2026s Making the Rankings For the 1st Time

With the 2026 rankings release came plenty of movement across the board. We made it a point to get out and see as many prospects as possible, watched film, and spoke to coaches about this class as we head into senior year. Here are players who are making the rankings for the first time.    Averey is a prospect that we got to see a bit more of this summer at various showcases and events, and one thing that stands out about him is his upside. When he's on, he's on, as there are not many prospects with his combination of skill and size that can affect the game as he does. He's a difference-maker who can score in bunches, defends multiple positions, and is a willing passer. He uses his size to get to where he wants on the floor and rises over smaller defenders or works on the block. He has a reliable outside shot, backs smaller defenders down, and finds mismatches. Now it's time to put it all together as he has another year on the Prep circuit, but we like what we saw from him, and we've added him to the rankings for the first time.     We got to see Jaheim in a few tournaments this summer, and he popped every time out for Team Alexander/Alive. He battles on the block, he plays the passing lane, and he uses his athleticism as a strength defensively. He's a hard worker who doesn't allow buckets to come easily, and his team rallied around that. Offensively, he was also a force on the low block as he attacks, doesn't shy away from contact and works the mid post. We like his activity for his size and assertiveness. With the group they have around him for West, those plays are going to be amplified on runs. He's a player that should get plenty of minutes and be a player who cleans the glass, scores in transition, and is a complementary piece. He makes the rankings for the first time with room to grow this season.     With what we saw from Grant this summer, he's a player that we're excited to see how it translates for Eaglecrest. They're the defending champs and have a target on their backs, and it will take on a full team effort every night to make another deep push. With that, a player will have to transform from a complementary piece to a constant, and I feel that Grant fits that role. He has good size and a skillset to attack mismatches. He makes the right reads with and without the ball, competes on the glass, and is not a player that you have to run plays for. He should be a player who they put the ball in his hands and let him create, but he also goes out and makes things happen himself. He's shown us that he's a player with upside; now it's about putting it together on varsity. High expectations for him this season, and he also has room to grow.     Nichols is a super-skilled 6'5 big man and athlete who cannot make plays happen on the block, but also occasionally shoot the 3-ball. We got to see that for Premier this summer, and we're curious to see how that translates to varsity. He swung a bit on varsity as a junior and got his feet wet, but this year he should earn minutes by making the most of the minutes he gets. He needs to affect the game with his size and star in his role, no matter what that is. With a talented set of bigs in front of him, playing with unmatched energy and keying in defensively will be how he earns extra minutes, and from what we were able to see from him, we expect for it to open things up for him. He makes the rankings for the first time with room to grow!     We have not seen a ton of Max lately, but we have heard good things about him and feel that he will have a chance to make his mark on a talented Chaparral squad this season. He should be able to provide a spark with his size and affect his game with two-way energy. Chaparral is going to need some specialists and players who hustle and give max energy defensively. He can be a player who provides hard-nosed defense, keep plays alive, and cut for easy baskets. I expect him to be a glue guy off the bench that can provide that.     Ryan is not a prospect that got a ton of varsity minutes as a junior but when he was in the game, made his mark and provided a spark. He has excellent size and rebounding ability, and those alone show carve out some minutes for him this season. Valor has size, and going to lengthy defensive units should open up their offense. He's a 6'5 agile forward with mobility and keeps plays alive. He can also get hot at times and work with his back to the basket. This season, he'll have to make the most of the minutes he gets and be ready to give it his all and that will likely keep him on the floor. He makes the rankings for the first time with us excited to see what he brings as we think he could make one of the bigger jumps that there is in this class.     Diawara is a prospect that pops even in warmups as you're excited to see what he has. Having that size at 6'7 and the motor to keep moving, it separates him from other prospects. Then you get to see how he's able to move, keep the ball high on hooks and finishes and grab boards and know that he can impact the game. He grabs boards and finds the guard, runs the floor well and sets screens. He rolls off of those screens and finishes and uses his strength or creates room for others. He is raw, but with another year of organized ball under his belt, I am assuming he continues to shine. He makes the rankings for the first time and is a player that many eyes should be on. We think he has a chance to finish in the Top 75 with a big season, we just need to see it

With the 2026 rankings release came plenty of movement across the board. We made it a point to get out and see as many prospects as possible, watched film, and spoke to coaches about this class as we head into senior year. Here are players who are making the rankings for the first time.