Season In Review: More '26 Prospects Who Raised Their Stock

In New Jersey, state tournaments have wrapped up, and all group champions have been crowned. This year's high school season was truly exceptional—packed with highlight reel plays every week, individual legacies forever solidified, significant growth for many players on the court, and rising prospects making their mark. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some more of the class of 2026 prospects who had standout seasons and significantly boosted their stock over the past several months.    Very few guards in New Jersey's 2026 class delivered as many consistently strong individual performances against top tier in state competition as St. Peter's' lead guard did over the course of his senior season. A seasoned, high octane floor general who plays with an edge, [player_tooltip player_id='1609109' first='Richie' last='Rosa'] was the driving force behind St. Peter's Prep capturing their fourth straight HCIT championship along with another appearance in the NJSIAA Non-Public A state final—due in large part to him consistently effectively dictating the tempo and demonstrating a firm command of the offense. Having done an excellent job of balancing scoring with playmaking all season long, creating his own opportunities while also making a concerted effort to get teammates the ball in the right spots to be successful, the Rider commit showed a strong feel for the game operating within the heavy dose of PnR actions St. Peter's seemed to rely on as the backbone of their offense. Rosa's ability to excel as a reliable offensive initiator should set him for success and serve him well in the MAAC next season at Rider.     Shabazz High endured every bit of the defection of a historic, culture changing season— one that saw that saw them reach the Essex County Tournament semifinal and capture a NJSIAA Group 1, Section 2 title as well as go on to win the entire Group 1, and the reliable production of [player_tooltip player_id='1775139' first='Zaim' last='Barnes'] had much to do with that. All season long Barnes supplied tremendous value as a confident and versatile scoring threat—demonstrating his offensive attack by contributing off the ball with his potent perimeter shooting while also putting pressure on the rim when driving opportunities presented itself attacking with purpose, getting into the paint, and finishing through contact at the rim, ultimately proving to be a legitimate plug and play offensive fit with his effectiveness with and without the basketball.     One of the biggest stock risers in the entire state regardless of class going back to as far as last year's grassroots season, [player_tooltip player_id='2621316' first='Matthew' last='Kennedy'] carried much of that momentum he generated this past summer heading into his senior year. A confident scoring guard who served as the catalyst to the different actions St. Mary's was able to effectively get into over the course of the season, Kennedy demonstrated an ability to stretch the floor with a quick and soft shooting touch as well as finish inside with his physical and bruising frame, [player_tooltip player_id='2621316' first='Matthew' last='Kennedy'] consistently put together strong individual scoring performances that highlighted a well rounded offensive arsenal. Known for his perimeter shooting and ability to catch fire from deep, Kennedy routinely delivered from beyond the arc at a highly effective shooting clip while also using the attention he draws out on the perimeter to attack off the bounce, getting into the paint and converting on soft runners. Easily settling into a nice rhythm on pretty much every night, Kennedy also made an impact in transition, turning defensive stops into easy offense as well as the on the offensive glass with his powerfully built frame to capitalize on second chance possessions. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of Kennedy's recruitment pans out in the coming months with a handful of the area's most prominent DII programs all heavily showing interest in his services.     Part of the driving force behind much of the success DePaul endured this season, particularly in the paint, [player_tooltip player_id='2857844' first='Aiden' last='Griffiths'] routinely reinforced his value as a highly reliable interior force, leveraging his physically imposing presence in combination with constant activity and effort in the paint on both ends of the floor. Blending an effective combination of clear strength, polished footwork, and soft touch around the rim, Griffiths consistently converted on high percentage opportunities around the basket—finishing effectively out of different PnR actions, slipping out of DHOs, and showing strong hands securing dump off passes down low from driving guards. Griffiths also offered numerous glimpses of his back to the basket game, using his strength and physicality to establish position and power through defenders on the block. On the defensive end, Griffiths also season stood out as a defensive anchor in the paint— protecting the rim with solid anticipation and timing as a shot blocker while bringing a relentless presence on the glass, battling and securing rebounds at a high level.     Part of a Holy Cross Prep backcourt that supplied a legitimate dynamic scoring punch, [player_tooltip player_id='2139578' first='Jordan' last='Owens'] provided tremendous value primarily with his shot making prowess while also providing relief as an additional ball handler who can initiate offense and be a facilitator to get his teammates the ball in the right spots to be successful. Shooting the three ball at not only an effectively efficient clip percentage wise but also with impressive versatility, Owens often times demonstrated his ability to impact the game from the perimeter— stepping into opportunistic catch and shoot opportunities from three point range as a spot up shooter, knocking down outside shots as an in rhythm off the bounce shooter, relocating to open shooting windows as a movement shooter all while also letting his shooting gravity to open additional offense for himself and attack driving angles to finish with craftiness around the basket. Playing with great pace and rarely ever getting sped up, Owens also demonstrated an ability to create for others, particularly in the open floor as well as hitting cutters in different half court actions.     Part of an impactful Holy Cross Prep duo that served as the driving force for the offensive success this year's group endured on their way to securing a spot in the NJSIAA Non-Public B state final, [player_tooltip player_id='2621632' first='Joshua' last='Swain'] demonstrated an ability to consistently get to his spots off the bounce with noticeable poise and impressive body control. A lot of Swain's strong individual scoring performances showcased a glaring combination of smooth and diverse shotmaking from different areas on the floor while also mixing in aggressive downhill drives attacking driving angles ultimately y displaying a strong and confident handle and the ability to get wherever he wanted on the floor, along with flashes of finesse as a finisher at the rim alongside defensive playmaking due in large part to his his lengthy wingspan coupled with his anticipation skills in the passing lanes. As the season wained, Swain showed legitimate longterm promise as a shooter, particularly with intriguing shooting mechanics and intangibles.     An extremely seasoned and highly versatile guard with strong positional size and a polished feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='1919211' first='Dorsett' last='Mulcahy'] pretty much every night translated those very intangibles to impact winning, helping aid Gill St. Bernard's to back to back Somerset County championships and their first NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship in program history. A catalyst for this Gill St. Bernard's offense, Mulcahy scored efficiently in a variety of ways all season long— more often than not settling into a nice rhythm from the perimeter stepping into open looks and knocking down opportunistic three point opportunities at a very efficient rate, a clear reflection of his development as an outside shooter from since his freshman year, while also complementing that perimeter success with crafty finishing at the rim, using creativity off the bounce to get downhill and attack driving angles while also attacking with purpose in the open floor and even thriving as a cutter with his off ball movement often times cutting to open space for clean and easy looks at the basket. Mulcahy's strong feel for the game also made an impact in Gill St. Bernard's offense as an unselfish and willing facilitator to create advantageous scoring chances for those he shared the floor with and a versatile defender, guarding both quick guards out on the perimeter and being physical and disruptive against bigger opponents in the paint.

In New Jersey, state tournaments have wrapped up, and all group champions have been crowned. This year's high school season was truly exceptional—packed with highlight reel plays every week, individual legacies forever solidified, significant growth for many players on the court, and rising prospects making their mark. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some more of the class of 2026 prospects who had standout seasons and significantly boosted their stock over the past several months.