2026 Rankings Update: Top Combo Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This freshman class continues to make waves across the state. Some of Kentucky's top scorers are in the 2026 class, but regardless of scoring, the overall talent level is extremely promising. This combo guard group is loaded. Let's take a look at some of the top 2026 combo guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["376806"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Yeast is already a really tough player. Her sister, Timberlynn, is one of the best players in the 2023 class and unfortunately, she is out this season after injuring her knee right before games got going. Because of that injury, Teigh has had to play an even larger role than originally expected, but she has handled it well. Yeast has strong handles, she can really put the ball in the basket, and she has a high basketball IQ. She may be listed as a combo guard, but that really is just a testament to her versatility and ability to play any guard position well. Yeast has been lighting it up from deep this season and is currently shooting 53.8% from 3. Pair that with her ability to drive and finish in the mid-range or around the basket, and she's a tough player to stop. If Yeast isn't on your radar already, I highly recommend adding her now.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["376789"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"James is one of my favorite players to watch because she's just so smooth and her basketball IQ always shines. She sees the floor, she makes plays, she distributes the ball well, and she can score herself. James can bring the ball down the floor or play off of the ball, but either way, she's effective. When she didn't have much talent around her last season, she showed her ability to take over games on her own while also being smart about the shots she took. She continues to demonstrate how well she can score the ball at all 3 levels. However, this season, as she has a ton of talent around her, she's shown how much more she can bring to the floor beyond scoring. Her handles and court awareness are special, as is her crafty play and playmaking. [player_tooltip player_id='376789' first='Ashlinn' last='James'] is a name you'll probably be hearing a lot of over the next 4 years.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["493154"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Reitzel's work ethic is second to none which is why I'm confident that she's going to have a lot of success in her future. However, she also has a ton of skills. When she goes out and plays her game, she's extremely hard to stop because she's a threat in so many different ways. She can knock down outside shots, but she can also shot fake and drive to the basket just as easily. Reitzel has a good mid-range game as well, so she has a variety of ways that she can put the ball in the basket. She is far from a selfish player though, so if she can make plays for her teammates, she will. She does a great job driving and drawing help, so that she can kick it to the open player. Reitzel brings a lot on the defensive end of the floor as well and she's going to be a key piece for her talented Mercy squad this year and in her future.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["376788"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Courtney's potential is off the charts. She already plays with the poise of a veteran despite being a freshman in high school. What I think I like most about her game is how she brings just as much intensity to the defensive end of the floor as she does offensively. Courtney has strong handles and can get to the basket. She also can knock down shots off of the dribble or the catch. The lefty can shoot the ball from deep range and she only needs a tiny bit of space to get her shot off. She has good length and she uses her length to get defensive stops all game long. Courtney can come up with steals on the ball or in the passing lanes, but she also is a good shot blocker. She can fill up a stat sheet and she will definitely be a major player in the 2026 class all throughout her HS career.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["376804"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Chestnut is my favorite kind of player because you never have to question her effort when she's on the floor. She plays hard and she's going to give you all she has. She can contribute in so many ways and she's the furthest thing from a selfish player. Chestnut can handle the ball and she has good court awareness. She makes good passes and she makes great cuts. Her fakes and jabs are really effective as well. She really sells them well to get the defense off of their feet. While Chestnut is not a selfish player, she can definitely put the ball in the basket. She has good range on her shot and she makes great drives to the basket. She can finish layups, floaters, jump shots, etc. Chestnut plays for one of the best teams in the state and the way she's been able to instantly come into a new program and make her mark really speaks to her abilities.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["376762"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"You may not be able to find a 2026 with better stats than Terry, at least not at this point in the season. She's averaging 20 PPG and 11.5 RPG on 53.6% shooting, including 50% from 3. She's shooting 81.2% from the free throw line as well. Terry may be a freshman, but she certainly isn't playing like one. She can get her shots off quickly and is obviously a good outside shooter, but she can also make some really strong drives to the basket. She finishes on both sides of the rim and she can handle contact well. Terry does a great job of pushing the pace in transition and has the ability to beat everyone down the floor for easy buckets. When help defense steps over, she recognizes and makes solid passes to her teammates. Terry is an excellent rebounder as well.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["379876"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Steffen is a very promising 2026 prospect. She's got good strength, a high basketball IQ, and she does a lot of the little things that require pure effort. When the ball isn't in her hands, she does a great job of moving and finding the gaps on the floor. Steffen makes good fakes to get the defense off of their feet, and she makes great drives to the basket. She can take contact and she can bring physicality defensively. She can guard nearly any position and she reads the passing lanes well to come up with steals. Steffen puts in the work and that is obvious when you watch her play. Her shooting percentages early on this season also speak to how smart she is as a player. She's shooting 57.9% overall and 62.5% from 3.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-639a398582350"} /-->