Some of the top high school and international men’s basketball recruits were in attendance this past weekend at the Under Armour Next Elite 24, looking to put together strong performances in front of a contingent of NBA scouts.
The three-day showcase began with a practice on Thursday and scrimmage on Friday, with the penultimate event being a televised game on Saturday, where the 24 players in attendance split into two teams and competed against each other in a tight contest.
Overall, there was a strong pool of talent at the event, but it was a group of guards that led the way during Saturday’s game.
Here are five guards that stood out at the Under Armour Next Elite 24 men’s basketball showcase.
2025 four-star Acaden Lewis
One of the standouts during the scrimmage period on Friday, four-star point guard Acaden Lewis took over for Team Fire during the game on Saturday, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 6-for-13 from the field.
Lewis was relied upon by his team to be one of the more ball-dominant guards on Saturday, and he delivered as an all-around player, finding ways to score, while also getting his teammates involved.
Early in the first half, the 6’2” guard found a way to hit a nasty stepback three-pointer after dribbling up court, sensing the defense and finding his spot.
In the second half, Lewis’ game began to expand as the guard attacked five-star Dylan Mingo on a drive, seemingly getting fouled twice on the possession, but not getting a call. Still, he found a way to power through for a tough finish at the rim with his left hand.
Lewis had another highlight three, hitting one off the dribble in the face of tall 6’8” wing Karim Lopez with the game on the line at the end of the fourth quarter.
His facilitating was equally as impressive as the scoring. Earlier this week, the guard told SB Nation that he envisions himself as a point guard, even if his play style may fit more of a combo guard.
Well, on Saturday, Lewis found a way to get his teammates open, driving constantly towards the rim before kicking the ball out, showing another dimension to his game.
Ranked the No. 31 player in the Class of 2025 and the No. 1 recruit in the state of D.C., Lewis upped his stock with a good performance this weekend.
Lewis took official visits to Virginia and Georgetown, and has an upcoming visit scheduled to North Carolina and Florida State, according to On3.
2026 four-star Derron Rippey
Another guard who was really feeling it was four-star Derron Rippey, who is a top-15 recruit in the Class of 2026 and the No. 1 player in the state of New Jersey in his cycle.
Rippey, who showcased a smooth shooting stroke during the first two days of the showcase, was all over the place on Saturday.
He displayed his high-end athleticism with a pair of monster dunks, while showing off his shot-making skills with some truly difficult jumpers, which included a tough fake spin fadeaway for a long two over a defender after a nice 1-on-1 dribble move.
“I mean, it’s my hometown, so I know I had to be aggressive right from the jump,” the four-star said after the game Saturday. “I didn’t come in thinking or wanting to score 30. I just came up with the mindset that I’m gonna shoot every time I’m open, I’m gonna be aggressive, and I’m not gonna force anything to make myself look bad. Just be efficient, you know, take shots when I can.”
Rippey wasn’t as accurate from distance, going one-of-four, but got one to go down off a catch-and-shoot opportunity.
But, it was the passing that really stood out, as Rippey led Team Fire with seven assists, finding teammates in transition for scores.
“Especially in an environment like this where everybody’s trying to score, [I pride myself on] just sharing the ball and making the right play at all times,” Rippey said. “I try to make the right play at all times at the end but just having that sort of mindset at the end of the game to have myself stand out as well. Even though some people may think I’m a scorer, passing is also key and something I pride myself on.”
Ripley has over 22 scholarship offers from schools, according to 247Sports.
Overall, the rising junior showcased confidence against some of the top players in the country, proving himself to be in that upper echelon of recruits and showing his growth as a player.
“I feel like I’ve become more of a leader,” Rippey acknowledged about the past season. “I’ve been more assertive. Like my freshman year, I was a little bit hesitant. I didn’t know my role, I didn’t know my abilities. I wasn’t too confident.”
But, this year I got a lot of confidence. I’ve been in the gym a lot, put in a lot of different moves, live shots. So just carrying that on with me on the court every time is important for me and my growth.”
2026 four-star Abdou Toure
The high-flying Abdou Toure was one of the top players at the showcase on Saturday, scoring 16 points and four rebounds on 7-of-9 from the field, living inside the arc.
Toure’s athleticism was on display, as the 6’6”, 185-pound wing had a monster poster dunk over a defender, while getting to the rim on a few occasions.
Additionally, the four-star hit a few jumpers, including a tough fadeaway bucket on the baseline, showing off his smooth shooting motion.
Toure has a good feel inside the arc, as he’s able to find his spots on the court, both closer in the paint and near the midrange area, elevating well to get his shot off on a consistent basis.
I can’t forget about the game-winning shot, as Toure sidestepped with one dribble before knocking down the open three to send Team Fire home packing.
Seen as the No. 1 player in the state of Connecticut in his class, Toure’s athleticism will surely get him national acclaim, but he should other levels to his game as well over the weekend. He has had offers fro Syracuse, Louisville and Oregon.
2026 five-star Dylan Mingo
One of the highest-rated recruits in attendance, five-star Dylan Mingo began to find his groove on Saturday at the Next Elite showcase.
Finishing with 13 points and three rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting, Mingo was especially effective driving to the hoop, hitting a tough layup on the left side with his right hand off the dribble.
Later, he had a tough contested floater that rimmed in for another score. But, Mingo really started to get comfortable when he knocked down a pair of back-to-back threes working off the dribble.
Ranked a top-10 recruit in the class of 2026 and the No. 1 prospect in the state of New York, Mingo stands at 6’4”, 170 pounds with room to grow with his frame.
His burst and explosiveness off the dribble is there, allowing him to attack downhill at a high clip, which is his bread and butter.
Mingo’s mechanics are still coming together as a shooter, where he was inconsistent over the three days, but he was able to get into a rhythm when knocking down back-to-back shots during the game.
There were times on Thursday and Friday when Mingo had a slow start, but he snapped out of it by finding the rim, which was the case again on Saturday, leading to a solid performance.
Mingo has a handful of offers, with St. John’s, Virginia Tech and Dayton in the mix.
2025 four-star King Grace
Texas four-star King Grace had a day to remember as well, as the 6’5” guard scored 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists on Saturday off 7-of-13 shooting.
Grace was especially effective inside the arc, where he shot 6-of-8 from the field, thanks to a few dunks that displayed his high-end athleticism.
Grace did score six of his points in the final frame, hitting a trio of two-pointers, as he maintained his aggressiveness throughout the game.
At 6’5”, Grace possesses good size and length for the guard position, making him an intriguing prospect and a top-50 player in the country, according to 247Sports.
His shooting mechanics weren’t the cleanest, as Grace did miss a few open three-pointers during the game, but the potential was clearly there with his overall knack for scoring.
