Class of 2026 Top Ten: 1-5
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Now that we’ve updated the class of 2026 rankings, we’re breaking down the top ten today, starting with No. 1 through No. 5. Adaline Sheplee Adaline Sheplee 6'2" | CG Rice Lake | 2026 State WI Over the past summer,…
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Continue ReadingNow that we’ve updated the class of 2026 rankings, we’re breaking down the top ten today, starting with No. 1 through No. 5.
Adaline Sheplee Adaline Sheplee 6'2" | CG Rice Lake | 2026 State WI
Over the past summer, you could see Sheplee start figuring things out. At the start of the AAU season, she was a touch passive and was a little floaty on the perimeter. Once July hit, she looked like a completely different player. The 6-3 wing is among the most athletic players in the region, and with her size, there aren’t many kids with the verticality she possesses. I watched Sheplee constantly attack mismatches to get to the basket, and she has a good enough handle to get some of the best players in the Midwest off-balance, not even mentioning her ability to space the floor at 6-3. She’s a selfless player, has fun playing basketball, and has a ceiling that she may not even comprehend.
Natalie Kussow Natalie Kussow 5'10" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI
The name Kussow has been known among most people in Southeast Wisconsin for a few years because of Natalie’s dominance at the youth levels. These past 12 months, Kussow has led her Arrowhead team in scoring, played at the 17U level for a successful Wisconsin Lakers group, played well at the NCAA College Basketball Academy event down in Memphis, and cemented her name as one of the best in the region. Her ability to score the ball is elite. I don’t know many other kids who can alter games in a few possessions like Kussow.
Leah Nordin Leah Nordin 6'1" | PF Shawano | 2026 State WI
Nordin fits what college coaches are looking for in their wing spots. She can shoot it over smaller defenders, attack off the dribble, guard multiple positions defensively, and make plays on the ball on the defensive end. Her athleticism is high-level, and she’s a high-level multi-sport athlete who thrives on the volleyball court in the fall. I suspect Nordin could rewrite a chunk of records for Shawnao’s basketball and volleyball programs over the next three years.
Giselle Janowski Giselle Janowski 5'9" | SG Pewaukee | 2026 State WI
Physically, Janowski may be one of the best defenders in the state. She came into high school with the lateral quickness to stay in front of defenders and the strength to hold her ground to keep kids from driving through her. There’s an argument that she was among the best five defenders in the state last season, and she was a freshman. On the other end, we saw flashes of brilliance. Against Notre Dame to start the season, she was the best player on the floor until she got into foul trouble. She can shoot, power through contact, handle it, and create a little off the dribble. I love Janowski’s game, and she’s one of my favorite players to watch play on both sides of the ball in this class.
Melia Lemorande Melia Lemorande 6'0" | SF Bay Port | 2026 State WI
Unfortunately, we won’t see Lemorande until the 2024-25 high school season due to an injury sustained late in July. However, she was one of the best players from Wisconsin on the AAU circuit last summer. What she did with her Purple Aces 15U National was spectacular. Lemorande made everything she seemed to shoot and used her length to make plays on the ball around the basket. I thought she turned a corner over the course of the AAU season, and once she’s back to 100%, she may take the FRCC by storm.