Some of Kentucky’s best boys and girls basketball players are preparing to represent their home state for a final time on the pre-college stage.
The annual Kentucky vs. Indiana basketball all-star series is taking place Friday and Saturday.
Friday night’s opening contests will take place at Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, while Saturday’s games are at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers) in Indianapolis.
Both the 2024 Mr. and Miss Basketball winners will be taking the floor in each game. Mr. Basketball Travis Perry (Lyon County) — one of 12 scholarship players in line to play for Mark Pope’s first Kentucky men’s basketball team next season — and Miss Basketball Trinity Rowe (Pikeville), who will play in college at Southern Miss, will both play in this year’s all-star series.
Perry is the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky boys high school basketball history, having amassed 5,481 points in a career that was capped by a Sweet 16 state tournament championship in March. Perry scored 27 points in the Sweet 16 championship game to lead Lyon County to its first team state championship in any sport.
A high school varsity starter since seventh grade, Perry committed to UK in November from a small list of finalists that also included Alabama, Cincinnati, Ole Miss and Western Kentucky. He was the only member of UK’s planned six-player 2024 recruiting class to stick with the Wildcats during an offseason coaching change from John Calipari to Pope.
“Travis is what you hope for every year: Somebody that just loves Kentucky high school basketball, who had a great opportunity to really excel at the game in our state,” said Scott Chalk, the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. “But also, he genuinely wants to represent the state, represent Kentucky high school basketball and all those things.”
Perry is one of two Lyon County alumni on this year’s boys all-star team. The other is Brady Shoulders, who will be going to Mercer.
Other players on the boys team who will be playing NCAA Division I basketball later this year are Elizabethtown’s Ayden Evans (Ohio), Oldham County’s Max Green (Holy Cross), Seneca’s Quel’Ron House (Jacksonville State), Warren Central’s Kade Unseld (Western Kentucky), Bowling Green’s Mason Ritter (Columbia), Christian Academy-Louisville’s Jackson “BB” Washington (Florida Gulf Coast) and Lexington Catholic’s Tyler Doyle (Bellarmine), who will be playing in his home gym Friday night.
For the second straight year, a future UK men’s basketball player won’t be taking part in the all-star series. Last year, Reed Sheppard, the 2023 Kentucky Mr. Basketball, didn’t participate in the all-star series. This year, Harlan County’s Trent Noah — a former South Carolina signee who will now be going to UK to play with Perry — also won’t take part.
Other players on the boys all-star roster are Christian County’s Derrell Bateman (Trinity Valley Community College), Hopkinsville’s Antonio Williams (Three Rivers College) and Butler’s Dayton Williams (undecided).
The boys team will be coached by Iroquois’ Jeff Morrow with Bowling Green’s D.G. Sherrill as the assistant coach.
“This is a group that I think has a great shot to win both games, as far as the boys go,” Chalk said.
Rowe, the 2024 Kentucky Miss Basketball, also was a varsity starter since seventh grade. She helped lead Pikeville to five 15th Region titles in six years.
“She’s been one of our best promoters as far as just talking about the game and tweeting something about it,” Chalk said of Rowe. “She’s so excited about it.”
In addition to Rowe, the girls squad includes several future Division I players including Frederick Douglass’s Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (Central Michigan), Central’s Destiny Jones (West Georgia), Butler’s Mariah Knight (Jacksonville), Butler’s Ramiya White (a former UK signee who will now play at Virginia Tech), Sacred Heart’s Angelina Pelayo (UNC Wilmington), Sacred Heart’s Reagan Bender (Louisville) and Russell’s Shaelyn Steele (Penn State).
Both Butler and Sacred Heart (the four-time defending Sweet 16 state champions) have two players represented on the girls team.
Other players on the girls all-star roster are Hart County’s Dea Bradley (Campbellsville), Mercer County’s Anna Drakeford (Thomas More), Boyd County’s Jasmine Jordan (University of Rio Grande) and Barren County’s Abby Varney (Georgetown College.)
