It really is true what they say about time; ⏰ it flies by and waits for no man. That certainly is the case when it comes to high school freshmen watchlist's. Every year we get older and every year they stay the same age. It was actually 10-years ago when Prospect-Central released its first high school basketball freshmen watchlist and it's safe to say some of the players have lived up to the hype.
It was for the Class of 2016 and it made up half of the 2017NBADraft's Lottery selections, including 4 of the top 5 picks! 👀 Here are just a few of the recognizable 9th grade names that were featured at the time; JaysonTatum, Bam Adebayo, De'Aaron Fox, Lonzo Ball, Malik Monk, Josh Jackson, Dennis Smith, Jr., Harry Giles, Thon Maker, Payton Pritchard, Terrance Ferguson, & Caleb Swanigan (RIP).
Now just as those players were beginning to embark on their high school basketball journey, c/o 2026 recruits were turning 4 & 5-years old. 😳 Fast forward to the present day however, and you'll find those same little kids, aren't so little anymore. It's their time to shine now and from the looks of it, they seem more than capable of capturing the moment.
Tyran Stokes: (CA) Class of 2026
Another thing people say about time; it changes everything. So while most of these Class of 2026 recruits should go on to play college basketball and some of them will even play in the NBA one day, nothing is guaranteed in life, as time always finds a way of altering one's plans in one way or another. That's definitely case when it comes to HS freshmen.
For example, by the time they graduate high school some of these recruits will have reclassified both up and down a grade, some will have quit basketball to pursue other sports (most likely football), and some of them will have even ended their athletic dreams altogether to focus on other passions, like dancing on TikTok perhaps :) 🤦🏽♂️
Then again, for the players that end up becoming the cream of the crop, they're about to stack more bread than most of us will see in a lifetime. From NIL (name, image, likeness) money to $100K 💵 contracts from Overtime Elite, the landscape of high school basketball is big business for the players now, which is yet another thing that has changed over time. I can only imagine what everything will look like in another 4-years once these recruits have ended their high school careers come 2026.
Last but not least time changes a person's body, especially the bodies of 14 & 15-year old's. So while these recruits are labeled a certain position, it's more for organizational purposes than anything else, considering some of them will change positions as time goes by and they continue to grow into their frames. As you'll find out later, genes 🧬 work in mysterious ways and play a predominant role in the life of a basketball player. There are over 500 incoming high school freshmen selected for Prospect-Central’s c/o 2026 Watchlist, separated into four positional sections, with 10 players featured for each section, 20 honorable mentions, & the rest are names to keep an eye on for the future. 👀
Stacking up with its predecessor's, Class of 2026 definitely has some legit prospects for the next level, but as of right now it appears to be an average class with no generational talent. Of course nothing is set in stone as more players should emerge throughout the years. For the incoming high school freshmen featured in this article however, time is of the essence. High school may seem like it lasts an eternity, but in reality it’s just a blur and the clock is about to start ticking. So, how good can the Class of 2026 become once it's all said and done? Clearly only time will tell. ⏳
A lot of 8th grader's play high school basketball these days. No 8th grader's instantly become the best player in the history of that school's program though. But that's exactly what happend when the 6-foot-8 behemoth of a baller Latrell Allmond suited up for The O'Neal School in Southern Pines (NC). The O'Neal School might not have the richest tradition when it comes to athletics, but it's still a program that's been around for over 50-years in the basketball crazed state of North Carolina of all places. Originally from the Class of 2025, Latrell attended Southern Middle School in Aberdeen (NC) before transferring to The O'Neal School last year to get his first dose of HS ball. The O'Neal School is private K-12, so he reclassified to c/o 2026 and instantly became the alpha dog on the team as an 8th grader. Since he absolutely crushed it for the Falcons last season, his name slowly started to blow up 🔥 nationally to a degree, but he was already a well known recruit within the industry and generally considered top 10 in his class. And for good reason too. Latrell Allmond is not just a big body, he can definitely hoop and is a legit prospect for the next level.
