The recruitment of the senior class is in full swing. As always, there are plenty of under the radar players who deserve greater attention. Here is the first group of them.

Jaxson Francis – 2026 – G – Adrian (MI)

Francis made a name for himself this summer at the NY2LA Final Chapter tournament with the Midwest Stampede South. He was the top scorer of the entire tournament while averaging a staggering 32.5 points over his four game. He did this while shooting over 50% from the field and hitting nearly three threes per game while also collecting 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. The guard can really shoot the ball from the outside but is also a skilled and smart playmaker with the ball in his hands who creates well for himself. Not just a scorer, Francis also proved his abilities on the defensive side and should be attracting plenty of college interest.

Oliver Gray – 2026 – SG – Barrington (IL)

While Gray does have a couple of division one offers, his recruitment is still a bit under the radar for a player of his level. He is one of the top available players in Illinois’ 2026 class highlighted by his shooting ability as he’s one of the top three-point shooters in the region. For the next level, Gray also brings great positional size at 6’6” but has also continued to add to his game with his ability to be a playmaker with the ball. During his summer with the Illinois Wolves, he was offered by Cleveland State and Eastern Illinois.

Codie Jones – 2026 – SG – Brown Deer (WI)

It has been a big year for Jones who has continued to show he’s one of the more talented scorers in Wisconsin’s 2026 class. This started with him scoring 23.5 points in his junior season for Brown Deer. This continued with Jay Academy as he averaged 15.4 points while hitting over two threes per game between five NY2LA tournaments this year. He’s a strong guard with some size at 6’3” who also adds in defensive versatility being able to defend both guards and wings. Jones is a very intriguing player with all his tools who is just waiting to see his stock take off.   

Kain Kretschmar – 2026 – SG – Lake Zurich (IL)

Between an all-area junior season and then to a standout grassroots season with ALL IN, Kretschmar has continued to showcase his skill level and scoring ability on the court. Not only does he have a high skill level, but also good positional size in the backcourt while standing at 6’4”. He has drawn significant interest from division three programs with a few offers from them but should continue to see his recruitment build with all his translatable tools.

Noah Maniscalco – 2026 – G – De Pere (WI)

The Wisconsin Legends guard was one of the biggest breakout stars of Wisconsin’s 2026 class. From limited action as a junior for a loaded De Pere team, Maniscalco was one of the top guards on the NY2LA Association. There are few players in the area with his scoring and ability to create for himself off the dribble. The guard is a knockdown shooter from the outside which was proven tournament after tournament. Over multiple tournaments, he averaged over 20 points per game. This fall has picked up some offers from division three programs and should be a priority recruit at this level.