Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on X and Paul BiancardiClosePaul BiancardiBasketball Recruiting National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright StateFollow on XMultiple AuthorsMar 2, 2026, 02:30 PM ET
Top-10 recruit Dylan Mingo reveals college commitment on ‘First Take’ (1:43)Five-star senior Dylan Mingo joins “First Take” and explains his decision to commit to North Carolina. (1:43)
When we last updated the recruiting class rankings in December, we made sure to note that the cycle was far from finished, despite a bevy of commitments coming out of the early signing period. And while there are still some five-star recruitments to sort out, the 2026 SC Next 100’s class rankings are truly beginning to take shape.
For a third straight season, Duke is now poised to land the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. The Blue Devils were knocking on the door when No. 2 overall recruit Cameron Williams committed in mid-November, but the addition of five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. put them over the top. Jon Scheyer has now secured a trio of top-25 recruits.
Once Duke’s biggest rival on the recruiting trail, John Calipari is again inside the top three nationally in the class rankings. Arkansas finished No. 3 in 2025, and is currently one spot higher after beating out Duke for Jordan Smith, the best guard in the class. Smith is the Razorbacks’ third top-25 commitment of the cycle.
The other big riser of this edition — from unranked into the top 10 — is North Carolina, which landed top-10 guard Dylan Mingo. He will be an immediate-impact guard for Hubert Davis when he arrives on campus next fall.
Alabama, Wake Forest and Indiana are the other new additions to the rankings, while LSU, Gonzaga, Tennessee and Texas A&M dropped out following player rankings updates.
There’s still plenty of room for movement, however, with five-stars Tyran Stokes (No. 1), Caleb Holt (No. 4), Christian Collins (No. 5), Bruce Branch III (No. 6), Jaxon Richardson (No. 17) and Brandon McCoy (No. 18) yet to commit. The final player rankings update will release in April.
Note: Class rankings are determined by a mathematical formula weighting different factors related to the quality and quantity of players in the class.
No. 3 PF Cameron Williams No. 13 PG Deron Rippey Jr. No. 23 SF Bryson Howard Four-star C Maxime Meyer
Williams single-handedly boosted the class into the top three nationally when he committed, choosing Duke over Arizona and Texas. He has some of the best long-term potential in the class and should make an immediate impact at both ends of the floor.
What vaulted the Blue Devils to the top spot, however, was the addition of five-star point guard Rippey. He’s an explosive player with the ball in his hands, capable of getting to the rim at will, and he can also key a team’s defense with his on-ball aggressiveness.
Howard was a key get for Scheyer as well, picking Duke over North Carolina and Kentucky. He was one of the biggest risers in the country during the spring and summer, bringing outstanding perimeter shooting.
Meyer is more of a project, but he’ll be a multiyear college player and will have time to develop in Durham.
Duke will have high-level rim protection next season along with 3-point ability from the 6-11 five-star. The mobile big man has as made a steady climb to the top of the rankings. He will acquire more strength, a better base and lower leverage once he steps on campus. His upside and tools make him a future draft lottery pick.
A ranked Calipari recruiting class shouldn’t surprise anyone. He finished with the No. 3 class in 2025, his first full cycle at Arkansas, after consistently competing near the top at Kentucky and Memphis.
Beating out Duke for Smith’s commitment in February was the headline for the Razorbacks this cycle. Smith is the best guard in the 2026 class, and he can play either backcourt position. He’s a winner and has proven that on the AAU, high school and international circuits.
The Razorbacks also edged out Providence for Toure, a Connecticut native who is a terrific athlete and finisher, and difficult to stop when he gets going to the rim.
Smith is both physically and emotionally ready to take on the challenges of the SEC. He brings elite on-ball defense and transition ability, along with a scoring and playmaking résumé. He combines elements of Marcus Smart, Victor Oladipo and Eric Bledsoe in his game.
After not landing a top-25 recruiting class in the last cycle, Tom Izzo bounced back in a strong way — and the Spartans are poised for a top-5 2026 group. Jervis established himself early as a priority for the Spartans. The New York native is a terrific offensive player who had a strong summer and will bring an attack-minded skill set to East Lansing.
Medlock is an in-state product who now plays at Link Academy (Missouri) and is the son of former Eastern Michigan star guard Carlos Medlock. He’s under 6-foot but is adept at beating defenders off the bounce and getting into playmaking positions.