No where close to a finished product, he'll need to continue putting in the work over these next 4-years of HS ball to stay at the top of his class, but he has an excellent foundation to work with. In January of 2020 Latrell Allmond was 6'2". By the time the year ended he was pushing 6'6". Now at 6-foot-8 roughly 220 lbs, I'm not sure how much more the 15-year old has left to grow, but his incredible wingspan should let him compete with bigger players if that's the case. Besides his impressive physical stature, 💪🏽 Latrell has excellent ball skills, quick feet, and plays with a relentless motor. Legitimate inside-out threat, can beat you on the block or off the dribble and is starting to develop a consistent mid-range jump shot. Capable 3-pt shooter, but still needs to work on that part of his game. Rebounds at an extremely high level and plays above the rim showing solid athleticism for his size, which should only get better over time as he tightens up his body. Has a chance to be a great defender due to his length, footwork, and mentality. Shows great instincts with a high B-ball IQ, Latrell can do a lot on the basketball court and is a very versatile player. He fancies himself in the mold of a 'PaoloBanchero' type of player, which is not totally ridiculous considering Banchero was a 6'8" freshman back in 2017. That being said, Banchero's game showed a little more pop as 9th grader than Latrell's and he was more athletic with a leaner frame that could add a few more inches to it.
But there've definitely been a ton of comparisons made about Latrell. Here are some of the type of players he's been compared to and "resembles" as far as size and skill level is concerned; Day'Ron Sharpe, Zach Randolph, Draymond Green, and Larry "👵🏽" Johnson to name a few. As long as we're playing this game, let me make my comparison and throw in Anthony Bennett into the mix. 🤷🏽♂️ Take away Bennett's awful B-ball IQ and horrible motor, and the two players are pretty similar, especially from size and wingspan perspective. But if both his ceiling (Banchero) and floor (Bennett) are former No. 1 pick's in the NBA Draft, I suppose that doesn't leave the rising 9th grader much wiggle room, so we should probably just let him enjoy the game of basketball for the time being. Plays for the stacked Adidas sponsored Team Loaded squad on the AAU circuit, which is literally loaded with talent, especially when rising 9th grader, 6-foot-11 Kosi Mgbejiofor is patrolling the paint with Latrell. Transferred to John Marshall in Richmond (VA) for his freshman year of high school and has already been killing it playing HS summer ball. So much so the scholarship's are starting to pour in. Rutgers, Georgetown, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, NC State, George Mason, and Ole Miss have all offered the rising 9th grader. It appears LatrellAllmond is the real deal and another player from the Class of 2026 who's name should be heard about quite often over the next 4-years of high school basketball. ⛹🏾♂️
Let's just get this out of the way right now. Ricardo 'T.J.' Crumble is a high-major recruit when it comes to the game of basketball. The fact that University of Missouri already offered the rising 9th grader a scholarship on July 4th 🇺🇸 proves that, but almost two years ago T.J. fractured his tibia 🦴 going up for a dunk as a 13-year old and his future as a big-time ball player was certainly in jeopardy. Four surgeries later, a ton of physical therapy and a lot of hard work, and T.J. Crumble is back where he left off without skipping a beat. Currently a top 3 recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2026 and one of the better rising HS freshmen in the country, T.J. is still on track to play big-time college basketball and with continued growth & development and a lot of sweatequity, 💪🏽 playing at the next level is not out of the question either. A well known recruit nationally for c/o 2026, T.J. really started to make a name for himself a few years ago as a 6'3" sixth grader. Then as a 6’6” seventhgrader his game went to another level, as he began to separate himself from his peers. Along with previously featured Marcus Johnson and Brayden Fogle, he became one of the top players in Ohio and is looking to represent the Buckeye State as he heads into his freshman year of high school. By all indications, T.J. shows no signs of crumbling under the pressure. 🤦🏽♂️
At 6-foot-8 with room to grow still, T.J.Crumble has nice length to go along with great ball skills for his size and a solid developing jump shot off the bounce. He can stretch the floor, play inside-out, has a soft touch around the basket, good footwork in the post, and can finish above therim through contact. Definitely has a lot of facets to his game that are intriguing, but still needs to get stronger, faster, and more explosive off the bounce to really make his game pop. Of course he just turned 15-years old so time is still on his side, at least for the moment. Another recruit from c/o 2026 with great basketball genes, 🧬 T.J.'s father, 6'8" Ricardo Crumble played high school ball for national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in the early 90's before eventually attending DePaul & Cleveland State to play college basketball. T.J.'s been playing AAU ball with Scholars Elite as well as playing up a grade with U15 Wildcat Select on the Adidas circuit and he'll attend Lutheran East in Cleveland Heights (OH) for his freshman year of high school. As previously mentioned he already holds a scholarship offer from the University of Missouri, but he actually received his first offer from Jackson State 🐅 in April of last year. He currently has a ton of interest from a bunch of schools in the Big Ten, so more offers could be on the way soon. T.J. Crumble has a lot of time to parlay his early success into a prosperous future in basketball, but if fracturing his tibia last year taught him anything, I'm sure it's the fact that there are no guarantees in life and everything can change in a split second; so you might as well leave it all on the court and enjoy the ride while it lasts, because at the end of the day no one can escape basketball mortality; 🪦 it comes for us all eventually, his father can attest to that.
