The early signing period for men's college basketball is over. After a quiet start, things ramped up at the end of the week as major programs jostled to secure their future. Now, it's time to analyze how it happened.
There's a lot to talk about: How Michigan State's class surged up to challenge Missouri as the No. 1 class. But who else could be in the mix for the top spot? Which conferences have secured the most freshmen? ESPN has the latest intel on programs that still have some work to do, as well as the 10 five-stars still on the board.
One thing is definitive: College basketball recruiting is a complex business that never stops.
Here's everything we learned from the early signing period.
Note: The updated 2026 SC Next recruiting class rankings will be released Monday.
Michigan State answers the bell, again
After not being ranked entering the early signing window, surprised to see Michigan State in the conversation as a top recruiting class? Don't be.
After their 2025 class finished ranked outside the top 25, the Spartans stormed back in 2026, landing four SC Next 100 recruits: No. 32 C Ethan Taylor, No. 50 SG Jasiah Jervis, No. 70 PF Julius Avent and No. 89 PG Carlos Medlock Jr. Each player brings a different dimension.
"I like our class a lot," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told ESPN. "We identify and evaluate recruits, families and their coaches who care about relationships like we do. They all come from strong parents, strong programs and care about winning."
Izzo's approach to recruiting has remained steadfast even in a changing era of big-money high school recruits and the revolving door of the transfer portal. In a lot of ways, he recruits with the same intensity he had as an assistant at Michigan State under Jud Heathcote.
Even today, the hall of famer won't be outworked for a recruit. And to those who say he's too old school in his approach?
"Relationships matter," Izzo said with a laugh. "We found our kind of guys."
That's not to say Michigan State won't go into the portal, but the Spartans' five transfers over four years is certainly a low number. Izzo's formula has created elite stability and plenty of success under Izzo even in a chaotic college basketball landscape. The 2026 class looks ready to carry the baton.
The race for the No. 1 class
Entering the early signing window, Missouri had the top SC Next recruiting class rankings for the first time. With two five-stars in bucket-maker Jason Crowe (No. 5) and athletic post Toni Bryant (No. 14), plus shooting forward Aiden Chronister (No. 83), this group covers a lot of needs for Dennis Gates. It's an impressive mix and the Tigers should keep a firm grip on the tight spot.
But they have competition. Aside from Michigan State and Duke (more on them below), Arkansas is another contender. The top-10 Razorbacks had secured commitments from two high-level prospects in No. 12 SF JaShawn Andrews and No. 31 SF Abdou Toure though didn't sign a player during the window. That said, John Calipari knows what it takes to land a top-ranked recruiting class, and he's still in the mix for No. 2 SG Jordan Smith, No. 6 SF Caleb Holt and No. 7 PG Brandon McCoy.
Kentucky could make a late charge for pole position if it can land a few of its main targets, starting with No. 1 SF Tyran Stokes and No. 4 PF Christian Collins.
North Carolina signed No. 26 PF Maximo Adams last week. If the Tar Heels can also land No. 9 PG Dylan Mingo and add another high-level commit, they have an outside shot at the top class.
Teams that made the most in the window
Duke: The Blue Devils took a major leap during the window, getting No. 3 Cameron Williams, a 6-foot-11 forward and the top committed player at this point. And they're not done. They have their eyes on a pair of five-stars: No. 2 SG Jordan Smith and No. 18 PG Deron Rippey Jr. Jon Scheyer is gunning for his third consecutive No. 1 recruiting class..
Texas: Sean Miller is making his presence felt in Austin after adding two more players in the window to a class that includes a trio of in-state commits. No. 19 SG Austin Goosby leads a perimeter-oriented group that should inject a nice blend of shooting and togetherness into the program. Three-star 6-10, 240-pound center Coleman Elkins is a developing post as well.
