The College Basketball Post

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Was able to see some of the better HS kids in the 2024 & 2025 class. Ian jackson is shifty as hell and will be able to run the break for UNC. Taahad Pettiford crazy athletic, Bruce pearl got a dog. Ron Harper son nice
 

COOPER FLAGG, F, MONTVERDE (FLA.) ACADEMY​

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(Photo: Stu Boyd II/The Commercial Appeal, USA TODAY Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 1
Who is in the mix: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, UConn and many others
Latest intel: Cooper Flagg made big headlines a week ago when he reclassified from 2025 and was ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2024. Shortly before that, he made headlines when he took an unofficial to Duke.
The general school of thought is that Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils have an early lead for the 6-foot-8 forward from Maine, and there’s not any behind-the-scenes chatter to contradict that. UConn gets brought up as another potential destination and word is that Kansas is among the others trying to get him onto campus. Flagg doesn’t speak much about details regarding his recruitment but, at least at this juncture, Duke would appear to be the favorite.

DYLAN HARPER, CG, RAMSEY (N.J.) DON BOSCO PREP​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Under Armour)
Currently ranked: No. 2
Who is in the mix: Final five of Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Rutgers
Latest intel: While Dylan Harper is down to a top five, it doesn’t look like all of the finalists for the strong and skilled 6-foot-5 combo guard are on equal footing. The son of five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper and younger brother of former Rutgers standout Ron Harper Jr., Dylan Harper has been to Rutgers several times and has also taken official visits to Duke and Indiana. He’s yet to see Auburn and Kansas, and he hasn’t set visits either.
While Indiana was optimistic for a bit and continues to give chase, all eyes on this one are on Rutgers and Duke. Frankly, it’s felt like those two are the main competitors for some time. Of late, talk that he could follow in his older brother’s footsteps and head to Rutgers has really been picking up steam. It’s also notable that Harper has appeared pretty chummy with five-star Rutgers commit Ace Bailey, the No. 3 player in 2024. While it’s been speculated that Harper is in decision-making mode and could pop soon, 247Sports has heard that he may not be as close to an announcement as people think.

TRE JOHNSON, SG, BRANSON (MO.) LINK ACADEMY​

Travis Goff

Currently ranked: No. 4
Who is in the mix: Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas
Latest intel: After winning a state championship in his home state of Texas as a junior, 6-foot-4 shooting guard Tre Johnson will play his senior season for a loaded Link Academy squad. Along the way, he’ll try to make his college decision.
As a junior, Johnson took official visits to Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas, and he’s got a visit locked in for Alabama during September. The thought with Johnson is that a decision could be coming relatively shortly after that visit to Alabama. While he’s said he would like to see Arkansas, he’s yet to set a visit with them. While the Crimson Tide still has its opportunity to put its best foot forward and you never want to count out John Calipari, Baylor and Texas do look to have put themselves in the best position to land Johnson. As of today, we would bet on him returning to the Lone Star State for college. It’s also worth noting that the G League Ignite spent an awful lot of time following Johnson around over the summer.

DERIK QUEEN, C, MONTVERDE (FLA.) ACADEMY​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Under Armour)
Currently ranked: No. 7
Who is in the mix: Houston, Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland and others
Latest intel: A native of Baltimore who is coming off of a strong summer run with Team Thrill in the Under Armour Association, 6-foot-9 big man Derik Queen doesn’t give away much about what he’s really thinking when interviewed, but there do seem to be some pretty good signs of where his recruitment is headed.
He did drop by Georgetown during the summer and new coach Ed Cooley has made some inroads, but the real players here look to be Houston, Indiana and Maryland. While no date has been set for a return visit to Maryland, the Terps are expected to get an official visit in the near future, and Kevin Willard and his staff were very visible whenever Queen played during live periods. Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers already have a date for Queen’s second trip to Bloomington (Sept. 8) and they’ve invested their fair share of time as well. While a date isn’t set for Houston yet, keep a close eye on the Cougars. While most of the talk in the summer was about the Terps and Hoosiers, Kelvin Sampson and his staff are right there in the thick of it.

KARTER KNOX, SF, OVERTIME ELITE​

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(Photo: Jody Demling, 247Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 8
Who is in the mix: Top seven of Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU and USF
Latest intel: One of the toughest wing scorers in the class of 2024, Karter Knox is leaving his Tampa home to play his senior season at Overtime Elite. After taking visits to Kentucky and Louisville as a junior, things have been pretty quiet for Knox — and determining who else has been very serious about him hasn’t always been easy. He set his top seven schools and the G League as potential destinations in the late spring, but there’s been little movement since.
Some coaches have indicated to 247Sports that they think Knox’s ties to those programs (his older brother played at Kentucky and the family has long standing relationships with John Calipari and Kenny Payne) would be tough to overcome, and that’s pretty understandable. Knox himself has told 247Sports that he really wants to be recruited and is open to schools that want to be serious about him but has also admitted the relationships at UK and Louisville are strong. He’s not yet set any other visits and has no timetable for a decision in place. From the sounds of it, his first priority is getting acclimated to OTE. While most in 2024 have been trending towards deciding early, Knox could be one that takes his time.