Sam Funches is 6'8", a top 50 recruit in his class, and already has his own basketball card. Actually, wait a second. That was his father, HS c/o 1995 graduate and former Uconn & North Texas alum Sam Funches, III. His son, SamFunches, IV is actually already 6-foot-10, 👀 a top 10 recruit in c/o 2026, and light years ahead of where his father was in terms of potential as a player. He might not have his own basketball card yet, but if all goes as planned for the 14-year old rising 9th grader, that should change in about half-a-decade when Panini & Top Shot NFT's start minting the Mississippi native on their blockchain. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Born March 30th, 2008, Sam Funches, IV hasn't even started his freshman year of high school yet and certainly has a long way to go before his own basketball card can come to fruition. As of right now he's a mobile big man with terrific size & length, excellent footwork, and the ability to control the paint with his shot blocking prowess and rebounding instincts. Displays nice shooting mechanics, using a soft touch around the basket with baby hooks & turn around jumpers, and can even stretch the floor with the 3-ball, as was evident by his recent game winning step-back 3 for Team Iso Joe at the 2022 MadeHoops 8th Grade Finale in Augusta, Georgia. While he's starting to become a hot 🔥 commodity when it comes to recruiting now, it was just two years ago when he first burst onto the scene as a lanky 6'5" sixthgrader. He wouldn't remain a secret for long.
The following year he really started to make a name for himself, as the 6'9" 13-year old played very well at CP3's National Middle School Combine and even received a scholarship offer from the Georgetown Hoyas as a rising 8th grader in August of 2021. As previously mentioned, he's been playing very well on the AAU circuit with TeamIso Joe and he even played HS ball last year as an 8th grader for Madison-Ridgeland Academy (MS). He's transferred to Germantown HS in Madison (MS) for his freshman year, where Fuches, IV is looking to help give the program their first winning season in its 12-year history. Along with Georgetown, he already holds scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Kansas State, Jackson State, Ole Miss, Creighton, Texas A&M, & Oklahoma State, with many more to come on the horizon. I don't know how many times I've mentioned genes throughout PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist, but clearly it's become a prevalent theme and Sam Funches, IV is no different. Thirty years ago SamFunches, III was an All-State selection who's name was synonymous with Mississippi HS basketball. Like so many before him, his name ultimately ended up fading throughout the years, as time has a way of doing that. Now it's time to see if the younger Funches can resurrect the name and make sure it's never forgotten again. When it comes to hooping, he appears to have all the tools necessary to turn the name Sam Funches; a former All-State selection in the Magnolia State, to Sam Funches; the McDonald's 🍔 All-American & Mississippi HS hoops legend. If he's able to do so or not is anyone's guess, but what is known; none of this would have been possible without the name Sam Funches in the first place. #genes 🧬
When Latrell Allmond decided to leave the state of North Carolina to play high school basketball in Virginia, he left behind one thing; being the No. 1 🥇 ranked rising 9th grader in N.C. for the Class of 2026. He's now the top dog in Virginia for his class, but that still didn't fill the void of his departure from the Tarheel state. That was until the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Kendre' Harrison stepped in to take over where Allmond left off. He's not as dynamic or skilled as Latrell, but he's probably more athletic than his former AAUteammate and can really move his gigantic frame up and down the court in a hurry, as well as get some serious lift when blocking shots and throwing down thunderous dunks. Sporting a pair of glasses 👓 to go along with his physically imposing frame, Kendre'Harrison gives off the vibe of a gentle giant as he's bullying players on the court. He's got long arms, a strong build, 💪🏽 and is extremely physical when attacking the basket on offense and protecting the rim on D. A two-way player, Kendre'Harrison plays with a serious edge on both sides of the ball and is not just a defensive presence, even though that's definitely his calling card.
