CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky -- Every year in the fall prior to the start of high school basketball practice, we host some of the state’s top freshman for a chance to come compete against their peers and be seen by our staff as well as various other media members. This year we welcomed the class of 2022 and some select 2023s to camp for a day full of instruction, competition, and coaching.

As following are some of the top players that caught our staff’s eye throughout the day, in no particular order:

5’8 PG Aden Sloan – Boyle County
One of the highest IQ lead guards in Kentucky regardless of class, Sloan is loaded with skills.  His handles are tight, his court vision is off the charts, and his playmaking ability is second to none.  Standing at around 5’8, he has a strong body that he uses to finish after absorbing contact. The crafty PG has the ability to shoot the ball with range and being able to play through ball screens makes him a real threat to stop. 

6’4 2023 PF Kaleb Glenn – Westport Middle
Kaleb is a very intriguing player for this class because he has good size already for a 2023. He is also starting to flourish using his athleticism, which is something he wasn’t doing a lot last winter or even early this spring. During the AAU period his strengths were running the floor, catching and finishing, rebounding, and playing around the basket. Now, he has started stretching his game and is playing more off the bounce from the wing, and making defenders come out to guard him on the perimeter as he can knock down the long ball. Obviously, growing will make him a no brainer HM prospect, but even if he doesn’t grow another inch if his progression continues the way it has the last few months he could transition into a very nice athletic 6’4 WG player.

Justin Becker 6’5 PF Robertson County HS
A strong built stretch 4, Becker took over games with his outside shooting and post-up game including one game where he knocked down five consecutive three-point shots. Becker is the most skilled offensive post in the 2022 class and, while he needs to get in better shape, there is no doubt Becker’s unique skill set will make him a future D1 prospect.

6’3 2022 F Owen Walsh – DuPont Manual

Walsh was one of the surprises of camp for the staff. It was our first time getting to see him play in any setting, and he did not disappoint. All day, he played with consistent energy and grit. A very tough competitor, Owen played like he had a point to prove. He was able to get by defenders off the bounce, and made several jump shots from all over the floor. On the defensive side of the ball, bigger body guys gave him some problems, but for the most part he was able to guard guys that played the wing position.

6’3 2023 SF Ryan Davidson – North Laurel
Davidson came in with a group of 5 or 6 rising 8th graders and had a really good day in the skills portion of the camp during drills and one-on-one sessions. He showed he knows how to use his size to his advantage getting position, rebounding, and scoring. He also showed he has a solid handle and he is able to push the break. In the game settings there were times where he had difficulty against some of the bigger more athletic players, but he wasn’t dominated. Strength will come in time, and he should develop into a really nice 3/4 man.

5’9 2023 PG Jack Edelen – Collegiate
Edelen is very crafty with the ball in his hands. He plays with great poise and pace. Every time I’ve seen him play, either in game or camp settings, he’s been in total control of his team. He always shows an ability to manage a game, but the thing he was missing he has now added - the ability to score and take over a game. His effort on the defensive end cannot be overlooked. If he can grow to be 6’0/6’1 he will make for a very valuable recruit at the next level.

Andru Markham 6’2 G Louisville Fern Creek
A skilled lefty scorer, Markham has long been in the discussion for top prospect in the 2022 class. After a slow start to the day in which Markham lacked energy, he turned it on the last two games of the day reminding everyone of why he has a chance to be a special prospect. An explosive dunker, Markham surprises you at times with his athleticism and ability to glide through the lane and finish over bigger defenders. We fully expect Markham to be an immediate double-digit scorer for this rebuilding Tigers team.

5’8 2023 PG Dallas Roberts - North Oldham 
Dallas is a witty ball handler and likes to add a little flair to his to his game. He plays with tremendous heart, and he always keeps his head and eyes up and on a swivel. An unconscious shooter, he has never been afraid to take a big shot and he brought this attitude with him to camp. Roberts has a quick first step and he uses it to put a lot of pressure on defenders guarding him. He has good vision, and can see plays develop before most of his peers. Like several of the PG’s in this class, he will need to gain adequate size to become a prized asset for the next level, but he is still young and has time on his side.

6’4 2023 WG Trey Skaggs – B. Michael Caudill
Trey has a long lanky body type, and looks as if he could grow quite a bit more in the future. His ability to handle the ball out on the perimeter was a little loose, but not too bad. He uses his length well to get places off the bounce, is a solid shooter from mid-range, and has a developing 3 ball. Trey didn’t spend a lot of time mixing it up on the boards, but the times he did grabbing rebounds wasn’t a difficulty for him. Being a rising 8th grader playing up with this freshmen group and not looking out of place makes us feel like he has a promising future as a prospect. Getting stronger will be a key component for his development, but he’s a solid young prospect.

