EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEvaluating and projecting high school recruits is an inexact science. Talent evaluators, scouts, coaches and NBA front offices all have notable hits, along with misses. We're always looking ahead with an eye on potential. But this time, we're looking back at the top of the 2024 SC Next 100 class.This group had some obvious stars, even at the time, such as Cooper Flagg. But there were also some less obvious risers we perhaps should've picked up on. Kon Knueppel was a productive high schooler with upside; we didn't see him taking off this quickly. The same goes for Jeremiah Fears, a five-star junior who reclassified late and, in hindsight, was slotted too low in the final player rankings.Injuries, role changes and development can make projecting high school players especially difficult. Now, two years later, this analysis has incorporated their overall rsum to date. So, how did we do in 2024?Note: Khaman Maluach and Egor Demin, five-star talents who would normally fit among this group, are not eligible because they played their high school basketball outside the United States.1. Cooper Flagg, SF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 1Flagg was different from a young age. The Maine native reclassified after his sophomore year and eventually ascended to No. 1 in the rankings, then led Montverde Academy to an undefeated season and a Chipotle Nationals championship. "He had zero ego and never complained," said Kevin Boyle Jr., Flagg's associate head coach at Montverde. "He knew when to get his teammates involved and only cared about winning." At Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He became just the fourth freshman to win national player of the year, before going No. 1 in the 2025 NBA draft and earning NBA Rookie of the Year honors with the Dallas Mavericks.2. Dylan Harper, PG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 4Harper was a productive, composed high school guard who drew comparisons to Jalen Brunson at the time with his size, production and facilitation skills. He shared MVP honors at the 2024 McDonald's All American Game before averaging 19 points as a Rutgers freshman and earning third-team All-Big Ten honors. The San Antonio Spurs selected Harper second in the draft, and he made the All-Rookie team after showing improved playmaking and scoring. In the 2026 NBA Finals, he averaged 18 points, 6.4 rebounds and three assists. Harper's strengths lie in his perimeter versatility, and he has the potential to be an All-Star at either the point guard, shooting guard or small forward position.Previous No. 2: Ace Bailey3. VJ Edgecombe, SG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 3Edgecombe improved rapidly throughout high school, emerging as a dynamic transition finisher with NBA-level athleticism, scoring ability and a high basketball IQ. His explosive skills helped make him our No. 3 prospect, and he keeps the spot in these rerankings after earning second-team All-Big 12 honors during his lone season at Baylor. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Edgecombe third in the 2025 draft, and he earned first-team All-Rookie honors before becoming the youngest player in NBA history with a 30-point, 10-rebound playoff game.4. Kon Knueppel, SG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 19Knueppel makes one of the biggest jumps in our rerankings. His shooting and scoring ability were evident in high school: He led Wisconsin Lutheran to an undefeated season and state championship and the EYBL in scoring. Knueppel validated those strengths at Duke, earning ACC tournament MVP honors before the Charlotte Hornets selected him fourth in the draft. He made the NBA All-Rookie first team and set the sport's rookie record with 273 3-pointers. He ended up in the perfect team context and was ideally utilized which plays into his success. If not for Flagg, he would've won NBA Rookie of the Year.Previous No. 4: Dylan Harper5. Ace Bailey, SF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 2Bailey was originally the second-best prospect in the 2024 class because of his enormous upside. Two years later, a few players vaulted ahead of him because they parlayed better results and ceiling. But Bailey's potential remains immense. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds at Rutgers before the Utah Jazz took him fifth in the draft. One of the youngest players in the 2025 draft class, Bailey was also the youngest player in Jazz history to score 500 career points, which helped him earn second-team NBA All-Rookie honors. His best basketball remains ahead of him.Previous No. 5: Tre Johnson6. Jeremiah Fears, PG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 40Fears reclassified into the 2024 class and committed to Oklahoma in July, leaving us little time to fully evaluate his rapid development. He immediately emerged as one of the nation's most impactful freshmen, helping the Sooners reach the NCAA tournament and earning SEC All-Freshman honors. He was the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft, going to the New Orleans Pelicans. His 40-point performance against Utah on April 7 set a Pelicans rookie record and made him one of the youngest NBA players to reach the 40-point mark.Previous No. 6: Donnie FreemanFreeman made one of the biggest jumps of any senior in 2024, when he climbed to five-star status at the end of the cycle. He was productive over two years at Syracuse, but he has since dealt with injuries, including a torn Achilles this summer after transferring to St. John's.7. Morez Johnson Jr., PF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 29Johnson was a borderline five-star in high school who produced like a five-star as a dominant frontcourt player in college, giving him a significant