He's displayed a solid B-ball IQ, excellent footwork in the post, soft touch around the basket, decent handles for his size, and the potential to be a pick and pop stretch-4 down the road with his developing jump shot. Even though he's already a well known recruit from c/o 2026, Kendre'Harrison really opened some eyes back in May when he was invited to North Carolina's prestigious JoshLevelClassic. He ended up dominating the underclass rising stars game with 18 pts, 14 rebs, and 4 blks, and he may have even been the best long-term prospect in the entire gym. 👀 He's played AAU ball with Team Loaded (VA) and CSB Elite (NC) in the past, but now he's running with CP3 (NC) on the Nike circuit. He'll attend ReidsvilleHigh School (NC) for his freshman year, joining the dynamic point guard Dionte Neal, who was also selected to PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist. There is one thing I forgot to mention when it comes to Kendre' Harrison however. He might actually be better at football than he is at basketball. 🤯 A terrific TE/DE prospect on the gridiron, Kendre' received his first & only scholarship offer thus far from Wake Forest back in June for football, but you can expect more D-1 offers from both sports to pour in over the upcoming years. How much more he can grow will probably ultimately dictate the direction he heads in athletics, because as of right now he's an undersized power forward, but he's also a few inches away from being too tall to play football at an elite level.
At 6-foot-7, he's actually tied with 3 other players at the moment for being the tallest HS football recruit in the Class of2026. 🏈 Two other big-time basketball & football recruits in the class who are also the same height as Kendre' are 6'7" WR Jaquan Stennis, Jr., who has an offer from the University of Michigan in football and 6'7" TE Tristan Comer, who holds an offer from Central Michigan. Both players are not only from Michigan (obviously), but they were also both selected to PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist for basketball (obviously). The other rising 9th grader in the class who's also 6'7" is Mississippi's DE JaReylan McCoy, who currently holds four D-1 offers but he only plays football. While being 6-foot-7 is huge for an NFL player, it's actually the exact average height of an NBA player, so it will be key for Kendre' to grow a few more inches if he has aspirations of hooping at the highest level. Of course, I can't talk about dual-sport athletes in the state of North Carolina without mentioning JuliusPeppers. 🌶 At 6-foot-7, 295 lbs, the North Carolina native and Tarheel alum was obviously a freak athlete, but before he was the 2nd pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and future HOF'er, he was a 6'2", 200-pound HS freshman basketball player who had never even stepped foot onto a football field. Kendre' Harrison might not be able to touch Julius Peppers when it comes to football, but then again Julius Peppers as a 9th grader wasn't even in the same stratosphere as Kendre' when it comes to potential in basketball. I don't know what the future 🔮 has in store for Kendre' Harrison, but I wouldn't be surprised if all roads eventually lead through ChapelHill. 🏫
Incoming HS freshman Kosisochukwu ‘Kosi’ Mgbejiofor’s name is a lot like his game & frame; it’s long af and it’s gonna be a problem for the rest of the country to handle (and spell) during the next few years of HS basketball. The 6-foot-11 rising Nigerian 9th grader grew up in Africa and moved to Tennessee last year. There will be no language barrier for Kosi however, considering he already speaks better English than most Southerner's, 😜 but there will be plenty of things said & written about him when it comes to the game of basketball. There's obviously going to be a ton of players 6'10"+ to emerge from c/o 2026 over the upcoming years, but as of right now there's no player in the class at that size who can touch Kosi in the athleticism department. 👀 Not just tall with great length, he's also incredibly strong with an excellent frame to build on, Kosi Mgbejiofor basically hit the gene pool lottery when it comes to his physical stature. Throw in the fact he can already jump out of the gym and run the floor like Usain Bolt, ⚡️ it's hard to fathom he's not even a freshman in high school yet. Since athleticism his calling card, you already know it's on the defensive side of the ball where he's gonna make his money. If the saying "slow feet don't eat" has any merit, then Kosi Mgbejiofor will never go hungry again. Excellent footwork, terrific stamina, and a non-stop motor, Kosi can guard players on the perimeter or in the post and as long as he's on the floor, no shot is safe from being blocked by the Nigerian nightmare. 😱
