D&D Sports Network Staff Report
It’s been a minute since we have put out our 15th Region rankings, and this time we are doing it with a little different formula. We are giving you the “Top 5” players by position and at the bottom you will find a list of players on our watchlist, which are in no particular order. The “Top 5” players by positions are all prospects that we believe are next level talent – players that currently hold offers or players that are being recruited by college programs. The “watchlist” is made up of 10 players who have been putting in the work, 10 players who produced last year some, or 10 players we feel can break into the “Top 5” of their position but we feel we need to see just a little bit more of them.
At the top, we have the D&D Sports Network Preseason “Player of the Year” which went to Martin County transfer Parker Watts. Then at the bottom is our player we feel comfortable with tagging as the “Breakout” Player of the Year, and that went to Shelby Valley’s Caden Johnson. The “Breakout” Player of the Year goes to a player nobody is talking about but we think can come from nowhere and break into one of the “Top 5” spots going into next season.
Here is a short description of the “Top 3” players at each position, hopefully this recruiting guide helps you get to know all the talent in the 15th Region a bit better.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Parker Watts – SG/SF (Martin County)
Offers: KCU/St. Mary’s/CU-Harrodsburg
Parker Watts is an athletic freak coming to the Bluegrass State via Tolsia High School in Glenhayes, WV. He will be the primary scoring threat for the Martin County Cardinals this season. This 2025 prospect tallied up nearly 1,500 career points in three seasons with the Rebels, which included four games as a junior where he scored 50 or more. Watts takes the top spot on our rankings as the Preseason “Player of the Year” because of his ability to dominate on the offensive end. He will make plays every game that makes your jaw drop. Get your popcorn ready. Watts is worth the price of admission
POINT GUARD
Chris Spriggs – PG (Floyd Central)
Chris Spriggs is kid that hasn’t been seen as much as some of the other kids in the Mountains, but when he does get a chance to compete against the best, he often comes out on top. Spriggs can lead his team in multiple statistics. He’s a playmaker who can score in bunches. Spriggs is a true competitor – one of those players who does everything he can to give his team a competitive edge. This junior guard is the best rebounding point guard we’ve seen in the D&D Sports Network era. Expect to hear his name more and more as the season moves along.
Cameron Pente- PG (Betsy Layne)
Offers: Kentucky Christian University
This veteran point-guard is one of the most durable guards in the 15th Region. Bobcats fans never have to wonder whether or not he will step up and produce. Cameron Pente is a smaller PG, but with multiple years of experience no moment is too big for him. Pente’s quickness and toughness allow him to overcome a lot of the adversities that are thrown at him throughout a game. This dynamic playmaker is on the short list of players that will try to dethrone Martin County’s Peyton Davis from the “Laithan Hall” award, which goes to the Mountain’s best defender. Cameron Pente is one of them players you want to “Captain” your team. He’s hard-nosed and gritty – one of those guys a coach can always depend on.
Carter Damron- PG (East Ridge)
East Ridge point guard Carter Damron is one of the most overlooked guards in the 15th Region despite being the top scoring guard in the 2025 class. Damron is a small guard but uses his extremely high basketball IQ to gain an advantage over his opponents. The East Ridge senior’s frame is highly deceptive. He has a sneaky quickness. He finishes well in the paint. You add that with his 38% shooting from downtown, and you have a very solid player sitting at #3 on the point-guard list. Colleges need to take the time to talk to this Mountain guard. He is very competitive and possesses all of the leadership qualities to run a program.
SHOOTING GUARD
Jaxon Estridge – SG/SF (Belfry)
Offers: KCU/CU-Harrodsburg/Alice Lloyd
This kid is the most improved player for the second consecutive year. He’s known as the second hardest worker in the 15th Region. Estridge is probably the most well-rounded prospect in the 15th Region. He plays both sides of the court highly effectively. This sensational senior is the most skilled kid in the 2025 class. He has nice handles, great floor vision, can score on all three levels, is a pure shooter and is a lockdown defender. This is one of those players that could be one of the top 2-3 players in the 15th Region but he still has to prove he can do it during the season, because he hasn’t had the same opportunities as a lot of the other prospects on this list. If you’re buying stock in a player, this is the one you want to bet on. His stock will continue to rise with the work ethic he has. Estridge is the best kept secret in the Coalfields!
Peyton Davis – PG/SG (Martin County)
Offers: KCU/Alice Lloyd
Peyton Davis is one of the most consistent players in the 15th Region. He will always give you good production. Davis is the reigning “Laithan Hall” award winner – an honor that goes to the best defensive player in the Mountains. This Cardinals senior is the toughest player in the 15th. He’s the guy who no player looks forward to matching up against. Davis has really focused on improving his outside shot and it’s worked. This Summer he had multiple games where hit seven or more 3-pointers. Davis is a natural born leader who could be the driving force behind the Cardinals once again reaching Rupp Arena.
