The New York Jayhawks have been a program on a mission this season—especially their 17U group. They’ve been taking on the best competition the circuit can throw at them and finding real success. This group is deep, coachable, talented, tough, and loaded with prospects ready to contribute at the next level. Here are a few important updates.
One player who has really been boosting his stock lately is 2026 wing Preston Merrick from Hotchkiss. He was excellent at the NYC Clash, has been a reliable scorer for the Jayhawks all season, and once again looked tremendous at DMV Live this past weekend. His value continues to rise—he’s versatile, skilled, and extremely unselfish.
Merrick’s recruitment has picked up as well. He’s earned offers from Towson, Binghamton, and more recently, Harvard and Loyola (MD). He’s quickly closing in on double-digit Division I offers, and don’t expect that trend to slow down anytime soon. The 2026 class has no shortage of emerging wings, and Merrick is right at the top of that list. Whoever lands him is getting a big-time player—and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make a major impact at the next level.
When the Jayhawks dropped their 17U roster, it featured some huge names from the NYC area and a few players who are definitely intriguing. Queens native Josh Powell returned to the NY scene after spending this past season at Skyline Prep (AZ). The talented scorer was offered by Florida A&M after the live period and contacted by many other programs. One name that’s flying a bit under the radar is 2026 point guard Santonio Waide from The Patrick School. He’s an elusive lefty playmaker who can create his own shot anytime—and lifts the play of everyone around him. His confidence is sky-high. He plays hard, has passion, cares about winning, and isn’t afraid to hold teammates accountable.
The leadership Waide brings is real. He plays with pace, has the trust of his coaches, and just always seems to make the right play. His shooting from three has improved, he’s a pesky defender, hard to stay in front of, and still getting better. Now, all his hard work is starting to show. While Waide might still be under the radar in the 2026 class, he picked up his first D1 offer from Rider this past week—and this could be the start of something big for the Patrick School standout.
