Jan 24, 2024, 08:00 AM ET
Baylor's Scott Drew and Alabama's Nate Oats have been two of the most successful coaches in the country over the past few years -- and both bosses added top-10 prospects in recent weeks to propel their programs into the top five of the latest recruiting class rankings.
Baylor had the slightly bigger coup, beating out Duke and Kentucky for No. 4 overall prospect V.J. Edgecombe. It was a long recruitment that included several other schools at different points in time and looked like a potential Duke-St. John's battle around the time of the early signing period. But Baylor turned up the heat, including sending its full staff to one of his high school games. And with Edgecombe in the fold now, the Bears have the No. 4 recruiting class in America, with another potential lottery pick heading to Waco.
Alabama's recruiting win was also something of a come-from-behind victory. Derrion Reid was all set to commit back in October, and Georgia seemed like the most likely destination had he followed through on his scheduled announcement. But he delayed the commitment, and Oats and Alabama were able to pull ahead and land a pledge from the top-10 forward -- one of last spring and summer's best performers. The Crimson Tide now have the fifth-best class in the country.
Of those left, who can similarly move the needle in the 2024 class?
Derik Queen (No. 10): While Houston and Kansas remain involved, this one has felt like a Maryland vs. Indiana battle for months. Neither program currently has a top-25 recruiting class.
Bryson Tucker (No. 17): Tucker has maintained a fairly quiet recruitment, but he visited both Kansas and Michigan State, while G League Ignite is also an option. Could he push the Jayhawks or Spartans into the top five in the class rankings?
Karter Knox (No. 24): Knox took his final official visit to Kentucky last weekend, and the Wildcats are joined by Louisville, South Florida and G League Ignite on his list. Kentucky is the presumed favorite, although it's likely not enough to push it to No. 1.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Top recruit: Cooper Flagg (No. 1)
Duke has a sizable lead in the race for the No. 1 class in the country, with three five-star commits, four top-25 commits and five inside the top 50. It starts with Flagg, the best player in high school basketball and the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. On his own, Flagg would be enough to give Duke a shot at the top class. But when he committed, coach Jon Scheyer already had commitments from Isaiah Evans (No. 7), Kon Knueppel (No. 22) and Darren Harris (No. 37). And then Duke added another five-star in Pat Ngongba (No. 18), one of the few top-tier bigs in the class. With one senior and three potential first-round picks in Duke's current starting lineup, this group will help keep things rolling in Durham.
2. Kentucky Wildcats
Top recruit: Jayden Quaintance (No. 14)
Kentucky went from outside the top 10 before the signing period all the way up to No. 2 following the additions of Quaintance, Billy Richmond (No. 39) and Travis Perry (No. 84). Quaintance has one of the highest ceilings in the class. He reclassified up from 2025 and brings skill, versatility and potential at the forward position. Richmond, who chose the Wildcats over Memphis, is a powerful left-handed wing who excels in transition, while Perry is an in-state prospect whose commitment to the Wildcats came as something of a surprise. Those two are joined by five-star guard Boogie Fland (No. 15), an explosive combo guard with plenty of speed who loves to get to the rim off the bounce, and Somto Cyril (No. 46).
3. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Top recruit: Airious "Ace" Bailey (No. 2)
Rutgers completed its dream duo in early December, landing No. 3 prospect Dylan Harper while beating out the likes of Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Auburn for the in-state guard. Harper teams with Bailey (No. 2) to form arguably the most dynamic tandem entering college next season. A 6-foot-8 wing from Georgia, Bailey has incredible physical tools and can make an impact on the offensive end with his ability to get to the rim, shoot from the perimeter and distribute. The Scarlet Knights also have ESPN 100 center Lathan Sommerville (No. 84), four-star power forward Dylan Grant and three-star forward Bryce Dortch.
4. Baylor Bears
Top recruit: V.J. Edgecombe (No. 4)
Drew made the biggest recruiting splash of the winter by beating out Duke and Kentucky for top-five prospect Edgecombe, the highest-ranked uncommitted senior in the country at the time. Edgecombe was the Bears' highest-ranked commitment since Isaiah Austin in the 2012 class, and he's a player who will step in immediately for projected lottery pick Ja'Kobe Walter as a high-level scorer. Drew was already bringing in two other high-level perimeter prospects in Robert Wright III (No. 25) -- a true point guard who will have the ball in his hands from day one -- and Jason Asemota (No. 44). Baylor will also welcome 7-foot junior college transfer Noah Boyed.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Top recruit: Derrion Reed (No. 8)
Oats has done an incredible job building up Alabama over the past few years through a combination of high school prospects and the transfer portal, and he landed his fourth five-star recruit in the past four recruiting classes when Reid picked the Crimson Tide over Georgia. Reid is versatile and productive and continues to expand his offensive game. He joins a group that has a pair of top-50 prospects in Aiden Sherrell (No. 21), a highly intriguing 6-10 center because of his mobility and skill for his position, and Naasir Cunningham (No. 49), who was once ranked as high as No. 1 in his class and still possesses a very high ceiling.
