BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ & SAM LANCE
ROCK HILL, SC — No matter what pace a guard prefers, every elite guard can force the game to be played at their own speed. For three-star class of 2026 prospect Navon Shabazz, the game is meant to be played as fast as possible.
“I would say aggressive, trying to get downhill,” Shabazz said of his game. “I like mid-range pull-ups, also spot up threes. I feel like I’m making a high percentage of those. I feel like I can be a playmaker. I can be a scorer. Or I can do whatever the coach needs me to do.”
The 6-foot-4 guard has been a standout for Iowa United at the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this summer, averaging 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
“I showed I can play both sides of the ball and that even if I’m not scoring, I can make opportunities for others on my team,” Shabazz said. “Even if it may not be assists, or scoring, maybe just rebounding or playing hard defense on the other end.”
Shabazz comes from a family of ballers and rockstars. His father, Nasir Shabazz, played college basketball at Chicago State, and his cousin is the late superstar rapper and singer Juice Wrld.
No stranger to putting on his own show, Shabazz, the former Iowa commit before Fran McCaffery left for Penn, has garnered the attention of multiple programs with his guard skills and tempo. He has been in contact with programs such as Buffalo, Murray State, Penn and Seton Hall.
While he hasn’t visited any schools, he has been in close contact with these programs during the recruiting process. Here’s how he broke down some of the programs involved:
Murray State: “Obviously, they had Ja Morant. They got a new staff also, so yeah.”
Penn: “It’s been the same as when they were at Iowa. They’ve always show love since the beginning since my freshman year. They’ve been showing love all the way through. So it’s been really good.”
Seton Hall: “l’m really now doing my research on them. Because if I’m being honest, I’ve never been like — I never really watched college basketball until this past year. So I got to catch up.” Head coach Shaheen Halloway has been the point of contact.
Shabazz plans on learning more about these schools when he schedules his visits closer to the fall. Once he gets to campuses, he hopes to see a team that could fit his preference for fast-paced basketball.
The three-star is the No. 30 combo guard in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. His favorite NBA players are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant, and he claims he is a talented singer.
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