Tag: 2025 recruiting class

UNC WBB lands three Class of 2025 prospects on National Signing Day

National Signing Day proved to be a massive win for the UNC women’s basketball program.

The UNC women’s basketball program, particularly in recent seasons, is starting to show why it’s a destination for top high school recruits.

North Carolina landed 5-stars Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant in its 2024 recruiting class, 5-star Cierra Toomey in its 2023 recruiting class, plus 5-star transfers Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar in that same 2023 class.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, better known as National Signing Day, the Tar Heels continued adding more top-end talent.

Taliyah Henderson and Nyla Brooks, a pair of 5-star small forwards and Taissa Queiroz, a 4-star small forward, all officially signed to play their college basketball in Chapel Hill.

Henderson is Arizona’s top-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class. According to her 247Sports recruiting profile, she chose UNC over the likes of Maryland, Ohio State and national power Tennessee.

Brooks is Virginia’s top-ranked 2025 prospect. According to her 247Sports recruiting profile, Brooks chose North Carolina over Maryland, Georgia and Tennessee. Brooks actually de-committed from Tennessee to choose the Tar Heels, a sign that something promising is happening in Chapel Hill.

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Taissa Queiroz plays her high school ball at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa, Calif. Queiroz has spent time with the Brazil National Team, exposing herself to top talent from around the world.

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The Tar Heels roster will look significantly different during the 2025-2026 campaign, highlighting why their signing of Henderson, Brooks and Queiroz is ever-more important.

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Grace Townsend, Maria Gakdeng, Alyssa Ustby and Donarski, the latter three of whom are starters, will be out of eligibility. UNC has plenty other projected returners, highlighted by Toomey, Thomas, Trayanna Crisp and Reniya Kelly, but knowing they have more great incoming talent is a huge relief.

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Both 2025 MSU basketball commits officially sign with Spartans

MSU has officially inked LOIs for both of their 2025 commits

Michigan State basketball has put an official close to both of their 2025 recruiting class members. Tom Izzo and his staff did a magnificent job landing the commitments of 4-star prospects Cam Ward and Jordan Scott earlier this fall and now they are officially Spartans.

Both Ward and Scott inked their letters of intent with the Spartans, signing during the initial signing period in college basketball.

Michigan State will now be looking to either finish the 2025 class with one more prospect, or turn their attention to the NCAA Transfer Portal at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season .

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UNC basketball signs first two pieces of 2025 recruiting class

The UNC men’s basketball team just got two players better in the 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are no stranger to signing high-profile basketball recruits – just look at what they did in their 2024 recruiting class.

On Wednesday, UNC officially added two recruits to its roster, nabbing the first two pieces of its 2025 recruiting class.

Davidson Day School’s Isaiah Denis and Gonzaga College High School’s Derek Dixon, a pair of 4-star combo guards who should step into major roles for North Carolina during the 2025-2026 college basketball season, officially signed to continue their basketball careers in Chapel Hill.

Denis and Dixon aren’t too far removed from their initial commitments. Dixon committed to the Tar Heels on Friday, Sept. 27, while Denis committed on Saturday, Nov. 2.

At 6’5, I see Denis playing a role similar to current UNC freshman Drake Powell. Denis can either run the point or play shooting guard, but also has the height to play the 3-spot – if UNC head coach Hubert Davis elects for a smaller starting lineup.

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Dixon is a bit shorter at 6’3″, so I see him being exclusively a point guard or shooting guard. Dixon’s recruiting profile points to him being a solid perimeter shooter, so in the best case scenario, he produces at a high clip like reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.

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The Tar Heels aren’t anywhere close to being done yet in the class of 2025, as they’re chasing the likes of top recruits Caleb Wilson and AJ Dybantsa. Plenty of high school kids are still undecided – and with Hubert Davis’ track record on the recruiting trail, expect several additional high school stars to choose North Carolina as their college basketball destination.

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Auburn target AJ Dybansta moves up commitment timeline

The Auburn target recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come before the calendar turns to 2025.

The No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2025 class has reportedly moved up his decision timeline after seeing the first week-plus of the college basketball season unfold.

[autotag]AJ Dybansta[/autotag], widely considered one of the best high school prospects in the past decade, recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come sometime in December.

“We are ahead of where we thought we would be. If I know where I want to go, why wait? It’s probably going to be in December. I feel I will be ready by then,” Dybantsa said in an interview with ESPN.

The 6-9 wing forward is currently projected to stay in his home state of Utah, joining BYU. However, Auburn is among six other schools, including SEC rival Alabama and possible Maui Invitational opponent North Carolina, on Dybantsa’s radar.

The Hurricane, Utah native last visited the Plains on March 2. Although the consensus top recruit in the 2025 cycle has made trips to BYU, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, and Kansas State more recently, Auburn remains in the mix because of the lack of front-court options going into next season. The 17-year-old’s most direct path to big minutes could be with Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. Dybansta’s decision may ultimately come down to which school he feels will help him develop his play style the best.

Speaking further with ESPN, the projected NBA lottery pick said he and his family are keeping a close eye on the way his prospective schools are coached.

“We are observing how the coaches manage their teams, how they react when they have a lead or are behind, how they run their offense, and whether their overall play style matches what they’ve communicated to us,” Dybantsa said.

If Dybansta were to commit to the Tigers, he’d join recently committed guard Kaden Magwood and four-star slasher [autotag]Simon Walker[/autotag] as the foundation of next season’s class.

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Auburn lands four-star guard Kaden Magwood

Magwood joins four-star guard Simon Walker as the two recruits in Auburn’s 2025 class thus far.

Auburn Basketball’s 2025 recruiting class received a nice boost on Tuesday, as four-star guard Kaden Magwood announced he would be coming to the Plains next season. A consensus top 50 prospect in the class, Magwood is a 6-foot-1 guard that has 3-level scoring ability.

The No. 2 prospect from North Carolina spoke about how he sees a lot of himself in former Auburn guard Sharife Cooper when he listed Auburn in his top 3 back in October. While Magwood still believes in that comparison, he also mentioned the play-style of current Auburn guards Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford when explaining why he chose the Tigers.

Speaking with 247 Sports, Magwood explained, “watching Tahaad Pettiford get downhill and score and also pass, and also Denver (Jones) doing the same thing, I can really see myself in that position.”

The four-star guard is coming off an extremely impressive 23 points per game performance on the 3SSB circuit this summer. He’s sure to continue his dominant scoring performances this winter at Combine Academy. While he’s dominating the high school circuit, Magwood, along with Auburn’s other 2025 commit Simon Walker, will hope more top talents decide to come to the Plains next season.

The first of those commitments could come as soon as this Friday when Kiyan Athony makes his decision on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast. Auburn targets Sebastian Williams-Adams and Samis Calderon are also expected to decide on their commitment as soon as this week.

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Four-star guard Kiyan Anthony to announce commitment this week

The consensus top 40 recruit in the 2025 class will choose between Auburn, Syracuse, and USC on his father’s podcast Friday morning.

Four-star shooting guard [autotag]Kiyan Anthony[/autotag] will officially announce his commitment on Friday, November 15.

The son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, the consensus top 40 recruit in the 2025 class will announce his decision on his father’s podcast when it releases Friday morning.

While Syracuse is the favorite to land Anthony due to his father’s legacy with the Orange, the No. 1 prospect from New York has continually shown interest in attending Auburn and USC during his recruitment process. Anthony announced the Tigers, Trojans, and Orange were in his final three schools back on Oct. 30.

The 6-5, 185-pound shooting guard visited his father’s alma mater back in October of this year. He has also spent time on USC’s campus but has yet to take an official visit to the Plains. If he were to shock the recruiting landscape and commit to Auburn, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] would secure a commitment from a top-35-ranked guard for the second straight season. Current Auburn freshman [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag], who played his high school basketball just a state over from Anthony in New Jersey, finished his high school career as the No. 32 ranked guard in the 2024 class.

Anthony has yet to begin his senior season at Long Island Lutheran High School, but he should be the focal point of the offense once the regular season tips off. The star prospect most recently averaged nearly 20 points per game this summer during his time playing in the ‘Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’ in July.

