MILWAUKEE – Ben Akoro of O'Fallon, Ill., Christian Burnett of Milledgeville, Ga., Justin McCarter of Marietta, Ga., CJ Worsham of Chicago, Ill., and SJ Young of Willis, Texas, have all signed and announced their commitment to play basketball for the Panthers next season.
 
The class was announced by Milwaukee men's basketball head coach Bart Lundy today.
 
Akoro, a 6-foot, 8-inch forward, is currently a senior at O'Fallon Township High School in O'Fallon, Illinois. Akoro led his team deep into the state playoffs as a junior, finishing second in the state overall. He averaged 10.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game, with single-game highs of 22 points against East St. Louis and 19 rebounds against Decatur Eisenhower. Listed as a Top-5 prospect in the state by PrepHoops.com, Akoro is also a Top 10 player in the Class of 2026 by the Chicago Sun Times.
 
"Ben is a player with a tremendous upside," Lundy said. "His size, combined with his skill and IQ, make him one of those rare players who will be able to score in the interior and step out to three. He has the ability to take the ball off the glass and lead the break, and he is just scratching the surface on what he can become."
 
Burnett is a 6-foot, 4-inch guard who is currently a sophomore at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Ga. He is coming off a very successful freshman campaign, earning First-Team All-Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association honors, as well as First-Team All-Freshman GCAA accolades after averaging 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 43.2 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from long-range, while also converting 82.4 percent of his free throws on the year. Burnett, nicknamed "Ice", added GCAA All-Tournament Team honors in the postseason, scoring 20-plus points in a game on 14 occasions over the course of the season. He sank three or more 3's in 14 outings, including a season-best eight in a 26-point outburst against Chattahoochee Valley in November.
 
"Christian 'Ice' is a big guard who can really shoot and score the ball," Lundy said. "He made 82 3's as a freshman and he can shoot it off the catch, off the dribble, on the move, and off action. He is developing into a playmaker and decision maker, playing a true combo-guard role this season. He is an underrated defender and brings great size and skill at the guard position. He was also a valedictorian in high school and is a great student with high character."
 
McCarter, a 6-foot, 6-inch guard, has just opened his sophomore season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Okla., and is off to a fast start – averaging 18.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists through the first seven contests. He spent his freshman season at South Georgia State College, named the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Freshman of the Year and to the All-GCAA Second Team. He put together an impressive statline, averaging 17.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Hawks. He led the team to the NJCAA National Tournament and was named the GCAA Tournament MVP.  The JucoRecruiting.com Fab50 Freshman selection was also recently tabbed as the Region 2 NJCAA Preseason Player of the Year for 2025-26.
 
"Justin is a very athletic 6'6 guard who plays with a high motor and chip on his shoulder," Lundy said. "He excels in the open floor as a scorer and playmaker. He has the ability to be a defensive stopper and will excel in what we do defensively. He is an elite shot-blocking and rebounding guard, which is a rarity. He is lethal in the midrange offensively and has developed into a reliable shooter from three-point range. He is a great young man with a great work ethic, and we are excited about his upside with us here at Milwaukee."
 
Worsham is currently a sophomore at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, and is coming off a freshman campaign where he led the Ponies to a 29-7 overall record and a 'Final Four' appearance in the NJCAA Tournament. The 6-foot, 8-inch forward started all 36 games, averaging 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 57.6 percent from the floor overall, connecting on 42.1 percent of his three-point attempts. He was honored for his play with Third-Team NJCAA All-American honors, a spot on the first-team all-region, as well as a "Fab50 Freshman Selection". He added Region XIV Tournament MVP and First-Team All-NJCAA National Tournament Team accolades in the postseason.
 
"CJ is a blue-collar forward with a great blend of size, skill, toughness, and IQ," Lundy said. "He has the ability to lead the break and play-make at the 4-position. He possesses the same ability in the half court as a scorer, and playmaker in the post, and on the perimeter. He is an exceptional offensive rebounder and brings a ton of competitive edge. He still has some untapped potential on both sides of the ball. We are excited to coach CJ and anticipate him being a fan favorite."
 
Young is a 6-foot, 4-inch senior guard at Willis High School in Willis, Texas, and is coming off a junior campaign in which he averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds a game. He posted 11 double-doubles over the course of the season, helping the team go 22-11 and advance to the third round of the UIL Class 6A playoffs for the first time in school history. He added 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per night and was named First-Team All-District 13-6A as well as the district MVP. He is a four-year varsity player, contributing 17.0 ppg and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore, which followed s statline of 9.9 ppg/7.8 rpg as a freshman.
 
"SJ is a great fit here at Milwaukee," Lundy said. "He is a switchable player with great athleticism and basketball IQ. His ability to slash, rebound, and guard multiple positions will impact our program immediately. He has played high-level competition in the AAU circuit for one of the best programs around."