Kentucky Reaches Out to 2026 SG Bryson Howard, One of the Top Stock Risers of the First Live Period

2026 guard Bryson Howard is blowing up as one of the top stock risers during the NCAA’s first live period. He was named the No. 2 best performer of the weekend by On3’s Jamie Shaw. It was enough to pique Kentucky’s interest.

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound shooting guard from Heritage High School (Frisco, TX) told KSR+ on Wednesday that he was contacted by Kentucky assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Mikhail McLean. They join a growing list of schools that include Georgetown, Houston, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others.

Howard was dominant playing with Pro Skills Elite on the Nike EYBL’s U16 circuit. He averaged 26.8 points on the weekend, going 11-for-26 (42.3%) from three, with 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

“He started the weekend with a bang, going for back-to-back thirty-point performances,” On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote. “Howard shot the ball well from beyond the arc, but he also showcased some athletic twitch around the basket. What stood out later in the week for Howard was his instincts on defense. Routinely, he would switch down a line up to guard on the block, where he would gain leverage and use his length to give the opposing big fits. Howard did not have much of a reputation coming into the weekend, but should be one of the big winners of the Memphis EYBL stop.”

Bryson Howard Has NBA Pedigree

Bryson Howard has plenty of NBA pedigree as the son of former NBA wing Josh Howard. Josh Howard spent 10 seasons in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks.

Howard, a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over his NBA career. He was named an All-Star in 2007, where he averaged 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game during the 2006-07 season. Howard is now the head coach at NAIA UNT Dallas.

Josh Howard was able to carve out a lengthy and accomplished NBA career. Could his son do the same? Some of college basketball’s best programs, including Kentucky, seem to think so.

Bryson Howard was the breakout performer of EYBL Memphis. The 6-5 wing started the weekend off with back-to-back 30-point games and finished averaging 26.8 on 42.3% 3P.

Wake Forest, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Georgetown, etc. have already offered.

👉 [READ] https://t.co/SBikXPXX4e https://t.co/s85LOFCOMN pic.twitter.com/iSjmr1dWrf

— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) May 21, 2025