With rosters finally close to being settled for the 2023-24 men's college basketball season, coaches around the country are now able to turn their complete attention to the recruiting trail and the high school classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026. And while the July live period is not the all-important marathon month it was a decade ago, it's still the busiest recruiting period on the offseason calendar.
Beginning July 6, coaches will descend on North Augusta, South Carolina (Nike Peach Jam); Rock Hill, South Carolina (Adidas); and Cartersville, Georgia (Under Armour), for four days of shoe-company-sponsored events -- along with plenty of other cities for independent showcases and tournaments.
The first of three live periods will take place July 6-9, the second will be July 15-16 and the third will be July 24-27, for the NCAA College Basketball Academy in Memphis.
Since we just updated our rankings for each class and are now a week away from the start of the live period, here's a look at the biggest storylines to monitor over the next few weeks.
Who's No. 1?
In the 2023 class, D.J. Wagner held the No. 1 spot for most of his high school career, before several prospects ended up making a run at him for top billing by the end of their senior seasons. The 2024 class has been much more in flux. Naasir Cunningham was ranked at the top early, but he was passed last year. Tre Johnson had his time this spring, but he won't enter the summer atop the rankings.
Dylan Harper, the 6-foot-4 point guard from Don Bosco High School (New Jersey), has earned the No. 1 ranking at this point in the cycle. He was fantastic for the NY Rens on the EYBL circuit in the spring, averaging 18.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 5.3 APG, ranking in the top 15 in all three categories.