Jeff BorzelloOct 30, 2025, 05:10 PM ETCloseJeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.Follow on X
There are currently 19 five-stars atop the SC Next 100 player rankings for the men’s college basketball class of 2026. Six are off the board, with Miami getting its first top commitment of the Jai Lucas era in No. 16 Caleb Gaskins.
With the early signing window (Nov. 12-19) fast approaching, we will begin to see more movement in the recruiting space after a very quiet summer period.
Meanwhile, we’re tracking every top commitment announcement and breaking down how it happened, the fit and more, right here.
What’s next for Kentucky and USC? Crowe would have been the ideal start of the 2026-27 roster for either Kentucky or USC, but both programs have talented prospects remaining at the top of their boards. The Wildcats are in pursuit of No. 1 prospect Tyran Stokes, No. 5 Caleb Holt, and five-star point guards Taylen Kinney (No. 17) and Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 18), among others. USC is eyeing Christian Collins (No. 2), Brandon McCoy (No. 6) and Tajh Ariza (No. 20) at the top.
Background: Thompson has been the subject of a fierce Big Ten — and national — recruiting battle for a long time. He broke out as a sophomore in high school, with offers from several regional high-major programs already in tow. As things progressed this past summer, three schools emerged for his commitment: Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan.
Background: A 6-foot-9 power forward from Zephyrhills Christian Academy in Florida, Bryant is the No. 4 power forward in the 2026 class, averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on the Puma Pro16 circuit this past spring and summer.
How he fits: Bryant is the second five-star recruit in Missouri’s 2026 group, joining Crowe in what is now the only class in the country with multiple five-star prospects. Bryant’s stock has risen considerably over the past year, with his athleticism and two-way potential making an impression. He’s active in transition and on the offensive glass and is showing signs of being able to knock down shots from the perimeter.
He won’t have to shoulder a huge offensive load right away as a freshman in Columbia, particularly with high-usage point guard Crowe running the show. But expect Crowe to get Bryant involved on lobs and in fast-break settings. Bryant should be able to make an impact on the defensive end, given Missouri’s aggressive style at that end of the floor.
How he fits: Gaskins gives Lucas a strong frontcourt anchor moving forward, as well as a marquee name around which to build his 2026 recruiting class. The 6-8 power forward has the physical tools to make an impact at both ends of the floor, especially on the backboards. He’s more effective inside the arc but is expanding his face-up game to become more of a perimeter threat. He was at his best at the high-profile Nike Peach Jam in July, averaging 20.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in five games.
Background: Crowe didn’t wait until the end of the July live period to make his commitment, setting a date for mid-July in advance. He also never announced an official school list. For much of his recruitment, though, Kentucky and USC were considered the primary contenders: Crowe’s father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and the Trojans made him a priority throughout the process. But over the final few weeks, Missouri emerged as the favorite and was able to land the top-five scorer.
How he fits: Crowe is one of the elite scorers in high school basketball, averaging better than 23 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and is an adept playmaker who can get others involved. At Missouri, Crowe will likely become the team’s best offensive player early, although point guard Anthony Robinson and UCLA transfer Sebastian Mack could return to Columbia in 2026-27 and take the pressure off Crowe. It’s also worth noting that Dennis Gates & Co. have made some real headway with fellow five-star Toni Bryant (No. 13).
How he fits: Given his 6-9 size, 7-4 wingspan and shooting ability, Thompson’s ceiling is incredibly high. He was one of the most impressive players during the July live period, scoring 30-plus points on five separate occasions and shooting nearly 40% from behind the arc during the spring and summer on the adidas 3ssb boys’ circuit. He should start immediately upon arriving in Columbus next season, especially since the Buckeyes will have four seniors — including up to three starters — in their rotation. If Devin Royal returns, he and Thompson could form a versatile forward tandem causing matchup nightmares for opponents.
How big of a miss is this for Indiana? Darian DeVries and the Hoosiers were in this one until the very end, and there were stretches in the fall where it looked as if Indiana was in front for Thompson. From that perspective, it’s a difficult defeat. There aren’t a ton of obvious places to turn to for wings, although Indiana recently hosted SC Next 100 wing Vaughn Karvala (No. 30) for a visit. The Hoosiers are also in the mix for two of the top three centers in the 2026 class, Arafan Diane (No. 21) and Ethan Taylor (No. 32). Four-star guard Prince-Alexander Moody is already committed.
As we mentioned when Jason Crowe committed, Missouri was long considered a top contender for Bryant. Dennis Gates and the Tigers were among the first high-major schools to show heavy interest in Bryant, extending a scholarship offer in May 2024 — well before he emerged as one of the top frontcourt players in the 2026 class. A number of other programs jumped into the mix over the past 16 months, including blue bloods Kansas (March) and North Carolina (earlier this month). But Missouri brought him on campus this past weekend for the Tigers’ football game against the rival Jayhawks, and Bryant ended his recruitment less than 48 hours later.
Background: Gaskins has been on high-major radars since he entered high school, earning power-conference offers as early as the spring of his sophomore year. The Melbourne, Florida, native, who attends Christopher Columbus in Miami, emerged as a priority recruit for the Hurricanes shortly after Jai Lucas took over in Coral Gables in the spring. The Hurricanes positioned themselves strongly, and ultimately beat out a pair of SEC programs in Texas A&M and Florida — both of which Gaskins visited in recent weeks.
Background: Kinney has been one of the top-ranked point guards in the 2026 class for most of the past two years, earning high-major offers and interest as far back as 2023. He was long considered a Louisville lean — the program had extended a scholarship offer under then-coach Kenny Payne. Kentucky and Indiana were also involved since early in his recruitment, and he took trips to both campuses as a high school junior. But it was a late August visit to Kansas that seemed to turn the tide for the Kentucky native. The momentum flipped from Louisville to the Jayhawks, who held off the rest of Kinney’s finalists down the stretch.
Louisville just missed out on Kinney. Where do the Cardinals go from here? With Mikel Brown Jr. expected to be a one-and-done lottery pick at the point guard position, coach Pat Kelsey still needs a replacement to run the show for 2026-27. The Cardinals are still in the mix for Deron Rippey Jr., a five-star point guard and one of Kinney’s positional rivals this past summer on the Adidas circuit. If Rippey goes elsewhere — which seems to be the likely result as of now — Kelsey might have to wait for the transfer portal to find his point guard.
JJ Andrews is a BEAST 🔥 24 points and 10 boards for the Arkansas commit as Brad Beal Elite beats Oakland Soldiers 94-78 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/HF6yxctCer
Players are ordered by rank below. Jump to the latest commitment here.
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 4 Committed to: Missouri Tigers Commitment date: July 18, 2025
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 12 Committed to: Arkansas Razorbacks Commitment date: May 15, 2025
2026 SC Next 100 ranking: 13 Committed to: Ohio State Buckeyes Commitment date: Oct. 21, 2025
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 14 Committed to: Missouri Tigers Commitment date: Sept. 8, 2025
2026 SC Next 100 ranking: 16 Committed to: Miami Hurricanes Commitment date: Oct. 30, 2025
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 17 Committed to: Kansas Jayhawks Commitment date: Sept. 28, 2025
CloseJeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.Follow on X
View this post on Instagram A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)
A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by PRO16 League (@pro16league)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)
A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)