As the season progressed, player rankings were updated in real time.
The NCAA needed no introduction—with many talented players preparing for this year's draft, ESPN was paying close attention.
These college players could very well become the next league superstars.
At the same time, high school basketball had its own rankings and coverage.
"After a relatively quiet draft year, we may be heading into an exciting 'golden generation.' While it's too early to draw conclusions, I believe these players will shine once they reach college."
No. 1: Kyrie Irving
A senior at St. Patrick High School in New Jersey.
Physically, Irving might not stand out—not as tall as some, not as athletic as others.
But his ball-handling was absolutely historic. He could do anything he wanted while dribbling, his strikes quick as a snake's, making him nearly impossible to stop.
As his defender, all you could do was pray for luck.
His explosiveness and speed let him shake defenders, and he was an excellent decision-maker. His crossovers were devastating, but he never showed off just for the sake of it.
No. 2: Tristan Thompson
If Irving had a shot at being the top pick in next year's or the following year's draft, Thompson was a top-three talent.
This big man from Findlay Prep stood 6'8" and weighed 253 pounds. His athleticism let him handle switches, and his quick second jump made him fearless against interior beasts. With him protecting the rim, the defense was ironclad.
No. 3: Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker's rise was inevitable. Last season, he led Rice High School on a Cinderella run. This New York-born guard was explosively quick—his first step was almost invisible. His aggression and incredible strength were his greatest assets.
He could score from anywhere, averaging 27.4 points last season. In half-court or transition, he couldn't be guarded one-on-one. He broke through traps effortlessly, changed direction without slowing down, and finished with creativity.
These three were currently the most anticipated high school players.
Beyond Irving, Thompson, and Walker, the article identified numerous other talented young players:
Brandon Knight, Pine Crest School, PG. Markieff Morris, Philadelphia's PC High School, PF/SF. Derrick Williams, Arizona High School, SF/PF. ...
This ESPN list, based on game performance, represented the top ten high school players nationally—all tagged as five-star recruits.
And they deserved it. Most of these players would eventually reach the NBA.
Beyond the top ten, the article also mentioned Yuuto.
Yuuto (Yu), Covanord High School, Scoring Guard/Small Forward.
Yu is absolutely this year's biggest discovery in Indiana. As he said in his interview: Asia and America are no different—because he keeps winning.
He possesses athleticism uncommon for Asian players while maintaining the excellent touch typical of them. He always finds ways to put the ball in the basket from angles people don't expect.
His style isn't flashy—not like Irving's or Kemba's—but he's definitely a "filter" for casual fans, achieving separation through simple moves.
As a scorer, he's currently averaging 34.7 points. Beyond that, he seems to possess Nash Gold Jr.'s visual gift, which explains his 6.9 assists per game.
If he hadn't arrived so recently—if we had more footage—he would be ranked in the top ten. Regardless, he's a talent who cannot be ignored.
Whether he can crack the top ten remains to be seen. We'll continue tracking him. Yu is only a sophomore, so we have plenty of time to learn more.
This was ESPN's latest report on young players.
Fans discussed it eagerly, debates raging in the comments.
Yuuto attracted considerable attention too. While not as famous as homegrown talents like Irving, he'd definitely entered the public consciousness.
What he needed now was to accumulate—to put up better performances and prove his potential, securing a bright future.
While Yuuto grinded in America, many people back in Japan were following his progress.
Like Seirin's basketball club.
Their goal this year was singular: win the Inter-High or Winter Cup championship.
Last year's defeat hadn't broken Seirin—it had strengthened their resolve to reach the top.
By now, Hyūga Junpei, Kiyoshi Teppei, and Izuki Shun had entered their senior year.
Their skills had reached national level—elite, even.
Kuroko and Kagami had become second-years, their synergy even more refined.
In the district preliminaries, they'd defeated both Tōō and Shūtoku to claim the top seed.
This was possible because Kagami had fully mastered the method to enter the second door of the Zone.
They were celebrating their victory, gathering to eat after practice, when Koganei Shinji suddenly started shouting while scrolling on his phone.
"So cool! He made the papers!"
"What's so cool? Who made the papers?"
Hyūga was used to his teammates' intense internet browsing habits. Koganei always found things the rest of them overlooked.
"Yuuto! He's on ESPN! He made the national rankings—they're calling him one of the young talents most likely to make the NBA!"
Yuuto?!
The moment that name came up, Kagami stopped shoveling food into his mouth.
He quickly swallowed everything and pushed through the crowd.
Unlike Aomine, Kagami understood English—he'd grown up in America after all.
After reading the article, he took a deep breath.
He understood better than anyone at Seirin just how difficult these achievements were.
To put it in perspective: America currently had about 30,000 high schools.
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