Photo courtesy of Under Armour.
By David Cordova
For many years, the Elite 24 has been one of the premier all-star games featuring the best high school talent in the nation since its inception in the summer of 2006, when it started at the world-famous Rucker Park in Harlem.
Since its inception, it has gone from the legendary landmark on 155th Street and Eighth Avenue to Brooklyn Bridge Park to places such as Chicago and Atlanta.
Plenty of players from the New York City area have starred in the game, including NBA pros such as Kemba Walker, Lance Stephenson, Isaiah Whitehead, Hamidou Diallo and Doron Lamb.
This year, for the first time in eight years, the Elite 24, which has been backed by Under Armour for over a decade, returned to Brooklyn, and held the event at Duggal Greenhouse, which is located within the Navy Yard in Fort Greene.
In the game, there were three heavy hitters from the tri-state area, hailing from New York and Connecticut that held their own in front of the lens of ESPNU and the spectators that were in the crowd. These players are promising prospects from the Class of 2026 that will definitely make plenty of noise moving forward.
Dylan Mingo
A native of Farmingdale, Long Island, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard, his presence felt nationally during the summer on the Nike EYBL circuit with the PSA Cardinals, and led them to the quarterfinals of the Peach Jam and would end up being rated at No. 13 in the ESPN national rankings in the Class of 2026.
In the game, he had 13 points on 3-for-6 shooting from the field for Team Ice.
This season, he will be a part of a solid crew at Long Island Lutheran, the undisputed No. 1 team in the state of New York and a top-five team nationally as a junior. Also a part of the loaded Crusaders roster is his older brother Kayden, who is currently a senior, and also other upperclassmen such as Kiyan Anthony and Marquette commit Nigel James.
Next year, the younger Mingo will be the fourth player in his immediate family to accept a Division I scholarship, as Kayden will be playing collegiate basketball next season at Penn State. His father, William, played college football at Delaware State in the 1990’s and his older brother, Dalique, a former standout at Farmingdale High School, played at Howard University.
Very soon, there Mingo family will be one of those that will be talked about for years to come, as the legacy they will leave on the court will be a special one.
Deron Rippey, Jr.
A native of the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, the 6-foot-1 point guard is known for his ability to score the ball and has plenty of athleticism to go with it.
A standout at Blair Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Blairstown, New Jersey that has produced plenty of NBA pros such as Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, Royal Ivey and Marial Shayok, he led the Bucs to a New Jersey Prep State championship last season as a sophomore.
This spring and summer, he held his own on the New Heights Lightning 16U squad and led them to an appearance in the Peach Invitational. Currently, ESPN has him rated at No. 30 nationally in the Class of 2026.
During the Elite 24, he made plenty of highlight-reel dunks and stole the show with his performance, as he had 15 points & seven assists for Team Fire.
Rippey also comes from a family of Division I hoopers.
His father, Deron, Sr., played high school basketball at Harry Van Arsdale High School and the presitigious Cheshire Academy in Connecticut in the early 1990’s. He would also play 27 games at East Carolina University in the 1995-96 season. He would become a head coach in the PSAL during the 2000’s at Susan McKinney High School and Bedford Academy, respectively.
His older sister, De’Naya, a promising standout during her high school days around the city scene & a recent graduate of Cheshire, will be beginning her freshman season at St. Peter’s University this fall.
Now, the younger Rippey is making a name for himself and is bound to make plenty of noise nationally, as schools are currently vying for his services. It won’t be long before he will be the third player in his immediate family to accept a Division I scholarship. Whichever school lands his services in the 2026-27 season will be landing a thoroughbred of a player.
Abdou Toure
A native of West Haven, Connecticut, Toure is a promising prospect representing the Nutmeg State in the best way. His ability to showcase his athleticism is definitely something to be seen.
In an era where many of the best players in the state are leaving the traditional high schools in the CIAC to play for prep schools in New England and other places, he is still staying strong at the place where he started.
Last season as a sophomore, he led his high school, Notre Dame-West Haven, to a CIAC Division I state championship and an undefeated record of 28-0 on the season. He would be named Player of the Year by publications such as GameTime CT and MaxPreps. At the present time, 247 Sports currently has him rated as the No. 31 overall prospect in the Class of 2026.
He then parlayed that performance into a huge peformance at the U17 FIBA World Cup in Turkey as he competed for the country of Guinea, as he scored 50 points in a game. He also made his presence felt on the Nike EYBL circuit as he played on Expressions Elite’s 16U squad.
During the Elite 24, he had 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds for Team Ice.
This season, he will definitely take the CIAC by storm and will continue to elevate the culture in the Nutmeg State and will continue to let people know that you can stay home and prosper at a traditional school in your home state as opposed to going to prep school.
With the way these players performed, there is no doubt that the future is bright for the Class of 2026. Although all three play in a suburban atmosphere, these kids are built for the city culture and exude it whenever they’re on the court. Very soon, they will be shining on the Division I scene.
Dave's JOINT 
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