Rivals Rankings Week: Roundtable on the 2024 rankings

Rivals.com became the first national publication to expand the class-of-2024 rankings beyond 100 this week, when it pushed the list to 125 names. The update also included a new No. 1 player in the country, as New York-based guard Ian Jackson seized the top spot.

Below, Rivals national analysts Rob Cassidy and Travis Graf discuss four topics related to the new rankings.

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Rivals Rankings Week: New No. 1 atop the 2024 rankings

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

2024 Rankings: Top 40

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Cassidy: I was the driving force behind sliding Asa Newell into the top 20, and that may just be a small step in the Florida-based prospect’s ascent. We have the 6-foot-9 forward much higher than any other service already, and Newell seems to improve with each passing month. He’s played his career thus far at a bit of an out-of-the-way high school in North Florida, but his exposure will increase as he polishes his game at famed Montverde Academy this season. Making him a five-star in the update seemed like a no-brainer.

Graf: I was a big advocate for bumping Flory Bidunga into the top 10. He’s been the most dominant big man regardless of class this summer and consistently produces on a game-to-game basis. He has an outrageous motor and tries to block and dunk everything at every opportunity. Bidunga runs the floor incredibly well and finishes at an extremely high rate around the basket.

Cassidy: There are a pair of extremely under-recruited guards in the top-100 in Robert Wright III and Tahaad Pettiford. Neither have the ideal size that NBA people will drool over, but each has the skillset to make almost any college team better. The hyper-explosive Pettiford is an elite athlete that can shoot the lights out when he gets going from deep. Meanwhile, Wright is one of the best passers in the class and boasts a blend of court vision, quickness and ball-handling that wows onlookers every time he takes the floor. Right now, Wright holds offers from programs such as Auburn, LSU, Miami, Penn State, Louisville and Syracuse. Pettiford holds them from Maryland, UCLA, UConn, LSU and others. Both have high-major opportunities already, sure, but the July live period should lead to more widespread attention.

Graf: Mikey Lewis is going to rack up a lot of high major offers within the next month or so. He received his first high major offer from Cal last week, and is starting to receive consistent interest from the higher level programs. He’s fantastic off of the bounce and can quickly fill up the stat sheet from either guard position. Lewis is a strong finisher at the rim, has a consistent pull-up jumper in the mid-range, and can deliver from the outside as well. He’s the ultimate competitor who is starting to turn the corner.

Cassidy: Dink Pate, who sits just outside of five-star status as things stand, has pro potential and a five-star ceiling. Pate seems to be coming into his own as of late and has posted a handful of impressive performances at recent camps and showcases. He has the size and the three-level scoring ability to turn heads. That’s clear. His battle right now is with consistency, as the talented guard sometimes plays like No. 11 and other times like No. 111. As his game levels out and he begins to make better decisions with the ball in his hands, he’ll realize his potential. Pate has the upside to see another bump in ranking prior to his senior year.

Graf: I think we have Ahmad Nowell too low, and he has a strong argument to be top 25-30 in the class. He’s great defensively, and has been very consistent for Team Final this spring while playing up on the 17U level. He’s shot 41-percent and 52-percent from the outside in two separate EYBL sessions to date. Nowell has a strong frame, and is very consistent at getting into the paint and finishing at the rim.

Cassidy: I’ve seen only a brief snippet of Godswill Erheriene live because the 6-foot-9 forward turned his ankle and left the game while I was watching, but the video on him is encouraging and people I trust in the industry are extremely high on his future. He’s a guy that seems to have big potential and will likely be a highly ranked prospect in the future.

Graf: Jayden Harris is someone who continues to blow up and has added a handful of Power Five offers. He’s a strong outside shooter that’s versatile on the defensive end due to his length and athleticism. Harris is a player who is just scratching the surface of what he can be and there’s a definite possibility that he’s in four-star status in the next update.