The girls team will be coached by Pikeville’s Kristy Orem with Sacred Heart’s Donna Moir as the assistant coach.
“We think the world of all of them,” Chalk said of the 24 players on the boys and girls Kentucky all-star teams. “Down the line, it benefits them. Saying you’re a Kentucky All-Star is kind of like saying you’re on the Olympic team. It’s something you only get one shot at. And if you get the chance to do it, you should definitely do it.”
Kansas recruit Flory Bidunga highlights Indiana all-star teams
The 13-player Indiana All-Stars boys roster is headlined by center Flory Bidunga, a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American who is heading to Kansas.
Bidunga was Indiana’s Mr. Basketball out of Kokomo High School.
Other future Division I players on the Indiana boys squad are Jack Benter (Purdue), Aaron Fine (Purdue, walk-on), Trey Buchanan (Iowa, walk-on), Micah Davis (Eastern Kentucky), Evan Haywood (Butler), K.J. Windham (Northwestern) and Keenan Garner (IU Indy, formerly known as IUPUI).
The other selections on the Indiana boys team are Jack Miller (Hanover College), Isaac Andrews (Indiana Wesleyan), Karson Rogers (University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana), Tyler Parrish (Marian University) and Tucker Tornatta (Marian).
Indiana leads the boys series over Kentucky, 103-45. The series began in 1940.
Last year, Kentucky and Indiana split the boys series, with each team winning in its home state. The boys’ win in Owensboro snapped a seven-game losing streak for Kentucky.
For the girls team, 12 of Indiana’s 13 players have already chosen a Division I school.
This group includes: Audrey Annee (Army), Emma Haan (Vermont), Alli Harness (Western Michigan), Talia Harris (Mercer), Ellery Minch (DePaul), Jordyn Poole (Purdue), Camryn Runner (Evansville), Chloe Spreen (Alabama), Reagan Wilson (Iowa State), Faith Wiseman (Indiana), Rachel Wirts (Villanova) and Juliann Woodard (Michigan State).
Spreen was Indiana’s Miss Basketball out of Bedford North Lawrence High School.
Lauren Walsh, who holds a scholarship offer from Eastern Michigan, is the only player on the Indiana girls team yet to pick a college.
Last year, Kentucky and Indiana also split the girls series, with each team also winning in its home state. Kentucky won the game in Owensboro, 72-62, with former Miss Basketball and current Murray State player Haven Ford leading the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Indiana leads the girls series, 53-41. The series began in 1976.
Indiana junior all-stars beat both Kentucky teams
Both the Kentucky boys and girls senior all-star teams already have tune-up games under their belts.
On Saturday, the senior all-star squads played against Kentucky junior all-star teams at Louisville’s Eastern High School. The junior girls team beat the senior girls team, 79-78, on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by class of 2025 Frederick Douglass standout Niah Rhodes.
The senior boys team handled the junior boys team, 124-98. Green, the former Oldham County star who is heading to Holy Cross, led all scorers with 27 points. The junior boys were led in scoring by Ashland Blazer’s Zander Carter, a Liberty commit who scored 20 points.
Both the boys and girls Kentucky junior all-star teams dropped their respective games to the Indiana junior all-stars last weekend.
The Indiana girls beat Kentucky 111-76. The Indiana boys beat Kentucky 130-103.
Game times, ticket information for Kentucky vs. Indiana
The first games in this year’s all-star series will be Friday at Lexington Catholic High School. Tickets are $15 each and seating is general admission. The girls game begins at 5:30 p.m. and the boys game will follow at around 7:30 p.m.
The first 200 fans to enter the Lexington Catholic gym for Friday’s games will be given a set of all-star trading cards sponsored by Rise Up Sports Media.
On Saturday, the teams will face each other again at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets are available starting at $10 via Ticketmaster. The girls game starts at 5 p.m., and the boys game will follow at around 7:30 p.m.
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