Under the Radar Class 1 Standouts at District No. 1 Seeds

Earl Austin February 22, 2026 @ 07:40 PM

Prep Hoops Missouri takes a look at a talented group of under the radar standout players who have led their teams to No. 1 seeds in the upcoming district tournament this week.     Balston and Tre Brown (Brunswick): What can Brown do for you? At Brunswick the answer is plenty as the 5'10" 2026 Tre and 6'4" 2024 Balston have been central figures in another excellent season. Brunswick enters the districts at 22-3 and ranked No. 2 in Class 1 and the top seed in District 12. Tre is a talented point guard with excellent quickness and the ability to impact the game at both ends of the court. Balston is one of the most talented small-school young players in the state. He has the size and athleticism along with the ability to score at all three levels.     Josiah Dull (Faith Christian): A 5'10" 2026 point guard who has led Faith Christian to a No. 1 seed in District 12 with a couple of tournament championships along the way. He is an excellent playmaker and floor leader with a nice feel for the game. He is a capable scorer who can shoot it from 3-point range and his overall floor game is excellent at both ends of the court.     Paxton Hornbuckle (Delta): A 6'1" 2026 forward who has led Delta to a 21-5 record and a top seed in District 1. He is an excellent offensive player who can really operate from the high post area on in. He's an excellent shooter from the high post and elbow and he can also drive it very well to score in traffic. He also scores on the pull up jumper very well. He recently surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for his career.     Chayse Coose (Dadeville): A 6'5" 2026 forward who has led the Bearcats to a 17-8 record and a top seed in District 5. He is a very slender and skilled big who scores around the basket with good footwork and a nice touch inside. He can also shoot it from 3-point range and attack off the dribble from the perimeter. He can grab the rebound and go coast to coast for a layup. He also uses his athleticism on defense to block shots on the move.     Kolbi Nichols (Drexel): A 6'0" 2026 point guard who has led the Bobcats to a 22-3 record and a top seed in District 7. He is a four-year varsity starter who has been putting in work since his freshman season. He averages more than 20 points a game with all the tools in his offensive bag. He gets into the lane and can score on runners and tough layups through contact. He has a nice pull up from the mid range with good elevation and he can also hit 3-pointes from the volleyball line. He also distributes the ball and rebounds well.     Dakota Brandon (Braymer): The 6'2" 2026 forward is one of the holdovers from the Bobcats Final Four team from last season. He is an excellent athlete who can slash into the lane for buckets and also throw down slam dunks in transition. He can also hit the open 3-pointer. He plays with a strong motor at both ends of the court.     Tanner Williams (Climax Springs): A 6'0" 2026 guard who has led Climax Springs to a 23-3 record and a top seed in District 6. He has a rock solid body at 190 pounds and he can shoot it well from distance. He can shoot it off the catch, coming off screens and off the dribble with the jab step. He averages more than 20 points a game, but he really stuffs the stat sheet as he is either at the top or near the top of every stat for his team.   Jake Davis (Christian Fellowship): A talented 2027 point guard who's led CFS to a top seed in District 10. He is a smooth offensive player who can light it up from 3-point range or also score off the dribble. He can change speeds and directions off the bounce to keep defenders off balance. He also has quick hands to ball hawk on defense to create steals.

Prep Hoops Missouri takes a look at a talented group of under the radar standout players who have led their teams to No. 1 seeds in the upcoming district tournament this week.