Kentucky 2029 Players to Know

Class of 2029 is made up of players currently in the 7^th grade. In Kentucky, players can start playing up at the high school Varsity level when they are in the 7^th grade. Every year, there are 7^th graders across the state that open a lot of eyes by making an impact at the high school level. It’s not an easy thing to do and it’s tough to predict the scope of the impact they will make until the season begins, but below you will find some names that you need to know in the 2029 class. Please note some additional top 2029 players can be found in the Five 2029 Point Guards To Know article.

Jayden McClain (Ryle)

To my knowledge, McClain is the only 2029 player in Kentucky that already holds a D1 offer. The University of Cincinnati offered the young star at the start of October and Mississippi State & Ohio State have followed that up with offers of their own. This is just the start as there will be many, many more to follow. McClain is not only a solid 6’5 PF/C, but she already understands the game in a special way. At her size, she could probably just stay under the basket and shoot it every time she touched it. However, she is a very unselfish player that does whatever she can to help her team win games. McClain has great touch and forces the defense to extend with her ability to knock down shots. She sees the floor and makes great passes after grabbing rebounds and out of the post. At Ryle, she will get to compete in practice against 2 senior post players that are signed to play D1 basketball next year. I have no doubts she will continue putting in the work and I think with that work, we are going to see the next big star to come from Kentucky in Jayden McClain.

Kennedy Deener (Taylor County)

Deener has proven to be one of the top 2029 players in the state. What makes her especially dangerous is her ability to consistently score in a variety of ways. She does a great job of attacking gaps and getting to the rim, but she can also stop and pop, knock down jumpers, or finish floaters. She can finish through contact and she uses her length so well to get the ball around the defenders hands. Deener is active on the boards and active defensively. She has always played up at the MS level and now will have her shot to show what she can do at the Varsity level this season. Taylor County has a lot of talented young players, but Deener is a name I continue to hear and likely will continue to hear for years to come.

Reagan Clem (Harlan County)

Clem is a very fundamentally sound player. She can impact the game on both ends of the court. She can score at all 3 levels and in a variety of different ways. Can finish in some very tough ways around the basket. Clem has strong ball handling moves and fakes that she uses to get past defenders. The Lady Black Bears graduated some key players from last season, but they return one of the top 13^th Region players in Ella Karst Ella Karst 5'4" | PG Harlan County | 2024 State KY who Clem will be able to learn from. As you can see below, she took advantage of the opportunity she had to play up this summer and will be looking to build on that going into this season.

Rylee Reynolds (Nelson County)

Reynolds can make stuff happen inside and outside of the paint. She has great post moves and finishes very well around the rim. She can create 1-on-1 through her moves and/or by creating separation from her defender. She can step outside of the paint and knock down jumpers as well. Rebounds well – can grab a board and go the length of the court.

Hannah Simmon (LKY Saints)

Simmon should be a key player for LKY Saints this year. From what I’ve been told along with what I’ve seen on film, she is a very good shooter. She has a quick release and catches ready to fire. She can knock them down inside or outside of the perimeter. When she gets hot, don’t be surprised to see her knockdown multiple triples in any given game. She is also a playmaker and she moves very well without the ball.

Other Names to Watch For

While I haven’t gotten to see or watch film on the players below, there were some other names that were brought up to me from the 2029 class. I don’t do write ups without at least watching film on a player, but I do still want to mention those names as 2029 players to watch (listed alphabetically by last name):

Vella Dunn (Nicholas County)

Jordan Hardin (Nelson County)

Callie Jones (South Laurel)

Raegan Mays (Montgomery County)

LaNayjah O’Bannon (Lassiter MS – unsure what HS she will be playing with)

Parker Anne Routt (Montgomery County)

Layla Watson (Nelson County)

Adelaide Ward (Nelson County)

Lilly White (John Hardin)