Sports
2023 men's college basketball recruiting class rankings: Who rose and who fell? – ESPN
Although the 2023 high school class still has a few ESPN 100 players left to commit, it’s almost time to turn the page to the 2024 class. This weekend marks the first official live recruiting period of the spring, where coaches can go out and watch the next wave of recruits in person — meaning the 2024 class is about to take center stage. Before that happens, though, it’s time for a final rundown of the best recruiting classes in the country.
Not much has changed since the last update in January, but there are still a few key storylines to monitor.
John Calipari returning to his roots: Calipari was at the forefront of the one-and-done roster-building era, recruiting a handful of the nation’s best high school seniors and throwing them on the floor together from day one with a few veterans sprinkled in. That strategy resulted in plenty of success, including a national championship in 2012 and eight Elite Eight appearances in a 10-year stretch at Memphis and Kentucky. As the sport has turned more toward older teams and the transfer portal, though, it hasn’t led to high-level winning on a consistent basis. But Calipari is running it back next season, as he welcomes an elite recruiting class featuring the Nos. 1, 2, 4, 11 and 21 prospects in the country.
Louisville rises, Texas falls: It was a difficult first season for Kenny Payne at Louisville, with the Cardinals losing their first nine games and finishing 4-28 on the year. But there’s some reason for optimism next season, as Louisville welcomes a top-10 recruiting class — a group that went from unranked to No. 7 following the reclassification of five-star wing Trentyn Flowers and the late pickup of 7-footer Dennis Evans.
On the flip side, Texas dropped from No. 12 to No. 25 after A.J. Johnson’s decision to decommit and spend the season playing for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL.
Continue reading this article and more from top writers, for only $10.99/mo.
Already an ESPN+ subscriber? Log in here.
