2026 Player Rankings Update: Stock-Risers
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In every Player Rankings Update that is posted there are a good amount of players added throughout each individual class. The players below are a mixture of athletes who were ranked prior to this update and athletes who were not,…
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Continue ReadingIn every Player Rankings Update that is posted there are a good amount of players added throughout each individual class. The players below are a mixture of athletes who were ranked prior to this update and athletes who were not, the common factor between everyone being that they are all Stock-Risers with promising futures on the basketball court looking forward.
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Ellie Muller Ellie Muller 6’3″ | C Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA has been rising throughout the 2026 Rankings the past two seasons. Muller stands at 6’2/6’3 with length and reach on most players that matchup across from her. On a regular basis, Muller is out-rebounding her opponents with her high motor and out-scoring them as well with her balanced attack on the offensive side of the floor. Defensively, Muller is a stopper. Someone who can get your team a stop when they need it the most because of her discipline to stay down and not fall trap to pump-fakes or other crafty moves that maybe put on by the opponent. As of most recent, Muller has visited and received an offer from the University of Minnesota. This is another big time offer to add to the pile of other Division-1 offers that Muller has going for her. This high school season is going to show a lot of people in the state who the best players from each perspective class really are and Muller is definitely in that conversation for the 2026 Class.
When you hear about the success of the Solon Spartans High School team, you hear the name Callie Levin Callie Levin 5’10” | PG Solon | 2024 State IA as she is an Iowa commit out of the 2024 Class and a force to be reckoned with on the floor but another individual that is going to be a huge piece to this teams State aspirations for this upcoming season is Delainey Durr Delainey Durr 5’6″ | PG Solon | 2026 State IA . Durr is a PG/SG that has shown off a lot of promise over the past few months, with whatever team she was lacing up with. She is a guard that is fundamental in every movement she makes, while having a bit of skill from the guard position in general. I would say that Durr’s best ability is to control the pace of the game. She does a good job of changing up her speeds throughout the duration of a contest, always leaving her defender guessing as to what move she may pull out of her bag next. Like I said above, if the Spartans want to go far this year, they will need all hands on deck, Durr being a big part of that.
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One of the best shooters in this 2026 Class is Sacha Alesch Sacha Alesch 5’6″ | SG Bishop Garrigan | 2026 State IA of Bishop Garrigan. Alesch only stands at 5’6 but she is a Shooting Guard that you can’t give any space to over half-court because if you do, she is going to shoot it and most likely make it. Alesch is the type of shooter that is good on any type of court, off of both the catch AND the dribble. There isn’t ever a moment that she isn’t ready to let it fly from deep and she has the ability to take her defender off the dribble as well, if they tend to over-play her shooting stroke. This season will be interesting at Bishop Garrigan as they will need to find a new identity from seasons past with the roster that they have returning this winter. If they stay locked in after coming off of a State Championship and Alesch takes care of business per usual, this team is going to be one to be aware of come playoff time once again.
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I have only had the chance to see Malaina Hackley Malaina Hackley 4’9″ | PG Roosevelt | 2026 State IA compete once this summer but when I did, there was not a player in the gym who could stay in front of her defensively in the open court. When you look at Hackley’s stats and description, the first thing that pops out to recruiters is that she is listed at 4’10 but she actually uses this height to her advantage on almost every play. Like I said, her dribbling ability and control with the ball in her hands is more than impressive. She always has the ball on a string, no matter what speed she is moving at, while being an accurate passer when the defense over-helps on her dribble penetration. I think that this winter Hackley is going to be a vital piece to her teams success. If she can do everything the I have recently seen and she protects the ball down the stretch, they could make some noise before the season comes to an end.
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Maddy Rice Maddy Rice 5’9″ | SG Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA had a nice showing at the PGH Iowa Top 250-Expo this past month in Grimes and she is looking to build off of that momentum going into this season at Dowling Catholic. Rice is a Shooting Guard with versatility at her position. She is pretty good at shooting the ball, displays a solid handle on the drive, and is better than average at staying in front of her defender. On a team and in a program like Dowling Catholic, I’m not sure if Rice will see the varsity floor much this season with the talent they have on roster but if she does, I think she can make the most out of her opportunities and help the Maroons have a successful season. If you have been following any of the pre-season articles or evaluations that have been published going into this high school season, you know Dowling Catholic is suppose to be a Top team in 5A this winter and Rice can’t wait to be apart of that.