6. Texas Longhorns
Top recruit: Tre Johnson (No. 5)
The Longhorns had perhaps the biggest win of the early signing period by beating out Baylor for Johnson, an elite guard and top-five recruit. The two in-state schools had gone back-and-forth for most of the past few months battling for Johnson, but Rodney Terry was able to pull it out in the end. Johnson is a big-time scorer and one of the most gifted offensive players in the class. He adds to a Texas class that already has two other ESPN 100 prospects in the class: top-35 wing Cameron Scott (No. 32) and forward Nic Codie (No. 72). With the Longhorns moving to the SEC next season, Terry should certainly have the playmakers to keep up with the league.
7. Kansas Jayhawks
Top recruit: Flory Bidunga (No. 9)
Kansas has three ESPN 100 prospects already in the fold, led by Bidunga, one of the premier big men in the country. Bidunga is a big-time recruit who can finish around the rim, rebound at both ends and make an impact as a shot-blocker on the interior. It's his motor that will separate him at the next level. Along with Bidunga, Bill Self is bringing in point guard Labaron Philon (No. 30) and Rakease Passmore (No. 36). Philon is a former Auburn commit, while the Jayhawks made up a ton of ground toward the end of Passmore's recruitment to land his pledge.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Top recruit: Drake Powell (No. 12)
This class could have given Duke a run for its money at No. 1 had Elliot Cadeau stuck in 2024, but the elite passing point guard reclassified up a year, so Carolina will have to settle for the top 10 for now. The Tar Heels are still bringing in two five-star wings in Powell and Ian Jackson (No. 16), as well as four-star power forward James Brown (No. 65). Powell is a terrific athlete who contributes at both ends of the floor, while Jackson is a former top-five prospect who has dropped spots in the rankings due to inconsistency. But when he's at his best, he can score points in a hurry.
9. Arizona Wildcats
Top recruit: Carter Bryant (No. 20)
Tommy Lloyd did his work early in the 2024 cycle, picking up the two anchors in his recruiting class before the summer began. Guard Jamari Phillips (No. 34) picked the Wildcats in December 2022. Phillips can play either guard spot, continues to improve his offensive game and is capable of getting to the rim or shooting from the perimeter. Bryant popped into the fold this spring. He has been on the radar for a couple of years and really started to put things together over the past few months with length, shooting ability and feel as his strengths. Emmanuel Stephen (No. 89) rounded out the trio in early October.
10. Michigan State Spartans
Top recruit: Jase Richardson (No. 23)
Tom Izzo and Michigan State are poised for back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes. The Spartans finished at No. 4 in the 2023 cycle, led by big man Xavier Booker. At this point, they don't have a top-20 prospect in the group, but there are three ESPN 100 talents in the Spartans' class. Top-50 guards Richardson and Kur Teng (No. 50) lead the way. Richardson, the son of former NBA veteran Jason, is an adept playmaker who creates his own shot and takes care of the ball. Teng is a perfect Izzo player, demonstrating toughness and scoring ability. The third member of the class is Ohio native Jesse McCullough (No. 95), a 6-9 center.
11. Miami Hurricanes
Top recruit: Jalil Bethea (No. 6)
The momentum from Miami's Final Four run has carried over to the recruiting trail with the Hurricanes landing Bethea -- the program's highest-ranked recruit in nearly 40 years. Bethea is coming off a breakout summer in which he cemented himself as one of the best backcourt players in the country. He can score at all three levels and will be able to get points immediately in Coral Gables. Next to him in Miami's future backcourt is Austin Swartz (No. 43), another high-level scorer who can shoot it from 3. Three-star Isaiah Johnson-Arigu is the third member of the group.
12. Purdue Boilermakers
Top recruit: Kanon Catchings (No. 45)
Matt Painter is bringing in a six-man class that received a boost into the top 15 when ESPN 100 guard Gicarri Harris picked the Boilermakers over Georgia Tech on the final day of the signing period. Harris can play either guard position and can really shoot it from the perimeter. Fellow ESPN 100 prospect Catchings is the headliner of the group, with his physicality and ability to score at the rim or from the perimeter. Raleigh Burgess, C.J. Cox, Jack Benter and 7-3 Daniel Jacobsen -- what would a Purdue class be without a 7-footer? -- round out the group.
