Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2025 class

The basketball rankings for the 2025 and 2026 classes are being updated this week, starting off today with the Five-Star Countdown for the 2025 class. Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy gives his thoughts on each of the 15 five-stars.

*****

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Tuesday: Five-Star Countdown for 2025

Wednesday: New Rivals150 for 2025 | Biggest storylines

Thursday: New position rankings for 2025 | Inside each position

Friday: New Rivals150 for 2026 | Biggest storylines

*****

Cassidy's Take: AJ Dybantsa has topped the Rivals150 since it was first released and retains the top spot this time around. The long, versatile wing is a near lock to be a lottery selection in the 2026 NBA Draft and is becoming a more well-rounded prospect as he further refines his already solid shooting ability.

He recently took a visit to BYU and is considering a number of other programs, including but not limited to USC, Auburn, UConn, Kansas and North Carolina.

*****

Cassidy's Take: One of Duke legend Carlos Boozer’s twin sons, Cameron Boozer retains the No. 2 spot in this update and is closing the gap on the top spot with a consistency of production that is rare for a high school prospect.

The 6-foot-9 forward is one of the most dominant players in high school basketball and has diversified his offensive game by becoming a more reliable long-range threat in the last year.

Duke is considered the frontrunner to land the legacy prospect, but Miami and Arkansas are also involved.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The top guard in the 2026 class, Darryn Peterson’s explosiveness and true three-level scoring ability pop off the page. He’s taken massive strides as a defender this year, however, as he possesses the athleticism and size to match up with nearly any opponent.

He recently turned in one of the top performances at adidas Eurocamp and solidified himself as a top-tier prospect in the process.

Peterson is considering schools such as North Carolina, Arkansas, Kansas and Ohio State.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The 6-foot-9 Caleb Wilson is a floor-spacing power forward that fits the modern NBA game like a glove. He routinely impacts games on the boards and handles the ball better than most players of his size. Defensively, his upside is unlimited, as his long wingspan and athleticism make him an ultra-versatile weapon.

Schools such as Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Duke are heavily involved with Wilson.

*****

Cassidy's Take: Meleek Thomas is a vocal on-court leader and one of the most charismatic prospects in America, in addition to being one of the more well-rounded and high-upside players in this class.

He took home Most Outstanding Player honors at the recent Pangos All-American Camp after showing the ability to impact games as a scorer, rebounder, defender and facilitator.

Few players in the Rivals150 can stuff a box score like Thomas, who is considering Auburn, Pitt, Arkansas, UConn, Miami and Indiana among others.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Koa Peat comes from an athletic family with a history of producing football prospects but has blazed his own path to a five-star ranking in the hoops world by utilizing his strength and shot-creation ability to become one of the more dangerous offensive weapons in the 2025 class.

Peat is developing as a long-range shooting threat capable of creating matchup issues on the perimeter and is a much better passer than some give him credit for being.

Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, Houston and North Carolina are all involved in Peat’s recruitment.

*****

Cassidy's Take: A long, versatile wing with NBA upside, the 6-foot-8 Jalan Haralson is a true three-level scorer, who shines when it comes to creating shots for himself and finishing through contact. Haralson is an improved ball-handler that gets to his spots with relative ease through his use of brute physicality and athleticism. He also impacts merely every game in which he plays as a rebounder.

Auburn, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan and Missouri are all in heavy pursuit of Haralson.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The Idaho-born Isiah Harwell is all of 6-foot-5 and in the process of returning from a knee injury that stole a chunk of his junior season. Still, he was trending upward before his injury and is a certified two-way player even though his elite scoring ability is what garners most of the attention from scouts and fans.

Cal, Gonzaga, Kentucky, BYU, Bylor, Houston, Texas and Louisville are among the teams heavily involved in Harwell’s recruitment.

*****

Cassidy's Take: A volume-scoring guard capable of making difficult shots look easy and absolutely taking over games from a scoring standpoint, Darius Acuff is as exciting as prospects come. The Detroit native continues to make small strides when it comes to his shot selection, which still needs refining, but he is already one of the most reliable and explosive scorers in the country.

Acuff is a shot-hunter that creates for himself off the bounce and has become a better passer in recent months.

Michigan. Kansas and Arkansas seem like the most serious players in the Acuff sweepstakes.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The 6-foot-9 Nate Ament is an upside bet that has spent the spring turning potential into production and is beginning to look like a future pro. There are few prospects in the class that can match the well-rounded skill set of Ament, who can handle it and fill it up from deep.

He still needs to add significant muscle before he reaches his true two-way potential but his length and skill make his upside absolutely tantalizing.

Virginia, Virginia Tech, Indiana and Duke are among the programs to watch in Ament’s recruitment.

*****

Cassidy's Take: Will Riley is a newly minted five-star that has taken the next step as a prospect this spring. The Canadian-born wing is considering a reclassification into 2024 and will likely end up on a college roster next season.

For now, however he remains in 2025 and is one of the more unique scorers in the class, thanks in part to a slightly unconventional game that relies on hesitation dribbles and getting to his spots. He also shoots it well from deep and has a reliable pull-up from the mid-range.

Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas are involved with Riley.

*****

Cassidy's Take: Mikel Brown Jr. has added significant length over the past year and now stands 6-foot-2, putting to rest old concerns over his lack of size. The Overtime Elite star is a true point guard that is capable of creating for himself and others.

He’s also capable of taking over a game from behind the arc. There is some buzz about a possible reclassification to 2024, so Brown may exit these rankings down the road.

Schools to watch in Brown’s recruitment are Alabama, Providence, Ole Miss, UCF and Indiana.

*****

Cassidy's Take: Jasper Johnson is a Lexington, Ky., native that has been strongly linked with Mark Pope’s Wildcats, as the in-state program is throwing massive resources into keeping the junior guard home for college.

The 6-foot-4 lefty’s calling card is his scoring ability but he has taken strides as a facilitator this year. He possesses the length to be a fantastic defender and positional rebounder but hasn’t quite reached his potential on either front as of now.

Alabama, Auburn, Kansas and Baylor join Kentucky on the list of schools in the mix to land Johnson’s commitment.

*****

Cassidy's Take: The Michigan-based Trey McKenney brings some positional versatility to the table and creates mismatches on the perimeter. He is coming off a strong showing at USA Basketball U18 Training Camp last month and is taking positive steps as a ball handler and initiator.

McKenney does a lot of things relatively, so the fact that there are few gaping holes in his game is his greatest strength.

He is considering colleges such as Kentucky, Miami, Indiana, Rutgers, Michigan State, Georgetown, TCU, Ohio State and others.

*****

Cassidy's Take: Bryson Tiller, who currently plays in the Overtime Elite League, is as skilled a frontcourt player as there is in this class and comes equipped with soft touch around the basket as well as a 6-foot-9, 245-pound frame.

He’s reliable when it comes to scoring through contact in the post but also has game that extends to the perimeter, where he is showing an improved jumper and ability to put the ball on the floor if need be.

Tiller is considering schools such as Kansas, Providence, Indiana, Florida State, Maryland and others.

*****

2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter

*****