2025 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[OldPhiKap]

Cooper Flagg highlights from the Peach Jam:

https://twitter.com/overtime/status/...TIi7yC9HQr-vXg

[jv001]

Cooper Flagg highlights from the Peach Jam:

https://twitter.com/overtime/status/...TIi7yC9HQr-vXg

Thanks for the link OPK. Cooper sure doesn't look to be only 15 years old. I'm sure he knows that the #32 jersey is off limits at Duke. Oh, on second thought it may not be.

GoDuke!

[WillJ]

Cooper Flagg highlights from the Peach Jam:

https://twitter.com/overtime/status/...TIi7yC9HQr-vXg

That's just ridiculous for a 15-year old. Can he double-reclass?

[JasonEvans]

That's just ridiculous for a 15-year old. Can he double-reclass?

Worth noting that he is doing it against fellow 15-year olds. If you put him in the 17u EYBL with GG Jackson, Mack Mgbako, and other elite forwards, I suspect he would look far more mortal. Honestly, if he were to recalls by 2 grades (I know this wasn't a realistic suggestion) I'm not even sure he would be a top 15 player.

That said, he looks amazing, no question about it, but the annals of recruiting history are full of 15 year olds who looked like the next Jordan/Lebron/Kobe/whatever but who saw the gap between them and their peers decline precipitously as they aged. Look no further than Emoni Bates, who was THAT DUDE at age 15 and is now hoping to claw his way back onto the NBA radar at Eastern Michigan.

Anyway, part of what is gonna make this thread fun will be looking back in it in a couple years and seeing who rose and who plunged in the rankings. Toward that end, here are the top 25 players in the class of 2025 RIGHT NOW according to ESPN:


1 Cameron Boozer

2 Koa Peat

3 Cooper Flagg

4 Darryn Peterson

5 Elzie Harrington

6 Bryson Tiller

7 Jamier Jones

8 Jamarion Palm

9 Badara Diakite

10 Isiah Harwell

11 Meleek Thomas

12 Jeremiah Green

13 Jalan Haralson

14 Jovanni Ruff

15 Aaron Rowe

16 Francis Chukwudebelu

17 Parker Jefferson

18 B.J. Davis-Ray

19 Trey McKenney

20 Bryce Heard

21 Maper Maker

22 Alexander Lloyd

23 Alier Maluk

24 Cayden Boozer

25 Danny Carbuccia

[DavidBenAkiva]

Worth noting that he is doing it against fellow 15-year olds. If you put him in the 17u EYBL with GG Jackson, Mack Mgbako, and other elite forwards, I suspect he would look far more mortal. Honestly, if he were to recalls by 2 grades (I know this wasn't a realistic suggestion) I'm not even sure he would be a top 15 player.

That said, he looks amazing, no question about it, but the annals of recruiting history are full of 15 year olds who looked like the next Jordan/Lebron/Kobe/whatever but who saw the gap between them and their peers decline precipitously as they aged. Look no further than Emoni Bates, who was THAT DUDE at age 15 and is now hoping to claw his way back onto the NBA radar at Eastern Michigan.

On the other hand, Cooper Flagg was one of the best players on the U17 FIBA team earlier this summer, a team that included Sean Stewart, DJ Wagner, and others from the Class of 2023. He looked mortal-ish in that setting. Still one of the best.

[SkyBrickey]

Worth noting that he is doing it against fellow 15-year olds. If you put him in the 17u EYBL with GG Jackson, Mack Mgbako, and other elite forwards, I suspect he would look far more mortal. Honestly, if he were to recalls by 2 grades (I know this wasn't a realistic suggestion) I'm not even sure he would be a top 15 player.

That said, he looks amazing, no question about it, but the annals of recruiting history are full of 15 year olds who looked like the next Jordan/Lebron/Kobe/whatever but who saw the gap between them and their peers decline precipitously as they aged. Look no further than Emoni Bates, who was THAT DUDE at age 15 and is now hoping to claw his way back onto the NBA radar at Eastern Michigan.

Anyway, part of what is gonna make this thread fun will be looking back in it in a couple years and seeing who rose and who plunged in the rankings. Toward that end, here are the top 25 players in the class of 2025 RIGHT NOW according to ESPN:


1 Cameron Boozer

2 Koa Peat

3 Cooper Flagg

4 Darryn Peterson

5 Elzie Harrington

6 Bryson Tiller

7 Jamier Jones

8 Jamarion Palm

9 Badara Diakite

10 Isiah Harwell

11 Meleek Thomas

12 Jeremiah Green

13 Jalan Haralson

14 Jovanni Ruff

15 Aaron Rowe

16 Francis Chukwudebelu

17 Parker Jefferson

18 B.J. Davis-Ray

19 Trey McKenney

20 Bryce Heard

21 Maper Maker

22 Alexander Lloyd

23 Alier Maluk

24 Cayden Boozer

25 Danny Carbuccia

#6 Bryson Tiller is one to watch. Very athletic 6-7 forward who attends the same Atlanta high school as Wendell Carter (Pace Academy) and Danny Ferry’s kids. Bryson is an impressive student and well-spoken young man. I have heard from a good source that Bryson is a Duke fan, so I’m certain he’s on the staff’s radar…

