Men’s basketball recruiting storyline: What to watch for in July

High school recruiting takes center stage almost as soon as the college basketball season ends: the evaluation period in April, goal boards for the upcoming cycle are finalized in late spring and summer, and recruiting progresses immediately after the July evaluation period ends.

With the explosion of transfer portals, this is no longer the case, with future classes overshadowed by the need to assemble a roster that will run in a matter of months.

For the next three weeks, college coaches will travel across the country looking at the future of college basketball. The expansion of the evaluation period into June — the NBPA Top 100 camp is now open to college coaches, as well as two educational periods — has made July the lowest for summer recruiting. But it’s still the best chance for players to see a wide range of competition.

So what is the story to watch this month? Let’s break it down.

Is AJ Dybantsa the clear No. 1 prospect in the next recruiting class?

A year ago, DiBantsa (Class of 2026), Cooper Flagg (2025) and Cameron Boozer (2025) were in a three-way debate as the best high school prospects in the country. Since then, the flag has moved to 2024 and is due for Duke in November. Dybantsa, meanwhile, is reclassified to 2025, and has established himself as the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class.

But don’t count out the buzzer just yet.