Come Friday, a new wave of elite high school basketball prospects will descend upon Springfield College to compete in the 2026 Panini Hoophall Classic in hopes of leaving their mark among basketball’s brightest names.
This year’s event will feature nine of the top 10 players in the 2027 and 2026 classes as the high school hoops titans jockey for positioning in the SportsCenter Next recruiting rankings.
Here’s a rundown of 10 current NBA and college stars who left their imprint on the Hoophall Classic during their reign.
Year: 2025
Dybantsa took on the country’s top team, Montverde Academy, and put on a dominant show in a loss. Dybantsa scored 25 points using his trademark NBA skill set to overwhelm Eagles defenders at last year’s Hoophall Classic.
Year: 2025
In a duel with fellow top-five talent Nate Ament last year, Peterson was virtually unguardable, scoring 31 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists in a loss. Peterson kept the defense off balance all night with his diverse offensive arsenal.
Year: 2025
Last year, Boozer went head-to-head against top-five prospect Koa Peat, who’s now starring at Arizona, and posted 31 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in a win, setting the stage for his stellar freshman season for the Blue Devils.
Year: 2024
In 2024, Flagg led Montverde Academy (Fla.) to a win over Oak Hill Academy (Va.), filling the stat sheet with 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and two steals. Flagg dazzled the crowd throughout with thunderous dunks and blocks.
Year: 2018
In 2018, Williamson’s vicious viral dunk packages were the talk of the Hoophall Classic. In the end, he treated the event as another day in the office, posting 36 points in a loss to a loaded Chino Hills (Calif.) squad.
Year: 2016
As a senior at Chaminade (Mo.), Tatum brought his Swiss Army knife offensive arsenal to the Hoophall Classic in 2016 and tactically dismantled every comer to the tune of 40 points in a loss to DeMatha Catholic (Md.).
Year: 2015
Brown ultimately came up short against Bishop O’Dowd (Calif.) in 2015, but not before wowing the capacity crowd with 31 points, an abundance of rim-rocking dunks and NBA-range 3-pointers for Wheeler (Ga.).
Year: 2011
Davis did it all for Perspectives Charter (Ill.) in a loss to St. John’s Prep (Mass.) in 2011. Despite the loss, Davis was the talk of the event after dropping 30 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, solidifying his standing in the 2011 class.
Year: 2010
Long before Irving was showing off his mind-boggling ballhandling ability and rim finishes, he was cooking opponents and taking names at the Hoophall Classic in 2010. Even in a loss, Irving dominated a talent-laden Findlay Prep (Nev.) team, posting 30 points in a variety of ways.
Year: 2006
Durant came into the Hoophall Classic with a big reputation for his long-bomb scoring ability and didn’t disappoint, despite falling to Neumann-Goretti (Penn.) in 2006. Durant finished with 30 points, along with a wide array of NBA 3-pointers and athletic drives.
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