Adidas 3SSB Championships - Evaluations of Kentucky Targets (2025)

Kentucky Sports Radio had boots on the ground in Rock Hill, South Carolina for the annual Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships. Zack Geoghegan was there Friday through Sunday conducting interviews with several Kentucky targets which are linked below (with plenty more to come). While Zack got all of the inside scoop over the weekend, I was in attendance all week getting evaluations and grinding away with my pen and paper.

• Nate Ament Interview
• Tay Kinney Interview
• Kaden Magwood Interview
• Malachi Moreno Interview

Coach Mark Pope made a couple of different appearances in Rock Hill while assistants Cody Fueger and Jason Hart were also around. Live evaluation periods always begin to reveal who coaching staffs make a priority. For Kentucky in Rock Hill, it was players like Nate Ament, Malachi Moreno, and Braylon Mullins to name a few. Let’s dive into some evaluations of the top Kentucky targets in the Class of 2025 that played in the 3SSB Championships. Then, tomorrow, we will highlight the early targets in the Class of 2026.

***All star ratings and prospect rankings are via the On3 Industry Ranking.***

Darryn Peterson (Huntington Prep 2025 – Phenom United 17u)

Five-Star, #3 Prospect

You can make a strong argument that Peterson was the most impressive prospect at the 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships. Considered the best Class of 2025 guard in the country, the 6’5” Peterson dominated with his unique combination of size, strength, athleticism, and skill throughout the week. On Tuesday night, he single-handily dominated previously undefeated Indiana Elite going off for 38 points and 11 rebounds. Peterson was equally impressive on the defensive end of the floor as well. He stuffed the stat sheet in Phenom United’s first tournament game finishing with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 5 blocked shots.

Those type of stat lines certainly weren’t uncommon as Peterson went on to average 30.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on the week. He is truly elite at drawing fouls, can create his own shot from any level of the floor, and proved himself as an impactful defender against the highest levels of competition.

Nate Ament (Highland H.S. 2025 – Team Loaded Virginia 17u)

Five-Star, #7 Prospect

When you are already ranked #7 in the country it is hard to be a stock-riser. However, Ament made a really strong case to move up even further in the national rankings with the way he played at the 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships. The 6’9” small forward operates like a pro on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he uses his elite positional size to create his own jump shots and finish above the defense at the rim. Ament is very fluid with the ball in his hands showcasing the ability to make multiple moves and change directions on his drives to create. He is a good passer with excellent vision that is equally capable of playing within a structured half court system as he is taking over a game individually with his pure talent.

Then, defensively, he might have been even more impressive. Again, it is the length and athleticism that carry him, but he has some special traits. Ament proved himself as a real threat as an off-ball shot blocker (he averaged 3.1 blocks per game at the event) and was consistently disruptive in passing lanes. There is a real case to be made that he is the second-best NBA prospect in the Class of 2025 behind A.J. Dybantsa.

Mikel Brown Jr. (Overtime Elite 2025 – Team Loaded NC 17u)

Five-Star, #12 Prospect

It is really, really hard for opposing defenses to keep this dynamic point guard out of the paint. Brown Jr. was consistently getting into the teeth of the defense and making decisions from an advantageous position. His raw playmaking ability off of the dribble was as impressive as any point guard prospect in Rock Hill throughout the week. Brown Jr. averaged 24.9 points and 3.1 assists per game while leading Team Loaded NC to a 6-1 week at the 3SSB Championships. He is a talented shot-maker from beyond the arc showcasing the ability to create looks for himself off of the dribble or knock them down from the catch. Big time scorer from the point guard position who still impresses with his passing ability.

Malachi Moreno (Great Crossing H.S. 2025 – Indiana Elite 17u)

Four-Star, #25 Prospect

One of the top big men in the country, Moreno had a slightly inconsistent, but overall productive week helping lead Indiana Elite to the 17u championship game. The 7’0” has excellent hands around the basket catching everything thrown to him on the roll and corralling every rebound that he gets his hands on. Moreno also has a soft touch around the basket but is at his best right now as a rim-runner, finisher out of the dunker’s spot and as a rim protector defensively. He is incredibly agile for his size which gives him a very high upside on the defensive end of the floor. As Moreno continues to get stronger and have the game slow down for him even more you will see yet another leap in his game. There are a lot of tools to work with here.

Braylon Mullins (Greenfield-Central H.S. 2025 – Indiana Elite 17u)

Four-Star, #26 Prospect

Mullins carried a lot of the scoring burden in the Indiana Elite backcourt throughout the week. After losing their first two games in Rock Hill, which were also their first two losses of the entire grassroots season, Indiana Elite ended up making it to the 17u championship game in large part due to the play of this 6’5” shooting guard. Mullins shot 37.9% from three-point range on very high volume finishing 25 of 66 in seven games. He averaged 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. While Mullins is a shooter/scorer first and foremost, he showed impressive growth as a ball handler and playmaker at the 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships. Adding some of that passing ability on top of the pressure he already puts on opposing defenses as a perimeter shot-maker will really help him transition to the next level.

Kaden Magwood (Combine Academy 2025 – Team Loaded VA 17u)

Four-Star, #52 Prospect

Player comparisons are generally one of the worst, laziest ways to evaluate a player. However, as a Kentucky fan, you can’t help but notice a little bit of Rob Dillingham in Kaden Magwood’s game. He is a truly elite shot-creator and shot-maker as displayed throughout the week at the 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships where he averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 15-38 (39.5%) from three-point range. Magwood is absolutely one of the most dynamic scorers in the Class of 2025. Kansas pulled the trigger and offered him after his excellent showing in Rock Hill. This will be one for Kentucky fans to monitor going forward.