jump from his original No. 29 spot. He had spent his freshman season at Illinois before transferring to Michigan, where he helped the Wolverines win a national championship and earned Big Ten All-Defensive honors. His sheer dominance carried into the NCAA tournament, and he became the fifth player in tournament history with a 20-point, 10-rebound game while shooting 100% from the field. Dallas selected him ninth in the 2026 NBA draft.Previous No. 7: Ian JacksonJackson opened his career at North Carolina before transferring to St. John's. Expect Rick Pitino to continue to help Jackson, who has first-round upside, to develop his defense and decision-making.8. Tre Johnson, SG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 5Johnson was once the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, largely because of his elite scoring ability -- and that skill has translated at every level. As a Texas freshman, he led the SEC with 20.2 points per game and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors. The Washington Wizards took Johnson sixth in the 2025 NBA draft, and he immediately carved out a significant role, starting 42 of 60 appearances and averaging 12.2 points last season as a rookie.Previous No. 8: Derik Queen9. Derik Queen, C2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 8Queen was an elite prospect early in high school and eventually finished inside the top 10 in the SC Next 100 thanks to nimble footwork, passing, soft touch and basketball IQ. After a stellar season at Maryland, he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, then picked 13th by the Pelicans in the 2025 draft. An elite big man passer and decision-maker, he is best when the offense plays through him. He became the first rookie center in NBA history to record a triple-double and later earned second-team All-Rookie honors.Previous No. 9: Liam McNeeley10. Will Riley, PF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 12Riley intrigued us in high school because his long-term potential exceeded his production. At 6-9 with perimeter ball skills and athleticism, he possessed a compelling developmental foundation. He averaged 12.2 points at Illinois and was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year before Washington selected him in the 2025 draft. Last season, he averaged 10.3 points and became the first Wizards newcomer since Calbert Cheaney in 1994 to record consecutive 30-point games.Previous No. 10: Jalil BetheaNow at Pitt, Bethea is on his third college team in three years after dealing with a foot injury last year at Alabama. He has plenty of scoring prowess but needs to find a way to put it all together.11. Labaron Philon Jr., PG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 32Philon was a speedy scoring point guard who played without fear even as an underclassman, earning Alabama's Class 7A Player of the Year as a high school sophomore. He remained in-state for two seasons at Alabama and scored 725 points as a sophomore, the third most in a single season in Crimson Tide history. The Sixers drafted him 22nd in 2026. Philon gets a bump in these rerankings after taking advantage of a second college season to become a productive force and first-round pick.Previous No. 11: Derrion ReidReid began his career at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma, where he was significantly more productive as a sophomore. He returns for his junior season looking to elevate the Sooners and solidify his draft stock.12. Carter Bryant, PF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 20Bryant checked a lot of boxes as a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American. Even after playing as more of a sixth man at Arizona, the Spurs bet on his long-range shooting and upside to make him a 2025 lottery pick. Bryant came off the bench over 71 games as a rookie for a Spurs team that reached the 2026 NBA Finals. He's still rising, as a defense-first prospect learning how to translate his upside into consistent production. His path to becoming a glue guy on a title contender is clear.Previous No. 12: Will Riley13. Asa Newell, PF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 13Want a sense of how loaded Montverde Academy was in 2024? Newell, a five-star McDonald's All-American, was the fifth option for the championship-winning team. No matter where he has played, Newell has embraced a variety of roles. He averaged 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds and was an SEC All-Freshman at Georgia. He was the No. 23 pick in 2025 and mostly came off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks. Newell's efficient shooting -- he shot 53.8% from the floor and 38.7% from deep his rookie season -- in a limited role could help him earn even more minutes.14. Liam McNeeley, SF2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 9McNeeley was a proven commodity for his entire high school career. He then led UConn in scoring at 14.5 points per game, rebounded well and shot 86% from the free throw line. The net result: being named Big East Freshman of the Year. He's currently still finding his footing with the Hornets after being traded by the Phoenix Suns -- who selected him 29th in 2025 -- though he looked more confident and comfortable coming out of summer league this year.Previous No. 14: Drake Powell15. Drake Powell, SG2024 SC NEXT 100 ranking: 14The North Carolina native was a five-star in high school, and the NBA identified that upside when Atlanta drafted him 22nd in 2025, then traded him to the Brooklyn Nets. In between, Powell stayed home to become a key member of the Tar Heels' 2024-25 rotation. His defensive versatility and coachability have shown up at every stop, and we're betting his defense helps him carve out a long career in the pros.Previous No. 15: Isaiah Evans
