Louisville Deemed Leader for Fast-Rising 4-Star Wing, Per Analyst

Louisville is deemed the leader for the time being in the recruitment of a fast-rising 2026 four-star wing, per a national analyst. Jamie Shaw of Rivals writes that everyone is “chasing” Louisville for four-star shooting guard/small forward Colben Landrew, who hails from Alabaster, Ala.

Louisville Deemed Leader for Fast-Rising 4-Star Wing, Per Analyst

The 6-foot-6 Landrew has seen his stock in the 2026 class soar after winning a title on the AAU circuit in July. He has officially visited Ole Miss, Purdue and Louisville. Per Shaw, Landrew also has upcoming trips to Mississippi State, Georgia, Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn.

Mississippi State is another school to watch for Landrew, Shaw says. That’s because Landrew is originally from Mississippi, before moving to Alabama in middle school. The Rivals analyst also notes that UConn, which has won two of the past three national championships, could start to press for Landrew. That’s something to monitor.

Louisville Deemed Leader for AAU Champ

Landrew has seen his 2026 national rankings skyrocket, in part due to his play on the AAU circuit this spring and summer. He suited up for the 17U team of the Atlanta-based Game Elite in the Adidas 3SSB league. In July, Landrew helped guide Game Elite to the 17U title at the 3SSB’s season-ending playoffs.

In the final contest, Game Elite knocked off D1 Minnesota in a thriller, 62-61. Landrew tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. He also made two free-throw attempts near the game’s conclusion to secure Game Elite’s title. For the latest Adidas campaign, Landrew was terrific, averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per encounter. Based on his play, the scouting experts at The Circuit named Landrew to their All-3SSB first team.

In June, analysts and scouts also said Landrew was a top performer at the prestigious National Basketball Players Association (“NBPA”) Top 100 camp in Rock Hill, S.C. College coaches were permitted to attend a portion of this annual event, where Landrew averaged 20.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per affair.

When 247Sports updated its 2026 rankings earlier this month, Landrew climbed from No. 62 to No. 21 overall. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite has him at No. 27 nationally and the No. 10 small forward. Following a recent refresh by Rivals, Landrew is No. 17 there, along with No. 26 nationwide per the industry-generated Rivals Industry Ranking.

Colben Landrew Eyes Big Senior Year

Landrew attends Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., which has one of the top public high school basketball programs around the country. In the 2024-25 season, Wheeler went 29-3 overall. They were ranked No. 7 around the country by MaxPreps and claimed the Georgia High School Association 6A state title.

As a junior, Landrew averaged 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He received an All-America honorable mention nod from MaxPreps for 2024-25. Jordan Divens, the national basketball editor at MaxPreps, has Wheeler at No. 4 overall in his preseason top 25 ahead of 2025-26. This coming season, Divens says the Wildcats possess one of the best groups of returning guards across high school hoops.

A few days ago, the 16-team field for the annual City of Palms Classic was announced. Wheeler will compete in this loaded annual showcase. This year’s event will take place from December 18 to December 23 in Fort Myers, Fla.

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