Next Cooper Flagg? Meet the 10 Best High School Prospects in Basketball
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.
Across the country—and around the world—a new wave of teenage phenoms is already turning heads. We’re talking elite scorers, freak athletes, playmakers and potential NBA star talents who look destined to hear their names called on draft night.
With just enough time between now and real high school basketball, there’s no better time to look ahead.
These are the 10 best high school basketball prospects on Planet Earth—players who look like shoo-ins for the NBA.
Adan Diggs - Millennium HS
Age: 17
Height: 6'4"
Position: PG/SG
Diggs is special. He isn’t just a scorer who can pass and defend. He’s one of the more complete two-way guards in the class. At 6'4"–6'5" with roughly a 6'7" wingspan, Diggs has legitimate combo-guard size and enough strength and length to affect the game beyond his scoring. He’s a smooth three-level scorer who can hit catch-and-shoot threes, pull up off the dribble, stop in the midrange and finish through traffic. He doesn’t necessarily have super-flashy, ankle-breaking handles; instead, he plays with decisiveness, using just enough off the bounce to get himself to his spots.
His playmaking is a major part of the appeal. Diggs can initiate offense like a point guard, make the simple read, create for teammates after collapsing the defense and comfortably shift between primary creator and off-ball scorer. And then there’s the defense, which may actually separate him from a lot of elite high-school guards. He has the length to bother ballhandlers, good instincts away from the ball, active hands in passing lanes and enough physicality to switch across multiple perimeter positions.
The main area I’d watch is his ball control. His handle is effective but not yet loaded with enough moves to create his shot consistently. Still, his portfolio is stacking up. Before reclassifying from 2028 to 2027, Diggs averaged 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals for Millennium and won MaxPreps National Sophomore Player of the Year. He's going to be a problem.
AJ Williams - Eagle's Landing
Age: 17
Height: 6'7"
Position: SF
A.J. Williams is a different type of prospect from Diggs. The appeal starts with his size, physicality and scoring. At 6'7" with a strong frame and freak explosiveness, he already looks physically comfortable against much older competition. What jumps out to me most is his ability to score from all three levels without needing to play recklessly. He can attack downhill, absorb contact, elevate in the midrange and knock down jumpers with ease when defenders give him space. Evaluators consistently describe him as steady and purposeful with a high shot-IQ. FIBA also highlighted his handle and ability to drive through traffic despite his forward size. The rebounding is a major part of his identity too. That 31.8 points and 12.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy is absurd, but the rebounding translated outside of high-school competition.
The Team USA run is probably the strongest evidence that this isn't just somebody beating up on Georgia high-school competition. Williams averaged 14.0 points and 6.6 rebounds during the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup while shooting 42.4% from three and 87% from the line, helping the U.S. win gold. The year before, he had already averaged 13.5 and 7.8 for the U16 national team. Where does he still need work? Creating for others and tightening the handle. He's capable with the ball, but I wouldn't call him a point-forward right now. His assist numbers remain modest, and his handles aren't supreme. If he develops more counters, his ceiling gets really interesting.
Bamba Touray - Prolific Prep
Age: 16
Height: 7'0"
Position: C
Birth certificate check? Touray already has the dimensions and interior skills of a grown man and he looks like somebody who should be playing college basketball, not entering his junior year. The scary thing about Bamba Touray isn't just that he's 7'0". There are plenty of huge high-school prospects who are paint bullies. Touray has actual post craft. He establishes position, has surprisingly nimble feet, can turn over either shoulder and possesses soft touch with either hand. Give him the ball within a few feet of the rim and the possession often ends pretty simply: he's going to score on you. Scouts have specifically praised his array of moves around the basket and his ability to finish on either side, but he'll happily skip all the finesse and dunk it when the opportunity is there.
He also moves unusually well for his size. Touray runs the floor, gets out ahead of opposing centers, presents a huge target as a rim-runner and lob threat, and has enough coordination to attack a closeout rather than looking helpless once he leaves the paint. Even more scary, there's evidence of an expanding jumper. He's starting to look comfortable taking shots away from the basket and has showcased three-point range. If that becomes a legitimate weapon, we're talking about considerably more than a traditional back to the basket five. The developmental questions are mostly about turning his absurd foundation into a complete modern center. He's listed around 210 pounds, so continuing to add lower-body strength will matter when he starts dealing with the next level of competition.
Beckham Black - Southeastern Prep
Age: 17
Height: 6'3"
Position: PG
Ranked the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in his class, Beckham Black could be a future star. This kid is a true floor general. At 6'3" with good positional length, his biggest weapon is his play-reading speed. He sees cutters almost instantly, delivers live-dribble passes with either hand, manipulates help defenders with his eyes and is unusually comfortable making difficult passes—jump passes included—that would be turnovers for most teenagers. Put him in a pick-and-roll situation and he understands how to change speeds, hold the weak-side defender off and hit the roller or the shooter depending on how the defense reacts. 247Sports has called him one of the highest-floor point-guard prospects it has evaluated in years.
