Hoop Hall Classic: AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Tyran Stokes among the main storylines

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The 2025 Hoop Hall Classic will take place January 16-20 inside Blake Arena at Springfield College. Over 60 players ranked by On3 in their respective classes along with 15 of the top 25 teams in the National On3 High School Boys Basketball Composite Rankings will be competing over the five-day span.

This event is a must-attend across the high school basketball landscape with everything from top performances, commitments, recruiting information, and more traditionally taking place. The event is put on by the Basketball Hall of Fame.

2025 Hoop Hall Classic Website

While there are a lot of storylines set to take place, here are five that I will be watching as I sit courtside for the event.

All Four Uncommitted 2025 Five-Stars Will Participate

November saw the early signing period for the 2025 class come and go. Thirteen players, among the top 100 players in the class remain uncommitted as we head toward the April signing period. Four of those 13 players are rated as five-star prospects: Nate Ament, Caleb Wilson, Koa Peat, and Brayden Burries.

As we go down the line of these four, it will be interesting to watch as commitment timelines start to form. Ament and Burries have scheduled visits after the Hoop Hall Classic. Peat has visited each of his final five schools, and the same with Wilson. It does sound like Wilson’s commitment could come sooner rather than later and he has maintained a deadline of January over the past few weeks.

Peat’s five finalists are Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, and Texas. It is widely thought to be an Arizona and Arizona State battle (the latest recruiting intel). Wilson’s final five schools are Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, UCF, and Ohio State. It is widely thought to be a UNC and Kentucky battle (the latest recruiting intel). On3 released Ament’s final schools 11 earlier this week. He has taken four official visits and has two more, Duke and Kansas State, set. Burries has not released a top group yet, but he has taken four official visits, with one upcoming – January 20 – to Tennessee.

Continue to pay attention throughout the weekend. Not only is the Hoop Hall Classic a forum where five-star prospects liked VJ Edgecombe, Ian Jackson, etc. have committed in the past, but information could/should continue to trickle out as the weekend goes along with player recruitments.

Can anyone catch AJ Dybantsa as 2025’s No. 1?

AJ Dybantsa has been the number one player in his class since the first ranking of his cycle. Every subsequent update saw the 6-foot-9 wing remain at the top of the list. As things stand, it does not appear any player is in line to make a push for Dybantsa’s top spot, but the race for No. 2 could get interesting.

Duke signee Cam Boozer currently occupies the No. 2 spot. He is followed by (in order) Nate Ament, Chris Cenac, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson. In the eyes of On3, when it comes to rankings and projection, this group of players has elevated itself into a tier of its own in this recruiting cycle.

Including Dybantsa, five of these six players will play at some point during the 2025 Hoop Hall Classic. Chris Cenac’s Branson (MO) Link Academy team is not on the schedule. This setting will provide yet another data point in the three-plus years of accumulated information and viewings.

+ Dybantsa plays at 7:00 PM EST on Sunday on ESPN2 against MaxPreps No. 3 ranked Montverde (FL) Academy.

+ Boozer plays at 5:30 PM EST on Saturday on the NBA app against Tyran Stokes and Sherman Oaks (CA) Notre Dame High, and again on Monday on ESPNU at 1:00 PM EST against Koa Peat and Gilbert (AZ) Perry High.

+ Ament plays at 8:45 PM EST on Sunday on BallerTV against Darryn Peterson and Napa (CA) Prolific Prep.

+ Peterson plays at 8:45 PM EST on Sunday on BallerTV against Nate Ament and Warrenton (VA) Highland School.

+ Wilson plays at 10:30 AM EST on Saturday on BallerTV against Tounde Yessoufou and Santa Maria (CA) St. Joseph’s.

On3 only has two more updates to go in this 2025 recruiting cycle. The order of players two through six will be interesting in how they play out over the next few months.

Cam Boozer vs. Koa Peat

When it comes to resume, perhaps no two players over the past handful of years have experienced more decorated high school careers than Five-Star Plus+ prospects Cam Boozer and Koa Peat. Boozer carries three state championships, three Nike Peach Jam championships, two FIBA gold medals, and a Gatorade National Player of the Year honor.

On the other hand, Peat has three state championships, three FIBA gold medals, and two Gatorade Arizona State Player of the Year awards. The two won a lot early, and they have each remained central figures in their team’s winning – in every setting – throughout high school.

Peat, a 6-foot-8 uncommitted power forward, will face off head-to-head with 6-foot-9 Duke signee Cam Boozer on Monday, 3:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Tyran Stokes and Christian Collins battle for No. 1 in 2026

Tyran Stokes recently took over the No. 1 overall spot in On3’s 2026 recruiting rankings. Moving up right behind Stokes, from No. 6 to No. 2 was Christian Collins.

Stokes is the industry No. 1 player in the class, and On3 is the only service to have Collins ranked inside the top five. However, the upward trajectory of Collins actually makes the Stokes conversation one that could become interesting.

As things stand, Collins will need to continue tightening pieces of his game while adding strength to his lengthy frame. He is newer to the list and is currently chasing down Stokes, who has remained in the top two since the first class of 2026 ranking dropped. While at the 2025 Hoop Hall Classic, Collins might not catch Stokes, but the growth will be worth monitoring over the next few months.

