Next Up Recruits Jamboree: Top Prospects Pt 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dunbar high school in Lexington is hosting the first annual Next Up Recruits Jamboree on Saturday. The full day features 8 games with several of Kentucky's top players in action. Here's a breakdown of top players in the first half of the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">11:00 Lexington Catholic vs Simon Kenton:</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Catholic is a veteran team that is also buoyed by some talented Sophomores. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1558735' first='Max' last='Meagher'] is the Knights leading score from a year ago and will look to improve his stats in his final season. Fellow Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1567477' first='Hank' last='Woodall'] is a force down low and will be a problem for opposing teams. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2429594' first='Everett' last='Stuart'] and Ben Warren are in line for much bigger roles after being role players last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simon Kenton has Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2399047' first='Braylon' last='Bilton'] who is due for a breakout season and fellow Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2381904' first='Eddie' last='Marx'] has long been one of my favorite sleepers in Kentucky's 2027 class. He could be a gigantic X factor for the Pioneers this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">12:15 Ballard vs George Rogers Clark:</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There may not be more talent on the court in any other game in Kentucky this season than what we will see on Saturday. GRC is led by Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2120028' first='Malachi' last='Ashford']. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2122438' first='Montez' last='Gay'] is our top 2027 in Kentucky in our rankings and has had high major schools start looking into him. [player_tooltip player_id='2610096' first='Amari' last='Bartelson'] provides a post presence and [player_tooltip player_id='2969745' first='JaMylyn' last='Johnson'] has the ability to be a game changer with his on ball defense. The name to watch for the Cardinals in this one is 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2541123' first='Ryder' last='Akins']. A transfer from Corbin, Akins is a big time scorer and is capable of bullying opposing guards on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ballard has stolen all the headlines in the last month or so. The recent transfers of Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2520123' first='Boogie' last='Cook'] and Senior Cole Edelen are going to make the Bruins the most talented team in the state, assuming everyone is eligible. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2396084' first='Jackson' last='Strite'] transferred from Male this summer. Top Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2851845' first='Mason' last='Grivna'] is a beast in the middle and Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2529549' first='Baron' last='Clay'] is expected to play even though he is coming off of an ankle injury and will not be 100% on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">1:30 Fern Creek vs Scott County:</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior big man Rick Mata returned to Fern Creek and should offer some serious rim protection and rebounding. The Tigers graduated 13 Seniors last year so the rest of the roster is going to be pretty unknown. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2395870' first='Jesiah' last='Flippins'] should have the keys to the offense for Creek.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Scott County is heading into their first season with Sean Woods at the helm. They also had some transfers with [player_tooltip player_id='2360945' first='Bray' last='McNear'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2398475' first='A'Darius' last='Pegues'] becoming Cardinals over the summer and Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2532070' first='Parker' last='Sanders'] returning from a one year stop in Winchester at GRC. Senior Phillip Grimes is a name to watch over the season as he should have the Cards in position to compete in the 11th region again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">2:45 Walton-Verona vs Letcher County Central</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior Adam Gutman will try to fill the sizeable void left by his brother's graduation last season. The WV roster as a whole will have a lot of new faces as they graduated 7 Seniors last year and will be reloading without a lot of veterans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Letcher County is the opposite. They have a ton of experience coming back. [player_tooltip player_id='2844799' first='Terry' last='Delaney'], Mason Boggs, Jason McCool and Harrison Addington all averaged over 5 points per game last season. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2963248' first='Colton' last='Delaney'] is another player with varsity experience who could make a leap in production this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->