Seventh Region's Small School Standouts

This region features several small schools in Louisville, including Brown, Francis Parker, Highlands Latin, Kentucky Country Day, Louisville Collegiate, Walden, which has not fielded a team in the past two seasons, and Portland Christian. While these programs may not attract the same attention as the city's powerhouse teams, they include some impressive scorers and plenty of potential. This list highlights a few of them. (Whitefield Academy plays in the Seventh Region's Class “A” tournament but is a member of the Sixth Region, so it is included in that list.)    Dayton Evans handles the ball well and creates space off the dribble. He's dangerous to leave open and has the ability to score 20 or more points in a game. Evans has a quick release and is always ready to shoot. Last season, he led Brown with 12.9 points per game and connected on 62 three-pointers. He also led the team in rebounding, averaging 5.4 per game. Dayton is a strong shooter from the corner and a consistent scoring threat.     [player_tooltip player_id='2394201' first='Samuel' last='Valentine'] brings a lot of energy to the floor and plays with great pace. He is quick both with and without the ball, using his speed to get past defenders and attack the rim. He sees the floor well and is an effective passer who can create scoring opportunities for teammates. Valentine is capable of finishing over bigger defenders and is especially dangerous going to his left. Last season, he averaged 10.5 points per game and knocked down 36 three-pointers. He also competes hard on both ends of the floor.     Ben Keller paced the Eagles last season with 14.8 points per game while also averaging 3.6 rebounds. A proven scorer, he has multiple 20-point performances to his name and showed efficiency by shooting 46 percent from the field. He also added a perimeter threat to his game, connecting on 43 three-pointers. He's already over 1,000 points on his career.     Neal Wantye does a good job of turning defense into offense and is quick in transition. He fills the lanes effectively, anticipates where the ball is going, and finishes well around the rim. Last season, he led the Titans in scoring with 16.4 points per game, while also hitting 46 three-pointers and grabbing 3.6 rebounds per game. He has the ability to get his shot off quickly and is a reliable scoring option.     With KCD's leading scorer graduated, Paxton Byrne is the top returning scorer after averaging 15.1 points in 17 games last season. He shot 35 percent from three and added 3.5 rebounds per contest. Byrne has shown the ability to get hot from the outside, highlighted by a game where he knocked down four three-pointers. He gets into his shooting form quickly and looks confident on the release.     Brooks Haile is the leading returning scorer for Francis Parker after averaging 15.3 points per game last season. He also led the team in three-pointers with 47 and added five rebounds per game. Haile has a smooth shooting stroke, can heat up quickly from the outside, and is capable of knocking down shots even with defenders in close range.     Luke Hamilton excels at putting the ball in the basket and is a proven scorer. He averaged 19.1 points per game last season, connected on 46 three-pointers at a 38 percent clip, and also led the Highlanders in rebounding. Over three years of varsity play, he has totaled 802 points, 114 threes, and 312 rebounds. He is a pure athlete who also competes as a solid baseball player, showcasing his versatility.    More standouts:   Carter Suddick, Kentucky Country Day   [player_tooltip player_id='2840334' first='Christian' last='Johnson'], Kentucky Country Day   [player_tooltip player_id='2797782' first='Jayden' last='Wahl'], Kentucky Country Day

This region features several small schools in Louisville, including Brown, Francis Parker, Highlands Latin, Kentucky Country Day, Louisville Collegiate, Walden, which has not fielded a team in the past two seasons, and Portland Christian. While these programs may not attract the same attention as the city's powerhouse teams, they include some impressive scorers and plenty of potential. This list highlights a few of them. (Whitefield Academy plays in the Seventh Region's Class “A” tournament but is a member of the Sixth Region, so it is included in that list.)