How the July live period will impact the Rivals150 rankings

July has a way of shaking up things in the recruiting world and the most important month of the rankings calendar did its thing once again in 2024. The impact of the last five weeks or so is too wide-ranging to sum up in a single story, but some of the most notable rankings implications of what Rivals witnessed on the road this month are outlined below.

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Versatility is everything in the modern game, and prospects don’t come more versatile than the 6-foot-10 Muurinen, whose length, fluidity and ability to fill it up from deep make him a rare prospect with a lofty ceiling.

The July live period saw Muurinen lead his 16U Brad Beal Elite team a Peach Jam Championship while ranking among the event’s leaders in scoring and going 14-for-28 from 3-point range. The forward showcased wildly impressive perimeter skills and showed flashes of shot creating as well as the ability to block shots both in the paint and on the perimeter in the title game – a game in which Muurinen finished with 21 points on just eight shots.

Currently ranked as the No. 39 prospect in the 2026 Rivals150, Muurinen has the look of a top-15 prospect as of late and possesses both the length and the well-rounded skill set to garner serious attention from NBA general managers down the road. He may well be a one-and-done type as he beefs up and becomes a more motivated rebounder.

Jordan Smith already carries a five-star ranking and a reputation for being one of the best guards in the 2026 Rivals150. What he did at Peach Jam, however, showcased his development and announced to everyone paying attention that he should be mentioned in the same breath as Brandon McCoy Jr. and Tyran Stokes, who rank No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the 2026 Rivals150.

Smith, who currently sits on the No. 7 line in the Rivals150, spent July leading his Team Takeover squad to the Peach Jam semifinals while averaging 12.9 points, five rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He shot 74 percent from the floor in seven games against stiff competition.

One of the few lingering criticisms of the 6-foot-3 Smith’s game is his lack of consistency as a long-range shooter. And while the sample size was incredibly small, the fact that he went 8-for-12 from beyond the arc at Peach Jam is encouraging. Smith is a lock to find himself in the top five in the next update, and his name doesn’t feel out of place in the internal debate about the No. 1 spot.

Arguably the top prospect on the Puma Circuit, Chris Cenac Jr. spent July doing the same things that earned him a 21-spot jump in the last update. Cenac’s evolving face-up game and turnaround jumper are becoming more consistent and reliable. His athleticism and ability to finish above the rim through traffic have long been his calling cards, but Cenac has added a hue of finesse to his offensive game as of late and become a more versatile weapon because of it.

Cenac’s development has been surprisingly linear and impressive over the last year. Now it seems the top 15 of the Rivals150 is very much in reach as we head toward the fall update.

Every now and then, a player once viewed as a high-upside prospect yet to turn potential into high-level production will suddenly see his game click prior to his senior season. It turns out, that’s exactly what’s happened for Florida-based guard Matthew Able, who we first wrote about and ranked as a three-star prospect back in September 2022.

For much of the two years since, Able has been inconsistent both from a production and effort standpoint in a number of viewings … until this summer. Now one of the reliable boxscore stuffers on the adidas 3SSB circuit, Able averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game at the 3SSB Championships this month and his obvious potential has quickly turned into head-turning production.

The 6-foot-5 guard is not just a volume scorer, however, as his ability to defend multiple positions and terrorize passing lanes has been obvious as he’s thrived for Austin Rivers Southeast Elite this summer.

Able, who has picked up offers from programs such as Michigan, Miami and Northwestern in recent months, is certain to break into the rankings and may well add a fourth star in the process.