2026 Rankings Update: New Names You Need to Know

With the 2026 rankings being updated there is a lot of talk about some of the new names on the list, whether it be guys making it up from the watch list, guys transferring in, or just late bloomers getting discovered and emerging quickly, there are a ton of guys in the state that are welcome additions to everything we have going on. Let's take a deeper look at some guys that weren't in the rankings before that now find themselves among NC's elite!    Jones recently announced his commitment to Queens after wrapping up an incredible season at Moravian Prep in Overtime Elite where he scored the ball at an elite clip. In his OTE slate of games, Jones averaged 30.3 Points, 6.5 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 1.5 Steals, and 0.5 Blocks on 43/36/55 shooting splits. Jones has an extremely simple and direct game. He raises up for jumpers with a great base and is capable of making shots when set or leaning either direction. Jones is a straight line driver that doesn't really waste any time or movement when trying to get to the basket where he finishes above the rim with high frequency. Coach Grant Leonard at Queens did an incredible job securing the steal of the class out of Moravian Prep here in NC's 2026 class.     Henke is a guy that frankly emerged over the course of this summer and fall with the work he did on the travel ball circuit and in the HoopState Fall league. He carried that momentum into the season at Apex Friendship where he was a double double machine on one of the best teams in the State of North Carolina. Unfortunately, their season ended a little earlier than they would've liked but that doesn't take away from what Henke was able to do for this group this season. His ability to carve out space underneath, utilize his touch and footwork around the basket leads him on a path of production that made the staff at Randolph-Macon take notice and land the forward from Apex. Henke has some outside touch as well and should continue to develop that in the next stage of his career. Henke's blend of skill, toughness, and physical gifts make him a no brainer to land in the top 70 of this loaded class.     [player_tooltip player_id='2099601' first='Aden' last='Jeffries'] made the move to Southern Durham and what a perfect basketball marriage it has been for both of them. Jeffries is a floor spacing wing forward with the ability to really heat up from the outside along with using that size to help his team protect the rim on the other end of the floor. Jeffries is averaging 10.3 Points, 3.8 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 0.5 Steals, and 1.0 Blocks per game on 46/39/72 splits. For a kid to have his touch at his size along with the fluidity in which he moves leads me to believe there is still a lot of untapped upside. He's shown a ton of growth throughout the year as well and it showed in a gutsy Home Playoff OT win vs Garner. Jeffries finished with a team high 21 Points in the win. He's a no brainer full scholarship talent that's trajectory is trending upwards!     The second Queens University signee to make this list McLean is a high upside forward with a ton of ability that transferred into NC to play for Coach Antonio Lowe at Winston-Salem Christian. McLean offers a great blend of two way skill and physical ability to this Winston-Salem Christian lineup. McLean has the ability to make outside shots, impose himself on smaller opponents, and guard multiple positions on the floor. Frankly, his defensive upside along with the outside touch is what makes him a truly appealing prospect and a guy that made a lot of sense for Queens to get signed early in their class. There's a real world in five years where we talk about McLean as one of the 5-6 best players in this class when their college careers are all wrapping up.     Sarnowska first caught my attention at a pre-season jamboree where he had more energy than 99% of the rest of the gym combined (it was an 8 court facility). He brings a truly unlimited motor with a very unique skillset that finds him blend his scrappiness and ability to make plays for his team. At Calvary Day this season, Sarnowska averaged 21.4 Points and 4.3 Rebounds per game. I genuinely cannot emphasize it enough, the energy he brings absolutely rattles opponents that aren't prepared for it. Sarnowska puts his body on the line to get extra possessions for his team on the glass or if it means diving on the floor. He competes defensively, has nice touch around the rim, and goes so hard that he raises your teams whole level of competitiveness simply with his presence. A kid that might not fit the traditional mold but is a 100% bonafide next level player.

With the 2026 rankings being updated there is a lot of talk about some of the new names on the list, whether it be guys making it up from the watch list, guys transferring in, or just late bloomers getting discovered and emerging quickly, there are a ton of guys in the state that are welcome additions to everything we have going on. Let's take a deeper look at some guys that weren't in the rankings before that now find themselves among NC's elite!