Class of 2025 C Najai Hines (NJ/NC) to Seton Hall

[jordville]

There is a lot to like about this BIG two-sport athlete… Najai is 6’10, weighs 250, and has excellent hands/feet. He even has a nickname… Baby Shaq.

Backstory… Hines was born in NJ but moved to NC and back to NJ for his Senior year (2025). While in NC, he was getting more looks in football playing TE (3 star) as he had about 10 offers. Sounds like his passion is basketball though. He moved back to NJ and skyrocketed up the basketball ranks to a 4 star while winning big individual and team awards in NJ for his hooping.

I have him listed as a 2026 recruit but like I said earlier, he just played his Senior year (and was listed as a 2025) in NJ. Najai must have reclassified since he was a late riser in hoops and not getting the big offers. He played on the Adidas and Puma AAU circuits while in NC, but since he came back to NJ he has been with the NY Rens. I’ve caught some clips of him lately playing this summer. He has been turning heads at Peach Jam. If you get a chance to see him play, he is an easy double-double guy who runs the floor and blocks everything. Very good athlete especially for his size.

I believe he is eligible to join a college roster now as a 2025, but he may choose to go 2026. Could be another case like the Wisconsin big who hasn’t arrived on campus yet because he is playing AAU this summer. Maybe Fran can have a talk to this Jersey kid…

 

[jordville]

 

[jordville]

 

[jordville]

More confirmation that Najai Hines is still available for 2025…


But he has also been one of 247s biggest risers in the 2026 class.

 

[jordville]

In case you missed this yesterday at Peach Jam…


Najai Hines put together a highly productive outing against the Florida Rebels, finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds—including 8 offensive—and 5 blocks. He established a strong presence in the paint early and maintained it throughout the game. His size, physicality, and positioning impacted multiple phases of play.

Hines scored efficiently around the rim, finishing through contact and traffic without rushing. He used his frame to create space inside and capitalized on second-chance opportunities by quickly reading the ball off the rim. He ran the floor effectively, providing a reliable interior target and helping sustain his team’s pace.

In the half court, Hines stayed active off the ball. He set purposeful screens, found gaps in the defense, and remained ready near the basket. His hands were reliable in tight spaces, and he absorbed contact well without losing balance. This steady presence added value in critical moments.

Defensively, Hines anchored the interior. He was effective in drop coverage, maintaining solid positioning in two-man actions while contesting shots at the rim. Disciplined as a shot-blocker, he timed his challenges without overcommitting. He rotated sharply on help defense, disrupted drives, and made it difficult for opponents to score inside.

On the boards, he secured rebounds in traffic, boxed out physically, and limited second-chance points.

Hines delivered consistent impact from start to finish. Playing with control, toughness, and awareness, he influenced the game through physical presence, timely execution, and an understanding of how to control space on both ends.

 

[jordville]

 

[cayugacuse]

I'm thinking we have one scholarship available.

 

[RF2044]

This dude is way better than Diawara.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Is there any evidence that SU is interested or he in SU?

 

[sufan59]

I'm thinking we have one scholarship available.

Including Diawara?

Is there any evidence that SU is interested or he in SU?

Not a complete stranger by both basketball and football. Take that fwiw.

 

[jordville]

I would love to add a 6’10, 250 pound big who brings something different than what we already have in the cupboard.

Kyle 6’9 230
Souare 6’9 225
Freeman 6’9 205
White 6’9 195
Betsey 6’8 225
Diawara 6’11 240

 

[Giants1973]

This kid will be going to Blue blood program.

 

[cayugacuse]

Including Diawara?

Not a complete stranger by both basketball and football. Take that fwiw.

Diawara gives us 14. I believe we are allowed 15 now. Correct me if I am wrong. Hines does have some solid offers. Probably a longshot for us. The 25/26 classification question is the cloudy element.

 

[jordville]

Najai had 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a loss to Team Why Not earlier today. The Rens play the City Rocks at 9:30 tonight.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

Diawara gives us 14. I believe we are allowed 15 now. Correct me if I am wrong. Hines does have some solid offers. Probably a longshot for us. The 25/26 classification question is the cloudy element.

According to the Updated Roster in the Men’s Basketball Thread, Diawara is our 13th commits/scholarships. If the change to roster size has been issued, we have 13 out of 15 scholarships filled.

 

[DilemaCuse]

This kid will be going to Blue blood program.

As a comparison to football many said that about Calvin Russell. Why can't bball recruit like a Blueblood? Fran can almost do it for football while having many factors to work against.

 

[jordville]

In the nightcap vs City Rocks last night…

 

[cayugacuse]

According to the Updated Roster in the Men’s Basketball Thread, Diawara is our 13th commits/scholarships. If the change to roster size has been issued, we have 13 out of 15 scholarships filled.

I agree. My mistake.

 

[Consigliere]

According to the Updated Roster in the Men’s Basketball Thread, Diawara is our 13th commits/scholarships. If the change to roster size has been issued, we have 13 out of 15 scholarships filled.

