247SportsThe wait is over and 247Sports' initial ranking of the top 80 players in the Class of 2024 is live. Debuting in the top spot is small forward 
Naasir Cunningham of 
Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.). 
TOP247: High school basketball's best in the Class of 2024
While Cunningham is the early standard bearer, he'll have plenty of competition for that spot between now and graduation day. The battle for No. 1 was just one of the storylines in the first ranking of the sophomore class.
Early separation from a special trio
The sum of Cunningham's performances from the summer of 2021 and his sophomore season thus far allowed the bouncy 6-foot-7 small forward to debut at No. 1 in 247Sports ranking of the class of 2024. However, shooting guards 
Ian Jackson of 
Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) and 
Tre Johnson of 
Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) are right there with him and the trio has created some early separation from the rest of the pack.