Ranking the Best Dunkers in College Basketball's 2018 Recruiting Class

With the 2017-18 season officially over, the college basketball world will now turn its attention to the NBA draft and the ongoing recruiting cycle for next fall.

In the spirit of seeing what's next in the college game, we've decided to take a look at the best dunkers who will be stepping foot onto campus for the first time next season.

Ahead, you'll find the seven best dunkers in the 2018 recruiting class—a list that features familiar, blue-chip prospects and under-the-radar names alike.

Players are ranked based on their all-around explosiveness and highlight-reel abilities when it comes to playing above the rim on the offensive end of the floor.

7. Nazreon Reid

247Sports Composite Rank: 18

Commitment: LSU

Nazreon Reid doesn't have the same gravity-defying leaping ability of the guys ranked ahead of him.

However, with a 6'9", 220-pound frame that looks like he could step onto an NBA court today and hold his own in the paint, few can throw it down harder.

Outside of Zion Williamson, Reid might be the guy on this list who is most likely to shatter a backboard before his playing days are over.

His combination of size, power, handles and shooting ability has led to some early comparisons to DeMarcus Cousins, and there's no doubt he has as much NBA potential as anyone on this list.

6. Kevin Porter

247Sports Composite Rank: 35

Commitment: USC

That dunk you see above was reason enough to include Kevin Porter among the best dunkers in the 2018 recruiting class.

The 4-star recruit and the No. 35 player in the class is part of a stellar three-player recruiting haul at USC that checks in as the 15th-best in the nation. Porter is joining point guard Elijah Weaver (No. 37) and power forward J'Raan Brooks (No. 79).

The high-flying Porter and his fellow freshmen could push the Trojans over the hump after a disappointing 2017-18 season that saw USC begin the season at No. 10 in the AP poll and finish on the outside looking in when March Madness rolled around.

5. Nassir Little

247Sports Composite Rank: 6

Commitment: North Carolina

Nassir Little took home MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game last month after pouring in 28 points in the annual showcase of the nation's top high school talent.

One of the breakout prospects from the 2018 class, he'll head to North Carolina in the fall where he should make an immediate impact.

Little can throw it down with the best of them, but he's worked hard to refine his overall game, and that's helped him become one of the nation's top prospects.

"When I was younger, I was a raw talent, but I had to refine my skill set," Little told Pat Lawless of Made Hoops. "I have been working on my perimeter skills because in college, I will be playing the 2 and 3. I've been working on ball-handling, shooting, getting my teammates involved and things like that."

With his length and athleticism, the 6'7" Little could easily be a one-and-done lottery pick.

4. Emmitt Williams

247Sports Composite Rank: 24

Commitment: LSU

One of two 5-star recruits in an LSU class that ranks No. 5 in the nation—along with Reid—Emmitt Williams scored a record 44 points in the Jordan Brand Classic.

His offensive game is still raw, but he has the athleticism and work ethic to quickly develop into one of the top NBA prospects in the 2018 class once he gets on campus.

At 6'7" and 215 pounds with his leaping ability, he's also a handful on the offensive glass, and he's drawn comparisons to Kenneth Faried during his prep career.

LSU has made the NCAA tournament just twice in the last 12 years, so Williams will be one to watch as he and his class look to return the school to relevance.

3. Mac McClung

247Sports Composite Rank: 234

Commitment: Georgetown

If you've never heard of Mac McClung, you're in for a treat.

The 3-star point guard is not a blue-chip prospect, but he chose Georgetown from a list of 30 offers that included mostly mid-major programs.

The 6'2" slasher from Gate City, Virginia can absolutely elevate with the best of them.

"A kid that can do what he can do with the basketball in his hands is very rare," Gate City coach Scott Vermillion told Evan Hilbert of USA Today. "You see them on TV in college and in the NBA, but a kid from a small school in a rural community is rare."

He's more than just a human highlight reel, though, as ESPN basketball recruiting director Paul Biancardi had good things to say about his all-around game (via USA Today):

"He’s a creative finisher. If it’s an open path, he’ll finish with one of his YouTube-sensation dunks. But even if there are defenders between him and the rim, he has good body control and he can find a good angle to get the ball on the glass, and that’s a skill.

He’s a very good long-range shooter. The athleticism and the dunks are what we see, but the shooting is what is going to allow him to play at the (college) level."

He'll be a big part of what coach Patrick Ewing is trying to build after a 15-15 season in his first year at the helm of the Hoyas.

2. Jamal Harris

247Sports Composite Rank: N/R

Commitment: New Orleans

When you're known on YouTube as "Mr. 50-Inch Vertical," there's a place for you on a list of the best dunkers in the 2018 recruiting class.

Jamal Harris is not a high-profile recruit.

He'll be taking his talents to the University of New Orleans this fall, a school that played in the NCAA tournament in 2016-17 and reached the CBI quarterfinals this past season.

But his seemingly effortless ability to elevate is something to behold.

"People are shocked how high I get in the air," Harris told Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star. "I do some crazy stuff and then throw it down hard. My favorite is going between the legs."

The Southland Conference won't know what hit it.

1. Zion Williamson

247Sports Composite Rank: 3

Commitment: Duke

Really, who else did you expect to see in the top spot?

Zion Williamson might not be the No. 1 player in the 2018 recruiting class, but he's made himself a household name with his thunderous dunks.

And while other people have highlight-reel slams in warmups or showcase events, Williamson regularly turns heads with his ability to thrown it down in games.

He'll head to Duke in the fall with plenty of work to do on his overall game. His jump shot is still a work in progress, and his 6'6", 275-pound frame could use some sculpting.

But all signs point to an incredibly bright future in a Blue Devils uniform and the NBA.

All rankings courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.