Recruiting Notebook: As September closes, where things stand with top prospects
October 1, 2024 by Colby Giacubeno
We're in the peak of recruiting and commitment season as the prospects in the senior class partake in their visits and announce where they'll be spending their freshman year of college. This applies to some, but not all. In this article, we'll highlight some of the top prospects in the country and where things stand. It's a mixed bag in that a few of the blue chippers may extend their recruitments into next year, while the majority will make a few college coaching staffs very happy in the near future.
The Tide continues to roll
It was a massive weekend in Tuscaloosa and not just because the football team was able to pull off an upset win over No. 2 Georgia in front of a rabid Alabama faithful that filled Bryant-Denny Stadium. Among those watching included No. 1 2025 hoops prospect in AJ Dybantsa, top-15 guard Meleek Thomas and top-50 guard Brayden Burries, all of which were making their official visit. If you're Nate Oats, you couldn't have asked for a better result in showing these three coveted prospects the full Alabama experience on campus.
The biggest focus of the group is Dybantsa, who is largely considered as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Much remains unknown with his recruitment and despite others claiming that any sort of decision is done would be fooling themselves. BYU has and will continue to have plenty of momentum in their favor and should be viewed as one of the favorites in this sweepstakes. There was some North Carolina buzz after Dybantsa made his official visit in Chapel Hill last weekend, but I still wouldn't view the Tar Heels as any sort of favorite here. As for the Tide, there has been consistent signs that they'll be a potential spot for the dynamic 6-foot-9 phenom. There's a blend of Oats' recent success, his uptempo offensive system that mirrors some pro-styled approaches and a few other factors that work in their favor.
That's all to say that Dybantsa's recruitment is far from over. It's been made to believe that this will stretch out into 2025. He will be taking his time to not only visit campuses this fall, but also possibly take a few unofficials during the season to watch how the programs play in-person and get a feel for the atmosphere of each school in a basketball setting. The recruiting world has become extremely unpredictable and one that changes like the weather, so for today, I'd tab Alabama and BYU as the two true contenders in this fight.
Where do things stand with the Boozer twins?
It's no secret that Cam and Cayden Boozer have put together a high school resume that could stand up to anyone else's. When you evaluate talent, one tricky part of the job is being able to discern whether or not a player's skillset can translate to winning basketball at the college level. With these two, there is no question. They've made Christopher Columbus High School into a nationally recognized brand and have proven themselves as the juggernaut program in EYBL play since the E15 level with the Nightrydas. Their timetable is expected to be opposite of Dybantsa's and depending on who you talk with, a decision could be coming in the near future.
Cam is the more coveted of the two, currently sitting at the No. 2 in our 2025 MADE Hoops rankings. The 6-foot-9 forward is a playmaking factory and the perfect connecting piece of a team that also operates at a superstar level from a production standpoint. There's simply not many things that Cam cannot do and as mentioned above, all reflect at an elite level when it comes to winning games. Cayden appears in our top-50 and could be trending upward after a steady dosage of showing improvements with his shooting and other specific nuances of his game that are invaluable for the point guard position.
The low-hanging fruit with the Boozers and where they'll end up in college has been Duke. Connecting the dots with their father, Carlos, who was a standout for the Blue Devils and translated his success there into a 13-year NBA career, it's easy to see his two sons joining The Brotherhood. However along the way, things got very murky and Miami became not only contenders, but leaders in this recruitment for some time. The Duke staff took a visit down to Columbus to visit the Boozers in person and according to my sources, the momentum seemed to shift back toward the Blue Devils. As recent as yesterday though, there are rumblings that Miami is back in the lead and with a potential announcement coming in the very near future (as early as later this week), the Hurricanes can feel confident in their positioning. There hasn't been an official date for any sort of commitment, so both fanbases are anxiously awaiting.
What will Nate Ament do?
We're shifting back to the long haul approach for the No. 4 overall prospect in Nate Ament. He surfaced as a national name this spring after showcasing his confidence as an offensive hub standing 6-foot-10. His promising frame fits the mold of a hybrid forward that is coveted in today's NBA and college programs are recruiting Ament with this in mind.
He is coming off his official visit to Texas over the weekend, but there doesn't seem to be any sort of rush in coming to a decision. Ament's recruiting picture is a who's who, but we've learned that he has also cemented official visits with Tennessee (Oct. 19) and Kansas State (Feb. 11). Yes, you're reading that Kansas State date correctly. It's expected for his decision to come somewhere in the first three months of 2025. Other programs such as Duke, Georgetown, UConn, Louisville and Kentucky are in the fold as well, but Ament's picture could change quite a bit as other dominoes around the country begin to fall shortly.
I haven't heard any notion that there is a leader in this race, but the one thing that is clear is that it'll be one of the longer pursuits alongside Dybantsa.
Mullins taking shape of a two-team race
Braylon Mullins checks in at No. 9 of our 2025 rankings and for good reason as he's arguably the best shooter in the class. His blend of shot-making, positional size and potential of being a playmaker within the flow of an offense are all reasons why blue blood programs are courting him. He recently announced a final three programs consisting of UConn, Indiana and North Carolina, but I envision this decision coming down to the Huskies or the Hoosiers.
The Hoosiers recently snagged one of the more intriguing forwards in the 2025 class in Trent Sisley and look to keep the hometown momentum rolling with Mullins. They've put themselves in strong position to land the 6-foot-5 sniper as he plans to decide sometime later this month or early November.
The Huskies remain tied with Indiana for the driver's seat. The back-to-back championships and the culture that head coach Dan Hurley has established in Storrs has been well documented. Furthermore, the potential for Mullins to come in and fill a role similar to what Cam Spencer did last season is very realistic.
If I had to make a prediction today, I'm siding with Dan Hurley and the Huskies.