Basketball season is upon us. Not only does the college game officially get kicked off next week, several of the top-ranked high school teams in the country crank things up in early November as well.

Speaking of the high school year, MaxPreps released its preseason Top 10 earlier in the week. Two teams made the list who have major North Carolina Tar Heel recruits. Utah Prep came in at No. 6 led generational phenom, A.J. Dybantsa. This is the first time the school has ever had such a national rating which tells you his importance. AZ Compass Prep is a consistent participant in annual rankings. This time Miikka Muurinen leads the way and becomes part of a very distinguished alumni.

When Dybantsa and Muurinen are mentioned, people listen. Here is the latest on each player, their team, and their recruitment.

No. 6: Utah Prep

North Carolina Prep: A.J. Dybantsa

Team Outlook: Any team that features Dybantsa is quickly going to find its way toward the top. Utah Prep has put together a good roster virtually overnight that also includes J.J. Mandequit at the No. 63 spot in 2025. Anthony Felesi comes in at No. 61 in 2026. Those three will do a majority of the heavy lifting this season.

Dybantsa Scouting Report: "The top player in the Rivals150 wins out because of the variety in which he gets buckets. From two dribble pulls ups, to baseline fades, to running the point-forward effortlessly at 6-foot-9, Dybantsa proves why he’s the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Rivals150. It’s not just potential with him, he realizes said potential every game."

Dybantsa's Recruitment: Dybantsa has a top six: Alabama, Auburn, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, and North Carolina. The nation's top high school player has taken official visits to each campus. He was on the "Podcast P with Paul George" earlier in the week. He had some interesting things to say about his future plans.

“Everybody’s gonna think you should have the four or five blue-bloods in there, but I mean me and my family have pillars,” Dybantsa said. “We need a family-oriented school. I need a coach that’s not gonna sugarcoat. I need the best and fastest development plan. I’m trying to be a one-and-done. I need a winning organization and I just picked the best seven schools that I think fit that. I’m just trying to choose the school that’s best for me.”

Astronomical NIL numbers have been thrown around, and the common consensus is that BYU has the deep pockets to pay it. However, North Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas State should not be counted out for good. There is still plenty of time for a shift in direction. It could be as late as February before Dybantsa makes his commitment.

No. 7: AZ Compass Prep

North Carolina Recruit: Miikka Muurinen

Team Outlook: As usual, AZ Compass Prep already has a couple of players who will be playing on the high major level in college. Players who have already committed are Nicholas Randall (Missouri), Marcus Jackson (Maryland), Jeremiah Green (Texas A&M), and Davis Fogle (Gonzaga). Miikka Muurinen, Quincy Wadley, and Kaden House are three very highly rated juniors. Not only does Compass Prep have talent, it has a lot of it. Year in and year out this is one of the deepest rosters in the country.

Muurinen Scouting Report: "One of the biggest risers in this update, Muurinen shot up from No. 39 to No. 6 based on a summer that saw him take American grassroots hoops by storm. The 6-foot-10, Finnish-born forward is the prototype for a modern 4, as he’s a floor-spacing dream that is able to fill it up from deep in addition to being comfortable putting the ball on the floor. He still needs to add muscle and polish when it comes to scoring and defending in the paint, but his long-term upside and efficiency numbers are downright tantalizing."

Muurinen's Recruitment: Muurinen is very likely to reclass into the 2025 class, and he has expedited the process with a healthy amount of visits this fall. Since the beginning of September he has taken officials to Michigan, Arkansas, Utah, and Duke. Muurinen is another recruit who will probably gauge future rosters and recrutiing classes, so later visits in the spring could end up being the most important. Tar Heel Illustrated spoke with Muurinen a few weeks back. He told us that North Carolina was "most definitely" one of the places he wanted to visit at a future date.