2026 Forwards Ready To Make A Leap

In their final year of high school hoops, there are still many class of 2026 forwards who have not reached their full potential. Here are a few players who could see their ranking rise in their last go-round of prep basketball.    [player_tooltip player_id='514127' first='Kim' last='Cooper'] is a defensive menace. She is constantly trying to find a way to cause turnovers and is successful in this aggression. She showed this last year in a contest against Baylor High School, where she recorded seven steals. Cooper is great player in transition as well. She is a good finisher around the basket, and makes the right decision routinely when her team has the numbers advantage on a breakaway for a bucket.   To round out Cooper's high-level defensive oriented game, she is a great shooter from distance.     [player_tooltip player_id='810523' first='Gwen' last='Carroll'] has a solid game all around. She can shoot from all levels of the court. Last year, she had several games with multiple threes. She can rebound well at her position, and she can guard.   Carroll is an active player. She finds a way to make an impact on the court in some way while she is out there. Going into her senior season these skills will only have grown and gotten stronger. She is sure to make a major impact in her last year at Alcoa High School.       [player_tooltip player_id='636393' first='Ava' last='Jones'], standing at 6'1", has great maneuverability for her size. She can take off after securing rebounds and start fast breaks on her own. Jones is also a three point threat, but does most of her damage down low. She knows how and where to attack a defender in post ups to give her the best chance of scoring. Her other main skill is her rebounding ability. She has great fundamentals when boxing out defenders.   Jones, every time she stepped on the court in her junior season, was a double-double threat. Going into her senior season, she will be even more so.     [player_tooltip player_id='900278' first='Emma' last='Gammon'] is a steal machine. Her ability to create turnovers makes her a must-have player on the court. Against Whitwell High School last season, she had seven steals. Gammon at 5'9" is also a solid shot blocker. Her elite defensive IQ that puts her in ideal spots to make plays allows her to get these blocks on occasions.   Going into the 2025-2026 season, Gammon has a real opportunity to move up the ranks with another strong season on the defensive end.     [player_tooltip player_id='816600' first='Jenna' last='Burchard'] is a relentless attacker of the basket. If she misses her first shot at the rim, she usually gets it back and is looking for a way to score again. This relentless mindset paired with Burchard's low post moves make her a constant threat in and around the paint. For her size at 6'0' she has above average foot work. She can hit defenders with a quick spin move to create an an open shot or just by maneuvering well while posted up.   Along with being a double-double threat, Burchard is a great help side defender. Last season for Rhea Co., she had multiple games with three or more blocks.

In their final year of high school hoops, there are still many class of 2026 forwards who have not reached their full potential. Here are a few players who could see their ranking rise in their last go-round of prep basketball.