5 Players To Watch This Season

The 2026-27 season is almost here and there is no shortage of players ready to make some noise. Across Arkansas, there are guards and wings coming into the season with big expectations. With their impressive resumes and plenty of reasons to believe this could be a breakout year. Some have already established themselves as All-State talents. While others are looking to take that next step and become major contributors for their teams. Here are five players I'll be keeping a close eye on this season.    [player_tooltip player_id='947706' first='Morgan' last='Sanger'] is a 5-foot-8 point guard in the 2027 class. She never fails to bring energy every time she steps on the floor. She plays with an aggressive mindset and isn't afraid to make things happen. Especially when attacking or pushing the pace. Sanger also has good court vision and does a nice job finding opportunities for herself and her teammates. She stays active even when she doesn't have the ball. She is constantly looking for a way to get open and make an impact. Sanger looks to continue to be a main contributor for her team moving forward.     [player_tooltip player_id='848699' first='Bailey' last='Barton'] is coming into Vilonia with plenty of experience and confidence after transferring from Beebe. The 5-foot-8 point guard is already committed to OBU. She has clearly established herself as one of the more dangerous scoring guards in the class. Barton can knock down shots both off the catch and off the dribble. What really stands out is how quickly she can get downhill and finish through contact. She's put together some huge performances, including 31 points against Clinton. Then 18 points against Greenbrier, 17 against Vilonia and 15 against Jacksonville. Her resume contains both All-Conference and All-State honors. Barton gives Vilonia a proven scorer who can create her own offense.     At 5-foot-10, [player_tooltip player_id='877661' first='Rylee' last='Wilburn'] has the size and versatility to impact just about every part of the game. She averaged 19 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Stats like that show that she's much more than just a scorer. Wilburn can knock down shots from three, create in the mid-range and finish around the basket, which makes her difficult for defenses to completely take away. She's also a strong rebounder and has shown that she can create for her teammates when defenses start focusing on her. She's already earned All-State recognition. Wilburn also reached 1,000 career points after just two varsity seasons, making her one of the more productive young players to watch.     [player_tooltip player_id='593252' first='Jacey' last='Halitzka'] is the type of shooter who can completely change the way a defense has to play. The 5-foot-5 Bergman guard knocked down 116 threes at a 40%. Her range is more than just a small part of her game. She's dangerous as a catch-and-shoot option but can also create her own shot, and her movement without the ball makes it even harder for defenders to lose her. Halitzka's deep range forces defenses to respect her well beyond the arc, opening up other parts of the floor for herself and her teammates. Her shooting ability helped earn her 3A All-State recognition and makes her one of the more intriguing perimeter players in the 2027 class.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093351' first='Josey' last='Dollar'] is a 5-foot-6 guard who brings a little bit of everything to the floor for Acorn. She can knock down shots from the outside. She's also comfortable putting the ball on the floor and creating for herself or someone else. Dollar has shown that playmaking ability in some big statistical performances, including 27 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block against Ouachita. She followed that with 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and an impressive seven steals against Kirby. She followed that up with 21 points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals against Hector. Her activity on defense stands out just as much as her offensive ability, making Dollar the kind of guard who can impact a game in multiple ways.

The 2026-27 season is almost here and there is no shortage of players ready to make some noise. Across Arkansas, there are guards and wings coming into the season with big expectations. With their impressive resumes and plenty of reasons to believe this could be a breakout year. Some have already established themselves as All-State talents. While others are looking to take that next step and become major contributors for their teams. Here are five players I'll be keeping a close eye on this season.