With private schools tipping off this week and public school rosters now being officially set, I’m turning the page to the class of 2026 and highlighting players in the triangle who I believe should be popular candidates for a breakout season. Last week, I took a look at the class of 2027 which you can read here and here.
6’4” Zion Wells (Trinity Academy)
Wells differs from his peers on this list as he has by far the most statewide notoriety. With that being said, there’s another level of his game that has not been unlocked yet and with his transfer from Jordan to TAR, I believe he can take another jump and creep even further up the state rankings. He’s primarily known as a shooter, evidenced by his 40% (78/196) mark from three between last winter and this past summer, but has a lot more shot creation to his game than previously thought. With an extra year to develop inside what should be a robust Trinity Academy offense, I expect Wells to take a noticeable step forward as an all-around offensive threat.
6’2” Josiah Currie (Holly Springs)
Currie has been one of the better defenders in the area over the past 12 months and has seemingly finally turned the corner as a shooter this fall. He’s a twitchy and athletic guard who can defend multiple positions and has shown flashes of good feel in the past. He’ll provide a lot of value and versatility to Holly Springs in the backcourt, as he can play on and off the ball and adapt to a variety of offensive roles. While his jumper has always been an area of improvement for him, he showed growth towards the end of last season and over the summer, leading me to believe that there’s a real chance for a breakthrough on the offensive end of the floor for him, especially when you bake in his increased usage and involvement.
6’1” Brian Rollins (Chapel Hill)
Rollins should enjoy a productive year after seeing a limited role behind a plethora of senior guards last season. He’s a high IQ point guard who plays with physicality and patience. He’s always been very productive in his minutes, both for Chapel Hill and for Wildcats Elite in the summer. He’s played up on the Wildcats 17u team in spurts the last two summers, evidenced by his poise and ability to handle pressure with the ball in his hands. He should bring a level of leadership and experience to this Chapel Hill team that will be desperately needed after the Tigers lost six of their top seven scorers to graduation.
6’5” Landon Henke (Apex Friendship)
Henke was arguably the biggest individual stock riser from the HoopState Fall League in September as he produced at an extremely efficient level across the month. He displayed improved athleticism, especially around the basket, coupled with great footwork, hands, and touch. He should pose as an interesting matchup problem for teams as he’ll be able to physically overwhelm defenders his size or smaller while being able to utilize his fakes, footwork, and body control to dance around bigger defenders. His inside presence, coupled with the Patriots point guard, Jadon Green, should make for a fun duo to watch this season.
6’2” Brandon Nixon (Cary)
Nixon, just like Henke, was arguably the biggest individual stock riser from the HoopState Fall League in September. He showed great consistency as a scorer and continues to improve physically. He seems to be much improved as a shooting threat, showing consistency and confidence off the bounce along with a clear increase in quality shots taken. He’s dominant in transition thanks to his strong frame and positional size. He should also blossom into an intriguing defensive prospect given his physical tools, confidence, and aggression. Overall, Cary is a sleeper team in the triangle area this year and Nixon will be an important part of their success.