2026 Player Rankings Update: Varsity Producers This Winter
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One thing that I think we can agree on is that production doesn’t lie. If you can produce at the Varsity level, it should be noted and appreciated. In this article we cover 5 prospects out of the 2026 Class…
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Continue ReadingOne thing that I think we can agree on is that production doesn’t lie. If you can produce at the Varsity level, it should be noted and appreciated. In this article we cover 5 prospects out of the 2026 Class that put up impressive numbers this past winter for their perspective Varsity teams.
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Coming into this Winter there were a few questions I had about Nakia and her game but she demonstrated all season long that she is the real deal in more ways than one. Ollivierre is an athletic guard, that can compete on any given floor. She understands game strategy and when it’s the best time to make something happen for the others around her, compared to passing it off and letting others go to work. Defensively, she is a tyrant. Someone that can get a handful of steals in the blink of an eye, usually leading to easy buckets for herself on the other side of the floor. After her high school career comes to a close, Ollivierre will be attending West Point to compete with Army at the D1 level. From everything I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if she stepped up right away and made an instant impact. We are still a few years away from all that but if she continues on the path she is currently on, we are going to be hearing a lot more about her at a national level over these next few years.
Highlights
This was the first season that I really had a chance to dive in, seeing what Natalie Ramsey‘s game is all about and I was impressed. Ramsey has size, skill, and a great head on her shoulders. She stands at around 5’11 and moves really well for that size. She is relentless on the boards when going for the basketball but in a calculated way. She understands her own ability and because of that, she finds a lot of success. She isn’t the type to make things overcomplicated or to force any action. She lets the game of basketball come to her and it works out. I’m excited to see what Ramsey can do this AAU season on the road but no matter, it doesn’t change the fact that she was a top producer for her Liberty High School team these past few months. There is a lot of promise to build on here and I’m excited to see where she can take things as she gets older.
Highlights
Jaliyah Kinnetz-Jenkins Jaliyah Kinnetz-Jenkins 5’9″ | PG Johnston | 2026 State IA had a big role on her Johnston Dragon’s team this season and she played that role to a T. Within a program that debateably has 5-7 Division-1 basketball players, it can sometimes be hard to standout or see the floor but Kinnetz did a great job in both of those departments this winter. She started as one of her teams top guards and she made in impact on the floor each and every night. Doesn’t matter if it was scoring, rebounding, or distributing, Kinnetz made it happen in one way or another whenever he team may have needed it. Next season the Dragons will be the favorites to win 5A coming into the year but they will lose some of their star power so it’s going to be on Kinnetz and company to rally the troops, getting them locked in for another big winter ahead. Something more then do-able.
The progression of Maryne Szalo Maryne Szalo 5’10” | SF Waukee | 2026 State IA over the past few seasons has been eye-opening. When I first had the chance to see Szalo compete on the AAU circuit, she demonstrated experienced skill and the knowledge of when to use those skill moves against different opponents in real time. As she has gotten older, that skill has become more seasoned and she has become a stronger/more physical player, helping her in several different aspects of the game. At the high school level, she displayed this Winter that she is going to be someone that everyone needs to know about over these next two years, if they don’t already. She helped lead her team to some impressive victories, all while being her dominating-self. As of most recent, Szalo visited GCU on spring break while also receiving some interest from other programs across the country. I think that if she can put together an impressive Spring, her recruitment will continue to sky-rocket but we will just have to wait and see.
Highlights
The Nodaway Valley Wolverines may have fallen just short during their Playoff run this past season but that doesn’t change the fact that their starting PG, Izzy Eisbach Izzy Eisbach 5’9″ | SG Nodaway Valley | 2026 State IA , had a year to remember. Eisbach was a top guard throughout the entire state, regardless of age level or grade this winter. Every night she took the floor, she put up impressive numbers in more than one statical category and her team won A LOT of games because of it. It’s obviously a team effort in this sport but without Eisbach, this Wolverines season turns out much different in my opinion. She was really their “glue” in most situations and that was noticeable. This AAU season Eisbach will join up with the powerhouse that is All Iowa Attack , to compete on the road. If she stays confident in her work, doesn’t try to overcomplicate things, and works hard, she will find a lot of success before this season comes to a close.