The summer season is over. College coaches have been able to watch all the top prospects live and have better ideas of who they want to target. With that, recruitments are starting to take shape, especially for the cream-of-the-crop talent, who are starting to schedule official visits as they close in on fall or spring decisions.
Where do things stand with the truly elite prospects now that summer ball has come and gone? Today, we’ll take a look at the recruitment of the 11 uncommitted top-10 prospects (one five-star recruit has made his college choice) and give an early prediction on what school they could end up choosing.
1. Tyran Stokes, 6-foot-7 forward
- Summer team: Oakland Soldiers EYBL
- Schools involved: Arkansas, Gonzaga, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, USC
- Official visits taken: Louisville (Oct. 2024), Kansas (April 2025), Kentucky (June 2025)
- Upcoming official visits: Gonzaga, Oregon, USC
This summer, Stokes – a versatile forward from Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame – proved time and again he’s the No. 1 player in the 2026 class. To me, it’s not particularly close. Many have described 2026 as a “weak” class, but Stokes certainly isn’t a weak No. 1 overall prospect. He has “eventual top-five pick” written all over him, and whoever lands him will be getting an instant No. 1 option.
Jacob Polacheck of KSR first reported at Peach Jam in Augusta, Ga., that Stokes will take three more visits this fall: Gonzaga, Oregon and USC. Dates will not be released to avoid any distractions, and Stokes will decide on a school before the high school season starts. I’ve heard it’s unlikely Stokes makes his Gonzaga trip, but I’d expect him to visit Oregon and USC and have those two schools near the top of his list.
Stokes originally is from Louisville, and the Cardinals are a big player in his recruitment. But I’m hearing Kentucky is the team to beat right now. Arkansas is another school that could be in play, as John Calipari was courtside for Stokes multiple times at Peach Jam. Stokes has been a Nike player the past couple of years, and I’d expect a school with strong ties to the shoe brand to ultimately land him.
Early prediction: Kentucky
2. Jordan Smith Jr., 6-foot-2 guard
- Summer team: Teak Takeover EYBL
- Schools involved: Arkansas, Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Syracuse
- Official visits taken: Duke (Nov. 2024), Louisville (Oct. 2024), Syracuse (Sept. 2024), Georgetown (unofficial)
- Upcoming official visits: Arkansas (Sept. 19), Kentucky (Oct. 10)
Smith, from Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic, is your classic DMV hooper: He guards, gives all-out effort and plays with a dog mentality. It’s why many tab Smith as the best defender in the 2026 class. While he might not give you 20+ points every night, Smith stands out in other ways and is one of the most impactful players in high school basketball.
Smith just scheduled official visits to Arkansas and Kentucky, and he’s looking to visit other schools involved (Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Louisville, Syracuse) before making a final decision. Smith has not said when that decision may come.
There are some notable relationships to monitor. First, Smith’s Team Takeover teammate, Prince-Alexander Moody, is an Indiana commitment and has been in Smith’s ear about joining him. Second is that Smith’s family is close with Ed Cooley and Georgetown’s staff, and all hung out frequently in Switzerland for the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Coaches from each of the schools above, other than Cooley, watched Smith play at Peach Jam. There’s no clear-cut leader right now, but if I had to choose, I think the Hoyas get it done. Cooley has been in this recruitment a long time. And who knows: Revenue sharing could give Georgetown, a school without a big-time football program, a big-enough chunk of change to sway Smith.
Early prediction: Georgetown
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3. Brandon McCoy Jr., 6-foot-4 guard
- Summer team: Arizona Unity EYBL
- Schools involved: Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, USC and more
- Official visits taken: Duke (Nov. 2024)
- Upcoming official visits: None
We scooped McCoy’s return to the EYBL, and now that he has made his return, he has reminded everyone why he’s considered a top prospect. He was electric for Arizona Unity, throwing down several highlight dunks throughout the week and scoring 38 points to kick off Peach Jam vs. City Rocks.
It’s clear McCoy, who played at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco in the L.A. suburbs last season, is one of the best prospects in the country. What isn’t clear, though, is who leads in his recruitment. McCoy told HoopsHQ everyone is even right now. “Nobody is over anybody,” he said.
McCoy might not have been able to give his recruitment that much thought, either. For one, he hadn’t been home in about a month heading into Peach Jam. So, it will take him some time to settle in at home before he starts thinking about visits or when he’ll commit. Right now, those decisions have not been made.
Duke is the only school he’s visited so far, and if I had to pick today, that’s where I think he lands. Obviously, he will be taking a lot more officials and will have more factors to consider after he sees more schools. There’s a long way to go in this recruitment.
Another note: It’s been rumored McCoy will play his senior season at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, another L.A. suburb.
Early prediction: Duke
4. Christian Collins, 6-foot-8 forward
- Summer team: Team WhyNot EYBL
- Schools involved: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon, UCLA, USC.
