By: Ethan Reece
The travel season has come and gone, leaving us with a lot of impressions and thoughts on names to be excited to follow throughout the high school season. The 2026 class is next up to move into high school, and there are a lot of guys that will be making their impact felt sooner rather than later. It’s early, but this is looking like a really deep class with a lot of talent that will be providing us with great basketball over the next four years. Let’s take a look at the first installment of names to keep on your radar.
*Note: Our own Jeff Bendel already did two articles covering some 2026 names to watch, check them out through the links below:
Part 1: https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/immediate-impact-freshman-in-north-carolinas-class-of-2026/
Part 2: https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/immediate-impact-freshmen-in-north-carolinas-class-of-2026/
Kenan Dixon (Cannon)
All season long Kenan showed to be a dynamic scorer that defenses were going to have their hands full with. He consistently rolled out big games of 25+ seemingly every time out, but it’s not just the big numbers he naturally puts up that makes him special. What separates him is his ability to put the game into his terms and play to his strengths no matter what the defense throws at him or the physical intensity of bigger teams. He showcases a complete offensive game far beyond most rising freshman and generally has no weaknesses or discomforts with any shot or move offensively attacking. He’s a knockdown shooter from deep, capable of getting to his pullup, and a smooth finisher whether slipping through the defense or getting out in transition with swift quickness. He’s also shown to be quite pesky on defense, jumping passing lanes and getting his hands on balls to take advantage of his creativity in transition, once again putting the game into his terms.
Zeke Kelly (Hickory Ridge)
Another actively creative guard with habitual instincts to take advantage of the slightest defensive mistake, Zeke has shown on multiple occasions to be a composed sparkplug that can slash through a defense at will. Although slightly undersized, he has an exceptional understanding of how to beat you with his shoulder to get downhill and finish with his body, making you commit to a charge or just end up fouling. He’s a confident floor general that knows how to run an offense, balancing the looks of his teammates with his own aggressive drives. He can find his opportunities within the flow of action, in your system and sets, and has a quick breakdown game not wasting any time getting to his spots with floaters or adaptive finishing with either hand. I saw a glimpse of him playing with his high school in June and was clear he will be providing valuable minutes with his infectious energy.
Cody Peck (Providence)
Cody has the immediate impact factor coaches are looking for in his length. He’s coordinated with a knack for affecting every shot in the lane whether it be a block or just making guys awkwardly force a shot. He has great timing and hardly ever finds himself swatting unnecessarily, typically getting his straight up vertically and keeping him out of foul trouble. This insane reach also allows him to clean the glass and corral rebounds by the bunches. In fact, the first game I saw him play, he had a double-double in rebounds and blocks. He’s invaluable to have out on the court as much as possible, and that’s before adding in his offensive game. He’s naturally a consistent soft-touch finisher who has expanded his game from just dishing off opportunities to a quality post-up game to create for himself. He’s agile and comfortable putting the ball on the floor when pressured and simply looks to be poised to have a big freshman year as the primary big for the Panthers.
Marcus Green (Athens Drive)
Marcus is one of those x-factor guys that completes any lineup. Whether it be his tough leadership and scrappy nature, or his consistent production from any position, coaches are bound to be frustrated playing him. He’s a lead guard with enough size, fight, and IQ to play much bigger and outwork guys inside. He finds the holes in defenses, times his jumps to snag boards before bigs are ready, and is so interchangeably versatile that you could put him anywhere and he would find success. He’s got lead guard instincts to initiate an offense, finishing ability with a sweet spot for floaters just inside the high post, and a subtle aggression maintained by his levelheaded demeanor. It’s easy to appreciate everything he brings to the table, as he understands his role and how to impact the game in so many ways at a young age. There should be no question in regard to his impact on winning, as he was a key piece in leading the charge to 3 championships in our events this season.