Area Rankings: Southern Kentucky
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Our Prep Hoops bosses have encouraged us to break down prospects in cities in our individual states but with the talent and population spread from Pikeville to Paducah, that’s a little hard. So instead, I’m opting to break down prospects…
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Continue ReadingOur Prep Hoops bosses have encouraged us to break down prospects in cities in our individual states but with the talent and population spread from Pikeville to Paducah, that’s a little hard. So instead, I’m opting to break down prospects by area. Here’s a look at the top players in Southern Kentucky and surrounding areas. This list is not meant to be a ranking of best college prospects. More of a list of best overall players in the area.
One of the highest ranked players to come out of our state in the last few years, Reed has the pedigree of a future pro in the mold of Tyler Herro. Look for Sheppard to run away with the 2023 Mr Basketball award.
Trent has been one of the hottest names in the state lately as he’s had coaches coming through Harlan and has earned 4 D1 offers in the last month. On the court, Noah is a high level shooter who can play multiple positions on offense and guard multiple spots on defense.
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Davidson has been overlooked in his career because of Sheppard’s spotlight but Ryan is a really good prospect in his own right and has earned multiple NAIA offers. A versatile player and a really good athlete, Ryan is a top player in the 13th region.
One of the most explosive vertical athletes in the class, Hayden has been a 20+ point per game scorer for many years now and showed his athleticism by becoming a big time track athlete just this spring. Look for him to be one of the top scorers in the 13th this season.
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Maddox is a lot like Davidson in that he can be overshadowed at times by his cousin but is a good player in his own right. Huff has D1 upside as a skilled point guard with deep range on his jumpshot and good feel for playmaking with the ball in his hands.
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Thompson led all 2025s in Kentucky in points per game last season at over 20 per game and has shown improved playmaking skills with the ball in his hands. Sawyer is a tough guard who can get downhill and is capable of knocking down threes consistently.
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One of the most consistent lead guards in the 13th region, Parker is overlooked by college coaches and could be an impact player at the next level if given the opportunity. As a Senior, Payne is going to be a top guard in the region.
Mabe has a ton of long term potential as a prospect and should see a big boost in his stats this year if he can stay healthy. He seems to have grown 2-3 inches per year for the last few years and he’ll add bulk to his frame once he stops growing.
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Kendall averaged 18 points per game as an 8th grader last season and over 13 points per game as an 8th grader the year before that. After using the Covid waiver to reclass, look for Phillips to average around 20 points per game as a freshman this year.
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Micah is long and athletic and has shown he is a playmaker with and without the ball in his hands. Engle is capable of leading the state in scoring this season and will be a nice pickup for whatever college adds him to their signing class in the spring.