Season In Review: '26 Prospects Who Raised Their Stock

Here in the state of New Jersey, state tournaments are well past the finish line and group champions have all been crowned. This year's high school season was nothing short of remarkable— countless highlight plays made week in and week out, individual legacies forever stamped, immense strides taken in certain prospects' on court development, and stocks being raised. With that being said, let's dive into some prospects in the 2026 class who put together impressive seasons and raised their stocks the most over the course of these past several months.    Having legitimately emerged as an instant impact transfer in his lone season here in the state of New Jersey, [player_tooltip player_id='1604422' first='Alex' last='Pace']'s senior season at Camden High was nothing short of impressive— consistently erupting for explosive scoring performances that ultimately highlighted his polished and aggressive on ball skillset thriving in an up tempo style with his intriguing blend of blazing speed, a tight and confident handle, versatile scoring feel while also demonstrating he's more than capable of utilizing his potent court vision and instinctual passing feel to make the right read. Behind an impressive 23.6 PPG average, Pace showcased his ability to be a true threat to score from multiple different spots on the court with the dynamic lead guard demonstrating his ability to shoot the ball with confidence and fluidity from the perimeter with extremely soft touch— showing strong comfort creating space off the bounce and getting balanced in the mid range area for his pull up game all while also displaying crafty finishing ability around the basket in traffic. A willing and unselfish facilitator with the necessary playmaking intangibles and extremely efficient usage rate, Pace routinely made the right read to keep defenses honest— pushing the pace in the open floor with his quickness off the bounce and advancing the ball in transition, spraying out to open shooters out on the perimeter, and even hitting flashy PnR passes to rolling teammates.     An ultra smooth and highly confident shot maker with some of the most polished shooting mechanics you'll find in the state of New Jersey, [player_tooltip player_id='2342605' first='Trevor' last='Whitaker'] provided a tremendous amount of value as a versatile perimeter threat—particularly as a spot up shooter, a movement shooter coming off screens and pin downs and even as an in rhythm off the dribble shooter throughout the course of his senior season. Having truly adjusted to the level of play in his second year at Union Catholic and settling into a role that highlighted his shot making prowess, Whitaker consistently hunted shots off the ball, pairing elite mechanics with the instincts of a true deadeye shooter. That was evident across multiple performances this season, where he showcased a quick and high release, strong elevation on his jumper, clean footwork coming off screens, excellent balance all the way through his release, and constant off ball movement and relocation— all things that make a shooter far more dangerous beyond shooting percentages.     A quick and dynamic lead guard with natural scoring instinct, [player_tooltip player_id='1788774' first='Mickell' last='Taylor Jr']. routinely delivered standout scoring performances that showcased the full scope of his offensive skill set. His impressive 25.0 PPG average highlighted his ability to score in bunches— particularly by attacking closeouts for soft touch floaters and tough finishes in traffic, excelling as a perimeter shot creator creating separation off the bounce and knocking down off the dribble jumpers as well as in rhythm catch and shoot looks. Despite being undersized, Taylor Jr.'s senior season also saw him consistently leverage defensive closeouts to attack downhill, absorb contact, and earn trips to the free throw line. Taylor Jr. was equally effective in transition over numerous instances, using strong defensive awareness to force steals against opposing ball handlers and capitalize on turnovers.     An immediate standout from a physical tools perspective with his glaring size and palpable length, [player_tooltip player_id='2336724' first='Deng' last='Deng'] found ways to make a strong impact in the minutes he was provided over the course of senior season at Linden High with his relentless motor and commanding presence around the rim on both ends. Although no where close to his ceiling yet as a prospect, Deng put together some bright moments as a finisher—particularly converting on dump offs from the dunker spot, capitalizing on post opportunities, and being effective as a roller in PnR actions. With elite length and solid athleticism paired with his high energy and effort on the interior, Deng also showed signs of anchoring a defense, using his timing and anticipation to protect the rim, blocking and altering shot attempts and to control the glass, crashing the glass with purpose and leveraging his effort and energy coupled with his length to win battles on the boards.     A lengthy dynamic guard with clear positional size and an instinctive feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2980759' first='AJ' last='Farrell'] endured a breakout senior season that saw him emerge as a reliable and impactful all around playmaker for Teaneck's offense. Comfortable operating on the ball, Farrell displayed excellent court vision and passing instincts, delivering sharp reads and creative passes that generated clean scoring opportunities for teammates. Having the ball in his hands for long instances at a time, Farrell also showed his ability to create for himself and score the basketball from different areas on the floor attacking driving lanes off the bounce and finding his spots in the mid-range for smooth pull ups and even knocking down in rhythm looks from three point range as a spot up shooter.     A do it all guard for Northern Highlands who hangs his hat on doing whatever is required to make difference making plays to impact winning, [player_tooltip player_id='2883913' first='Pharoahe' last='Dixon'] consistently contributed wherever needed. Dixon proved night in and night out to be a difference maker on both ends, fueled by an elite motor, strong feel for the game, and versatile skillset. Dixon plays with a fearless, selfless approach, impacting the game in multiple ways—initiating offense with smart passing and potent feel for the game, attacking driving angles with body control to finish at the rim, knocking down spot up opportunities from three point range, and applying pressure defensively to disrupt ball handlers and force turnovers.     Having legitimately blossomed into a consistently reliable interior presence on both the offensive end of the floor as a finisher but also on the defensive end of the floor as an anchor, [player_tooltip player_id='2716491' first='Alex' last='Ante'] routinely proved his value in Seton Hall Prep's front court on their way to capturing back to back Essex County Tournament championships. Extremely effective as an efficient finisher around the rim combining mobility with strength, refined footwork, and soft touch, Ante routinely converted on high percentage opportunities—thriving as a roll man in PnR action, running the floor well in transition, showing flashes of his back to the basket game in the low post, and diving hard to the basket in different half court sets. Ante also provided consistent impact on the glass, generating quality second chance opportunities and securing defensive rebounds winning battles on the boards with strong positioning.     A strong, physically imposing and powerfully built forward with an aggressive scoring approach who provided unique mismatches, [player_tooltip player_id='2342647' first='Rashawn' last='Williams'] thrived all season at leveraging his potent physical tools to put an immense amount of pressure on the rim. A vital piece in Plainfield capturing back to back Group 4, Section 2 titles as well as back to back Group 4 championships in their historic two-peat season, Williams thrived as a complimentary scorer utilizing his strength to establish position often, consistently embracing contact to seal defenders and create clean looks in the paint as well as backing down smaller defenders on the low block. A unique offensive piece, Williams also found ways to attack driving lanes off the bounce against slower footed defenders as well as leverage his strength and quick second jump to be a physical and ferocious rebounder to often times control the boards and come down with rebounds on the offensive and defensive glass.

Here in the state of New Jersey, state tournaments are well past the finish line and group champions have all been crowned. This year's high school season was nothing short of remarkable— countless highlight plays made week in and week out, individual legacies forever stamped, immense strides taken in certain prospects' on court development, and stocks being raised. With that being said, let's dive into some prospects in the 2026 class who put together impressive seasons and raised their stocks the most over the course of these past several months.