Recruit rankings college basketball

Getty Images Conference realignment is generally thought of as a football-oriented process that will be occurring in the coming years with the AAC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC all set for significant changes within their memberships. But significant realignment is coming in college basketball, as well, and some of it is happening sooner than you might think. When the 2022-23 season tips off in November, there will be 24 teams in new Division I conferences as the winds of change in college sports continue to blow. We already broke down the entire list of this year's changes and the future conference moves in July , but now it's time to break down what this season's changes could mean on the court in the years to come. With five schools making their Division I debuts and solid leagues like the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley Conference undergoing big changes, there could be some intriguing new battles for automatic NCAA Tournament bids shaping up in the months … [Read more...] about Dribble Handoff: College basketball teams set to have big impacts on new conferences in 2022-23 season

Bronny James' recruitment is a trending topic ahead of the Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon four-star shooting guard's senior season, especially after LeBron James' son turned heads at the Nike Peach Jam earlier in the week. On 247Sports' YouTube channel , during a question-and-answer recap of the event , Adam Finkelstein set the record straight regarding where Bronny James stands in the 2023 recruiting class and if college basketball is next for the nation's 52nd-ranked prospect. "Here's the thing with Bronny — Bronny has, as I said, had the biggest crowds all week long," Finkelstein said . "He had a big game — I believe it was Monday — went for 28 points. I wrote about him in my 247Sports recap that day because it was the most aggressive I had seen him. Not only was he looking for his shot, but I think he was getting downhill in transition more than I've seen him before. And that's one of the best parts of his game that we don't talk about quite enough, and maybe that … [Read more...] about Bronny James could see recruiting ranking rise, but perception is LeBron’s son won’t play college basketball

Head coach Tom Izzo 's recruiting efforts at Michigan State received a stamp of approval from Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James . As seen below, via SpartanTailgate.com, the two took a photo together, which later led to five-star 2023 Spartans commit Xavier Booker telling his Instagram followers that James was impressed by the recruiting class along with Booker himself. Booker, who attends Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral, is the No. 3-ranked player overall, No. 1 power forward and No. 1 prospect in the state of Indiana in the 2023 recruiting class. On Monday, 247Sports’ Travis Branham praised Booker while digging into which players college coaches perceive as the top player in the class. “Booker is arguably the most naturally gifted prospect in the entire class and is headed to Michigan State next season,” Branham wrote. “He possesses great size, length and athleticism for a big man and is oozing with upside." LeBron James x Tom Izzo ?? Xavier … [Read more...] about LeBron James praises Tom Izzo, Michigan State basketball recruiting: 5-star commit Xavier Booker

LeBron James is clearly up any perceived recruiting scoop associated with his son, Bronny James, as the pursuit of top-end shooting guard in the 2023 cycle heats up. Bronny James, a four-star talent rated the No. 49 player nationally by 247Sports, is being pursued by several major programs, but has no favorite — contrary to a report this week that Oregon had emerged as a preferred choice. "He hasn’t taken 1 visit yet and has only had a few calls with coaches and universities," James tweeted Tuesday night . " When Bronny makes his choice you’ll hear it from him." Bronny James' recent performance in the U18 French Select went viral after a one-handed slam on a breakaway mimicked his father . "When it comes to NBA bloodlines, nobody can top Bronny James ," 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi wrote of James . "Because his dad is the one and only LeBron James , Bronny — a shooting guard from Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon — … [Read more...] about LeBron James scolds Bronny James recruiting rumor

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Monday was the second day of action at the Nike Peach Jam, but the first full day as things started at 9:30am and ran straight through the day with the final game ending just after 10:00pm. Things will continue to escalate for the rest of the week as NBA scouts are permitted to attend on Tuesday and college coaches on Wednesday with the EYBL champions set to be crowned on Sunday. My Monday viewing was based around seeing as many of the u17 teams as I could with the major take-aways including a big performance from one of high school basketball’s most recognizable names, a head-to-head match-up between a pair of five-star prospects, and a game-winning buzzer-beater to punctuate the night. Bronny asserts himself Just last week on the Eye on College Basketball Podcast, I talked about how Bronny James may be the most recognized high school player in the country, and yet he almost never plays like he has anything to prove. He’s generally content to make … [Read more...] about Monday at the Peach Jam: Bronny James asserts himself; GG Jackson vs Justin Edwards; Amani Hansberry’s hands