[DavidBenAkiva]

#6 Bryson Tiller is one to watch. Very athletic 6-7 forward who attends the same Atlanta high school as Wendell Carter (Pace Academy) and Danny Ferry’s kids. Bryson is an impressive student and well-spoken young man. I have heard from a good source that Bryson is a Duke fan, so I’m certain he’s on the staff’s radar…

I believe I read somewhere that Tiller is leaving Pace Academy and joining OTE. I'm not sure if he is on the Naas Cunningham track where he plans on retaining college eligibility.

[JasonEvans]

I believe I read somewhere that Tiller is leaving Pace Academy and joining OTE. I'm not sure if he is on the Naas Cunningham track where he plans on retaining college eligibility.

OTE is based out of Atlanta, so this kind of move is easier for him than for many other kids considering OTE. Another guy going to OTE is Jakhi Howard, a top 30 recruit in the 2024 class who is also from Atlanta.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticl...ker-190545871/

Bryson Tiller, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy, will arguably be the best prospect to join Overtime Elite in the announcements coming this week.

[HayYou]

Worth noting that he is doing it against fellow 15-year olds. If you put him in the 17u EYBL with GG Jackson, Mack Mgbako, and other elite forwards, I suspect he would look far more mortal. Honestly, if he were to recalls by 2 grades (I know this wasn't a realistic suggestion) I'm not even sure he would be a top 15 player.

That said, he looks amazing, no question about it, but the annals of recruiting history are full of 15 year olds who looked like the next Jordan/Lebron/Kobe/whatever but who saw the gap between them and their peers decline precipitously as they aged. Look no further than Emoni Bates, who was THAT DUDE at age 15 and is now hoping to claw his way back onto the NBA radar at Eastern Michigan.

Anyway, part of what is gonna make this thread fun will be looking back in it in a couple years and seeing who rose and who plunged in the rankings. Toward that end, here are the top 25 players in the class of 2025 RIGHT NOW according to ESPN:


1 Cameron Boozer

2 Koa Peat

3 Cooper Flagg

4 Darryn Peterson

5 Elzie Harrington

6 Bryson Tiller

7 Jamier Jones

8 Jamarion Palm

9 Badara Diakite

10 Isiah Harwell

11 Meleek Thomas

12 Jeremiah Green

13 Jalan Haralson

14 Jovanni Ruff

15 Aaron Rowe

16 Francis Chukwudebelu

17 Parker Jefferson

18 B.J. Davis-Ray

19 Trey McKenney

20 Bryce Heard

21 Maper Maker

22 Alexander Lloyd

23 Alier Maluk

24 Cayden Boozer

25 Danny Carbuccia

What about a 1 year reclass next summer?

As for the talk of 15 year olds who tailed off we don't have to look outside Duke.

Chris Burgess. After his HS soph year he was the next Laettner. No so much after a few more years.

[cato]

Thanks for the link OPK. Cooper sure doesn't look to be only 15 years old. I'm sure he knows that the #32 jersey is off limits at Duke. Oh, on second thought it may not be.

GoDuke!

I’m guessing #32 has mellowed a bit over the years, but I doubt he’s mellowed enough for someone to risk asking for that number.

[roywhite]

I’m guessing #32 has mellowed a bit over the years, but I doubt he’s mellowed enough for someone to risk asking for that number.

Yeah, I've mentioned this previously, but it's #31 Shane Battier whose game Cooper reminds me of. Makes a ton of plays on the defensive end as well as on offense.

[Nugget]

Thanks for the link OPK. Cooper sure doesn't look to be only 15 years old. I'm sure he knows that the #32 jersey is off limits at Duke. Oh, on second thought it may not be.

GoDuke!

Yep, that is a pretty good facsimile of what Laettner might have looked like in HS with today's game.

[Nugget]

I believe I read somewhere that Tiller is leaving Pace Academy and joining OTE. I'm not sure if he is on the Naas Cunningham track where he plans on retaining college eligibility.

The story I read on 247 said Tiller is planning to retain college eligibility.

[JayZee]

Yeah, I've mentioned this previously, but it's #31 Shane Battier whose game Cooper reminds me of. Makes a ton of plays on the defensive end as well as on offense.

I see that, especially with the IQ and defensive and rebounding positioning. That U17 game, he had a ridiculous # of steals, blocks and rebounds. But he also has some handles, shake and passing chops. Shane was a great, mostly standstill, shooter. I barely remember him ever really putting the ball on the ground and breaking down a defense. Dude knew his role and how to maximize his value.

