All Academic Showcase: 2026 guards to watch

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2), 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 the next few days, 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>   With that being said, here are 5 2026 guards to watch.    Azor completely dictated the pace of the game for his squad and looked like a true point guard out there on the floor during the showcase. In AAU, I've seen him hunt shots and take some questionable ones, but he looks to have really matured into a floor general that you want running your team. He makes all the passes you want from a PG; pocket passes in the pick and roll, cross court passes if the low man helps on the roller, and kick ahead/extra simple passes to open shooters. He can also score for himself via the floater or three ball when he needs to. He'll be a really nice piece for NMH and was maybe the best PG I saw at Babson. I could see him playing D2 ball or very high level D3.     Braun was one of the better guard rebounders for his size that I saw at Babson. He isn't a freak athlete or leaper but has a strong base in his lower body and some excellent timing when it comes to skying for boards. Once he gets the rebound, he does a great job beating the defense down the floor in transition and making the correct play for himself or others. He didn't knock down the three ball in the game I watched, but he has a nice-looking shot, so I bet that's in his game. He should find a D3 fit somewhere — he's a complete workhorse and can help out in a variety of ways on the court. I could even see high D3.     White stays so low to the ground on his drives to the rim and is really difficult to knock off his spot with his strength and off hand. Though he didn't make tons of outside shots in the games I watched, he gets a lot of elevation on his jumper and it looks super pretty, which makes me think he often shoots it well. He's just an athletic and twitchy combo guard who does everything with tons of force. Definite D3 player at at a high level, though I could even see him getting some D2 looks if he continues to get even stronger and more athletic.     Hornbeck is a Tik-Tok star, but don't let that fool you — he definitely has game. The 6-foot-2 guard has a quick shot release and lots of range, and he was shooting it with TONS of confidence when I watched him. He certainly took a couple questionable shots, but he has awesome vision when he leans into his playmaking a bit more; he threw a one-handed lefty pass that wow'd me, and I really liked his vision and ability to see the floor. He could develop into a true point guard if he refines his decision making. Definite D3 player, and he even showed out in front of some Tik-Tok fans that were cheering for him.     Conopask has good size for the point guard/combo guard position and can really get downhill when attacking the paint. He took some questionable shots at the rim, but he has the vision necessary to make really good reads — he just needs to shift his mindset a bit. On the perimeter, he's always ready to shoot and can knock it down fairly consistently from the outside. I'm not sure what his minutes will look like for a really good St. Thomas More team this season, but I would imagine he can be a plug and play piece for them. Some improvement to his off-ball movement would be big for that.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2), 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 the next few days, highlighting some players who played well and probably helped their college recruitment.