Jackson Keene – SG (Pikeville)
Offers: CU-Harrodsburg/Shawnee State
Jackson Keene went into the Summer as one of the bigger names in the 15th Region. He is well experienced in the camp and AAU circuits, which helps him with experience on the High School level. Keene is another high IQ prospect. He knows what he has to do to be successful on the hardwood, and he gets it done. This 2026er may be the best at knowing where his sweet spots are on the floor and being able to get to them. Kid has a silky smooth jump shot. We’ve noticed much improvement in the way he defends quicker guards and his ability to get to the rim. It’s clear he’s made an effort to improve any deficiencies in his game. Keene’s new Coach Elisha Justice has a really good offseason program where Jackson will be able to continue to improve his athleticism. This time next year we expect him to be on the top shooting guard list with Estridge and Davis graduating.
COMBO GUARD
Braxton Keathley – CG (Prestonsburg)
Offers: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi/Ohio/Southeast Missouri
Blackcat guard Braxton Keathley is the top recruited guard in the 15th Region. This kid holds three Division I offers to date with many more about to come down the pipeline. Keathley is believed to be the hardest working hooper in the state of Kentucky. He’s the true definition of a gym rat. Keathley can play either guard spot very effectively and has come leaps and bounds on the defensive end. This 2027 talent knows where his spots are on the floor, and he knows how to get there. His knack for scoring the rock is the best in his class. This season his stock will either skyrocket, or it will drop depending how he handles the pressure of facing double and triple teams on a nightly basis. But if I was laying money down on him, I’d say he will handle the pressure quite well.
Carter Parsons- SG (Betsy Layne)
Offers: KCU/CU-Harrodsburg
Betsy Layne junior Carter Parsons is one of the best transition players in the 15th Region. He’s one of those guys you have to find on fast breaks, or he’ll make you pay all night long. Parsons not only has the ability to finish at the rim but is also really great at running to his spots around the perimeter and knocking down the trifecta with solid consistency. Carter is an above average defender with a high basketball IQ. His experience and leadership qualities make him standout in the 2026 class.
Zade Rash – CG (Belfry)
Zade Rash is another one of those gym rats. This kid puts in a lot of extra work outside of team practices, and it shows on the court. Rash is a highly skilled guard. He shoots the three ball with a lot of consistency, has a nice mid-range jumper and, although he doesn’t do it as much as he can, the super sophomore is great at finishing in the paint. The most underrated part of Rash’s game is his handles and floor vision. If you’re on this dude’s team you better have your head on a swivel. If not, he may just pop you in the ol’ noggin. Rash shows spurts of being a good defender. Right now he has grabbed some colleges’ attention, and as he locks in on becoming a great defender, he will have teams knocking his door down. All through Middle School he went back and forth with Braxton Keathley as the top prospect in the 2027 class. We expect Rash to make a push for that top spot now that he has picked up some help this offseason. This rising star checks off all the boxes on and off the floor. He has a next level physique along with a load of attributes that transition to the collegiate game. We expect him to have an enormous next two years.
SMALL FORWARD
Austin Slone- SG/SF (Johnson Central)
Sophomore wing Austin Slone may be the most physical forward in his class. If he gets going down hill, it’s over. Slone led the 15th Region in scoring last year as a freshman. Everything the Golden Eagles do goes through him, and after you watch him you’ll understand why. This 2027 talent has great size for his position, and it allows him to finish strong at the rim while absorbing a lot of contact. One thing Slone needs to work on is improving the consistency of his outside shot. If he does that, he can pick up some big time college offers. The Golden Eagles offense is geared around Slone, so he faces multiple defenders night in and night out. He has shown the ability to make the right play and he also rebounds the ball extremely well. Austin Slone is extremely durable and should have a lot of hardware coming his way before he graduates.
Ethan Cole – SF (Paintsville)
The thing that stands out about Ethan Cole is his next level size and remarkable shooting from long range. Cole can kill you along that baseline. He can make you pay on all three levels. Cole led the Tigers in scoring as a freshman with 17 points and 7 boards a game. Ethan Cole will see offers start to roll in soon. He’s coming into his sophomore season with more of a spotlight on him from building up his reputation as a standout freshman.
Dylan Boyd – SF (Floyd Central)
Dylan Boyd is a unique Mountain talent. He is a specialist – a real flame thrower from downtown. Boyd is a long ranger sniper and a player that possesses the “clutch” gene. You definitely want this Jaguar to have the ball in late game situations. He never gets too high or too low. Boyd is also an above average rebounder. We expect that after a summer in Hayes Training System he will improve his strength and quickness, making him a very valuable piece to the Jaguars on both ends. Recruiters that need a shooter, should do their homework on Dylan Boyd. His accuracy and lighting quick release could make him a very valuable commodity to teams needing shooting.
