The Beneath Armour Subsequent Elite 24 showcase wrapped up on Saturday with a aggressive sport between 24 of the highest males’s highschool and worldwide basketball gamers, and no one got here out robust than 2025 Florida four-star recruit Shon Abaev.
Abaev, who attends Calvary Christian Academy, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was seen as a top-40 recruit within the Class of 2025 coming into the weekend, and solidified that standing with a 22-point, 10-assist, and seven-rebound efficiency, whereas taking pictures 8-for-19 from the sector.
Standing at 6’7”, 185 kilos, Abaev was dealing with the ball almost each time he was on the courtroom, commanding the offense as a point-forward, whereas particularly working properly out of the decide and roll, utilizing his leverage to create shot alternatives off the dribble or producing appears for his teammates.
Abaev got here out actually robust, beginning the sport with a troublesome fadeaway jumper on the baseline. A couple of possessions later, he separated off the dribble to attach on an open three earlier than getting an enormous slam in open house in transition.
“I’ve been capable of shoot since I used to be youthful,” Abaev shared throughout the weekend. “I used to be a shooter. I had a really feel for the ball since a younger age, so I simply felt like I needed to hold the vertical, hold getting higher as a result of that’s one thing that I had since little. I used to be at all times a very good shooter, so I simply needed to carry on engaged on and hold getting higher.”
The four-star was battling early with 2025 five-star Nate Ament on the ahead place, attacking him on the offensive finish, whereas choosing up the project defensively as properly, resulting in the aggressive nature that stemmed round the entire sport.
After fouling Ament on a drive to the basket, Abaev acquired his get-back, recording a candy block on a fadeaway after holding his floor within the publish, regardless of the five-star having two inches on him.
Abaev’s robust begin wasn’t finished but, because the ahead hit a floater and one other three off the dribble in response to an Ament three, resulting in an especially productive first half.
Within the second half, whereas the shot cooled a bit, the Florida native appeared to get his teammates concerned extra, commanding the offense properly and speaking throughout.
He particularly related with ahead Marcus Jackson on a pair of alley-oop dunks, attracting a number of defenders in pick-and-roll conditions to unencumber his teammate with a couple of good passes.
In the direction of the top of the sport, with each side starting to play extra hero ball, Abaev did have a couple of pointless photographs, decreasing his total effectivity, but it surely was an “All-Star” sort sport to be honest.
The robust efficiency in opposition to some powerful competitors and the close to triple-double for Abaev received him MVP honors, capping off a stable weekend for the four-star ahead.
Coming into the weekend, the ahead revealed to SB Nation that his aim was to show that he might belong and stick as probably the greatest gamers within the nation. After Saturday’s efficiency, it’s secure to say that was the case.
Watching from afar over the three days, one factor that impressed me was not solely Abaev’s command on the courtroom, but in addition off the courtroom as a frontrunner, as he was consistently speaking in drills and pushing teammates with confidence.
“I used to be only a born chief. I at all times needed to steer folks after I was youthful my complete life,” Abaev stated. “So I simply really feel prefer it’s a job that I’d prefer to tackle as a participant. Even on the subsequent degree, you recognize, that’s the toughest function to tackle as a result of if you win, it goes to the group and also you lose, it goes on you. So I’m keen to take full duty with that. So I’m grateful to have the ability to be a frontrunner and push all people else round to do higher.”
With the UA Subsequent Elite 24 formally over, it’s time for Abaev to deal with his senior season with official visits developing.
The Prime-40 prospect has a listing of officers set, as he’ll be headed to Maryland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Syracuse, Auburn, and USC.
Now, it’s time to seek out the precise match for his future, together with his distinctive point-forward expertise standing out at the highschool degree.
