Looking at the Class of 2026s Guards
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The other day, we took a look at what the class of 2027 was up to in the first month of their high school careers. Today, we’re doing the same for the class of 2026. We’ll talk about wings and…
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Continue ReadingThe other day, we took a look at what the class of 2027 was up to in the first month of their high school careers. Today, we’re doing the same for the class of 2026. We’ll talk about wings and forwards first, then close with guards.
Natalie Kussow Natalie Kussow 5'10" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI
There are some kids I wish were more aggressive scorers. Natalie Kussow Natalie Kussow 5'10" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI is not one of those kids. She’s a kid whose mindset revolves around scoring the basketball. Kussow’s already nearly broken the school-scoring record twice and did it once against Edgewood, setting the new single-game high to 47. She’s a 5-11 strong kid who can score the ball at all three levels. As a sophomore, Kussow’s arguably the second-best scorer in the state already, which is incredible, but it’s true. She’s that good.
Giselle Janowski Giselle Janowski 5'9" | SG Pewaukee | 2026 State WI
Once Janowksi got to Pewaukee last year, she added a perimeter defender that the Pirates needed to balance their offensive firepower with an elite defender. In her first game last year, she looked like a top-five defender in the state, and she’s only added to that résumé this past year. She takes the most challenging defensive matchup every game and usually gets the better of her assignment, which only a few kids have done routinely. She’s strong, competitive, and is one of the better scorers in the state as well, which I sometimes forget when I watch her get after it on the defensive end.
Presly Samz Presly Samz 5'7" | PG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI
The Arrowhead guard isn’t the tallest, fastest, or strongest guard in the state, but she’s one of the winningest kids in High School and AAU you’ll find, and that’s not an accident. As good as her teammates are with Arrowhead and Wisconsin Lakers , she manages to get the best out of her teammates whenever she steps on the floor. She organizes her team’s offense well, doesn’t turn the ball over, makes open shots, can beat her defender off the dribble, and has the poise of a junior or senior in college. Nothing rattles her, and her teammates respond to that.
The Brookfield East guard comes out and plays some games so well that it doesn’t matter who defends her. She’s unguardable on those nights. She’s a tough shot-taker and has the pedigree of making those shots. Right away, there are about five shots in AAU and high school that I remember her taking and being amazed she got the ball over the rim, let alone in the basket. Kovacic has a different scoring arsenal than most kids, but she makes it work, and that’s the reason why the Spartans won their state semifinal game last year.
Ady Ketterhagen Ady Ketterhagen 5'9" | PG Oostburg | 2026 State WI
Watching Oostburg at its best is an experience in itself. Ady Ketterhagen Ady Ketterhagen 5'9" | PG Oostburg | 2026 State WI is integral to what the Dutch do. She’s fast and loves to run in transition whenever possible, and at times, she attacks the basket until someone steps in front of her. Ketterhagen is a handful to deal with when getting downhill, but the real problem comes when teams cheat a little, play a step or two further back to protect the rim, and Ketterhagen starts hitting multiple three-pointers. She’s as well-rounded of a guard as you’ll find in this class.