But all 15 roster spots with two returning walkons. There is no scholarship limit.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

But all 15 roster spots with two returning walkons. There is no scholarship limit.

My understanding is as follows:
In NCAA Division I men's basketball, teams can now have a maximum of 15 scholarship players. This is an increase from the previous limit of 13 scholarships. Women's basketball already had 15 scholarships and will remain at that limit

 

[Irt4su]

Just sign good players and let those on schollie continue to earn them. They can leave us for what they perceive as better, why can’t we leave them? Upgrades all around

 

[Consigliere]

My understanding is as follows:
In NCAA Division I men's basketball, teams can now have a maximum of 15 scholarship players. This is an increase from the previous limit of 13 scholarships. Women's basketball already had 15 scholarships and will remain at that limit

Team can have a maximum of 15 players. They can all be on scholarship or it can be a mix of scholarship players, partial scholarship players and walkons. For football that number is 105. Part of the holdup in approving the house settlement was that many football programs rostered over 105 including walkons. Some state schools where in state students pay very low (or no) tuition had as many as 140 on their roster last year.

The compromise was to grandfather in any rostered player from the 2024-25 academic year who would have lost their roster spot due to these limits. So technically Noah Lobdell could be grandfathered in opening up an additional roster spot. And the other walkon from last year with remaining eligibility, Chris Gatty, is apparently no longer with the team. I would expect one or two walkons to be added filling the roster completely once full practices commence.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

Team can have a maximum of 15 players. They can all be on scholarship or it can be a mix of scholarship players, partial scholarship players and walkons. For football that number is 105. Part of the holdup in approving the house settlement was that many football programs rostered over 105 including walkons. Some state schools where in state students pay very low (or no) tuition had as many as 140 on their roster last year.

The compromise was to grandfather in any rostered player from the 2024-25 academic year who would have lost their roster spot due to these limits. So technically Noah Lobdell could be grandfathered in opening up an additional roster spot. And the other walkon from last year with remaining eligibility, Chris Gatty, is apparently no longer with the team. I would expect one or two walkons to be added filling the roster completely once full practices commence.

Still trying to understand the new roster rule/limitation. Thanks for clarifying. Here is more information.

In college basketball, walk-on players do count against the roster limit.While walk-ons don't receive athletic scholarships, they are still part of the team and occupy a roster spot. In Division I basketball, the NCAA has set a limit of 15 scholarship players, but there's no explicit limit on how many walk-ons a team can have. However, the number of players a team can dress for a game is limited to 15.

My interpretation is that a college team can have up to15 scholarship players and any number of walk-ons, but the team can only can dress 15 players for any game.

So the max number of scholarships for a college basketball team is 15. A team can have more than 15 players including walk-ons on their roster but can only dress 15 players for any game.

 

[Consigliere]

Still trying to understand the new roster rule/limitation. Thanks for clarifying. Here is more information.

In college basketball, walk-on players do count against the roster limit.While walk-ons don't receive athletic scholarships, they are still part of the team and occupy a roster spot. In Division I basketball, the NCAA has set a limit of 15 scholarship players, but there's no explicit limit on how many walk-ons a team can have. However, the number of players a team can dress for a game is limited to 15.

My interpretation is that a college team can have up to15 scholarship players and any number of walk-ons, but the team can only can dress 15 players for any game.

So the max number of scholarships for a college basketball team is 15. A team can have more than 15 players including walk-ons on their roster but can only dress 15 players for any game.

Interesting. That is contrary to what I have read and been told. Where is that from?

 

[50YRsofCuse]

I asked Google AI if walk-ons to a college basketball team count against the roster count and that was the answer it provided. When I asked it again, this came up supporting your findings (from 2adays)

What’s Changing?​

To balance the removal of scholarship limits, the NCAA is introducing hard roster caps, meaning teams cannot exceed a fixed number of players, regardless of scholarship status.

Roster Limit Changes for Key Sports​

Sport	Previous Roster Size (Estimate)	New Roster Limit (2025-26)
Football (FBS)	80-130 players	105 players
Football (FCS)	No cap	110 players
Men’s Basketball	16-17 players	15 players
Women’s Basketball	16-17 players	15 players
Baseball	35+ players	34 players
Men’s Soccer	25-35 players	28 players
Women’s Soccer	25-35 players	28 players
Softball	25-30 players	25 players
Cross Country	10-20 athletes	17 athletes

Impact of NCAA Roster Limit Changes​

• Fewer Walk-On Opportunities: With hard caps, fewer spots will be available for non-scholarship athletes hoping to earn a place on the team.
• More Selective Recruiting: Coaches will have to carefully evaluate who they bring onto the roster, balancing scholarship and non-scholarship athletes.
• Potential Playing Time Increases: With fewer players competing for spots, athletes may have more opportunities to see game action.
• Greater Accountability for Athletes: With limited roster spots, athletes may face increased pressure to perform and maintain their positions on the team.

Also, Walk-ons are now eligible for financial aid.