2026 Player Rankings Update: Top 5
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This 2026 Player Rankings Update for Nebraska is different to most Player Rankings Update that you will see published out there. Prior to this update, there was no ranking list created or provided for this class throughout the state which…
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Continue ReadingThis 2026 Player Rankings Update for Nebraska is different to most Player Rankings Update that you will see published out there. Prior to this update, there was no ranking list created or provided for this class throughout the state which means a few things…
- There is some catching up to do. At each update I try to add 25 players per class. At this point, I would have 100 players listed already going into the school year so that’s just what I did. There are 100 players listed that either put up big numbers in high school last season or showed some impressive gameplay over this past AAU campaign.
- I have only ranked the Top 15 players until our next update in December. I am confident that these 15 players are all individuals who could play basketball at the next level, no questions asked. The biggest determining factor being how they expand their games and physically grow over the next few high school seasons.
- In the Top 15 that I have listed for this class, there were a handful of situations where a player could have been a spot above or a spot below of where they were placed. I could truly justify either position to you in the end.
(In General)
Some small things on how understand the rankings:
- The position that the player is labeled at currently is where they are seen as a college prospect, at THIS moment in time. That is subject to change as time goes on and players evolve.
- Each player will have a position rank associated with their name in this first update, please understand two things about that ranking. 1 – Only the Top 15 players positional ranking is accurate. The others on the WL are just how players were mentioned in the PGH system in the past. 2 – Those are subject to change over-time as a player COULD end up changing their position for any given reason as they get older. (Growth spurt, Skill-set evolves, Ect.)
Some small things to please remember from an outside perspective:
- Just because a players name is not added on this list, does not mean they aren’t a good player. It simply means I haven’t seen them compete YET or consider them as a CURRENT player who will see significant varsity minutes as a sophomore this winter at their high school.
- With younger classes, there can be some major movements as to where a player is from update to update. It’s crucial to understand that when a player moves down in the rankings, it’s usually not because they played bad or haven’t been doing well. It’s because more players are being added to the rankings and those players skill-set maybe evolving to a higher level as they get older.
- A Players Ranking is an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. My advice is that you can use it to motivate you or you should move on. There is no reason to feel hurt or slighted as it is never personal. It’s just a different point of view. Remember, opinions change.
In the article below I will be unveiling our 2026 – Top 5 Players list. This Top 5 list was determined by a few factors such as a players “feel” for the game, their body of work last high school/AAU season, their natural athleticism & skill-set, their motor, and much more. Every player that I will list here is a college level competitor, who could one day play for a successful D1 program once their high school careers come to an end.
Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!
Coming in at #4 is an individual that is set to have a big year at Millard North high school, coming off of a solid freshman season and that is Izzie Galligan Izzie Galligan 5’9″ | SG Millard North | 2026 State NE . Galligan is a bucket. A player that your offense needs to get the ball to in big moments because she can make something happen out of nowhere. Galligan displays a picture perfect shot from deep, usually resulting in a three pointer that ends in a swish a majority of the time. If defenses over-play her, she has the ability to put the ball on the floor and hit a teammate with an assist or she can get all the way near the hoop, ending the possession in her patented floater over an opposing big. I think that Galligan is going to have a breakout season this year at Millard North when she see’s the floor a little more. She is the type of player that can get really hot in a hurry and makes good choices most of the time. I imagine she didn’t play as a freshman as much because of a heavy upperclassman roster. That should change this season and when it does, Galligan is going to be ready to go nuclear on her competition.
Sometimes you hear the phrase, “If you know, you know.” That is the situation with the next player on our list in Kylee Paben Kylee Paben 6’1″ | SF Millard West | 2026 State NE . Paben didn’t see the floor a ton as a freshman at the high school she was at because of their impressive varsity roster last season but if you’ve seen her compete this AAU season or in a privet workout, you understand that the ceiling is sky high. Paben stands at 6’1 and seems to continue to grow day-by-day, while her skill is expanding at the same rate. Over these past few months I’ve seen Paben take her game to the next level. She is knocking down multiple three’s a contest, posting up smaller defenders and scoring efficiently whenever the opportunity presents itself in the post, stepping up and hitting 15FT jump shots like clock work, all while being a high level rebounder and facilitator during each game. Not to mention that defensively, she is no slouch. She is someone that opponents need to worry about when they are driving to the basket or it’ll end up in a block by Paben. As you can tell, the combination of size and skill are taking over for Paben and it’s going to show this winter at Millard North, just wait and see.
Halle Dolliver Halle Dolliver 5’10” | CG Malcolm | 2026 State NE comes in at our #2 prospect in the 2026 class, mainly because of her mixture of size and skill, along with what she was able to do last season at Malcolm high school. Dolliver is the real deal. Someone who isn’t going to kill you with a flashy move but with fundamental and efficient play. She does have the ability to hit you with a skill move or 3 at any given moment if you were to cut her off, but most of the time, she gets a clean look at the hoop after creating for herself. As a freshman last season, Dolliver was an All-State selection while averaging 21PPG and 9 RPG. Really impressive numbers for someone during their freshman year of high school ball. I do have some big questions moving forward for Dolliver, in order for herself to keep this high ranking position. She needs to show me how bad she wants it on the defensive side of things just a little bit more, and she needs to have another dominated high school season ahead. She put up some massive numbers as a freshman but also had 100 more shot attempts compared to the next freshman in line. Something that has to be noted when looking at someone’s level of production . With all that being said, right now Dolliver has a Division-1 ceiling, she just needs to keep the momentum rolling.
Highlights
and the #1 player out of the 2026 class in the state of Nebraska, for this first Player Rankings Update is Sierra Thomas Sierra Thomas 6’0″ | PF Omaha North | 2026 State NE of Omaha South high school. If you don’t know about Thomas’s game yet, I’d advise you to do some research cause Thomas CAN BALL! Thomas secures this top spot over the others because of her natural size, physical strength, high motor, and ability to dominate everyone around her. As a freshman, Thomas averaged a double-double and made it look easy out there on the court. She bodied most players in the lane, rebounded over anyone who stood in her way, scored in several different situations near and away from the hoop, and was a mismatch nightmare for every team she faced. As of most recent, Thomas was invited to the CP3 National Camp because of her play this previous high school season and this past AAU season with her NHE 17U team. A player like Thomas, with the ceiling she possesses is special but is she a lock to stay in this #1 spot from the rest of high school? Heck no. She is going to have to work to expand and grow her game to keep this spot because the individuals coming up behind her are no joke, that are all very skilled and dedicated to this craft.