December Rankings: First time post players on the 2026 ranking

Before we look to see which players had the highest stock rises, let us take a look at some of the star bigs who made their first appearances on the 2026 ranking.    At the moment, [player_tooltip player_id='881698' first='Chloe' last='Anderson'] at #38 is too low. Off the top of my head, I would say that Anderson is the best post player coming out of the 3A classification, and so far this season, she is tearing up the 3A-8.   Anderson has had quite the junior season so far, posting monster statlines in almost every game for the 9-2 Drew Central Lady Pirates. She started the year with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals in the win over Crossett in the season opener. Then in her next game versus Junction City, Anderson posted a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds, including 3 steals. Then against Dermott just a night later, Anderson put up 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. More recently, Anderson dominated Star City High School with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and in Drew Central's last game against Helena Central, she had 19 points and 10 rebounds in only 2.5 quarters.   It is clear that no one can handle Anderson. She is a dominant paint scorer who pushes defenders off of her. She is a great finisher and a great offensive rebounder, earning second-chance opportunities for her team. Anderson can also step out and knock down a mid-range jumper, but playing bully-ball in the paint is her forte.   Most of the statlines I mentioned earlier featured Anderson recording multiple steals. She plays with active hands for every single possession, tipping away passes and getting a hand on the opposition's dribble. If the opposing ball-handler gets through the first line of Lady Pirate defenders, Anderson is right there in the middle, ready to send their shot into next week, which she did a lot of in the 4-block performance against Star City.   [player_tooltip player_id='881698' first='Chloe' last='Anderson'] holds an offer from Lyon College, but if she continues to put up performances like what we have seen this season, she is going to be hearing from more people in the near future.     I have mentioned a long time ago that soccer players make great basketball defenders, and the same goes for [player_tooltip player_id='1051614' first='Eliza' last='Barger']. Barger is a lockdown defender for the Lady Goblins, and it was not hard to put her in the top 50 in the 2026 class.   Barger has had some impressive statlines this season. In late November, Barger recorded 6 steals versus Gentry, to go along with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block. Against an out-of-state school on the fifth of December, she had her best game of the season, putting up 11 points and pulling down 21 rebounds! Most recently, Barger had another productive performance with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals.   Barger can do a bit of everything on defense. She reads the passing lanes well, she fronts the opposing post player to steal the entry pass, and she pressures poor ball-handlers into turning the ball over. Once she gets the ball, she can take it up the floor herself, leading to offensive opportunities for herself and her teammates.   Barger can take it on the fastbreak, going coast-to-coast, either finishing herself or dishing to an open teammate. In the half-court setting, she is best when used in the pick-n-roll. She can sets screens well, but she rolls to the basket and can score in the lane with either hand. Barger also cuts well, being particularly deadly off the ball off an inbounds pass.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051614' first='Eliza' last='Barger'] will continue to expand her offensive game, but right now, she is one of the best defenders in the 5A classification. Keep an eye out for this junior.     El Dorado is off to a poor start this season, with only a 2-9 record. Despite this, [player_tooltip player_id='1060852' first='Makhiya' last='Tillis'] has had some great performances this season. When she plays well, El Dorado has a better chance to win games.   In a win over 6A Little Rock Southwest, Tillis had a double-double, posting 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. One night later against Drew Central, Tillis had another double-double, this time with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 block.   Tillis mostly plays with her back to the basket, and once she receives the ball in the post, she is ready to go to work. She backs down her defender until they are too deep to apply adequate defensive pressure. Tillis can turn and score against her defender, but I would like to see her become a more consistent finisher.   Tillis is a fantastic rebounder on both ends, evident by her back-to-back double-doubles. She crashes hard on both ends, boxing out the opposition and immediately going back up with the second-chance opportunity on offense. Tillis is a lot to deal with inside, and she provides solid rim protection to go along with her great rebounding and post scoring.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060852' first='Makhiya' last='Tillis'] is a two-way star for El Dorado High School, and I believe she is not finished. There are still improvements that she can make this season, but as of now, there are clear signs as to why she is a part of the 2026 rankings.     [player_tooltip player_id='1061068' first='Marissa' last='Hutson'] is a lesser-known player in Arkansas high school hoops, but for 1A-2 Viola High School, she is a proven star.   Hutson has had some strong nights in the paint so far this season. Against Norfork in November, Hutson had her best game all season with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals (this performance got her featured on my article series: Natural State Performers of the Week V. 1). Two games later, she had another double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds against Highland High School. Last night in a loss to Mammoth Spring, Hutson put up 9 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.   It is clear that Hutson is a monster on the glass, grabbing every rebound in sight. She is hard to box out and she has impeccable timing whenever she goes for a board. Hutson is a solid finisher as well, scoring off of putbacks almost every time down the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='1061068' first='Marissa' last='Hutson'] is probably the best rebounder in the 1A-2, and if she continues to perform the way she has so far, she will not be #83 for long.     Spring Hill has not been the most successful team in the 2A classification as they possess a 5-5 record. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1061119' first='Ava' last='McBrayer'] has shined at times for the small school out of Hope.   McBrayer has had several games this season with more than 1 steal. She had 3 against Glen Rose earlier this season and 4 against Emerson soon after. One of her better all-around games this year was against Nevada High School, where she recorded 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Not long after, McBrayer played an even better total game versus Gurdon, putting up 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. In Spring Hill's last game against Mountain Pine, McBrayer did not score well, but she did find other ways to contribute. She pulled down 5 boards to go along with 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.   McBrayer runs the floor well in transition, and those fastbreak opportunities often come from her defensive play at the other end. Because she lacks some size at the center position, McBrayer has been used more as a forward, and can cut to the basket or roam the paint to grab any loose ball she sees.   As I mentioned, McBrayer turns defense into offense. She can rise up and block shots, as well as anticipating where the defense will go with the ball, stealing a pass or poking away someone's handle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1061119' first='Ava' last='McBrayer'] is a do-it-all player for Spring Hill, and one of the better all-around players the 2A classification has to offer.    In my next article, I think it is only fitting to talk about the latest stock risers of the 2026 class.

Before we look to see which players had the highest stock rises, let us take a look at some of the star bigs who made their first appearances on the 2026 ranking.