Kosi literally is the ultimate rim-protector and very well could be the best defensive player in the Class of 2026 at the moment. 😳 Even though he just started playing basketball, he's not entirely unskilled on offense. Besides dunking on everyone's head anytime he's near the hoop, he has really smooth footwork, strong hands, and shows a soft touch around the basket. Can put the ball on the floor to a degree and is super explosive off the bounce when taking it to the rack. Capable of blowing by a defender with one hard dribble from behind the 3-pt line then jamming it in their face, Kosi's a threat to score almost anywhere in the half-court due to his quick first step, 💨 incredible length, and strong handle when attacking the basket in a straight line. While he's still quite raw and needs to continue developing his overall skills, in particularly a jump shot, he already has a great feel for the game and seems to have an outstanding work ethic with an insatiable appetite to get better, so clearly his upside is through the roof. He's been playing AAU ball with DreamElite (TN), but really started to blow up playing up a grade with U15 Team Loaded (VA) on the Adidas circuit. Latrell Allmond, who was previously featured on PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist may have been the alpha dog of the squad, but despite being one of the younger players on the team, Kosi definitely made his presence felt averaging 7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 2.0 bpg, while shooting 75% from the field. 🏀
Kosi started playing high school ball last year as an 8th grader for Knoxville Catholic (TN) and had some huge games on the defensive side of the ball. Should definitely be more of a scoring threat for the Knights during his freshman year. No scholarship offers as of yet, but honestly it doesn't even matter. Whether it's in the NBA or overseas, Kosi Mgbejiofor will be playing professional basketball one day. Whatever league ends up cutting him a paycheck however, all depends on the amount of work he puts into the game. Nigeria 🇳🇬 has produced some nice players over the years, most notably Hakeem "the 😴" Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo, so Kosi definitely has his work cut out for him if he ever wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as those two again. Side note; completely off topic, but I always found it interesting that Hakeem Olajuwon's brothers owned the second most Denny's restaurants in the country. Always loved me some Moons over My Hammy and a Grand Slamwich back in the day. 🤦🏼♂️ Back to the lecture hand. While he grew up as a young boy in Nigeria and it will always be considered home, Kosi Mgbejiofor will become a young man in Tennessee and begin his basketball journey via the Volunteer State. I've never been to Nigeria, but I'm quite familiar with Tennessee. If Kosi can fulfill his enormous amount of potential and become one of the elite HS recruits in the state, they'll treat him like royalty over there and he'll never want to leave. He will quickly learn that the lyrics of Grateful Dead's ‘Tennessee Jed' ring true; "Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain't no place I'd rather be; baby won't you carry me back to Tennessee." 🔸
Riddle me this; if your mother was 6-foot-5 and your father was 6-foot-5, how tall would that NOT make you? 🤔 If you said 6-foot-5, you're beginning to realize how genetics work. Don't get me wrong. Michigan native TrevorSmith was 6'5" at one time just like both of his parents, it just happened to be when he was in the 5th grade. 🤦🏼♂️ Now standing 6-foot-9 and on the verge of entering his freshman year of HS, Trevor Smith is still head-and-shoulders above most of his peers in size, skill, and potential in the game of basketball. A well known recruit in c/o 2026, TrevorSmith has developed quite nicely over these past few years despite not being the tallest player in his class anymore. While he's been surpassed in size by a handful of recruits in his age group, the rising 9th grader is still on track to being one of the better high school freshmen basketball players in the country this upcoming season. Besides his size & length, Trevor has displayed excellent fundamentals, terrific ball skills, superb footwork in the post, a soft touch around the basket, solid jump shot with 3-pt range, and an overall great feel for the game. 🏀
