Never Forget Classic: 2026 Rising Heroes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They may not have been the headliners for their teams or primary standouts in the games they played, but these five prospects had noteworthy performances on Saturday:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1608228' first='Blake' last='Adams'] | 6'10 C 2026 Reading</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A traditional center, Adams playing within himself was exactly what the Knights needed. He put up&nbsp; 8 points and 8 rebounds versus FCS, primarily finishing drop-off passes from the dunker spot. Adams carried that momentum into the epic win against Cristo Rey. After a mid-range jumper, he asserted himself on the glass with putback and on defense by altering shots in the paint, racking up 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2563321' first='Toby' last='Hartman'] | 6'4 W/F 2026 Cardinal O'Hara</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lions being short-handed created the opportunity for Hartman to build his confidence, and he did that. After a solid performance off the bench against Perkiomen, he got the starting nod versus Coatesville and produced 15 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals. The smooth combo forward first got in box score with a pair of catch-and-shoot treys, interlaced with the turnovers he forced. He did the rest of his damage slashing and cutting to the hoop.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2400241' first='Jalyn' last='Hopkins'] | 6'6 F 2026 West Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New to the Burrs, Hopkins earned his keep with how hard he played. As soon as a shot went up, he immediately hunted for someone to box out, then tracked down the ball. His activity level was on display when he was defending in space and contesting shots around the basket. No despite not getting many touches on offense and getting into foul trouble, his motor never shut off.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2251711' first='Malik' last='Hughes'] | 6'6 F 2026 Archbishop Ryan</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AR may have found their heir apparent in the post with Hughes. He put defenders in conflict using his face-up game and with his back to the basket, drawing seven fouls against Cristo Rey. From the inside-out, he extended his range with a pull-up two and a spot-up three to compliment his work in the paint. Ryan came up short, yet Hughes tallied 17 points and 7 rebounds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2563319' first='Chris' last='Kingkiner'] | 5'10 G 2026 Archbishop Carroll</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On a roster full of talented and highly-coveted prospects, it's easy for Kingkiner to get lost in the shuffle, but he proved to be an underrated asset. In the opening game versus Life Center, he elevated his team's play off the bench with his effort on defense. His 3 rebounds and 3 steals were rewarded later with extended minutes versus Marple Newtown. But Kingkiner simply continued to make his teammates better. He had 5 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists in the convincing victory.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->