5’10 2022 PG Owen O’Neil – St. Xavier
O’Neil is a coachable kid that soaks up instruction like a sponge.  The PG shot the lights out at camp, showing that he can knock down shots from all over the perimeter with confidence. Coaches were impressed with his ability to go both ways off the dribble, make plays, and create his shot. Keep an eye out for O’Neil because he is a promising prospect in Louisville.

5’7 2022 PG Kobe Stoudemire – Jeffersonville (IN)
He is a very sturdy built PG that was never rattled by anyone. He played with a ton of confidence all day, rocked defenders in one-on-one drills, and kept them off balance in the game setting. Stoudemire is a probing guard that loves to draw the defense and make plays to get his teammates baskets. He’s got a nice mid-range game, and keeps defenders honest by making the 3 ball. Defending other guards his size wasn’t an issue either. He plays with great energy and competes on both ends of the floor.

6’1 2022 PG Chance Garner – Butler Traditional
Garner was one of our favorite players at camp to watch during the skills portion. Especially in the one-on-one session, and the team offense session. He made shot after shot from mid-range and outside, he was taking guys off the bounce getting wherever he wanted on the floor with no problem, and he was playing very hard. Most of this carried over to the game setting as well. There were times he over dribble when making decisions and it cost him some open looks and he had to take some bad shots, but under tutelage of KC Goodin he will thrive as a lead guard.

6’4 2022 F James Jewell – Louisville Eastern
James is a very long athletic 4 man who looks like he could end up around 6’6 or better by the time he finishes growing. Right now he is still a developing offensive prospect but is extremely athletic. He had several dunks where it looked like he could have hit his head on the rim. Jewell was rebounding over everyone he played against. He’s not quite a rim protector, but he can alter shots and make it tough on offensive guys trying to play over him. All in all, James Jewell has a chance to be a very coveted prospect in the future.

6’0 2022 G Cade Stinnett – Greenwood
Cade is a very competitive energy player that hustles all over the court. There weren’t many guys in the gym that played harder than him. He has a solid handle and can knock down a consistent mid-range jump shot. Stinnett doesn’t wow you, but he gets where he needs to go with the ball to make a play. He can create his own shot and will guard anyone in the gym. He is a great team guy that all coaches would love to have.

5’7 2022 PG Taeviss Brown – Fern Creek
Brown is a very unselfish guard that can lead a team. He is a speedy PG with a tight handle and good court vision.  His quickness makes him tough to defend. It seemed like every time we looked up, Brown was making a play for a teammate.

6’7 2022 C Brytton Walker – Madisonville North Hopkins
The big fella is a space eater in the paint that has good touch and footwork.  He is a hard-working kid that needs to continue his efforts to improve his body and get into the best shape possible to maximize his stock.  Walker finished well around the rim and protected the paint on defense.  He uses his size and strength to his advantage on both sides of the ball.

6’5 2022 PF Jackson Twombly – Frankfort High School
Jackson was one of the camp favorites by all of the coaches and staff that worked camp.  The big boy showed that he can run the floor, rebound, protect, the rim, and produce offensively. Twombly did a bit of everything in camp.  He is a true inside/out big man as he showed us countless times that he can knock down a 3 ball.  We loved his effort and are looking forward to seeing how his game progresses. From last year to this year, he has improved his game a great deal.

5’8 2022 PG Zac Cox – Franklin County
Cox is one of the best shooters in his class and can do it set or off the bounce with deep range.  We would have loved to see him be more aggressive at camp, but he still made plays for others.  He showed the ability to euro step kids in transition and find open teammates.  Overall, Zac is a skilled PG that can make plays, but we would love to see him give more effort consistently.

5’7 2022 PG Jordan Blythe – Frankfort High School
One of the quickest kids with the ball in the camp, his quickness makes him tough to defend as he showed his ability to blow by defenders throughout the day.  Blythe may be small, but he has a lot of heart and plays with a lot of energy and effort.  He builds up his teammates and finds them when they’re open.  With his ability to get into the paint whenever he wants off the dribble, we are expecting Blythe to have a good year and a load of assists at FHS on the Varsity level. 

6’1 2022 G Avery Bell – Trinity
Bell is a slashing guard that has no issues getting to the basket on the drive. He is a good finisher around the rim and stays in attack mode.  He plays hard on both ends, but defensively he is a pest and gave kids trouble with his on ball pressure.  If this young man can grow a few more inches, he will be a problem at the high school level.