LIAM MCNEELEY, SF, MONTVERDE (FLA.) ACADEMY​

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(Photo: Photo via Liam McNeeley)
Currently ranked: No. 9
Who is in the mix: Top six of Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas
Latest intel: Another five-star who originally hails from the state of Texas, Liam McNeeley is a skilled and tough wing who has been sought after for his jump shot and steady production at Montverde and during the summer with the Florida Rebels in Nike’s EYBL.
Thus far, McNeeley has made official visits to Indiana and Texas. He’s already locked in another visit to Indiana for early September and has said that he would like to see some of the others, but exactly whom he will or won’t see is up in the air. Oklahoma has generated a little bit of buzz because the Sooners are close to home. When it comes to McNeeley, though, the Hoosiers and Longhorns have definitely gotten the most buzz. If we had to pick, we would probably give a slight edge to the Hoosiers at this juncture.

JAYDEN QUAINTANCE, C, RALEIGH (N.C.) WORD OF GOD​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Fiba, 247Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 12
Who is in the mix: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio State, Washington and others
Latest intel: Jayden Quaintance surprised the recruiting world when he announced that he would move to the class of 2024 from 2025. Assuming he decides to go to college, Quaintance will still only be 16 years old when he first arrives on campus early next summer.
At the time of his reclassification, Quaintance had already taken unofficial visits to Kentucky and Cincinnati and it is important to note that he is originally from the state of Ohio. While there’s going to be some time before things really start to shake out, Kentucky is one program that seems to be on the tip of everybody’s tongues when talking about a potential landing spot. Despite his youth, Quaintance has a chance to keep moving up the rankings and could be the type of kid that pro leagues take a serious look into.

ZOOM DIALLO, PG, NAPA (CALIF.) PROLIFIC PREP​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Under Armour)
Currently ranked: No. 14
Who is in the mix: Alabama, Arizona, Gonzaga, USC and Washington
Latest intel: After winning a pair of state titles in his home state of Washington, the nation’s top ranked point guard Zoom Diallo heads off to California for his senior season. Alabama is a relative newcomer to the party and Diallo has been on campus — either officially or unofficially — at each of his other suitors.
For much of his recruitment, Gonzaga has been thought to be either at or near the top of his list. They’ve prioritized him and added assistant RJay Barsh, who has a strong relationship with Diallo and had gotten him to visit Florida State while he was on staff there. The Zags remain in a strong position. After a June visit to USC the Trojans have picked up steam and after seemingly not being all that involved early on, Washington has improved their standing. We will see what happens with ‘Bama, but for now, it appears pretty likely that Diallo stays out West.

BOOGIE FLAND, CG, WHITE PLAINS (N.Y.) STEPINAC​

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(Photo: @DFritzphotos)
Currently ranked: No. 15
Who is in the mix: Top eight of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, St. John’s and UConn
Latest intel: When it comes to name recognition, Boogie Fland has long been one of the most well-known players in the class of 2024. The combo guard from New York can score from deep or set up others off the dribble. He’s also getting ready for another round of visits.
He’s seen St. John’s and UConn unofficially and took junior year officials to Indiana, Michigan and North Carolina. After officials to Alabama, Kentucky and Maryland in September, he will have been on campus at all of his finalists. Fland is one where speculation is all over the place. We’ll see how these potential visits could change things, but Indiana, Kentucky and UConn have come up a lot during conversations with sources and appear to be in the upper tier but there's still plenty to be decided with Fland.

ASA NEWELL, PF, MONTVERDE (FLA.) ACADEMY​

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(Photo: Courtesy of PRO 16/NXT)
Currently ranked: No. 18
Who is in the mix: Alabama, Auburn Gonzaga, Georgia, Indiana, Texas and others
Latest intel: Another member of an absolutely loaded Montverde (Fla.) Academy team, power forward Asa Newell is currently ranked a little bit lower than his teammates McNeeley and Queen, but it’s not outrageous to think that he has more long-term upside. Nevertheless, he’s got a huge ceiling for growth to go along with his 6-foot-9 size, athleticism and developing skill.
So, about his recruitment. Georgia has to be considered the team to beat here. His family has ties to Athens, his older brother Jaden Newell is on the team at Georgia, Newell has been on campus and will return for another official visit in the fall. Indiana has done a good job, and we’ll see if recent visits to Gonzaga and Alabama can get him to rethink things -- of those two we would bet the Crimson Tide has the best shot. He’s still going to see Texas and will likely check out the G League, too. But as of today, UGA looks to be in a pretty good spot.

