Sports
College basketball recruiting: The all-time 21 highest-rated enrollees between Kansas, Kentucky, UNC and Duke – 247Sports
College basketball’s all-time wins list is headed by Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke, and it comes as no surprise that these four programs consistently rank amongst the sports’ recruiting elite. Since 2000, The Wildcats lead all college basketball programs with 59 five-star commitments, while the Blue Devils rank second with 48. Though The Tar Heels (26) and Jayhawks (24) haven’t been as successful in landing blue-chip talent, the two programs have been just as successful on the court during that span, leading the four programs in national championship appearances with five and four, respectively.
Using the 247Sports Composite to rank the top 21 prospects to enroll at these four programs, The Blue Devils have had a clear edge over its peers in signing the best talent the high school circuit has had to offer over the past 24 years. The Blue Devils lead all programs with 10 selections in the top 21, followed by Kentucky with seven and UNC and Kansas with two apiece.
The 247Sports Composite aggregates the public ratings for a prospect by the major recruiting services using a propriety algorithm.
Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.
Here are the top 21 prospects to commit to Kansas, Kentucky, UNC and Duke since the start of the millennium.
247Sports Composite score: 0.993
Class rank: No. 3 (2009)
Cousins and fellow freshman John Wall were the crowned jewels of John Caliper’s inaugural signing class at Kentucky. The five-star big man averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game due his lone season with the Wildcats en route to SEC Rookie of the Year honors. Cousins was selected No. 5 overall by the Sacramento Kings ins the 2010 NBA Draft and has made four All-Star appearances during his 11-year NBA career.
247Sports Composite score: 0.993
Class rank: No. 2 (2023)
Edwards is the highest-ranked member of the nation’s top recruiting class in the 2023 cycle.
“Justin has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways,” head coach John Calipari said in the fall. “He has terrific size, can play multiple positions and can score the ball at all three levels. I really like how active he is defensively and his desire to rebound every ball. He already has a great understanding that he can positively impact winning without scoring.”
247Sports Composite score: 0.994
Class rank: No. 2 (2009)
Wall’s high school mixtape was the stuff of legend, and he didn’t disappoint during his lone season in college, either. Wall led Kentucky to an Elite Eight berth as a freshman, averaging 16.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He set the Kentucky single-game assist record with 16 against Hartford on Dec. 29 and was named the SEC Player of the Year at the end of the year. Wall left Lexington and was selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft. He was a five-time All-Star from 2014 to 2018.
247Sports Composite score: 0.994
Class rank: No. 2 (2021)
Banchero was the headliner of Mike Krzyzewski’s final recruiting class at Duke and led the Blue Devils to their first Final Four in seven seasons, where the hall-of-fame head coach was ushered into retirement by rival North Carolina. Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during his lone season in Durham and was selected No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, where he is an early favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors.
247Sports Composite score: 0.994
Class rank: No. 2 (2024)
Long considered a Kentucky lock, Jackson announced his commitment to UNC on Jan. 26 during the Hoophall Classic, joining guard Elliot Cadeau, wing Drake Powell, and forward James Brown in the Tar Heels’ top-ranked 2024 class. Jackson is the second-highest-ranked prospect to commit to UNC since 2000 and the third top-10 recruit to commit to the Tar Heels during the Hubert Davis era (Cadeau, GG Jackson).
“Jackson’s calling cards are his athleticism, toughness, and competitiveness,” 247Sports national scouting director Adam Finklestein wrote. “He’s not only physically gifted, but highly competitive with an ability and willingness to change the game on that end of the floor.”
247Sports Composite score: 0.995
Class rank: No. 2 (2011)
Rivers was named the ACC Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists with the Blue Devils during the 2011-12 season. His career at Duke was highlighted by his game-winning three-pointer against UNC in the Smith Center, allowing the Blue Devils to overcome an 82–72 deficit with two minutes to play. Just over a month later, Rivers’ career ended in the “Round of 64” of the NCAA Tournament the two-seeded Duke lost to Lehigh. Rivers shot 5-14 from the field against the Mountain Hawks.
