Which top college basketball recruits are playing in the 2025 Boys’ Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena?
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2025 Boys’ Sweet 16 basketball preview
Click below to view more coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com previewing the boys’ state high school basketball tournament to be held March 26-29 in Rupp Arena in Lexington.
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Three weeks of intense basketball activity in downtown Lexington are about to come to an end.
After hosting the Girls’ Sweet 16 state tournament and opening-round games in the men’s NCAA Tournament, Rupp Arena will now welcome the best boys basketball teams in the commonwealth for a four-day celebration of high school hoops.
The 2025 UK HealthCare Boys’ Basketball Sweet 16 state tournament begins Wednesday morning in Rupp and will run through Saturday. A new state champion will be crowned, as Lyon County didn’t make this year’s tournament field.
Last year’s state tournament was memorable not only for the title game matchup between Lyon County of the 2nd Region and Harlan County of the 13th Region, but also because of the star players involved.
Travis Perry (Lyon County) and Trent Noah (Harlan County) put on dynamic scoring performances throughout last year’s Sweet 16. Now, both players are part of a college Sweet 16 this week as freshman contributors at Kentucky.
This stands to show the kind of college talent that is on display annually at the Boys’ Sweet 16. And this year will be no different.
With 2025 Kentucky Mr. Basketball winner and Great Crossing star Malachi Moreno leading the way, here’s a look at some of the top college basketball recruits who will be playing in the Boys’ Sweet 16 this week in Rupp Arena.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
The Boys’ Sweet 16 begins Wednesday morning and continues through Saturday night’s championship game.
Top college basketball recruits playing in the 2025 Boys’ Sweet 16
▪ Jonah Butler: A 6-foot-5 senior guard from 1st Region champion Calloway County, Butler is signed to play college basketball at Stony Brook on Long Island in New York.
Butler is averaging 22.3 points per game this season for the Lakers. Butler was named the 1st Region player of the year this season and was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball finalist.
▪ Zander Carter: A 6-6 senior guard from 16th Region champion Ashland Blazer, Carter is signed to play college basketball at Liberty, which reached the NCAA Tournament this season.
Carter is averaging 23.8 points per game this season for the Tomcats, who are making their 38th appearance in the boys state tournament.
Carter was named the 16th Region player of the year this season and was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball finalist.
▪ Isaiah Cochran: A 6-7 senior forward from 5th Region champion Adair County, Cochran has reported Division I college basketball offers from Bryant, Eastern Kentucky, McNeese State and Tennessee Tech. Bryant and McNeese State both made the NCAA Tournament this season.
Cochran is averaging 16.6 points per game.
▪ Cooper Davenport: A 5-11 senior guard from 2nd Region champion Henderson County, Davenport will play college basketball at Samford.
Davenport is averaging 14.3 points per game.
▪ Reece Davidson: A 6-8 junior forward from 13th Region champion North Laurel, Davidson is a cousin of former North Laurel and Kentucky basketball star Reed Sheppard.
Davidson — who has reported scholarship offers from the likes of Liberty, Tennessee Tech, Western Kentucky and Youngstown State — is averaging 20.6 points per game.
Davidson is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit.
▪ Vince “Trey” Dawson III: A 6-6 senior guard from 11th Region champion Great Crossing, Dawson is signed to play college basketball at Morehead State.
Dawson is averaging 18.1 points per game this season and famously hit a buzzer-beating shot to win Great Crossing the 11th Region Tournament last year.
▪ LJ Holman: A sophomore guard from 11th Region champion Great Crossing, Holman has reported Division I scholarship offers from Eastern Kentucky and Ohio.
Holman is averaging 11.3 points per game.
▪ Jeremiah Jackson: A 6-4 junior guard from 7th Region champion St. Xavier, Jackson has reported scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Ohio and Toledo.
Jackson is averaging 14.6 points per game.
▪ Andy Johnson: A 6-5 senior forward from 9th Region champion Cooper, Johnson is signed to play college basketball at Illinois-Chicago.
