From the roaring crowd to squeaking sneakers on the hardwood, high school basketball is a beloved American pastime.
The sport's school roots date back to its 19th-century beginnings. After all, James Naismith invented basketball as a physical education activity. The concept of a state championship for high school basketball soon followed. Illinois, for example, held a state championship as early as 1908. Other states with early high school basketball championships include Indiana (first championship in 1911) and Wisconsin (1916).
Now, the sport is etched into the ethos of the American high school. Almost 900,000 student athletes play on their high school basketball team, according to 2024-25 school year data compiled by the National Federation of State High School Associations. That figure represents over 18,000 schools competing across all 50 states, grinding out games in high school gyms on dark winter nights.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 basketball recruits from New York using data from 247Sports. Athletes are ranked by their 247Sports Composite ranking.
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#10. Hassan Koureissi (SG)
- National rank: #239 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #41
- College: Fordham
- Offers: Fordham, Richmond, Eastern Michigan, Old Dominion, UMass
- High school: Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, NY)
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#9. Imahri Wooten (SF)
- National rank: #221 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #65
- College: Rutgers
- Offers: Rutgers, Missouri, Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia Tech
- High school: Redemption Christian Academy (Troy, NY)
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#8. TJ Crumble (PF)
- National rank: #204 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #29
- College: North Texas
- Offers: North Texas, Stanford, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Florida State
- High school: Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, NY)
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#7. Jermel Thomas (PG)
- National rank: #182 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #23
- College: Saint Louis
- Offers: Saint Louis, Florida State, Bryant, Fordham, Providence
- High school: Our Saviour Lutheran School (Bronx, NY)
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#6. Jahda Swann (SG)
- National rank: #120 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: Hofstra
- Offers: Mississippi State, East Carolina, UAB, LIU
- High school: Thomas Jefferson HS (Brooklyn, NY)
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#5. Adonis Ratliff (PF)
- National rank: #63 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #11
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville, Mississippi State
- High school: Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, NY)
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#4. Kayden Allen (SF)
- National rank: #57 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #24
- College: Cincinnati
- Offers: Cincinnati, UCF, Georgia Tech, California, Ole Miss
- High school: Long Island Lutheran (Zephyrhills, FL)
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#3. Darius Ratliff (C)
- National rank: #53 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Louisville
- High school: Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, NY)
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#2. Jasiah Jervis (SG)
- National rank: #36 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #2
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Tennessee, Illinois, Pittsburgh, NC State
- High school: Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, NY)
matimix // Shutterstock
#1. Dylan Mingo (CG)
- National rank: #5 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #2
- College: uncommitted
- Offers: Baylor, North Carolina, Penn State, Washington, NC State
- High school: Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, NY)
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