Everything to know about the latest ESPN 100 player rankings (2024)

A new ESPN 100, ESPN 60 and ESPN 25 were unveiled on Aug. 21. Here are the highlights of the newest player ranks:

How close was the race for No. 1 in the class of 2020?

Paul Biancardi: As I see it today, it's a three-prospect race involving Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. All three have a case for the top spot, when factoring in our rankings criteria that includes recent performances, consistency of production, potential college impact and projection on the NBA draft board. Inside of those categories are evaluations based on physical measurables, ball skills, defense, basketball IQ and traits that will allow a player to enhance his talent.

Though he's been injured for the past couple of months with a sore back, the USC-bound Mobley is back working out. He offers a rare breed of physical measurables (7-foot, with a 7-5 wingspan), shot-blocking prowess, advanced ball skills to make short jumpers, and the ability to finish with either hand inside -- all while displaying a strong basketball IQ and excellent mobility. By adding muscle mass, playing with balance and living lower in his stance, Mobley will be better equipped to play through the physicality that will face him at the higher levels. His potential for development could propel the Trojans to a deep run in the NCAA tournament in 2020-21.

No one had a more dominant summer than Cade Cunningham, who was a monster on the circuit for the Texas Titans and had some major moments for the USA U19 squad that won gold in Greece.

"There was no question who the leader was on that U19 gold medal team," said USA Basketball director Don Showalter of Cunningham, who led a squad coached by Kansas State's Bruce Weber that was made up of both college and high school players.

Cunningham separates himself as a big point guard who has a special ability to make others better and still produce points while playing tenacious and tough defense. Though the speed and physicality of the college game won't bother Cunningham, his long-range shooting still needs plenty of polish, which helps keep him behind Mobley our rankings. Cunningham projects as a solid long-term player because of his talent and winning traits, but does not have the same potential as Mobley or Green.

Jalen Green is an NBA-ready athlete with elite fast-twitch explosiveness at the rim and speed in the open floor. When he is not flying in transition, Green scores most effectively through his drive game and pull-up jumper. In the Nike Peach Jam championship game, Green splashed it from deep, going 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. His upside is not only in his jump shot, which has made great strides, but also in his defense -- Green has terrific anticipation from the help side to pick up steals and quickly turn them into points. He figures to be a centerpiece for a blue-blood program, with a real chance of being a top-three pick in the NBA draft.

Who made the big jumps in this player rankings update, and why?

Paul Biancardi: Jalen Suggs was the only new prospect to move into the top 10 for 2020, vaulting from No. 12 to No. 6 after an outstanding summer. Suggs has major bounce, plays with fierce intensity, provides leadership, can score from anywhere and can find the open man in a moment's notice.

North Carolina-bound Day'Ron Sharpe has moved into elite company as well, moving from No. 34 in the class to No. 19 overall. His body has changed, and his production and 2020 ranking have followed. You can count on Sharpe to play hard, rebound and score inside with outstanding hands and footwork. Sharpe will play at Montverde Academy this season before becoming a Tar Heel under Roy Williams.

Rondel Walker, who ascended from No. 70 in our June rankings to his new place at No. 45, has morphed from a solid lead guard to a bona fide scorer with high-level athletic ability. Playing with Cade Cunningham and Greg Brown on the Texas Titans may have caused him to get overlooked somewhat, but Walker never complains and just competes. His progression and game reminds me of ex-Louisville and current Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.

Elsewhere on the list, R.J. Davis (No. 62 to No. 39) has emerged as a high-end shooter and playmaker. He took an official visit to Georgetown in the summer and is scheduled to be on campus at Pittsburgh, Marquette and North Carolina in the fall.

Dalen Terry (No. 68 to No. 48) has versatility in the form of passing, scoring and defending -- he has a lot of Caris LeVert in him.

In an age of stretch big men, skilled post player P.J Hall (No. 72 to No. 59) has a true inside-outside game. Hall -- whose final list of schools includes Clemson, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech -- demonstrates outstanding footwork on his back-to-the-basket moves, along with a 3-point shot that is legitimate.

Which new members of the ESPN 100 do we expect to keep moving up?

Adam Finkelstein: The highest-ranked newcomer on the list is J.T. Thor (No. 37), who was previously a member of the ESPN 60 before opting to reclassify from 2021 to 2020. A long and lean southpaw perimeter forward with good size and an increasing range of offensive weapons, Thor has the potential to make a jump down the road as he develops his body and his efficiency starts to catch up with his natural talent.

Other newcomers, both to the ESPN 100 and the class as a whole, appear on our list after opting for a postgraduate year that took them from 2019 to 2020. The two most notable examples are Jalen Bridges (No. 72) and Kadary Richmond (No. 94). Bridges is a skilled perimeter forward and evolving athlete who can double as a big wing and face-up 4. Richmond is an ultra-versatile big guard with loads of versatility and playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. He debuts in the back end of the 100 but has the natural tools and talent to continue rising if he can utilize his extra year to become more consistent with his approach and production.

