Strictly BBall Newsletter 6

Best HS Team By State, On3 Rankings Review, and Early Signing Period!

Who is the best team in each state? Find out here!

by Griffin Greenberg on November 8

As the season rolls around, we take a look at the best team by state and include a brief preview of that squad. This will be a series that will span across the next 5 weeks of newsletters, with 10 states featured in each issue.

THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES

The Best by State

by Griffin Greenberg 

Alabama - Hoover

The defending 7A state champions have some key returners as they look to defend their title. 2025 center DeWayne Brown II, who holds offers from Providence, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Alabama, Ole Miss and more, is a physical big poised for a big season backed by his elite presence at the rim on both sides. Hoover also has tough guard Salim London returning. As well as shooters Jarrett Fairley and Elijah Thomas.

Alaska - Bettye Davis East Anchorage

The Thunderbirds took down No. 1 ranked West Valley in the ASAA state 4A championship last year, who was led by two-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year Stewart Erhart II. The Thunderbirds have a key piece in Akeem Sulaiman returning, a 6-foot-5-inch guard that is active on each side of the floor.

Arizona - AZ Compass

The Dragons have a completely new squad, led by 2025 top-25 recruit Jeremiah Fears and 2024 top-70 Clemson commit Del Jones. Luke Bamgboye, who has drawn Providence interest, and Ethan Lathan, an Old Dominion commit, are the bigs. Sammie Yeanay is another talented player who will start at the four. AZ Compass has other guards including Cam Miles and Moses Hipps who should contribute a lot, but some other AZ teams aren’t far behind. Dream City Christian School houses AZ Compass transfer and Arizona commit Jamari Phillips, 4-star center Emmanuel Stephen, 2026 4-star Ikenna Alozie, and Tacko Fawaz. Perry High School will also compete for this top spot, with Koa Peat still on the roster.

Arkansas - Springdale

Springdale was underrated for a lot of the season last year, and even now they may still fly a bit under the radar. They made it all the way to the 6A championship and fell to a Jonesboro team led by many seniors. They have the opportunity to do some real damage this season thanks to their elite 2025 hoopers in Courtland Muldrew and Isaiah Sealy. Gatorade Player of the Year Annor Boateng and Little Rock Central are another team to watch out for.

California - Prolific Prep

Prolific Prep has a loaded squad this season and has one of the best teams in the country. Led by 5-stars AJ Dybantsa, Tyran Stokes and Derrion Reid, they compete on a national schedule and should make a big push in their efforts of trying to win Geico Nationals this season. The best non-prep school out in California is defending open division state champion Harvard-Westlake, who has a powerful trio in USC commit Trent Perry, Harvard commit Robert Hinton, and 2025 4-star Nik Khamenia.

Colorado - ThunderRidge

Colorado commit Andrew Crawford and guard Charlie Spann are back for their senior seasons with ThunderRidge. Despite a tough season last year, ThunderRidge saw multiple overtime games against some of the top squads in the state and they should go a long way with their experience and returners.

Connecticut - Putnam Science Academy

Putnam Science Academy has a strong team with multiple high-level recruits. Amdy Ndiaye transferred over from Long Island Lutheran and his high-motor and energy should work wonders for his team. 4-star 2025 big Oswin Erhunmwunse and 2026 4-star big Ben Ahmed will also make major contributions. This squad is loaded with elite centers, but St. Thomas More and South Kent are not far behind.

Delaware - Middletown

The two-time state champions will look for big seasons from 2024 Eric Mathenge and 2026 Aizyon Matthews, both players who have played very well this summer. Clyde Frasier is the team’s senior guard that will also make an impact.

Florida - Montverde Academy

Montverde Academy is currently the No. 1 team in the nation. Led by No. 1 recruit and Duke commit Cooper Flagg, the Eagles have a flurry of star power that also includes 5-stars Asa Newell, Derik Queen, Liam McNeeley, and Caleb Gaskins. This team has its eyes set on a national championship. Behind them in the powerful basketball state is IMG Academy -  led by 2025 Darius Acuff, Syracuse commit Donnie Freeman, Khani Rooths and Houston commit Chase McCarty. Columbus will also be a top team, a public school led by the Boozer brothers and the Richardson brothers.

Georgia -  Grayson

Grayson fell just short in the final four of the 7A playoffs last season, but now they look to be the best team in the state. 2025 Georgia commit Jacob Wilkins transferred to Grayson this summer. This will be a huge addition, especially after losing 2026 4-star Kayden Allen who transferred to Montverde Academy. Grayson also has 4-star Gicarri Harris, Anthony Alston, and 3-star CJ Hyland.

