PREVIEW: Kentucky targets set to compete in this week's adidas 3SSB Championships

ZGeogheganKSR

Photos of Tay Kinney (left), Deron Rippey Jr. (middle), and Anthony Thompson via Jamie Shaw | On3

Rock Hill, SC, will play host this week to one of the most exciting AAU events of the entire summer — and several Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting targets will suit up to compete.

The 2025 adidas 3SSB “Palmetto Road” Championships begin on Wednesday, July 9, and continue through Sunday, July 13, at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center. I’ll be making the trip down later this week to interview/scout all of the Kentucky coaching staff’s favorite prospects. College coaches will be allowed to attend most of the event, with the evaluation period running from Thursday until Sunday. It will be a surprise if head coach Mark Pope — or any of his assistants — don’t pop in for at least a day or two.

Who will Pope and company be keeping tabs on this week? Let’s make some educated guesses based on what we already know. For a complete day-by-day schedule, click the link here.

Class of 2026 Kentucky targets

Caleb Holt (SG) 6-5, 200 | Game Elite 17U
5-star: No. 4 overall, No. 1 SG

One of four 2026 prospects in this event with an offer from Kentucky, Caleb Holt is coming off an impressive gold medal run with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup, where he teamed up with incoming Kentucky freshman Jasper Johnson. Pulling Holt out of home-state Alabama could prove to be tough (Alabama and Auburn are making big pushes) while the likes of Ole Miss, Houston, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Baylor, and Kansas also stand out. Holt told KSR last month he’ll “probably” take a visit to Kentucky and others around the fall.

Anthony Thompson (SF) 6-8, 185 | Indiana Elite 17U
5-star: No. 12 overall, No. 5 SF

Another 2026 recruit with a Kentucky offer, Anthony Thompson is “down” to a top 15 list: Auburn, BYU, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas, and Xavier. UK He plans to cut that group in half in the near future, but has yet to schedule any visits. Thompson has visited Lexington unofficially multiple times in the past. UK is viewed as a real contender here.

Tay Kinney (PG) 6-2, 185 | Wildcat Select 17U
4-star: No. 15 overall, No. 3 PG

The third 2026 recruit holding a Kentucky offer in this event is Tay Kinney, who is in the midst of his official visit tour. He’s already OV’d at UK, Louisville, and Purdue with three more on the docket: Indiana, Oregon, and Texas. As of right now, Kentucky does not appear to be one of the clear-cut frontrunners that it had been earlier this year, but the home-state school is still fully in the mix.

Deron Rippey Jr. (PG) 6-2, 175 | New Heights 17U
4-star: No. 17 overall, No. 4 PG

Our fourth and final 2026 Kentucky offeree is Deron Rippey Jr., who has burst onto the scene in the last few months and turned into a borderline five-star recruit. He has upcoming official visits to North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas. Rippey recently told KSR that Kentucky “will definitely get an official” visit at some point. The ‘Cats only offered him in June, but have quickly gained ground on the talented point guard.

Arafan Diane (C) 6-11, 280 | Iowa United 17U
4-star: No. 24 overall, No. 2 C

Another player who has established himself as a top recruit this spring/summer is 6-foot-11 center Arafan Diane. He plans to take anywhere from five to seven official visits this fall, Kentucky likely to be among that group. Oregon, Houston, Arkansas, UConn, Purdue, and Indiana are other schools in the mix. Diane has been a top performer on the 3SSB circuit and was one of the best overall players at the NBPA Top 100 Camp last month.

Davion Adkins (PF) 6-8, 205 | Southern Assault 17U
4-star: No. 33 overall, No. 4 PF

It’s tough to pinpoint just how much interest Kentucky is showing in Davion Adkins at the moment, but there is a past relationship. We’ll have a better idea after talking to him this week. TCU is the first school to lock Adkins up for an official visit. Rutgers, Houston, Texas, and LSU are other schools to keep an eye on.

Billy White III (SF) 6-8, 175 | ASAK 17U
4-star: No. 42 overall, No. 14 SF

Kentucky has ramped up the interest in Billy White III since the spring, which included an in-home visit from assistant coach Mikhail McLean. A good showing this week in front of the UK staff could earn him a scholarship when it’s all said and done. LSU, SMU, Virginia, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Maryland, and TCU are among the other schools he’s hearing from the most right now.

Class of 2027 Kentucky targets

Bruce Branch (SF) 6-7, 170 | Compton Magic 17U
4-star: No. 7 overall, No. 3 SF

Considered by some scouts as one of the best players in high school basketball regardless of age, Bruce Branch is high on Kentucky’s radar. An offer from the Wildcats has yet to be extended, but the staff has been in his ear since the contact period opened for 2027 recruits on June 15. The likes of Indiana, Arizona State, Louisville, Arizona, UCLA, USC, Texas, Virginia, LSU, and Tennessee have already offered Branch scholarships.

Martay Barnes (CG) 6-2, 170 | Austin Rivers 17U
4-star: No. 28 overall, No. 1 CG

Martay Barnes was another 2027 recruit who quickly heard from Kentucky on June 15 — in fact, UK was the first school to contact him. Indiana, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Kansas, among plenty of others, have already extended offers. A visit to Lexington could be on the way soon.

Nasir Anderson (PG) 6-1, 170 | Game Elite 16U
4-star: No. 40 overall, No. 12 PG

Not many 2027 recruits have seen a boom in their recruitment this summer like Nasir Anderson. The likes of Southern California, Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss have all extended offers within the last few weeks. Kentucky was quick to reach out on June 15. Anderson attends Norcross (GA) High, the same school that produced former Wildcats Jodie Meeks and Brandon Boston Jr.