2026 Rankings: 6-10 Breakdown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops SoCal staff put its collective heads together to come up with the initial class of 2026 rankings which includes 55 ranked players and 40-plus more on the watchlist for the next update. In this piece we break down each of the top 10 prospects in this class and why they fell where they did in the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 6 [player_tooltip player_id='1956471' first='Brannon' last='Martinsen'], Mater Dei</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martinsen is one of the most versatile prospects in the class. At 6-feet-7, the South Orange County product is an inside-out scoring threat who uses his size in exploit mismatches inside but can also step out and knock down catch and shoot threes or take a defender off the bounce and get to the rim. Martinsen is also a high IQ off-ball player who rebounds, defends and passes at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 7 [player_tooltip player_id='1956504' first='Joe' last='Sterling'], Crespi</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sterling is yet another high level scoring guard in SoCal's 2026 class. The 6-foot-3 point guard is a savant and creating space with advanced footwork off the dribble which allows him to get clean looks from three-point range consistently. In addition to his deep ball, Sterling has an efficient mid-range game complete with pull-up jumpers and a mid-post skill-set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 8 [player_tooltip player_id='1956480' first='Maximo' last='Adams'], Gardena Serra</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adams' wiry 6-foot-6 frame combined with his fluid shooting mechanics and soft touch from three-point range make him one of the more intriguing long-term wing prospects in this class. He was a complimentary guy during his freshman season at Narbonne while playing alongside his brother Marcus, who is now at Gonzaga. Max's transfer to Gardena Serra opens up the opportunity for him to grow into a go-to guy role and expand his game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 9 [player_tooltip player_id='1956462' first='Julius' last='Price'], St. Joseph</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Price has been playing at a high level on various platforms for the past 1.5 years and his reward is a spot in the top 10. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is a cerebral and high IQ playmaker whose ability to control the flow and pace of a game, make high IQ decisions and add a scoring punch when needed to speaks to his advanced feel for the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 10 [player_tooltip player_id='1956524' first='Isaiah' last='Rogers'], Corona Centennial</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rogers spent much of his freshman season learning from some high level players and is now ready to take the next step as a starter on one of the state's best teams. The 6-foot-2 combo guard showed flashes of brilliance both with the Huskies at Section 7 and with his club team, Players Play, while competing at the 17u level. Rogers is a smooth scorer who can stroke the three-ball and get to the rim with crafty ball handling and finishing. We're excited to see his growth this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->