Basketball’s summer recruiting period is over, but our evaluation process isn’t. Now is when live in-person evaluations are done and video work begins. Due to the number of circuits (and courts on each one), it’s impossible to see everything — even if you are out in full force on every single day like we have been.
That’s why our annual process is to spend August digging back through the analytics and video from each of the four major circuits in our summer scouting series as a precursor to the updated national rankings.
That will again be the case this year, but we’ve got an audible this summer as well.
Given what we were able to see firsthand this month, we couldn’t leave the top of the rankings unedited for another month.
So, today, we’re releasing a brand-new top 10.
CAYDEN DAUGHTRY’S UNPRECEDENTED RISE
The battle for the No. 1 spot has been a popular subject of discussion since Marcus Spears Jr.‘s reclassification.
Two weeks ago, we thought there were two candidates, Beckham Black and CJ Rosser. That was based on rankings projecting a future’s market — in other words, forecasting who the best long-term prospects are for the NBA first and college basketball second.
Simultaneously, we said that Cayden Daughtry was in the conversation for high school basketball’s best player today. Well, one week later, he has an even more compelling case after completing a historic EYBL season as the league’s leading scorer, MVP and, ultimately, champion.
That performance has catapulted him all the way into the top three — a completely unprecedented feat in the history of 247Sports for a player his 6-foot, 155-pound size.
Black, at least for the time being, solidified his spot atop the rankings.
Previously the No. 2-ranked prospect behind Spears, Black had a solid summer on the EYBL circuit. Prior to that, he was the starting point guard and only high school player to be named to the All-Star Five at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Türkiye.
SEE THE TOP 10 PLAYER RANKINGS
Rosser, who checks in at No. 2, delivered a huge performance in the gold medal game of that event and was named second team all-tournament. He followed that up with a couple of big performances in Las Vegas but wasn’t able to fully seize that momentum and capture the top spot.
Rosser remains arguably the most naturally talented prospect in the class and will have a chance to overtake Black, even though the two are high school teammates at Orlando (Fla.) Southeastern Prep.
