Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2025 class

The basketball rankings for the 2025 and 2026 classes are being updated this week, starting off today with the Five-Star Countdown for the 2025 class. Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy gives his thoughts on each of the 15 five-stars.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Tuesday: Five-Star Countdown for 2025

Wednesday: New Rivals150 for 2025 | Biggest storylines

Thursday: New position rankings for 2025 | Inside each position

Friday: New Rivals150 for 2026 | Biggest storylines

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8. SG Isiah Harwell

Cassidy’s Take: The Idaho-born Isiah Harwell is all of 6-foot-5 and in the process of returning from a knee injury that stole a chunk of his junior season. Still, he was trending upward before his injury and is a certified two-way player even though his elite scoring ability is what garners most of the attention from scouts and fans.

Cal, Gonzaga, Kentucky, BYU, Bylor, Houston, Texas and Louisville are among the teams heavily involved in Harwell’s recruitment.

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9. PG Darius Acuff

Cassidy’s Take: A volume-scoring guard capable of making difficult shots look easy and absolutely taking over games from a scoring standpoint, Darius Acuff is as exciting as prospects come. The Detroit native continues to make small strides when it comes to his shot selection, which still needs refining, but he is already one of the most reliable and explosive scorers in the country.

Acuff is a shot-hunter that creates for himself off the bounce and has become a better passer in recent months.

Michigan. Kansas and Arkansas seem like the most serious players in the Acuff sweepstakes.

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10. SF Nate Ament

Cassidy’s Take: The 6-foot-9 Nate Ament is an upside bet that has spent the spring turning potential into production and is beginning to look like a future pro. There are few prospects in the class that can match the well-rounded skill set of Ament, who can handle it and fill it up from deep.

He still needs to add significant muscle before he reaches his true two-way potential but his length and skill make his upside absolutely tantalizing.

Virginia, Virginia Tech, Indiana and Duke are among the programs to watch in Ament’s recruitment.

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11. SF Will Riley

Cassidy’s Take: Will Riley is a newly minted five-star that has taken the next step as a prospect this spring. The Canadian-born wing is considering a reclassification into 2024 and will likely end up on a college roster next season.

For now, however he remains in 2025 and is one of the more unique scorers in the class, thanks in part to a slightly unconventional game that relies on hesitation dribbles and getting to his spots. He also shoots it well from deep and has a reliable pull-up from the mid-range.

Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas are involved with Riley.

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12. PG Mikel Brown Jr.

Cassidy’s Take: Mikel Brown Jr. has added significant length over the past year and now stands 6-foot-2, putting to rest old concerns over his lack of size. The Overtime Elite star is a true point guard that is capable of creating for himself and others.

He’s also capable of taking over a game from behind the arc. There is some buzz about a possible reclassification to 2024, so Brown may exit these rankings down the road.

Schools to watch in Brown’s recruitment are Alabama, Providence, Ole Miss, UCF and Indiana.

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13. PG Jasper Johnson

Cassidy’s Take: Jasper Johnson is a Lexington, Ky., native that has been strongly linked with Mark Pope’s Wildcats, as the in-state program is throwing massive resources into keeping the junior guard home for college.

The 6-foot-4 lefty’s calling card is his scoring ability but he has taken strides as a facilitator this year. He possesses the length to be a fantastic defender and positional rebounder but hasn’t quite reached his potential on either front as of now.

Alabama, Auburn, Kansas and Baylor join Kentucky on the list of schools in the mix to land Johnson’s commitment.

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14. SG Trey McKenney

Cassidy’s Take: The Michigan-based Trey McKenney brings some positional versatility to the table and creates mismatches on the perimeter. He is coming off a strong showing at USA Basketball U18 Training Camp last month and is taking positive steps as a ball handler and initiator.

McKenney does a lot of things relatively, so the fact that there are few gaping holes in his game is his greatest strength.

He is considering colleges such as Kentucky, Miami, Indiana, Rutgers, Michigan State, Georgetown, TCU, Ohio State and others.

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15. SF Bryson Tiller

Cassidy’s Take: Bryson Tiller, who currently plays in the Overtime Elite League, is as skilled a frontcourt player as there is in this class and comes equipped with soft touch around the basket as well as a 6-foot-9, 245-pound frame.

He’s reliable when it comes to scoring through contact in the post but also has game that extends to the perimeter, where he is showing an improved jumper and ability to put the ball on the floor if need be.

Tiller is considering schools such as Kansas, Providence, Indiana, Florida State, Maryland and others.

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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

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Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2025 class