While many teams are still finalizing their rosters for the upcoming season (due to ongoing fifth-year eligibility cases), others have already made key additions for the 2027-28 campaign.
Amid a busy stretch in the high school recruiting world, several top-100 players have announced their commitments, including five-star guards NaVorro Bowman Jr. (UConn) and Antonio Pemberton (Michigan State). Undecided prospects are in the process of taking official visits and trimming their lists.
As the mid-November signing period approaches, here’s a look at which schools have scored early wins — or positioned themselves to do so — with the Class of 2027. (Check out our previous coverage here to read about other winners in the current recruiting cycle.)
Arizona State
New Arizona State coach Randy Bennett, who joined the program in March following 25 years at Saint Mary’s, is off to a hot start on the recruiting trail. The Sun Devils have already landed two four-star prospects in the Class of 2027: 6-foot-6 forward Carson Crawford (No. 55 on the 247Sports Composite) and 6-foot-7 forward Howard Williams (No. 46).
Over the summer, Crawford, who won a Peach Jam title with the Florida Rebels, told Hoops HQ that his recruitment was wide open and he was planning to commit in the fall or winter after exploring his options. But his visit to ASU in late August fully sold him on the program and he committed on Sept. 2. Crawford should play a significant role as a freshman in 2027-28. “He’s a Swiss Army knife,” Gary Clemons, one of Crawford’s former AAU coaches, told Hoops HQ. “He’s one of those high-energy guys flying around. He’s able to hit the three, can score at all three levels. He just plays so hard. He’s able to play different roles, too. If you want him to be the guy, he can be the guy. If you want to play a role, he can also be a star in his role.”
Crawford became the highest-rated recruit to commit to Bennett since 2007. Five days later, Williams took over that distinction, choosing the Sun Devils over TCU, Washington and Florida State. Like Crawford, Williams has great positional size, athleticism and versatility. Playing for Team Hali on the Puma Pro16 circuit this summer, he averaged 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He and Crawford give Bennett an excellent foundation to build around. Arizona State is also heavily in the mix for 6-foot-6 wing Frashad Tisby (No. 81), who named the program as one of his seven finalists.
Xavier
With Year Two of the Richard Pitino era on the horizon, Xavier is trending upward. In addition to building a formidable 2026-27 roster, Pitino reeled in two promising Class of 2027 recruits this summer: 6-foot-6 guard Brandon Mason Jr. (No. 83) and 6-foot-5 forward Markus Kerr (No. 61).
A native of Albuquerque — home of the University of New Mexico, where Pitino previously coached — Mason visited Xavier on Aug. 19 and committed four days later, choosing the Musketeers over New Mexico, Boise State, Grand Canyon and Ohio. He built strong relationships with Pitino and assistant coach Isaac Chew during the recruiting process. Mason is a highly skilled wing who scores at all three levels. Ahead of his senior season, he transferred from Albuquerque Prep to Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), where he will face stiffer competition to help prepare him for the Big East.
Kerr, who committed a week after Mason, is also a gifted scorer with tremendous athleticism. The four-star prospect reclassified from 2026 to 2027 and transferred to Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) before his junior season. His stock rose throughout a productive 2026 summer in which he split time between the Nike and Adidas circuits. Across 15 EYBL games with Team United, Kerr averaged 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. “He has a pro-level skill set,” Team United coach Kasenda Young told Hoops HQ. “He can be your main guy, or he can be an elite-level secondary option in an offense. And then defensively, he can guard so many different positions that he allows you to be able to switch everything. Those are by far his best assets. And then being able to get to his spots in the midrange.”
With Mason and Kerr on board, Xavier currently has the nation’s No. 7-ranked recruiting class, per 247Sports. But the program isn’t done building. It remains a contender to land two more highly coveted prospects: 6-foot-1 combo guard Joshua Tyson (No. 54) and 6-foot-10 center Jadyn Jenkins (No. 60).
High School Recruiting Buzz: Rumors, Reclassifications and the Race for CJ Rosser
With high school recruiting season heating up, the top-ranked players in the Class of 2027 are making visits and considering reclassification
Georgia
After back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, Georgia continues to find success on the recruiting front. The program’s resurgence — coupled with its new fast-paced, run-and-gun system — has given Mike White a more compelling pitch to possible transfers and high school prospects.
In early August, the Bulldogs received a commitment from Georgia native Justin Wise, a four-star prospect ranked No. 49 on the 247Sports Composite. Wise played for Jet Academy on the Nike EYBL circuit and averaged 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals. The sharpshooting wing, who knocked down at least two three-pointers in 14 of 20 outings, should fit perfectly in White’s high-powered offense. Georgia ranked 12th nationally in pace and 23rd in three-point attempts per game last season.
