2026 Player Rankings Update: Top Five

This Player Rankings Update of the 2026 Class brings a lot of movement throughout the ranks while adding 25 more prospects to the numbered system to give us a Top 75 in total.   In this piece we highlight the Top Five out of this Class and what they can bring to the floor in their specific situations.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    Holding onto the #1 spot in this Update for the 2026 Class in [player_tooltip player_id='747368' first='Kylee' last='Paben'] on Millard West High School. Paben is a talented SF, that is successfully continuing to grow her game in her down-time. This past AAU season Paben put the audience on notice on her circuit, posting impactful stat lines while making some noteworthy plays on both sides of the basketball. Following that, she took some college tours and ended up committing to the University of Minnesota. This commitment takes a lot of pressure off of the prospect's shoulders, letting her focus on her Senior season at hand. Paban has proven that she is a next level producer. She has touch, size and coordination, balance, athletic ability, and she isn't afraid to be physical with anyone near the bucket. She checks off a lot of boxes that evaluators would have for her position and that's why she should continue to be successful as she continues to perform.     Lincoln North Star is one of the front runners to bring home a State Title this Winter because of their personal. Their roster on paper is very skilled at every position and they also possess a lot of depth at every position, making them a tough team to compete with. Their star will once again be the second rated player out of this 2026 Class in this Update and that is [player_tooltip player_id='756006' first='Ani' last='Leu']. Leu, the 6'0 CG, is going to be herself and she is going to kill it this season. She has that size combined with a lot of skill as a guard. That's the combination that all coaching staffs love to work with and it's the reason she is going to continue to do her thing over the next six months as a top producer across the state. Like I said, if North Star uses their pieces properly, they should handle any competition in their Class that might step in their way this Winter. They just have to take it one game at a time.     [player_tooltip player_id='757558' first='Halle' last='Dolliver'] is back. It's safe to say that Dolliver has basically gotten her feet back underneath her from injury and she is ready to compete. In some of her team's first games over the Winter she has looked like her old-self. Athletic, possesses a high motor, she has a coordinated feel for the game, and she understands situational basketball pretty well. Not to mention, as a rebounder, she is very good at knowing where the ball is going to come off the rim whenever there is a missed attempt and she knows to box-out her opponent prior to going to the glass for that board, making her extremely efficient. With the Dolliver sisters both working hand-in-hand for Malcolm this Winter, they should be a tough team to beat if they play to their full potential together.     [player_tooltip player_id='758887' first='Clara' last='Welker'] is a successful basketball player because she does the simple stuff really well. She doesn't take opportunities for granted and she knows what to handle business as the leader for the others around her. With Welker's shooting ability at 6'0, it's easy to see why she is college committed. At the next level she will learn how to get to her spots in short amounts of time and then she will learn how to beat her matchup from there. Welker will put up some eye opening numbers this Winter with the Mustangs if she plays confidently. She is someone who can get hot in a hurry so if opponents don't watch out, it could be a long evening. For now Welker will sit in the #4 spot in this Update.     Prior to the transfer of KJ Pinchon, Lincoln North Star was already a top dawg out of their Class coming into this season. Now that they have added KJ, it seems like they should dominate most of the teams that they have to matchup against. Pinchon brings fire, athletic ability, size, and a mixed bag of ability on both offense and defense. Offensively, she can be your post that kills the smaller defender with size, she can step into the midrange and go to work off the attack with a slower defender, or she can step out and hit three's from deep off the catch if she has some one bigger defending her. Defensively, she can handle most matchups thrown her way and make her mark as a consistent rebounder. After coming off of a successful Volleyball season this Fall, it'll finally be nice to see how Pinchon competes this Winter on the hardwood. There is promise here. Now we just have to see what it turns into.

This Player Rankings Update of the 2026 Class brings a lot of movement throughout the ranks while adding 25 more prospects to the numbered system to give us a Top 75 in total.