2026 ND Rankings FINAL Update and Overview
In this article:
The final word is here.
March is the best time of year to be a hoops fan! The final update to the 2026 North Dakota Prospect Rankings has arrived. The Class AA State Tournament has wrapped up, and we want to congratulate the Bismarck Century Patriots on bringing home the title after a hard-fought run. Meanwhile, the spotlight now shifts to the Class A and B State Tournaments, which tip off this week and will close the chapter on another exciting year of prep hoops across the state.
This update reflects everything we've seen over the course of the season—packed gyms, statement performances, and players continuing to separate themselves when it matters most. Some names held strong, others made late pushes, and a few new faces forced their way into the conversation.
It's also a reminder of how fast it all goes. It feels like this senior group was just stepping onto the floor as freshmen, and now they're preparing to move on to the next chapter. Time flies when you're playing basketball.
This marks our final update for the 2026 class. To all the seniors: happy hunting, and best of luck in what's next in life.
This is an intro & overview article about the Ranks. See below for the top prospects & general info on the Rankings. Be on the lookout for Stock Riser, New Name & superlative articles in the coming days.
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**Full 2026 ND Prospect Rankings**
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROSPECT RANKINGS
How do you guys decide where a player gets ranked? Let me tell you….
North Dakota's Prep Hoops prospect rankings are compiled by our writers with input from high school, AAU, and college coaches who watch a ton of North Dakota basketball. We put a lot of time and energy into it — probably too much! — and we are as diligent as we can possibly be to get it right. We never intentionally set out to bury a kid or leave them off the list. We try not to be biased — other than favoring kids with talent, grit, and a desire to get better. We work hard at being fair. But at the end of the day, not everyone will be happy, and that's OK. Rankings are updated four times a year, October, January, March, and June. Here are some other important things you should know.
– College coaches have a lot of influence. If there is no clear consensus on the top players in each class, we give them the last word.
– AAU matters. In the winter update, we are obviously adding players who are having great high school seasons. This is the primary opportunity for athletes who don't play AAU ball to make their mark. It is a reality, however, that players who do not play AAU are greatly diminishing their opportunity to make the prospect rankings. They are also limiting their opportunities to play college basketball since being seen by 10 coaches is statistically less likely to yield the desired result than being seen by 100.
– Most importantly, this list is about college potential, not current performance. Let me repeat that. THIS LIST IS ABOUT COLLEGE POTENTIAL, NOT CURRENT PERFORMANCE. This is the big one, the factor that causes the most consternation, and the most misunderstanding, especially among keenly interested parents.
