2026 Standouts from Bear Down Jamboree

The Bear Down Jamboree brought out talented teams from across Kentucky to battle it out at Butler High School in Louisville. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from the scrimmage action.    Eastern had a tough outing against Green County but Whitehead was an easy selection for an individual standout on the Eastern side. A wing guard who can really score at the rim, Whitehead did a nice job of getting downhill and being patient once he got to the paint. He had an and-1 finish against a sliding defender trying to take a charge, had multiple two foot finishes and also leaked out in transition for a few breakaway layups. Whitehead was inconsistent from 3-point range but made a couple perimeter shots to remain a threat from downtown. If Whitehead can improve his percentages from downtown, he'll find it even easier to score when he attacks off the dribble.     One of the marquee transfers coming to Green County in the 2026 class, James Jr stood out as maybe the top overall performer of the day. New to Kentucky, James Jr looks to be fitting in well with his new team and had a dominant effort on Saturday. A very impressive athlete, James Jr can finish above the rim with powerful finishes or can hang in the air to avoid a rim contest. Combine that with his solid shooting stroke that saw him knockdown a couple of 3-pointers and James Jr is a really tough guard to stop from scoring the basketball. You'll be hearing a lot about Green County this winter and expect James Jr to be high in the 2026 rankings when they get updated next.     I was impressed with Nakata as he made a strong impact for Southern on Saturday morning. Nakata has a quick first step and was able to get into the lane off the dribble. Able to finish from either side of the rim, the defense couldn't shade Nakata to one side when he was looking to attack. Combine that with a couple perimeter shots made using an almost two-handed shot form and he was leading his team on Saturday in a competitive battle with Central Hardin.     Nichols impacted the game in a variety of ways but I was most impressed with his ability to make shots from the outside. Nichols had a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper and a couple 3-point shots off the catch. Playing on a shorter team, Nichols had to protect the rim in the middle of their zone defense as well and was relied upon to grab rebounds. I also was surprised by the explosive athleticism Nichols showed by almost throwing down a tip dunk near the end of the game.     The game that drew the biggest crowd of the day was when host Butler took on Frederick Douglass. Anderson was a bright spot for Butler as his ability to make plays off the dribble really stood out. An undersized guard, Anderson had a couple of scoop layups when he beat his defender off the bounce and shot before a rim protector could affect his shot. Early in the game, Butler was executing their offense at a high level and Anderson was the guard who helped them get into their sets. Impressed with his overall effort and performance.     Wilder came out firing early in the game with some tough jumpers from the perimeter. Having some off the dribble ability, Wilder can create for himself and attack closeouts. Usually looking to score, Wilder did make a couple nice passes after beating closeouts. After a fast start to the game, Wilder was quiet in the second half. Being consistent will be something I'll hope to find from Wilder as I continue to watch him grow as a player.     Trinity and Warren Central was an ugly game with both teams really struggling to find a rhythm. I thought Cosby was active on both ends, making plays off the dribble and running in transition. Cosby also seemed to play harder on both ends of the court than what I saw in the summer as well, something that he'll need to continue to bring for a deep Trinity squad that has a lot of talent. I'll be watching Trinity a few times this winter and hope to see Cosby continue this positive momentum that I saw on Saturday during the regular season.

The Bear Down Jamboree brought out talented teams from across Kentucky to battle it out at Butler High School in Louisville. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from the scrimmage action.