
2026 4-star big Sam Funches continues to flourish and attract the eyes of many around the country, proving why he is ranked as one of the top bigs in the country. Funches is one we have seen on a few occasions, as we discussed his game back in 2022 when his recruitment was just starting.
We first introduced Funches on our platform back in 2022, which you can find here:
We then saw him at the NBPA Top 100, where we had this to say:
“We were excited to see Funches in action and from what we saw, he is one that offers a lot to the table but still has potential in his game. He is long, big, and active, looking to help control the paint, being an offensive and defensive pressure, working hard inside the paint, scoring and finishing at the rim, and altering shots. There is a lot to like in what he could be at the end of his high school career.”
His talents continue to shine, and schools are taking notice of his game. He has added more offers, and that list may get bigger this high school season.
Funches continues to add more offers to his list; since this summer, Funches has added offers from Kansas, Arizona State, Illinois, California, and most recently Vanderbilt. That is on top of his offers from Indiana, Houston, NC State, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Arkansas, and so many others.
Again, Vanderbilt is the latest school to offer where he had this to say:
“I think Vandy is a great school,” Funches said. “I talk to Coach Mangrum a lot and we’re developing a great relationship. I like what they are doing there.”
But the big man has been really focusing more on the season and his development, but he understands that in the next year or so he will be extremely busy when it comes to his recruitment. In regards of who has been staying strong with Funches, he mentioned schools like California, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Louisville, and Virginia Tech have been the schools.
“They have been saying how they like my skill set, much like being a stretch big like Chris Bosh and Evan Mobley.”
Again though, Funches is simply looking to handle business on the court this high school season, focusing on his game. But he also would like to take visits to Gonzaga and Vanderbilt after the season.