2026 Rankings: A Top Five Breakdown
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We recently released our initial rankings for the 2026 class, which is yet another group of extremely talented prospects who have a tremendous road ahead. With only one season to get familiar with this class, we were still able to…
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Continue ReadingWe recently released our initial rankings for the 2026 class, which is yet another group of extremely talented prospects who have a tremendous road ahead. With only one season to get familiar with this class, we were still able to collect evaluations as to why the top rankings shaped out the way that they did. Let’s get into a breakdown of the top five prospects.
1. Prince Moody Prince Moody 6'4" | SG Bishop McNamara | 2026 State MD | Bishop McNamara/ Team Takeover
Moody is a 6-foot-4 guard who quickly found his role with McNamara this past winter. He has a knack for putting the ball in the basket off of his own ability to create space. Moody operates well in isolations where he can use his sound positional size to rise over his defender for jumpers or use his shifty array of moves to make his way to the basket where he can finish with either hand. He finishes above the rim in transition with space and despite putting up crooked numbers in the scoring column as a freshman, still makes the fundamental read on penetration.
2. Zyion Chase Zyion Chase 6'6" | PF St. John's | 2026 State MD | St. John’s (DC)/ Team Takeover
It was hard not to enjoy what Chase was able to contribute for the Cadets during their WCAC run. He was the definition of a low-maintenance forward who hung his hat on doing the dirty work. Whether it was crashing the offensive glass, getting on the floor to secure extra possessions for his team or finishing around the basket through contact, Chase’s efforts always seemed to swing the momentum of high-level contests. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and with his competitive motor, will be a frequent box score stuffer this summer and moving forward.
3. Qayden Samuels Qayden Samuels 6'5" | SF Bishop McNamara | 2026 State MD | Bishop McNamara/ Team Takeover
Samuels combination of size, length and fluidity is what is most intriguing. Parlay that with the fact that the southpaw can knock down three’s in bunches or make athletic plays at the rim and you have plenty to look forward to as he develops through his next three years of high school. Standing around 6’4-6’5, Samuels has asserted himself effectively alongside Chase and Moody thus far in EYBL play.
4. Parker Robinson Parker Robinson 6'4" | CG Good Counsel | 2026 MD | Good Counsel/ Team Melo
I describe Robinson as a gamer. He’s a 6-foot-4 guard who received plenty of action as a freshman for Good Counsel and proved himself as a tough-nosed competitor who can bring long-range shooting and some playmaking from the guard position. He tracks to be a plus rebounder who doesn’t shy away from physicality when battling in the paint. He’s still growing as a defender and becoming more polished with his off the dribble attack, but it’s safe to assume by the start of his sophomore season, both areas will have improved significantly based off his success with Team Melo 15s.
5. Malik Shackleford Malik Shackleford 6'3" | PG Friendship Tech | 2026 State MD | Friendship Tech/ Team Durant
Shackleford had as much responsibility as any freshman in the area this past high school season and responded by helping lead Friendship Tech to a PCSAA title. He set the tone for his team at both ends as the 6-foot-3 guard provides great balance from an overall skill perspective. We often times see successful freshmen campaigns translate into super sophomore seasons. Our eyes will be on Shackleford as that time approaches.