- Official visits taken: None
- Upcoming official visits: USC (Aug. 30), Kentucky (Oct. 12)
Previously a child actor, Collins – another from St. John Bosco – doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. No matter the circumstance on the court, he always has a smile on his face and is lifting up his teammates. He’s talented, too, with 19 points and 20 rebounds against Arizona Unity at Peach Jam and ultimately leading his team to the Final Four.
Things are starting to take shape in Collins’ recruitment. He hasn’t taken any visits yet, but he’s locked in his first two officials to USC and Kentucky. His mother, Angel Bell, said they’re going to come together as a team to discuss plans for any other visits moving forward. Nothing else is on the schedule right now, and the family has no timeline for a commitment.
Kentucky watched Collins at every game in Augusta, including Mark Pope during Team WhyNot’s run in bracket play to the Final Four. John Calipari, Pat Kelsey, Dana Altman and Eric Musselman also were in Augusta to watch Collins play. It’s notable that HoopsHQ did not see Jon Scheyer courtside for a game, even though he was at Peach Jam. With Pope at most every game, front and center, it’s hard not to give Kentucky the edge right now.
Early prediction: Kentucky
6. Caleb Holt, 6-foot-5 guard
- Summer team: Game Elite 3SSB
- Schools involved: Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Providence, Kansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss
- Official visits taken: Ole Miss (Nov. 2024), Houston (unofficial)
- Upcoming official visits: Kentucky (Sept. 12), Alabama (Oct. 3), Auburn (Oct. 10)
It’s been quite the busy summer for Holt. He signed a high school NIL deal with Adidas, announced his transfer from Grayson High in the Atlanta suburbs to Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, won MVP of Adidas Europcamp in Italy, secured a U19 gold medal with Team USA and became champion of the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
With the summer over, the focus now turns to his recruitment. Holt has scheduled visits to Kentucky, Alabama and Auburn, and also will be working on setting dates with Houston, Kansas and others. Holt is trending toward a spring decision. He wants to take his official visits before narrowing it down and setting on a commitment timeline. Holt also said he wants to see how rosters are affected by the portal. It could be a while until we get a final decision.
Holt grew up in Alabama. That means Alabama and Auburn are the home-state schools and will be hard to beat. But it’s hard to ignore Kansas here with the Prolific Prep pipeline. The school just sent Darryn Peterson to the Jayhawks, and if he rocks out and Holt is projected to have a similar role, it might be hard to pass up Kansas (especially with the Adidas factor). Houston is the other school I’m monitoring closely, as the Cougars have been around for a long time. Kentucky and Ole Miss will have a say, as well.
Early prediction: Kansas
7. Dylan Mingo, 6-foot-5 guard
- Summer team: PSA Cardinals EYBL
- Schools involved: Alabama, Cincinnati, Dayton, Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Providence, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, UConn, USC, Virginia and more
- Official visits taken: None
- Upcoming official visits: None
This summer, Mingo proved why he’s arguably the top point guard in the country. He was MVP of NBPA Top 100 Camp, and although he was out for Peach Jam, he had several dominant performances on the EYBL circuit in the spring.
His recruitment is mostly a mystery. Mingo, from Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran, remains firm that he’s open to all programs, and he hasn’t set any official visit dates yet. Those will be coming soon, but right now, we can only guess on the schools. He’s eyeing five to eight visits, per sources, and his family will organize those within the next month. In addition, his summer isn’t over, as he plans to attend the CP3 Camp and Nike Skills Academy in August.
The only basis of my prediction is that Nate Oats has had success with guard-centric offenses and recently landed Labaron Philon, who had a solid freshman campaign and is returning for his sophomore season. In addition, Alabama is a school I hear about frequently in his recruitment, along with schools like Illinois, NC State, North Carolina, UConn and a couple that haven’t offered, like Baylor and Kansas.
Early prediction: Alabama
8. Tajh Ariza, 6-foot-9 forward
- Summer team: Team WhyNot EYBL
- Schools involved: Alabama, Arkansas, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, UCLA, USC and more
- Official visits taken: None
- Upcoming official visits: Oregon (Sept. 6), North Carolina (Sept. 13), USC (Sept. 20), Texas (TBD)
Ariza missed playing in July because of injury and was not able to showcase his skills in front of college coaches. But he is still a five-star recruit and at the top of several schools’ boards. Ariza is an elite defensive talent, able to guard any position. His offensive game is raw, but the athletic tools are undeniably five-star material.
The injury has meant thatAriza has been able to plan out some aspects of his recruitment. He has scheduled four official visits and told 247Sports there will be room for a few more. He has not discussed any sort of timeline for cutting his list or making a decision.
Alabama, Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Oregon, Texas and USC saw Ariza during his junior season at Westchester High in Los Angeles. Ariza recently announced he’ll be heading to St. John Bosco to pair with the aforementioned Collins for his senior season. My prediction is based on this: Trojans coach Eric Musselman used to be in the NBA and has shown an ability to build relationships with and land sons of NBA players. He grabbed Alijah Arenas in the 2025 cycle, and I think this trend continues with Ariza, even though his father attended archrival UCLA.
