Photo: Jordan Greer-Getty It’s September. The gyms are empty, the season is still a few weeks away, and mixtape season is right around the corner. The Class of 2026 has taken its fair share of criticism, with many questioning whether they have the same star power, depth and overall talent to take over the NCAA this season. But if you thought high school basketball was entering a down period, think again. The future is a whole different ball game—and it’s looking VERY bright.

Photo: Brian Spurlock-USAToday Another week, another flashback into the past. This time, the time machine is taking us all the way back to 2015—more than a full decade removed from when some of the best high-school basketball players in America shared the floor as teenagers with the basketball world at their feet. Most of these guys were attached to enormous expectations. Five-star recruits. Future lottery picks. Supposed franchise prodigies. But ten years is more than enough

Photo: Cody Jeffries-AP Another week, another flash into the past. This time around, the time machine pivots to 2016—and we might be looking at one of the deepest classes we’ve covered yet. Lonzo Ball. De’Aaron Fox. Jayson Tatum. And somehow? That still barely scratches the surface. This wasn’t a class where two or three prospects separated themselves and everyone else faded into obscurity. Damn near half of these McDonald’s All-Americans went on to carve out above average NB

Photo: Greg Byrd-Getty Another week—another step backward through basketball history. This time, we're taking a look at 2017—a class headlined by the likes of Deandre Ayton, Trae Young and a deep collection of prospects who appeared destined to shape the next generation of the NBA. And yet, nine years later, this group still feels strangely unfinished. The more recent classes we've revisited either delivered the stars we expected or gave us enough evidence to understand where

Photo: James Kipp-Getty Another week means another trip backward through basketball history. This time, we're rewinding eight years to 2018—a class overflowing with future stars, cautionary tales and some of the most overwhelming high-school hype the sport has EVER witnessed. At the center? Zion Williamson, a 6'6", burly viral phenomenon whose thunderous dunks and once in a generation athleticism made ordinary high school gyms in South Carolina feel like must-see television.