Hoophall Classic to showcase top high school talent
By JAMES MADDEN
The 2026 Panini Hoophall Classic will once again feature a laundry list of elite high school talent, with the event finalizing its 2026 field in recent weeks and the event scheduled to begin on Thursday, January 15. The event has hosted 12 of the last 15 No. 1 overall draft picks and is set to feature 56 players in ESPN’s Top 100 for the class of 2026.
Among the elite talent expected to take the court in Springfield, five-star and top prospect Tyran Stokes, who remains uncommitted, will headline that list.
In addition to Stokes, the event will feature nine of the top ten recruits in ESPN’s Top 100 for the class of 2026. The list of top ten recruits headed to Springfield this January is listed below.
| Rank | Player | School |
| #1 | Tyran Stokes | Rainier Beach High School |
| #2 | Cameron Willams | Phoenix St. Mary’s (Committed to Duke) |
| #3 | Jordan Smith | Paul VI High School |
| #4 | Jason Crowe | Inglewood High School (Missouri) |
| #5 | Caleb Holt | Prolific Prep |
| #6 | Bruce Branch III | Prolific Prep |
| #8 | Christian Collins | St. John Bosco High School |
| #9 | Dylan Mingo | Long Island Lutheran High School |
| #10 | Adonis Ratliff | Archbishop Stepinac High School (USC) |
“The Panini Hoophall Classic, under the leadership of Greg Procino and the entire Hall of Fame staff, continues to be the nation’s biggest and best high school basketball event,” said Paul Biancardi, National Director of Recruiting at ESPN. “The game matchups have an abundance of nationally ranked teams and prospects going head-to-head from The ESPN SC NEXT rankings platform. This longstanding event ties in the unique opportunity for players, coaches, and fans to experience the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Each year, we witness the future stars of high school and college basketball, along with the NBA draft.”
The event has seen a plethora of NBA talent come to Springfield in past years, including the likes of Kevin Durant (2006), Kyrie Irving (2010), Anthony Davis (2011), Karl-Anthony Towns (2014), Jaylen Brown (2015), Jamal Murray (2015), Bam Adebayo (2016), Jayson Tatum (2016), Zion Williamson (2018), Cade Cunningham (2020), Jared McCain (2023), and Cooper Flagg (2024).
The Hoophall Classic remains scheduled for January 15-19 and will be held at Springfield College, Western New England University and Duggan Academy.
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