He scores the ball with from anywhere with efficiency. He is not afraid of defense and will guard on the perimeter, work to get over screens and rebound down. He is one of the best two-way scoring guards in the class and brings to mind former Spartan turned Milwaukee Buck Gary Harris.
After leading Missouri to one of the most impressive turnarounds in the country last season, Gates carried that momentum onto the recruiting trail. The Tigers hadn’t landed a five-star prospect since the 2017 class; they have two in this one.
Crowe led the Nike EYBL in scoring this past summer and is arguably the most explosive offensive player in the class. He’s a left-handed guard who gets by his defender at will. He’ll be joined in Columbia by fellow five-star Bryant, who was a priority early in the cycle for Gates — he is tremendously athletic and excels in transition. Finally, Chronister is a prolific 3-point shooter who should get open looks courtesy of Crowe’s drive-and-kick ability.
He is not only the Tigers’ most important recruit of this class, he is the second-highest ranked recruit ever to commit to Missouri, following No. 2 Michael Porter Jr. in 2017. Crowe brings immediate scoring prowess that is needed in tight SEC games. The bigger the stage, the bigger he plays.
One year after landing potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson, Bill Self is building his 2026 class around an immediate-impact, elite point guard. Kinney has the size and playmaking ability to cause matchup problems against smaller backcourts, is a terrific scorer with a variety of finishing moves and is developing as a playmaker.
Self secured a string of pledges in the wake of Kinney’s commitment, starting with Perry three days later, then Adkins a week after that. The Jayhawks also landed a top-50 recruit for the class of 2027, Javon Bardwell, in-between Perry and Adkins. The latter’s physical tools portend an incredibly high ceiling. The former, meanwhile, is long and should give help at both ends of the floor.
He will provide stability and high-end scoring as the lead guard following Peterson’s expected departure for the NBA. Kinney plays the most important position on the floor with confidence and skill. He is the catalyst of this class.
No. 28 C Quinn Costello No. 45 PF Lincoln Cosby No. 92 SG Joseph Hartman Three-star SF Malachi Brown International C Marcus Moller
Given the way Dusty May has operated with multiple bigs in his lineups the past couple seasons, it’s no surprise the Wolverines’ 2026 class has plenty of size.
Costello was one of the bigger breakouts last spring as a stretch big who can make shots from the perimeter, while 7-3 Danish center Moller has generated some buzz. Cosby reclassified from the 2027 class and likely won’t make a huge impact given a recent ACL injury — but he was a top-10 recruit as a junior, prior to the move up, and has a great deal of potential.
An excellent outside shooting big man with advanced footwork to match his shot, Costello’s value is endless on the offensive end who instantly opens driving lines and plays with grit.
Hubert Davis secured a top-15 recruit for the fourth straight recruiting class when Mingo picked the Tar Heels over Baylor, Penn State and Washington on ESPN’s “First Take” in mid-February. He’s a high-ceiling backcourt player with length, size and high-level playmaking ability. He was also the MVP of the NBA Top 100 Camp last summer.
Adams’ recruitment was something of a blue-blood battle, with Carolina edging out Michigan State, Kentucky and Texas. He was one of the biggest breakout starts of last spring and summer’s grassroots season, putting up huge statistical performances.
Seven-footer Huan was the commitment that vaulted Purdue into the top 25; he’s a left-handed big man with shot-blocking ability and developing face-up touch on the offensive end.
Webber will make an impact in West Lafayette with his shooting — he’s one of the elite perimeter shotmakers in the class.
Ertel brings the ball-handling, toughness, IQ and court awareness of Braden Smith — whom he will replace in the fall. He brings immediate shooting and passing ability. Defensively, he will pressure the ball and help his teammates.
No. 8 PF Babatunde Oladotun No. 56 SG Kaden House Four-star PF Austin Brown Four-star PF Adama Tambedou
The Terps jumped into the rankings when House committed on Halloween and then skyrocketed into the top 10 thanks to Oladotun’s commitment toward the end of the signing period. Oladotun was a statement recruit for Buzz Williams, who beat out Arkansas and Georgetown for him. He’s an effective shotmaker at 6-10 and can guard multiple positions.
The son of former NBA veteran Eddie House, Kaden House is a big-time scorer who loves to get into the teeth of the defense and finish in traffic. Williams will love House’s intensity on the defensive end of the floor, too.