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Scout Report
Put a 6-4 guard next to a 2027 center and a 2026 point guard who already has a West Virginia commitment, and every defense has to pick its poison. That's the setting Liam Mitakaro walks into at Bella Vista Prep, and it's a big reason his name keeps coming up in conversations about the 2028 class. Ranked No. 33 nationally, he's the type of prospect who makes coaches adjust their board before they've even seen him in person.
Background
Liam comes from Edmonton, Alberta, which isn't the first place most college recruiters look when they're hunting for a perimeter prospect. That's part of what makes his path interesting. Canadian guards have been showing up in American programs for years, but the ones who break through usually do it by getting seen early and often on the right stages. He's now at Bella Vista Prep, a program that has built its reputation on putting players in front of college staffs. The move put him in a setting where his development is tied to a high level of competition every day.
Playing Style
At 6-4, Liam is listed as a combo guard, and that label matters more than it sounds. Programs recruiting him are looking at a player who can slide between the backcourt spots without the offense needing to change shape. The size gives him a window over smaller defenders, and that's the kind of frame that lets a guard survey the floor in pick-and-roll rather than just reacting to it. The important question with a player like this is decision-making: whether he uses his size to create good looks for himself and others, or whether he settles for tough shots because he can get them. Teams that recruit him will want to see him play with pace, pushing in transition when it's available and resetting calmly when it isn't. On the defensive end, a 6-4 guard who can guard multiple positions gives a coach switching options that shorter players can't offer. The best version of his game is one where his length turns into disruption without him gambling for steals. He has the frame to be a problem for opposing guards and wings, and that is where his value starts.
Strengths
The most obvious asset is the height-to-position fit. Being 6-4 and classified as a guard puts him in a small group of players who can defend up to the wing and still run the offense. Coaches tend to value that flexibility more each year, because lineups are built around matchups now. He's also playing alongside a group that raises the floor for everyone around them, including a 2027 center and a 2026 point guard with a committed college future. Playing with that kind of talent forces a player to be efficient and make the right read, because there isn't room to hold the ball. Programs that have studied his profile will be looking for how he handles that responsibility: whether he's a willing passer, whether he sees help coming, and whether he keeps his feet under him when the defense rotates.
Areas to Watch
The biggest questions revolve around consistency and how he handles the ball against top-level pressure. Combo guards at this size often get judged on whether they can run a team when they aren't the most talented player on the floor, and that's where the evaluation will get serious. If he can tighten his shot selection and keep his decision-making steady through a full season of high-level play, the offers should keep coming. The development path is less about adding a new skill and more about making the existing ones reliable in every setting.
Player Comparison
The cleanest comparison is to a bigger-bodied combo guard who lives on the wing and handles the ball when needed. The fit comes from the build and the role, not from any specific style. A player like that thrives when he can initiate offense and also guard the other team's best perimeter scorer. Liam's size suggests the same kind of versatility, though the comparison is only as good as the development that follows.
Recruitment
Liam has four Division I offers on the table: Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, and West Virginia. That's a strong group for a player at this stage of the cycle, and it reflects how much interest programs have in a 6-4 guard with his ranking. Recruiting for the 2028 class is still early, and offer lists tend to grow as more staffs see the player live and as the prospect's play across the next season and a half comes into focus. Programs in the mix will be watching how his game develops and whether he continues to separate from the rest of the national pool. A landing spot isn't clear yet, and anyone claiming otherwise is guessing.
Projection
The college ceiling is a guard who can play multiple positions and anchor a lineup with his size and decision-making. If the handle and shot selection develop as the frame suggests they can, he becomes a high-level starter in a major conference. The range of outcomes is wide, though. A player who doesn't fully translate his size into consistent production could end up a useful role player rather than a primary option. The pro projection depends on that same development, and it's too early to say which path he'll follow.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · Analysis by PrepRadar Scouting Team
Career Journey
Bella Vista Prep
PREP SCHOOL
Career Highlights
Two members of Canada's U16 national team have been ranked in 247's first official 2028 recruiting class rankings. Isaiah Hamilton and Liam Mitakaro are part of Canada's golden 2009-born generation, looking like some of the more promising prospects to come out of Canada in recent years.
UCLA offered @_liammitakaro (6'4) after a standout performance at the @hsfallinvite
Blessed to receive my first division 1 offer from the University of Oregon
Liam Mitakaro absolutely on fire in the finale of the advance global cup
2028 guard Liam Mitakaro showed scoring ability and playmaking at Quincy Shootout
Liam Mitakaro holds offers from West Virginia, UCLA, Cal, San Diego, UNLV, USF, ASU, Oregon
Liam Mitakaro named among Hoophall/TOC Top Pure PGs
Liam Mitakaro listed as 2028 standout at Tark Classic
Offers
4
Arizona State
Oregon
UCLA
West VirginiaOffers sourced from 247Sports and social media monitoring.
Social Activity
Border League Night 1 Standouts 2026 Quincy Wadley Adonis Ratliff Pavle Backo Ognen Srzentic Abdramane Siby Quincy Wadley Boyuan Zhang Miles Sadler 2027 Malachi Jordan Kamsi Awaka Demarcus Henry 2028 Viktor Babic Liam Mitakaro 2029 Cayden Gaskins @madehoops
CIA Bella Vista is a must watch in general. Miles Sadler was excellent running the show and creating. Vaughn Karvala was excellent spacing the floor and attacking closeouts. Liam Mitakaro starting to establish himself as a national name. So many great player
Border League 2027-29 Guard Standouts @kyikyimiles2 @Adan8D @griffey_gw1 @King_Montague3 @LiamMitakaro @LyrisRob1 @Innocent_onwo Click to view the article! https://t.co/ib3zxO2c1Z
October Rankings Update: Who was added to our Arizona 2028 list? @LiamMitakaro @MuhammadManigat @maj_buckets1 @corbintaylor_24 @jaysonikani_ @jaylanknight2 @tylermort30 @KristianDavis_ @Kaden_Leache @JeremiahR4sdall Click to view the article! https://t.co/kwXWngKWHr