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VJ Edgecombe and Jackson McAndrew headline the biggest risers in the 2024 and 2025 basketball rankings updates – 247Sports
The 247Sports basketball rankings were update for both the 2024 and 2025 classes on Wednesday following the conclusion of summer basketball.
Several players in both classes used the AAU, camp and showcase platforms to leave lasting impressions on evaluators as we wait for high school basketball to roll back around. As a result, ten players made significant leaps, climbing as many as 60 spots up the rankings. Also, four of these players are newly crowned five star prospects.
Here’s a breakdown of this update’s biggest stock risers:
The biggest stock-riser in the 2024 class is Creighton commit Jackson McAndrew. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward out of Minneapolis (Minn.) Wayzata was ranked No. 90 overall in the class and has now jumped all the way up to No. 36 overall.
When last rankings update came around, we knew this was a possibility for the skilled, sharp-shooting big man. He broke out in the spring due to his feathery jumper, skillset, feel for the game and high physical upside. However, 247Sports wanted to get a few more viewings and continue tracking his summer progress, knowing that he could make another massive jump.
And boy, did he make that leap!
At the Nike Peach Jam with Howard Pulley, McAndrew went out and posted an impressive 18.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.6 BPG while shooting 35.4% from three.
RELATED: Nike Peach Jam superlatives: Crowning the event’s MVP, best shooter and more
McAndrew found the perfect pairing with Creighton. He can flourish in his role as a stretch big for the Bluejays as he continues to mature physically.
If you were keeping tabs on what was happening in gyms across the country this spring and summer, then you definitely came across the name Derrion Reid.
Reid had as impressive of a spring and summer that saw him consistently putting up numbers with Team Thad.
When we last updated the 2024 rankings, Reid was on this upward trajectory and was in the conversation for making the leap into the Top25. However, Reid was also coming off a roller-coaster season with Grovetown (Ga.). So before making the strong push, we wanted to continue tracking how he performed. It’s say to say that Reid delivered.
At Peach Jam, Reid posted 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. He’s a versatile slasher at 6-foot-7 with dynamic ball-skills, athleticism and is an impact defender. By continuing to improve his jumper and decision making, Reid can make another jump in the rankings this high school season.
The Bruins got a good player this summer when they landed the commitment of Eric Freeny.
Freeny has jumped from the No. 109 overall recruit in the 2024 class up to No. 76. And in my opinion, he may not be done rising.
Freeny isn’t the most explosive prospect out there, but he does a lot of things in order to produce. This, in turn, gives him a high floor as a college player. He can score from all three levels, makes tough shots, knows how to use his body, plays well through contact and plays on both sides of the floor.
Freeny consistently showed and proved his ability to impact the game on both ends all spring and summer. If continues to do this, I’d expect him to make another jump this high school season at Corona (Calif.) Centennial.
The newest five-star in the 2025 class is Jasper Johnson, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Kentucky who is playing for Branson (Mo.) Link Academy this season.
There are only ten five-star prospects in the 2025 class and Johnson is the lone newcomer, after rising three spots from the No. 12 the class.
Johnson has been on a steady upward trajectory over the last six months. Johnson shined all spring and summer by using his physical tools to his advantage on defense. He also worked on developing and honing in on his long-range jumper.
The new five-star impacts the game on both ends of the court. While he consistently scored the ball this AAU season, he has more to his game when the ball is in his hands than what he’s gotten to show so far.
Johnson is a talented passer and is becoming a more consistent and reliable shooter. He averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals at Peach Jam.
Shelton Henderson is one of the more intriguing prospects on this list. Physically, Henderson is gifted and it’s the reason he’s been in the 247Sports Top150 for a year now.
He’s a 6-foot-5, 215-pound jack-of-all-trades who can man the point or be used as a playmaking wing. He can slash, defend, rebound, create for others and has continued to show progress in his handle and ability to impact the game on the offensive side of the ball.
The next step in Henderson’s development will be polishing up his long-range jumper. But regardless, there is a lot to like about Henderson and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him during the high school season.
He averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Peach Jam with JL3 U16s.
VJ Edgecombe has been on a steep incline over the past year. That growth has now resulted in a well-earned fifth star.
Edgecombe made a 16-spot leap to land just outside of the top five this update. This time last year, Edgecombe wasn’t even ranked. But with consistent and steady production, he’s now the No. 6 player in the 2024 class.
Frankly, to me, I think Edgecombe can continue climbing this list as he heads into the NIBC season. He’s one of the most explosive athletes in all of high school. And with his improved half-court skillset, he’s become an impactful slasher. He’s has added changes of direction, tightened his handle and is now capable of operating in traffic while creating for others. He’s also making shots from deep.
Edgecombe has a mixture of a high floor and a high ceiling. His recruitment illustrates that as he has become one of the most coveted players in the nation.
Historically, the state of Kentucky has been known for college basketball. But the high school basketball landscape is on the rise with Jasper Johnson getting his fifth star and Malachi Moreno making a leap into the Top30.
Moreno is a 6-foot-11, 210-pound center out of Georgetown (Ky.) Great Crossing and he’s another prospect we have kept close tabs on this season.
This time last year, he was a highly intriguing big due to his blend of size, length, fluidity and budding skill. Moreno has continued to improve his skillset while also showcasing his ability to rebound and block shots on the defensive end of the floor. As a result, he saw a big rise in this update.
Moreno still has more upside to tap into as well. His frame has room for him to gets stronger. This along with putting time on the court could set the stage for him to make another jump in later updates.
Recruiting rumors are swirling around Jalil Bethea. But on the court, he’s impressing scouts every time he takes the floor.
He is among the three prospects to receive a fifth star this update in the 2024 class and deservingly so. The Team Final shooting guard displayed a dynamic blend of shot making and scoring all spring and summer.
Although he’s already tough to guard, Bethea could prove to be even more difficult to defend once his frame starts to fill out and he begins to tap into his playmaking ability.
Bethea averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists at Peach Jam while shooting a staggering 50% from the field, 36.8% from three and 90% from the free throw line. What’s more impressive about this efficiency is the difficulty of shots he took.
One of the more intriguing long-term prospects in the 2025 class is Mazi Mosley, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of La Canada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.
He’s a long and lanky guard with a very thin frame but he has a knack for making shots from deep. Right now, Mosley still has areas to improve — particularly with his body and impact on the game outside of shooting. But his tools and shot making are highly intriguing. He has time on his side to keep tapping into his potential.
Rounding out the list of biggest stock risers is Jordan Scott, a 6-foot-7 small forward out of Reston (Va.) South Lakes and the Virginia Elite AAU program.
What stood out about Scott this summer was his blend of size, length, fluidity, instincts and skill he has for the game while possessing untapped potential. He impacted the game at a high level as a slasher, cutter, rebounder and defender this summer. Although he still has work to do as a shooter, his mechanics are clean which will help him improve over time.
Scott averaged over 20 points and 7.9 rebounds a game with Virginia Elite on the Under Armour Circuit while shooting 69.1% from two and 73% from the free throw stripe.
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