Rivals Roundtable: Thoughts on live recruiting period
As we head toward the second weekend of the year’s first live recruiting period, the Rivals roundtable team examines what took place last week and looks ahead at what the days ahead may hold.
Today, analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan discuss some of the best performances they saw last week and look ahead to what the rest of the grassroots season may hold.
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Rivals Rankings Week: Final Rivals150 released for 2023 class | Five-Star Countdown for 2023 class | Breaking down position rankings
Position Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C
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2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2025 Rankings: Top 80
Transfer Portal: Latest news | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (hoops) | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (football)
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WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE YOU SAW DURING LAST WEEKEND’S LIVE PERIOD?
“It’s incredible how Flory Bidunga changes a game on the defensive end of the floor. Even when he isn’t blocking shots - which he did plenty of while I watched him last Saturday - he changes the way opponents have to attack. Scoring in the paint is almost out of the question while Bidunga is on the floor, as the 7-foot-1 center is as athletic as he is long and aggressive. There were flashes of mid-range offense as well, but the way the five-star can completely take over games without scoring in bunches is jarring. He’s a no-doubt top-five prospect and may be in the conversation for the top spot as he develops offensively in the year ahead.” - Cassidy
“I feel compelled to mention Cooper Flagg because his 52-point, 12-rebound performance (while going 16 of 18 from the field) on opening night was something that will be talked about for the next 20 years. His team narrowly lost that game, which meant they needed all of that dominance to compete. That’s a different level. That said, I have to say the most impressive prospect I saw all weekend was 2025 star Cameron Boozer. The 6-foot-10 all-everything forward pumped in an average of 27.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game and looked like a man among boys in every game. He seems to be a step quicker, which is a scary thought, and used his trademark inside-out dominance to overwhelm opposing bigs all weekend. To be able to say that you can tell the potentially best prospect in high school hoops has worked on his game is saying a lot.” - Jordan
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WHICH PROSPECT THAT WASN’T REALLY ON YOUR RADAR A WEEK AGO GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION DURING THE FIRST WEEKEND?
“I had seen 2026 prospect Kayden Allen once before, but it was in a camp setting, which limited what he could do. Last weekend, the young prospect turned heads while running with team Huncho on the 3SSB circuit, and he proved he deserved to be discussed among the best freshmen in the Southeast. Allen, who attends Georgia's Grayson High School, rattled off 30 points against a good Utah Prospects 15U team last weekend and was efficient while doing so, staying within the offense and avoiding bad shots. Allen will likely see his name in the 2026 rankings when they debut this summer.” – Cassidy
“I’d have to say 2025 point guard Jerry Easter. The way he dictated tempo and controlled the flow of the game by directing traffic and making key reads in both the open court and the half court was really captivating. He was all the buzz on the sidelines where the college coaches were huddling – and with good reason. Easter averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. I’m very excited to see how he follows up this weekend.” - Jordan
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WHICH PLAYER THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IN PERSON ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING LATER THIS SPRING?
“It’s been a while since I got eyes on North Carolina commit Drake Powell, and the reviews coming out of the first EYBL session are stellar, to say the least. Powell seems to be playing the best basketball of his high school career and could well improve upon his No. 38 ranking if he keeps it up. Last weekend, he averaged 20 points per game on 53% shooting and grabbed seven rebounds per contest. I’ll be watching him closely this weekend at EYBL in Phoenix.” - Cassidy
“It definitely would have to be 2024 point guard Christian Anderson, who recently announced that he’d be suiting up for Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) next season. The 5-foot-11 scorer had a stellar weekend, highlighted by a 30-point game in which he went 6 of 10 from the 3-point line in a win. Anderson, a Michigan commit, came into the spring with a big reputation as a scorer and playmaker, and he more than lived up to that billing in the first weekend. I can’t wait to put eyes on him in the coming weeks.” - Jordan