The updated national rankings for the class of 2024 are now live. And with it comes a new No. 1 player in the country as Don Bosco Prep (NJ) star Dylan Harper has risen to the top spot in the class for the first time.

Top 150 rankings for class of 2024

Harper (the son of former NBA champion and All-Star Ron Harper) is a big, legitimate combo guard who is equally effective playing on and off the ball. He has good positional size at 6’5, a strong frame and a long, 6-foot-10 wingspan. Harper owns a balanced and versatile floor game with the ability to attack defenders in a multitude of ways. This was display during this spring’s EYBL when he put up 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the floor.

Harper’s pursuit of the top spot is complete. He now has the very difficult task becomes defending it which won’t be easy as we head into the summer recruiting period. In fact, there are three other stars who have the chance to steal Harper’s top spot in the upcoming months.

After starting his junior year ranked ranked No. 15 overall in September, Airious “Ace” Bailey has climbed all the way up to the second spot. The Rutgers may still have more to go to show, too.

The McEachern (GA) standout’s physical tools set the bar in this class. He is 6’8 with a 7-foot wingspan and explosive athleticism. Bailey impressed in flashes earlier this spring at the USA Basketball mini-camp. He will have another major opportunity to prove his worth next week as he heads to Colorado for the USA Basketball’s U19 trials.

What makes the race between Harper and Bailey so compelling is that it’s possible they end up as future teammates. No, I’m not talking about some of the typical blue blood schools. Of all places, these two dynamic players could end up dominating at Rutgers. Bailey is already committed to the Scarlet Knights and Harper is strongly thinking about following him to New Brunswick.

Of course, the former No. 1 player in the class, Tre Johnson (currently No. 3), isn’t out of this race yet. A volume scoring guard and tough shot-maker, Johnsons made clear physical strides within the last year and is far from a finished product. If the Lake Highlands (TX) shooting guard can get a little more efficient and show that he can dictate winning on a consistent basis, then it’s definitely possible for him to regain the title of the class’ top player.

Then, there’s Flory Bidunga. Ironically, the Kokomo (IN) big man doesn’t get as much buzz in the “Top Player” conversation as the formerly mentioned athletes. But, he’s quietly making waves to improve his argument.

The most prominent case to be made is that Bidunga is an absolutely dominant physical player. He’s long, powerful and athletic. Bidunga’s critics like to say he’s an “undersized big” but he has yet to be limited by his lack of size. Additionally, he’s adding to his versatility and overall skillset. He’s doing all of this while also being an impactful defender and rebounder.

With Bidunga interjecting himself into this sprint to the top, the three-man weave of Harper, Bailey and Johnson is now a four-man race. This Big 4 headlines the latest class of 2024’s national rankings and it also puts pressure on Harper to hold on to his new crown heading into the summer.