3 on 3 Questions: 2026 Rankings
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In our new series 3 on 3 Questions PHI’s Scott Burgess, Steve Parham, and Teddy Bahu examine three questions each that are relevant to what is going on in Illinois high school basketball! Today we focus on the latest 2026…
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Continue ReadingIn our new series 3 on 3 Questions PHI’s Scott Burgess, Steve Parham, and Teddy Bahu examine three questions each that are relevant to what is going on in Illinois high school basketball! Today we focus on the latest 2026 Rankings!
Who is a player at each position (PG, Wing, Post) that you really advocated for in this last rankings process to make a jump up the board?
Scott
Whitney Young point guard Rykan Woo Rykan Woo 6'1" | PG Whitney Young | 2026 State IL just gets the job done! He won MVP of Pangos All-Star game heading into season, ran the show for a loaded Dolphins sophomore team, and then continued that momentum into the summer. On the wing I will go with Gage Peterson Gage Peterson 6'6" | SF Waltonville | 2026 State IL from Waltonville. The small forward from southern Illinois has size, three level scoring ability, and upside. Jacob Thompson Jacob Thompson 6'5" | PF Homewood Flossmoor | 2026 State IL was one of the biggest surprises of July in my eyes. With Vikings United the Homewood Flossmoor power forward took his game to another level with his shot blocking, rim running, and could even stretch a little.
Steve
Guard –
Rykan Woo
Rykan
Woo
6'1" | PG
Whitney Young | 2026
State
IL
(Whitney Young) 5’11
Part of a great group of guards at Young, Woo is poised for a breakout season because of his hard work and continuous motor. Rykan is a guard who does whatever it takes to win games. He makes plays for others before he looks to score himself. Off the ball, he’s a terrific catch-and-shoot guy. On defense, he’s all over the court getting steals from his quick twitched reaction. Another underrated aspect of his game is how well he rebounds for a guard, just a knack for knowing where the ball will always help keep a player on the court.
Wing –
Lincoln Williams
Lincoln
Williams
6'5" | SF
Kankakee | 2026
State
IL
(Kankakee) 6’5
What I like about Williams is that he has a major upside with his height and athleticism. Lincoln is another rare young player who plays on both sides of the ball. His length is a key piece to his effectiveness on the court. He scores off slashing plays where he extends around guys in the half-court and transition plays. He’s even better dunking on guys who dare to jump. With an experienced backcourt playing alongside him, he should flourish this season.
Post –
Stephen Brown
Stephen
Brown
6'7" | PF
Marist | 2026
State
IL
(Marist) 6’8
I believe we will see a huge jump in Stephen’s game. Going into his second season of varsity experience he should be more comfortable and ready to be a scoring option for the Redhawks. A more mature Brown playing inside and out can be scary in the East Suburban Catholic. Not many will have the size and strength to keep up with Brown and his progress will be fun to monitor
Teddy
PG:
Amir Danforth
Amir
Danforth
6'1" | SG
Rockford Auburn | 2026
State
IL
– I’m a big fan of what he brings to the floor. There isn’t a better on-ball defender in his class. He makes to so hard to break past him while also forcing easy transition opportunities. Offensively, he makes the guys around him better while also displaying a ton of explosiveness down the lane. As a scorer, he’s very efficient both inside and beyond the arc. Add all these components together and you have a top 10 prospect in his class.
Wing:
Lincoln Williams
Lincoln
Williams
6'5" | SF
Kankakee | 2026
State
IL
– Williams is a super lengthy 6’4″ prospect who plays excellent defense. Not only does he force difficult shots, but he’s an effective rebounder and looks to play quick up the floor. I also saw Williams get bouncy with a few dunks during the Romeoville live period.
Post:
Rashaun Porter
Rashaun
Porter
6'6" | PF
DePaul Prep | 2026
State
IL
– As a sophomore, he already has excellent strength and size on the inside. Porter was super effective on both ends of the floor for both DePaul Prep and IL Wolves this summer. Porter also has a nice burst to the rim. He resembles a lot of qualities Bryce Hopkins had when he was his age.