Who is this? (Underrated Player Profile)

by Griffin Greenberg

Kayden Mingo - Long Island Lutheran (NY)

Kayden Mingo plays for the No. 6 team in the country, Long Island Lutheran. We should see his role increase this season. Last season he averaged nearly 5 PPG while shooting 40% from three in under 14 MPG. He was dominant for PSA Cardinals this past summer and averaged 14.6 PPG, 7 RPG, and 1.8 SPG at Peach Jam. Mingo is a quick guard that can score at all levels. He uses his quickness to his advantage and makes great defensive reads, allowing him to secure many steals and push in transition. 

Watch out for Kayden Mingo (and his brother Dylan) on the big stage this season!

2024 On3 Rankings Update

Risers: 

Luke Bamgboye - AZ Compass Prep (AZ) (Was: 131 Now: 89)

The 2024 AZ Compass big had a huge outing at Border League last month, being one of the likely reasons for his rise. Coming off of an injury, it was interesting to see how Bamgboye fared and he looks even better than he did before. Bamgboye has monster athleticism, something that is scary for the already 6’11” center, and is an elite rim protector. Bamgboye should continue to rise throughout the season. He is being heavily recruited by Providence and most recently picked up an offer from Cal.

Matthew Hodge - St. Rose (NJ) (Was: 116 Now: 78)

The Villanova commit has been climbing the rankings drastically over the past year. Hodge is a very versatile forward that brings a lot of intensity on each end of the court. Hodge can knock down the three ball when needed and knows where to be on the court at the right times, a testament to his underrated IQ and court vision. Hodge knows how to make the right play and does a lot more than the box score may say at times.

Sleepers:

Liam Campbell - Owyhee (ID) (Ranked: 118)

Campbell finally cracked the On3 rankings and was placed at 118, a ranking we believe is still a bit low for him. Liam Campbell is the top player in Idaho and committed to USC. His court vision is elite, allowing him to make the right play for his team with the ball in his hand. He’s a tough guard that can get to his spots and knock down shots, as well as play winning basketball. As for competition level, Campbell and Owyhee have traveled nationally in and out of season and faced top teams, each where Campbell has held his own in those matchups.

Larry Johnson - Southern California Academy (CA) (Ranked: 91)

Johnson is a speedy shooting guard that is an electrifying player. He can change games with his sudden bursts of speed and exciting dunks. The Creighton commit runs the floor well and has a very high-motor. He plays for Southern California Academy, who will be in Overtime Elite’s league this season, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts coming from Huntington Prep.

NLI Early Period Signing Day

The early signing period has begun for high school class of 2024 recruits to sign their National Letter of Intent if they choose! There are 82 players in the ESPN Top 100 who have announced their schools and have the option to sign. This period lasts from today, Nov. 8, to Nov. 15 and reopens back up for the regular signing period on April 17, 2024.

Photo by Griffin Greenberg

AZ Compass Prep School (Chandler, AZ) saw five seniors sign today. Sammie Yeanay to Arizona State, Del Jones to Clemson, Ethan Lathan to Old Dominion, Chris Cox to Utah State, and Zion Wilburn to Samford.

Weekly Recruiting Update

by Griffin Greenberg

Commitments

Class of 2024 5-star Paul VI (Fairfax, VA) center Patrick Ngongba has committed to Duke.

Class of 2024 4-star Southern California Academy (Northridge, CA) guard Naas Cunningham has committed to Alabama.

Class of 2024 4-star Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA) forward Jahki Howard has committed to Auburn.

Class of 2024 4-star Newman Smith (Carrollton, TX) forward Nic Codie has committed to Texas.

Class of 2024 4-star AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) forward Sammie Yeanay has committed to Arizona State.

Class of 2024 4-star Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) center Daniel Jacobsen has committed to Purdue.

Class of 2024 4-star Southern California Academy (Northridge, CA) center Miles Goodman has committed to Penn State.

Class of 2024 4-star Alta (Sandy, UT) forward Jaxon Johnson has committed to Utah.

Class of 2024 3-star  (Phoenix, AZ) guard Ketraleus Alridge has committed to Arizona State.

Class of 2024 3-star Keller (Keller, TX) guard Brooks Bahr has committed to BYU.

Final schools

Class of 2025 5-star guard Isiah Harwell is down to nine schools … Alabama, Baylor, Texas, North Carolina, Idaho State, UCLA, Cal, Houston, and Gonzaga.

Class of 2024 5-star forward Jayden Quaintance is down to four schools … Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida, and Missouri.

Class of 2024 4-star guard Vyctorius Miller is down to four choices … Oregon, G-League Ignite, LSU, University of Southern California, Gonzaga.

Class of 2024 4-star guard Travis Perry is down to five schools … Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Alabama, Western Kentucky and Kentucky.

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