[roywhite]

It's been a few weeks, but still fun to watch Cooper Flagg FIBA highlights.

[heyman25]

Workout advisor to Cooper Flagg. 6'9 Southern California alum former NBA player

https://www.zagsblog.com/2022/08/10/...-cooper-flagg/

Could Duke get two sets of twins the Boozers and the Flaggs (Ace & Cooper)
Remember the name Ace Parker

[53n206]

The time for decision making and signing of the Boozers,and the Flaggs is so far away, and so many obstacles are possible, that I quail. Tough to be such a worrier. I want them. I need them.

[HayYou]

The time for decision making and signing of the Boozers,and the Flaggs is so far away, and so many obstacles are possible, that I quail. Tough to be such a worrier. I want them. I need them.

ImHO it isn't THAT far off. I Suspect that our dearth of offers to the class of 24 (in so far as pfs/sfs) is due in part to at least the possibility that one or both 25 twin sets reclassify into 24. Or that the higher ranked twin of each set reclasses into 24 (though I find this less likely in the extreme). We've gone after guards and bigs in 24. A few of the guards/wings we've targeted seem like long shots (for college at large if not Duke). Or at least longer shots than we've recently been accustomed too.

I truly think we are trying to stay flexible on the "off chance" that "anyone" reclasses from 25 to 24. Let's face it. By this time next summer Flagg and Boozer won't have anything left to prove or accomplish in HS. They might as well reclass next summer and go from rising Jrs to rising Srs and soak up awards and get ready for college and the absurd riches that will soon follow.

[DavidBenAkiva]

ImHO it isn't THAT far off. I Suspect that our dearth of offers to the class of 24 (in so far as pfs/sfs) is due in part to at least the possibility that one or both 25 twin sets reclassify into 24. Or that the higher ranked twin of each set reclasses into 24 (though I find this less likely in the extreme). We've gone after guards and bigs in 24. A few of the guards/wings we've targeted seem like long shots (for college at large if not Duke). Or at least longer shots than we've recently been accustomed too.

I truly think we are trying to stay flexible on the "off chance" that "anyone" reclasses from 25 to 24. Let's face it. By this time next summer Flagg and Boozer won't have anything left to prove or accomplish in HS. They might as well reclass next summer and go from rising Jrs to rising Srs and soak up awards and get ready for college and the absurd riches that will soon follow.

Three things here.

Duke has 6 offers out of the Class of 2024, which isn't that different from where Duke was at with offers out to the Class of 2023 this time last year. At least 4 of the 10 players from the Class of 2023 that have received an offer have gotten theirs this spring or summer, including Xavier Booker, JP Estrella, TJ Power, and Andrej Stojakovic. So we're just about on track with the Class of 2024 as with previous classes at this point in the recruiting cycle. We will see more offers, maybe even a few more forwards.

Of the Class of 2024 offers, three of them are nominally listed as SFs, including Naas Cunningham, Darren Harris, and Bryson Tucker. One or more of those players could be considered wings or even guards, but it's clear that the team has identified that wing/SF position as an area of need. The other thing is that there are a couple of key players at the forward position that could be on the roster for the 2024-25 season, including Sean Stewart and hopefully TJ Power. Either of those two could play as a forward alongside Naas Cunningham, for example, if they are on the roster at Duke in 2024-25. The fact that the staff hasn't offered any of the top PFs might be an indication that they feel good about that position so far, or that they haven't figured out which player to offer next summer.

The third thing is that most players that reclassify do so after having previously moved back a year. They often reclassifying back into their original class. That was the case with RJ Barrett and I think Marvin Bagley III, too. The Boozers and Flaggs are in their "original" classes now. They are quite young for their classes with the Boozers having just turned 15 this past month. At least in the case of the Boozers (I am pretty sure this might be true of the Flaggs as well who are currently 15 so won't be 19 until '26), they aren't old enough to even get drafted in the summer of 2025 unless the NBA changes their rules. The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has a mutual opt-out clause next summer. Unless the rules change during CBA negotiation and allow 18 year-olds to enter the NBA Draft, I don't think the Boozers and Flaggs will be draft eligible until 2026. In short, reclassifying to play 2 years in college (the Emoni Bates route), seems highly unlikely.

TL;DR: It is very unlikely that the offers for the Class of 2024 have anything to do with players from the Class of 2025.

[Phredd3]

In short, reclassifying to play 2 years in college (the Emoni Bates route), seems highly unlikely.

Your reasoning is great right up to this part. NIL could well change this equation, assuming that the players in question are eligible to graduate from high school a year early. There aren't that many kids who do high school in three years, but it is certainly possible for someone who is dedicated, and for star players (i.e. probably only the top couple players in any given class), it could actually be worth a fair amount of money.