Copyright CBS Sports
A highly-coveted small forward from the Class of 2026 will make his college commitment live Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports HQ and the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube Channel, when Bryson Howard announces his decision from a group of finalists that includes Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina. Howard is considered a five-star prospect and is ranked the No. 12 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports. You can watch the announcement live in the video at the top of this page, on the CBS Sports App or via your connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV). Duke is considered the favorite to land Howard, according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball. However, he also completed visits with Kentucky and North Carolina in recent weeks. Howard is a rangy lefty with a strong pedigree. His father, Josh Howard, played 10 years in the NBA after a storied four-year career at Wake Forest. The elder Howard was the ACC Player of the Year in 2003 and an NBA All-Star in 2007 while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Bryson Howard averaged 17.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 37 games for Heritage High School in Plano, Texas as a junior, according to MaxPreps. But it was on the summer grassroots circuit that his stock as a premier prospect began to rise. Howard went from unranked to No. 29 before receiving another significant rankings boost to his current status as a five-star prospect. Here is the breakdown of Howard's game from 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein: He attacks the rim in straight lines, getting downhill and absorbing contact with a physical style. He rises up to finish above the rim and is a lob threat. He also has a translatable shooting stroke and has even shown some flashes of being able to make movement shots (45% 3pt, 75% FT), which is very unusual for someone so young (won't turn 18 until following his high school graduation) and with such long arms (6-foot-11 wingspan). In addition to his length and physicality, Howard also has a naturally strong frame that is only going to continue to fill-out. Defensively, he's engaged, excels with his court coverage, and has good playmaking metrics (2 steals and 0.9 steals). There's still room for him to clean up some of his angles, but he has a world of potential, both on and off the ball. Offensively, he could take his game to new levels by developing his right hand and decision-making, particularly when he's in attack mode (1.5 assists. Vs. 1.9 turnovers).