After a tumultuous 2021 season at Oklahoma, quarterback Spencer Rattler transferred to South Carolina for the 2022 college football season. A former five-star recruit, Rattler has gotten nothing but praise from Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer , who was with Oklahoma as the assistant head coach from 2018-20. "He's been fantastic," Beamer said . "He really has. And you guys know this. I think a couple things with him — he handled adversity well at Oklahoma the first time around. Like, you came out there when we had Jalen Hurts . So Spencer takes over as the quarterback at Oklahoma following Baker Mayfield , Kyler Murray , Jalen Hurts and what does he do? He proceeds to go 0-2 in the Big 12. Like, his first two Big 12 games in 2020 — lose to Kansas State at home, lose to Iowa State on the road. So he's 0-2 as a starter. I saw how he handled that. “Then we go play Texas, and he got benched in that game. Like, people talk about this past year's Texas game … [Read more...] about South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler ‘handled adversity well’ at Oklahoma, Shane Beamer says

Not that it will leave anyone surprised, but another Bronny James highlight is going viral on social media. The latest clip to catch the internet's attention was a vicious right-handed slam over a U18 French Select defender. James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James , was left open after an overly aggressive trap of his teammate in the backcourt. He froze the defender at the 3-point line and finished strong at the rim. James is the nation's No. 49 player, No. 8 shooting guard and No. 12 player in California for the Class of 2023. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite favors James slightly over 247Sports' own ranking, at No. 43 overall. "When it comes to NBA bloodlines, nobody can top Bronny James ," 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi wrote of James . "Because his dad is the one and only LeBron James , Bronny — a shooting guard from Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon — has been as scrutinized as any player in the country. Now … [Read more...] about Bronny James slams down vicious dunk against U18 French Select

DeVonta Smith is entering his second season in the NFL and has noticed that the game is moving at a different speed for him. As players get acclimated to the professional ranks, they usually comment that things are moving slower, and Smith expressed that observation in a recent interview with CBS Sports HQ. “Things are slowing down simply because I know the offense now,” Smith said. “I don’t have to worry about this play, what I’m doing, I know what I gotta do so now I can just focus on the details. And then just the communication with the offense as a whole, everything is better." Last season, Smith played in all 17 regular-season games and caught 64 passes for 916 yards and five touchdowns. It was not a bad follow-up to his 2020 season with Alabama that culminated in him becoming the first receiver to win the Heisman in almost 30 years. He was a four-year contributor at Alabama, catching 235 passes for 3,965 yards and 46 scores in 48 career games. During his … [Read more...] about Philadelphia Eagles’ DeVonta Smith says ‘things are slowing down’ ahead of Year 2

USC tight end Jude Wolfe will miss part of the upcoming season after breaking his foot, according to USCFootball.com's Chris Trevino . Wolfe is heading into his fourth season as a member of the Trojans, and he was projected to become an impact player despite having just one career start and a total of 10 catches for 61 yards. In April, Wolfe expressed excitement about being in Lincoln Riley’s offense, which involved more red-zone usage for tight ends throughout the spring. “I'm really excited about that,” Wolfe told reporters. “It was something in the past that we weren't too involved in and I think now moving forward…last week actually we had a really good couple of days working on red zone offense especially in the receiving aspect of it as the tight ends and we capitalized on it big time and I think moving forward it will be part of the offense.” Before arriving at USC, Wolfe was a four-star recruit out of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco High School. He was … [Read more...] about USC football TE Jude Wolfe will miss part of 2022 season after injuring foot

After spending two seasons at Washington, USC defensive back Jacobe Covington entered the transfer portal and departed for the Trojans in pursuit of brighter days. With training camp underway and the upcoming season on the horizon, Covington implied that he’s right where he belongs. "I just feel like it was the best decision for me and my family, to make this move," Covington said, via InsideTroy. "And I just love the coaches over here, I love their ability. It's just exciting, still exciting. ... The defense, coming out of high school, I already knew the Oklahoma defense, and then Donte (Williams), in addition, I knew he was a great coach. I knew what he had to offer. I'm just learning. I'm happy to be here." Covington entered the portal on May 2, and then committed to USC on May 13. He recalls having plenty of attention after departing from Washington. After all, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020. Covington saw a limited role with the Huskies, but arrived … [Read more...] about Jacobe Covington says being with USC football is ‘just exciting’ after transfer from Washington