POWER FORWARD
Jaden Stewart – SF/PF (Pike Central)
Offers: KCU/Bethany College/CU-Harrodsburg
Pike Central will depend heavily on Jaden Stewart to throw down impressive numbers in the scoring column. If any kid can do it, it’s this one. Stewart is a deadly shooter and has the ability to make tough shots with hands in his face. Stewart averaged a double-double last season, and we expect him to do the same this season with higher averages. Stewart is the best we’ve seen at rebounding his own misses. You better know where this dude is at during every moment of the game. He can make defenses pay in a big way if you allow him clean looks.
Devan Maynard – PF (Martin County)
Martin County “Big” Devan Maynard is going to be the biggest mismatch problem in the 15th Region. He is a fierce competitor who plays with an intensity like no other. Maynard has worked really hard to become a serviceable shooter from 3-point range, but his bread and butter is his play in the paint. Devan can defend multiple positions. He is a violent shot blocker who changes shots whether he gets a hand on them or not. Every school in the Bluegrass not named Kentucky or Louisville should be doing their homework on this guy. If he puts his focus on basketball, he could play at college basketball’s highest level. We absolutely love this Cardinals junior.
Ian Onkst – PF/SF (Pikeville)
Ian Onkst was on a loaded Pikeville team that went 22-5 last season. He came in and played an extremely valuable sixth man role for the Panthers due to a veteran roster that was made up of 5 starting seniors. He would have probably started on every other team in the 15th Region. Onkst has always been a talented player, but he opened up a lot of eyes when he helped to hold Harlan County’s Trent Noah below his season average. Onkst has a long frame with a long wingspan that gives him an advantage over his opponents on both ends. This 2025er can bring value to next level programs in a lot of ways. In the Mountains, he is forced to play the four spot due to his height, but on the collegiate level he can be a very effective three. We love Onkst’s ability to guard but don’t sleep on him offensively. The kid can score on all three levels and shot a blistering 43% from three last season.
CENTER
Tyler Weddington – C/PF (Phelps)
Phelps “Big Man” Tyler Weddington is considered an unstoppable force down low – an immovable object, he laid down a very impressive stat line last season that included a 20.5 points and 16 rebounds per game double-double average. Weddington is the one player in the 15th Region that nobody has an answer for down low. He dominates the paint with his size and strength. The most underrated part of Weddington’s game is his fundamentals and footwork. He understands where he needs to be. He sets great screens while excelling in the pick-n-roll and the pick-n-pop. With a couple of years in the Phelps system we are expecting him to flourish as he’s now a year older. The only question he has to answer is, can he handle the pressure of being the primary scoring option?
Brock Woods – C/PF (Paintsville)
Brock Woods’ fundamentals are what has him sitting at the #2 spot on our Centers list. This kid has a variety of post moves with the ability to step out and stretch the floor. Woods is one of the biggest names in his class nationally but still sort of a secret here in the Coalfields due to him spending a lot of his time on AAU circuits during his Middle School years. Woods earned a lot of respect during his time with Team Teague and Team Phenom the last few years in AAU, but we expect him to earn that same kind of respect this coming season in the 15th Region. If not for Weddinton’s insane freshman season, Woods could very well be sitting at the top spot thanks to his versatility. We absolutely love the way Woods plays the game. His mobility makes him a hard guard for other centers. You will hear his name a lot this season. We guarantee that.
EB Walters – C/PF (Pikeville)
EB Walters could be a big problem for opposing teams in the 15th Region. This is one of those players who should definitely be higher on this list but injuries the past few years still leave a few questions to be answered. We’ve seen EB go against other great big men and more times than not he comes out on top. Walters has a high octane motor, but that often works against him because he goes 100 mph the whole time he’s in the game. This sensational senior does a really good job at protecting the rim. He’s fundamentally sound on offense. He can step out and knock down a shot if needed but his fierce competitiveness is what separates him from other “bigs” in the 15th Region. When colleges get to see him this season, we expect him to garner a lot of attention and get the opportunity to play at the next level.
We have a lot of faith in all these prospects listed in this recruiting guide. We see the work these players are putting in and feel comfortable that they will “represent” this upcoming season. Before we let you go, we do want to mention three players you could see on this list before season’s end but couldn’t include them because we don’t know their role on their respective teams and how much of an opportunity they will have to display their talents. The three we could see make a climb would be Floyd Central’s Christian Johnson, Paintsville’s Preston Slone and Betsy Layne’s Ethan Hammond. All three are highly talented players who have all had big summers.