Early prediction: USC
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9. Anthony Thompson, 6-foot-8 forward
- Summer team: Indiana Elite 3SSB
- Schools involved: Auburn, BYU, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas and Xavier
- Official visits taken: None
- Upcoming official visits: None
As we reported in the last recruitment update, Thompson is nearing another list cut, winnowing down his top-15 list. “Yeah, I’ll be narrowing it down, probably in the next few weeks,” Thompson said at the 3SSB championships. Thompson said he was unsure of how many schools would make the cut and on how many schools he’ll officially visit.
Talking to some sources around Thompson’s recruitment, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio State are some of the schools standing out. He plays for Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, near Akron. Thompson has been on Kentucky’s campus a few times unofficially and saw Cincinnati, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio State unofficially in 2024.
The system Dusty May runs at Michigan would be a perfect fit for Thompson. May turned Danny Wolf into a first-round draft pick, and if he does the same with Yaxel Lendeborg, who plays Thompson’s position, I think it would be hard for Thompson to pass up the Wolverines.
Early prediction: Michigan
10. Cameron Williams, 6-foot-11 forward
- Summer team: Compton Magic 3SSB
- Schools involved: Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, USC and Virginia
- Official visits taken: None
- Upcoming official visits: Purdue (Aug. 30), Texas (Sept. 6), Kentucky (Sept. 27), Duke (Oct. 3), USC (Oct. 11), SMU (TBD)
Williams has exploded this summer and now is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the class. He’s as long and as skilled as any prospect in the country. It’s why he was able to be a top-five rebounder and shot-blocker on the 3SSB circuit. Williams – from Phoenix St. Mary’s – can score, too, and has really expanded his offensive game, now able to hit 3-pointers.
With the summer wrapped up, all eyes now are on Williams’ official visit list. Besides his scheduled visits, Williams said Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Stanford, TCU and Virginia are some other schools involved.
Williams said Duke was his favorite school to watch last season. It seems like he’s a big fan of Jon Scheyer and what he’s built in his short time as coach. That will make the Blue Devils tough to beat. Scheyer was spotted courtside multiple times this summer to watch Williams, including at the 3SSB championships in Rock Hill, S.C.
Early prediction: Duke
11. Taylen Kinney, 6-foot-2 guard
- Summer team: Wildcat Select 3SSB
- Schools involved: Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas and Xavier
- Official visits taken: Purdue (Jan. 2025), Louisville (June 2025), Kentucky (June 2025)
- Upcoming official visits: Kansas (Aug. 22), Indiana (Aug. 29), Oregon (Sept. 6), Texas (Sept. 12), Arkansas (Sept. 26)
The anticipated list cut for Kinney, the Overtime Elite product, is here. He’s now focused on 12 programs and will be taking several more official visits this fall before a decision, which he wants to make before the Overtime Elite season. Kinney is one of the best point guards in the class and was a star for Wildcat Select on the 3SSB circuit this summer, finishing with averages of 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
It’s hard to ignore the Adidas programs in this recruitment (Indiana, Kansas, Louisville) with Kinney having a high school NIL deal with the brand. That deal expires before he heads to college, but sources indicate he’d be interested in re-signing. It’s also notable that Kinney said Louisville would utilize him similar to how it plans to deploy Mikel Brown Jr., who’s looking at being a one-and-done. Kinney has the same plans.
If I had to choose right now, Louisville would be the pick. But I wouldn’t count out any program at the moment with all those official visits on the docket.
Early prediction: Louisville
12. Toni Bryant, 6-foot-10 forward
- Summer team: Tre Mann Elite PUMA
- Schools involved: Boston College, Cal, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, North Carolina
- Official visits taken: Boston College (Jan. 2025), Cal (Dec. 2024)
- Upcoming official visits: Florida State (Aug. 29), North Carolina (Sept. 1), Missouri (Sept. 6), NC State (Sept. 28), Michigan (Oct. 17), Kansas (Nov. 2)
This summer, Bryant has been one of the best players on the PUMA circuit. He has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and is a do-it-all player. He especially excels at blocking shots and crashing the offensive glass, and he has drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam.
Bryant has set the six official visits listed above. Per Zach Reynolds, his coach at Zephyrhills (Fla.) Christian Academy, Florida, Miami and Duke are some other schools involved. Duke is the only school that hasn’t offered yet.
Reynolds added that Bryant – who played at North Tampa Christian, about 30 miles from Zephyrhills, last season – likely won’t release a list of top schools and will commit sometime before the high school season. Signing early is the plan.
Missouri is one school I hear that has put itself in good position; the Tigers can pitch Bryant on the opportunity to play with No. 5 overall prospect Jason Crowe Jr., a 6-foot-3 Inglewood (Calif.) High standout who committed to the Tigers on July 18, his 17th birthday. Pairing the two would catch the eyes of NBA scouts.
Early prediction: Missouri