Very strong frame with above average athleticism for his size, Trevor crashes the boards hard, runs the floor with ease, blocks shots from all angles, and shows no problem finishing above the rim through contact. Even though he's already a really nice player with a lot of tools 🧰 at his disposal, his game screams upside as his best basketball is clearly ahead of him. He's been playing up a grade on the AAU circuit with The Family (MI) in Nike's U15 EYBL division and he'll attend OkemosHS for his freshman year. He'll probably end up transferring eventually, but if he doesn't Trevor Smith could very well wind up becoming the best recruit in the history of the Wolves program. No matter how much notoriety he'll receive over the years though, he'll never become the most famous graduate from OkemosHS. That honor will more than likely always belong to JohnBennettRamsey. 😳 No scholarship offers as of yet, but there's a better chance of me winning the Mega Millions Powerball Lottery than Trevor Smith not playing big-time Division I college basketball. FYI, the drawing of the numbers for the $1.1 billion 💰 Powerball Jackpot was tonight; and I lost. 🥴 So there you have it. Trevor Smith will be playing D-1 college ball in the future, the only question now is; where does he end up taking his talents? 🔮
Among adult American men, about 1 in 29,000 are taller than 6-foot-9. There are about 120,000,000 adult men in the United States, 🇺🇸 so this would indicate there are less than 5,000 adult men in the U.S. who are taller than 14-year old Jamyn Sondrup. The key difference of course, they've already become adult men & are done growing, while the rising 9th grader JamynSondrup is still just a kid, adding inches to his frame as we speak. The point is you can't teach height; size doesn't grow on tree's. You can't just magically create it out of thin air. You can however, adopt it.💡 Obviously the Sondrup's had no idea Jamyn would reach the height few could only fathom when they found out he would become part of their family back in 2007, but given just how much their little bundle-of-joy 😊 has grown up over the years; physically, spiritually ⛪️ and mentally; it's safe to say that adding Jamyn to their loving home has been the best decision of their lives. It also certainly doesn't hurt that he's a potential 7-footer and currently the top rising HS freshman in Utah for c/o 2026. 🤷🏼♂️ Not the most athletic big-man in his class, but what Jamyn lacks in athleticism he more than makes up for with skill, strength, vision, shooting touch, & his overall feel for the game.
Despite his lack of explosiveness, he has great length, a nice stroke with 3-pt range, and is super crafty off the bounce showing the ability to create for himself or others. Sondrup's light on his feet, 🪶 has soft hands, terrific fundamentals in the post, rebounds outside his area, and has no problem blocking shots at the rim while protecting the paint. While his motor tends to run hot and cold at times, he still is only 14-years old, so that just comes with the territory. Over the past couple of years, Jamyn has played very well on the AAU circuit with the UtahStars & StanceElite and the rising 9th grader will continue representing the Beehive State in high school when he attends Springville High (UT) for his freshman year. Actually received his first scholarship offer yesterday from UC Irvine, but even a blind man can see Jamyn Sondrup is a high-major recruit when it comes to basketball. The Class of 2026 in Utah actually appears to be somewhat loaded at the moment, so Craig Smith (University of Utah) and Mark Pope (BYU) definitely have their work cut out for them in making sure Jamyn and the rest of his running mates don't leave the state. The one thing both those coaches preach is the importance of family. 👨👩👧👦 Family is important; not only in life, but in basketball as well. If you grow up with a loving, caring, close-knit family solely dedicated to your well being, there's almost nothing you can't accomplish. JamynSondrup has been blessed with such a family and has all the potential in the world to make his parents proud one day. With his whole life in front of him and his loving family at his side, look for Jamyn to supplant the Sondrup name into the history books of Utah high school basketball and possibly beyond. ⛹🏽♂️
It is quite fitting that TyranStokes favorite college is the University of North Carolina. He's such a good basketball player, showing so much potential at such a young age, in the great words of UNC's most famous alum Michael Jordan; "his ceiling is the roof!" If you're a casual fan of grassroots basketball and just happen to stumble upon this article, there's one thing you should know about the current crop of rising 9th grader's from c/o 2026; 🤔 there are 4 names who all recruiting pundits believe are at the top of the class as they head into their freshmen year of high school. A.J. Dybantsa (MA), Caleb Holt (AL), Chris Washington, Jr. (FL), and without question TyranStokes (CA). Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Tyran moved to San Diego (CA) when he was 6, but still has family in Kentucky as well as Georgia & Ohio. A well known recruit nationally since the 2nd grade, both TyranStokes game and body have grown tremendously over the past few years, as he's more than lived up to his lofty reputation. Back in 2020 he was 5'11" - 6'1" as a 6th grader, sprouted up to 6'5" - 6'6'' in 7th & 8th grade, and now at 14-years old and a legitimate rising 9th grader, TyranStokes is 6-foot-7 and pound-for-pound one of the strongest 🏋🏽 freshmen in his class. Add his impressive size & length to his flourishing skillset, tremendous athleticism, defensive instincts, non-stop motor and high B-ball IQ, and it's easy to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to his future potential in the game of basketball. 🏀
