2026 May Breakout Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='492322' first='Aniyah' last='McKenzie'] (2026) of Lawrence Central High School and West Virginia Thunder-Riego GUAA 17U.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we close out April, the Shamrock Classic is well in the past, the Prime Event, The Clash, and other events have come and gone, and now we turn our focus to May. There will be several nice tournaments, including another "live" period, so I wanted to point out a handful of 2026 prospects who could see their recruiting really take off with a little more exposure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492322' first='Aniyah' last='McKenzie'], 2026, 6-0 PF/SF, Lawrence Central H.S.</strong><br>- Aniyah has a great opportunity to be seen this Spring by playing another year with a high-level grassroots team. She has great strength, she's athletic, and she plays with an outstanding motor. If she can continue her regular play, defend with energy, out-rebound her matchups, and make the easy buckets, plus show a little touch in the 15 to 18-foot range, I really think she can draw a lot more interest/offers this coming month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486550' first='Riley' last='Rarick'], 2026, 6-0 CG, Borden H.S.</strong><br>- Riley is a long, tall, wiry, and versatile wing. She can play a creator role and find teammates off the bounce. She's also a bit shifty when attacking the basket, and she can finish in a variety of ways. She has played a ton of minutes while in high school, but now it's her time to shine in from of coaches and show them all the different things she's able to do on the court. If she can defend the ball consistently, that will really help.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928878' first='Marley' last='Jeffers'], 2026, 6-0 PF/C, Pike H.S.</strong><br>- Marley put together an outstanding Winter, and this grassroots season is her opportunity to continue that strong play in front of coaches. She is very strong, physical, and aggressive inside. She could be a walking double-double all Spring. But she also has a nice, consistent jumper that she can use to stretch defenses and keep them honest. As long as she puts together similar outings as she did all Winter, she should be rewarded.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885178' first='Emery' last='Stroud'], 2026, 6-1 PF, Crawford County H.S.</strong><br>- Emery is actually a unique case of a kid who hasn't played a grassroots schedule in front of college coaches, because she has been focused on other things in the past. This Spring, however, she finds herself on a travel team, and she has already had some good showings. If she can prove to be consistent and continue flashing her combination of height, length, skill, bounce, and upside, there should be plenty of college suitors soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624883' first='Jordan' last='Steele'], 2026, 5-9 SG, Highland H.S.</strong><br>- Jordan absolutely erupted this Winter, and on a team with very few other options, she stepped up and scored the ball consistently in a variety of ways. She has typically been known for her beautiful lefty stroke from 3-point range, but now she's putting it on the floor a lot more, getting to the basket or drawing contact and earning free throw trips. She has also improved her handle and her on-ball defense. She is a real "sleeper".</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->