Class of 2026: Intriguing Kids to Track This Summer

Brady Peterson April 4, 2024 @ 10:05 AM

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.   [player_tooltip player_id='624974' first='Zoë' last='Dispennette']   From watching Dispennette at a workout once and a game once. A few things that stand out immediately. One, she's a perfectionist, almost to a fault. Two. I love how she shoots the ball, and her footwork is excellent. I believe in a system where she's leaned on to make shots, she'll thrive. I watched one of her best games against eventual D2 Sectional Champion Wauwatosa East, and Dispennette was the reason the Cavaliers were in that game to the bitter end. They were a few inches away from winning that game at the buzzer. She's a kid smaller schools should watch at least once because her shooting will play at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='667660' first='Emilyn' last='Bonow']   After a knee injury a few years ago, Bonow seems to be getting back to 100%. She has more burst than I saw last summer and looks more comfortable attacking off the catch. However, the appeal she has is her shooting. Whenever I've seen her teams at their best, it's when she's getting open looks from the three-point line and punishing defenses for giving her time and space. She's the perfect complimentary piece for teams with ball-dominant players. She doesn't need the ball to excel, makes open shots, can make some things happen off a few dribbles, and she's a disciplined defender.     [player_tooltip player_id='654832' first='Riley' last='Ward']   Ward's a tough-nosed guard who prefers to get downhill and attack the basket. She has a solid change of direction and finds space around the basket to get shots up around some talented rim protectors. Ward has been productive since she stepped foot on Whitnall's campus a year ago and has improved over the last two years. Ward was the leading scorer on a Hawk's team that won the Woodland-East outright this season after years of domination from South Milwaukee and Greenfield. Her ability to create off the dribble and find open teammates will look excellent in an AAU setting.      [player_tooltip player_id='533075' first='Avery' last='Blue']   Blue is a volume shooter who saw plenty of success this season at Vel Phillips Memorial. She made at least one three in all but two games this season and had a few standout games against talented teams. Her four threes against Oregon in the Regional Title game at Oregon were nearly enough to knock off the then-undefeated Panthers. I thought she played more maturely this season and did an excellent job getting her teammates involved. Now that there's more talent at Memorial, Blue got to play as more of a facilitator instead of having to score all the time. Her ability to play off the ball and make shots now creates space they didn't have last season, and they have everyone back. There's a significant chance Memorial could win the Big Eight with Blue playing in this role.     Somehow, this is my 1,000th article, so I want to thank everyone I've talked about on here, met in person, and subscribed the past two and a half years. I couldn't thank you enough. I've had so much fun doing this and am excited to get out for AAU starting tomorrow to continue doing this.

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.