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Published Nov 20, 2023
Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2025 class
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Rob Cassidy  •  Basketball Recruiting
Basketball Recruiting Director
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@Cassidy_Rob

The Rivals150 for the 2025 class is getting a refresh this week, and we started things off with a Five-Star Countdown on Monday. Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy counted down the 15 five-stars in the class and gave his thoughts on each.

1. SF A.J. Dybantsa

Cassidy's Take: One of the most promising high school prospects of the last five years or so, A.J. Dybantsa impacts games in almost every imaginable way. He averaged 25.8 points per game playing up an age group at the 17U level at this year’s Peach Jam.

Dybantsa already holds a long list of major offers, including ones from North Carolina, Alabama, Baylor, UConn and Texas.

*****

2. PF Cameron Boozer

Cassidy's Take: The son of Duke great Carlos Boozer and one of the most consistently productive players in high school basketball, Cameron Boozer and his twin brother already hold scholarship offers from the Blue Devils. They’re both considering schools such as Florida, Kentucky and Miami in addition to their father’s alma mater.

Cameron Boozer’s 6-foot-9 frame is filling out nicely, as he boasts a near-college ready body and consistently impacts games on boards as well as on the scoreboard.

*****

3. SG Darryn Peterson

Cassidy's Take: Darryn Peterson is a long, lean guard with the NBA body type and is both highly skilled and physically developed. He’s proven to be the best guard in the 2025 class and possesses the type of scholarship offers you’d expect an elite prospect to have.

Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas and Indiana are among the schools that have already made things official. The professional route may be worth monitoring as well.

*****

4. PF Caleb Wilson

Cassidy's Take: The Atlanta-based Caleb Wilson has as much long-term upside as any prospect in the class and will meet it as he continues to improve as a shooter. At 6-foot-10 he brings incredible versatility to the defensive end and could become truly elite on that front as he adds weight. His reliable hands and ability to score at the rim are his calling cards on the offensive end for now.

Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn and North Carolina are among his early offers.

*****

5. PF Koa Peat

Cassidy's Take: The Arizona-based Koa Peat has been on the national radar since before his freshman season and is developing nicely. He has impressive positional size and ball skills for a young prospect.

Peat is the embodiment of frontcourt versatility but also possesses the physical strength and toughness to be a high-level rebounder when he’s engaged.

Michigan, Texas and North Carolina are among the schools involved with the five-star forward.

*****

6. SF Bryson Tiller

Cassidy's Take: The 6-foot-9 wing is a gifted shot-creator with a knack for highlight-worthy finishes. A college-eligible junior at Overtime Elite, Bryson Tiller is originally from the Atlanta area and holds offers from Southeastern-based powers such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Louisville.

Kansas, North Carolina and USC have also already made thighs official.

*****

7. SG Meleek Thomas

Cassidy's Take: The Pennsylvania-based Meleek Thomas impressed running with the New Heights Lightning in the EYBL’s 17U division this summer. The 6-foot-4 guard can play on the ball or off. He routinely puts the ball in the basket in a number of different ways and has taken strides as a facilitator over the last year.

Schools such as Duke, Alabama, Auburn, Kansas, K-State, Indiana and Kentucky are involved with Thomas.

*****

8. SG Jalen Haralson

Cassidy's Take: A 6-foot-6, big-bodied wing at Indiana’s La Lumiere School, Jalen Haralson handles the ball well for his size and has shown an ability to score from all three levels. He shined especially brightly at USA Basketball Minicamp in October and has the skill set to climb further up the rankings in the future.

Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan, Purdue, Auburn and Arizona State are all involved in his recruitment.

*****

9. SG Isiah Harwell

Cassidy's Take: A native of Idaho, Isiah Harwell plays his high school ball at Utah’s Wasatch Academy. The 6-foot-6 five-star is Gonzaga’s top 2025 target but also holds offers from schools such as North Carolina, Kansas, Creighton, UCLA and Alabama.

Harwell is a dangerous half-court scorer who uses his length and reliable handle to get to his spots and has proven capable of scoring at all three levels.

*****

10. SF Tounde Yessoufou

Cassidy's Take: One of the most physically imposing prospects in the class, Tounde Yessoufou is no stranger to the weight room and has a college-ready build. The California-based five-star absorbs contact well and finishes almost everything near the rim. He’ll need to grow as both a shooter and a decision-maker in the years ahead, but his tools make his ceiling intriguing to say the very least.

*****

11. SF Joson Sanon

Cassidy's Take: Joson Sanon’s consistency of production has made him a mainstay near the top of the rankings since they debuted. That said, the long and athletic wing has become a better ball-handler in recent months and is coming around as a reliable shooter in addition to his well-established reputation as a slasher.

Sanon is a possible reclassification candidate and holds offers from Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, Marquette and Arizona, among others.

*****

12. PG Darius Acuff Jr.

Cassidy's Take: The Michigan-born Darius Acuff was one of the EYBL’s most prolific scorers this season and boasts a fiery on-court disposition to go along with his explosive athleticism. He’s becoming more refined from a shot-selection standpoint but still has some work to do on that front.

That said, when you talk about volume scorers, you talk about Acuff, who is capable of pouring it in from all over the floor and totally taking over games.

Michigan, Kentucky, Alabama and Houston are among the programs involved with the IMG Academy star.

*****

13. SG TREY MCKENNEY

Cassidy's Take: Michigan State, Georgetown, Rutgers and TCU are all involved with Trey McKenney, who had a nice summer on the grassroots circuit. He boasts a long and strong upper body that allows him to impact games in a long list of ways. He’s a versatile scorer who has become a more reliable shooter over the past year. His build allows him to get to spots and create space once he’s there.

*****

14. PG JASPER JOHNSON

Cassidy's Take: One of the highest upside guards in the 2025 class, the 6-foot-4 Jasper Johnson can play on ball or off, and has the kind of length that provides him with versatility as a defender. Johnson is known as a score-first guard for good reason, but he’s making strides as both a facilitator and a rebounder.

The fact that Johnson can fill it up from deep and score as well as take defenders off the bounce has helped him grab early offers from places such as North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and Baylor.

*****

15. PG MIKEL BROWN JR.

Cassidy's Take: Mikel Brown has grown significantly in both length and skill over the past year. The Overtime Elite point guard is now all of 6-foot-2 and has retained the agility, vision and shooting ability on which he built his reputation.

Brown is originally from Central Florida and is looking at schools such as Florida State, Florida, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Auburn and Georgia Tech.

*****