Other players ranked among the top 25 players in the 2026 On3 150 who are scheduled to play, are No. 7 PF Miikka Muurinen (Chandler (AZ) AZ Compass), No. 8 SG Jordan Smith (Fairfax (VA) Paul VI), No. 9 PG Dylan Mingo (Long Island (NY) Lutheran), No. 14 SG Kayden Allen (Montverde (FL) Academy), No. 23 SF Caleb Gaskins (Montverde (FL) Academy), and No. 24 C Darius Ratliff (White Plains (NY) Archbishop Stepinac).

Collins’ Bellflower (CA) St John Bosco team will play Fairfax (VA) Paul VI and On3’s No. 8 ranked Jordan Smith at 4:00 PM EST on Saturday on the NBA app. Right after that game, on the NBA app at 5:30 PM EST, Stokes’ Sherman Oaks (CA) Notre Dame High will play Cam Boozer and Miami (FL) Columbus High.

Obinna Ekezie Jr and Bruce Branch headline 2027s to watch

While a lot of the focus is on the senior (2025) and junior (2026) classes, there are some good players in the sophomore (2027) class featured in the 2025 Hoop Hall Classic. In fact, there are four players ranked in the top 10 of On3’s 2027 rankings participating.

The highest-ranked player in 2027 is No. 3 Bruce Branch, a 6-foot-7 wing from Gilbert (AZ) Perry High. No. 4 ranked Obinna Ekezie is a 7-foot-0 center at Napa (CA) Prolific Prep. The other two players ranked in On3’s top 10 are No. 8 overall King Gibson at Montverde (FL) Academy and No. 9 ranked Moussa Kamissoko at Long Island (NY) Lutheran.

It is still very early in the cycle for the 2027 class, and with the fluid nature of rankings, there is sure to be movement along the way. Events like this one, where there are so many teams and so many top-ranked players, and is an intriguing platform for an unknown player to create his buzz.

2025 Hoop Hall Classic Schedule

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

1:00 PM – Boys – Ridgefield High School, CT vs. Santa Barbara High School, CA   –   BallerTV
3:00 PM – Girls – Christ the King High School, NY vs. Ontario Christian School, CA   –   BallerTV
4:30 PM – Girls – Sidwell Friends School, DC vs. Archbishop Mitty High School, CA   –   BallerTV
6:00 PM – Boys – IMG Academy, FL  vs. Wasatch Academy, UT   –   NBA    
7:30 PM – Boys – Oak Hill Academy, VA vs. Montverde Academy, FL   –   NBA    
9:00 PM – Boys – Springfield Central High School, MA vs. Peabody Magnet High School, LA   –   BallerTV

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 – SESSION 1

9:00 AM – Girls – Sacred Heart Academy, CT vs. Christ the King High School, NY   –   BallerTV
10:30 AM – Boys – Holy Innocents School, GA vs. St. Joseph High School, CA   –   BallerTV
12:00 PM – Boys – Brewster Academy, NH vs. IMG Academy, FL   –   BallerTV
1:30 PM – Girls – Morris Catholic High School, NJ vs. Archbishop Mitty High School, CA   –   NBA

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 – SESSION 2

4:00 PM – Boys – Paul VI High School, VA vs. St. John Bosco, CA   –   NBA
5:30 PM – Boys – Columbus High School, FL vs. Notre Dame High School, CA   –   NBA
7:00 PM – Boys – Grayson High School, GA vs. Sierra Canyon School, CA   –   NBA
9:00 PM – Boys – LaLumiere School, IN vs. Wasatch Academy, UT   –   BallerTV

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 – SESSION 1

8:30 AM – Boys – Sidwell Friends School, DC vs. Owyhee High School, ID   –   BallerTV
10:00 AM – Boys – DeMatha Catholic High School, MD vs. Whitney Young High School, IL   –   BallerTV     
11:30 PM – Boys – Archbishop Stepinac High School, NY vs. Richmond Heights High School, OH   –   BallerTV
1:00 PM – Boys – Brewster Academy, NH vs. Oak Hill Academy, VA   –   ESPN+

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 – SESSION 2

3:15 PM – Boys – Long Island Lutheran, NY vs. Arizona Compass Prep, AZ   –   ESPN+
5:00 PM – Girls – Long Island Lutheran, NY vs. IMG Academy, FL   –   ESPN2
7:00 PM – Boys – Montverde Academy, FL vs. Utah Prep, UT   –   ESPN2
8:45 PM – Boys – Highland School, VA vs. Prolific Prep, CA   –   BallerTV

MONDAY, JANUARY 20

9:00 AM – Girls – Incarnate Word School, MO vs. Etiwanda High School, CA   –   ESPNU
11:00 AM – Boys – Gonzaga College High School, DC vs. Roosevelt High School, CA   –   ESPNU
1:00 PM – Boys – Columbus High School, FL vs. Perry High School, AZ   –   ESPNU
3:00 PM – Boys – Montverde Academy, FL vs. Arizona Compass Prep, AZ   –   ESPNU
5:00 PM – Boys – Long Island Lutheran, NY vs. LaLumiere School, IN   –   ESPNU