13. USC Trojans
Top recruit: Trent Perry (No. 26)
A year after landing the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class, Andy Enfield is tracking for his third consecutive top-15 recruiting class. The Trojans aren't going to sign the best player in the country again, but they already have three ESPN 100 prospects ready to go. The highest ranked of the bunch is Perry, who committed in October. He's a steady and unselfish point guard who showed promise as a scorer over the summer. Joining Perry are four-star shooting guard Liam Campbell (No. 76) and four-star forward Brody Kozlowski (No. 91), both of whom should help immediately as perimeter shooters.
14. Missouri Tigers
Top recruit: Annor Boateng (No. 35)
Missouri was involved in some high-level recruiting battles this cycle, winning some and losing some -- and still coming out of the signing period with a very strong five-man class. Boateng is the top name in the group. Dennis Gates was able to get him out of the state of Arkansas, and Boateng will be a perfect fit for Gates' system at both ends of the floor. The same goes for Florida native Marcus Allen (No. 68), a tough, versatile, two-way player who plays with energy. Four-star center Peyton Marshall, a former Auburn commit, provides plenty of size on the interior, while 7-2 Trent Burns has a noteworthy ceiling. Point guard T.O. Barrett will provide depth as well.
15. Arizona State Sun Devils
Top recruit: Amier Ali (No. 48)
After getting to the NCAA tournament and cooling off his seat -- somewhat -- Bobby Hurley hit the recruiting trail and reeled in a top-15 class. There are two ESPN 100 prospects at the top: Ali and Sammie Yeanay (No. 97). Ali brings size (6-8) and high-level offensive ability from the perimeter. Yeanay committed just before the signing period and plays with physicality and energy. Four-star Jaden Smith should help defensively, while three-star guard Bo Aldridge and junior college transfer Jeremiah Nyarko -- a Sierra Canyon (California) product -- are also headed to Tempe.
16. Georgetown Hoyas: Ed Cooley's first full recruiting class in the nation's capital is in great shape. The Hoyas already have former ESPN 100 prospect Drew McKenna in the fold for next season after he enrolled at the semester break. Aside from McKenna, there's 6-9 center Thomas Sorber (No. 64) and 6-6 wing Kayvaun Mulready (No. 75), both ESPN 100 prospects. Four-star Washington, D.C., product Caleb Williams rounds out the quartet.
17. TCU Horned Frogs: Two ESPN 100 prospects are headed to the Horned Frogs in Micah Robinson (No. 64) and David Punch (No. 96), while four-star center Malick Diallo is an intriguing addition. Three-star guard Ashton Simmons rounds it out.
18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: This group should help improve the talent level in South Bend moving forward. There are two ESPN 100 prospects in Nasir Mohammed (No. 56) and Cole Certa (No. 86), as well as four-star forward Garrett Sundra.
19. Auburn Tigers: Bruce Pearl landed a top-30 prospect for the fifth straight year in Tahaad Pettiford (No. 27), while dynamic wing Jahki Howard (No. 59) joined during the recent signing period.
20. UConn Huskies: A year after landing a top-five class, Dan Hurley is bringing in another pair of ESPN 100 prospects in Ahmad Nowell (No. 31) and Isaiah Abraham (No. 85). Nowell should make an immediate impact with the likely departures of Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle.
21. Michigan Wolverines: Michigan carried over its early-season on-court momentum to the recruiting trail by beating out Georgia for Khani Rooths (No. 33). The Wolverines already had signatures from four-star guards Durral Brooks and Christian Anderson.
22. Arkansas Razorbacks: Eric Musselman has made his mark in the transfer portal but continues to recruit high-level high school players. The latest duo headed to Fayetteville are Jalen Shelley (No. 47) and Isaiah Elohim (No. 53).
23. Creighton Bluejays: Creighton is likely to lose several key players after this season, so this class should help Greg McDermott rebuild the roster. Jackson McAndrew (No. 55) and Larry Johnson (No. 90) are the headliners, and three-star guard Ty Davis is also coming to Omaha.
24. Saint Mary's Gaels: Randy Bennett landed his first top-100 prospects since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007 -- and he signed two of them in the same class. Zion Sensley (No. 58) is the headliner with his versatility and upside, but Mikey Lewis (No. 93) and Joshua Dent also head to Moraga.
25. Clemson Tigers: The Tigers are poised for a return to the NCAA tournament, but their top three players are all seniors. A three-man recruiting class led by ESPN 100 prospects Del Jones (No. 70) and Dallas Thomas (No. 80) will help rebuild. Ace Buckner rounds out the group.
