Area Rankings: Northern Kentucky
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 Northern 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.
Walker and Tay Kinney are basically 1 and 1A in Northern Kentucky but I’ll give the nod to EJ in the top spot. Walker has a lot of offers and a national ranking but his numbers last high school season weren’t overwhelming. With Jeremiah Israel gone, Walker should step up in a big way for Lloyd Memorial.
Kinney also has a bunch of college offers but is part of a loaded Newport backcourt that can have a different leading scorer any night. Tay has the potential to be the best player in the 9th region but doesn’t have to be in order for his team to win.
A point guard with a super high basketball IQ, Reed is the kind of player that other players want to play with. He can score but he doesn’t force shots. He distributes the ball at a very high level and Cayden will sit down and guard on defense. He could be the difference in a 10th region title for Mason County.
On the other side of the Mason County back court, you have the older Reed brother, Blake. Blake is a pure scorer and will end his career as the second leading scorer in KHSAA history, behind only Travis Perry. Capable of heating up at any point and getting 40+ on any night, Blake is one of the best scorers in Kentucky, period.
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Long and athletic, Gutman is a versatile wing scorer who should be on radars of every D1 school in the tri-state area. Aaron has a big wingspan and plays above the rim, often getting tip dunks off of misses. Primed for a big season, Walton will have a shot to compete in the 8th if Aaron is healthy and playing his best.
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Rondon has quietly been one of the best players in the 9th region over the last year or so and should have Cooper back in the mix with the recent additions of Jaidan Combs and Roman Combs. A distributor and good defender, Yamil could be the best point guard in the 9th region on any given night.
The next member of the Newport roster to crack the list, Jackson is a tough guard who just transferred over from Cincinnati Taft this summer. DeShaun can play on or off the ball and his addition made the Wildcats the team to beat in the region this season.
Another member of the Newport backcourt, Covington has been a big time scorer when needed and has shown he can distribute as well. Last season it was Jabari and not Tay Kinney that played the point guard spot the majority of the time. His value to his team is probably greater than Covington gets recognized for.
It wasn’t long ago that Highlands rode the hot hand of Sam Vinson all the way to a state title. Now Nathan Vinson will do his best to repeat that history. A big time shooter who can score the ball all over the court, Vinson is often overlooked but is a talented guard for the Bluebirds and one of the top scorers in NKY.
Brax will have to step up in a big way in order for Owen County to stay relevant in the 8th region. The big man from Owenton has made some serious strides in his development over the last few years and has D3 and high academic programs lining up to get his commiment.