Kentucky high school basketball is starting soon. And other UK basketball recruiting links.
Do you feel it in the air?
The crisp (sometimes downright frigid) onset of winter, the wrapping up of football season and the start of college basketball.
All signs are pointing toward the start of high school basketball in the commonwealth, and several players with ties to the Kentucky Wildcats are set to begin their prep seasons.
Leading the list is class of 2023 Kentucky signee Reed Sheppard, a combo guard fresh off a Boys’ Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament appearance in the spring with North Laurel High School, which is located in London.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari has already shared his thoughts on Sheppard — who first committed to Kentucky in November 2021 — when UK announced its complete five-player 2023 signing class.
Calipari also addressed Sheppard during his radio show Monday night.
“Everybody in this state knows what kind of player he is,” Calipari said.
North Laurel opens its 2022-23 season on Monday against Lexington Catholic at home.
Also set to begin his next prep season is Travis Perry, a class of 2024 point guard from Lyon County High School in Eddyville.
Perry holds scholarship offers from several high major schools including Kentucky, Michigan, Ole Miss and Purdue.
Perry was one of several top Kentucky recruits who attended Big Blue Madness in October.
In a phone interview with the Herald-Leader before that Big Blue Madness visit, Ryan Perry — Travis’ father and his high school head coach at Lyon County — discussed his son’s recruitment, which blew up over the summer.
“It’s been really neat. Travis, he obviously knows that he’s blessed to be in the situation to be able to be talking to these schools and coaches and be in the situation he’s in,” Ryan Perry said. “It’s really a neat experience for him and it’s a really neat experience for our family. We’re really enjoying it. Travis is doing a great job with it. He’s looking at all the schools that are recruiting him, really hard, and he’s trying to get on campus to see the campuses for as many as he can.”
What is Travis doing to learn more about his potential college destinations?
“He’s talking to the coaches just a whole, whole lot. I think he keeps telling people he’s trying to find the right fit for him with the coaching staff, that’s really important to him, is the relationship with the coaching staff and that kind of stuff,” Ryan said about his son. “We’re embracing it and it’s been really cool, it’s been really good. We’re having fun with it.”
Lyon County opens its 2022-23 boys’ basketball season, Travis’ junior season, on Tuesday at home against Ohio County.
Other top in-state high school basketball recruits in upcoming classes include:
▪ Reece Potter (class of 2023 center — Lexington Catholic)
Potter is a Miami (Ohio) signee.
▪ Evan Ipsaro (class of 2023 point guard — Covington Catholic)
Ipsaro is a Miami (Ohio) signee.
▪ Teagan Moore (class of 2023 small forward — Owen County)
Moore is a Western Kentucky signee.
▪ Ayden Evans (class of 2024 center — Elizabethtown)
▪ Jasper Johnson (class of 2025 point guard — Woodford County)
You can also get ready for the upcoming Kentucky high school boys’ basketball season with this rundown of the top 25 teams in the state.
Sheppard’s North Laurel team checked in at No. 4.
Additionally, here’s a ranking of Kentucky’s top 25 boys’ high school basketball players for the 2022-23 season.
Top Kentucky basketball recruiting links
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What about practice? Calipari explains why UK has struggled so far
DJ Wagner says playing with stepbrother played ‘big part’ in picking UK
DJ Wagner talks Kentucky commitment at his signing ceremony
Camden basketball, led by D.J. Wagner, could face penalties for violations
DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham considered top incoming backcourt duo
Dane Key and Reed Sheppard grew up playing sports against each other
Storylines that remain following college basketball’s early signing period
KHSAA approves bylaw change about preseason restrictions in basketball
Takeaways from first two weeks of the college basketball season
NCAA names four future Final Four sites
Ranking of top 25 high school basketball teams in the country
This story was originally published November 24, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
