Class of 2026: Next Five

Today, we've released the final edition of the 2026 rankings, which began in late 2022. It's insane to me that the senior class is only months away from graduating and starting the next portion of their lives, whether that includes basketball or not. Over the next few days, we'll examine a few players in the senior class before moving on to update the 2027 class this Wednesday. Today, I will post two articles highlighting the top ten players in the class in a first-five article and a next-five article.    The Oostburg guard/wing has done a little of everything in her time with the Lady Dutch. Ketterhagen has played on ball, off ball, in the post, as a screener, and as a pick-and-roll ball handler. She has found ways to be effective in every role she has been asked to play and has helped her team excel during her time at the high school. Ketterhagen has also helped her team win a Division 3 State Championship in 2025 and has her team in line to potentially go back-to-back in Division 3. Ady and her twin sister, Riley, will continue their playing career together in the Horizon League at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.     Lemorande has had a stop-and-go career at the high school level due to a knee injury prior to her sophomore season. However, since returning in her junior season, the Bay Port wing has been the most threatening perimeter shooter in the state, and I don't think it's particularly close. Lemorande is a player who can get her shot up quickly and run off screens away from the ball to get looks at the basket. She may also be the best primarily off-ball player in the state this season. Lemorande is the only player in the Top Ten to choose to play at the Division 2 level in college and play her basketball next season at Maryville University in the St. Louis area in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.     The Elkhorn native is a versatile frontcourt player who can handle the ball, pass, shoot, and initiate offense. Lile also missed most of her junior season due to a knee injury, and is still breaking all-time program records for the Elks. Lile has been a player who can hunt mismatches anywhere she's played and hasn't had any fear, no matter who she's lined up against, whether that be in AAU or the High School level. Lile will continue her playing career at the college level at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in the Horizon League.     The Brookfield native is a player who can create in a phone booth and score the ball at an elite level. Kovacic hasn't shied away from high-profile shots at any point in time and helped her Brookfield East team reach the State Championship game due to her heroics in the State Semifinals in her first year of high school basketball. Kovacic has since become the Spartans' all-time leading scorer and has been one of the most productive players in her class around the state. Kovacic will also continue her playing career in the Summit League at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota.     The La Crosse native has helped her Central team reach new heights this season when she's been on the floor. A recent injury has kept her off the floor, and her team has felt that loss. Simpson is one of the more challenging players to defend because of her length, athleticism, and skill. Her ability to create at her size makes her a mismatch in almost any game she plays at the high school level. She has also continued to improve her game and found ways to excel offensively, even with teams allocating significant defensive resources her way. Simpson will continue her playing career in the Ohio Valley Conference at Eastern Illinois University.

Today, we've released the final edition of the 2026 rankings, which began in late 2022. It's insane to me that the senior class is only months away from graduating and starting the next portion of their lives, whether that includes basketball or not. Over the next few days, we'll examine a few players in the senior class before moving on to update the 2027 class this Wednesday. Today, I will post two articles highlighting the top ten players in the class in a first-five article and a next-five article.