Top Five Players of 2026 Revealed

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Creating the initial ranking for the 2026 seemed more difficult than years past. Do you put a lot of stock in what you think a player can become? Do you factor in level of competition? How much weight do you put on performance on high school varsity as a ninth grader versus your perception in club action?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranking the top five (top six actually) posed a difficult task. We tried to weigh all the factors in setting this order for the launch of the 2026 list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is the Top Five for the Class of 2026 Ranking:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#1 – [player_tooltip player_id='2208970' first='Brayden' last='Myovela'], 6-foot-2 combo guard, Maize:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Myovela was among the most accomplished freshman in terms of varsity performance. He certainly was integral to his team. As a freshman he led Maize in scoring with 13 points per game to go with 5 boards and 2 assists. He's a big guard who excels in every aspect of the game. He powers to the goal and bodies up opponents in the paint, he runs the floor and finishes at the rim, and he defends, rebounds and feeds the ball to teammates. He hit a respectable 35% from deep and had a few games of 20-plus as a freshman, earning second-team Ark Valley Chisholm Trail. He ran with a very talented group during the summer and was highly regarded by his club coaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#2 – [player_tooltip player_id='2209776' first='Cameron' last='Love'], 6-foot-4 small forward, 2026, Olathe North:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Love earned a ton of respect as the key big man on a state bound team in the state's biggest class. He was called upon to defend the paint and guard opposing bigs, and he provided the strength, athleticism and hustle to do it well enough for the team to go 16-7 and make the big dance. With all the high-octane guard play at Olathe North, Love needed to be able to run the floor and contribute in transition. He stepped out to knock down the 3-ball and also showed he can put the ball on the floor in the half-court game, getting to jumpers which he knocked down with his high release.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 – [player_tooltip player_id='2209777' first='Ian' last='Premer'], 6-foot-4 power forward, 2026, Great Bend:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This hard-working lefty exploded on the varsity scene, earning all-tournament honors at a couple of early-season events. He gets to open shots all around the perimeter because he runs the floor and moves intelligently without the ball. He can handle the ball in transition or put it on the floor to break through a defense to a jump shot. He grinds out a lot of second-chance buckets. He averaged 13 points and 7 boards and earned first team in the Western Athletic Conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#4 – [player_tooltip player_id='2209778' first='Ethan' last='Taylor'], 6-foot-9 center, 2026, Shawnee Mission Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's where a lot of thought went into the rankings. Taylor wasn't the most accomplished freshman in the state. But there's no question his ceiling is about as high as anyone's. He's got great size – he will probably measure more like 6-foot-10 or taller as a sophomore. He's got light feet and nice coordination. He was included in some elite competition over the summer and will very likely be the most highly-recruited player in the class. But on a very talented high school team last year, Taylor played an important, but limited, role. He contributed 4 points, 6 boards and 2 blocks per game. The Cougars return a ton of talent, so Taylor might not put up big numbers as a sophomore. He's a developing prospect who just might be in the #1 slot in this ranking before long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#5 – [player_tooltip player_id='2209779' first='Jakhai' last='Carter'], 6-foot-1 combo guard, 2026, Mill Valley (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A dynamic scorer and playmaker at the guard spot, Carter's transfer from Shawnee Mission West adds another top talent to Mill Valley. As a freshman, he showed the kind of handle and vision to be a top distributor, but he also excels at setting up his own shot off the bounce. He averaged 5 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists for the Vikings, but should improve his shooting numbers next season. He is slick in the open court, making difficult passes with either hand. He can hit difficult jumpers off the bounce too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->