This list of the top 25 men's college basketball prospects regardless of class is based on a player's performances, productivity level and potential at the college level, as well as an NBA draft projection.
At the very top of the list is a back-and-forth between PF Chet Holmgren and SF Emoni Bates, the No. 1-ranked prospects in the Classes of 2021 and 2022, respectively. Although Bates remains a generational talent, Holmgren has had dominant performances on both ends of the floor, pushing him to the top spot here.
Make no mistake, though: This list is fluid. We have had the opportunity to be at some live events since our previous update in August, but the bulk of our scouting has been virtual. Each player has room for growth.
Here is the full top 25.
1. PF Chet Holmgren
Minnehaha Academy (Minnesota)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 1
The 7-foot-1 Holmgren has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and has used his frame and motor to produce numerous triple-doubles on the national stage against high-level competition. Holmgren averaged 15 points, 12.6 rebounds and 10 blocks at the Geico Top Flight Invite. What also bodes well for him are his leadership skills and unselfishness on the court. He needs to bulk up at the next level, but he is the game's best shot-blocker and greatest mismatch.
2. SF Emoni Bates
Ypsi Prep Academy (Michigan)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 1
Emoni Bates, the No. 1 recruit for the Class of 2022 in the ESPN Top 100, flushes a dunk vs. Team Sizzle.
An incredible talent with all the tools for greatness, Bates plays with laser focus and is virtually unstoppable on the open floor. He can score with his impressive jumper from anywhere at any time, and playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State will only help his defensive game. He is an attacking downhill talent who is still the best 16-year-old prospect I have evaluated since LeBron James.
3. SG Jaden Hardy
Coronado High School (Nevada)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 2
It would be difficult to find a player who has been better on the offensive end than Hardy. He puts up big numbers with shot preparation, a quick release, advanced footwork and a purposeful dribble. The senior has also shown the ability to read the floor and outstanding passing vision. At the Geico Top Flight Invite, Hardy averaged 31.3 points in three games with effectiveness and efficiency.
4. C Paolo Banchero
O'Dea High School (Washington)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 3
With a strong body and a wingspan of more than 7 feet, Banchero moves incredibly well and has a fundamentally sound offensive game. The Duke signee has expanded his face-up game with range and mobility to drive from the high post and score in the low post. He works the glass and displays passing vision from the post, and his back-to-the-basket footwork makes him a special player.
5. PF Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Hamilton High School (Wisconsin)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 4
Baldwin has a reputation of being a pure and accurate long-range shooter. His jumper makes defenders fly out at him, which sets up his drive game and his pull-up jumper. During the heat of battle, he plays at his own pace and with advanced basketball instincts. Shooting is the most coveted skill in the game, and it is his forte.
6. PF Jabari Smith
Sandy Creek High School (Georgia)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 5
A breakout performer this fall, Smith is a fluid 3-point shooter with slashing ability. His total skill at 6-foot-9 is impressive and impactful, and he has tremendous upside. The Auburn commit has a power forward's size and a small forward's mobility. Smith's shooting and versatility make him a mismatch on the floor.
7. C Jalen Duren
Montverde Academy (Florida)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 2
Duren is a big, explosive center with an NBA frame and a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He could be the best rim protector and most physically imposing player in the Class of 2022. He finishes lobs and drop-off passes and rebounds with authority. Physically, he is reminiscent of a young Dwight Howard, with Chris Webber-like hands.
8. PG D.J. Wagner
Camden High School
2023 ESPN 25 ranking: 1
Wagner is a gifted playmaker who plays with a quiet confidence at a young age. He has innate decision-making instincts in the conversion game and is even more impressive against a set defense. He regularly gets into the paint and puts opposing defenses at his mercy, thanks to his cleverness and speed. For a young point guard, he does an outstanding job of playing fast in the open floor and decelerating when the fast break is not available. He is a strong worker who is growing as a more vocal leader, too.
9. SG Amari Bailey
Sierra Canyon High School (California)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 3
Bailey has settled nicely into a new role as the main offensive threat at Sierra Canyon. He is a combination guard who can make any pass that is needed and understands when and how to get his points. He can make tough shots and layups in traffic, thanks to his excellent body control and concentration. He's one of the few guards who can be dangerous behind the arc or in the open floor when he attacks the rim.
10. PF Michael Foster
Hillcrest Prep (Wisconsin)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 6
A physically imposing and powerful talent, Foster takes over games with his dominant physical tools and emerging face-up game. He competes with noticeable energy and effort. He's best in the paint and on the blocks, but he has shown that he can excel from the elbows and produce behind the arc as well.
11. SF Caleb Houstan
Montverde Academy (Florida)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 7
Houstan, a smooth-shooting combination forward, can read the game at an advanced level. He makes strong decisions of when to shoot and when to move the ball. He displays a consistent jumper with a fluid release and textbook follow-through. The 6-foot-8 senior is ready to break out this season at Montverde Academy (Florida).
12. PF Moussa Diabate
IMG Academy (Florida)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 8
Diabate, a 6-foot-10 power forward for IMG Academy, made major noise on national TV with activity in the paint on both ends of the court. His low-post moves are developing, as he can score one-on-one and catch lobs or drop-off passes. He worked on his body and physicality significantly when there was no basketball in the spring.
