By: Kevin Moses
Jaden StewartÂ
Twitter: @TheBeastJay21
Height: 6’5, 197
Class of 2025
School: Pike County Central High School
Stewart is a powerful athlete who uses his size and strength to be an opposing force on both ends of the court. But his versatility makes him a tough cover with the ability to play 1-5 effectively. Jaden has good ball-handling skills to be a strong facilitator, great footwork, and a nice size to be dominant in the post. A fierce mid-range and can knock down the three when needed. He uses his long wingspan to impact gobbling up boards and plays outstanding defense. Jaiden is a ruthless shotblocker. Gets a lot of steals as well. Last year Jaden averaged 20 points and 8.9 rebounds, for a total of 579 points and 257 rebounds, 65 total 3P, 36 percent from the 3, 49.3 FG percent, 67.8 percent from FT. In the AAU Jaden averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds. His favorite accomplishment from AAU was winning the Big Shots National Championship. Jaden’s biggest improvement has been his footwork and speed. Jaden’s goals going into the season were to repeat as district champions for 3rd straight year and a state tournament appearance earning All-State mention, All-Region, !st region team and All-District. They did 3 peat as region champions Jaden also joined the 1000-point club this season. Finished the season averaging 21.4 ppg total -577, 9.1 rebounds per game total-245 35% from the 3 65 total threes 79% from the FT line, 52% FG percentage, 3.0 blocks a game, 2.5 steals per game. Coaches should know what separates Jaden from the rest is his length and shooting ability. Also noteworthy in that is his ball handling and low post footwork and dominance with his back to the basket .His shot blocking is top notch and ability to play multiple positions. He runs the court well and flows off the three-line well. Jaden has an intense work ethic and a high ceiling. Jaden would consider a lower division if it’s a good fit. It is region time, keep an eye on this young star.
Nehemiah BanksÂ
Twitter: @Nehbanks23
Height: 6ft, 182
Class of 2024
School: Rowlett High School, TXÂ
Banks is a lethal three-point sniper. Whether the catch-and-shoot or spot-up Nehemia can bring the rain. He hit 6-3s on Senior night with Dad in the stands with a glow of pride. Nehemiah can also get out in transition quickly turning defense into easy offensive finishes. Mixing it on the boards, dropping nice dimes. Nehemiah locks in and does whatever it takes out there to get the win. Not afraid to sacrifice his body and goes 110% every minute he is on the floor. Last season Nehemiah averaged 6 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds. The biggest accomplishment from AAU was being around guys that challenged him every day which helped him earn more playing time by being a team player. Perfect fit for Nehemiah who is always team-first driven. The biggest improvement since last season was his rebounding and playmaking for his teammates. Went from being just a shooter to putting the ball on the floor and raising his IQ to make game-winning decisions. Nehemiah’s goals entering the season were to get his body ready for the next level and getting better every day in his all-around game. So far this season Nehemiah has averaged 14 points,3 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. What coaches should know is that Nehemiah is a pass-first pure point guard who loves to fuel his teammates and get them going. With his high IQ understands how to play the game the right way. Nehemiah is very coachable and hungry to do whatever he has to to win. Unselfish and never focused on volume scoring over team wins. Finally his love for the game and the feel of the ball coming off his hands. Basketball being his first love since he was 4-5 years old has fueled his drive and passion for this game over the years and the grind never stops for Nehemiah.
Jackson KeefeÂ
Twitter: @Jack_Keene2026
Height: 6’2 , 172
School: East Ridge High School, KYÂ
Keefe is an absolute beast offensively. He is a prolific scoring machine on all three levels. Knowing he will face a face guard or a double team every single game he is still a walking bucket. Patiently buying his time, he uses a high IQ to light up defenders at will. Jackson is a true leader and a playmaker for himself and others but understands full well when to take over and be that unstoppable force. When it’s crunch time and you need that big shot, it’s Jackson’s time as he wants the ball at that moment to make something happen. As a leader, he knows it’s his job to encourage the team. Despite his age, this kid knows exactly how to lead. Jackson mixes it up on the boards well. In last year’s AAU session, his favorite memories were having multiple 20+ scoring games, 22 points against Team Final EYBL, and winning the GRBA National Gold Championship while averaging 22 points and 4 rebounds per game. Jackson’s biggest improvement since last season was his ball handling and getting physically stronger and faster. And now Jackson is getting better at creating shots and being a tougher defender. The goal entering the season was to improve his all-around game with a strong desire to see the summer work paying off. Perfecting his footwork and shooting from every spot on the floor. This season so far Jackson is averaging 20.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4 assists with 4 made threes per game earning him the #11 ranked three-point shooter in the entire state of KY. What separates Jackson from other players is his high IQ and his ability to play both ends of the floor. But I know that shooting ability is special as he hits his stride and there is no slowing him down. His work ethic is incredible as there are no days off with some days he works out twice. To Jackson, this is more than just a game and to live his dream maximum effort constantly is required understanding he must always continue to get better.
Kaecyn Holmes
Height: 5’1 , 94
Class of 2030
School: South Charleston Middle School, WV
Holmes is an electric young athlete who is crafty off the bounce. Don’t let the size fool you, this stud can deliver in more ways than one. Kaecyn is a pure point guard in every way. He is a creative scorer off the bounce but has a beautiful long-range bomb. Kaecyn has a nasty first step that freezes most defenders and poof he is gone right past them. With dazzling passes, he fuels his team with awesome court vision and a high IQ. Fearless getting the seams doing whatever he wants. Amazing to watch the young star do damage among much bigger players. The surprise is that he plays scrappy defense and gets rebounds though he is undersized don’t tell him skill and grit don’t matter. He just gets it done. In the AAU session, Kaecyn averaged 14 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Kaecyn’s favorite AAU moment was actually in a 3-point loss to BNU by 3 when they were ranked #3. Kaecyn’s biggest improvement has been his in-game IQ. Decision-making when you’re undersized is vital and priceless. This season Kaecyn averaged 14 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Kaecyn sees himself as a D2 prospect but believes if he continues to put in the work and develop more he could make himself a player. In my assessment, the fire is there, and the consistency is there. The skill is there. If Kaecyn does continue to elevate his skills putting in the work to get better every day we are seeing the early stages of another dynamic athlete. And if he gets any size on him, we are talking about a monster.
Keiji Clifton
Instagram: keijiclifton
Height: 6’5, 180
School: Forest Hills High School, NY
Clifton is a fundamentally sound sniper who understands how to effectively use his size to his advantage and an imposing weapon. Keiji is a lethal three-point shooter with a silky smooth touch and an absolute beast in the paint area gobbling up boards and getting those high percentage putbacks. Keiji has nice ball-handling skills and can pass well. And the second best quality is Keiji is a defensive stud that is one of the best rim protectors out there. Checks every box on the floor. Keiji’s favorite AAU moment was simply playing tournaments every weekend. Keiji’s biggest improvement was spacing. But overall he continues to develop and get better every day, the grind never stops. Keiji’s goal coming into the season was to continue to improve his skills and elevate his game enough to receive his first D1 offer. So far this season Keiji is averaging 18.7 points and 5 rebounds. What separates Keiji from others is his IQ, competitiveness, and his shooting ability. D1 has potential for sure and puts in the dedicated hard work to accomplish it. Keiji has been invited to try out for the 18U National team. With his talent already opening big doors of opportunity his goal and dream are realistic as long as he continues to improve as he has consistently. The first time I saw Keiji I knew he was gifted and I caught up and watched him in real time and he did not disappoint. He played like a man among boys. Keep a close eye on this kid.Â