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
Committed to UCLA
What to look for in 2011-12: Anderson won't be a point guard in the traditional sense for Bob Hurley's defending national champions at St. Anthony. But the offense will flow through him no matter where he is on the court, a sure recipe for success considering Anderson – the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2012 Top 100 – is 61-1 in his last two years of high school basketball.

2. Phil Forte, 5-10, 180, Sr., Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
Committed to Oklahoma State
What to look for in 2011-12: Perhaps this is the year Forte gets his due playing alongside all-everything teammate Marcus Smart – also an Oklahoma State verbal pledge. The Marauders harbor national championship hopes and Forte's deadly 3-point shooting, steady ballhandling and physical defense are counted on every bit as much as the package Smart brings to the table. Forte led Marcus in scoring a year ago at more than 16 points per game.

3. James Robinson, 6-2, 200, Sr., DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Committed to Pittsburgh
What to look for in 2011-12: DeMatha lost nine games a year ago, but it's difficult to imagine that happening again with a leader like Robinson running the show. The future Pittsburgh Panther has been a contributor for the Stags since his freshman season and will finally be the focal point this winter with a solid supporting cast.

4. Kris Dunn, 6-2, 170, Sr., New London (Conn.)
Committed to Providence
What to look for in 2011-12: Dunn played second chair to Andre Drummond on the summer circuit, but all eyes will be on the New London star this season in Connecticut. Dunn and the Whalers – 48-2 over the past two years – will be seeking a state championship repeat. The future Friar was a nearly unanimous selection for state player of the year honors as a junior.

5. Marcus Paige, 6-1, 160, Sr., Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa)
Committed to North Carolina
What to look for in 2011-12: For the second time in three years, Iowa's top senior is North Carolina-bound and looking to score a state championship repeat. In 2010 it was eventual National Player of the Year Harrison Barnes leading Ames to back-to-back crowns. Paige is out to do the same at Linn-Mar, which went 27-0 in 2010-11 with just three of those games decided by less than 10 points.

{PAGEBREAK}6. Andrew Harrison, 6-5, 205, Jr., Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas)
What to look for in 2011-12: Harrison, along with twin brother Aaron, make Fort Bend Travis a dangerous title contender in Texas' loaded 5A classification. The Tigers went 34-5 a year ago with Andrew sacrificing his scoring (8.9 points per game) to display his all-around game (5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game).

7. Aquille Carr, 5-7, 165, Jr., Patterson (Baltimore)
What to look for in 2011-12: Every game is a highlight reel for Carr, arguably the nation's most entertaining player. "The Crime Stopper" (the story is crime in Baltimore goes down when Carr plays because everybody is at the gym to see him) is already a two-time City Player of the Year in Baltimore and could add a state championship to the resume this season after pushing the Clippers to a 25-2 mark as a sophomore.



8. Kasey Hill, 6-1, 175, Jr., Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
What to look for in 2011-12: The arrival of coach Kevin Boyle from St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Hill's summer play have pushed expectations through the roof at Montverde Academy. An ambitious schedule will give Hill plenty of opportunity to shine on the big stage.

9. Tyler Lewis, 5-11, 165, Sr., Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Committed to North Carolina State
What to look for in 2011-12: Lewis put himself in a position to shine this season at Oak Hill Academy, where he will be surrounded by a roster full of future Division I players, including shooting guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and wings Jordan Adams (UCLA verbal commitment) and Damien Wilson (a Memphis commit). When needed, Lewis will be able to fill it up for the Warriors as well after pouring in more than 27 points per game as a junior at Forsyth Country Day in North Carolina.

10. Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, 5-11, 165, Sr., Park Tudor (Indianapolis)
Committed to Indiana
What to look for in 2011-12: Indiana has been besieged by top players leaving the state for academy programs, but Ferrell stuck around to help Park Tudor defend its Class 2A state title. A leading candidate for Mr. Basketball honors in the Hoosier State, Ferrell's leadership and quicks have led to back-to-back championship game appearances and 31 wins in the program's last 34 games dating to the 2009-10 campaign.

{PAGEBREAK}11. Javan Felix, 5-11, 190, Sr., St. Augustine (New Orleans)
Committed to Texas
What to look for in 2011-12: While not rated as highly as some of the other floor generals on this list (No. 96 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100), Felix has carved out a reputation as a big-time competitor and winner. He led St. Augustine to a 31-5 record and Class 5A state title as a junior.

12. J-Mychal Reese, 6-1, 170, Sr., Bryan (Texas)
Committed to Texas A&M
What to look for in 2011-12: With his father and former Bryan head coach now an assistant at Texas A&M, will Reese continue to be one of Texas' most prolific scorers? The "Hyphenated One" piled up 28.3 points per game and went down swinging as a junior, exploding for 40 points in a playoff loss to eventual state runner-up Lakeview Centennial.

