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The Hoophall Classic tips off Thursday in Springfield, Massachusetts in what is unquestionably the most loaded boys high school basketball event of the year.
In addition to the top eight teams in the country, the individual talent is undeniable.
While a handful of top-ranked players may miss due to lingering injuries, a scan of the highest-ranked Class of 2026 recruits listed by 247sports.com reveals that 46 of the top 68 prospects play for teams that will be participating in the Hoophall event. The top six players from the Class of 2027 and eight of the top 10 will also be there along with a handful of the nation's top sophomores from the Class of 2028.
Here are our picks for the best head-to-head matchups to watch this weekend.
HOOPHALL CLASSIC FULL PREVIEWS: Boys | Girls
Top prospects at Hoophall Classic: Matchups to watch
PG Deron Rippey Jr. (Blair Academy) vs. SF Elijah Williams (TMI-Episcopal)
10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 17 — Blair Academy's Deron Rippey Jr. is the Class of 2026's No. 2-ranked point guard, and he's a future Duke Blue Devil who jumps out of the gym. TMI-Episcopal's Elijah Williams is the No. 3-ranked recruit at any position in the state of Texas, and he'll play for Baylor at the next level.
CG Dylan Mingo, SF Kayden Allen (Long Island Lutheran) vs. CG Kaden House, SG Quincy Wadley, SG Kalek House (AZ Compass Prep)
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12 p.m., Saturday, January 17 — Mingo and Allen form a dangerous combo for Long Island Lutheran, and Mingo is one of the top unsigned prospects in the Class of 2026, ranked No. 6 overall. Allen has already signed with Cincinnati. AZ Compass Prep counters with the House twins – Kaden and Kalek – who form, perhaps, the nation's top guard trio with Quincy Wadley (uncommitted). Kaden has signed with Maryland while Kalek will play for Xavier. Kaden and Kalek are the sons of longtime NBA player Eddie House.
PF Caleb Gaskins (Columbus) vs. CG Brandon McCoy, SF Maximo Adams (Sierra Canyon)
4 p.m. Saturday, January 17 — Now that Cameron and Cayden Boozer are off to Duke, it's Gaskins' time to shine for SN's reigning national champion Columbus. Gaskins is staying closd to home as he's committed to play for the Miami Hurricanes next year.
McCoy and Adams are a dynamic duo with McCoy's college destination still undetermined while Adams has signed with North Carolina.
SG Jasiah Jervis, C Darius Ratliff, PF Adonis Ratliff (Archbishop Stepinac) vs. SF Cole Cloer, PF Chase Foster, SF Ralph Scott, SF Aziz Olajuwon, PG Trey Beamer, C Maxime Meyer (IMG Academy)
5:30 p.m. Saturday, January 17 — Hakeem Olajuwon and Theo Ratliff faced each other seven times in the NBA. Now, their sons will square off.
Twins Darius and Adonis Ratliff, both committed to USC, star for Archbishop Stepinac. Future Michigan State guard Jasiah Jervis gives the Crusaders a bigtime backcourt threat as well.
IMG, meanwhile is loaded with stars at virtually every position, and their lineup reads like a future All-ACC team with Olajuwon (Stanford), Cloer (NC State), Foster (Pitt), Beamer (Boston College), and Meyer (Duke) all headed for ACC schools. Scott, on the other hand, will head to the SEC after signing with Tennessee.
SF Abdou Toure (Notre Dame-West Haven) vs. CG Jason Crowe Jr. (Inglewood)
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7 p.m. Saturday, January 17 — This matchup could be a preview of their future battles in the SEC with Toure headed to Arkansas and Crowe Jr. bound for Missouri.
SF Tajh Ariza, C Ethan Taylor, SF Luca Foster, PG Carlos Medlock Jr., C Tristan Reed (Link Academy) vs. Joe Philon, Jayden Hodge (Montverde Academy)
9 p.m. Saturday, January 17 — Link Academy's stacked lineup includes future stars for Oregon (Ariza), Michigan State (Taylor and Medlock Jr.), Gonzaga (Foster), and Mississippi State (Reed). Montverde Academy's Hodge (Northwestern) will likely run into several of those guys in the Big 10 while Philon has yet to settle on a college destination.
SF Qayden Samuels (Bishop McNamara) vs. Tyran Stokes (Rainier Beach)
1:30 p.m. Sunday, January 18 — Neither Samuels nor Stokes has signed their name on the dotted line for any college recruiters, yet, but Stokes is the overall No. 1 player in the Class of 2026 and is reportedly leaning toward Kansas. Samuels, meanwhile, appears to be a lock for Alabama at this point.
PG Miles Sadler, SF Vaughn Karvala (CIA-Bella Vista) vs. SF Cole Cloer, PF Chase Foster, SF Ralph Scott, SF Aziz Olajuwon, PG Trey Beamer, C Maxime Meyer (IMG Academy)
4 p.m. Sunday, January 18 — CIA-Bella Vista's duo of Sadler (West Virginia) and Karvala (Indiana) will take on IMG's senior sextet in this battle pitting one of Arizona's top squads against the Florida power.
CG Austin Goosby, SG DaKari Spear (Dynamic Prep) vs. SG Caleb Holt, SF Bruce Branch III, C Davion Adkins (Prolific Prep)
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11 a.m. Monday, January 19 — Dynamic Prep's Goosby will head to Austin to play for Texas when his run at Dynamic Prep comes to a close, and his teammate Spear will play for Texas Tech. Prolific Prep's Holt and Branch III remain unsigned while Adkins is headed to Kansas next year.
CG Jordan Smith (Paul VI) vs. PF Cameron Williams (St. Mary's)
1 p.m. Monday, January 19 — Perhaps the single most exciting individual matchup of the entire Hoophall event is this battle between potential future teammates Jordan Smith and Cameron Williams. Williams has already signed with Duke while Smith is widely expected to join him in Durham, NC.
PF Caleb Gaskins (Columbus) vs. PF Christian Collins (St. John Bosco)
3 p.m. Monday, January 19 — As noted above, the 4-star Gaskins will head to the University of Miami next, but he'll get a chance to go head-to-head with the unsigned 5-star Collins. This is one of the event's better individual matchups involving two players going against each other at the same position.
Other top matchups involving players listed above
5:30 p.m. Sunday, January 18 — Long Island Lutheran vs. Montverde Academy
9 p.m. Sunday, January 18 — Link Academy vs. AZ Compass Prep
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