2026 Rankings: Stock Rising Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each of the players in this article had big years for their respective teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm also a fan of how athletic they all are and how they can do more than just score. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1493480"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67cf91543a3e9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Previous rank #13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1493480' first='Dante' last='Steward'] proved to be both a reliable scorer and rebounder this past winter for the Liberty Patriots. He averaged 16.6 PPG and 6 rebounds per game. When I watched him play, I noticed that he intelligently looked to score anytime he had a mismatch. He also made a living with his mid-range jumper, and many defenders resorted to fouling him after being unable to stop him. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additional 2024-2025 Stats - 1.2 APG, .9 SPG</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2418885"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67cf91543a459"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Previous rank #18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2418885' first='Devan' last='Christion'] jumps up 12 spots and falls just outside the top 5. He is by far one of the better forwards that I watched this year and also one of the taller ones. His coordination gives him an advantage over other bigs, and although he does a lot of scoring in the paint. Christion can also make jump shots and is an adequate ball-handler. He also just picked up a Division I offer a few months ago from UC Irvine. If he can continue to rack up double-doubles this AAU, more college interest is likely to come his way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024-2025 Season Stats - 15.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.9 BPG</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1961186"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67cf91543a4a2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Previous rank #13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1961186' first='Bryce' last='Iwuoha'] cracks the top ten after stuffing the stat sheet all season long. On offense, he has the ability to get downhill and attack the basket. You can also feed it to him in the paint, and he has a couple of different post moves that he can use to score. On defense, he plays hungry and is willing to fight for loose ball and rebounds. Iwuoha, also just grew another 2 inches recently, and now stands at 6'6. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024-2025 Season Stats - 15.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2 APG</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1765905"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67cf91543a4e7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Previous rank #29</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1765905' first='Dominic' last='Givens'] moves up the rankings due to his rare combination of size and shooting. At 6'7, he has the ability to shoot over just about anyone and he displays a good looking stroke from 3 point land. Givens height and wingspan gives him an advantage on the defensive end as well. He can disrupt shots when given the chance, and gathers rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2199605"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67cf91543a52a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Previous rank #25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2199605' first='Fabian' last='Gomez'] has some high level athleticism and plays hard nose defense. When I watched his games this past season, I noticed that moves very efficiently, which allows him to cover more ground than his opponents expect. He also has a high motor, and will do his best to come up with deflections or steals if there's an opportunity. While defense is his strong suit in my opinion, he can also do a bit of scoring when he gets out in transition. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024-2025 Season Stats - 6 PPG. 2.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.3 APG</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->