Kentucky 250 Expo: Mike’s 2026 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops Kentucky 250 Expo brought out lots of talent to Louisville, where prospects from classes of 2024 to 2026 competed for exposure. In this article I'll break down the 2026 prospects who stood out on court two, where I was watching the entire event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1543591"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"An old school big man, Close is a bigger bodied post player who likes to score with his back to the basket. A guy who loves contact, Close will go into the defender and use his body to create space and hit hook shots and fadeaways from the low block. Very skilled with the ball in his hands, Close can also pass it around the court when doubled. One of the more productive bigs in Kentucky's 2026 class, Close looks like a scholarship prospect with continued development over the next two years.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1953865"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Stone was one of the toughest defenders I saw at the camp. His on ball defensive pressure was intense and he made a couple hustle plays for his team. On the offensive end, Stone was efficient with mostly scoring on layups from drives to the paint or transition opportunities. Really liked the competitiveness and motor that Stone showed on Saturday.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1409548"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"One of the top shooters at the camp, Gilbert has range that extends out to 25+ feet. With good pre-shot habits by getting his feet set quickly, Gilbert doesn't need much time or space to make the defense pay from 3-point range. A couple times Gilbert used the threat of his jumper with a pump fake to get the defense off balance and create an advantage. Developmentally, Gilbert will look to get stronger and quicker over the next few years. Already very skilled, an improvement in those areas will take his game to the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1901831"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"A small-town wing guard who made the long drive to Louisville on Saturday, Combs made the most of his trip. A contested shot maker who wasn't fazed by shot contests on pull-up jumpers, Combs made tough shots routinely. An unselfish guard who made a couple nice passes on the fast break, Combs put his teammates in positions to score. His best finish at the rim was an and-1 layup where he went right through the defense to score. I expect Combs to put up some big scoring numbers over the next few years and","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6501e1747ca48"} /-->