Central Section HS Hoops: Class of 2026 Player Rankings (Version 4.0)

The depth, skill, size, and talent of players for the Class of 2026 in the Central Section is a snapshot of this age group throughout the country overall. Players like Tyran Stokes, Brandon McCoy Jr., Tajh Ariza, Christian Collins, and Jason Crowe Jr. are just a small sample of players from the national 2026 class that are considered legit pro prospects at the highest level. Although there is not a player ranked as high nationally as 2025 and Baylor commit Toude Yessoufou, currently ranked in the top 15-20 depending on the organization doing the rankings, but the depth and quality of potential 4-year players is deeper than any class I can recall since 2021.  

I have updated this list to include the Spring and Summer club sessions, the Scholastic Live Periods of June, and the Fall individual and team showcases, as well as the first month of the 2024-2025 high school season. I have expanded this list from 40 to 55 players from around the Central Section. Along with the high school season, the individual showcases and team events throughout the end of the Summer and the Fall have provided countless platforms for players from the 2026 Class to showcase their skills and capabilities. For example, we hosted the 4th Annual Central Cali Prospects Junior/Senior Showcase, which gave me a chance to see some of these players in an individual setting. Team events throughout the fall, such as the Clovis West Fall Showcase, the Heart of California Basketball Classic, the Clovis West Nike Invitational, the Lloyd Williams Holiday Hoops Tournament, and various single game match-ups have allowed me ample opportunities to evaluate and observe the play of a majority of the top juniors in the Central Section. 

This list of players was compiled using my own evaluations, along with feedback from knowledgeable media, coaches, and other relevant basketball personnel from the Section, to make up the top 55 junior prospects for this updated round of player rankings for the 2026 Class. However, the order of players on this list is my own. I will update these rankings by the end of the school year and will expand this list to over 55 players if there are players that are prospects worthy of making this list.  

This list takes into consideration two key factors in determining where players are ranked, and will be the same criteria used each time this list is updated. The criteria for these rankings are as follows: current skill level and production on the court, as well as future projection at the collegiate level. Although this class appears to have more players with Division 1 potential compared to the 2025 class of players, I do not see any reaching the national status of standout senior Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph in Santa Maria. Nevertheless, the depth of this class combined with the impact many have had since their freshman year, has led to some impressive statistics and numbers that will set some on track to achieve key milestones and even school records. Below the written portion of this article is the complete list of players, which includes the following information: current rank, their previous rank in parentheses, the player’s name, height, player position, and current school attending.We begin this updated list with the top lead guard in the Section, Julius Price.

Julius Price of St. Joseph has had a stranglehold on the top spot for this class of player rankings since its first iteration, and I see Price holding this spot throughout the rest of his high school career, similar to senior teammate Yessoufou for the class of 2025. Price had an impressive Spring and Summer playing with Team Why Not 16u EYBL squad, with stints playing up with the 17s, made his debut at the Pangos All-American Camp, led the Knights during the June Scholastic Live Period in NorCal with Yessoufou out with a minor knee issue, and has been putting up impressive numbers so far this season through 9 games; with averages of 20 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 2 steals per game. Price is ranked as high as #71 nationally by 247Sports, and a top 100 prospect by nearly all reputable national ranking outlets. Price has a strong handle on the ball and keeps it on a string, has the court vision to find open teammates when on the attack, is an elite on-ball defender with the physicality to defend taller players on switches, and is highly efficient from the 3-point line off the dribble or the catch. Price has offers from Washington and Minnesota and has also been very productive playing for the Swedish National team in international play. Price has created a gap between himself and the rest of this class in the Central Section and with the national schedule the Knights are playing this year, I expect his national profile to increase, as St. Joseph is the front-runner to win a Section Title, as well as a major contender for the California State Championship. 

Coming in at #2, and moving up two spots from the last round of these player rankings is the lengthy, tall, and skilled wing/forward Parker Spees of San Joaquin Memorial. Spees played with Jalen Green Elite’s 16u 3SSB team this past Spring and Summer, which helped his stock rise beyond California, and put his name on the radar of 4-year coaches, with high-academic programs at all levels in serious contention, as Spees is also a 4.0+ student in the classroom. Spees has emerged as one of the core 3 for the Panthers, alongside seniors Julius Olanrewaju and Abram Potts, who have a deep and talented roster this season. Spees had a dominant performance at the 4th Annual Central Cali Prospects Junior/Senior Showcase in early October, scoring an event high 39 points in his second showcase game en route to earning Most Outstanding Player honors. Spees impacts both ends of the court, protects the rim in the paint and contests perimeter shots on closeouts, has good hands around the basket, can score the ball from 3-levels, is accurate with the 3-ball especially off the catch and shoot, has the handles to attack from the top of the key, and is playing above the rim more frequently to showcase his athleticism. Good court vision to find open teammates, can push the ball off the glass, and does all the little things to impact winning. Spees will be critical in the Panthers attempt to win league, make a run in the postseason, and look to earn the program another Section Title. 

