High school recruiting used to take center stage almost immediately after the college basketball season ended: evaluation periods in April, target boards for the upcoming cycle finalized heading into the late spring and summer, and recruitments advancing shortly after the July evaluation periods end.
With the explosion of the transfer portal, that's no longer the case, with future classes overshadowed by the need to put together a roster that will play in a few months.
For the next three weeks, college coaches will travel across the country watching the future of college basketball. The expansion of evaluation periods in June -- with the NBPA Top 100 camp now open to college coaches, as well as two scholastic periods -- has made July less of the be-all, end-all when it comes to summer recruiting. But it's still the best opportunity to watch a wide range of players compete.
So what are the storylines to watch this month? Let's break it down.
Is A.J. Dybantsa the clear No. 1 prospect in the next recruiting class?
A year ago, Dybantsa (Class of 2026), Cooper Flagg (2025) and Cameron Boozer (2025) were in a three-way debate as the best high school prospect in the country. Since then, Flagg moved up to 2024 and is suiting up for Duke in November. Dybantsa, meanwhile, reclassified to 2025, and has established himself as the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class.
But don't count out Boozer just yet.
