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 AuthorsMay 1, 2026, 03:30 PM ET
play0:20ESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slamESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slam
play1:07Jaxon Richardson dunks over 5, including Ronald McDonald, to win contestAlabama commit Jaxon Richardson, son of 2-time NBA dunk contest winner Jason Richardson, dazzles with a jam over five people to win the McDonald’s All American dunk contest.
play2:15Class of 2026 No. 4 prospect Caleb Holt commits to ArizonaCaleb Holt, the No. 4-ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2026, commits to Arizona.
No. 1 CBB prospect Tyran Stokes makes pick live on ‘NBA Tip-Off’ (1:04)Tyran Stokes selects where he’ll launch his college basketball career live on “NBA Tip-Off.” (1:04)
ESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slamESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slam
Jaxon Richardson dunks over 5, including Ronald McDonald, to win contestAlabama commit Jaxon Richardson, son of 2-time NBA dunk contest winner Jason Richardson, dazzles with a jam over five people to win the McDonald’s All American dunk contest.
Alabama commit Jaxon Richardson, son of 2-time NBA dunk contest winner Jason Richardson, dazzles with a jam over five people to win the McDonald’s All American dunk contest.
Class of 2026 No. 4 prospect Caleb Holt commits to ArizonaCaleb Holt, the No. 4-ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2026, commits to Arizona.
For the first time since 2023, Duke will not end the recruiting cycle with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country.
The Blue Devils sat atop the rankings back in early March, but Arkansas has jumped them with recent five-star additions.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to see John Calipari at the top, though. When he was at Kentucky, the Wildcats were Duke’s biggest competitor for top-ranked recruiting classes. And the last time Jon Scheyer didn’t have the No. 1 class, it was because of Calipari and the Wildcats. Once again, Calipari returns to the top, with Arkansas.
The Razorbacks already had two five-star prospects in Jordan Smith and JaShawn Andrews, then added five-star Finnish forward Miikka Muurinen in late April. Top-25 wing Abdou Toure also rose to five-star status in the final player rankings for the class of 2026. Arkansas is the only class with more than two five-star prospects — and it has four of them.
Among the other big risers in the final class rankings are USC and Michigan, which both landed five-star recruits. BYU, Arizona, Baylor and Illinois are the newest additions to the rankings.
Note: Class rankings are determined by a mathematical formula weighting different factors related to the quality and quantity of players in the class.
No. 2 G Jordan Smith No. 12 SF JaShawn Andrews No. 14 SF Abdou Toure International five-star PF Miikka Muurinen
A top-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. And with the late-April addition of Muurinen, the Razorbacks will finish the cycle at No. 1.
But beating out Duke for Smith in February is the headline for this Razorbacks class. Smith is the best guard in the 2026 class, and he can play either backcourt position. He’s a winner and has proved 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. He’s been among the biggest risers over the past few months.
Muurinen isn’t ranked in the SC Next 100 because he doesn’t attend a high school in the United States, but his scout grade would have him in the top five nationally. He’s an athletic, high-ceiling frontcourt prospect.
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.
No. 4 PF Cameron Williams No. 15 PG Deron Rippey Jr. No. 26 SF Bryson Howard International five-star C Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje 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.
Before being overtaken by Arkansas, the Blue Devils were in the top spot at the beginning of 2026, after the addition of 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 last spring and summer, bringing outstanding perimeter shooting.
The Blue Devils then beat out North Carolina in late April for Boumtje Boumtje, considered one of the elite centers in the 2026 class. He’s only 16 years old so he’ll be in Durham for at least two years. 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 Williams. The mobile big man should 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.
No. 1 SF Tyran Stokes No. 20 PG Taylen Kinney No. 63 PF Davion Adkins No. 88 SF Trent Perry Four-star SG Luke Barnett
One year after landing potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson, Bill Self again has a superstar headed to Lawrence in Stokes, the best player in the class. He’s too strong for most wings and too skilled for most big men, and he’s capable of doing a little bit of everything on the floor.
ESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slam
ESPN 100 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes gets the steal and slam
He joins another top-20 recruit in immediate-impact point guard Kinney, who 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 latter’s physical tools portend an incredibly high ceiling. The former, meanwhile, is long and should give help at both ends of the floor.
The Jayhawks also landed a top-50 recruit for the class of 2027, Javon Bardwell, in-between Perry and Adkins.
Stokes brings a unique, versatile skill set and an NBA frame to Kansas. He’s a big threat when he collects a defensive rebound and pushes the break, because he can be both a playmaker or finisher. But his greatest strengths are his passing vision, and a consistency of getting to the free throw line.
No. 17 G Brandon McCoy No. 28 C Quinn Costello No. 47 PF Lincoln Cosby No. 93 SG Joseph Hartman Three-star SF Malachi Brown International C Marcus Moller
Michigan moved into the top five on the same night it dominated Arizona in the Final Four, when McCoy committed to the Wolverines during halftime. A highly touted prospect early on, he has great positional size at 6-4 and should make a two-way impact.
McCoy is one of the fastest players in the class. He’s an advanced finisher and rebounder for his size, and he likes both pressure defenses and play an aggressive defense. His free throw and jumper will be the focal point in the offseason transition.
Coming out of the early signing period, USC was easy to peg as a group poised to rise over the winter — mostly because of the Ratliffs, who had emerged as arguably the biggest stock risers in the 2026 class in the fall.
Adonis raised eyebrows after the 7-footer made nine 3s in a game in the fall. He’s also a switchable defender who can block shots. Darius is the more physically ready of the twins, capable of making an impact defensively as a rim protector and on the glass.
Eric Musselman’s class then jumped into the top five with the addition of Collins, who committed in mid-March and gives USC its third McDonald’s All American of this cycle. He’s an explosive player who causes problems for opponents with his size and ability to score in different ways.
Collins’ smooth midrange game and ability to finish in transition and in space are his greatest strengths. But he’s also a switchable defender with an ability to stay in front of the ball and contest shots. He plays with a high-end motor and purpose.
After not landing a top-25 recruiting class in the last cycle, Tom Izzo bounced back in a strong way — finishing just outside the top five. Jervis, who had established himself early as a priority for the Spartans, committed in early November. The New York native is a terrific offensive player who had a strong summer 2025 and will bring an attack-minded skill set to East Lansing.
Medlock is an in-state product who now plays at Link Academy (Mo.) 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 from anywhere with efficiency. He’s not afraid of defending 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.
The Tigers hadn’t landed a five-star prospect since the 2017 class. They have two in this cycle, thanks to the momentum built by Dennis Gates, who led the Tigers to one of the most impressive turnarounds in the country in 2024-25 — and continued this past season with an NCAA tournament appearance.