July Live Period Kentucky Standouts

The first July Live period was a great chance for Division I coaches to check out top talent from around the country. With three of the major shoe circuits hosting events in the south (Nike, Adidas and Under Armour) that gave other circuits like Made Hoops and New Balance the opportunity to play nearby and grab college coaches and scouts to check out their games as well. In this article I'll break down six Kentucky prospects I caught at these events who stood out.    Making the move from Washington County to Montverde Academy is a big shift in competition level for Weis, who was regarded as one of the top prospects in the Midwest for the 2026 class. Playing for Central KY on the Made Hoops Circuit up an age group, Weis got the opportunity to play with the ball in his hands and against older opposition. I was impressed with his first half on Saturday morning as he got to his spots and scored efficiently. In transition, Weis is tough to stop as he can play above the rim as he threw down an impressive alley-oop slam dunk. Able to finish at the rim with either hand, Weis had a couple strong lefty finishes. Hoping to see Weis develop more of a perimeter scoring game, he had a couple mid-range shots go in but also settled for some contested shots. Physically and defensively I expect Weis to be able to compete in practice at Montverde, but the learning curve going up against five star talents in practice every day should improve his game but also take some time.     Loy had a huge game for Adair County when I watched him during the June live period and he continued to show the ability to impact winning in July with Central KY. I love how Loy plays off two feet when attacking the basket, staying on balance and giving himself outs to pass and pivot. With good touch in the mid-range area, Loy is efficient from the 6-12 foot range when attacking off the bounce. Loy's most impressive bucket of the game was a nasty pull-up 3-pointer in transition. After making it to Rupp Arena and winning a game last season, Adair County has their sights set even higher as their 2025 core are now seniors.     A mismatch at the high school level, Decker is always going to be produce due to his strength and motor attacking downhill with his left hand. Tough to stop when he gets a head of steam going left, Decker usually either finishes or gets fouled at the rim. I'll be curious to see how Decker scales up at the college level going against older competition because there's few high school players who can stop him from getting in the paint and scoring as a faceup 4.     One of the most talented players in Kentucky's 2026 class, Surratt had a monster game in the one I caught of his this weekend. A high volume shooter, Surratt started the game cold and immediately caught fire afterwards. When Surratt gets a step on his defender as he's attacking the rim, he's going to be able to go up and get an efficient shot. His explosiveness vertically also allows him to try and dunk on rim protectors underneath the rim. Expect Surratt to become a household name among low to mid major programs once more Division I schools get to see him play.     One of the more talented point guards in Kentucky's 2026 class, this was my first opportunity to scout Craine and I left impressed with his game. I liked the pace he played at off the dribble. Tough to determine what he was going to do next off the bounce, Craine was difficult to stay in front of due to his unique rhythm and movements. With his lack of size, Craine can get low and get around perimeter defenders off the dribble and provide rim pressure. Productive in the paint as well, Craine was getting to the cup and either scoring or setting up a teammate on a kickout pass. Overall, I left a big fan of Craine's game for a first time viewing experience and am excited to continue following him.     Another player I got to see for the first time this weekend, Johnson was a standout for [program_tooltip program_id='2076945' first='Kentucky' last='Hoops Dreams'] and in the process picked up three Division I offers this weekend. An impressive scorer on the perimeter, Johnson was able to get to his spots off the dribble and can pull up anywhere 25 feet and in. Making some tough shots on the perimeter, that's a skill that should translate for Johnson. Also having enough burst and shiftiness off the dribble to create enough space to rise up and fire away, Johnson was playing with a lot of confidence and freedom. A player who was under the radar has really exploded onto the scene and college coaches didn't hesitate after seeing Johnson this weekend to throw offers on the table.

The first July Live period was a great chance for Division I coaches to check out top talent from around the country. With three of the major shoe circuits hosting events in the south (Nike, Adidas and Under Armour) that gave other circuits like Made Hoops and New Balance the opportunity to play nearby and grab college coaches and scouts to check out their games as well. In this article I'll break down six Kentucky prospects I caught at these events who stood out.