Holding steady at the #3 spot is one of the best pure scorers in the Section in Dalen Felder of Bullard. Felder had a sensational sophomore season, which led to him earning league MVP honors and the Knights winning the CMAC outright, going undefeated. Early in the Spring, Felder suffered a foot injury that kept him out of club ball play but he was cleared to return to the court for the June Scholastic Live Period in NorCal, where he made his presence felt in front of top scouts and college coaches. Felder attended several college prospect camps in the Fall and performed well, and has had an impressive start to his junior season, as the leading scorer for Bullard, which made a run to the Mission Prep Christmas Classic Championship Game. Felder has the moves and handles to create his own shots, can score it from all 3-levels at a high clip, has a smooth stroke on his perimeter shot, has range and accuracy on the 3-ball, makes tough shots off the dribble, and scores in volume. Felder is an underrated on-ball defender, has the physical build to finish through contact at the basket, and has the court vision to make plays when the defense collapses on him. Felder is at his best when he is hunting the mid-range jumper, which opens up the floor for him to attack in various ways. 

Elias Gish of Clovis North moves up four spots and comes in at #4 in this round of player rankings. The lengthy and skilled wing/guard has seen his role for the Broncos expand dramatically since the month of June, as the Broncos graduated its two senior leaders, and TRAC MVPs in Connor Amundsen and Jordan Espinoza. Gish was part of the core 5-6 player rotation for last year’s D1 Section Champs, but has become part of the core three for the Broncos this season, stepping up his scoring, rebounding, and his ability to impact the paint on both ends, as well as his leadership. Gish made a positive impression on coaches and scouts in the two Scholastic Live Period events this past June in Arizona and NorCal. Gish has been an integral player for the 12-1 Broncos, who’s only loss came to NorCal power Riordan of San Francisco, as he has averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Gish is the team’s 3rd leading scorer and leading shot blocker. Gish does a solid job on the glass, has the handles to push the ball in the open court, can defend every position on the court, and is an underrated shot blocker in the post, as well as the perimeter. Gish moves fluidly off the ball, has the moves to create separation from his defender, and can light it up from beyond the arc off the dribble or the catch. Gish’s versatility on both ends of the court is what has raised his stock as a 4-year prospect, and the evolution of his interior scoring moves to go with his already polished perimeter game is why I moved him into the top 5 for this class. The Broncos will be reliant on Gish’s height to hold down the paint, as the team is guard heavy, but has the experience of last year to know it can beat teams with more size and length.   

Rounding out the Top 5 of this updated list, moving down three spots, is one of the top lead guards in the Section, Ja’Vance Coleman Jr. of Bullard at #5. Coleman was having an MVP-like season last year for the Knights, and the duo of him and Felder was looking like one of the most dynamic backcourts in the state. Coleman would suffer a season ending foot injury midway through CMAC play and would be sidelined until late Spring. Coleman was back in action for the May NCAA Live Period, as well as the month of June and the Scholastic Live Event in NorCal. Coleman displayed the same burst of speed attacking down hill and it was clear his injury had not slowed him down one bit. Coleman had some solid showings for the Knights during the Fall portion of the basketball calendar, and recently I watched him scorch Granite Bay at the Clovis West Nike Invitational for 33 points, scoring the rock from all 3-levels. Coleman keeps the ball on a string, has a great burst of speed off the dribble to attack the interior of the defense, has great court vision to find open teammates when the defense collapses, and continues to improve his shooting proficiency from beyond the arc. Coleman has touch on his floater down the lane, is an elite on-ball defender with active hands to create steals and easy buckets in the open court, and does a solid job on the glass for his position. Coleman and Felder will be called upon to be big this season for the Knights in CMAC play, as San Joaquin has added some pieces and is a year older with size, depth, and skill, and will make it tough for Bullard to run it back in league play. Yet, with Coleman playing the way he has been to start the season, he is the engine that makes the team go. 

The long and tall forward/center Abdoul Bare of St. Joseph holds steady at the #6 spot in this updated list. Bare had a solid Spring and Summer playing for Team Why Not 16u EYBL squad and showed that he and fellow sophomore big Godson Eyita, can be the twin towers needed to make a run for a Section Title, as well as a state championship. Bare has been key for the Knights to start this season, as he is tied for 2nd in team rebounding, and provides a high-level shot blocker and rim protector around the basket. Bare has nice touch around the cup, can connect on the mid-post jumper effectively, dominates the glass, and looks to throw down big two-handed dunks routinely on offensive rebounds. Bare has a massive wingspan and is athletic to get up and down the court and play block to block, which is needed to keep up with the pace of play the Knights want to impose with Yessoufou, the Price brothers, and the rest of the roster. Bare’s size and build make him an appealing prospect that will generate attention based on his tangibles. For him to raise the value of his stock regionally and nationally, he would need to show better shooting from the perimeter, and put on some muscle to be a true force in the middle. 

