High school recruiting used to take center stage almost immediately after the college basketball season ended: evaluation periods in April, goal boards for the next cycle finalized in late spring and summer, and recruiting moving forward shortly after July evaluation periods ended.
With the explosion of the transfer portal, this is no longer the case, and future classes are overshadowed by the need to put together a roster that will play in a few months.
Over the next three weeks, college coaches will travel across the country to observe the future of college basketball. The expansion of evaluation periods in June (with the NBPA Top 100 camp now open to college coaches, as well as two academic terms) has made July not the make-or-break month when it comes to summer recruiting. But it remains the best opportunity to see a wide range of players compete.
What are the stories to watch out for this month? Let's take a look at them.
Is AJ Dybantsa clearly the No. 1 prospect in the upcoming draft class?
A year ago, Dybantsa (Class of 2026), Cooper Flagg (2025) and Cameron Boozer (2025) were in a three-way debate as the nation’s top high school prospect. Flagg has since moved up to 2024 and will put on a Duke jersey in November. Dybantsa, meanwhile, reclassified to 2025 and has established himself as the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class.
But don't count out Boozer just yet.
