We’re less than a month away from the mid-November signing period and the action on the high school recruiting trail has been coming fast and furious. Thus far, 72 of the top 100 prospects in the Class of 2027 (per the 247Sports Composite) have announced their commitments, and several more are expected to join the party soon.
Hoops HQ has been closely tracking the flurry of activity throughout the summer and fall. Below is a rundown of the biggest recruiting headlines from the past week.
DeMarcus Henry heads to Chapel Hill
We’re entering crunch time in the highly competitive race for Henry, a five-star prospect (No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite) out of AZ Compass Prep. The 6-foot-7 forward has been vocal about wanting to commit around his birthday on Oct. 30, so we could be just a week away from one of the biggest decisions in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Henry has taken official visits to UConn, Louisville, Arkansas and Kentucky. Those four programs have appeared to be the frontrunners, but five-star Jordan Page’s commitment to the Huskies on Oct. 4 shifted the landscape and opened the door for other schools to make moves. Now North Carolina is preparing to host Henry for an official visit this weekend, which could prove extremely significant.
UNC may be Henry’s final visit before committing. New coach Michael Malone has an opportunity to put the Tar Heels in a solid position and leave a lasting impression on the Charlotte native. After missing out on Page (UNC was widely believed to be the favorite early on), Malone is still chasing his first major recruiting win since taking over for Hubert Davis in April.
Known for his versatility and athleticism, Henry averaged 19.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks for Vegas Elite on this year’s Nike EYBL circuit. He has made it clear that NIL is not the be-all and end-all in his recruitment. Instead, the prize recruit is heavily focused on finding a program with a strong development program that will best position him to reach the NBA.
“(I’m looking for) a place that can help me grow, because the main thing for me is just to keep growing,” Henry told Hoops HQ over the summer. “A place that makes me uncomfortable and pushes me to be better, and somewhere that sees my abilities and wants to just help me reach my goal, which is the NBA. Development is really the biggest thing for me, and a family culture.”
Reese Alston set to commit soon
Alston’s recruitment has featured a lot of twists and turns, but the five-star prospect (No. 9) is finally nearing a decision.
A 6-foot-2 point guard and the son of former NBA player Rafer Alston, Reese is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals for Houston Second Baptist High School. His ability to lead an offense, score at all three levels and create opportunities for others has made him one of the most coveted recruits in the nation. Alston’s game is considered college-ready, and several schools would have been thrilled to welcome him for the 2026-27 campaign had he chosen to reclassify (an option he considered over the summer).
Instead, Alston is preparing for his senior season and wrapping up his recruiting process. He is primarily focused on five programs, all of which he visited officially: Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, Louisville and Wichita State. Houston and Vanderbilt were also included on his list of finalists, but he did not make trips to either school.
A source told Hoops HQ that LSU and Louisville have been the leaders in the race and are the two programs to watch going forward. Both LSU’s Will Wade and Louisville’s Pat Kelsey have been heavily involved in Alston’s recruitment, which is significant because the talented floor general has made it clear that having a strong relationship with his future coach will be a major factor in his decision.
LSU has already landed a pair of five-stars in guard King Gibson (No. 15) and forward Ahmad Hudson (No. 19), while Louisville has received a commitment from four-star forward Ferlandes Wright (No. 70)
Alston is expected to be one of the next major dominoes to fall in the 2027 cycle.
San Diego State goes big
The Aztecs made a major splash on the recruiting trail this week, earning commitments from two promising big men in the Class of 2027: 6-foot-10 center Mahamadou Diop (No. 69) and 6-foot-11 center Precious Sam (No. 157).
Both players are originally from Africa; Diop was born in Mali and Sam was born in Ghana. San Diego State has two former NBA Academy Africa standouts on its present roster: freshman forward Samson Mashebinu (Nigeria) and sophomore center Thokbor Majak (South Sudan).
Diop ultimately chose the Aztecs over UNLV but also held offers from Cal, Oregon, Oklahoma, UCLA, West Virginia and more high-majors. An athletic and mobile big, he averaged 7.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks for Dream Vision on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
Like Diop, Sam has tremendous size, length (7-foot-5 wingspan) and athleticism. He saw his stock rise dramatically over the summer, collecting more than a dozen new offers. He eventually chose San Diego State over fellow finalists Washington and UCF. Playing for PG Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit, Sam averaged 6.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and a block in just 16.6 minutes. He upped his production during Peach Jam in mid-July (7.2 points, 7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks), helping his team go 3-2.
In addition to Diop and Sam, SDSU landed three-star forward Davey Harris (No. 162) in September. The Aztecs currently have the No. 13-ranked recruiting class in the country (second among mid-majors, behind only Utah State), per 247Sports.
Missouri keeps winning
Since Dennis Gates took over in 2022, Missouri has become a top destination for blue-chippers. The program’s Class of 2026 recruiting haul included five-stars Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant, as well as four-star Aidan Chronister. Gates has continued to prioritize high school recruiting, casting a wide net with the Class of 2027.
Last week, the Tigers landed four-star guard Devin Cleveland (No. 29) out of powerhouse La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.). A native of Chicago, Cleveland chose Missouri over Michigan and TCU. The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter is a tremendous offensive talent — on this year’s Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged a team-high 16.6 points for Brad Beal Elite, scoring at least 20 in seven outings.
Cleveland is the third 2027 prospect to commit to Missouri, joining four-star guard Scottie Adkinson (No. 33) and four-star forward Cameron Barnes (No. 111). All three took official visits to Columbia before committing. Adkinson, who posted big numbers for Mokan on the EYBL circuit (15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game), and Cleveland could form an elite future backcourt for the Tigers.
Missouri’s recruiting class is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation by 247Sports, trailing only Houston and UConn.
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