The last recruiting cycle for the Pac-12 as we know it hasn’t yielded a five-star commitment just yet, but it has produced some serious intrigue nevertheless. Today, Rivals continues its league-by-league look at the Early Signing Period with a look around the conference led by another strong case for Tommy Lloyd and Arizona.
RELATED: Pac-12 team recruiting rankings for the 2024 class
MORE IN THIS SERIES: Big Ten | ACC | SEC | Big 12
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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TOP CLASS: Arizona
None of the prospects signed this cycle will play in the Pac-12 as we have known it. Instead, Arizona will take the league’s top class with it to compete in the Big 12, where headliner Carter Bryant will be tested early and often. Bryant, who committed to the Wildcats back in April and signed last week, is the No. 31 prospect in the class and has shown enough development to make him a candidate to slide up a bit in the next update.
Big man Emmanuel Stephen is ranked No. 96 but is every bit as intriguing as Bryant due the fact that the 7-foot, 220-pound Stephen is as physically prepared for college basketball as any prospect in the class. “Big E” as his teammates refer to him, will make an instant impact as a defender in the Big 12 because of his size and high level athleticism. He is one of the top rim-protectors in high school basketball and shows flashes of dominance on offense, though he’ll need to become more than the rim-runner and second-chance-point machine he is currently.
Top-50 prospect Jamari Phillips rounds out the class and provides the group with a versatile, high-scoring guard able to play on ball or off.
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SLEEPER CLASS: Arizona State
The Sun Devils’ five-man class sits at No. 17 nationally, which is impressive but also feels better than even that because the frontcourt prospects they have in the fold are all high-upside types capable of taking steps forward in the year ahead.
Amier Ali’s production has rarely matched his potential so far, but the 6-foot-8 forward’s size, mobility and streaky shooting stroke suggest he could put it all together in the years ahead and become a high-level prospect.
Power forward Sammie Yeanay’s more-brutish style complements Ali’s finesse-based game and will cause opponents serious issues both in the paint and on the glass.
At 6-foot-10, Jaden Smith is a long, athletic big man that shines as both a rim protector and a finisher.
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SLEEPER PROSPECT: Andrew Crawford
Colorado signee Andrew Crawford won’t get the same level of ink as some of the more celebrated, national prospects headed to Pac-12 schools, but the 6-foot-6 wing is a promising in-state get for the Buffaloes, who is a bit underexposed at his suburban Denver high school.
Nevertheless, he made his mark on the Under Armour circuit this summer. His positional versatility and ability to shine in the pick-and-roll make him intriguing, but the fact that he is quickly improving as a long-range shooter suggests he could be hitting his stride at the right time. Crawford is capable of defending 1 through 4 and is a more-than-suitable secondary ball-handler.
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WORTH NOTING: No Pac-12 program has a five-star commitment
The league is yet to sign a five-star prospect this cycle, and its best hope to do so seems to rest on the shoulders of point guard Zoom Diallo, who actually sits just outside of five-star status as things stand. Diallo is considering programs such as Washington, Arizona and USC in addition to Gonzaga.
It’s conceivable that Diallo could move into five-star range with a strong senior season at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep and eventually land at one of the three Pac-12 programs on his list of finalists.
