All Academic Showcase: 2026 guard to watch (part 2)

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2) of last week, I attended the All Academic Showcase at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. There were 400+ players there and 5 courts going on at once, so it was impossible for me to see/scout every team and player. I'll be having coverage of the event throughout this week, highlighting some players who played well and probably helped their college recruitment.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/07/all-academic-showcase-5-intriguing-big-men/">5 intriguing big men</a>   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/07/all-academic-showcase-5-underclassmen-to-watch/">5 underclassmen to watch</a>   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/07/all-academic-showcase-2026-guards-to-watch/">2026 guards to watch</a>   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/07/all-academic-showcase-2026-wings-to-watch/">2026 wings to watch</a>   With that being said, here are 5 2026 guards to watch (part 2).    Fletcher was off shooting the three ball in the game I watched him, but he has a really nice rhythm to his off-the-dribble game and can therefore get to the spots on the floor that he wants. He has good change of speed and change of direction and a nice-looking shot and finishing package at the hoop, though he certainly takes some questionable shots at certain moments. The 6-foot-1 rising senior should be a key cog for Milton High School this year and could potentially find a D3 fit if he has a really nice season.     Gardner gets to the cup at will and has no wasted movements on his way there. He doesn't hold the ball for too long when it comes to him and he attacks closeouts decisively and efficiently. He also has a deep bag of finishing moves with both hands at the cup, and some really good pace in the lane when it comes to finding crafty ways to get his shot off around bigs. He's a willing and able extra passer with good vision, too. I didn't see him take too many outside shots, but he's a definite mid to high level D3 player IF he has a consistent shot.     Clachko does an excellent job staying low on his dribbles and getting to the hoop with his handle. Once he gets into the paint, he does a great job finding spray outs and dump down passes. He's super quick and gets by defenders with ease, so he makes tons of these decisions throughout the game. He has scored 1,000 points at Staples High School and should be a big time star for them next season. I would imagine high level D3 schools taking a look at Clachko, who can certainly run your squad comfortably despite being 5-foot-11. He's a true floor general with tons of quickness and skill.     Del Ray is a tiny little guard but made his presence felt in one of the Tuesday games I watched him play. The 5-foot-8 rising senior was knocking down shots left and right, off the catch and off the dribble, and in half court and transition. He also had some really nice takes to the rim where he used slow-step footwork and step-throughs to get all the way to the hoop. His size is going to limit his recruitment but I wouldn't be shocked if a low to mid D3 school takes a chance on him because of his burst and scoring ability.     Brown is a shifty, undersized point guard who has awesome change of speed and change of direction capabilities. He uses his quickness to blow by defenders and then make plays for his teammates, but he can also elevate and finish at the hoop. On defense, he defends for 94 feet and hounds ball handlers with his active hands. I could imagine a D3 school taking a chance on him because of his speed, quickness, and ability to handle the ball under pressure. I didn't see him shoot the three ball, but that would certainly be an important part to figure out for him if he wants to play college ball.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2) of last week, I attended the All Academic Showcase at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. There were 400+ players there and 5 courts going on at once, so it was impossible for me to see/scout every team and player. I'll be having coverage of the event throughout this week, highlighting some players who played well and probably helped their college recruitment.