Winter Rankings Update: 2026 Small Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='665452' first='Grace' last='Goldman'] (2026) from North Harrison High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday morning, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana posted the Winter update for the Class of 2026. Typically accompanying updates are articles highlighting players on the move, newcomers, and just all-around general information regarding each position group. Below is a look at the top small forwards in the state of Indiana, followed by some commentary on a handful of uncommitted prospects who have played well since the Fall update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2026","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"12124","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"1286","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6964618c26faa"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='665452' first='Grace' last='Goldman'], North Harrison H.S.</font></strong><br>- I thought Grace had a really nice July "live" period, and I feel like she possesses a lot of the skills and understanding the elite small colleges of the Midwest might want in a forward. She is strong, fairly athletic, and versatile. She has an inside-out ability to score the ball, plus she can play a point forward role on occasion. I feel like she does so many good things for her team(s) and is always productive, at this point, she could be a real "steal".</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='928914' first='Brinley' last='Clark'], Floyd Central H.S.</font></strong><br>- Brinley is on a very good Floyd Central team, so at times she might be a second or third option behind a couple of her teammates. Still, she plays with an outstanding motor, she's a tough-nosed kid who rarely gets outworked, but she also has skill and ability. She can shoot it from all three levels, she can slice to the basket, and she is a good passer. She's also an excellent defender, plus she plays much bigger than she is.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='928916' first='Lela' last='Edmonds'], East Chicago Central H.S.</font></strong><br>- Lela is a very talented athlete who is just starting to scratch the surface in basketball. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, bouncy, fast &amp; fluid. She has grown several inches since entering high school, she has worked on her skillset, and she has become a talented small college prospect because of her offensive versatility. Additionally, she's a capable volleyball player, so she could choose that path at the niext ;level</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='1038866' first='Kalea' last='Bentley'], Lawrence North H.S.</font></strong><br>- Kalea popped up on my radar during the Summer of 2024 when she started a couple of games for the Wildcats at the IHSAA team shootouts. Originally, she was a standstill shooter who liked to hide on the wings or in the deep corners, often burying a 3-pointer when given the chance. As of today, she is much more aggressive and physical off the dribble, and she does a nice job of absorbing contact when she's attacking the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='761159' first='Sydney' last='Bonds'], Carmel H.S.</font></strong><br>- After not playing major roles for the Greyhounds the last couple of years, she is providing them with versatility, skill, and talent this year. Sydney has nice size, a wiry-strong, athletic frame, and she possesses a nice mid-post jumper. She can handle it in transition like a point forward, plus she is a solid passer. Defensively, Sydney can take on forwards, undersized posts, plus she can sit down and defend wing guards &amp; forwards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->