Kentucky 2026 prospects to leave KHSAA

Prep schools have been scooping up talent from across the country and in this article we'll take a look at some prospects who were originally in Kentucky's 2026 class that won't be playing their senior season in the KHSAA.    The top player in the country, Stokes was a Louisville native who has been out west for his high school career at Prolific Prep and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Both Louisville and Kentucky have been in heavy pursuit of Stokes on the recruiting trail, with other high major programs also in the mix. Stokes is an unbelievable athlete and has been under the national spotlight since before he even played a high school game.     The Newport High School product took his talents to OTE after his sophomore season and has continued to rise up the rankings. Now regarded as one of the top point guards in the country, Kinney has his pick of some of the top Adidas programs in the country with Louisville, Indiana and Kansas as schools to watch in his recruitment. Kinney was a standout for Wildcat Select the past two summers and is regarded as a top 20 prospect in the country.     The first of two WKU commits in this article, Edelen is also in the OTE league system with the Blue Checks. Edelen was a teammate of Kinney's with Wildcat Select this summer and is one of the elite shooters in the country. Cole will be joining his older brother Jack in Bowling Green as the Hilltoppers have done an excellent job in keeping top in-state talent.     Johnson broke out onto the scene the summer heading into his freshman year when he impressed at the KABC Titans shootout for Louisville Trinity, helping his team win the championship. Johnson has been a notable player in the Louisville area his entire high school career and has decided to head out west to play for Wasatch Academy on the Nike Scholastic league for his senior season. I really like this fit for Johnson who is at his best with other stars around him and for Trinity who impressed in June after Johnson left, seems like a win-win situation for all involved as Johnson looks to make a college decision.     Weis is the second Western Kentucky commit on this list as the former Washington County High School standout is at his second prep program since leaving Kentucky. After playing for Montverde as a junior, Weis is now at La Lumiere where he should play a featured role for the Nike Scholastic program. Weis had a strong summer for Kentucky Basketball Club on the Puma circuit where his athleticism, strength, defensive versatility and ability to play above the rim all shined.     The second Newport prospect on this list, Turner is an elite rim protector and rim runner as a big. Playing alongside Kinney both during their early high school days and this summer for Wildcat Select, Turner is a point guard's best friend as a roller. We'll see what Turner can do for AZ Compass Prep this season, he'll likely be used as a play finisher and see a similar role at the college level as well.     The lone prospect to return to the KHSAA, Lightning spent one season at Bowling Green before a year in Ohio and another at a prep school in Florida. Back in Kentucky, Lightning will be a featured player on Caverna this season as they project as one of the top teams from western Kentucky this year. Earning a trio of Division I offers this summer from his time with Midwest Basketball Club, Lightning has established himself as a versatile forward who can set screens, space the floor and rebound.

Prep schools have been scooping up talent from across the country and in this article we'll take a look at some prospects who were originally in Kentucky's 2026 class that won't be playing their senior season in the KHSAA.