13. C Nate Bittle
Prolific Prep (Oregon)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 9
The 7-foot Bittle can see the game with innate instincts, but what makes him "unique," in the words of Prolific Prep head coach Mark Phelps, is his versatility on both ends of the court. He's an excellent passer who can play through from the high post area. His face-up game, which includes shooting, driving and solid footwork, will elevate when he gets lower. He rebounds with length and has shown that he is an unselfish player.
14. PG Kennedy Chandler
Sunrise Christian Academy (Tennessee)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 10
Chandler is one of the best point guards in the country because he can navigate the open floor and in ball screen actions. What sets Chandler apart is that he knows how to run a team and find his teammates at the right time. "He makes high-level decisions in tight spaces," said Luke Barnwell, Chandler's coach at Sunrise High School. When it comes to scoring, he is a layup maker and midrange shooter, and now he is a much-improved 3-point shooter as well. Being more of a vocal leader is vital for his development.
15. PG J.D. Davison
Calhoun High School (Alabama)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 11
Davison is a scoring point guard who is putting up big numbers with explosiveness -- he dropped 57 points in his team's opening game, often against a double-team. He displays terrific body control for a high-end finisher. The 6-foot-2 senior goes hard and fast in transition and has the physical giftedness to be a strong defender.
16. C Jalen Lewis
Bishop O'Dowd High School
2023 ESPN 25 ranking: 2
Lewis' shooting skill for his grade and size are advanced. His 3-point talent and his short-face game continue to look natural and improve at a steady rate. Lewis is a big body who can finish with mobility and bounce. His post play and elite footwork separate the 6-foot-8 center from his peers.
17. PF Matt Bewley
West Oaks Academy (Florida)
2023 ESPN 25 ranking: 3
Bewley brings a physical presence, productive play and a competitive spirit to the court. The 6-foot-9 frontcourt player is a tremendous finisher who has a short drive game and shows flashes of a midrange jumper. He works the glass for double-digit rebound games regularly and has his share of blocks. He demonstrated his potential with a 40-point, 17-rebound performance for West Oaks, and he will only get better the more his post-up game develops.
18. SG Peyton Watson
Long Beach Polytechnic High School (California)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 12
Watson has been climbing up the charts, thanks to his potential and scoring skills. He displays an excellent first step to the rim and finishing ability. Watson, a UCLA signee, is a triple-threat player who drives to score and has strong passing vision and a dependable jumper. He needs a strength coach and some Mick Cronin defense to take another jump.
19. PG Hunter Sallis
Millard North High School (Nebraska)
2021 ESPN 100 ranking: 13
Sallis is dynamic in the open floor, with straight-line speed, explosiveness and an impressive vertical leap. He scores by being under control with fluid movement as he reads his defender and the help-side defense. His long-range jumper and his pull-up game are on balance and keep improving.
20. C Baye Fall
Lutheran High School (Colorado)
2023 ESPN 25 ranking: 4
The 6-foot-11 center is skinny, so he needs to work on his strength, but the sophomore has plenty of time on his side. Fall never stops working throughout each contest -- he can run all game. He serves as a lob catcher who rebounds with length and is a talented shot-blocker. His hands are more than dependable to catch scoring passes, and his offensive game is coming along nicely.
21. SG Mikey Williams
Lake Norman Christian (North Carolina)
2023 ESPN 25 ranking: 5
Williams is dynamic in transition at scoring or finding the open man as he makes quick decisions. For a natural scoring guard, he's an exceptional passer. Few prospects have his range and accuracy when it comes to shooting. Williams is a terrific long-range shooter both off the catch and from a rhythm dribble when he finds space and balance. He needs to improve his shot quality and work on his defensive skills, but overall, Williams is a competitor who loves a test.
22. PF Brandon Huntley-Hatfield
Scotland Performance Institute (Tennessee)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 4
Huntley-Hatfield has a strong power forward's frame, broad shoulders and plenty of fast-twitch fibers. He makes 3s comfortably and scores almost at will in the paint. Huntley-Hatfield is a grab-and-go rebounder who should dominate the glass and run the floor both ways to be more impactful.
23. SF Chris Livingston
Akron Buchtel High School (Ohio)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 5
Livingston is a hard and powerful driver who scores over or through defenders and welcomes contact along the way. He shows moments of making open jumpers and throwing some nifty passes. He has plenty of promise, especially if his jumper and commitment to defense come around.
24. SG Dariq Whitehead
Montverde Academy (Florida)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 6
A tremendous two-way player in the conversion game, Whitehead is outstanding in the open floor, whether finalizing plays or handling the ball in space. He has the upside to be one of the better defenders in high school basketball. Since our previous update, his standstill jumper is making progress, and he still needs to cut off hard screens and work to get open, both of which will make him more of a scoring threat.
25. SF Brandon Miller
Cane Ridge High School (Tennessee)
2022 ESPN 60 ranking: 7
Miller gives the opposition fits, as he gets buckets from all three levels. He is terrific at reading the open floor and operating in that space. Miller has been dominant within his age group and is ready to play a more impactful role against older competition. He is an inside-outside prospect with ideal size, confidence and consistent production.