2029 Ranks Update and Overview

High school ball wrapped up months ago, but the gym lights never really dimmed. Spring rolled straight into a full slate of club basketball, and summer has kept that momentum going with tournaments, team camps, and showcases lining up week after week across the region. For the 2029 class, this stretch carries extra weight. These players are still early in their high school journeys, but the spring and summer evaluation circuit offers a real opportunity to start carving out an identity, get on the radar of coaches and evaluators, and lay the groundwork for where they'll stand in the years ahead. The names who show up and perform during this window are the ones starting to separate themselves.

In this latest 2029 Ranks Update and Overview, Prep Hoops Dakotas takes a fresh look at where things stand for the class as the summer evaluation period rolls on. There's already been plenty of movement to track, and plenty more on the horizon as the calendar fills out.

Basketball never stops and neither do we. Let's dive into the updated landscape of the 2029 class.

Top 12

CLICK HERE FOR FULL 2029 RANKINGS

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROSPECT RANKINGS

How do you guys decide where a player gets ranked? Let me tell you….

North Dakota's Prep Hoops prospect rankings are compiled by our writers with input from high school, AAU, and college coaches who watch a ton of North Dakota basketball. We put a lot of time and energy into it — probably too much! — and we are as diligent as we can possibly be to get it right. We never intentionally set out to bury a kid or leave them off the list. We try not to be biased — other than favoring kids with talent, grit, and a desire to get better. We work hard at being fair. But at the end of the day, not everyone will be happy, and that's OK. Rankings are updated four times a year, October, January, March, and June. Here are some other important things you should know.

– College coaches have a lot of influence. If there is no clear consensus on the top players in each class, we give them the last word.

– AAU matters. In the winter update, we are obviously adding players who are having great high school seasons. This is the primary opportunity for athletes who don't play AAU ball to make their mark. It is a reality, however, that players who do not play AAU are greatly diminishing their opportunity to make the prospect rankings. They are also limiting their opportunities to play college basketball since being seen by 10 coaches is statistically less likely to yield the desired result than being seen by 100.

– Most importantly, this list is about college potential, not current performance. Let me repeat that. THIS LIST IS ABOUT COLLEGE POTENTIAL, NOT CURRENT PERFORMANCE. This is the big one, the factor that causes the most consternation, and the most misunderstanding, especially among keenly interested parents.