Following part one of this series yesterday, here is the second in this series. Five more under the radar names to know.
Evan Blankenship – 2026 – G/F – Mercury Elite
Blankenship is already an effective player who had a standout grassroots season with plenty of translatable tools for the college level too. He is a lengthy and athletic 6’5” wing with a good skill set. He averaged in double figures scoring throughout the spring and summer including 16.5 points at the Final Chapter last month while hitting 3.3 threes per game. During his senior season at Batavia, Blankenship should have college coaches looking his way.
Drake Medinger – 2026 – G – DCBA
While Medinger has picked up some college interest in recent months including an offer from Clarke this summer, this should only continue to greatly build. The 6’2” combo guard is a highly skilled player with his offensive game in addition to good feel. Throughout the season at NY2LA tournaments, he was incredibly consistent averaging 16.3 points or more in each of his four tournaments. He can score it on the attack but did the bulk of his damage from the outside with his pure outside jumper.
Tyler Michalak – 2026 – PG – Team Herro
There are not a ton of guards in Wisconsin’s 2026 class who can match the skill and scoring ability of Michalak. After averaging 6.4 points for a senior heavy Whitnall team as a junior, Michalak had a breakout grassroots season. This included being one of the top scorers of the entire NY2LA Final Chapter tournament with 25.5 points per game. He is a shifty point guard with good vision, knows how to play, and can really shoot the ball from the outside. Look for a big senior season at Whitnall with an expanded role.
Johnny Roehl – 2027 – G – ALL IN
A new name on the scene, the guard out of Wisconsin burst onto the scene at the NY2LA Final Chapter last month. In addition to being named one of the top performers of the tournament at the 16U level, he was also named as one of the top shooters. Much more than just a shooter, he also showcased his all-around game throughout that tournament and the season. He is a high energy guard who is a playmaker with the ball and can run the point creating for others, get to the rim, but is also an aggressive on ball defender. Roehl is a real playmaker on both ends of the floor.
Theo Toepel – 2027 – SF – Pro Lane
It was a real stock boosting grassroots season for Toepel while playing with Pro Lane. He excelled at multiple tournaments over the spring and summer including the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish, Next Level Invitational, and Summer Jam. He was one of the top scorers at the Next Level Invitational averaging 16.3 points with very efficient shooting percentages of 61.4% plus 45.5% from three. Plus he was able to add in 5.8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal for the do-it-all wing forward. As well to being 6’4”, Toepel has a very well-rounded game with his ability to play inside and out on both ends of the floor.