Class of 2026: AAU Sleepers
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After looking at some under-the-radar kids in the 2025 class, I want to do the same for the 2026 class. The current sophomore class is talented from top to bottom, so let’s talk about a few of them. Alahnna A…
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Continue ReadingAfter looking at some under-the-radar kids in the 2025 class, I want to do the same for the 2026 class. The current sophomore class is talented from top to bottom, so let’s talk about a few of them.
Alahnna A Simpson Alahnna A Simpson 5'10" | SG La Crosse Central | 2026 State WI
Simpson has a wealth of potential for multiple reasons. She has the frame of a college-level wing, can score it from anywhere on the floor, and has the athleticism you’d be looking for in a kid to be a premier defender. She gets lost in the shuffle a bit in a big picture playing at La Crosse Central because the Riverhawks aren’t among the premier teams in D2. However, Simpson quietly had an impressive season on the state’s western border. She nearly averaged a double-double for Central and continued to show flashes of a kid who could continue to add to the list of schools interested in her or have offered her a scholarship over the next year.
Taylor Gifford Taylor Gifford 6'0" | PF Waukesha West | 2026 State WI
In her first season at Waukesha West, Gifford did a lot of the dirty work for the Wolverines, battling for offensive rebounds, grabbing loose balls, and other stuff of that nature. This season, after they lost four starters to graduation last May, Gifford stepped into a prominent role alongside Jordan Fenske Jordan Fenske 5'11" | SG Waukesha West | 2025 State WI on the perimeter, and she did well. Gifford made plenty of threes with good volume this season, played with physicality when battling with talented post players in the Classic Eight, and showed a well-rounded skillset. Gifford’s billed to me as an excellent shooter, but I’m eager to see how she excels against some size this summer in UAA.
Izabel Durst Izabel Durst 5'7" | PG Barneveld | 2026 State WI
Durst is a kid that most people never get to see play at Barneveld because they’re not among the elite in D5, so they haven’t seen her at state. However, she became intriguing quickly after watching her play in Chicago at Nike Nationals last July. I love how Durst handles the ball and some herky-jerky movements to create space and get her defender off balance. I made the two-ish hour drive to watch her play Argyle-Pecatonica, and she was the best player on the floor that night in Barneveld. As a rising junior, I expect some scholarship schools to begin diving into her game, and I think they’ll like what they see in her.
There are some kids I enjoy watching more than most, and Dahl is one of them. Since I first saw her last spring, I adored the effort she gave on every possession and how much she flew around the court on offense and defense. This season, it seemed like everything came together for her offensively at Brodhead and their most productive player this season. She scored around 20 per game and grabbed nearly nine rebounds every night. It’s hard to dislike how she plays the game.