At this time last year, high school basketball's senior class -- headlined by Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson and others -- looked destined to significantly impact college basketball. That group has delivered on its promise. And though it's a high bar, the class of 2025 could be on a similar trajectory.
"The top of this year's class is as good -- and maybe better -- than last year's class," one NBA scout said.
We have passed the midway point of the high school season. The holiday tournaments and conference play provided outstanding matchups to evaluate the nation's best teams and talent. The high school schedule offers a different challenge from the summer circuit and camp settings -- there's more structure because you're playing with the same teammates for a longer period.
We've updated our high school recruiting rankings to reflect developments from the first half of the season. Our biggest takeaways are below.
Updated player rankings:
2025 ESPN 100 | 2026 ESPN 60 | 2027 ESPN 25
Five-Star Talent Remains Impressive
The SEC is set to bring in the most ranked prospects (26) next year from a 2025 class that is loaded at the top. That includes five-star Arkansas commit Darius Acuff, who cracks the top five in our latest update. Acuff has played at a high level and demonstarted consistent, dominant performances. The Michigan native scores at will, but more importantly, has led IMG Academy (Fla.) with his approach and trust of his teammates.
The ACC (20 commits), Big 12 (14), Big Ten (14) and Big East (11) follow suit.
The 2025 class has 18 five-star prospects, mirroring the 2024 class that finished with 18 five-stars. The Big 12 leads the way with five five-stars, while the ACC follows with four.
The Big 12's crop of five-stars includes the top two players in the class -- A.J. Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) -- as well as two Houston commits: Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell. Baylor rounds out the group with Tounde Yessoufou.
The ACC counters with Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer (Duke), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) and the most recent commit to North Carolina in Caleb Wilson.
More Notable Risers
Braylon Mullins (UConn) jumped to No. 14 from No. 25 thanks to his elite shooting and scoring ability.
Baylor commit Tounde Yessoufou also cracked the five-star range and jumped from No. 20 to 13. He has an endless motor and impressive production. Yessoufou is physically gifted, and his ball skills have improved.
Davis Fogle (No. 33) continues to show what type of player he will be at Gonzaga. His bounce, length and ball skills blend nicely.
Nigel James (Marquette) plays with uncommon tenacity. Plus, he has demonstrated passing vision, on-ball defense and transition ability. He moves up over 40 spots.
Trent Sisley (Indiana) has consistently scored, rebounded and showed toughness in the paint. The 3-point shooting he flashed in the EYBL is starting to show up in a small sample size (6-of-13) with Montverde Academy (Fla.).
Three Key Top 100 Newcomers
Three fresh faces worked their way into the top 100 after strong starts to the winter.
Oklahoma commit Alec Blair enters the Top 100 and is a 6-foot-7 dual-sport athlete for De La Salle Academy (Calif.). ESPN also ranked Blair as the No. 50 prospect in the 2025 MLB draft class in July. He's a super smart, athletic small forward with an excellent mid-range game. Blair expects to play both sports at Oklahoma.
Kareem Stagg is a 6-foot-8 physical specimen at power forward for IMG Academy. He deftly defends, scores and rebounds. Stagg is effective in the paint and above the rim. He has added a face-up jumper and straight-line drive to his evolving game. The Virginia native will play at Georgia.
Amar'e Bynum, a 6-foot-8 power forward out of Nebraska, has emerged as a catalyst for Link Academy (MO). He's a high-percentage scorer inside the arc and can make momentum plays. Bynum also consistently impacts the glass, averaging six rebounds this season. He's committed to Ohio State next season.
Jaxon Richardson's Breakout Continues
Jaxon Richardson busted out this fall and his ascension has continued during the high school season. Richardson, a 6-foot-5 wing, rises from No. 27 to 13. He has been an elite athlete and finisher. Now, the game is slowing down for him, and his driving ability combined with his shooting is creating problems for opponents in the half court.
Richardson has elite basketball bloodlines. His father, Jason Richardson, was the No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft, won two dunk contests and averaged 17.1 points per game over a 13-year NBA career. And Jaxon's brother, Jase Richardson, is averaging over 21 minutes per game as a freshman for a top-10 team in the country under Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
Jaxon moves into the top 15 in our latest 2026 update.
Expect a wealth of additional movement when we expand the 2026 rankings to 100 players this spring.
Who Is Next?
The class of 2027 holds steady with Babatunde Oladotun at the top despite heavy pressure coming from C.J. Rosser, Marcus Spears Jr., Jaylan Mitchell, Paul Osaruyi and Ryan Hampton.
It's never too early to look into the future -- we'll release the class of 2028 rankings in April.
Here are some players who have already impressed and we will continue to track:
Bentley Lusakueno, 6-foot-8, Atlanta, GA. (Pace Academy)
Erick Dampier Jr., 6-foot-9, Jackson, Miss. (Madison Ridgeland Academy)
Bamba Touray, 7-foot, Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
Adan Diggs, 6-foot-4, Phoenix, Ariz. (Field HS)
A.J. Williams, 6-foot-4, Stockbridge, GA. (Dutchtown HS)
Kam Mercer, 6-foot-5, Huntington, WV. (Huntington Prep).