13. Rodney Purvis, 6-3, 185, Sr., Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)
Committed to North Carolina State
What to look for in 2011-12: Purvis' talent warrants a higher standing but Upper Room Christian is a bit of a mystery school on the national scene. Even with the recent NC State pledge pumping in 25.4 points per game, the Eagles went 23-18 and were uncompetitive in most meetings with recognizable schools a year ago.

14. Tahj Shamsid-Deen, 5-10, 150, Jr., Columbia (Decatur, Ga.)
What to look for in 2011-12: With Shamsid-Deen leading a cast that includes Oregon State commitment Jarmal Reid and South Carolina football prospect Jhaustin Thomas, Columbia is expecting big things in 2012 after going 30-3 with a Class AAA state title last season. Shamsid-Deen's name hasn't caught fire with the national media yet, but he earned Class AAA State Player of the Year honors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a sophomore and was the MVP of the Arby's Classic last December.



15. Dominic Artis, 6-0, 165, Sr., Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
Committed to UCLA
What to look for in 2011-12: Like Lewis at Oak Hill Academy, Artis will be asked to facilitate for an ultra-talented cast, a role he thrived in with the Drew Gooden Oakland Soldiers on the summer circuit. A newcomer to Findlay Prep, Artis may have appeared higher on this list had he stayed at his previous school, Bay Area juggernaut Salesian (Richmond, Calif.).

{PAGEBREAK}16. Jaren Sina, 6-2, 180, Jr., Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.)
Committed to Alabama
What to look for in 2011-12: After a 25-4 record last season, Gill St. Bernard's is going national with appearances in the City of Palms Classic and Cancer Research Classic (vs. Neumann-Goretti of Philadelphia), as well as a showcase game against Oak Hill Academy. To thrive against that type of competition, Sina will have to be even better than he was as a sophomore when he averaged 21.7 points and 7.1 assists per game and earned county player of the year accolades.

17. Braxton Ogbueze, 6-1, 185, Sr., United Faith Christian Academy (Charlotte, N.C.)
Committed to Florida
What to look for in 2011-12: United Faith's 2011 campaign ended on a disappointing note with back-to-back losses, including a 34-point drubbing to Oak Hill Academy in the National High School Invitational. Expect Ogbueze to help the Falcons write a better ending in 2012.

18. Mike Gesell, 6-1, 175, South Sioux City (Neb.)
Committed to Iowa
What to look for in 2011-12: A two-time All-Nebraska selection, Gesell did it all as a junior, averaging 25.2 points per game and leading South Sioux City to a state title. The Cardinals will be a rare Nebraska team in a major holiday tournament in December when they compete in the VisitMesa.com Arizona Basketball Challenge.

19. Stephen Clark, 5-9, 170, Jr., Douglass (Oklahoma City)
What to look for in 2011-12: With two state championships and more than 50 wins under his belt in his first two seasons of high school basketball, Clark certainly deserves consideration for a more desirable place on this list. But expectations will be a bit tempered this winter for the Trojans after losing nine seniors from a 25-4 team.

20. Nate Britt, 6-1, 165, Jr., Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
What to look for in 2011-12: A Top 20 overall player in the 2013 class, Britt and a talented young cast at Gonzaga could come of age this winter.

{PAGEBREAK}21. Jordan Roper, 6-0, 170, Sr., Irmo (Columbia, S.C.)
Committed to Clemson
What to look for in 2011-12: Roper turned in a special performance in South Carolina's Class AAAA state title game as a junior, scoring 16 of his team's 20 points during one eight-minute stretch to help Irmo bring home the crown.



22. Sam Craft, 6-0, 195, Jr., Craigmont (Memphis, Tenn.)
What to look for in 2011-12: Craft posted 8.9 points per game for Craigmont's Cinderella state championship team as a sophomore, then helped Memphis YOMCA become one of the more successful outfits on the summer circuit. He's spending the fall quarterbacking Craigmont's football team, then will rejoin a loaded Chiefs hoops roster in pursuit of a repeat state title.

23. Ryan Arcidiacono, 6-3, 185, Sr., Neshaminy (Langhorne, Pa.)
Committed to Villanova
What to look for in 2011-12: Neshaminy doesn't roll off the tongue when naming powerhouse Pennsylvania programs, but thanks to Arcidiacono's 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5 assists per game as a junior, the Redskins won 22 games.

24. Tyus Jones, 6-1, 170, So., Apple Valley (Minn.)
What to look for in 2011-12: After some huge scoring in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League and a gold medal with USA Basketball's under-16 team, signs point to Jones establishing himself as one of the nation's top young point guard prospects this season at Apple Valley.

25. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, 5-10, 150, So., Loyola (Los Angeles)
What to look for in 2011-12: Jackson-Cartwright and the Cubs pushed eventual Division I state champ Mater Dei to the brink in a 72-70 playoff loss last March. Could this be the year that always-steady Loyola breaks through for a huge season behind its sophomore sensation point guard, Pennsylvania commitment Julian Harrell, Justin Childress and Jacob Hazzard?