Which prospect or two do you feel is primed to make a major leap this season and could shoot up the rankings in our next update?
Scott
I will start with Manley post Jaali Love Jaali Love 6'7" | PF Manley | 2026 State IL . There were times in the spring when I thought he was a contender for #1 overall. With his shot blocking, fluid low post game, and athleticism the sky is the limit. Mason Lockett IV Mason Lockett IV 6'4" | SG Oswego East | 2026 State IL could prove to be a great option next to Starwood this season and emerge as a legit mid-major prospect for Oswego East.
Steve
Colin Stack
Colin
Stack
6'9" | C
Benet | 2026
State
IL
(Benet) 6’10
I believe this season will be huge for the Benet Sophomore. Stack is already a dependable rim protector and rebounder defensively. But what I saw in spurts over the summer was how well he moves in pick-and-pop situations. Colin has good footwork and seems to be working on his shooting touch from deep. Like (Brown) there aren’t many bigs to match up with in the ESC, so it will be interesting to see how well he flourishes this season.
Teddy
Michael Oliver Michael Oliver 5'10" | PG Curie | 2026 State IL Jr – He already has a year of varsity basketball under his belt at Curie. He’s an elusive point guard with great floor vision and playmaking abilities. There’s no doubt Oliver can make plays when called upon. I’m intrigued to find out what role he’ll have this upcoming season for one of the best, most consistent teams in Illinois.
Who is the player or players you are most looking forward to getting further evals on this fall/early high school season in this class?
Scott
Let’s look at a few guys here. Rich Township scoring guard Jamson Coulter Jamson Coulter 6'2" | SG Rich Township | 2026 State IL is a player that when I saw him struggled and the rest of our staff saw him lit it up. No doubt the bucket getter ability is there! Davon Grant Davon Grant 6'5" | SF Dekalb | 2026 State IL out of DeKalb is a power wing that did most of his damage around the hoop. Want to see if his perimeter game can improve. Josh Abushanab Josh Abushanab 6'5" | SF Glenbard North | 2026 State IL was a favorite of ours heading into the spring with his size, two way ability, and production. Struggled in the spring and summer with consistency game in and game out. We think he can quickly regain his momentum from last season as all the tools are there. Oliver Gray Oliver Gray 6'3" | SF Barrington | 2026 State IL from Barrington is one of the prospects I really want to get a good look at early in the season as he is one of the better shooters in the class.
Steve
Jacob Thompson
Jacob
Thompson
6'5" | PF
Homewood Flossmoor | 2026
State
IL
(HF) 6’5
Thompson is an enigma a young player with an upside that we might not get a better view on until next season, due to the transfers that have come into Homewood Flossmoor since the summer session. Thompson is a bouncy forward who excels as a rebounder and shot blocker on defense. On the other side, Jacob can shoot around the perimeter but isn’t a player who stays around the arc. He has good hands to finish with solid fundamentals around the cup. A young player who has time to mold into a better prospect now that HF has some more experienced players that transferred in.
Teddy
Jaali Love Jaali Love 6'7" | PF Manley | 2026 State IL – He’s a player with excellent size and tons of athletic capabilities. Playing at Manley, we haven’t gotten to see a whole lot of him this past year. But he showed nice production on Team Rose in the Adidas and Prep Hoops Circuit. He can get it done on both ends while also showing an ability to take over a game in the snap of a finger. He’s a player worth watching in the CPS this winter.
Charles Barnes Jr Charles Barnes Jr 6'6" | SF De La Salle | 2026 State IL – De La Salle’s hoops program has progressed a ton since Gary Decesare took over in 2021. One of their star sophomores who I think can make a big impact is Barnes. He can guard multiple positions defensively while also contributing heavily on the boards. On offense, he flashed plenty of potential as a three-level scorer over the summer. Overall, I think his upside is through the roof with plenty of room to grow too.