The Early Signing Period has ended and while it wasn’t the most dramatic signing window, what took place over the past week will do wonders to shape the future of college hoops.
Today, Rivals has a look back on the signing period in the form of some superlatives handed out courtesy of our national analyst Rob Cassidy.
CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHTS: Big Ten | ACC | SEC | Big 12 | Pac-12 | Big East
MORE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: Roundtable | Who's left? | Winners and losers | News and analysis | Five programs that will enjoy Wednesday | Storylines to monitor during the Early Signing Period | Five coaches that should be excited about the Early Signing Period | Arkansas signs top 2023 transfer class
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 130
2026 Rankings: Top 65
Transfer Portal: Latest news | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (hoops) | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (football)
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MOST NEWSWORTHY SIGNING: Cooper Flagg to Duke
There wasn’t much drama in this one but that doesn’t take away from the news value. Cooper Flagg is viewed as one of the most can’t-miss prospects in recent memory and is the presumed first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Nobody will remember the fact that he was seen as a heavy Duke lean for more than a year before he signed with the Blue Devils. What they will remember is the fact that he chose Jon Scheyer’s program despite a late push from defending national champions UConn as well as whatever happens from this point forward.
Flagg is a near-surefire one-and-done that has already become a major name in NBA circles despite not yet having graduated high school.
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NO NEWS IS BIG NEWS: Derik Queen pushes decision back
Derik Queen originally planned to commit during the early period and said publicly that he would be off the board in November. That abruptly changed last week, however, when the five-star big man’s grassroots coach told Rivals he had decided to postpone his college decision.
The news came as a surprise to most, but especially to Maryland fans who felt the Terrapins sat comfortably in the lead down the stretch. Queen’s reset is thought to give a bit of new life to programs such as Indiana, Houston and Kansas, all of which now have more time to make additional pitches to the Montverde Academy star.
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HIGH-RISK HIGH-REWARD COMMITMENT: Jahki Howard to Auburn
Auburn landed the commitment of four-star wing Jahki Howard just a few hours after the signing window opened last week and, in doing so, stole a high-upside prospect with the length, athleticism and shooting ability to outplay his list of committable offers. Howard was once thought of as one of the top prospects in the Southeast, but a sophomore season spent at Kanye West’s disjointed and now-defunct Donda Academy seemed to stunt his development both on and off the court.
Now at Overtime Elite, Howard is back to his old self and looks to have become a much more reliable shooter and high-effort defender. NBA scouts are intrigued by Howard’s tools and he could play his way onto draft boards if he stays the course and continues to develop under Bruce Pearl.
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BUZZER BEATER: Khani Rooths to Michigan
Not long ago, programs such as Georgia and Florida State liked where they stood in relation to four-star forward Khani Rooths. Then, a pre-early signing period visit to Michigan happened. A few days after the IMG Academy star returned from Ann Arbor, everyone not named Juwan Howard was on the outside looking in and Rooths was signed with the Wolverines.
There’s always something to be said about having the last visit, and it should be shouted here, as Michigan was seen as a bit of an afterthought until it got Rooths on campus. Things can change in a hurry in recruiting, however, and this situation is a poignant reminder of that omnipresent fact.
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BIGGEST EARLY PERIOD SURPRISE: Travis Perry to Kentucky
Once or twice a cycle, a college announcement throws even the most-plugged in people for a loop and that was definitely the case when four-star guard Travis Perry chose Kentucky on Nov. 12. The buzz around Perry, the state of Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer, was about Cincinnati and Ole Miss in the final hours of his recruitment. Some people even suggested he may stay in state … at Western Kentucky, citing that John Calipari had stopped recruiting the Lyon County High School guard.
That turned out to be less than accurate, however, as Perry provided some semblance of excitement to an otherwise drama-free signing period when he announced he’d suit up for the in-state Wildcats next season.
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BIGGEST STEAL: Jaiden Glover to St. John’s
Jaiden Glover committed to St. John’s back in September but made things official when he put pen to paper last week. In Glover, Rick Pitino is getting a 6-foot-6 wing that has developed into one of the most reliable spot-shooters in the class over the last eight months or so.
Glover is far from a perfect prospect as things stand, but his size, IQ and rapidly improving jumper suggest the Red Storm may have gotten a steal in a recruitment that would be miles more contested if it restarted today.
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MOST IMPORTANT EARLY PERIOD COMMITMENT: Jayden Quaintance to Kentucky
Jayden Quaintance, the No. 11 prospect in the country, made the call for Kentucky on Tuesday, and one of the youngest players in the 2024 class provides a unique and hyper-athletic big man. He also helped turn a good UK class into a certifiably great one. The fact that his young age dictates he’ll play at least two years of college basketball before meeting the NBA’s age requirement is an added bonus. The five-star center signed his letter just before he announced his commitment.
