Region 7’s Small School Standouts

There's talent everywhere, from small schools to big schools and from big cities to small towns. This list is simply an opportunity to highlight some of the small school players to watch this upcoming season across each region of the state.   For Region 7, schools eligible to have a player included on the “small school” list are members of the All “A” Member schools for the 2026-27 season. Those schools include Brown, Francis Parker, Highlands Latin, Kentucky Country Day, Louisville Collegiate, Portland Christian, Presentation and Shawnee. (Presentation does not field a boys basketball team).   Here's a look at Region 7's small school standouts for the upcoming season:    Dayton Evans returns as Brown's leading scorer from last season, averaging 13.2 points per game. He drilled 57 three-pointers, averaging two per game, while also averaging 3.5 rebounds. Evans is a very reliable shooter with the ability to pull up or knock down shots off the catch. He is a player who can easily provide multiple threes on any given night and also played well against high-level competition. In an early matchup against Male, he scored 24 points, while against eventual state runner-up St. Xavier, Evans had 19 points and three triples.     Anthony Gaddie nearly averaged double-digit points last season, finishing at 9.5 points per game. He shot 51.9% from the field and led Brown in rebounding at 5.5 rebounds per game. Gaddie can give you a double-double on any given night and did so last season. In the final month of the season, he recorded two double-doubles, one against Portland Christian and the other against Iroquois. Gaddie is also a good paint defender who rotates well and does a good job of timing his jumps on blocking attempts.     [player_tooltip player_id='2768498' first='Jack' last='Tredway'] played in just 12 games last season for the Eagles, but he averaged 8.2 points in those appearances while also leading the team in free-throw percentage at more than 80%. He was in and out of the lineup throughout the season, but during that stretch, he still recorded three games with double-digit points. His best stretch came in back-to-back games in February against Francis Parker and Brown, when he scored a season-high 22 points against Brown after putting up 18 points in the other game. Across those two games, Tredway shot 54% from the field, 42% from three-point range and 100% from the free-throw line while pulling down 10 total rebounds. If he can put together more games like those this upcoming season, it would give him an opportunity to show what he is capable of over a larger stretch.     Eli Pellum will be the top returning scorer for Highlands Latin after averaging 12.9 points per game last season. He did damage from behind the arc, knocking down 40 three-pointers, while also leading the team in free-throw percentage. Pellum also averaged five rebounds per game, giving him production in multiple areas of the game. He had a great end to last season, scoring in double figures in each of his final four games, and don't be surprised to see him pick up where he left off. With Highlands Latin great Luke Hamilton, who averaged 20 points per game, now graduated, Pellum will be next in line to take on a bigger scoring role.     Jaden Garner is coming off a 13.5-point-per-game season last year for Shawnee. He also led the Golden Eagles in field-goal percentage. Garner is a good defender who plays hard and brings consistent effort on both ends of the floor. He takes care of business in whatever aspect of the game is needed. There is so much that Garner does on the floor that simply looking at the box score won't always show the full impact he has on a game.     In six games last season for Shawnee, Laquan Neal averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. He can create shots for himself, has a quick first step and a strong handle, and attacks the basket hard with the ability to finish through contact. He's also a solid passer who can make tough passes look easy when finding open teammates. Neal has the ability to record multiple assists on any given night, with four or five assists being well within his range. He can also be a threat from long range, serving as a solid catch-and-shoot option with a good stroke.

There's talent everywhere, from small schools to big schools and from big cities to small towns. This list is simply an opportunity to highlight some of the small school players to watch this upcoming season across each region of the state.