The Bulldogs are also considered the favorite to land 6-foot-5 wing Jarvis Hayes Jr. (No. 38), the son of former UGA basketball star and current assistant coach Jarvis Hayes. Hayes Jr. is down to four schools: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and FSU. As the leader of Atlanta Xpress on this year’s Under Armour circuit, the four-star recruit averaged 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Five-star point guard Nasir Anderson (No. 10) recently named Georgia as one of his 10 finalists. The Savannah native is scheduled to visit UGA on Oct. 9. Known for his elite speed, agility and explosiveness, Anderson dominated the Adidas circuit, averaging 18.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.3 steals for the Atlanta Celtics.
Michigan State
Recruiting has never been an issue for Tom Izzo. The longtime Michigan State coach has the respect of every player he recruits. “He’s a living legend, and playing under him would be crazy,” four-star guard Joshua Tyson told Hoops HQ. Tyson is among several prominent Class of 2027 prospects the Spartans are pursuing.
MSU already landed 6-foot-1 point guard Antonio Pemberton (No. 23), who chose the Spartans over Kansas, Tennessee, Ohio State, Creighton, UCLA, Marquette and Boston College. The Massachusetts native was in East Lansing last weekend for Izzo’s “Grind Week,” an annual preseason event where many of the program’s distinguished alumni return to campus to mentor the present roster. Pemberton was one of the stars of this year’s Adidas circuit, averaging 23.6 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals for Mass Rivals.
Another major MSU target is 6-foot-10 center Kamsi Awaka (No. 40), a breakout prospect out of Blair Academy in New Jersey. The big man took an official visit to East Lansing on Sunday and the program is “all in” on landing him, a source told Hoops HQ. Awaka also has heavy interest from Arizona — where his older brother, Tobe, played two seasons — and UConn, Florida and Michigan. He played for New Heights on the Adidas circuit and posted 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.
Four-star center Jadyn Jenkins has Michigan State on his list of five finalists — MSU, Xavier, NC State, Georgetown and Ohio State — and visited for Grind Week alongside Pemberton.
If he’s able to put all the pieces together, Izzo’s recruiting haul could be very special.
Cincinnati
Ohio native Jerrod Calhoun was hired by Cincinnati this spring, a move that caught the attention of several in-state prospects. Calhoun began his tenure with a huge recruiting win, earning a commitment from 6-foot-5 guard Kam Mercer (No. 52), who hails from Cincinnati and reclassified from 2028 to 2027 to join the Bearcats right away. A two-way wing with exceptional versatility, Mercer played up on this year’s Nike EYBL circuit and averaged 5.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals for Indy Heat.
Another hometown kid the Bearcats are chasing is Joshua Tyson, who spent three seasons dominating at Lakota West High School in West Chester Township (a suburb of Cincinnati) prior to transferring to La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) for his senior campaign. “Coach Calhoun is a great coach with a winning background at Utah State,” Tyson told Hoops HQ. “He plays fast and I like to play fast as well.” Tyson took an official visit to UC this past weekend and the program is in a solid position with him.
The Bearcats are set to host 6-foot point guard Aaron Britt Jr. (No. 67) next weekend. An old-school floor general with impressive playmaking ability, Britt is the type of guard Calhoun likes to have running the show. Cincy is battling for the Florida native with Dayton, Texas Tech and Michigan State.
UConn
Dan Hurley and the Huskies landed the first top-15 prospect in the Class of 2027 to commit: 6-foot-3 point guard NaVarro Bowman Jr. (No. 11), a California native who averaged 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals for Team Why Not on this year’s Nike EYBL circuit.
Newly hired UConn assistant coach Mike Pegues helped spearhead Bowman’s recruitment. The big-time move could be the first of many for the Huskies on the recruiting trail. The program hosted 6-foot-7 forward DeMarcus Henry (No. 3) last weekend. A few behind-the-scenes videos of the five-star prospect in Storrs circulated on social media, including one in which he’s excitedly chest-bumping Hurley. Henry is also being courted by Ohio State, Kansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville and BYU, but many believe UConn is the team to beat and that the program has gained steam following Henry’s official visit.
The aforementioned Awaka has the Huskies high on his list as well. He visited Storrs this past weekend and members of the UConn staff have been to Blair Academy recently to check in on him.
A sleeper on Hurley’s radar? 6-foot-4 forward Elijah Paez (No. 93), one of the biggest risers in the Class of 2027. Paez jumped nearly 100 spots on the 247Sports Composite this summer after leading Drive Nation to the Peach Jam Finals with averages of 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. The Iowa native fits the mold of a Dan Hurley player: tough, versatile, athletic and defensive-minded. He will visit UConn in mid-October and is also considering TCU and DePaul.
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