Top new names from 2026 rankings update

Our 2026 rankings update saw 16 names get added to our rankings for the first time in this update cycle, in this article I'll break down the five highest ranked debuts of the list.    One of the top wing scorers in the 2026 class nationally, Derkack was a monster at the high school level in New Jersey and has decided to make the jump to prep powerhouse Spire under head coach Kevin Boyle for his senior season. Derkack showed his ability to have the offense run through him at Colonia but with Team Final, his elite off-ball movement was highlighted. Very efficient, Derkack finds open shots and will likely shoot a high percentage relative to his positional peers in the Nike Scholastic league. If Derkack can consistently knock down 3-point shots, he could see his national ranking rise. Programs like USC, Villanova, USF, Butler, Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Dayton, Xavier and Creighton have all offered Derkack since the spring.     A bit of an unknown prospect for some, Janicic stood out in the Fiba U18 Eurobasket for North Macedonia. Now in the class of 2026 in America, Janicic will play for Spire's post-grad team alongside other prospects in our top 10 like [player_tooltip player_id='2441592' first='Collin' last='Ross'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2245774' first='Jackson' last='Williams']. Janicic is a jumbo creator who can play on or off the ball and is an elite passer. I'll be curious how his recruitment shapes up from NCAA programs, lots of schools have been targeting international prospects, especially late in the recruiting cycle, Janicic could be an early target playing next to Ross and Williams, who each bost double-digit Division I offers.     A post grad prospect out of the Seattle area, Webb catches your eye with how fluidly he moves his feet for his size. Having the athleticism to play at the highest levels, Webb makes some impressive plays with the ball in his hands. I'm most interested to see how Webb handles physicality, when watching him in the summer for Beauchamp Elite it seemed like a primary reason why he's taking a post grad year to get stronger and be more ready from day one when he steps on a college campus.     Saint Edward has been one of the premier programs in Ohio this entire century and Knox looks like a senior ready to burst onto the scene. Knox has a strong frame, is an explosive athlete and plays with a high motor. Knox really stood out at midwest live for the Eagles and projects to be a senior leader alongside point guard Jt Kelshmeier who also made his debut during this rankings update. We'll see if those two and the Eagles younger talent can get them back near the top of northeast Ohio.     I caught Obieke at the UAA finals and he stood out thanks to his quickness and ability to score the basketball on his grassroots team. Another prep prospect, Obieke was a player I saw with Andrews Osborne Academy last season and his return to the program alongside Division I targets in the 2027 class should allow him to take the next step in his recruitment. Interesting times in Ohio with so much talent at non OHSAA programs, as reflected with four of the five prospects in this article playing at prep schools.

Our 2026 rankings update saw 16 names get added to our rankings for the first time in this update cycle, in this article I'll break down the five highest ranked debuts of the list.