2026s to Watch This AAU Season

The AAU season is around the corner, and that means it's almost decision time for the highly touted 2026 class. The 2027s will come into the forefront of coaches' minds, and we'll continue learning about the 2028 class as they climb the ranks. The rest of the month, I'll highlight a few kids to keep tabs on once the AAU season kicks off.    A multi-sport athlete, Casey is a kid who I'm curious whether she'll play basketball, volleyball, or both at the next level. On the basketball court, the 6'0 wing/forward does a little of everything other than shooting from the perimeter. I've seen Casey create as a lead guard over the summer, and with her size and athleticism, she's a versatile piece to put in any lineup. Schools may be hesitant about her possibly taking the volleyball route, but few kids have the physical toolset Casey boasts. I believe she can contribute at the scholarship level somewhere if she wants to play basketball.      Defensively, Jirsa is among the top kids in her class. The Verona guard is laterally quick, and when the Wildcats went to a man defense, Jirsa would take the best guard on the opposing team and did an excellent job in that role. Jirsa stays strong, does a solid job keeping kids in front of her, and has a nose for the ball. Anytime her [program_tooltip program_id='713043' first='Wisconsin' last='Impact'] team plays talented guards, I'd assume Jirsa will defend them and show well, no matter how elite they are. Offensively, there's room to grow. She can score from all three levels, but it's inconsistent. At times, she'll lead her team in scoring. You'll be able to tell she can be a scoring threat.      A name that shined this year at De Pere was their lead guard, [player_tooltip player_id='772587' first='Abigail' last='Tassoul']. The Red Bird may not be the flashiest lead guard in her conference, but what she does leads to success, which is what you play the game for. Tassoul is a quick kid, but she doesn't waste time on the ball. The Red Bird can attack the basket off the dribble to score, but she keeps her head up and finds her open teammates. She never forced anything, which is how she became a first-team all-conference kid. I presume she'll have plenty of D3 opportunities at the end of the AAU season.      The Edgerton post is a kid who could thrive with Let it Rain. Langer is a physical and athletic post who will dominate in games where she has a physical and size advantage around the basket. Her motor will allow her to make plays that other posts won't. She has a good touch around the basket and will have moments where she will control games. The thing to watch with her is how well she handles size and length around the rim.

The AAU season is around the corner, and that means it's almost decision time for the highly touted 2026 class. The 2027s will come into the forefront of coaches' minds, and we'll continue learning about the 2028 class as they climb the ranks. The rest of the month, I'll highlight a few kids to keep tabs on once the AAU season kicks off.