247Sports Composite score: 0.995
Class rank: No. 1 (2014)
Okafor signed with Duke as part of a highly-publicized package deal with fellow five-star Tyus Jones and helped lead the Blue Devils to their final NCAA Championship under Coach K in 2015. Okafor finished as runner-up to Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky in the John R. Wooden Award voting and was named ACC Player of the Year after averaging 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 66.4% from the field. Okafor left Duke after one season and was selected No. 3 overall by the Detroit Pistons. He is currently a member of the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats.
247Sports Composite score: 0.996
Class rank: NA (2003)
Had it not been for LeBron James, Deng may have been considered the top prospect in a talented 2003 class. As James jumped straight to the NBA, Deng opted for the college route and did not disappoint, becoming only the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead all freshmen in scoring (15.1), rebounding (6.9), and field goal percentage (47.6%). Deng’s play helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four for the second time in three seasons.
247Sports Composite score: 0.996
Class rank: No. 3 (2022)
Lively, the highest-ranked center to commit to Duke since 2000, has had an up-and-down start to his freshman campaign. The 7-foot-1 big man missed the Blue Devils’ opening game with a calf injury and has just two double-digit scoring outings through 23 games. Lively has begun to blossom recently, following up his 14-rebound, eight-block effort against UNC with 11 points, six rebounds and five blocks in Duke’s loss to Miami on Feb. 6. Lively scored two points in the loss to Virginia on Saturday.
247Sports Composite score: 0.996
Class rank: No. 2 (2022)
Whitehead has struggled to stay on the court throughout his freshman campaign, missing eight of Duke’s first 25 games. When he’s been on the court, the heralded recruit has yet to live up to his billing and is averaging 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 39.3% from the field and 38.1% from behind the arc. In a limited capacity, Whitehead has been one of the nation’s best free-throw shooters this season, connecting on 14 of his 15 attempts (93.3%).
247Sports Composite score: 0.996
Class rank: No. 2 (2013)
Randle was named one of the ten semi-finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year during his lone season at Kentucky (2013-14), averaging 15.0 points 10.4 rebounds on a Wildcats team that lost to UConn in the national championship game. Randle’s 24 double-doubles that season are the most by a freshman in program history, breaking the previous record shared by DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis at 20. Randle was selected No. 7 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. In nine NBA seasons, Randle has been named an All-Star twice and voted the NBA’s most-improved player in 2021.
247Sports Composite score: 0.996
Class rank: No. 2 (2016)
Considered one of the best high school prospects of the 2010s, Giles had his prep career marred by two torn ACLs that cost him his sophomore and senior seasons. He signed with Duke alongside fellow five-stars Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson and played sparingly during his lone season with the Blue Devils, averaging 3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 11.5 minutes per contest. Giles was selected by the Sacramento Kings (via Portland) with the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft and played three seasons in the league before beginning a stint in the G League with the Agua Caliente Clippers in 2021-22. Agua Caliente waived Giles on Jan. 23, 2022, after a season-ending injury.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9998
Class rank: No. 2 (2015)
Labissiere was the second-ranked recruit in a stacked 2015 recruiting class that featured the likes of Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray, Luke Kennard and Donavan Mitchell. He was John Calipari’s first offer in the class and posted averages of 6.6 points (51.6% FG), 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 15.8 minutes of action per game. Labissiere left Kentucky after one season and was selected No. 28 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. After a four-year stint in the NBA, Labissiere signed with Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional on March 10, 2022.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9998
Class rank: NA (2005)
McRoberts averaged 17.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 blocks per game during his senior season of high school ball at Carmel High (Iind.). He enrolled at Duke the next season and averaged 8.7 points, 1.3 blocks and led the Blue Devils in field goal percentage (60.5%) en route to All-ACC freshman honors. McRoberts returned for his sophomore season and established himself as one of the most versatile bigs in the conference, averaging 13.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. He left for the NBA following his sophomore season, was selected in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft and enjoyed an 11-year NBA career.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9999
Class rank: No. 1 (2016)
Jackson dominated the high school ranks, averaging 31.2 points as a junior and 26.9 points and 13.1 rebounds as a senior at Prolific Prep (Calif.). Jackson led the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game in scoring with 19 points and was named Co-MVP alongside Duke’s Frank Jackson. During his lone season at Kansas, Jackson averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and last played for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9999
