Back in March of 2024, Phenom Hoops was on deck for the Pangos Best of SoCal League, as we had a chance to watch some of the top prospects around. One of the best players we saw there was 2026 6’11 Josh Irving, displaying versatility, impact in so many areas, and true potential. At the event, we had this to say:
“2026 6’10 Josh Irving impressed and showed flashes of his potential. Though he needs to continue to grow and get stronger, he has a lot of intrigue with his overall feel early on and what he could ultimately be. Irving is a fluid, lengthy forward who runs the floor well, is active, and has tremendous timing on both sides. He can score with touch around the basket but is also capable of stretching the floor, and can be a difference-maker on the defensive end. Absolutely loved his feel in operating and making plays around the basket, finishing at the rim, and his overall footwork; all intangibles that should translate nicely as he continues to get stronger overall.”
Article: Under the Radar No More; Time To Watch Now: 2026 6’10 Josh Irving – Phenom Hoops
At that point, Irving held one offer at that point from San Francisco, and in the article, you can see that he was also talking to schools like UCSB, Utah, Montana, and Irvine. Since then, his recruitment has taken off, adding offers from TCU, Kansas, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Louisville, Texas A&M, and Kentucky all within the last two months.
We checked in on the latest with Irving to find out what’s going on. See what he had to say below.
Game Description:
“I’m a defensive menace. I love getting blocks and deterring guys away from the basket. On the offensive side, I’m a stretch 4 who can play inside and outside and knock the 3-ball down. I provide a very solid defensive presence as I make it hard for guys to get layups, which limits teams from relying on their shooting more.”
Thoughts on the latest offer from Kentucky:
“The staff told me that I would be a perfect fit for their team, and I would develop into a very fine player under their program and system. And so far, I’ve had good talks with some of the coaches and have gotten a better relationship than I currently have with them.”
Upcoming Visits:
It was recently announced that Irving will be having a busy few months coming up, with visits scheduled left and right. Irving, right now, has seven visits set up:
San Diego State – August 21-23
SMU – August 29-31
Kansas – September 12-14
Louisville – September 19-21
Texas A&M – September 27-29
Kentucky – October 10-12
USC – October 17-19