Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines surrounding 2024 Rivals150 update
The Rivals150 for 2024 has been refreshed and revealed. And while Tre Johnson retains the top overall spot this time around, there were no shortage of massive moves throughout the list.
Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores some of the more notable storylines at work inside the rankings.
RIVALS RANKINGS RELEASE: New Rivals150 | Five-Star Countdown | Biggest questions in 2024 rankings
*****
2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 80
Transfer Portal: Latest news
*****
DYLAN HARPER, OTHERS EYE THE TOP SPOT
Tre Johnson has held on to his No. 1 overall ranking, but the crowd on his heels is starting to grow closer and louder. Indiana-based big man and elite rim-protector Flory Bindunga still occupies the No. 2 spot, while new No. 3 Dylan Harper jumped up seven spots in this update and also has a solid chance to seize the top spot down the road.
Harper was under consideration for top billing in this update and is joined by Bidunga, Rutgers commit Airious Bailey and former No. 1 Ian Jackson in the top five. A dark horse such as Bryson Tucker, who normally doesn’t play the grassroots circuit, is also a long-term possibility to top the list.
There is no obvious No. 1 in the 2024 class, and nobody has shown signs of separating themselves to this point. Every member of the group heads into the summer with some semblance of unanswered questions about his long-term potential.
*****
FOUR PROSPECTS ADD FIFTH STARS
The five-star club welcomed in four new members this time around, as wings Liam McNeely, Tyler Betsey, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel all added their final star and jumped up the rankings significantly.
The highest-ranked prospect of the bunch is McNeeley, who went from No. 25 all the way to No. 7 in the refresh, and he did so on the back of a season that saw him round into a more complete prospect while playing against top-flight competition as a junior at Florida’s Montverde Academy. McNeeley is considering schools such as Indiana, Texas and Oklahoma.
The second highest-ranked new five-star is Betsey, who played this year for St. Thomas More in Connecticut. Betsey is a long, athletic 3-point threat that doesn’t grow on trees, while Evans and Knueppel also bring length and versatility to the table. Knueppel is arguably the best shooter in the 2024 class. The 6-foot-6 Evans is a three-point threat as well and is one of more versatile and switchable defenders in the country.
*****
KANON CATCHINGS CRASHES THE RANKINGS
This release’s highest debut belongs to previously unranked Kanon Catchings, who popped up at No. 40. A Purdue commit, Catchings is the nephew of WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, but he brings more than just good bloodlines to the table. The 6-foot-8 power forward has the build, hands and length to be a weapon in the paint but also boasts a smooth jumper that can hurt you from the perimeter if left unchecked.
He has the potential to be a hyper-versatile two-way player and could see his stock rise even further on the grassroots circuit this summer. The future Boilermaker has top 20 potential.
*****
RUTGERS – YES RUTGERS! – HAS THE TOP COMMIT
The top committed prospect in the 2024 class belongs not to Duke or Kentucky, but Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights hold a verbal pledge for No. 4 Airious Bailey. Bailey, a five-star forward that missed last summer with a knee injury, returned to action as a junior this season and showcased the same, high-level ceiling that he’s long possessed.
When at his best, Bailey impacts the box score in almost every possible way and, at 6-foot-9, has a rare blend of length and athleticism. Bailey seems to be progressing as a ball-handler and shooter as well.
The Georgia-based star is not a finished product by any means, but he shows signs of being a special player, and it’s conceivable that he may not have reached his rankings ceiling just yet.
*****
JALIL BETHEA SHOOTS UP THE RANKINGS
Bethea was responsible for one of the biggest jumps in this update, as the Warminster (Penn) Archbishop Wood junior went from No. 80 to 39. The big jump is based on the guard’s high-level shooting along with his developing facilitation ability and good court vision.
The 6-foot-4 Bethea impacts winning in a number of ways despite being sometimes unfairly pigeonholed as “just a shooter,” based on his elite three-point shooting ability. The Pennsylvania-based star is a high-ceiling lead guard that could climb even further up the Rivals150 with a good summer.
He is considering schools such as UCLA, Rutgers, Villanova and Penn State. His offer list also may see a few more major additions this summer.