Grit Region Kick-Off ~ 15U Top Bigs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Grit Region Kick-Off was a loaded event with teams from Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Grit Region Kick-Off was hosted at MidAmerica Sports Center in Louisville, Kentucky. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">15U Top Bigs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peyton Applegate | 6'4” | TN BRIGADE 2026 | Franklin Road Christian (Tennessee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Applegate was a key player for the feisty TN Brigade team all weekend. He carries a stocky, firm frame that forces extra help on the block. Applegate showed flashes of dominant post-play that you rarely see in early spring. We loved his footwork in the paint and his ability to rebound and outlet with purpose.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reece Smith | 6'4” | THE MOVEMENT - PLATINUM | Oakland (Tennessee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith routinely found ways to hover around the paint and clean up on the glass. Although he rarely had plays run through him, he still managed to have success following up shots. Defensively, he altered shots and made life tough for smaller players. We expect Smith to find his rhythm earlier and become a force moving forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andrew Sparrow 6'2” | Lexington Eagles 2026 | Mercer County (Kentucky)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles squad often played two bigs on the floor at the same time but Sparrow's consistency caught our attention. He was another player that didn't have the ball in his hands a lot in the half-court offensive sets, but still managed success by attacking the glass. Someone with his size and motor should have no trouble averaging a double-double throughout the rest of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isaac Defew | 6'4” | UpNext 2026 | Lyon County (Kentucky)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defew plays hard and competes for every possession. In a scrum full of 6 or 7 players, Defew usually would come away with the ball. He was light on his feet and routinely left his area to go attack the ball. Defensively, he did a great job of helping stop driving lanes and forcing the opponent to pass around him. Still raw and evolving his game, look for Defew to grow in confidence this summer and return to the Lyons as a hardworking playmaker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayln Mcdonald | 6'5” | THE MOVEMENT - ONYX | Blackman (Tennessee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mcdonald was a beast in the paint that forced opponents to think twice before entering. He sets brickhouse screens and did a serviceable job rolling to the front of the rim. Mcdonald has a high ceiling to become a consistent two-way player for the Onyx.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1543612' first='Jakob' last='Bartley'] </strong>| 6'5” | Vision Elite 2026 | Somerset (Kentucky)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2023/04/grit-region-kick-off-15u-all-tourney-team/">See All-Tourney Team</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Make sure you are following @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN"><strong>PrepHoopsTN</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsMO"><strong>PrepHoopsMO</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsIL"><strong>PrepHoopsIL</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsoh"><strong>PrepHoopsOH</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsin"><strong>PrepHoopsIN</strong></a><strong> &amp; @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsky"><strong>PrepHoopsKY</strong></a><strong> on Twitter for weekly top games and weekend top performers!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->