Recruiting profile: Meet Acaden Lewis, the No. 1 2025 recruit from D.C. in men’s basketball

The top recruit from D.C. showed off his all-around skills at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24.

Day 2 of the Under Armour Elite 24 wrapped up on Friday, with some of the top high school and international basketball players competing against each other in a scrimmage in front of a handful of NBA scouts.

While the main event of the three-day showcase is the nationally televised game on Saturday, Friday still provided a valuable outlook into some of the top talent around the nation, with 2025 four-star guard Acaden Lewis standing out with his array of skills.

Lewis, a 6’2”, 180-pound guard from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. is the top-rated players from D.C. in the Class of 2025.

Working against some five-star competition, as well as a bevy of talented four-star guards in both the 2025 and 2026 classes, Lewis proved himself, beginning with the individual drills during practice on Thursday.

Showcasing a nice shooting touch during three-point drills, Lewis carried over his performance to Friday’s scrimmage, where he worked both on and off the ball, flashing with a good handle, catch-and-shoot ability, playmaking instincts, and defensive tenacity.

“I feel like it’s just a feel,” Lewis said about balancing his scoring and facilitating. “Always try to get the bigs involved early because, you know, get them morale. You need them to rebound, set screens and stuff like that, so always try to get my bigs involved. The wings and the guards, they kind of involve themselves, they get some buckets here and there so you don’t have to do as much with them. So always try to get my big guys involved. And then once I get into a rhythm, it’s usually pretty seamless. I just try to make the best read I can.”

I think using my reputation, people see me as a scorer. They know I can get downhill, they know I can shoot. So, I use that. People close out on me hard. People are trying to blitz me and stuff like that. So being manipulative with ball screens and stuff is usually my go to because it allows me to get other people involved.”

With his size, Lewis may be asked to play more point guard at the next level, although people view him more as a combo guard, given his scoring abilities.

While he’s looked to prove that he can be an effective player at the one this summer, Lewis acknowledged the positionless style of basketball that has taken over nowadays, especially in the NBA.

“I’ve been blessed to go to a couple camps this summer, like some really high-level ones, such as CP3 and stuff like that. So every time I go, you know, I just want to prove that I’m one of the best players in the country [and] one of the best point guards in the country,” Lewis said.

“A lot of people think I’m a combo [guard] and, you know, to be honest, it doesn’t really matter in the NBA. It’s a lot of combo guards. Curry plays more off ball than ball. I just want to prove that I can play with elite players. That’s another thing that, over there, the NBA scouts really value, you know. Cause I may be on a team with LeBron, so I may gotta play off-ball a little more.”

Now entering his senior year, Lewis is starting to cut down his list of top schools, with a plan to reveal his official visit schedule within the next week or two.

The guard recently visited Duke this week prior to attending the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24, with a trip to Syracuse coming before that last week.

Overall, with a ton of new interest from top-tier schools, as well as standing out at several camps, it’s been a busy summer for the D.C. native, who has lofty goals for his senior season as he continues to climb up the recruiting ranking.

“This year, [I’m looking to] set myself up for a position in the McDonald’s All-American game,” Lewis shared. “I’m right there on the cusp. You know, I’ve jumped a lot of spots on every service, and they’re still updating. So camps like this are just another way to show my value, show that I’m up there with the most elite.”

Lewis will look to cap off a successful weekend with a good showing in the nationally televised Elite 24 game on Saturday, which tips off on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET.

After that, it’s off to the races for his senior season, where he’ll look to continue gaining national acclaim as he’s done all summer long.