5’9 G Clay Sizemore – North Laurel
There were quite a few good shooters at camp, but not many shot the ball better than North Laurel’s Clay Sizemore.  This kid has a quick trigger and needs no space to get his shot off.  Clay showed us that he has good court awareness as he made multiple full court passes for assists in transition.  He needs to work on getting quicker laterally and continue improving his body.   

5’11 2022 G Micah Engle – Corbin
Micah played well throughout the day, scoring in a variety of ways.  Engle can shoot the ball from all over and has a knack for finishing around the big men when driving to the basket.  He has a strong handle and can make plays with the ball for himself and others. Consistent would describe him best at camp, because he played well all day long.

6’6 2022 C John Allen – Corbin
Allen was another kid that was a load in the paint. A true big man with post moves and good touch, he uses his body to get post position nearly every possession.  What made him most effective in the paint was his ability to consistently finish around the basket with either hand. Although he is a below the rim big man currently, he is still effective.

5’8 2022 PG Dominick Smiley – Scott County
A long, wiry PG that was one of the better defenders and rebounders at the guard position.  Smiley was one of the most unselfish guards at the camp.  Offensively, he is skilled with the ball and can make shots. Physically, he needs to get stronger and add some weight to be more effective, but that should come as he matures.

Julion Beard 5’10 PG Louisville Butler HS
A true point guard with outstanding court vision and a strong handle, Beard impressed us all day long with his ability to create open shots for his teammates. Also a strong on ball defender with quick hands, Beard could develop into an all-region caliber player if he improves his jump shot and begins to look for more opportunities to score.

Donovan Robinson 5’8 G Ryle HS
One of the hardest workers at camp, Robinson was impressive with his motor, toughness, and ability to defend multiple positions. Robinson makes up for his lack of size with heart and non-stop energy that helped him dominate defensively during our morning skill work. However, we would have liked to have seen him look for his shot more often during game play.

Austin Carr-Cole 5’8 PG Louisville Ballard
An explosive scoring point guard with a quick 1st step, Cole was one of the top scorers at camp. Cole is an strong finisher who is equally effective at finishing with either hand. If his defensive effort improves we expect him to be an immediate contributor to Ballard’s varsity program.Turrell Cleaves Jr. 6’2 G Louisville Butler
While still somewhat below the radar on the KY hoops scene, Cleaves turned scouts’ heads at camp and left the gym as a player that we will be keeping close tabs on going forward. A skilled combo guard with size, Turrell has a consistent mid-range game and gets to the rim with ease where he uses his length to finish over shot blockers. While still developing his PG skills, there is no doubt Cleaves has a chance to develop into an ALL-State caliber guard.

Jaden Schooler 5’7 PG Louisville Fern Creek
A high IQ point guard who does a great job getting into the lane and creating open shots for teammates. In the last year, Schooler has improved as much as any guard in the class. While he needs to get stronger and improve his lateral quickness, Schooler is the perfect floor general to lead a talented Fern Creek freshman group on and off the court.

Jordan Akal 5’10 G Harlan HS
A strongly built combo guard Akal bullied his way to the rim all day while also taking smaller guards to the block and scoring at will. Having already a year of significant varsity experience at Harlan HS allows him to be a step ahead of most of his peers. Akal’s quickness and physicality make him a lockdown defender and he also is a factor on the boards. He needs to improve both his ball handling and passing to develop into a college point guard but there is little doubt he is one of the top 2022 prospects in Eastern KY.

Darien Lewis 5’11 SG Fern Creek
One of the top scorers in the class, Lewis can score the ball at all 3 levels and shows range out beyond the high school 3 point line. During afternoon games, Lewis often times took over with his outside shooting but his shot selection needs improvement and he needs to attack the rim more often to keep defenders honest.

Luke Imfield 6’0 G Boyle County HS
While this was our full staff’s first opportunity to evaluate Imfield he walked away as one of the best players at camp. He was the leading scorer at camp, and showed an ability to knock down open 3 pointers while also pushing the basketball in transition to get easy lay ups. Imfield has good size and the potential to develop into a scoring point guard. With three very good freshman, the future of the Boyle County program is in great hands.

Tyson Barrett 6’3 SF Frederick Douglass HS
A lengthy wing with huge upside Barrett is very raw but intriguing due to his athleticism and defensive effort. Barrett has a smooth shooting stroke and passed the looks test as much as any prospect at camp but needs to improve his ball handling and footwork to reach his full potential.