2026 player rankings: Who’s ready?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two hands full of prospects were added to the latest 2026 Tennessee player rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most important thing is this: The 2024 season is finally here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a quick summary of the latest installment: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pope Prep's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1560719' first='Trey' last='Pearson']</strong>, Greeneville's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1959160' first='Trey' last='Thompson']</strong>, and Providence Christian Academy's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1659513' first='Christopher' last='Washington Jr.']</strong> remain the top 3 prospects in the class. Knoxville Webb's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1277259' first='Cam' last='Swearengen']</strong> and Ensworth's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588175' first='Jonathan' last='Sanderson'] </strong>round out the top 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pearson is going to miss some time due to a foot injury. As I mentioned last month, TSSAA Division II-AA is going to be a really great league to watch in 2024 because of the talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Once Pearson gets back, hopefully, he gets going fast, so the Knights can be in primed focus to go on another playoff run. Sanderson and Swearengen are going to have the same focus in mind. With all 3 in DII-AA, their programs could meet at some point in the state tournament. Solid performances to go along with the wins will give either prospect an edge and argument on who should be the best player in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson, a 6-foot-8 forward, is going to be a walking double-double in Class 3A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Washington Jr. is on a mission. He mentioned to me in September at the Paul Biancardi Skills Development Camp that he's looking to be ranked the No. 1 player in Tennessee, Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, and a state champion. He's capable of accomplishing all 3 feats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitehaven's [player_tooltip player_id='1760994' first='Dorion' last='Bowen'], Knoxville Catholic's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1959161' first='Cade' last='Murphy']</strong>, Providence Christian Academy's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2367403' first='Aiden' last='Bolden']</strong>, PCA's<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2292618' first='Preston' last='Wade'</strong>], and Briarcrest's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1760996' first='Fred' last='Smith'] </strong>Jr. round out the top 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's plenty of talent inside the top 10. The Lions are the heavy favorite to win this season's DII-A state title. Also, PCA will have a favorite for Mr. Basketball, whether it's Washington Jr., Bolden, or Wade. The Lions could be taking home a lot of hardware.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>X-Factor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brentwood Academy's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2612100' first='Jeromy' last='Davis Jr.']</strong> came in at No. 38. The 6-5 shooting guard has a great opportunity to be one of the best wings in DII-AA. The Eagles will need Davis to lead them in scoring. He will need to shoot the basketball at a high clip. Davis will need to be consistent, on both ends of the floor, from the start of the 2024 season to the very end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->