Forwards on the Watch List in 2026

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='979592' first='Alyssa' last='Hutchinson'] (2026) of Noblesville High School and West Virginia Thunder-Barnes UA Rise.   It can be very easy to get caught up in focusing on the top players in a specific graduating class, so occasionally I like to take the time to point out a handful of talented ladies who currently find themselves on the watch lists. Below is a look at a few such ladies who have talent, skill, and the ability to help a college program down the road.   .    Sammy is an intriguing forward prospect who has drawn a lot of small college interest because of her talent and skillset. She is long, wiry-strong, fluidly athletic, and somewhat bouncy. She plays with a nice motor and can get out and go in transition. Offensively, she is a very good shooter, with great touch in the mid-post and range to the 3-point line. Defensively, she's probably most comfortable defending forwards/posts, but she has the physical talent to sit down and defend the perimeter against wings and bigger guards.     Due to a number of incoming transfers last year, Marley found herself in a bit of a lesser role as a Junior, but she went out this Spring & Summer and proved she could still play this game. She is tough-nosed, hard-working, physical, and aggressive. She plays bigger than she is, rebounds outside of her area, and can defend multiple positions. Offensively, she is probably best as a mid-post scorer, but around the rim she often finds her share of put-backs and "scraps" baskets. I look for her to have a really nice Senior season.     Lani is one of those small college prospects who coaches enjoy. She is always willing to do whatever it takes to help her team, she plays with an incredible motor, and she doesn't mind playing with physicality around the rim. She is strong, skilled in the mid-post and around the perimeter, and she has a good basketball background and understanding of the game. She's another forward who gets a lot of "scraps" baskets and often finds herself heading to the free throw line. She is the definition of a "culture" kid.     Alyssa has somewhat flown under the radar at Noblesville with all the big names they've had come through during her career, but she looks to be turning into a really nice small college forward prospect. She has nice length, she runs the floor well, and she has both mid-post skill and perimeter skill. She is probably best in the mid-post right now, where she can knock down the 15-footer consistently or drive it to the rim and finish. Plus, she's an effective rebounder when she's able to pursue caroms.     Ruby wasn't on many recruiting lists when she entered the Spring, but after the July she had, I would expect she's drawing quite a bit of small college interest. She is strong, physical, and she plays hard. She is willing to battle inside and will overpower many opponents. At the same time, she has good body control, she possesses really nice touch to the 3-point line, and she can consistently be a face-up '4' in the right system. I feel like she has a lot of similarities to 2024 Mooresville grad and St. Francis Sophomore Rachel Harshman.     Makayla saw some quality rotation minutes as a Junior for an always-good Fishers team. This year, look for her to step into a much more central role along their frontline. She has nice length, wiry strength, bounce, and she can get out and run the floor. She has always been more comfortable as a rebounder and defender who gets opportunistic scores off of others, but I felt like in what limited time I was able to see her throughout the Spring, she looked more aggressive attacking the basket.

The featured image is of Alyssa Hutchinson Alyssa Hutchinson 5'10" | SF Noblesville | 2026 IN (2026) of Noblesville High School and West Virginia Thunder-Barnes UA Rise.