Freshman Focus: Small Schools

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the high school season, we find a few ninth graders each year who make a contribution at the big school level. It's impressive when it happens. For that reason, the past two days, Prep Hoops Kansas published articles about big school guards and bigs who are making a varsity impact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meanwhile, at the small school level, it's more common for top talents to get an opportunity early. It's hard to follow them all, and often stat lists are the first place their names show up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not to ignore the small school ranks, here are some 2026s who are making big impacts for their varsity teams:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Braden Schwartz</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2026, Hanover:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the smallest classification, Hanover is a basketball power, and they are once again ranked among the top teams despite heavy graduation losses. Schwartz has stepped in to help keep the Wildcats in the running. The freshman is averaging 11.5 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists and gaining a lot of great experience for a high-quality program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2211369' first='Gavin' last='Thalheim']</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2026, Northern Valley:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Schwartz, Thalheim is making a big impact on one of the best teams in the smallest class. Northern Valley is currently ranked second among 1A Div. II teams and looking to make another run at a state title. They graduated some good players, so Thalheim's contribution has been significant. He's averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2403152' first='Dayne' last='Johnson']</strong>, 5-10 guard, 2026, Silver Lake:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you play for Silver Lake, you will be exposed to some of the best small-school competition in the state. Johnson is getting that experience in the rotation for the rebuilding Eagles. He's helping open up opportunities for older teammates by handling the ball and posing a threat to score. The freshman is accounting for 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mason Martin</strong>, 6-1 guard, 2026, Hoisington:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Always a high-quality program, Hoisington is in a rebuild this season. They have given Martin a lot of minutes, and the freshman is making a nice contribution. He's a shooter with good size. Martin is averaging 6 points and 3 rebounds, but has had some impressive outings against good teams: 12 points and 6 boards against Sterling and 10 points against Beloit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Parker Schwarz</strong>, 6-foot forward, 2026, Prairie View:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3A Prairie View is struggling through a down season. It is giving some young players significant opportunities to learn through the experience. One of those newcomers is Schwarz, who is standing out on the glass in particular. Though just 6-foot, he's grabbing a remarkable 8 rebounds a game. That kind of toughness and athleticism will be interesting to watch develop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->