EYBL: Playmaking Guards on Day 1

<p>MESA, Ariz. — The 2025 Nike EYBL circuit kicked off Friday night at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa with many of the country's top prospects and teams beginning their quest to qualify for Peach Jam in July. We were in the gym for all the action on Day 1 and below are the top playmaking guards we watched.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Anthony Brown | Team Durant</h4>   <p>Brown is a relentless attacker in transition offense and half-court offense. His combination of open court speed, quickness and burst with his first step and ability to stay on balance through contact allows him to get paint touches, collapse the defense and hit an open shooter or throw an accurate lob to a big man. Brown dished out 12 assists in a win over Boo Williams, which was good for the most helpers on Day 1 by any player.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cello Jackson | Nightrydas</h4>   <p>Jackson is the definition of a "big guard." The 6-foot-4, 200-plus pounder uses his size to his advantage when matched up with smaller or bigger defenders. Against small guards, he can bully his way to the rim and score or create for others. Against bigger defenders, Jackson has the shiftiness and speed to get a step on them to earn a paint touch. Jackson handed out 10 assists in a double OT win over Team United.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Dylan Mingo | PSA Cardinals | Pictured</h4>   <p>Mingo is a wired-to-score type of prospect who thrived in creating for himself in isolation situations Friday night. The 6-foot-3 combo guard scored 28 points on 12-for-16 from the field and filled up the scoring column in a variety of ways. Mingo is elite at changing speeds to break down his defender and can score with touch and acrobatics at the rim. The five-star recruit also showed fluid shooting mechanics from three-point and mid-range levels.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ikenna Alozie | [program_tooltip program_id='2110367' first='Utah' last='Prospects']</h4>   <p>There are few guard prospects in the country who possess the combination of explosive athleticism and strength that Alozie brings to the floor. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has elite speed with the ball in his hands, powers his way and finishes through contact, but can also use his body control and footwork to spin off defenders and finish with touch around the basket. One thing that stands out about Alozie's game is his ability to rebounds on both ends of the floor. The 2026 prospect scored 20 points with eight rebounds in a win over JL3</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956542' first='Kaiden' last='Bailey'] | Team Why Not</h4>   <p>Bailey finds himself in a new situation where he is surrounded by players who are on the same level of "prospect" as he is. Known for his elite scoring ability, the 6-foot-3 guard doesn't have to take on the burden of dropping 30 points every game - even though we know he can - and can show off and refine his passing and playmaking skill-set. Bailey did a really nice job of getting into the lane, playing off of two feet, and kicking the ball out to a teammate for a shot or a re-drive.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Kota Suttle | Team Thad</h4>   <p>I wrote the words "game managing point guard" next to Suttle's name on my legal pad and he's the guy who makes Team Thad go. Suttle is a strong-framed prospect whose ability to control pace and tempo popped off the court. At 6-feet-2, the 2026 prospect used the advance pass to spark fast breaks, made high IQ decisions in ball-screen action and really looked to create for others when earning paint touches.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Trey Beamer | Team United</h4>   <p>Beamer scored a game-high 34 points in a double overtime loss to Nightrydas and his ability to put the ball in the basket from all three levels of the floor was impressive. The 6-foot-3 combo guard showed off his perimeter shooting ability off the bounce and used ball screens to get in the lane where he finished with a floater or a savvy layup. The most impressive part of Beamer's effort Friday night was his ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. The IMG Academy product knocked down 13 of his 15 attempts from the charity stripe.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Trey Pearson | Brad Beal Elite</h4>   <p>Pearson used his lightning quick crossover and explosive first-step to earn countless paint touches during Brad Beal Elite's comeback win over Team Thad. The 6-foot-1 point guard sprayed the ball out to shooters and set up his big men in spots where they could easily catch and finish at the rim without having to do anything outside of their comfort zones.</p>

MESA, Ariz. — The 2025 Nike EYBL circuit kicked off Friday night at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa with many of the country's top prospects and teams beginning their quest to qualify for Peach Jam in July. We were in the gym for all the action on Day 1 and below are the top playmaking guards we watched.