UAA Session I Underclass Standouts!

The first live period has come and gone. Given the insanity that has become the NCAA transfer portal, there are many players who have not been seen in the class of 2024 yet. In fact, there were many D-1 coaches still scrambling to fill out their roster before summer school starts for the 2023-24 academic school year.

Amidst the various shoe sponsored circuits, the Under Armour Association got things kicked off in Mesa, Ariz., at the beautiful Legacy Sports Park. There will be another stop in Rock Hill, S.C. and then the UAA will culminate with the UAA Finals in July in ATL. College coaches will be permitted to attend all of the Under Armour sessions, offering up no shortage of excitement and intrigue, as seen this past weekend.

Sitting here in the end of April and with the portal starting to finally slow down a tad, D-1 coaches were intently focusing on the next wave of potential recruits in Phoenix. There was no shortage of guys who added to their offer lists during the UAA against older competition, especially since it was the first time that many had been seen by college coaches in close to a year. The wave of offer graphics on social medias were flying with the youngsters after session one of the UAA.

Here a few a the top underclassmen performers from the Under Armour Association Session I:

King Grace, 6’4, SG, Texas Impact 4:13 17U, 2025
In terms of underclassmen, there wasn’t a player who helped themselves more than Grace. Fresh off of getting a ranking in the ESPN Top 60, he showed that he could hold it down that against anyone UA had to offer. The Texas product showed off a smooth jumper from deep (shot 45% from 3-point on the weekend), had no shortage of confidence (made seven 3-point in one game), and was an effective straight line driver. Grace is definitely a name crossing your Twitter feed a lot more this spring.

Bryson Tiller, 6’9, PF/C, Atlanta Xpress 17U, 2025
The lone Overtime Elite player on this list, Tiller showed that he could hold his own in the trenches against older foes at the UAA. The sophomore used his powerful frame to punish guys on the low block, had a great fadeaway out of the mid post, and can create mismatches off the bounce. Tiller’s combination of size and productivity placed his upside at the top of all of the players that we saw in Phoenix.

Shon Abaev, 6’6, SF, SOH Elite 17U, 2025
One of the models of consistency, Shon Abaev was a walking bucket at UAA, averaging over 20 ppg on the weekend with big time efficiency . The Israeli lefty is great scoring off of a hang dribble, has effortless range as a shooter, and creates serious separation with his stepback. The top 50 sophomore is still a bit under the radar in terms of ranking on some services, but that won’t be the case much longer with his play in UAA.

Chance Mallory, 5’9, PG, Team Thrill 17U, 2025
Right up there amongst players who saw their stock rise over the weekend, Mallory earned offers from Maryland and Virginia Tech after his monster showing at UAA. The lead guard has an outstanding change of pace out of pick-and-roll play, does a great job of punishing defenders from mid-range, and shot the ball well from the 3-point line.

Shane Cherry, 5’10, PG, B-Maze Elite 16U, 2025
Cherry was another sub 6-foot playmaker who had the UAA buzzing with his downright electric style of play. The freak athlete has exceptional burst attacking the rack, is an elite shot creator, and has the bounce to dunk on you if you aren’t watching. Cherry already owns an offer from hometown Tennessee and has established himself as one of the most exciting players in the class of 2025 nationally.

Symon Ghai, 7’3, C, Gateway Basketball Club, 15U, 2026
The biggest player in the Under Armour Association also is one of the least tenured residing in the United States. Ghai has been in St. Louis for not even a full year now,, but his impact was felt immediately. The giant lefty is a very intense big man, has an incredibly mature frame, and showed flashes of a developing offensive skillset. While there is still a considerable amount of room for improvement, Ghai’s presence was immediately felt, resulting in Gateway’s 4-0 opening weekend of UAA.

Jayden Ramirez, 6’5, SG, Riverside Hawks, 16U, 2025
Ramirez is one of those guys who looks solid on the floor, but really surprises you once you check the box score. His no nonsense game involves scoring on limited dribbles, as seen with his 31-point showing in the game we took in over the weekend. Ramirez hit a number of deep 3-pointers, punished smaller guards in the post, and was able to free himself up by setting good screens then relocating. Playing for Queens based NYC powerhouse Christ The King, there will be plenty of attention coming for Ramirez.

							

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