A positionless player capable of handling the ball like a guard, running the floor in transition like a wing, or banging down low and finishing above the rim like a big, there's nothing TyranStokes can't do on the basketball court. With his boisterous personality and alpha dog mentality, he has no problem letting his opponents know they can't handle what he's bringing to the table. Extremely versatile with the ability to score on all three-levels, plus an excellent on-the-ball or help-side defender, Tyran should be the focal point for any team he plays for throughout his high school basketball career. He's such a force, especially when taking it to the rack, you might as well call the rising 9th grader Tyran 'nosaurus' Stokes. 🦖 From playing in the MadeHoops West Coast Circuit with Kenny 'The Jet' Smith's TSF Aim High squad, to dominating the PangosJuniorAll-American Camp back in February, Tyran Stokes has consistently been the best player in every event he's participated in over these past few years. Playing AAU basketball has been no different. He hasn't missed a beat playing up two grades with Russell Westbrook's Team Why Not on Nike's U16EYBL circuit, averaging 15.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, and 1.3 bpg. He did shoot 1-11 from three however, so that will definitely be one area of improvement moving forward. And just last month he led All-OhioSumner to a championship victory 🏆 at the MadeHoops 8th Grade Finale in Augusta, Georgia. He's currently undecided as to where he'll attend high school for his freshman year, but there are a lot of schools in the mix. It's almost the end of July at the time this article was written, so you can expect a decision on his immediate future within the upcoming weeks, if he hasn't decided already. If it's this hectic to choose a HS, one can only imagine the type of drama his college recruitment will bring. I imagine there’ll be a lot of twists and turns. 🌪
Tyran received his first scholarship offer from XavierUniversity on June 29th, followed by another offer from Jackson State on July 23rd. Arizona State & IUPUI just offered a few days ago as well. As of right now he certainly seems to have the potential to hear his named called in the 2027 NBA Draft, but let's not put the cart before the horse. In reality, he hasn't accomplished anything just yet and time always has a way of changing forgone conclusions. There are many reasons why highly touted incoming 9th graders ranked at the top of their class, end up not ranked nearly as high by the time they graduate high school. Complacency, work ethic, and the daily trials & tribulations of life can all take their toll, but for the most part there are always players getting bigger, better, stronger and faster, and they have no where to go but up in the rankings, while if you're already a top 10 recruit and coasting on reputation, you have no where to go but down. Remember, it's always easier to get to the top, than it is to stay on top. With coaches, recruiters, and independent scouts always looking for the next best thing, today's news can quickly become tomorrow's history. The Class of2026 will certainly have it's fair share of players rising & falling in the rankings as the years go by, but Tyran Stokes doesn't appear to be a flash in the pan. Obviously it's yet to be determined if Tyran will end his high school career cemented in the top 10 of RSCIrankings for the rest of eternity & beyond, or if he'll fall to the wayside like so many young players before him. What is known however, at this current moment in time, 14-year old Tyran Stokes is beginning his basketball journey as one of the elite freshmen in the country and a consensus top 5 recruit in the c/o 2026. Now the real fun begins! 🙌🏽
A well known recruit from the Class of 2026 and native of Cincinnati, Ohio, James Turner, Jr. is the first player you'd want coming off the bus if you were a coach of a middle school basketball team and wanted to intimidate your 8th grade opponents. He might not the be the tallest rising freshman in his class, but he certainly looks the part of a big-time baller. Hovering right around 6-foot-7 with room to grow, he has long arms, a terrific frame, and is solid as a rock. 💪🏽 As of right now athleticism and defense are his calling card, but he's pretty skilled for his size, displaying decent handles, a developing mid-range jump shot and a lot of upside. But like I said, athletically JamesTurner, Jr. is gifted. He attacks the basket hard, soars above the rim for ferocious duks, and runs the floor like a deer. 🦌 On the defensive side of the ball he's an absolute menace, showing the ability to guard multiple positions, rebounding everything in sight, and blocking shots at an extremely high rate. He's even received MarcusCamby comparisons when it comes to his defensive prowess, which is certainly high praise for the rising HS freshman. 👌🏽
