This weekend, some of the biggest stars in high school basketball will compete in the Under Armour Next Elite 24, where five-star players and top international recruits will showcase their talents over three days.
The boys’ division will feature a number of players, led by Overtime Elite’s Bryson Tiller, while the girls’ division will feature 18 five-star players, led by the No. 1 recruit for the Class of 2027, Karina Smith.
Let’s break down the top male athletes in attendance, including some five-star recruits from the 2025 and 2026 classes who will be playing this weekend.
2025
Bryson Tiller
Five-star recruit Bryson Tiller will headline the event as a top 15 recruit in the Class of 2025 and one of the most polished forwards in the class.
The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Tiller, who plays for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Georgia, was initially viewed as a top-five recruit in his class, but injuries in recent months have hindered his playing time and caused him to miss the evaluation period in July.
Tiller has professional size, athleticism and inside-outside ability, and he’ll be looking to put it all together as he enters his senior year of high school.
Tiller has Indiana, Auburn, Georgia Institute of TechnologyProvidence and Kansas have all shown significant interest in the forward.
In the 2023-24 season, Tiller averaged 12.2 points and 9.4 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game with the City Reapers of the Overtime Elite League, while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep.
In the playoffs, those numbers improved to 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while Tiller shot 50 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three-point range.
The 6-foot-9 forward is good at finishing at the rim and getting to the free throw line, but he will need to improve his perimeter shooting to become a more consistent player at the next level.
Still, he’s one of the best freshmen in the 2025 class, and this weekend will be a great opportunity to boost his reputation after missing out on recent events.
Nate Ament
Five-star recruit Nate Ament will be one to watch this weekend as the No. 3 ranked freshman in the 2025 class. According to On3:.
Widely regarded as a five-star recruit on every recruiting platform, Ament is 6-foot-9, weighs 185 pounds and is the No. 1 player in the state, playing for Highland School in Virginia.
The forward recently scheduled his first official visit to Kentucky for Aug. 28 and isn’t expected to make a recruiting decision until late fall, if at all, in 2024.
Ament has worked at Duke University, the University of North Carolina, University of ConnecticutThe wine will also be sold in Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas and other states, with large quantities due to be shipped at the end of June.
Ament is on the slim side, but has good size for a wing and his ability to shoot from deep gives him the ability to play as a small-ball foreman once he gets bigger, making him a versatile weapon.
Ament’s trademark is his shooting ability, but his defensive versatility is another intriguing aspect of his game: the five-star player can guard either wing spot and, as expected, has the ability to guard small forward and even power forward if he gets stronger in the weight room.
Ament came out on top last summer and is looking to cap off another productive summer at the Under Armour Elite 24 this weekend.
2026
Dylan Mingo
Rated as a five-star recruit by both ESPN and Rivals and ranked as the No. 9 player in the Class of 2026 by On3, guard Dylan Mingo is one of the most highly-anticipated recruits in a burgeoning junior class.
The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Mingo, who plays for Long Island Lutheran University in Glen Head, New York, was one of the fastest-growing players in this summer’s recruiting process, getting off to a strong start at trials for the USA Basketball U-17 National Team and then performing well in the Nike Elite 100 in June.
Mingo is a high-end slasher who can get to the rim consistently and confuse defenses with his sheer length.
Since a period of discussions with schools began recently, the guard has disclosed interest from several schools. FloridaPennsylvania State University, University of Southern California, Villanovaand Virginia Tech.
Mingo has 10 offers, eight of which he received after the Nike Elite 100 in June. His offer list includes Washington, Virginia Tech, Florida State, St. John’s, Dayton, Providence, Missouri, Old Dominion, Ole Missand Cincinnati.
He’ll look to continue his strong summer this weekend when he takes on another high-level competitor in the Under Armour Next Elite 24.
Ikena Aroj
Ranked No. 6 among 2026 recruits, guard Ikenna Alozzi is one of the top rising juniors in the country. He is rated as the top combo guard and top player in the state of Arizona in his class.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Alozzi plays for Dream City Christian in Glendale, Ariz., and already has 19 scholarship offers.
This includes recent ones in Louisville and Michigan, Kansas, KansasVillanova University, Creighton University, University of Oregon and Providence College have already extended offers to the talented guard.
Alozzi may not be as big as some of the other guards in his class, but he is known for his relentless motor, athleticism and strength that matches his size, making him one of the best two-way players in his class.
Alozzi’s recruiting seems pretty open early in the process, and his offer list should continue to grow as the top-10 junior garners more attention in national recruiting circles.
He’ll look to further boost that buzz this weekend with a strong performance against a strong group of guards in the Under Armour Next Elite 24.
others
Eli Ellis
Guard Eli Ellis is not a five-star recruit, but he is one of the most popular players expected to attend the UA Elite 24 and is one of the only prospects who has already committed to the program.
According to On3, recruiting for the 2025 class has been slow, with the top 15 recruits in the country currently still undetermined.
Ellis, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound four-star guard, played this season at Moravian Prep in Hickory, North Carolina, and committed to the University of South Carolina in November 2023 after earning seven scholarship offers and then closing out his recruitment early.
Ellis made a name for himself for his performance during his time with Overtime Elite, but he’s also garnered a lot of attention as a recruit, being ranked 57th in the 2025 class by 247Sports.
Last season, Ellis averaged 33.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the YNG Dreamers while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from deep.
He’ll face another big test this weekend at the UA Next Elite 24, competing against a host of talented guards, but in this game he will be one of the shortest players on the field.
Malachi Moreno
Malachi Moreno just missed out on a five-star rating but is rated as a four-star top 20 player by On3.
The 6-foot-10, 230-pound center is the top recruit in the state of Kentucky and currently plays for Great Crossing High School, where he has had a strong recruiting run with 27 scholarship offers.
Moreno released his list of the top eight schools in June, which included Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Notre Dameand Ohio State University To the group.
Additionally, he has official visits scheduled to five of those schools: Ohio State (Sept. 6), University of North Carolina (Sept. 13), Indiana University (Sept. 20), University of Arkansas (Oct. 4) and University of Kentucky (Oct. 11).
Moreno’s rim-protecting skills are outstanding, and he’s strong both rebounding and defending the ball, while also showcasing excellent touch around the rim, making him a great option on the offensive end.
This past season, the center averaged 16.0 points and 13.3 rebounds for Great Crossing while shooting 65.7 percent from the field.
One of the tallest players in attendance at the UA Next Elite 24 this weekend, Moreno will be looking to establish himself as a top center in high school basketball with a deep talent pool.
