December Rankings: Guards making their 2026 ranking debuts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2026 rankings are here! There are a ton of new players that have been added to this latest update, so let us dive in and talk about some of the newest guards on the 2026 rankings...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["486410"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757945b590a4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='876337' first='Kaiya' last='McCoy'] makes her rankings debut, coming in at #30 in the state of Arkansas. Playing on a Springdale team with a loaded guard room, it might seem difficult for any player to be able to make a consistent impact, but so far this season, McCoy has been the Lady Bulldogs' best all-around player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Springdale has jumped out to a 4-1 start, and McCoy has had solid statlines in several of the games. In the Lady Bulldogs' season opener, the junior guard accounted for 48% of her teams scoring, finishing with 28 points in a 26-point victory over Harrison High School. She also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 8 total deflections. In a game versus Conway, Springdale could not come away with the win, but McCoy still managed to have a solid outing with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. Most recently, McCoy had a 18-point, 6-rebound, 3-assist, 2-steal performance against Nevada High School in Missouri on December 5th. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCoy has clearly shown that she can impact the game in multiple ways. The junior can flat out score the ball, and she can shoot from the perimeter, from mid-range, and from the interior. With McCoy though, she is not just a scorer, not even close. She has shown that she is a solid playmaker, involving her teammates in the gameplan, but she is also a fantastic rebounder and defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCoy is listed at 5'2", but in those three games I referenced, she averaged 6.0 rebounds per game, playing bully-ball down low against opposing players who are much taller than her. McCoy also averaged 3.0 steals per game in those three games, showing that she is an aggressive on-ball defender who is fantastic at creating turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='876337' first='Kaiya' last='McCoy'] is a great player who will be receiving offers before long. Until then, she will continue to tear up the 6A West with her incredible two-way ability. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1054393"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757945b59110"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lavaca might only have a 4-5 record to start the year, but [player_tooltip player_id='1054393' first='Olivia' last='Fenner'] has been absolutely killing it! She has taken over games with her long-range shooting ability, and she has emerged as one of the top players in the entire 3A classification. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fenner has been lethal from three so far this season, and in Lavaca's December 7th matchup against County Line High School, she put that on display with 17 points on five 3-pointers. Lavaca earned the 47-41 win, and Fenner's flame-throwing ability put them in a great position to come away with the victory. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fenner's shooting is her greatest basketball attribute. She has a quick release, a high arch, and a nice follow through. Fenner can light up the scoreboard quickly, and Lavaca can win games on the back of her microwave ability. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1054393' first='Olivia' last='Fenner'] will continue to be Lavaca's best offensive weapon, and she has become the premiere shooter in the 3A classification. Colleges will come knocking soon enough, but until then, definitely keep an eye on this junior guard. Also, shoutout to Ron Fenner ([player_tooltip player_id='1054393' first='Olivia' last='Fenner']'s father) for highlighting his daughter's performances night after night on social media. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1060828"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757945b5915b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1060828' first='Lexi' last='Wallace'] is a fantastic guard for Clinton High School who somehow only has two offers. She comes in at #42 on the 2026 rankings because of what she has done so far this season, and because of her excellent two-way play at the point guard position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So far this season, Wallace has averaged around 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. She impacts the game in seemingly every aspect: offensive, defense, and on the boards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wallace makes plays for others, as she has emerged as one of the top facilitators in the 4A classification, but she can also make plays for herself. She thrives in working around a screen, and though Wallace can drive to the basket, she prefers to use the screen to create separation from her defender in order to step back and shoot the long-ball. Though her offensive play is strong, I have been most impressed by her lockdown defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wallace is forcing 2.8 steals per game from hounding the opposing ball-handlers. She picks them up as soon as they cross the half-court line, and when she does, they wish they were sitting on the bench. She shreds up the opposition's offense, preventing them from establishing any sort of rhythm. She also does not mind diving on the floor after loose balls, and she can pick off passes mid-air. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1060828' first='Lexi' last='Wallace'] is way too underrated, and I am excited to see what else she does in the 2024/25 season. Expect her stock to rise throughout the year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1060826"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757945b591a1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After having some success with Dardanelle High School during the 2023/24 season, [player_tooltip player_id='1060826' first='Jakayla' last='Walker'] made the move to 3A-5 Mayflower High School, and now she is stuffing the stat sheet every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So far this season, Walker has averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, which includes at 25-point outburst in Mayflower's second game of the season, which was a 13-point victory over 6A Bentonville West. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker can get it done from inside and out. She has a pure shooting form that includes a high arch and good ball spin. It is not the quickest shot, but when Walker has enough space to pull it, the shot is nothing but nylon. She can also take a few steps back and hit threes from way beyond the 3-point line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On defense, Walker is fantastic at intercepting passes and having those takeaways turn into points for her team. If Walker is not the one creating the turnovers, then she is running out in transition. A lot of Walker's points come from streaking down the court on the fastbreak, and she excels at finishing at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1060826' first='Jakayla' last='Walker'] has had a breakout season with Mayflower, and she is one of the many players to keep an eye on in the 2026 class. Interesting to note: I was planning on adding Walker to the Watch List before the start of the season. However, after that unexpected performance against Bentonville West, there was no way I was going to keep her off of the rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1090248"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757945b591e3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1090248' first='Riley' last='Ashcraft'] is not a star player for East Poinsett County, but they could not be 2-0 in league play if it was not for her. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So far this season, the junior guard has averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds (2.0 offensive rebounds), 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She supplies her team with important baskets whenever they need it, and she is also a solid facilitator and defender. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashcraft's first big performance of the season was in EPC's loss against Rivercrest, where she recorded 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Since then, she has had three other double-digit scoring games, posting 2 wins and 1 loss in that span. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashcraft is not a shot-creator, but she will knock down any look the defense gives her. She has a low arch on her 3-point shot, but when she has the time to pull up either in the left corner or on the right wing, she will take and make any shot she sees. Ashcraft is also a solid cutter, freeing herself from the defense in order to score uncontested down low. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outside of scoring, Ashcraft is tasked with setting up teammates for good looks, while making sure she slows down some of the oppositions best 2- or 3-guards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1090248' first='Riley' last='Ashcraft'] is a solid player who will help East Poinsett County become successful later on in the season. Keep an eye on every one of EPC's talented players, which includes this junior guard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those five guards are just a few of the several fantastic guards who are making the 2026 ranking debuts! There are certainly more where those came from, and do not worry, more rankings updates will come throughout the season. Every update, new players are added, players will jump up the rankings, and players will fall down the rankings. All the while, new players are also added to the Watch List. Keep a lookout for my next write-up covering forwards who are making their 2026 ranking debuts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also, if you or someone you know is a rising sophomore in the Arkansas high school ranks, be ready for something special that will happen for the first time ever next Monday...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->