Even though Marcus Camby was a legit big man at 6'11", he was actually a 6'3" guard until his junior year of high school when he hit his growth spurt. The last time James Turner, Jr. was 6'3" on the other hand, he was in the 6th grade. 😳 On the Grassroots circuit he's been playing up a grade with 2025 Superfriends, but really cut his chops balling with the No. 1 eighth grade AAU team in the country All-Ohio Sumner. Along with Tyran Stokes, Brayden Fogle and a slew of other players selected to PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist, James helped All-OhioSumner win the MadeHoops 8th Grade Finale Championship 🏆 last month in Augusta, Georgia. Although a native of Ohio, he started playing high school ball last season as an 8th grader for Newport HS in Kentucky. He averaged 4.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg in 26 games played and was clearly a defensive presence for the Wildcats. He even showed nice potential to stretch the floor, shooting 41% from three on 27 attempts. Received his first scholarship offer from Radford University in April, followed by offers from Stony Brook, Jackson State, Morgan State, & IUPUI over these past few months. While those offers are nice and definitely something to hang your hat on, James Turner, Jr. is clearly a high-major recruit with a lot of potential, and it's only a matter of time until some of the big boys in college basketball come calling. 📞
Easily the top rising 9th grader coming out of Illinois, Timothy Winkler, III will be entering high school as a consensus top 10 recruit in the Class of2026 and another name to definitely keep track of for the future. ✍🏽 He's long & strong with skills for days and has all the potential in the world to eventually play the game at the highest level. He can put the ball on the floor, has an array of post moves, displaying a soft touch around the basket and a really nice jump shot with 3-pt range. He has excellent foot work, plays terrific defense, rebounds outside his area, and has a great overall feel for the game. While no slouch when it comes to athleticism, Timothy's still growing into his bigbody so he's not the most explosive player YET, but he's been improving steadily throughout the years so that should come in due time. What I really like about his game however, is his calm demeanor and maturity on the court. Never really gets rattled and the moment never seems too big for him. In all honesty, he kind of reminds me of Jayson Tatum 👀 at the same stage of development, even though the 6'5" Tatum was 4-inches shorter at the time. Displaying similar shooting mechanics, athleticism, and overall demeanor as a rising 9th grade Jayson Tatum, 15-year old TimothyWinkler, III has a bright future ahead of him regardless if he emulates the NBA All-Star as a freshman in high school or not.
Born April 3rd, 2007 and originally a member of c/o 2025, Tim Winkler, III might be slightly older than some of his classmates, but when it's all said and done he's also gonna be a lot better than them at the game of basketball too, so it is what it is. 🤷♂️ A native of Michigan (Go Blue!), Timothy moved to Oswego, Illinois when he was 6 and now represents the Prairie State. Since genes 🧬 have constantly been discussed throughout PC's c/o 2026 Freshmen Watchlist, we might as well continue the trend with the Winkler lineage. Timothy's mother Kelly is 5'11", his paternal grandfather Tim was 6'4", his father Tim II is 6'6", and Timothy Winker, III is currently pushing 6'10". There's also a Tim IV out there who's rumored to be 8-feet tall! (JK) 😜 He's been a staple on the AAUcircuit with the legendary Mac IrvinFire organization and this past January he announced he'll be attending powerhouse IMGAcademy (FL) for his freshman year of HS. Received his first scholarship offer from the University of Nevada in November of last year and has added offers from Western Kentucky and Arizona State these past few months as well. It appears the writing's on the wall for the rising 9th grader. He's going to be a sought after recruit in the world of high school basketball and most definitely a name to be remembered moving forward. And while he might not be the original Tim Winkler, he's the most talented of the Tim's and has a chance to etch the Winkler name into HS basketball lore and beyond. 💯
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