Sophomores to Know Heading into February

Brady Peterson February 1, 2026 @ 12:27 PM

After a week where I found myself attending three Arrowhead games, I can decompress and highlight a few players to kick off the month of February. In the next 30 days, hundreds, if not thousands, of players around the state will end their high school careers, and only a few dozen will get the storybook ending they hope for. However, before we get into the thick of the postseason discussion in the next few weeks, let's look at some players who have had excellent 25-26 campaigns.   Paige Lisowksi   The Whitehall guard is one of the more creative ball handlers in the 2028 class and has done a solid job as the focal point of her team's offense. Lisowksi has plenty of confidence in her game and is willing to shoot the ball whenever she has any amount of space. She is a player who excelled in her first season of high school basketball and is comfortable being a player who needs to produce in volume at her age.   [player_tooltip player_id='1173638' first='Lizzie' last='Jackson']   The Pius XI forward is a player whom coaches don't have to run plays for, and she'll find ways to help her team win games. Jackson is an excellent rebounder who can control the boards on either end of the floor and can play with physicality against more physical frontcourt players. She is also comfortable stepping back and spacing the floor if that's what her team needs on a given possession. Her motor is second-to-none, and it's what makes her as effective as she is on both ends of the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='888427' first='Macy' last='Karl']   The Slinger native is a player who will demand defensive attention from any team the Owls play on their schedule. Karl is a versatile offensive player who can handle the ball and create off the dribble against frontcourt players, and use her size to score around the basket when guards defend her. She has shown potential in her first few seasons playing for the Owls and will be a player people will want to keep tabs on offensively.   [player_tooltip player_id='885270' first='Aubri' last='Elmore']   Elmore is an intriguing guard from Lake Country Lutheran who can space the floor and knock down shots from the perimeter. The Lightning guard is a player who can handle the ball in traffic and is a player her coaches and teammates trust to make plays with the ball in her hands down the stretch. The sophomore has plenty of room to grow as a player, but there is plenty to like as she begins to wrap up her sophomore season.

After a week where I found myself attending three Arrowhead games, I can decompress and highlight a few players to kick off the month of February. In the next 30 days, hundreds, if not thousands, of players around the state will end their high school careers, and only a few dozen will get the storybook ending they hope for. However, before we get into the thick of the postseason discussion in the next few weeks, let's look at some players who have had excellent 25-26 campaigns.