College Basketball Recruiting
Daily news coverage of the nation's top college basketball recruits and teams.
Why 2028 Prospect Mateen Cleaves Jr. Is One of the Most Complete Guards in his Class
Phenom Hoops continues to watch talent all around the country, most recently getting a chance to watch the Tarkanian Classic. Getting a chance to expand out coverage and eyes of talent, we had a great opportunity to check out a new player, but a familiar name in 2028 6’3 Mateen Cleaves Jr. for Dream City Christian. That name may sound familiar. (
Phenom Hoop Report)
No. 1 ranked sophomore AJ Williams talks game and visits to Duke and Auburn
Eagles Landing Christian Academy standout AJ Williams is off to a strong start to his high school season. Williams is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2028 class. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound small forward is averaging 28.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. On the recruiting trail, Williams says things have been trending positively early in the process. (
247 Sports)
Kentucky coach Mark Pope not concerned by Wildcats' recruiting efforts
Much has been made of Kentucky’s 2026 basketball recruiting efforts. Despite having what appeared to be a pair of elite prospects on the hook, the Wildcats failed to reel in any signees during the early period and seem to be fading with their other remaining targets as well. UK head coach Mark Pope says he’s not ready to hit the panic button just yet. (
Cats Illustrated)
5-star PG Deron Rippey Jr. commits to Duke basketball
Five-star point guard
Deron Rippey Jr., one of the top prospects in the 2026 basketball recruiting class committed to Duke on Tuesday. The 6-foot-1 senior from Blair Academy (NJ) chose the Blue Devils over NC State, Tennessee, Texas, and Miami. Rippey, a native of Brooklyn, NY, is ranked as the No. 6 player in the 2026 class and No. 2 ranked point guard. (
On3.com)
Arkansas Coaches Trek To New York To See Five-Star Jordan Smith
With Arkansas assistant coach Brad Calipari on hand and Arkansas head coach John Calipari later making his way into the building, Class of 2026 five-star basketball recruit
Jordan Smith Jr. picked up where he left off at City of Palms. Smith scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, spearheading Paul VI to a 68-62 victory. (
Zag's Blog)
Get to know class of 2029 guard MJ Postell
MJ Postell is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Old Bridge (NJ.) who plays on the Nike Circuit with the New York Lightning and plays his high school ball at Saint Benedict's Prep. Postell’s high school coach Chris Simpson spoke with 247Sports on what makes him special as player. "MJ is a gym rat and he just has a knack for the game,” Simpson said. (
247 Sports)
What Alabama basketball did that carries weight in 5-star Caleb Holt's pending decision
Five-star shooting guard
Caleb Holt has shed some light on where Alabama stands among his top five schools. In a recent interview with On3's Joe Tipton, the uncommitted Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, FL) senior went down the list, program by program, and spoke on Alabama, Arizona, Houston, Kentucky and Providence. Holt's thoughts on Kentucky were brief. (
Tuscaloosa News)
High school basketball showcase back in Raleigh: Day 1 John Wall Invitational winners
Score one for South Carolina's top high school junior recruit in a head-to-head matchup with North Carolina's best. In a game featuring a pair of top 2027 starters (
Josh Leonard and
Jordan Page), Wilson High School of Florence, South Carolina held off Raleigh's Broughton High School, 60-54, on Friday in the teams' first game of the John Wall Holiday Invitational. (
MSN.com)
Duke’s Jon Scheyer watches Jordan Smith Jr. go off in City of Palms championship game
Jordan Smith Jr. went off in the City of Palms championship game Tuesday. Duke coach Jon Scheyer was there to watch him. Smith went for 31 points and won the City of Palms MVP Award as Paul VI (VA) beat Archbishop Stepinac (NY), 57-53, at the prestigious tournament. That followed a 34-point performance in the semifinals against St. Louis (MO) Principia. (
Zag's Blog)
Cole Cloer To Enroll Early With NC State Basketball
After signing with NC State basketball during the early period, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy 4-star small forward
Cole Cloer is set to reclassify and enroll early with the Wolfpack next week for the spring semester. Cloer has not played in a high school game this season as he deals with a knee injury. He’s expected to recover in time for the 2026-27 season. (
On3.com)