The Spalding Hoophall Classic is the nation's best and biggest high school basketball event annually. Entering its 22nd year this weekend, the nation's top elite talent converges on the campus of Springfield College in Massachusetts where Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in 1891.
Several No. 1 overall NBA draft picks have played at Hoophall, including 10 of the last 12 top picks. This year's crop of talent may be the deepest ever, featuring all three No. 1 prospects in their respective classes in Montverde Academy's Cooper Flagg (2024) and Prolific Prep stars A.J. Dybantsa (2025) and Tyran Stokes (2026).
"We're proud to host so many quality teams and players," said Greg Procino, vice president of events and partnerships at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. "This field is an elite mix of teams from around the country that should produce an exciting weekend at Springfield College while also allowing teams and fans to tour and visit the Naismith Hall of Fame. The Hoophall Classic has become a must-attend event on the calendar and one that continues to grow and improve," he said.
Nearly all of the premier matchups across the final two days of the event will be broadcasted or streamed across ESPN's family of networks. Here are five things to know entering the event, including a full broadcast schedule.
Talent is at an all-time high
This may be Hoophall's best year of talent considering the tremendous quality and quantity. It features 66 ranked players across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes. The star power includes nine of the top 10 players in the ESPN 100 for the Class of 2024, in addition to the top-ranked Flagg, Dybantsa and Stokes.
"The talent is overwhelming," said one NBA scout. "You better not put your head down and look at your phone or you will miss something."
You'll see potential No. 1 overall picks, draft lottery talents and the future stars of college basketball throughout the weekend. The talent extends throughout rosters as well -- the event features 18 of the 25 best teams in the country.
"We have over 50 NBA personnel making up 28 NBA franchises. We expect 75 to 100 college coaches," Procino said.
The No. 1 team ranking is on the line in several can't-miss TV matchups
The number of McDonald's All-American candidates going head-to-head suggests our rankings could see a sizable shakeup. A Montverde loss and Long Island Lutheran win could result in a new No. 1 when updated rankings are released on Tuesday.
No. 1 Montverde (Florida) faces No. 7 Prolific Prep (California) Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in a game with major implications and star power. Led by Flagg, Montverde is the only undefeated team in our rankings. But Prolific Prep certainly has the firepower to create the upset, countering with Dybantsa and Stokes. The game features 13 ranked players overall.
Rutgers commit Dylan Harper, the No. 2 player in the Class of 2024, faces V.J. Edgecombe (No. 5) in a matchup of two of the five best perimeter players in the country when No. 10 Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) faces No. 17 Archbishop Stepinac High School (New York) Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Monday features a slew of top tier games as well. No. 3 Paul VI (Virginia) faces No. 5 Columbus (Florida) at 1 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Columbus has several marquee players with NBA family in Cameron Boozer, the No. 2 player in the Class of 2025, and his brother Cayden (No. 16), as well as Michigan State commit Jase Richardson, the No. 28 player in the Class of 2024.
Paul VI has a trio of senior four-stars worth keeping an eye on: Duke commit Darren Harris (No. 45 Class of 2024), UConn commit Isaiah Abraham (No. 81) and four star Rhode Island commit Ben Hammond.
Here are the best games to watch over the final two days of Hoophall:
Sunday, Jan.14
Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas) vs. IMG Academy (Florida), (ESPN+, 3:45 p.m. ET)
Don Bosco Prep vs. Archbishop Stepinac High School, (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
Montverde Academy vs. Prolific Prep, (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) vs. Brewster Academy (New Hampshire), (ESPN2, 9:15 p.m.)
Monday, Jan. 15
Harvard-Westlake School (California) vs. McEachern High School (Georgia), (ESPN+, 11 a.m. ET)
Paul VI High School vs. Christopher Columbus High School, (ESPNU, 1 p.m. ET)
Arizona Compass Prep (Arizona) vs. Long Island Lutheran, (ESPNU, 3 p.m. ET)<,/li>
Link Academy (Missouri) vs. IMG Academy, (ESPNU, 5 p.m. ET)
Anticipate big recruiting news from five-star V.J. Edgecombe
Edgecombe is expected to make his college announcement, which will be the biggest news of the weekend. He'll make his decision -- Baylor, Duke and Kentucky are his final three schools -- live at halftime of the 7:30 p.m. ET night game Simdau between Montverde and Prolific Prep on ESPN2.
Whoever lands Edgecombe, the No. 5 prospect on our board, is getting a highly impactful player. He's playing with a high level of dominance and is a next-level athlete with speed, explosiveness, playmaking and scoring skill. Defensively, he has taken on the challenge of guarding the opponent's top player and has become more of a complete player. Edgecombe isn't the only high-level recruit nearing a decision, however.
Montverde's Derik Queen, the No. 15 player in the Class of 2024, is expected to make his college choice shortly after Hoophall and is targeting an announcement around Feb. 1, his AAU coach Donell "Mookie" Dobbins told ESPN.
Queen is expected to decide between Indiana, Maryland, Kansas and Houston. He's the best low-post back-to-the-basket player in high school basketball. Queen owns an extremely soft touch, swift footwork and instincts to score over either shoulder while also knowing when to pass to an open teammate.
More names should follow suit
ESPN 100 Bryson Tucker, the No. 20 player in the Class of 2024 -- who is considering Kansas, Michigan State and the G League -- is one of the top unsigned seniors in the country. He has found success at Bishop O'Connell (Virgina) under Joe Wooten alongside Quincy Wadley, the No. 15 player in the Class of 2026. They'll face Cardinal Ritter High School (Missouri) Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET.
Five-star Kentucky commit Boogie Fland will be on ESPN2 Sunday night for Archbishop Stepinac. Trent Perry, the No. 42 player in the Class of 2024, and four-star Robert Hinton lead nationally-ranked Harvard-Westlake against Ace Bailey and McEachern High School on Monday morning. Perry is headed to USC while Hinton is committed to Harvard.
It's worth mentioning the Boozer brothers again. Cameron and Cayden are talented, skilled and play with high IQ. They're pure winners who maximize their ability and leave their mark on each game for Columbus.
An under-the-radar name who is currently unranked-but will likely enter our next update is Brewster Academy four-star wing Dwayne Aristode. He'll play Sunday night at 9:15 p.m. ET. against Oak Hill Academy on ESPN+.
"He's an ultra-athletic wing who can score," Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith said. "He's a physical and versatile defender. He has great upside."
Will there be a new No. 1 in the Class of 2024 soon?
The gap has shrunk between Flagg and other top players in the Class of 2024, leading to an interesting discussion for the top spot in our rankings ahead of our next update on Jan. 22.
Flagg has been outstanding for top-ranked Montverde Academy. He brings an edge, tremendous versatility and an unquestioned feel for the game that is extremely advanced. But Harper put up huge numbers at the City of Palms Classic Basketball Tournament, averaging 28.3 points per game over three games, and has been impactful all season. Bailey has shown he's a future NBA small forward with a Paul George type of game. Link Academy star Tre Johnson, the No. 4 player and a Texas commit, stands at 6-foot-6 with a 6-10 wingspan and an NBA scoring package. He is an exceptionally dangerous pull-up mid-range shooter. Edgecombe rounds out the top five and has exploded since the start of the season, scoring from all three levels and showing his playmaking ability.
This weekend marks a golden opportunity to create some separation for all five prospects when they take the floor at Hoophall.