Stanford: Recruiting at Stanford requires evaluating both the talent and the transcript, then focusing heavily on retention as opposed to relying on the portal. Second-year head coach Kyle Smith is striking the right balance after adding Julius Price for a deep four-man class. The headliner: No. 40 SF Aziz Olajuwon, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
Purdue: Much like Izzo, Matt Painter has a very deliberate recruiting style that has been very successful. He relies heavily on the initial evaluation and fit, tailoring a long-term plan for each recruit. Purdue's four-player class is led by a pair of SC Next 100 prospects in No. 65 PG Luke Ertel and No. 100 C Sinan Huan. The 7-foot Huan, a native of China, committed and signed with Purdue at the start of the early signing period.
Latest five-star intel
There are still quite a few uncommitted top-20 prospects. While some will stay patient, expect others to come off the board soon. North Carolina, Indiana and Kentucky are blue bloods to watch with some work to do. Surprisingly, the Wildcats don't have a 2026 commitment yet, but expect a late flurry to change that.
The top player in the class, Tyran Stokes, is well-traveled. The former Prolific Prep star withdrew from Notre Dame High School (Calif.) earlier this month and transferred to Rainier Beach (Wash.) for his senior season. Stokes' recruitment has been quiet, but one of Oregon, Kentucky and Kansas are likely destinations.
No. 2 Jordan Smith is down to six schools: Arkansas, Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky and Syracuse. He has no official timeline, but he plans on attending the Florida vs. Duke game on Dec. 2. His high school coach, Paul VI's Glenn Farello, said Smith wants to see how each of his finalists develop over the course of the college season.
Expect a decision from No. 4 Christian Collins any day. The California native is deciding between Kentucky or staying home to attend either UCLA or USC.
Colleges love the winning nature of Georgia native Caleb Holt, the sixth-ranked player in the class. Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky and Houston have separated from the pack, but Arkansas, Ole Miss and Providence are still in the mix. Incidentally, Holt won a gold medal playing for Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd on USA Basketball's U19 team in Switzerland. He plans to sign late in the cycle.
California native Brandon McCoy is the No. 7 prospect and top-ranked point guard in the class. Oregon and Arkansas are the frontrunners, with Michigan, Miami and Houston also involved.
There are whispers No. 9 Dylan Mingo will commit in December. North Carolina, Penn State, Washington and Baylor are involved.
No. 11 Jaxon Richardson, the son of former NBA all-star Jason Richardson and brother of Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson, won't be following their path to Michigan State. He's down to Alabama, Creighton, USC and Ole Miss.
No. 18 Deron Rippey Jr. has cut his list to five schools: Duke, NC State, Miami, Tennessee and Texas. Expect a decision sometime between late December to mid-January.
Where are the top players headed?
With 81 members of the SC Next Top 100 committed, it's possible to examine how the outlay of elite talent compares to years past. Freshman talent doesn't guarantee wins, but there's a reason the top schools in the country chase elite high school talent.
For a third straight year, the SEC is winning the race for top recruits. Here's the breakdown by conference:
SEC: 21
Big Ten: 20
ACC: 15
Big 12: 14
Big East: 8
American: 1
Atlantic 10: 1
WCC: 1
In 2025, the SEC sent a conference-record 14 teams to the NCAA tournament and two (Auburn and Florida) reached the Final Four. The Gators won it all with a roster mix of transfers and retained talent.
Auburn's third-leading scorer was freshman Tahaad Pettiford.
Duke, another Final Four squad, featured the vaunted freshman trio of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.
And Houston, last of the Final Four teams from a season ago, almost cut down the nets with a strong roster built on transfers as well as retention. The Cougars will mix in a trio of elite freshman this season to challenge for the national championship once again: Chris Cenac Jr., Kingston Flemings and Isiah Harwell.
For reference, here's how the previous two top-100 classes break down by major conference:
2025
SEC: 28
ACC: 24
Big 12: 17
Big Ten: 16
Big East: 10
2024
SEC: 24
ACC: 20
Big 12: 20
Big Ten: 18
Big East: 11