Four-star SF Vaughn Karvala down to 3 schools, sets commitment date

Vaughn Karvala, a four-star small forward in the 2026 class, has narrowed his list of schools down to three, he told Rivals. Moving forward, the 6-foot-6 senior out of Bella Vista (AZ) will consider Cal, Indiana, and Xavier. He’s completed official visits to each program and will announce his commitment on November 1st.

Karvala, a native of Oregon, Wisconsin, is ranked as the No. 43 overall player in the class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He’s also the No. 18 small forward and No. 6 player in the state of Arizona. 

Prior to cutting his list of schools down, Karvala also received offers from Alabama, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Washington, Missouri, and others.

During the 2024–25 season, his junior year at Oregon High School, Karvala averaged 26.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

Rivals’ Jamie Shaw evaluated him at the Memphis EYBL last month and wrote this about his game:

Vaughn Karvala has a frame you notice quickly, long arms, and is projectable. He is also wildly explosive, getting some eye-opening finishes above the rim. He made four threes in this one and is going to need to continue working on his self-creation and middle game. He had one of the better dunks of the day when he ripped through and finished over two players. Karvala had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks on night one.

Karvala opened a lot of eyes with his explosion. The 6-foot-6 wing is one of the more athletic players on the EYBL Circuit this summer. While having some highlight reel dunks, that also led to some intriguing blocked shots on the defensive end. Karvala is going to have to tighten up his game off the bounce, but he made some shots and was a consistent presence for his Team Herro program.

Karvala talks his game + what he’s looking for in a school

In a recent interview with On3’s Jamie Shaw, Karvala gave a description of his play style.

“I’m a wing attacker,” Karvala told Rivals. “I love to rip through and get to the rim. I can also shoot from the outside. My handle has improved a lot, and I can see that in AAU. Being able to bring it up the court at my high school has helped with it, and my outside game is a lot more consistent.”