Also essential to mention are three newcomers who make their debuts after teaming up to lead Indy Heat to an impressive run in the EYBL. Nigel Pack (No. 79), a Kansas State pledge, is an undersized scoring guard with a high-volume style who was most often Heat's offensive catalyst. Nebraska pledge D'Andre Davis (No. 95), a well-built wing with versatile potential, was the team's second-leading scorer. But the guy with the most untapped upside and translatable tools was Purdue pledge Jaden Ivey (No. 83). Ivey may not wow you at first glance with his explosiveness, but he can hold his own athletically and also has the positional size, skill set and expanding shot-making ability that all translate at a high rate in today's game. In other words, he could be a prospect who continues to ascend, not just this year, but at the next level.

What are the biggest storylines from the updated Top 60 (2021) and Top 25 (2022)?

Adam Finkelstein: Emoni Bates is only a rising sophom*ore, but he's the best long-term prospect in the high school game right now and a generational-type talent. His talent isn't the subtle kind that only an experienced eye can see, but the sort that is already so dominant it jumps right out to anyone watching. He's super fluid and highly skilled with good perimeter size, athleticism and early competitiveness.

Being arguably the most talented 15-year-old the grassroots basketball world has seen in over a decade brings a vast and unique set of challenges, though. While they weren't quite as talented as Bates at the same stage, there's nonetheless a long line of prospects who have been celebrated at an early stage and failed to live up to those early expectations. That type of early attention can be more of a burden than a blessing and navigating that terrain has little to do with natural basketball ability and more often correlates to maintaining drive, humility and competitiveness while the world is celebrating you. At such a young age, that requires either incredible maturity or extreme stability around you -- and ideally both.

Does Bates trend toward the likes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James or does he end up being more of a Felipe Lopez or Greg Oden type of story? Right or wrong, that is the biggest story in the world of youth basketball right now, and will likely continue to be for the foreseeable future.

What does the latest "regardless of class" top 25, which we first unveiled in June, look like now?

The complete list:

1. Emoni Bates (previous regardless-of-class ranking: 1; 2022 class, 6-foot-7, 170 pounds, Lincoln/Ypsilanti, Michigan)

2. Evan Mobley (previous: 2; 2020 class; C, 7-0, 205, Rancho Christian School/Temecula, California)

3. Cade Cunningham (previous: 3; 2020 class; PG, 6-5, 215 pounds, Montverde Academy (Florida)/Arlington, Texas)

4. Jalen Green (previous: 5; 2020 class; SG, 6-5, 180, Prolific Prep (California)/Fresno, California)

5. Jonathan Kuminga (previous: 7; 2021 class; SF, 6-7, 210, Our Savior New American School (New York)/Queens)

6. Patrick Baldwin Jr. (previous: 4; 2021 class; SF, 6-10, 200 pounds, Hamilton/Sussex, Wisconsin)

7. Paolo Banchero (previous: 16; 2021 class; PF, 6-8, 230, O'Dea/Seattle)

8. Terrence Clarke (previous: 8; 2021 class; SF, 6-6, 190, Brewster Academy/Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)

9. Chet Holmgren (previous: 20; 2021 class, C, 7-0, 175, Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis)

10. Jalen Johnson (previous: 10; 2020 class; SF, 6-8, 215, Nicolet/Glendale, Wisconsin)

11. Ziaire Williams (previous: 11; 2020 class; SF, 6-7, 175, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, California)

12. Jalen Suggs (previous: 23; 2020 class; PG, 6-4, 195, Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis)

13. Isaiah Todd (previous: 14; 2020 class; PF, 6-9, 215, Trinity Academy/Richmond, Virginia)

14. Jaden Hardy (previous: 9; 2021 class; PG, 6-4, 185, Coronado/Henderson, Nevada)

15. Greg Brown (previous: 10; 2020 class; PF, 6-8, 205, Vandegrift/Austin, Texas)

16. B.J. Boston (previous: 13; 2020 class; SF, 6-6, 175, Norcross/Norcross, Georgia)

17. Makur Maker (previous: 12; 2020 class; C, 6-11, 230, Orange Lutheran/Orange, California)

18. Scottie Barnes (previous: 17; 2020 class; PF, 6-8, 210, NSU University School/West Palm Beach, Florida)

19. Josh Christopher (previous: 15; 2020 class; SG, 6-4, 205, Mayfair/Lakewood, California)

20. Walker Kessler (previous: 18; 2020 class; C, 6-11, 220, Landmark Christian/Fairburn, Georgia)

21. Jabari Smith (previous: 22; 2021 class; PF, 6-8, 190, Sandy Creek/Tyrone, Georgia)

22. Michael Foster (previous: 19; 2021 class; PF, 6-9, 220, Hillcrest Prep/Milwaukee)

23. Sharife Cooper (previous: 21; 2020 class; PG, 6-0, 160, McEachern/Powder Springs, Georgia)

24. Moussa Cisse (previous: unranked; 2021 class: C, 6-11, 210, Lausanne Collegiate School/Memphis, Tennessee)

25. A.J. Griffin (previous: unranked; 2021 class; SF, 6-6, 195, Archbishop Stepinac/White Plains, New York)

Dropped out: No. 24 Jaemyn Brakefield (2020 class; PF, 6-8, 215, Huntington Prep/Huntington, West Virginia), No. 25 Isaiah Jackson (2020 class; PF, 6-8, 180, Waterford Mott/Pontiac, Michigan)