West Orange resident Naasir Cunningham is No. 1-ranked boys basketball player in the nation for the Class of 2024

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WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange native Naasir Cunningham is ranked as the No. 1 overall high school basketball player for the Class of 2024 by ESPN.

Cunningham, a 6-foot-7, 175-pound small forward, played at Gill St. Bernard’s, located in Gladstone, last season, averaging 12.7 points, 6.25 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a sophomore. Gill St. Bernard’s finished 20-7, winning the Somerset County Tournament championship and reaching the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Non-Public B sectional final, where it lost to Roselle Catholic, 68-62. Cunningham had 10 points in the 84-63 win over Rutgers Prep in the SCT final. He had 11 points in the loss to Roselle Catholic, which went on to win the Non-Public B title and the state Tournament of Champions title.

Following the high school season, Cunningham announced that he will play his final two seasons with Overtime Elite. Cunningham will retain his college eligibility by forgoing a salary but will be able to cash in on name, image and likeness deals. 

Cunningham holds scholarship offers from Duke, Kansas, UCLA, LSU, Maryland, Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona State, Florida State, Iowa, Texas, Texas A&M and Auburn, among others.

West Orange is becoming a hotbed for elite basketball players. NBA megastar Kyrie Irving is from West Orange, as is Bergen Catholic rising junior point guard Elliot Cadeau, who is ranked No. 10 for the Class of 2024 by ESPN.

Photos Courtesy of Gill St. Bernard’s.

  Naasir Cunningham