Class of 2026: New Top 5
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October 1st brought the start of basketball practice to Oklahoma and the new high school season is right around the corner. With that in mind, October will also bring a refreshing of the prospect rankings for the Classes of 2024,…
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Continue ReadingOctober 1st brought the start of basketball practice to Oklahoma and the new high school season is right around the corner. With that in mind, October will also bring a refreshing of the prospect rankings for the Classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026.
First up is the promising Class of 2026. There’s already a national headliner at the top of the class, with more prospects that have High Major upside. It’s early and these players staying the course will be vital but this could be one of the stronger groups of recent recruits from Oklahoma.
Here’s a look at the current top 5 in that promising group.
Flemons is turning into an automatic bucket around the rim. He combines his powerful frame with improving footwork and soft touch. This winter will likely see players hanging off him in attempts to stop him, and he’ll still be powering through contact for finishes. The Union Redhawk is agile for a player his size as well, and if he focus on continuing to develop his quickness and fitness heading into the season, he’s likely to turn college coach’s heads with his unique natural gifts. Flemons is also approaching the height needed to lose “undersized” tag for a college level forward. Which should make him very appealing to college programs that want to lean on post players that run counter to the floor spacing trend, and uses players like Flemons to punish the opposition around the rim.
Wilks is a floor general who plays tough and fast. This season for Millwood he’ll likely feast at the rim, as few in Oklahoma will be able to stay in front of him. Any foul trips he earns will be a plus as he was a consistent free throw shooter on the E15 circuit for MoKan. The swagger and energy he plays will make him one of the most productive players in Oklahoma, and he has good moments as a creator but this is an important evolution year for him. The pace he plays at can lead to some turnovers and he must improve his perimeter shooting. With three years of high school still to come, he has plenty of time to keep improving. As early signs point to Wilks being the type of smaller guard who can still thrive when going against giants.
Following a productive spring and summer on the UA Next Circuit, the Owasso Ram sharpshooter earned an offer from Oklahoma State, his first Divison One offer. It will likely be the first of many as Williams matures into a complete lead guard. As a freshman he had his moments from the perimeter, often serving as a floor spacer while battling through the adversity of being a freshman starter at the Class 6A level.
In the months since, Williams has started to expand his game and confidence. When ran off the line, Williams has a good mid-range pull up and a developing floater. On the defensive side, with a plus wing span to go along with his height, he’ll also have a chance to be an impact defender as he matures. Especially as Williams is not adverse to getting his nose dirty. Some of this ranking, along with the offer from Oklahoma State, is about projecting what the sharpshooter can become. And with the growth he’s shown, combined with his work ethic, it’s a good bet that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.
After a strong freshman campaign, Woodson has continue to put the building blocks together that signals he’s about to be a terror at the 5A level for the Knights. Around the rim he mixes power and finesse, while starting to become a reliable stretch forward with range that extends to the three point line. In transition he’s shown signs of being able to put it on the deck, and play with nimbleness of a smaller player. Those are hints that he’ll likely start to become more of a face up threat as he refines his dribbling ability. Woodson has an immense ceiling and it will be fascinating to see the jump he makes physically and skill wise this winter. It’s important that while he makes this jump, that he stays level headed and focused on the longterm goals.
The headliner of the class, Montonati has seen a steady parade of college programs make their way to Owasso already this fall. It’s easy to see why when going over his resume. Multiple 30+ point outbursts as a freshman, including an 6A Area Championship and a trip to the Class 6A State Semifinals. Scintillating shooting while qualifying for the Peach Jam with MoKan’s 15U squad, which ended in the Elite Eight of the prestigious event in July. On top of the high school and travel ball accolades, he picked up a Gold Medal at the FIBA Americas with the USA’s U16 squad. A consensus five star, Montonati has a case for not only being the best shooter in Oklahoma’s 2026 class, he might be the best in the nation.
Only 16, and Montonati already has a chance to put together one of the best resumes among recent Oklahoma recruits. He was already a marked man as a freshman, with the spotlight pointed on him thanks to entering high school with an offer from Oklahoma State and being the son of Owasso’s coach (Oklahoma State standout Brian Montonati.) Now the pressure will ramp up as he attempts to lead Owasso to their first ever basketball state title while being a national recruit. With a fiery streak, the younger Montonati seems to embrace the pressure, but at times last year that did lead to some foul trouble. Especially as with his size advantage, opponents often need to play physically to disrupt the lanky wing-forward. And the more physically gifted players don’t always get the benefit of a ref’s whistle. Learning to continue to refine subtle moves to create space, while not letting the physical and metaphorically pressure bother him are things to watch for as Montonati continues to strive for his lofty and achievable goals.