At this stage in the basketball year, most of the top-ranked basketball prospects have made their initial college decision. For the 2026 recruiting class, 36 of the top 50 consensus prospects have chosen a school at the time of writing this piece, where I’ll rank the top-10 recruiting classes so far.
We’ll order the classes based on several factors, including overall depth, top-end talent and prospect fit, based on my analysis of the players. These classes are far from finished and will shift in the coming months, so we’re only factoring in what’s already happened. In the ranking, star designations are sourced from 247’s composite board and we’ll reference our Sportscasting top 25 ranking from early October throughout the piece.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Bryson Howard (Five-star wing)
Cameron Williams (Five-star big)
Maxime Meyer (Four-star center)
At this stage, there’s no other choice than Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils, the only team with three recruits in my top-25 so far. Howard, our seventh-ranked prospect, is the crown jewel of the class so far — he’s an exceptional shooter who fits seamlessly alongside other ball-dominant stars and makes plays on defense with his size and athleticism.
Williams and Meyer ranked first and second in stocks (steals plus blocks) per game across all major shoe circuits this summer and are poised to form a formidable defensive duo in college. Even if Duke doesn’t add any more players to their 2026 class (unlikely), it would end as one of the strongest groups for college and NBA impact.
2. Arkansas RazorbacksÂ
JJ Andrews (Five-star wing)
Abdou Toure (Four-star wing)
Arkansas’s early 2026 class boasts the most high-end talent of any class yet, landing my fifth (Andrews) and 13th (Toure) prospects. Consensus rankings underrate both players but Andrews especially, who sports NBA-caliber physical tools and creation chops while leading his AAU teams to back-to-back titles.
Toure has a case as the most explosive athlete in the class, bringing rare speed, vertical explosion and body control as a scorer. He’ll need to improve his decision-making with the ball, but Andrews and Toure both have immense two-way potential and could wreck opposing wing rooms at the college level.
3. Kansas Jayhawks
Taylen Kinney (Five-star guard)
Davion Adkins (Four-star big)
Trent Perry (Four-star wing)
Luke Barnett (Four-star guard)
Kansas’s class is as balanced as any group so far, captained by five-star guard Taylen Kinney. He starred on the Adidas 3SSB circuit this summer and brings an elite handle, excellent defensive upside and volume playmaking. He’ll need to continue shooting at a high clip, but Kinney is a one-and-done talent.
Perry and Adkins will bolster the Jayhawks’ defensive foundation, the former wreaking havoc on the perimeter and the latter manning the paint and blocking shots. Barnett’s off-ball shooting and secondary slashing suit him for a complementary offensive role at the college level.
4. Maryland Terrapins
Babatunde Oladotun (Five-star forward)
Kaden House (Four-star guard)
Adama Tambedou (Four-star forward)
Austin Brown (Three-star wing)
After reclassifying from the 2027 class, Oladotun headlines Maryland’s current top-five class. He’s extremely young for his class and will need plenty of physical and mental development before he’s impacting winning like a star, but his size and flashes of shotmaking skill and defensive playmaking are enticing.
House is a feisty defender with an impressive handle and some playmaking chops and Tambedou will bring explosive athleticism and a high motor to his future college squad. Brown is more talented than his three-star designation with some impressive creation flashes, rounding out a strong recruiting class for the Terrapins.
5. Houston CougarsÂ
Arafan Diane (Five-star center)
Ikenna Alozie (Four-star guard
Diane is my highest-rated player currently committed, coming in at third on our most recent top 25 ranking. While he lacks the springiness and defensive aptitude of a typical Houston center, his elite post scoring and passing feel as a true seven-footer provide him sky-high offensive upside.
Alozie fits the mold of a more common Cougar guard, bringing defensive intensity and athleticism to the table. He’s more of a long-term impact bet than Diane, but they’ll construct the class around their towering Guinean center regardless.
6. Michigan State Spartans
Ethan Taylor (Four-star center)
Jasiah Jervis (Four-star guard)
Carlos Medlock Jr. (Four-star guard)
Julius Avent (Four-star wing)
Tom Izzo’s class is the only one on the list without any players in our top 25 ranking, but it compensates with strong depth and balance. Jervis and Taylor will contend for top-40 slots in our next ranking update; Taylor’s athleticism presents pathways for two-way impact and Jervis is a dynamic shotmaker with some handling verve.
Medlock Jr. is one of the more underrated guards in the class with a complete skillset to compensate for his size. Him alongside a skilled, big-bodied wing bet in Avent forms a well-rounded class for Izzo to develop over the next few seasons.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes
Anthony Thompson (Five-star forward)
Alex Smith (Four-star forward)
The Buckeyes kept the top in-state prospect in Ohio, signing Thompson to headline their 2026 class. Thompson blends impressive size and traditional NBA athleticism with a long track record of efficient outside shooting, traits college teams and the league value highly. He’s a strong bet to impact winning early on in his college career.
Smith is a skilled, stretch four with some help-side rim protection upside, forming a threatening potential frontcourt duo with Thompson. Ohio State is prioritizing tall shotmakers so far, not a bad strategy in the modern game of basketball.
8. UConn Huskies
Colben Landrew (Four-star wing)
Junior County (Four-star guard)
Landrew is one of the country’s most underrated players, now acknowledged as a top-20 player but still not discussed as highly as his play warrants. He sports prototypical wing size, 3-point shooting and defensive play with the creation chops that most two-way wings lack at this stage of their careers.
Dan Hiurley will have no problems weaponizing Landrew and County on the offensive end. County must improve physically, but he’s a talented offensive player with the ball and the Huskies have long extracted the most out of their players.
9. Texas Longhorns
Austin Goosby (Four-star guard)
Bo Ogden (Four-star guard)
Joe Sterling (Four-star guard)
The Longhorns landed a major EYBL riser in Goosby, who broke out on the circuit as a two-way playmaker. He’s a physical, aggressive driver with enough handling and shotmaking to exploit his athleticism. That athleticism pops up on defense, letting him nab steals and defend the ball effectively.
Ogden and Sterling are both strong guard options, bringing off-dribble shooting, pick-and-roll play and defensive playmaking. This trio of guards will have a chance to develop into a strong impact group at the college level with some NBA potential from Goosby if everything works in his favor.
10. Missouri TigersÂ
Jason Crowe Jr. (Five-star guard)
Toni Bryant (Four-star forward)
Crowe is one of the better shotmakers in the class, capable of absurd scoring totals fueled by knockdown off-dribble shooting. He’s a bit undersized and his rim finishing and defense are swing skills to monitor, but he should slot in as an effective shot creator at the college level immediately.
Missouri’s other commit is an opposite archetype to Crowe, bringing athleticism, defensive versatility and explosive play finishing to the table. Bryant lacks some on-ball offensive utility, but that won’t matter as much on a team with Crowe possibly absorbing tons of offensive usage.
