I was able to check out The 1st Bridge of Hoops in Bassano Del Grappa, Italy, hosted The Star Alliance and The Grind Session. The event showcased 4 American teams and 4 international teams, all of whom brought multiple intriguing prospects to the floor. These were the players who stood out the most to me at the guard position.

Beckham Black | Southeastern Prep | 2027 | Guard | 6’2

Black was aggressive out of the gates as a scorer, creating advantages off the dribble consistently and finding himself in positions to get his shot off. He carried Southeastern’s offense for stretches, hitting rhythm threes off the dribble and fighting his way to the rim for finishes, was in total control of the game when he was on the floor and made good decisions as a passer. Hit a 3/4 court shot to end a quarter. Has shown over and over what he is as a floor general and distributor, but the assertiveness as a shot creator and scorer could end up putting him in the top tier of guards in his class.

Jayden Wilkins | Southeastern Prep | 2027 | Guard | 6’2

Wilkins continues to be a steadying force on the floor and one of the more underrated names nationally at his position. He stood out in transition going both ways, breaking up fast break opportunities on defense with his hustle and finding guys ahead of him with pitch-ahead passes for easy points, was also able to go end to end for a few finishes above the rim. A good overall finisher in and around the paint, doesn’t make many mistakes with the ball. Brings toughness on defense, was able to switch onto bigs and fight to deny entry passes, boxed out to end possessions and caused problems at the point of attack.

Rylan Kelly | Southeastern Prep | 2026 | Guard | 6’3

On a team with a lot of high-profile and high-powered offensive players, the Sam Houston commit quietly played a big role in their starting lineup as an energy guy and defensive stopper. Made hustle plays all over the floor, getting to rebounds and loose balls and taking on difficult defensive assignments on the perimeter. Made plays in transition and was aggressive getting downhill in the halfcourt, had a handful of sloppy finishes at the rim early on but liked his aggression and willingness to play through contact. Consistently made his presence felt on the offensive glass as well.

Nasir Anderson | Prolific Prep | 2027 | Guard | 6’3

Dealt with some foul trouble and had his minutes limited because of it, but the value he brings whenever he is on the floor is very easy to see. An explosive lead guard with a pro-ready frame, his ability to create separation from defenders off the dribble is advanced thanks to not only his strength and ability to play through contact, but his twitchiness and quickness with the ball. Able to read and react to defenses once he gets downhill and make plays as a passer, can be a bit overzealous at times but don’t him pushing the boundaries of what will/won’t work at this stage. Looked very good scoring at the rim and continued to flash touch outside of the paint.

Aaron Ona Embo | Prolific Prep | 2028 | Guard | 5’11

One of the lesser known players on the Prolific roster heading into the season, Ona Embo is quickly establishing himself as someone who can make things happen with the ball in his hands. Got some extended run and a larger share of offensive opportunity with both Anderson and Bruce Branch in foul trouble, and he brought a real spark as a quick-twitch ballhandler and shot creator, making plays all over the floor for himself and others. Was able to get by defenders in the halfcourt consistently to get to different spots, showcased real scoring touch, especially around the rim on a handful of finishes.

Jayden Robinson | DNA Prep | 2028 | Guard | 6’4

Robinson is a skilled, wiry player who flashed a lot of intriguing tools. He has a creative handle and looked comfortable shooting off of movement, has real touch around the rim and a quick first step getting downhill. Will need to get stronger, has a thin frame and struggled at times to play through contact, which limited his overall ability as a primary option on offense. The skill and feel is there though, and at his size he’s able to shoot over a lot of contests. Will be very interesting to track his development over the coming years, proved to have one of the higher ceilings of anyone on this list.

Dominique Fisher | Academy of Central Florida | 2026 | Guard | 6’1

Fisher’s opening game was the most impressive defensive performance I saw from any player, regardless of team or position. The Spanish guard was a nightmare at the point of attack, poking the ball loose from opponents and forcing turnovers left and right. Single-handedly changed the momentum of the game with his ability to disrupt plays, was also very effective in transition making plays as a passer and looked good as a driver in the halfcourt, getting tough shots up and in over good contests in the paint. I was impressed with his overall decision making and patience on offense.

Martay Barnes | Academy of Central Florida | 2027 | Guard | 6’2

Barnes brought instant offense whenever he was on the floor with his slashing and pullup shooting ability. Did a good job of setting up and blowing by defenders off the dribble and made good use of jabs to create separation, changes speeds and directions well with the ball and is a smooth, fluid athlete who can snake by defenders to get to spots. Lived around the elbows as a pullup shooter and got into the paint as both a driver and cutter, he’s definitely wired to score but had some intriguing flashes as a playmaker as well. As safe of a bet to go and get a bucket as anyone.