Out of all of the top talent on display at the Panini Hoophall Classic, Link Academy out of Branson, Missouri., was the most complete and well-rounded team top to bottom.
The team currently has six recruits inside ESPN’s top 100 for the 2026 class, with Oregon commit Tahj Ariza leading the way at No. 30. Michigan State commit Ethan Taylor sits at No. 44, towering over everyone else on the court at seven feet tall. Gonzaga commit Luca Foster sits right behind him at No. 45, with Carlos Medlock Jr. (No. 68), Trent Perry (No. 78) and Tristian Reed (No. 80) rounding out the dominant senior class. The team also has a talented junior class, led by Davion Thompson at No. 23, and Cameron Barnes at No. 57.
While many teams who are invited to the Hoophall Classic have a lot of star power and highly rated recruits, none of them have quite the depth that Link has.
“I think we’re the best team in the country, for sure,” Foster said. “We’re just trying to stack days and win every game.”
When assembling this team, the biggest thing for Link Academy is getting the players in the building and recruiting the right players. Once the proper talent is in the building, then they can work on refining their skills and getting them ready to play against the top competition.
“It’s recruiting for sure,” Link Academy head coach Chad Myers said. “But I think we try to sell them on, ‘Hey, we want to get you to your freshman year before you actually get there,’ and learn how to play with other elite players. These guys are all going [to] high-major [schools], so being more prepared, competition everyday in practice and obviously playing with guy, learning how to be efficient in your minutes is huge for them.”
In their first game of the tournament against Montverde on Saturday night, it was Medlock Jr who carried the load, scoring 25 points on 8-16 shooting, nailing four out of five three-point attempts. All eight recruits between the 2026-2027 classes registered a minimum of two points, beating Montverde in a close 64-59 affair. In their second game against Arizona Compass Prep, it was Davion Thompson in a tough 64-54 loss.
“We just have so many different weapons,” said Link Academy head coach Chad Myers. “[The] guys like each other. So when somebody gets it going, they keep trying to feed them. It was good tonight.”
The relationship the team built on the court has also translated off the court and into practices as well. The team constantly pushes each other to get better every single day, helping lead them to the success they’ve had this season.
“It starts with being in practice everyday,” Foster said. “Competing in practice everyday really translates to the game. We share the ball really [well], and we can all make tough shots. We all know what we can do for each other.”
With the amount of star talent the team showed at Hoophall, the team also plays very cohesively. While anyone can have a 20 point game on any given day, the focus is on making the right play each and every time down the floor, helping contribute to the team’s success.
“You just got to demand it every single day in practice,” Myers said. “We talk more about not trying to make your play, make the right play. I think basketball is a sport where you try to get two guys to the ball and share it.”
Overall, the experience for competing at Hoophall has been a very positive one, giving them more exposure to some of the top talent around the country.
“There’s no better high school basketball tournament,” Myers said. “I’ve been telling these guys all year, a chance to play on this stage is unbelievable and obviously in this environment.”