JALIL BETHEA, SG, WARMINSTER (PA.) ARCHBISHOP WOOD​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Nike EYBL)
Currently ranked: No. 20
Who is in the mix: Top five of Alabama, Kansas, Miami, Syracuse and Villanova
Latest intel: The past year has been a huge one for 6-foot-4 shooting guard Jalil Bethea, who’s been rocketing up the rankings. That climb is expected to continue in the next update, and the smooth and skilled scorer from Philly is working his way towards a decision.
Bethea has already officially been to Syracuse, which did a great job while it had him on campus. He’s also more than familiar with the local program, Villanova. His next official visit is to Kansas at the end of the month, then Miami the next weekend and Alabama in the latter part of October. From what we have learned about Bethea’s recruitment, the current expectation is that he’s not in any real rush and that he and those helping him in the process will be very thorough. There has been some recent speculation that Kansas has put themselves into pretty good position, but this recruitment is going to take some time to run its course.

KON KNUEPPEL, SF, MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN LUTHERAN​

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(Photo: Jody Demling, 247Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 21
Who is in the mix: Alabama, Duke, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, Virginia and Wisconsin
Latest intel: One of the most skilled and productive players in the country, Kon Knueppel has been on the national radar since the spring of his freshman year. However, his reputation really started to soar over the last four or five months and he’s got one of the most wide-ranging recruitments in the country.
He did take official visits to Notre Dame and Stanford as a junior, but they are likely long shots at this point. He visited Louisville and Ohio State in the summer, but both of them may be on the outside looking in as well. He’s certainly no stranger to Wisconsin or Marquette and, if he stays home, both could be good fits and he'll see both but Marquette sounds to be in a little better shape. He is going to take a second official visit to Virginia and also going to see ’Bama and Duke. Duke doesn’t miss often, if the Blue Devils really lock in, and Nate Oats has proven that he can go toe to toe with just about anybody, so we’ll eye those visits closely. But given the fact that Virginia is getting a second visit and Tony Bennett has strong ties to the state of Wisconsin, the Cavaliers have to be considered one of the favorites here as Knueppel starts this next round of five visits.

VJ EDGECOMBE, SF, GLEN HEAD (N.Y.) LONG ISLAND LUTHERAN​

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(Photo: Courtesy of Adidas 3SSB)
Currently ranked: No. 22
Who is in the mix: Alabama, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, St. John’s, UConn and the G League
Latest intel: After announcing his top 10 during the summer, VJ Edgecombe set official visits with Alabama, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Florida State and Michigan. Those trips will take place from the middle of September through November. The plan is to also try and find dates to see his other finalists before deciding.
So who has the edge going into these visits? Neither Edgecombe nor anybody close to him has given much to go on. For the most part, there hasn’t been too much talk behind the scenes about one school or another having a big edge. However, if we had to gauge things headed into the visits, we would probably put Alabama, Baylor, Duke and Florida a little bit ahead of the pack. These next few months are going to reveal a lot about what Edgecombe is really thinking.

ISAIAH ELOHIM, SF, CHATSWORTH (CALIF.) SIERRA CANYON​

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(Photo: Jody Demling, 247Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 23
Who is in the mix: Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Providence, UCLA, USC, Villanova and others
Latest intel: A physically-strong wing who is at his best attacking the rim or showing off his prowess as a mid-range scorer, Isaiah Elohim has a college-ready frame and is a good athlete.
247Sports spoke with Elohim earlier this week, and he confirmed that the only two visits he’s set up thus far are for Arkansas and Providence — and that he’s hoping to have more set up soon. Kim English is known for his ability to connect with prospects, so the Friars will have a chance once they get him on campus. The recent offer from Villanova could make things interesting. Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks have been in there for a while, put themselves into pretty good position at this point and must feel pretty good about where they stand in Elohim’s recruitment.

KHANI ROOTHS, PF, BRADENTON (FLA.) IMG ACADEMY​

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(Photo: Sam Webb, 247Sports)
Currently ranked: No. 24
Who is in the mix: Florida State, Georgia, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech
Latest intel: Of all of the players in the top 25 who have yet to decide, the recruitment of Khani Rooths looks to be about as open as that of anybody else. The versatile 6-foot-8 forward has already seen Georgia and Mississippi State officially, will be hitting the visit trail again in the near future and based on all of the sources we've spoken with, he's going to be doing so with a pretty open mind.
Rooths will visit Georgia again so that's certainly a good sign for the Bulldogs, but it wouldn't be fair to call them the favorites. Virginia Tech is making some good noise with him. Michigan has a lot to sell with some of their recent NBA Draft success with rangy wing players and they've also been able to tap into the DMV where Rooths is from. Miami plays a style that would appear to fit him, Florida State has certainly done well with forwards like Rooths and there is also the home school, Maryland, a place where he knows the lay of the land and the staff quite well. If there's anybody on this list that could potentially have somebody new sneak in, he could be the guy, but whether or not anybody new emerges just about everybody involved sounds to be on pretty equal footing here.
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