2026s from Small Schools are Making an Impact in December

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We released our first ranking of the 2026 class a few months ago. Since then, more players from the class – now sophomores – have started to make an impact on the varsity scene. We're going to keep a close eye on the risers in the class these next few months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some sophomores who are making an impact at their big schools (4A-6A):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mario Davis</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2026, Pleasanton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stats can be misleading in the early part of the season. But there's something to what Davis appears to be doing at 2A Pleasanton. He's averaging nearly 20 points through five contests. He's had a few big nights shooting it from deep and is stuffing the stat sheet in every category.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2211372' first='Edward' last='Horinek'], 6-foot guard, St. Johns/Tipton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Horinek gained attention as a key player on a state tournament team as a freshman. So it's no surprise that he's taken a big leap as a sophomore, racing to several 20-point outings and generally producing at a high level. The Bluejays are off to an impressive start considering their two losses are to small school power Clifton-Clyde and 3A Ellsworth. They look like they may repeat last year's state run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaxson Konen</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2026, Little River:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Little River just keeps churching out high-quality guards, and Konen appears to be another on the rise. He's scoring 12 points per game and contributing in a variety of ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1955301' first='Mason' last='Martin'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2026, Hoisington (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals are turning the corner after they invested heavily in a football run to the 2A state championship (which they lost to Nemaha Central). We knew from watching him this summer that Martin was ready to carry a bigger load as a sophomore. After a standout football season, Martin is finding the touch on the court as a long, springy guard who can provide a lot of different skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1957156' first='Jasper' last='Sallee']</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2026, Osawatomie:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops scouts were very impressed by Sallee's work this summer. He's carrying that effort over into the fall. He's a versatile forward who can face the goal on the wing and drop threes or put it on the floor, or he can mix it up in the post. He's got length, athleticism and a gritty streak. He pumped in 10 points per game in the early going.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->