Class rank: No. 1 (2017)
Bagley reclassified from 2018 to 2017 after he was ruled ineligible to play his final year at Sierra Canyon due to California Interscholastic Federation rules. He was ranked No. 1 in the class of 2018 despite being nearly a year younger than his peers and enrolled at Duke alongside fellow five-stars Trevon Duval, Wendell Carter and Gary Trent Jr. Bagley was the best of the bunch and was named both the ACC’s Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, as well as a first-team All American by multiple outlets. Following the Blue Devils’ loss to Kansas in the Final Four, Bagley revealed his intentions to go pro and was selected No. 2 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Bagley currently plays for the Detroit Pistons and is averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds this season.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9999
Class rank: No. 1 (2012)
Coming out of high school, Noel was hailed as one of “the best shot blockers of his generation” by the New York Times and was expected to fill Anthony Davis’ shoes at Kentucky, who left a year prior. Against Ole Miss on Feb. 12, 2013, Noel set a Wildcats record with 12 blocks, five of which happened while he had four personal fouls. Six games later, he brutally tore his ACL against Florida and ended his freshman season with averages of 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game. Noel earned SEC Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and was selected No. 6 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Noel has played for five teams across 10 seasons in the NBA.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9999
Class rank: No. 1 (2011)
Davis’ co-MVP honors at Jordan Brand Classic foreshadowed what was to come during a freshman season for the ages. By mid-February, he was considered a National Player of the Year front-runner and finished the season with averages of 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, 4.7 blocks per game and a field goal percentage of 62.3%. During the Wildcats’ run to their eighth national championship, Davis averaged 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game and became just the fourth freshman to win the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. He took home every player of the year award imaginable, becoming Kentucky’s first Naismith winner and the first from the SEC in 42 years (Pete Maravich). Davis was selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft and is an eight-time All-Star.
247Sports Composite score: 0.9999
Class rank: No. 1 (2010)
Barnes, UNC’s highest-ranked recruit in the 247Sports era, helped usher in a new age of college basketball recruiting in the 2010s. The Ames, Iowa native was the first player to be named a first-team Parade All-American before stepping foot on the collegiate hardwood. Barnes didn’t disappoint during his freshman season, leading the Tar Heels in scoring in 16 of their 38 games en route to a surprise Elite Eight berth. Despite being a projected lottery pick, Barnes returned for his sophomore season, reuniting with starters Kendall Marshall, Dexter Strickland, John Henson and Tyler Zeller. The Tar Heels entered the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 and were among the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament that season before Marshall broke his wrist in the Sweet 16. Barnes entered the 2012 NBA Draft, was selected No. 7 by the Golden State Warriors and has enjoyed a 12-year pro career.
247Sports Composite score: 1.0000
Class rank: No. 1 (2018)
Barrett, one of just two blue-blood recruits to earn a perfect 1.0000 grade in the 247Sports Composite, was often overshadowed by fellow freshman Zion Williamson during his lone season at Duke in 2018-19. That doesn’t mean Barrett wasn’t impressive in his own right; in fact, quite the opposite as he broke the Duke freshman scoring record in a debut with 33 against second-ranked Kentucky and led the Blue Devils in scoring that season (22.6 ppg). Against N.C. State on Feb. 17, 2019, Barrett became the fourth player to record a triple-double under Mike Krzyzewski with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Alongside Williamson and fellow top-10 NBA Draft pick Cam Reddish, Duke suffered a stunning 69-68 loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight. Following the loss, Barrett entered the NBA Draft and was selected No. 3 overall.
247Sports Composite score: 1.0000
Class rank: No. 1 (2013)
Arguably the most sought-after recruit of the modern era, Wiggins’ high school career was the stuff of legend. Considered the top player in the class of 2014, Wiggins re-classified to 2013 and was immediately placed ahead of the previous number one prospect, Julius Randle. Wiggins averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists per game during his final high school season at Huntington Prep (W.Va.) and was the first Canadian player to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year. As a freshman at Kansas, Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game during his lone season with the Jayhawks and was named one of 10 semi-finalists for the Naismith Award. Wiggins was selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and made his first All-Star appearance last season as a member of the Golden State Warriors.
© 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc.