Spring travel ball and scholastic live periods lead to another 2027 Rivals 150 ranking update

On Tuesday, Rivals updated its class of 2027 player rankings for the second time. This is the first update for the 2027 class to have a full 150 players. The movement and additions are based on 1) in-person player evaluations from the first half of the travel season and 2) film study and intel gathered on prospects since the previous update. 

Updated 2027 Rivals 150 player rankings

Since the last update in March, the Rivals team has attended a number of travel tournaments and showcases, national invite-only camps, two scholastic live periods, along with practices and scrimmages. With multiple events taking place every week(end), Rivals has also collected streams and film to comb through for the maximum exposure of countless events and players.

The ranking process is a continual and often fluid one. Rivals starts ranking recruits after their freshman-year travel seasons, before their sophomore years of high school. Each recruit can look a lot different for our final ranking after their senior year championships and all-star games are played. 

We have spent the last several weeks working on this 2027 update so that it will reflect the most accurate and current representation of the recruiting cycle. This work has resulted in expanding the list from 100 to 150 players, the first full listing for this cycle.

These prospects are just over halfway through their travel season between their sophomore and junior years. Our next class update for 2027 will come just before the start of their high school seasons. 

The goal of rankings at Rivals is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential. As we continue forward, a player’s performance on the court and their continued growth will outweigh the earlier rankings. Again, every player’s arc is different, and each ranking is a snapshot in time. 

Updated 2027 Player Rankings

Here are some storylines from Rivals’ first full update of the 2027 recruiting cycle. 

Grading the 2026 Rivals 150

The basketball player rankings scale is as follows: five-star prospects have grades 98-100, four-star recruits have grades 90-97, and 80-89 grades are for three stars. 

At this point in the cycle, there are no prospects with five stars and a rating of 98 or higher. The players ranked Nos. 1 to 89 are classified as four-star prospects with grades from 90-97. The remainder of the 150 and position rankings are considered three-star prospects. 

Our goal is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. The goal of the ranking is not to assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we will shoot to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects, following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. Our vision, as we end each cycle, is draft night.

Bruce Branch III takes over No. 1 position

This is the third update of the 2027 On3 ranking, and the first of a full 150 names. Bruce Branch III, a 6-foot-7 small forward who recently announced his transfer to Fort Lauderdale (FL) Prolific Prep. Obinna Ekezie, who previously held serve at No. 1, fell to No. 2 in this update.

Branch is a creating wing, someone that On3 has pretty consistently been higher on than the industry up to this point in the process. With Branch, you see the physical tools. Someone who has plus size with good length and a frame that projects well as he continues to grow. He is a good athlete and has natural anticipation on both ends of the floor.

In high school, Branch played alongside former five-star Koa Peat, now a freshman at Arizona. Through the playoff run to another state championship, you started to see Branch come out of his shell, playing with a lot of confidence. Peat was playing through a broken hand, so Branch was asked for more. Coming into travel season, playing with the Compton Magic program on the Adidas 3SSB 17u Circuit, Branch played with a high level of confidence that he has maintained throughout the summer.

Branch is comfortable initiating plays off the bounce, but also finishing plays at the rim. Playing up in age, Branch is shooting 38.9 percent from three and averaging 1.6 blocks while scoring 17.2 points per game on the circuit. He is showing defensive instincts along with a versatile scoring package. Looking at his frame and room for growth, at this point in the process, there is simply too much to ignore for Branch and his continued development.

Ekezie is a true 7-foot-0 center. Someone capable of putting another big on his back and winning in his space on the offensive end. Ekezie has good hands/touch, he has good defensive timing, and he has a comfortable go-to and a couple of counters to play off that. Looking at the top of the 2027 class, the positional usage of a center is much less than that of a playmaking wing. Even given the unique nature of the highest-level big men in the game of basketball, the value of a player who has the ball in hand and is asked to create opportunities is tough not to acknowledge at this point in the process.

Nas Anderson is the No. 1 PG in the 2027 update

Fort Lauderdale (FL) Prolific Prep point guard Nasir Anderson jumped from No. 20 to No. 9 in the recent 2027 Rivals 150 ranking update. The 6-foot-2 Anderson now sits atop a talented position group for this cycle.

Anderson is a vicious point of attack lead guard. He utilizes twitchy athleticism, a tenacious mentality, and physical strength to keep opponents out of the paint while having the balance and crafty handle to consistently be able to put pressure on the front of the rim. Anderson earned MVP of the FIBA U16 Americas Cup, where he helped the USA win a gold medal.

Following Anderson is Houston (TX) Second Baptist point guard Reese Alston. The son of former NBA point guard Rafer Alston plays with an incredible pace, getting anywhere on the floor he wants and consistently making correct reads in the teeth of the defense. Davion Thompson, the 6-foot-1 point guard at Branson (MO) Link Academy, has excellent balance, innately playing off two feet and finding advantages. Cayden Daughtry is a shot-maker who plays with no fear, and Scottie Adkinson, a Missouri commitment, is a tough and physical lead guard.

This recruiting cycle has five point guards currently ranked among the top-25 players in the class. With multiple years remaining to monitor growth, this should be a fun group to continue tracking as they continue to progress.

1. Nasir Anderson, Fort Lauderdale (FL) Prolific Prep (No. 9)
2. Reese Alston, Houston (TX) Second Baptist (No. 14)
3. Davion Thompson, Branson (MO) Link Academy (No. 21)
4. Cayden Daughtry, Fort Lauderdale (FL) Calvary Christian (No. 24)
5. Scottie Adkinson, Webster Groves (MO) High (No. 29)

Florida leads the way with 17 players in the 2027 On3 150

Seventeen players in the updated 2027 Rivals 150 play their high school basketball in the state of Florida. The top-ranked prospect who currently calls the Sunshine State home is Nasir Anderson, at No. 9 overall. Anderson is a 6-foot-2 point guard at Fort Lauderdale (FL) Prolific Prep. In all, 35 states and Canada are represented in the updated ranking

1. Florida, 17
2. Georgia, 12
3. Texas, 11
4. North Carolina, 10
5. Arizona, 9
6. California, 8
7. Missouri, 8
8. Ohio, 7
9. Wisconsin, 5
10. Illinois, 5