Meet Under Armour Next Elite 24’s 5-star boys basketball talent in 2024 (2024)

Some of high school basketball’s biggest stars will be competing this weekend at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24, with an array of five-stars, as well as some of the top international recruits in attendance to show off their talents over a three-day period.

Headlined by Overtime Elite’s Bryson Tiller, many will compete on the men’s side, while 18 five-stars, headlined by Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2027, will participate on the women’s side.

Let’s break down the top men’s athletes in attendance, with five-stars in both the 2025 and 2026 class playing this weekend.

2025

Bryson Tiller

Five-star recruit Bryson Tiller headlines the event as a Top 15 recruit in the Class of 2025 and one of the more-polished forwards in the class.

Standing at 6’9”, 230 pounds, Tiller plays for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Georgia, and was initially seen as high as a top-five recruit in the class before an injury hampered his playing opportunities over the last few months, causing him to miss the July evaluation periods.

Tiller has the combination of pro-ready size, athleticism and the capability to be an inside-outside player. He will look to put the whole package together as he enters his senior year of high school.

Tiller has 22 offers, with schools such as Indiana, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Providence, and Kansas all showing key interest in the forward.

In the 2023-24 season, Tiller averaged 12.2 points and 9.4 rebounds across 28.1 minutes of action per game for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite league, while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep.

Those numbers improved to 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs, where Tiller hit 50 percent of his shots and 26.7 percent of his threes.

The 6’9” forward finishes well at the rim and does well to get to the free throw line, but will need to improve his perimeter shooting to become a more consistent player at the next level.

Still, he’s one of the best recruits in the 2025 class, and will have a big opportunity this weekend after missing out on recent events to boost his stock.

Nate Ament

Five-star Nate Ament will be a player to watch this weekend as the No. 3 ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, according to On3.

Ament, who is seen as a consensus five-star recruit across all recruiting platforms, stands 6’9”, 185 pounds, and is the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia, where he plays for the Highland School.

The forward recently scheduled his first official visit to Kentucky, which is set for August 28th, and is expected to make a decision on his recruitment only late in the fall, if in 2024.

Ament holds 29 scholarship offers, including ones from Duke, UNC, UConn, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Kansas, among others, with a bevy coming at the end of June.

While on the leaner side, Ament could be used as a versatile weapon, as he has great size on the wing and the capabilities to play as a small-ball four, should he add to his frame, thanks to his ability to shoot from deep.

Ament’s calling card will be his shooting ability, while his defensive versatility is another intriguing aspect of his game, as the five-star can guard either wing spot, while possessing the capability to guard small forwards and even power forwards, assuming he gains in the weight room as expected.

A big riser last summer, Ament will look to put the finishing touches on another productive summer at the Under Armour Elite 24 this weekend.

2026

Dylan Mingo

Ranked a five-star by both ESPN and Rivals, as well as the No. 9 player in the Class of 2026 by On3, guard Dylan Mingo is one of the more sought-after recruits in the rising junior class.

Mingo, who stands 6’5”, 185 pounds and plays for Long Island Lutheran in Glen Head, New York, has been one of the bigger risers on the recruiting trail this summer, starting off strong at the USA Basketball’s U17 National team trials before performing well at the Nike Elite 100 back in June.

Mingo is a high-end slasher, getting to the rim consistently, while being a disruptor defensively with his imperssive length.

Since the period for talking with schools opened recently, the guard has revealed interest from several schools, such as Florida State, Penn State, USC, Villanova, and Virginia Tech.

Mingo has 10 offers, with eight of them coming after the Nike Elite 100 back in June. His full offer list includes Washington, Virginia Tech, Florida State, St. John’s, Dayton, Providence, Missouri, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, and Cincinnati.

He’ll look to continue a strong summer this weekend at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24, playing against another group of high-level competition.

Ikenna Alozie

The No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2026, guard Ikenna Alozie is one of the top rising juniors in the country. He ranks as the top combo guard and top player in the state of Arizona for his class.

Standing 6’2”, 185 pounds, Alozie plays for Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona, and has already received 19 scholarship offers.

That includes recent ones from Louisville and Michigan, while schools such as Kansas, Kansas State, Villanova, Creighton, Oregon, and Providence have already offered the talented guard.

While he may not have the size of other guards in the class, Alozie is known for his relentless motor, athleticism and strength given his frame, which has made him one of the best two-way players in the class.

Alozie’s recruitment seems fairly wide open early in the process and his offer list should only continue to grow as the Top 10 junior gains more buzz on the national recruiting trail.

He’ll look to add to that buzz with a strong performance this weekend at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24, competing against a strong group of guards.

Others

Eli Ellis

While not a five-star recruit, guard Eli Ellis is one of the most popular names expected to participate at the UA Elite 24, as well as one of the lone prospects to have already committed to a program.

The 2025 class has been slow on the recruiting front, as the top 15 recruits in the nation are currently uncommitted, according to On3.

Ellis, a 6’1”, 185-pound four-star guard who will play for Moravian Prep in Hickory, North Carolina this season and committed to South Carolina back in November of 2023, shutting his recruitment down early after earning seven scholarship offers.

Ellis gained notoriety for his performances while at Overtime Elite, but has also seen significant traction as a recruit, being ranked as the No. 57 player 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 Dreamerz, 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 alongside a bevy of highly-recruited guards, where he will be among the shortest players in attendance.

Malachi Moreno

Malachi Moreno barely missed out on the five-star mark, but is seen as a high four-star and a Top 20 recruit according to On3.

The 6’10”, 230-pound center is the top recruit in Kentucky, currently playing for Great Crossing High School, where his recruitment has taken off with 27 scholarship offers.

Moreno originally listed a list of his top eight schools back in June, naming Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Ohio State to the group.

Additionally, he has scheduled official visits to five of those schools: Ohio State (Sept. 6), North Carolina (Sept. 13), Indiana (Sept. 20), Arkansas, (Oct. 4), and Kentucky (Oct. 11).

Moreno’s rim-protecting skills stand out, as he’s strong on the glass, as well as on the defensive side of the ball, while showcasing good touch around the rim to be a good option on the offensive end.

This past season, the center averaged 16.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game while shooting 65.7 percent from the floor for Great Crossing.

One of the tallest players in attendance this weekend at the UA Next Elite 24, Moreno will look to make his mark as the top center in high school basketball alongside a good talent pool.