2026 Rankings Explained Part 2 (5 Names in the Back Half)
The 2026 class has so much to be excited about for the coming years, with each player ranked between 11-20 developing into a serious threat in their own right. Five of those ten players are featured in this article.
You can find the complete rankings up to this point here (11-15) and here (16-20), as well as the honorable mentions here (part 1) and here (part 2).
(11) 6’3” Kingston Beale (Garner)
Beale is an athletic wing that has made some big strides over the past 12 months. He burst onto the scene with Garner last November and made more and more of an impact seemingly every week. Offensively, he is a strong downhill driver that finishes above and around the rim at a high level. He’s lethal in transition thanks to his athleticism and finishing ability, simply cannot be left alone in the open court. He also has a ton of upside as a long and versatile defender. He creates a lot of havoc when roaming, specifically at the top of a press or in passing lanes. There’s a lot to like with his long-term projection as he has plenty of room to round out his skillset and he’s already an incredibly valuable asset to the Garner program. If he has another breakout season, expect him to make a strong push into the top 10.
(13) 6’1” Darius Whitner (Garner)
Whitner is such a solid and active presence at either guard spot. He plays the game the right way and is reliable as a playmaker, shooter, and defender. He’s an unselfish decision-maker that prioritizes the correct and easy read at seemingly every turn. He has a good frame and is quick with the ball, able to create space and get to the rim without stalling the possession. His shooting mechanics are smooth, repeatable, and confident. He’s near lethal off the catch and can shoot with range. He has a good frame and a toughness about him that allows him to bully smaller guards defensively. His strong two-way presence gives him a high floor as a prospect. Look for Whitner to quietly produce and emerge within the deep Garner backcourt.
(14) 6’3” Zy’vaun Puckett (Panther Creek)
Puckett is one of the more exciting players on this list, thanks to his length, athleticism, and ability to make plays. He can play multiple wing spots on both ends and is a mismatch for most wings his age. His biggest strength right now is his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself, primarily through quick and efficient drives to the rim. He scores around the rim in a handful of ways ranging from acrobatic layups to two-foot floaters. His handle is shifty and unique as few players have the combination of pace and length that Puckett possesses. He already has a solid grasp on how to functionally use his athleticism, a trait that a majority of players don’t fully unlock until much later in their careers. Puckett brings a dynamism that a lot of players in this class simply don’t have and it’s something that will find him success in a veteran Panther Creek rotation.
(17) 5’11” Hudson Fitzgerald (Broughton)
Fitzgerald is inarguably a top 2-3 shooter in the 2026 class. He shot 41% on 97a from 3 on JV last season and shot well over 40% as a key option on the best independent 15u team in the Carolinas. That type of volume and efficiency is made even more impressive when you consider the difficulty and variety of his attempts. Teams often keyed in on him and attempted to run him off the line, forcing him to shoot quicker, off balanced, and contested attempts. He’s also very comfortable shooting out of a myriad of different actions. Outside of his shooting prowess, Fitzgerald has shown extended comfort attacking off the bounce and making plays when defenses over-commit to him. He has a solid frame that allows him to absorb contact well when finishing around the basket. He’s also a crafty passer that picks apart late rotations. Finally, Fitzgerald is a prospect with a valuable and translatable skill (shooting) and a solid base around it to make him a safe bet for future projection.
(18) 6’4” Xavion Terrell (Willow Spring)
Terrell is yet another long, athletic, and enticing wing prospect that has a knack for disrupting plays defensively. His frame, size, and length make him very difficult to stop in transition and he almost always finds a way to convert through traffic. His versatility on both ends makes him even more valuable as he can play and guard the 2-4. He found a lot of success last year as Willow Spring’s second-leading scorer, able to take over for minutes at a time, taking a lot of pressure off their offense. He showed promising flashes of shooting consistency throughout last year, a trait to keep an eye on as he continues to evolve. His biggest strength offensively was, and is, his ability to get downhill, absorb contact, and get to the free-throw line. Terrell’s outlook will depend on how his physical growth continues to trend, as well as his continued development as a well-rounded offensive threat.