2027 Rankings Update: Breaking down the top frontcourt prospects

January brought about a fresh update to our 2027 prospect rankings based on observations from the opening portion of the high school season. Keep reading for a look at the top handful of prospects among junior forwards and bigs across the state.    Jenkins holds down the top overall spot in the rankings thanks to a productive start to his junior year while having Wood in the thick of the PCL title race. The lanky rim-runner has continuously made strides in his offensive game while standing out on the other end as one of the elite rim protectors in his class nationally. He's a fly-swatter around the rim defensively who also has the mobility to play out on the floor and keep smaller players in front of him. He thrives as a lob or dumpoff threat offensively while slowly incorporating a perimeter game as a floor-spacer and decisionmaker out of dribble handoffs. He's not yet the most consistently dominant two-way force, but the flashes are there in spades and he remains on track as a prospect for the highest levels given the widely-known adage that bigs develop later.     Among the top long-term prospects in the western portion of the state, Ikamba has continued to stand out as an imposing rim protector while taking steps forward with his offensive game. Helping lead Sewickley to a perfect 14-0 start, he plays far bigger than his size thanks to his elite length and quick-twitch vertical explosiveness which allows him to wreak havoc as a shot-blocker and emphatic above-the-rim finisher. The native of DR Congo has developed into a consistent double-figure scorer while remaining one of the most impactful defensive presences in the state. It's readily apparent why Ikamba is already being pursued by a number of programs at varying levels of the D1 landscape.     One of the bigger stock-risers across this update to the rankings, Adedeji has quickly turned the corner from prospect to player while jumping into the varsity rotation for the first time. After biding his time mostly on JV last year, he's burst onto the scene as a regular starter for Judge, thriving as the lone consistent frontcourt presence in the Crusaders' normal rotation. Naturally more of a perimeter-oriented forward, he's begun effectively incorporating more of an interior game, showing soft hands and getting off the ground quickly to finish in traffic with burgeoning strength. He remains a threat to space the floor out to the arc, with enticing flashes off the dribble that point to considerable upside left to tap into. Still with the potential to reclass back to 2028 given that he won't turn 17 until the summer, Adedeji is a safe bet to earn traction at the D1 level heading into the spring and summer, with his ultimate ceiling still largely to be determined.     It's been a bit of a quiet winter for Oli as he bides his time among a deep, perimeter-oriented stable of talent at Westtown, but the upside in a translatable role remains impossible to ignore from a long-term prospect standpoint. With a massive wingspan and explosive vertical athleticism, Oli thrives in a simplified rim-running role, protecting the rim defensively and operating as a lob or dumpoff threat on the offensive end. He's shown steady signs of improvement over the past year and change with his best basketball still lying ahead of him. Oli's high-level physical tools and commitment to starring in his role should land him on D1 radars across a variety of levels as he continues to add in-game experience moving forward.     New on the radar after arriving from Turkey early in the school year, Gulecyuz made the highest debut in this update to the rankings. He's impressed thus far with his ability to space the floor as a prolific shooter from the frontcourt. While a bit slow of foot defensively and not a true rim protector, he uses his size and instinctive hands to clog driving lanes and bother opposing frontcourt players. We'll be eager to see more of his connective game offensively in further viewings and will be curious to see whether or not he hits the AAU circuit this coming spring. Nonetheless he's tracking as a likely D1 target with upside above the low-major level as we see more.

January brought about a fresh update to our 2027 prospect rankings based on observations from the opening portion of the high school season. Keep reading for a look at the top handful of prospects among junior forwards and bigs across the state.