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College basketball recruiting: UNC, Kansas among eight under-the-radar classes after 2024 rankings update – 247Sports
247sports’ Basketball Rankings Week is here, and our panel of recruiting analysts kicked off Monday with a rankings update for the 2024 Top Basketball Recruits. The new player rankings caused some shuffling in the Team Rankings as well, and as a result, we are looking at eight recruiting classes that are flying under the radar. Duke and Kentucky once again sit atop the class rankings with five commits apiece. But what about the handful of programs with elite talent in lesser quantity? What about the teams that have filled needs with under-the-radar playmakers?
All of that and more is taken into account in our list below: It’s been four months since the last update, and the new rankings factor in the first half of the high school season for the senior class. It’s the last update before final rankings are released in the spring.
Upcoming evaluation settings, like the McDonald’s All-American Game, will play a part in the decision-making process.
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Here are eight under-the-radar recruiting classes following Monday’s rankings update:
Class Ranking: No. 28
Average Rating Per Commit: 97.99 (No. 11)
With just two players committed, Cincinnati’s overall ranking isn’t a head-turner. However, Wes Miller is on the verge of signing one of the best classes in program history. Four-star small forward Tyler Betsey is the third-highest-rated recruit to pledge to the Bearcats in the modern recruiting era, while power forward Tyler McKinley ranks No. 8. Betsey and McKinley are capable of making an early impact and should help the Bearcats as they continue transitioning into the Big 12.
Class Ranking: No. 26
Average Rating Per Commit: 98.22 (No. 8)
Arkansas has only landed two commits in the 2024 cycle, but they’re both good ones. Four-star small forward Jalen Shelley is a long and lean lefty with a great feel for the game and can make plays with the ball in his hands. Shooting guard Isaiah Elohim, the No. 43 overall prospect, is one of the class’ top shotmakers from the midrange and around the rim.
Class Ranking: No. 30
Average Rating Per Commit: 97.57 (No. 13)
LSU has yet to crack into the SEC’s upper-echelon despite several periods of strong recruiting over the last decade. The hope is that the 2024 class can help change that. The two-man group features four-star point guard Curtis Givens III and top-75 recruit Robert Miller, who has drawn comparisons to Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
“Miller is easily one of the more naturally talented and gifted prospects the national 2024 class has to offer,” 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins wrote. “Prospects who can handle, shoot, and pass off a live dribble the way he does at his size do not come around often. Miller is a Brandon Miller type of talent, but he himself will ultimately determine how far he wants to go in the game.”
Class Ranking: No. 6
Average Rating Per Commit: 99.03 (No. 3)
Alabama is on the cusp of signing its second top-5 class in the last three years under Nate Oats. The 2024 group features two four-stars in center Aiden Sherrell and small forward Naas Cunningham. The class is headlined by five-star small forward Derrion Reid, the No. 14 prospect in the nation. He’s Alabama’s third-highest-rated commit in the modern recruiting era.
“Reid established himself as one of the more versatile forwards in the country this year,” 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote. “He plays with an aggressive scoring mentality and is a threat from various spots on the floor.”
Class Ranking: No. 27
Average Rating Per Commit: 98.11 (No. 10)
Bruce Pearl continues to recruit at an elite level at Auburn. The Tigers’ five highest-rated recruits of the modern recruiting era have signed in the last four classes, including four-star Tahaad Pettiford, the top-ranked point guard in the class. He had one of the highest steal rates in the EYBL, averaging 2.5 per game and is capable of affecting the game in a variety of ways. The Tigers’ other commit, four-star small forward Jahki Howard, is “hands down one of the most athletically explosive players in the class of 2024,” according to 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi.
Class Ranking: No. 12
Average Rating Per Commit: 97.37 (No. 14)
Miami made a magical run to the Final Four last season, and the program’s momentum under Jim Larrañaga is finally paying off on the recruiting trail. The Hurricanes signed the No. 65 class in the nation last season but have skyrocketed all the way up to No. 12 in 2024. They’re still outside the top 10, but five-star shooting guard Jalil Bethea proved to be one of the best scoring guards and shotmakers in the country this year. Pairing Bethea with four-star guard Austin Swartz should give Miami fans plenty of confidence in its backcourt going forward.
Class Ranking: No. 9
Average Rating Per Commit: 98.9 (No. 4)
Kansas is another team that ranks higher in average rating than class rating. Blue blood programs can afford to be selective, and that’s just what the Jayhawks have done in 2024. Four-star guards Labaron Philon and aptly named Rakease Passmore are big and athletic for their position at 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5, respectively. Five-star center Flory Bidunga is the first top-10 prospect Kansas has signed since 2016, and the fifth-highest-rated recruit the program has landed in the modern recruiting era.
Class Ranking: No. 7
Average Rating Per Commit: 98.8 (No. 6)
The Tar Heels led these rankings for months but have dropped out of the top 5 as other programs have stacked commitments. However, that’s no shot at what Hubert Davis has accomplished on the recruiting trail. UNC and Rutgers are the programs with multiple top-10 players committed, and those guys, Ian Jackson (No. 8) and Drake Powell (No. 9), ooze star potential. James Brown dropped 15 spots to No. 106 and lost his four-star status. He’s still one of the best passing big men in the class and “nearly ambidextrous” around the rim.
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