2026 Player Rankings Update: Promising Young Guns

In this piece we speak on five prospects out of the 2026 Class in Nebraska, that I would categorize as "Promising Young Guns." Each individual is someone that has shown promise on the court from a young age, whenever they are competing. This upcoming Winter, each player below should see a lot of action on the Varsity floor for their high school program and I can't wait to see how that turns out.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='854909' first='Karlee' last='Baack'] of Seward High School can producer on any floor that she steps onto with her ability to shoot the ball at a consistent and efficient rate. Baack comes in standing at 5'9, she has a balanced and coordinated shooting stroke from off the catch or dribble, and she understands what is happening around her in almost any given situation. I haven't had the chance to step in and see Baack compete during AAU season but last Winter, she put up solid numbers for her squad and she is going to do her best at topping those again this Winter. This is a Top 50 rated prospect out of the 2026 Class and a Top 15 SG. She seems to have a solid work ethic, motor, and confidence whenever she is lacing up her kicks and that's awesome to see out of someone that has worked relentlessly to get where she is at today.     The transfer of [player_tooltip player_id='758825' first='Addy' last='Bowlin'] from Mitchell High School to Scottsbluff is an interesting and important one for everyone involved. Bowlin is going to bring a lot of fire, length, ability, and attitude to the court this upcoming season and when she pairs that with the other talent that is on this roster, you get a team that is going to be very good this next two years. They will have experience, D1 level prospects, and a really solid system in place. If they can take full advantage of their opportunities, they will beat most teams they matchup against. As for Bowlin, she is going to have to be a key contributor if this group wants to make waves during the Playoffs and against other skilled adversaries. If she does that and everyone else steps up to do their best, good luck beating this group on any given night.     [player_tooltip player_id='502331' first='Hadley' last='Walsh'] of Pender Public School has been a promising young talent on the hardwood for the past couple of seasons now for her Pendragon program. Last Winter this same group ended their season with a 28-1 record, hosting the State Champs trophy at the end of it and they are back for more this upcoming season. Walsh is a player that runs the guard position for her team and moves around a little bit. I would categorize her as a PG in most cases but because they have had another talented guard at the 1 spot, she has had to adapt a little bit. No matter though, Walsh has put up some of the best numbers throughout her Class in the state and that should be the case once again this year as well.     The Wynot Blue Devils put together a 20-3 season last Winter, making their mark on the entire state with the type of high-octane play they were bringing to the floor during each contest. One of their SG's, that I thought did a great job transition out of high school ball and into AAU ball is [player_tooltip player_id='896914' first='Addison' last='Sharpe']. Sharpe put on a solid shooting display, all Spring and Summer. Every time she got an opportunity to let it fly, she did not disappoint and that helps her become a standout for her [program_tooltip program_id='712709' first='Nebraska' last='Attack'] program. This upcoming season, the Blue Devils will need to find a new recipe for success. They lose some Seniors due to graduation but they are a very deep program so it'll be next player up. An opportunity I'm sure everyone is jumping at the bit for.     I had the chance to bring up [player_tooltip player_id='996561' first='Annika' last='Nelms'] in a previous article but I think it's important to also highlight her sister, Kyra, while we are at it. Kyra is also a Forward just like her sister but instead, she is just a hair taller. During the 2023-2024 high school season, Kyra led her Varsity team with 11.3 PPG on 45% shooting and 6.5 RPG at the same time. The Southwest Varsity team is ran by the Nelm sisters for the most part. These two, along with their older sister, Atleigh, were major producers for their team throughout their respective high school careers and that just speaks to who they are as a family. All in all, Southwest should have some nice games this Winter. It'll be exciting to see what they can really do.

In this piece we speak on five prospects out of the 2026 Class in Nebraska, that I would categorize as "Promising Young Guns." Each individual is someone that has shown promise on the court from a young age, whenever they are competing. This upcoming Winter, each player below should see a lot of action on the Varsity floor for their high school program and I can't wait to see how that turns out.