By ADAM ZAGORIA
After a breakout performance at Peach Jam, NY Rens big man Najai Hines has committed to Seton Hall and will reclass up to 2025, per his HS coach Mike Gordon.
The 6-foot-11 Hines from Plainfield (NJ) High School is ranked the No. 4 center in the Class of 2026 and was one of the biggest stockrisers of the summer. His ranking has not been reflected as a 2025 just yet.
Hines’ NY Rens team reached the Peach Jam finals and fell to Brad Beal Elite, 77-55. The big man averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks across eight games at Peach.
“I’m very dominant,” Hines said of his game. “I pride myself in that. I’m very rebound and back-to-basket oriented. I can shoot, which not many people know that because most of the time I’m back-to-basket. But I know where I’m needed, and I know what I need to do on this team to win.”
Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway was at Peach Jam to watch Hines, and now The Hall has landed one of its highest rated prospects in school history. Hines is second to Isaiah Whitehead (No. 10 in 2014) per 247Sports’ database, which started ranking players in 2010.
Hines also held offers from Kansas, Indiana, NC State and Rutgers. He went for 28 points, 11 boards and 5 blocks in a win over the Florida Rebels at Peach Jam.
Zach Smart of ZAGSBLOG watched Hines play that game and came away impressed.
6’10” and 250 pound big man Najai Hines just went off in the NY Rens 87-74 win over the FL Rebels.
28 PTS
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 16, 2025
“(Hines) is as talented a big as there is in the country, his performance was indicative of that,” Smart said. “His ability to be a defensive stonewall, score in the post with his back to the rim, score at point blank and with his off hand definitely caught a lot of people’s attention. He’s a powerful big but also mobile and agile at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds. Good hands. Difficult to guard between the basket. Peach Jam definitely bolstered his stock, significantly.”
Said Cross: “He was playing JV a couple years ago in North Carolina. For him to come from playing JV to being probably the best big prospect in the country in a short period of time, the sky’s the limit.
“He’s very coachable, he’s ambidextrous and he doesn’t have any bad habits.”
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