After a long and grueling summer, the country’s top prospects in the class of 2026 have gotten some rest and are now getting locked into fall workouts ahead of their junior seasons. Some have already started their official visit cycle, introducing intrigue as they enter the next stages of their recruitment.
The summer evaluation period allowed us to get eyes on all the top players in the 2026 class and witness them playing against the best players in the nation. After letting those extensive few months of basketball breathe and taking time to review notes, tape and statistics from the grassroots circuits, it's time to update the national rankings for the 2026 class.
247Sports 2026 National Basketball Rankings
The transition from sophom*ore year to junior season is when production starts to matter more and more.Tyran Stokes has moved on to a new school, Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame, for this upcoming campaign. The 6-foot-7 forward may be in a new environment this season, but one thing that hasn’t changed is his status as the top-ranked player in his class.
How did Stokes retain the top spot? Just how loaded is the state ofCalifornia in 2026? And, what names shot up the rankings for this class? We’ve got you covered as the 2026 rankings expand from a top-125 to a full 247Sports top-150.
Tyran Stokes' dominance keeps him at the top
Last winter, Tyran Stokes wasn’t always at his best. As a result, he temporarily lost his spot at the top of the rankings and slid to No. 2 during the January rankings update. After kicking things into high gear during the spring with the Oakland Soldiers on Nike’s EYBL circuit, Stokes reclaimed the top spot. Then, after an utterly dominant summer, it was a pretty easy decision to keep him at No. 1.
First of all, the 16-year-old is a physical marvel. At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, he looks like he could play tight end in the NFL. He’s not just big and strong, either. Stokes is an elite mover who has the lateral movement, bounce and burst that you don’t expect from a guy his size. While the physical tools are undeniable, he also has an elite game and the skills to match.
Playing alongside 2025’s No. 1 player AJ Dybantsa, Stokes helped lead the Soldiers all the way to the championship game of Nike’s Peach Jam. Stokes was ridiculously productive in doing so. Per Synergy, Stokes averaged 20.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the floor overall and over 40% from three. A wing who can play with the ball in his hands and even initiate offense, Stokes is a walking mismatch.
On top of everything he did in the EYBL, Stokes was a big part of arguably the most dominant youth team USA Basketball has ever put together. He helped Team USA bring home another gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Championships.
As Stokes prepares for his junior season at Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame, he does so as the top player in his class. It was an easy decision for us.
This California class could be one for the ages
Two summers ago, when we first started to lay eyes on the class of 2026, it was pretty apparent that something special was brewing in the state of California. That continues to be the case. Not only is the state home to the No. 1 player Stokes, it's home to five of the top seven players in the class and six of the 16 five-stars.
The Golden State is where No.2 Brandon McCoy, No. 3 Tajh Ariza, No. 5 Alijah Arenas, No. 7 Jason Crowe Jr. and No. 15 Christian Collins play their high school ball. And now, thanks to the Stokes transfer, they all take the court within about an hour of each other in Southern California.
McCoy is a long, rangy and athletic point guard with size. Ariza, the son of NBA championTrevor Ariza, is a big wing with advanced ball skills. Arenas, another son of another former NBA star, Gilbert Arenas, is a big-time scorer with size. Crowe is a high-scoring point guard with flair while Collins is a fast rising forward with skill whose father was a McDonald’s All-American in 2002. Not only are these guys talented, but they’ve got great pedigrees.
Maybe the most impressive thing about this group is that none of them appear to be close to being finished products. Despite having already built impressive bodies of work, each of them is just scratching at the surface of their potential. Their games are undoubtedly going to be subject to a lot of scrutiny over the next few years, but they look up to the task. This 2026 SoCal class could be a legendary group of prospects.
Miikka Muurinen's eye-popping ascension to five-star status
When Miikka Muurinen first appeared on the scene in January, it was pretty obvious that the 6-foot-10 power forward was an impressive target. However, he was just adjusting to the American game and not yet productive. So, he moved into the rankings at No. 63. After showing more signs in the spring we moved him up to No. 44. Now, Muurinen has rocketed all the way up to No. 6in the class thanks to a dominant run with Brad Beal Elite in the 16U division of Nike’s Peach Jam.
A native of Finland, Muurinen will play his junior season of high school ball atChandler (Ariz.) Compass Prep after a sophom*ore season atSunrise Christian in Wichita, Kans.
Muurinen is a fluid big man who can play facing the rim or on the block. He drills jumpers, finishes lobs, sprints the floor and protects the rim. The skill at his size is a true separator along with his efficiency. Per Synergy, just over 50% of Muurinen’s shot attempts at the Peach Jam were jump shots and he still managed to rank among the top 95% of players at the event when it comes to points per shot (1.34). His true shooting percentage was an absurd 68.3%. Big guys who play that style and do it so effectively don’t come around very often.
The other five-stars in this update include: Shooting guard Caleb Holt, guard Jordan Smith, wing Anthony Thompson, guard Ikenna Alozie, power forwards Toni Bryant, Moustapha Diop and Caleb Gaskins and small forwards Kayden Allen and Qayden Samuels.