The Team USA tape really drives it home. At the 2026 U17 World Cup, Black shifted away from being the primary scorer he often is in AAU ball and essentially became USA's table-setter, averaging roughly eight assists per game. He can score when his team needs 20, but he's perfectly comfortable controlling a game without hunting shots. Black himself describes his game as pass-first. And he's becoming much more than a distributor. His jumper has made major strides, particularly off the dribble, and his strong lower body lets him create separation with bumps, hesitations and changes of pace. The weakness I'd definitely mention is rim pressure and finishing. Black is a lean kid, and he doesn't possess a devastating layup package or quick bursts. If he bulks up, he might end up being a three-level scorer.
CJ Rosser - Southeastern Prep
Age: 17
Height: 6'10"
Position: PF/SF
Rosser is the most “wait, he’s how tall?” player on this list. At roughly 6'10" with a 7'3" wingspan and only around 195–200 pounds, he has the body of a stretch big but moves more like a wing. He’s sitting at or near No. 1 in the 2027 class on several boards. The first thing that jumps out is the mobility. Rosser runs extremely well in transition, can attack off the bounce, and is comfortable operating away from the paint. He has legitimate inside-out scoring potential: a soft touch around the rim, face-up ability, enough handle to attack slower forwards, and a jumper that extends to three-point range. One evaluator even compared the way he reads screens and moves without the ball to Kevin Durant. Defensively? The upside might be just as enticing. His length allows him to challenge shots around the rim, but unlike a lot of long forwards, he has the feet to switch onto smaller players for stretches.
He averaged around 2.4 blocks per game on the EYBL circuit. And his Team USA summer was huge for his stock. Rosser averaged 16.4 points per game on 51.3% shooting and 36.7% from three, including 23 points in the championship game, as Team USA went undefeated and won gold. He was later named to FIBA's All-Second Team. The fascinating part is that the jumper is still somewhat of a swing skill. He shot just 18% from three during EYBL play before hitting 37% in FIBA competition, so there's obvious shooting talent but not yet consistent proof across every setting. He's also extremely thin for his height. NBA-level fours and fives would push him around right now, so adding strength without sacrificing his fluidity is going to be crucial. We obviously can't know whether he's still growing, but if he does add another inch or two while retaining this movement profile...good grief.
Colton Hiller - Coatesville HS
Age: 16
Height: 6'6"
Position: SF
Hometown hero. With nearly every prep-school powerhouse in America trying to get their hands on him, Colton Hiller isn't going anywhere. The 6'6" Coatesville guard has elected to remain at his public high school—and he's taking the city by storm. Hiller is one of the most prolific three-level scorers in high-school basketball with a combination of elite shooting touch, tremendous balance and textbook shooting fundamentals. As a sophomore, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while routinely battling triple-teams, earning Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the process. He's already scored 1,146 career points, putting him within striking distance of a rather famous Pennsylvania record: Kobe Bryant's 2,883.
Even Kobe's former coach Gregg Downer believes Hiller has a legitimate chance to make a run at it. He went onto the EYBL circuit earlier this year and played up with PSA Cardinals' 17U team despite being Class of 2028. Across the spring and summer, he averaged around 18 points per game, and one stretch included a 31-point outing with five threes. He's not just dominating players his own age; the scoring translates against older, nationally recruited competition.The handle, playmaking and lateral quickness can still improve, but when a 16-year-old wing this size can already score from virtually anywhere on the floor—and do it against players two years older—the NBA projection isn't difficult to see.
DeMarcus Henry - AZ Compass Prep
Age: 17
Height: 6'7"
Position: SF
Henry is long, fluid and explosive in the open floor, where he can grab a rebound and immediately turn defense into offense. He attacks the rim hard and his length allows him to finish over and through defenders. With Vegas Elite this summer, he averaged 20.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, along with 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks. But he's far from just an athlete. Henry has developed into a capable scoring wing. He's a smooth left-handed shooter with comfortable range beyond the arc, can attack closeouts, and has become especially effective creating pull-up jumpers in the midrange. Prep Hoops noted his ability to create his own shot around the elbows and top of the key, while other evaluations highlight his step-back going to his right and his overall ambidexterity as a left-handed scorer.
Athleticism runs in the family. The son of former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, DeMarcus Henry has carved out his own path as one of the premier wings in high-school basketball. Standing 6'7", the AZ Compass Prep star already has offers from Duke, UConn, Louisville and BYU. His handle and playmaking can still become more refined, but with NBA size, shooting touch, defensive versatility and the athleticism to finish way above the rim, Henry possesses one of the most translatable skill sets in the class.
