From the roaring crowd to squeaking sneakers on the hardwood, high school basketball is a beloved American pastime.
The sport's school roots date back to its 19th-century beginnings. After all, James Naismith invented basketball as a physical education activity. The concept of a state championship for high school basketball soon followed. Illinois, for example, held a state championship as early as 1908. Other states with early high school basketball championships include Indiana (first championship in 1911) and Wisconsin (1916).
Now, the sport is etched into the ethos of the American high school. Almost 900,000 student athletes play on their high school basketball team, according to 2024-25 school year data compiled by the National Federation of State High School Associations. That figure represents over 18,000 schools competing across all 50 states, grinding out games in high school gyms on dark winter nights.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 basketball recruits from Pennsylvania using data from 247Sports. Athletes are ranked by their 247Sports Composite ranking.
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#7. Josh Pratt (PG)
- National rank: #292 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #44
- College: uncommitted
- Offers: La Salle, Northeastern, Drexel, Hofstra, Robert Morris
- High school: Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA)
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#6. Milak Myatt (CG)
- National rank: #275 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #34
- College: uncommitted
- Offers: Kansas State, UTEP
- High school: Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield, PA)
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#5. Mani Sajid (SG)
- National rank: #235 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #40
- College: Towson
- Offers: Penn State, Temple, Albany, Bryant
- High school: Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, PA)
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#4. Ethan Johnston (SG)
- National rank: #202 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #32
- College: Marquette
- Offers: Marquette, California, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia Tech
- High school: The Hill School (Pottstown, PA)
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#3. Derrick Morton-Rivera (SG)
- National rank: #164 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #26
- College: Temple
- Offers: Temple, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Albany, Bryant
- High school: Father Judge (Philadelphia, PA)
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#2. Xavier Blake (SG)
- National rank: #130 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #20
- College: uncommitted
- Offers: Stonehill, Manhattan, Seton Hall
- High school: The Phelps School (Malvern, PA)
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#1. Sammy Jackson (SF)
- National rank: #61 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #26
- College: VCU
- Offers: VCU, Texas, Indiana, Saint Joseph's, Arizona State
- High school: Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, PA)