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Evan Young breaks down recruitment, Michigan State interest

2025 DB target Evan Young broke down his MSU interest, to take an official visit this month:

A new defensive back target has emerged on Michigan State’s 2025 recruiting board, one that the Spartans coaching staff will be be heavily pursuing. Evan Young, a defensive back from Lufkin, Texas, is the center of MSU DB’s coach Blue Adams attention.

Young is a 6-foot, 180 pound DB that is yet to be ranked by the major recruiting sites.

As of now, an official visit is on the books for Young to visit East Lansing at the end of November, but the exact date will be largely dictated by how far the Lufkin Panthers go in the Texas state playoffs. For now, he will just remain in contact with the staff.

“I’ve been in contact with coach [Austin] D’Armond, just constantly checking in with me, sending me graphics, talking about classes and things like that,” Young told Spartans Wire. “I don’t much about Michigan State, just due to how far away it is, but when I get there on the visit I know they’ll inform me on things.”

When asked about what type of school he was looking for, Young noted that he wants a school that believes in his ability to get to the next level.

“I am really just looking for a school that believes in my abilities and just coaches that care for their players as far as getting a degree and getting to that next level.”

As a prospect, Young is someone who has versatility, and while it is believed he would come in as a safety, he can play any spot in the defensive backfield.

I feel like I can play any position on the defensive side; cornerback, nickel, safety, just wherever I’m needed,” Young explained. “I feel I am a  more physical DB. I like the big hits and it’s amazing to take the ball away from the offense, but just the feeling when u make a big hit, it’s different!”

A player that fits the vibe and culture at Michigan State, Young is a defensive back that can make a difference in East Lansing.

Young recently received an offer from Wyoming, which Young noted he will have to entertain. Expect the late riser to add more offers for the Spartans to compete with, but MSU fans should put this physical defensive back on their radars.

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2025 Notre Dame running back commit takes in Touchdown Jesus at night

Everyone appreciates this sight.

With Notre Dame about to play its first home game in almost a month, a bunch of recruits and commits are on campus for the weekend. Among them is 2025 three-star running back commit [autotag]Justin Thurman[/autotag], who made his decision at the start of August 2023.

Thurman, who hails from Tampa, Florida, is taking in the sights of what will be his home starting next year. One good thing about him is he understands that no matter who you are, visiting Touchdown Jesus is an absolute must when one sets foot on the Notre Dame campus. It’s one of those things that looks beautiful no matter what time of day or year it is.

Thurman took in this breathtaking sight Friday and posted about it on social media. He also used it as a battle cry for the Irish to defeat Florida State on Saturday. It’s perfectly fine that he did so because it hard not to use Touchdown Jesus for inspiration.

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Michigan State football commit gets Alabama offer

A key MSU commit has just received an Alabama offer

Michigan State football landed a huge commitment from Jace Clarizio back in the spring, getting the pledge from the East Lansing High School running back product.

Clarizio, a 4-star prospect on ESPN, has made it known that he likes the prospects of being a hometown hero, playing where he grew up, in East Lansing.

The Spartans keeping the hometown product just got a bit more challenging, though. Alabama has extended an offer to Clarizio, and surely, it is an opportunity he is going to consider.

https://x.com/jace_clarizio/status/1854158523963175289

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2025 LHP Cole Hubert has committed to Texas A&M baseball

Texas A&M baseball earns commitment from a talented 2025 pitcher out of Hellertown, PA

Texas A&M baseball coach Michael Earley lands another pitcher, getting a commitment from a top player in Pennsylvania. On Monday, left-handed pitcher Cole Hubert, out of Hellertown, PA, announced via social media that he will join the Aggies in Bryan-College Station.

Hubert has some room to grow and is a slick pitcher with his fastball topping out in the low 90s. During his junior season, he led his high school to a District 11 Class 3A title and a staggering 158 strikeouts. John Kelly will have a great arm to mold, and Hubert is an under-the-radar pickup that will blossom into a solid relief pitcher with time.

In this day and age pitchers are throwing harder at a younger age there can never be enough pitchers in the rotation. Hubert fits right in that mold, and we can’t wait to see him in the Maroon & White.

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