2026 player rankings: Pure diamonds

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 Tennessee player rankings have a good selection of players outside the top 100. I call them diamonds. Even though they're not inside the top 5, top 10, or top 20, they're still valuable and worthy of attention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the pure diamonds of the class:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2307628' first='Sydney' last='Thompson'], Bartlett: Thompson moved up 10 spots to No. 84. He's a grinder on the floor. Thompson is a competitor. He's going to sit down on defense. Thompson is going to dive on the floor for 50-50 balls. He can get hot and make shots from the perimeter. Thompson is a winner, and he plays like it each time he laces up his shoes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1591000' first='Monterrio' last='Cox'], Southwind: Cox moved up 21 spots to No. 98. Like Thompson, Cox will defend. He's a pest on defense to be a 5-foot-9 point guard. Cox isn't afraid to play in meaningful games. He's the perfect teammate and leader to have because he's going to do whatever he needs to do to get the job done. Individual stats aren't important to Cox. He likes to stack wins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2864959' first='Jaxon' last='Hardaway'], White Station: Hardaway debuted at No. 93. The 6-8 forward has made improvements in the past two seasons. He has a good frame, moves well up and down the floor, has post moves, and loves to rebound. Another good year will have him in the top half of the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2797237' first='Carey' last='McClain Jr.'], Kirby: McClain is one of the best scoring guards in the class. At 6-1, McClain can get to the rim with ease. He's really good in transition and can make shots from the perimeter. McClain is going to be a steal for a college program because of his willingness to continuously attack on every possession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2296676' first='Trey' last='Benson'], Memphis Business Academy: Benson remains in the top 40 at No. 39. Benson can play at the next level. He has the intangibles to play beyond high school. He's aggressive on defense. Benson's energy and effort will always be high. There's no questioning that. He's a solid offensive player. Benson can make shots from the perimeter. He's quick and twitchy enough to get into the lane. There are some things to like about Benson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->