At this time last year, high school basketball's senior class -- headlined by Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson and others -- looked destined to significantly impact college basketball. That group has delivered on its promise. And though it's a high bar, the class of 2025 could be on a similar trajectory.
"The top of this year's class is as good -- and maybe better -- than last year's class," one NBA scout said.
We have passed the midway point of the high school season. The holiday tournaments and conference play provided outstanding matchups to evaluate the nation's best teams and talent. The high school schedule offers a different challenge from the summer circuit and camp settings -- there's more structure because you're playing with the same teammates for a longer period.
We've updated our high school recruiting rankings to reflect developments from the first half of the season. Our biggest takeaways are below.
Updated player rankings:
2025 ESPN 100 | 2026 ESPN 60 | 2027 ESPN 25
Five-Star Talent Remains Impressive
The SEC is set to bring in the most ranked prospects (26) next year from a 2025 class that is loaded at the top. That includes five-star Arkansas commit Darius Acuff, who cracks the top five in our latest update. Acuff has played at a high level and demonstarted consistent, dominant performances. The Michigan native scores at will, but more importantly, has led IMG Academy (Fla.) with his approach and trust of his teammates.
