2026 Rankings Update: Top Centers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 class has had a huge summer. Several players have started to make their names known both statewide and regionwide. Many 2026 prospects earned D1 offers these past 3 months and are riding waves of momentum into their Junior years. Here's a look at the top ten Centers in the newest update to our 2026 rankings. These evaluations do not include players who are in the overall top ten in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2026","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"77243","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"97","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b4fea32e24e"} /--> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Taylor County's [player_tooltip player_id='1543591' first='Bryten' last='Close'] is a bruising, old school post player who has really good footwork and feel for the game. Close is an advanced passer that is capable of playing out of the high post or on the block. The only part of offensive game that Bryten lacks is a consistent three point shot but his shooting mechanics are solid so it's possible that he can add that to his repertoire in the coming year.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1543353' first='Jackson' last='Klope'] of McCracken County is a high energy big man that runs the floor hard and finishes around the rim at a high rate. As a Sophomore, Jackson averaged a double double while shooting 60% from the floor. Like Close, Klope needs to add some perimeter shooting to his game if he wants to reach his prospect ceiling.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1564305' first='Seth' last='Farmer'] is another blue collar big man who is at his best with his back to the basket. Seth plays very hard and is active on both ends of the court. He averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game at Wayne County last season and could be a nightly double-double at Pulaski this season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Danville Christian big man [player_tooltip player_id='2357272' first='Geu' last='Ateny'] is an advanced rim protector who rebounds well with two hands. His frame is very frail and he can be pushed around on the defensive end. Ateny has a ton of long term potential thanks to his size, length and athleticism but he does have a habit of running to the three point line instead of the paint. He'll need to break that habit and become a more effective post scorer before moving out to the three point line.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2175421' first='Matthew' last='Pasley'] is a player who could benefit from his recent transfer to George Rogers Clark from Madison Central. Pasley was playing varsity minutes before an illness forced him to miss a stretch for his Sophomore season and he struggled to get back into the rotation after that. Now with the Cardinals, Matthew should have ample opportunity for playing time on a relatively young GRC squad.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->