Johnson is averaging 23.7 points per game. He was named the 9th Region player of the year and was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball finalist.
▪ Connor Loy: A 6-foot senior guard from 5th Region champion Adair County, Loy is uncommitted for college basketball, but has previously reported a Division I scholarship offer from McNeese State, which recently won its first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament.
Loy is averaging 20.4 points. He was named the 5th Region player of the year this season and was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball finalist.
▪ Camron McDaniels: A 6-foot-5 senior forward from 6th Region champion Jeffersontown, McDaniels is receiving college interest for both his basketball and football exploits.
McDaniels is averaging 22.3 points. He reported a basketball scholarship offer this year from Florida A&M.
▪ Malachi Moreno: A 6-11 senior center from 11th Region champion Great Crossing, Moreno is signed to play college basketball at Kentucky. Moreno, who won the 2025 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award, was the first player in the 2025 recruiting class to commit to UK head coach Mark Pope when Moreno pledged to join the Wildcats in August 2024.
Moreno — who is averaging 21.5 points and 14.8 rebounds this season for the Warhawks — is currently one of three recruits signed to play at Kentucky next season. Moreno is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as a five-star prospect and as the No. 27 overall player, nationally, in the 2025 recruiting class.
Moreno is also only the 16th player from the commonwealth to be named a McDonald’s All-American since the game began in 1977.
Moreno is the top individual rebounder in the Sweet 16 field.
▪ Jonathan Moss: A 6-foot junior guard from 3rd Region champion Daviess County, Moss has reported a scholarship offer from East Carolina.
Moss is averaging 19.9 points. He is the top free-throw shooter by percentage (86.9%) in the Sweet 16 field.
▪ Austin Sperry: A 6-4 senior guard from 14th Region champion Breathitt County, Sperry is signed to play college basketball at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Sperry is averaging 23.5 points and is the top individual scorer in the Sweet 16 field.
▪ DeAaron Watkins: A 6-8 junior forward from 3rd Region champion Daviess County, Watkins has reported scholarship offers from East Carolina and Jacksonville State.
Watkins is averaging 16.2 points per game this season.
2025 BOYS’ SWEET 16
What: Sixteen-team tournament to decide Kentucky’s high school basketball state champion
When: March 26-29
Where: Rupp Arena
Tickets: Available for purchase at KHSAA.org.
Online bracket: Boys’ Sweet 16 schedule at KHSAA.org
WEDNESDAY’S FIRST-ROUND GAMES
11 a.m.: Bowling Green (27-6) vs. Adair County (30-5)
1:30 p.m.: Jeffersontown (26-6) vs. St. Xavier (31-2)
6 p.m.: South Oldham (29-5) vs. Danville Christian (29-3)
8:30 p.m.: Ashland Blazer (23-7) vs. Calloway County (31-3)
THURSDAY’S FIRST-ROUND GAMES
11 a.m.: North Laurel (22-10) vs. Breathitt County (24-8)
1:30 p.m.: Lawrence County (23-10) vs. Montgomery County (21-10)
6 p.m.: Daviess County (25-6) vs. Great Crossing (31-4)
8:30 p.m.: Henderson County (25-6) vs. Cooper (23-5)
FRIDAY’S QUARTERFINALS
11 a.m.: Bowling Green-Adair County winner vs. Ashland Blazer-Calloway County winner
1:30 p.m.: South Oldham-Danville Christian winner vs. Jeffersontown-St. Xavier winner
6 p.m.: North Laurel-Breathitt County winner vs. Lawrence County-Montgomery County winner
8:30 p.m.: Daviess County-Great Crossing winner vs. Henderson County-Cooper winner
SATURDAY’S GAMES
11 a.m.: Semifinal 1: Winners of Friday’s afternoon session
1:30 p.m.: Semifinal 2: Winners of Friday’s evening session
7:30 p.m.: Championship game
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
