Northern Michigan Rankings Risers and New Additions: 2026

The PrepHoops staff and its Michigan scouts have updated the 2026 statewide rankings and have added some new faces, as well as some recognizable faces that are climbing the charts. I'd like to focus on some of those who hail from Northern Michigan.    I'm glad we could add Taylor (feature image) to the state rankings. I've watched Taylor in two high school games as well as throughout [program_tooltip program_id='2075498' first='Great' last='Northern Elite']'s 2024 fall league and he continues to impress. He respects the gym and views gym time as a precious commodity. I say that because as I watched the fall league, most other players were playing "open gym" style basketball, not Taylor. He was aggressive, hard-working, and was there with a purpose--to improve his game. Esky has worked through some early season injuries, and Taylor has stepped up and excelled in the wing position as well as in the paint when needed.     Braeden is soaring up the charts, and for good reason. He has his Harbor Springs Rams hitting on ALL cylinders. The one-two backcourt punch of him and [player_tooltip player_id='2218043' first='Rider' last='Bartel'] might be the best in division 3 (some may argue the entire state). He surpassed 1,000 points in his first contest as a junior and is on pace to hit 2K by the end of his career. Side note: his dad and older sister have both accomplished this feat. Shooting a whopping 50% from beyond the arc (those were as of 01/10/2025, awaiting updated figures).     Owen is also another rankings riser who has been putting up solid numbers this season. We have him listed as a 6'2" CG, but I would venture to say he plays more in the wing position and rides closer to 6'3". Very versatile and can score from anywhere on the court. TC Central is very young, but also very experienced and goal-oriented. Almost all of their key contributors are juniors or younger, with two main contributors being freshmen. I watched Owen play in the Sault and he does an excellent job mentoring the other players and keeping order in the ranks. TC Central still has Cadillac twice and West again, as well as Petoskey two more times. This will season them well for what looks to be a very competitive D1 District 1.     Carter probably should be listed as a power forward as not too many people have been able to guard him down low. He's a self-proclaimed gym rat, so I decided to hit the archives on this kid. When kids "self-proclaim" I will usually look back six to twelve months and observe some of the small things: confidence around the rim, free throw shooting improvement, improved shooting percentage, etc. Carter checked a lot of these boxes as I observed film on him. He really has improved his game and we can officially stamp his gym rat card. He has stepped into a role at West that should have a lot of next-level coaches taking notice. Another D1 district 1 team that will have to be battle-hardened come district time.     Tanner is another yooper junior who is marching his way up the rankings. He is averaging 18.1 PPG and 7.1 RPG respectively. Strong and versatile, he can also score from just about anywhere on the court. He had a strong grassroots campaign for [program_tooltip program_id='2075498' first='Great' last='Northern Elite'] and even though Menominee is a tad bit off from last year's deep tournament team, they will be a pesky force within their district against tough schools like Iron Mountain and Munising. Tanner is ranked #13 in the power forward position and I had him in the top 10 overall for UP players. At the midseason mark, I still feel comfortable with him in those respective positions. Do not turn your back on this tough Menomiee team, as these players mesh together, they could be a solid contender in March.

The PrepHoops staff and its Michigan scouts have updated the 2026 statewide rankings and have added some new faces, as well as some recognizable faces that are climbing the charts. I'd like to focus on some of those who hail from Northern Michigan.