The KBCA Titans Shootout, held at Collins High School in Shelbyville and various other venues, will host a total of 244 games over three days.
In Shelbyville, Kentucky, University of Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey kicked off the live recruiting period by observing top players from across the state. He spent Friday at Collins High School and Shelby County High School, taking in several games during the first day of the KBCA Titans Classic. This 128-team event includes three tournament brackets, with 94 teams from Kentucky and 34 from Ohio participating.
During his morning at Shelby County, Kelsey watched Newport High School’s four-star guard Tay Kinney, a standout in the class of 2026. Kinney, standing at 6-foot-1, led Newport to victories and mentioned ongoing conversations with Kelsey, who has emphasized his priority status in the recruiting class of ’26. Kinney holds over a dozen scholarship offers, including one from Kelsey, who re-affirmed the offer earlier this spring after the previous U of L staff initially extended it. According to 247Sports, Kinney is ranked as the No. 26 player in his class.
After his initial scouting sessions, Kelsey headed to practice with his current team before returning to catch Woodford County ’25 guard Jasper Johnson in the early afternoon. Johnson, who received an offer from Kelsey in early April, mentioned potential plans to visit Louisville later in the summer following a victory over Fern Creek. Ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the ’25 class, Johnson recently visited Kentucky and had scheduled visits to Alabama and Illinois in the coming days.
Johnson had spent his first two high school years at Woodford County before transferring to Link Academy in Bronson, Missouri, last year. He expressed uncertainty about his high school plans for the next season but enjoyed reuniting with his former teammates at the Titans Shootout.
Later on, Kelsey observed Malachi Moreno, a prominent player from Great Crossing who had been closely monitored by the U of L staff during the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp in Orlando, Florida, the previous week. Great Crossing secured a convincing 72-48 victory over Seneca, with Moreno achieving a double-double. He is ranked as the No. 26 player in the ’25 class.
Following a brief break, Kelsey turned his attention to Trinity High School ’26 guard Jayden Johnson, who is nationally ranked as the No. 57 player in his class. Johnson contributed to victories against Turpin, Ohio, and Daviess County later in the day with his team, the Shamrocks.
Kelsey concluded his day by observing Moreno once more, as he guided Great Crossing to a victory over North Laurel.
Tomorrow’s schedule includes Great Crossing playing at 4 p.m., Newport at 10 a.m., and Trinity at 5 p.m.
Louisville’s coaching staff is also actively participating in other events this weekend, such as the DMV Live event in Hyattsville, Maryland, the Section 7 event in Arizona, and the TAbC Showcase in Irving, Texas.
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