Erick Dampier Jr. - Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Age: 16
Height: 6'10"
Position: C
EJ Dampier inherited a lot of what made his father valuable, but he's showing signs of being a much more versatile prospect. Erick Dampier Sr. was built for the NBA of his era: a huge, physical center who owned the glass, protected the rim, set hard screens and finished whatever was available around the basket. He wasn't somebody you ran an offense through; he made his money controlling the paint. Junior has plenty of that DNA. At roughly 6'10", 230 pounds, he's enormous for a 16-year-old prospect and plays like he knows it. He establishes deep position under the basket, welcomes contact and is regarded as one of the best through-contact finishers in the class. He has a strong base, excellent hands, attacks the offensive glass and can punish smaller defenders without putting them in the post. Evaluators also rave about his motor and screening—two decidedly unglamorous things his dad made an NBA career out of.
The rebounding might be the clearest father-son similarity. EJ aggressively pursues the ball. Defensively, he's also developing into a legitimate paint anchor. He moves well for his size, understands verticality and has the length and timing to alter shots. But here's where Junior gets interesting: he's already a better passer than you'd expect from that archetype. Playing for Team USA at the 2026 U17 World Cup, EJ averaged only 5.0 points because he wasn't asked to score much—but he grabbed 5.7 rebounds and dished 3.3 assists in just 16.4 minutes per game, including six assists in the gold-medal game. He shot an absurd 17-of-22 from the floor for the tournament, too. Erick Dampier Jr. has some pretty large shoes to fill—literally. But he's well on his way.
Lewis Uvwo - Prolific Prep
Age: 18
Height: 6'11"
Position: C
Listed at 6'11", 225 pounds, and a ridiculous 7'7" wingspan, Lewis Uvwo might be the most destructive rim protector in high-school basketball. He led the EYBL in blocked shots, averaging around 5.7 blocks per game, and had one game against Team Herro where he put up 10 blocks, 10 points and nine rebounds. That’s his superpower right now: erase everything. Uvwo covers enormous amounts of ground as a help defender, has the length to recover even after initially getting beaten, and doesn’t have to be perfectly positioned to affect a shot. He's also unusually fluid running the floor for somebody that long. In transition he can sprint rim-to-rim, elevate for lobs and finish well above defenders. His motor gets mentioned repeatedly by evaluators, too—he doesn’t just stand underneath the basket waiting for somebody to challenge him.
Lewis Uvwo may already be 18 years old, but don't mistake age for experience—the 6'11" Prolific Prep center has reportedly been playing basketball for only about three years, and somehow, he's already become one of the most terrifying rim protectors in high-school basketball. But as is usually the case with players who pick up the rock late, offensively, he's still very much a work in progress. But the foundation is enticing: he's an explosive lob target, runs the floor exceptionally well and has begun to flash ball handling and a jumper away from the basket. After beginning the year buried outside the national top 90, Uvwo exploded into the top 10 and capped his summer by winning MVP at the revived adidas ABCD Camp. Now sharing the Prolific Prep frontcourt with Bamba Touray, Uvwo remains raw—but that's precisely what makes him terrifying. If this is what he looks like after three years of basketball, what does he look like after six?
Yann Kamagate - St. Francis HS
Age: 17
Height: 7'0"
Position: C
The sky is the limit for Kamagate. Standing a 7'0", the St. Francis big man possesses the type of physical profile that NBA scouts salivate over. Kamagate isn't just tall: he's explosive, remarkably mobile and capable of flying from one end of the floor to the other before opposing big men have a chance to catch up. Around the basket, he's a devastating lob target and efficient finisher who uses his length and bounce to simply play above the competition. Defensively, he's every bit as tantalizing, swallowing shots around the rim and covering an enormous amount of ground as a help defender. Kamagate averaged 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting north of 70 percent at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, where some evaluators considered him the best prospect in attendance regardless of class. His jumper, handle and self-creation remain works in progress—but that's almost the scary part. ESPN and 247Sports already consider him the No. 1 player in the Class of 2028.
If the perimeter skill ever catches up to the physical tools, good luck. I have a feeling that defensively, this kid will be a nightmare at the next level. He moves, he cuts, he does whatever's possible to disrupt the flow off the offense. When your reach on block attempts extends past the square, you're bound to draw NBA attention, and that's exactly what's happening to Kamagate. The kid already has offers from Duke, Indiana and Kentucky and for good reason. Expect "Yann Kamagate" to be a name you'll here frequently as he continues to make a name for himself.
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The future of basketball is in good hands. Some of these names could become household names. Some will rise up even higher than anyone expects. Others might find different, unconventional paths to their league if the powers that be allow it. But one thing is certain: there is an absurd amount of talent coming through the high-school ranks right now. Which one of these prospects are you rooting for to POP OFF? Who has future NBA star written all over them? And most importantly, who did we leave off?
Remember these names now. Because a few years from today, you might be hearing them called on NBA Draft night.
Get ready hoops fans, we're just four weeks away from seeing NBA basketball again 🚨 Haven't kept up with the latest buzz this summer? Be sure to stay tuned into Sportz Nation for your sports updates on all things basketball.
Thanks for reading!
-Joel Piton
(@jpiton7)
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