College basketball mentors have become increasingly vocal about the recruiting scene, especially after suspicious questions about the quality of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Such concerns are intensifying since coaches see a significant decrease in the 2026 recruiting period, with very few top talents committing early and an uncommon level of uncertainty in recruiting compared to previous years.
Recruiting Concerns Mirror NBA Draft Depth Worries
The concerns from college coaches extend beyond just the 2025 NBA Draft skepticism to fundamental changes reshaping how recruiting works. Travis Branham of 247Sports noted:
“Recruiting in Flux: Transfer portal, revenue sharing are disrupting 2026 class recruitments.” He emphasized, “I don’t think kids realize the House Settlement means that these big payments will be harder to come by.”
Recruiting in Flux: Transfer portal, revenue sharing are disrupting 2026 class recruitments.
“I don’t think kids realize the House Settlement means that these big payments will be harder to come by.” || VIP: https://t.co/ZlfaDMNTHO pic.twitter.com/rYimJ5Mk4j
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) June 18, 2025
Branham also highlighted the widespread confusion: “There’s an overarching lack of clarity as to how the 2026 recruiting class will shape out. Very few commitments are expected to come this summer, and it’s largely too soon to begin gauging leaders as schools and players figure out the new landscape.”
There’s an overarching lack of clarity as to how the 2026 recruiting class will shape out.
Very few commitments are expected to come this summer and it’s largely too soon to begin gauging leaders as schools and players figure out the new landscape. https://t.co/1e54KYtvNh
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) June 18, 2025
Adding to these concerns, Jeff Goodman from The Field of 68 tweeted: “Here’s the one overwhelming sentiment from college coaches on the high school Class of 2026: It’s underwhelming – not a lot of elite players.”
The numbers reinforce the coaches’ concerns about the slow pace of recruitment. A mere 13 out of the 150 most talented prospects in the 2026 class have been committed, while only two players have been chosen in the top 25. This is more than an unusually slow pace if we look at the recent summer recruiting cycles at this time.
A Power Five assistant coach told 247Sports: “I haven’t talked to one kid who is close to making a decision. We’re recruiting about 10 kids, and none of them are close.” This lack of movement is particularly striking given that the evaluation period and major camps have already concluded.
Two main factors are changing the recruiting landscape in college basketball. First, the transfer portal has changed the landscape for college programs. They are less reliant on high school recruits because they can fill their roster with players who have experience at the college level. This shift hurts the lower-rated high school players who need time to develop.
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The second major disruptor is the House Settlement’s revenue sharing model, which will permit schools to share up to $20.5 million yearly for “student athletes” who want to be considered school athletes during the 2025-26 school year.
This creates ambiguity about how college programs are supposed to distribute these resources. Power Five schools will set their sights on giving 70-75% of revenue sharing to football and 10-20% to men’s basketball.
The changes to the recruiting landscape force coaching staff and recruits to rethink their recruitment strategies. Simply put, college programs invest unprecedented sums of money in recruiting and developing players.
Reports have surfaced that eight men’s basketball programs are preparing to spend over $10 million on their roster for the 2025-26 school year. A lot of money makes the recruitment decisions harder for both sides.
These developments have led to a recruiting cycle filled with indecision and fewer early commitments. The uncertainty created by the depth of the NBA draft and the uncertainties associated with the structural changes in college athletics have created an environment where recruiting calendars and timelines no longer apply.