McKae Amundsen of Clovis North moves up two spots to #7 and is looking to carry on the Amundsen name after the graduation of older brother Connor this past school year. Amundsen has done more than just carry on the family name; he has started to carve out his own pathway and career of significance for the Broncos. Amundsen stepped up his scoring presence for Clovis North during June and Fall play leading up to the current season, as he was a top 3 scorer for the Broncos playing against some of the top talent in each event. Amundsen had a top 5 showing at the recent 4th Annual Central Cali Prospects Junior/Senior Showcase scoring over 20 points in each of his showcase games and was the top 3-point shooter at the event. Amundsen has continued his high level of play for the 12-1 Broncos, as he has averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.8 steals per game and has stepped in as the team’s primary lead guard. Amundsen has top notch handles, shifty moves to create separation from his defender, capable of making tough shots off the dribble in traffic, and is a creative finisher around the basket. Amundsen is a lock-up on-ball defender, has active hands to create turnovers routinely, the court vision to find open teammates, and can light it up from beyond the arc off the dribble or the catch and shoot. Always ready for the big moments and tough as nails. 

Another lead guard moving up a couple of spots and emerging as one of the top scoring guards in the Section is Clovis West’s Jace Kellogg, coming in at #8. Kellogg was in the core rotation last season for the Golden Eagles, but under the new regime of Coach Podesta, along with the graduation of Jackson Young and Zach Chauhan, he has seen his role as a primary scorer drastically increase. Kellogg had an impressive June with Clovis West participating in both Scholastic Live Period events in Arizona and Northern California, which led to a productive Fall portion of the calendar year. Kellogg was a Top 5 Performer at the 4th Annual Central Cali Prospects Junior/Senior Showcase, where he was one of the top overall scorers at the event. Even more impressive, Kellogg was the top overall rebounder of the showcase, using his elite bounce and timing to pull down a total of 22 rebounds over the two games played. Kellogg has shown flashes of his ability to score the ball in volume to start this season, as he scored 32 points in a loss to De La Salle and 45 points in a close loss to Inderkum. Given the need for a true scorer for the Golden Eagles this season, I expect to see Kellogg emerge as the leading scorer for Clovis West, or at least 2nd behind Fresno State commit DJ Stickman. Kellogg has dynamic handles, elite burst of speed off the dribble, gets great lift on his jumper, has the shift and quickness to shake most defenders, and is a tough on-ball defender that plays with relentless energy on both ends of the court. 

Moving down four spots to #9 is the new addition to San Joaquin Memorial, forward Jackson Scarborough. Scarborough came into high school as one of the better known players from the Central Section in the class of 2026 and played his first two years at Clovis High. Scarborough made the decision to transfer to San Joaquin and this was a key piece that the Panthers were missing and gives it the roster with the best likelihood of knocking out the mighty Knights of St. Joseph, as well as get back on top of the CMAC. Scarborough is a high-level rim protector and shot blocker, controls the boards, runs the floor well in the open court, has nice touch on the jumper from the high-post, and has nice touch on finishes around the basket. Scarborough, who had the weight of the world on his shoulders at Clovis, is able to play to his strengths with the deep and talented Panther roster, which has been evident in how he has played to this point in the season. Scarborough gives the Panthers the twin towers in the middle, making it tough for most teams in the Section that lack this kind of size. This was evident in San Joaquin’s big win over Clovis West at the Nike Invitational, as Scarborough, Spees, and Olanrewaju were dominant on the boards with their size and length. 

Rounding out the Top 10, and making his debut in the top 10 is wing/forward Gavin Christian of South Bakersfield. Christian has been the one constant for the Spartans this season, as he has been its top scorer and rebounder and is becoming a double-double machine. Christian was a top 10 performer at the recent 4th Annual Central Cali Prospects Junior/Senior Showcase, where he would score 19 points in each of his two games and showcased his versatility as a scorer. Christian had a big 2nd half in a loss to Bakersfield High, scoring all 19 of his team-high points after the break. He had back-to-back strong showings in the Clovis West Nike Invitational, as he would score 19 points in a loss to Clovis High and 20 points in another tough loss to Fresno Christian. Christian uses his strong build and positioning to control the boards, makes quality decisions with the ball at the high-post, has a smooth jumper from the mid-range, and can catch fire from the 3-point line, as was evident with the 4 threes he knocked down against Fresno Christian. The Spartans are guard heavy but Christian provides the interior presence and scoring that opens up the perimeter for easier looks for his teammates. 

Although I have these players in my top 10, there is plenty of next level talent in the expanded list below. Players with size like Brayden Harris and Jensen Hirschkorn will be attractive to college coaches with their blend of size and skill, although Jensen is on the path to pursue baseball over hoops at the next level. There is quality lead guard play from players like Noah Coulton, Logan Missler, Cliff Willis and Landon Haynes. The list of combo guards and wing/slashers may be the deepest, with names like Lydell Farmer, Kade Johnson, Devin Gaines, Keon Hill, and Aidan Beechler. And some lights out 3-point shooters like Sean Smith-Sharkey, Derek Jimenez, and Sajjin Sidhu. Below is the complete list of player rankings for 55 players in the Class of 2026. I will update this list by the end of the school year and if necessary, I will expand this list to include all relevant players for this list.