Friday Evening Standouts from KABC Summer Shootout

The KABC Summer Shootout brought some of the top Ohio and Kentucky teams to the greater Lexington area and in this article I'll break down my standout performers from Friday evening.    Butler has a really solid team top to bottom with a handful of experienced 2026 prospects who play aggressive, tough and disciplined basketball. Wilder is their most talented offensive player and a prospect who gets better each time I watch him play. On Friday, Wilder was shooting the cover off the basketball from 3-point range with a couple top of key triples from well behind where the college line would be. In addition to that, Wilder has the positional size to see above the defense and make passes and also makes an impact in Butler's aggressive defensive system. Expect Wilder to get a lot of attention from regional college programs throughout his senior season.     One of the top small town prospects in Kentucky, I was glad I got to see Akins on a Corbin team that has a handful of players who can hurt you. The first thing you notice with Akins is his impressive frame for his age. Akins uses this frame to be physical on both ends of the court and is able to play through contact. The lefty is also a knockdown shooter and even played above the rim off steals. I also was impressed with Akins defensive awareness off the ball, making some nice rotations and reads on that end of the floor. Looking forward to continuing to monitor Akins development and hopefully see him at the grassroots level as well.     One of the top prospects in Kentucky's 2026 class, Feldhaus was on another level in a tight contest with Centerville that went down to the wire. Showing impressive poise on the ball, Feldhaus can attack off the dribble while staying on balance and not rushing a shot or pass decision with defenders swarming him. Athletically, Feldhaus can play above the rim with his length and explosiveness and had a couple monster breakaway slam dunks. Late in the game Feldhaus hit multiple 3-pointers from 25+ feet to keep his team alive. No surprise that Youngstown State quickly offered Feldhaus after this game and I expect more offers to come his way soon.     Lima Sr has an abundance of talent from the guard position and Foster is just one of the players who drew a large amount of college coaches to their games this weekend. I was most impressed by Foster in a win over Great Crossing as he had back-to-back assists in a key moment late in the game. Making the simple pass to your teammate is something not all players do during live period events but Foster was unselfish with the ball in his hands and scored when it was available but also put his teammates in position to score as well. While the highlight-reel dunks and blocks certainly draw the attention for Foster, if he can consistently set the table for his teammates he will continue to gain college interest and earned an offer from NKU this weekend.     I've been impressed with how the defending state champs have looked this week, battling well at Miami (OH) team camp and in Lexington during the live period event. Orem is a skilled forward with soft hands and the patience and feel to score on the interior. Showing toughness by playing this weekend after taking a hit to the nose on Wednesday, Orem is playing into contact on layups and earning fouls on a regular basis. Really excited to continue see Orem at the grassroots level this summer as well, seeing him in different roles against different types of competition to get a better evaluation on one of the top forwards in Kentucky's 2028 class.     Very few players are as improved year over year than Moss is as he's taken his game to new heights this summer. Playing with the ball on a string, Moss is able to get where he wants to off the dribble and is playing with a ton of confidence. While he was making it rain with numerous 3-pointers on Friday evening, his best play of the night came early in the game when Moss made a lefty skip pass to a shooter on the wing. Moss recently took a visit to Belmont and has a lot of college interest from regional and national programs.     Toughness and playing with a high motor will get you places in any level of basketball and Kelly checks both of those boxes. A forward who can attack off the dribble, offensive rebound and use either hand to score, Kelly was efficient and active on the offensive end of the floor for a Moeller squad that is incredibly young. Kelly's toughness and leadership shows when he is on the court with his younger teammates, taking care of the basketball and playing under control. Denison recently offered Kelly and the defending NCAC champions have had a lot of success keeping small college Ohio talent in the state, Kelly could be the next in-state commit they secure.     Miller had his best weekend of basketball of his entire career and is my biggest stock riser from Ohio after this weekend. Looking dominant on both ends of the court, all the flashes I've seen from Miller were on display in quick succession. Miller started the game with two early 3-pointers, blocked a shot and had a couple monster dunks as well. In the second half in a tight game, Miller had multiple and-1 finishes with his back to the basket and also used the up and under to get past a rim protector. Exciting to see a prospect with as much talent as Miller start to put it all together.

The KABC Summer Shootout brought some of the top Ohio and Kentucky teams to the greater Lexington area and in this article I'll break down my standout performers from Friday evening.