The Transfer Portal and International recruiting have changed how college programs evaluate high school players during the spring. However, one thing remains constant: The month of July reigns supreme when it comes to recruiting the next generation of high school stars.
Sneaker company-backed circuits still dominate the summer months. Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, and now even Puma and New Balance host events exclusive to teams under their umbrellas. Though the talent is more spread out, Adidas and Nike still rule the roost when it comes to hosting the largest number of high-level players. Nike’s annual EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., and Adidas 3SSB Earn Your Stripes Invitational in Ladera Ranch, Calif., draw the biggest crowds and are the most important stops of the month.
For the last two years, the crop of talent has been strong at the top. Those future stars were all introduced to the general public during grassroots summer ball. 2024’s top-ranked player Cooper Flagg became a household name at the Peach Jam in the summer of 2022 before his star turn at Duke and subsequent No. 1 selection by the Dallas Mavericks in last June’s NBA Draft.
The rest of that 247Sports top six players in 2024 – Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Khaman Maluach, VJ Edgecombe, and Tre Johnson – all built their reputations as underclassmen during July and made significant impacts as freshmen before each of them was taken in the top 10 of the Flagg Draft.
The high school class of 2025 looks to be just as strong and figures to dominate next June’s Draft.
Guard Darryn Peterson finished ranked No. 1 in the class and has played to rave reviews during the summer at Kansas. Peterson is expected to duel with No. 2-ranked AJ Dybantsa of BYU to be the first to shake Adam Silver’s hand next June.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, Tennessee’s Nate Ament, and Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. all project as surefire Lottery picks.
As the July temperatures rise, college hoops fans have turned their attention to the class of 2026 and beyond in their quest to find the next batch of potential star freshmen, college stars, and would-be NBA Draft picks.
While the flow of talent never ends, trips over the weekend to Nike and Adidas revealed that not all classes are created equally. Things can always change, but last week only reinforced the notion that there is no Flagg, Harper, Peterson, or Dybantsa in the classes of 2026 or 2027. The closest that either class can offer is 2026’s top player, Tyran Stokes. While the strong and athletic 6-foot-7 small forward who played with the Oakland Soldiers at the Peach Jam is the clear-cut No. 1 player in the land, he’s simply not on the level of those before him. The what-if game of where a player would rank in a different class might rank in another class is a tricky one, but the honest truth is that Stokes would likely be a fringe top-five talent in either of the last two classes.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of good players out there in the next two classes. Over the weekend, players from across the country made big impressions while sleepers emegered from the premier events in South Carolina and California.
With the summer grassroots season now over, let’s take a look at some of the top players and storylines from the two biggest stops at the end of the summer.
The Peach Jam (Nike) observations are from 247Sports National Basketball analyst Travis Branham, while the Earn Your Stripes (Adidas) takeaways are from 247Sports Director of Basketball Eric Bossi.
Tyran Stokes proves he’s still the top dog
Initially, Tyran Stokes hadn’t planned to play travel ball this summer. But, he changed his mind back in May and suited up with the Oakland Soldiers and has stayed with them through last weekend’s Peach Jam. In doing so, he left no doubt about his status as the top player in the class of 2026. When Stokes is focused, there’s a pretty big gap between him and the rest of the class.
At the Peach Jam last weekend, Stokes displayed the Jekyll and Hyde version of his game. His motor and approach to each game fluctuate, and he can let his emotions get the best of him, but when he turns it on, he can take a game over at the drop of a hat. No one at the high school level and very few, if anyone, at the college level have the strength and athleticism of Stokes, especially when you factor in his skillset.
After averaging 22.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 10.4 rebounds at the Peach Jam, Stokes is still unquestionably the top dog in the 2026 class. Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas and Kansas are all in hot pursuit of his talents.
Missouri gets major recruiting win in Jason Crowe Jr.
Playing alongside Stokes, No. 5-ranked Jason Crowe Jr. celebrated his 17th birthday at the Peach Jam by committing to Missouri live on CBS Sports HQ. The 6-foot-3 guard from Los Angeles is a massive win for head coach Dennis Gates. In four games with Soldiers over the weekend, Crowe showed he is the best scorer in the class by putting up a whopping 26.5 points a game, shooting 53.3% from two, and 34.4% from three, all while playing through an ankle injury.
RELATED: Scouting No. 5 Jason Crowe Jr. and his fit at Missouri
The future Tiger showed real toughness and grit along with his elite scoring package. Crowe Jr. has effortless range shooting the ball, can break guys down off the bounce, and is an elite potential as a playmaker for others. He will be a weapon for Gates from day one.
Despite fielding the top five duo of Stokes and Crowe, the Soldiers somehow failed to make it out of pool play.
