From the roaring crowd to squeaking sneakers on the hardwood, high school basketball is a beloved American pastime.
The sport's school roots date back to its 19th-century beginnings. After all, James Naismith invented basketball as a physical education activity. The concept of a state championship for high school basketball soon followed. Illinois, for example, held a state championship as early as 1908. Other states with early high school basketball championships include Indiana (first championship in 1911) and Wisconsin (1916).
Now, the sport is etched into the ethos of the American high school. Almost 900,000 student athletes play on their high school basketball team, according to 2024-25 school year data compiled by the National Federation of State High School Associations. That figure represents over 18,000 schools competing across all 50 states, grinding out games in high school gyms on dark winter nights.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 basketball recruits from Georgia using data from 247Sports. Athletes are ranked by their 247Sports Composite ranking.
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#10. Jalan Wingfield (PF)
- National rank: #148 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Georgia Tech
- Offers: Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Alabama, Auburn
- High school: Tri-Cities (Atlanta, GA)
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#9. Landyn Colyer (SG)
- National rank: #142 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #23
- College: uncommitted
- Offers: Florida State, Northwestern, Ole Miss, UCF, Virginia Tech
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
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#8. Asher Elson (PF)
- National rank: #131 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #22
- College: Xavier
- Offers: Xavier, Syracuse, Maryland, Auburn, Georgia Tech
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
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#7. Parker Robinson (SG)
- National rank: #117 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #17
- College: Oklahoma State
- Offers: Oklahoma State, Illinois, West Virginia, East Carolina, Old Dominion
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
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#6. Harris Reynolds (SG)
- National rank: #115 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #16
- College: Clemson
- Offers: Clemson, South Florida, Saint Louis, Virginia Tech, California
- High school: St. Pius X Catholic HS (Atlanta, GA)
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#5. Manny Green (PF)
- National rank: #102 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, California, South Florida, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, GA)
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#4. Moustapha Diop (C)
- National rank: #85 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Georgia Tech
- Offers: Georgia Tech, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
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#3. Adam Oumiddoch (SG)
- National rank: #47 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: St. John's
- Offers: St. John's, Illinois, LSU, Villanova, Oregon
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
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#2. Colben Landrew (SF)
- National rank: #29 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #12
- College: UConn
- Offers: UConn, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Louisville, Purdue
- High school: Wheeler (Marietta, GA)
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#1. Taylen Kinney (PG)
- National rank: #17 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #2
- College: Kansas
- Offers: Kansas, Arkansas, Oregon, Indiana, Kentucky
- High school: Overtime Elite (Atlanta, GA)
