GRC hosted the KABC Bluegrass Cardinal Classic on June 12-14, 2025. This is a scholastic live period event that gives high school teams the chance to play in front of college coaches in June. I got the chance to watch over 30 different teams compete across the 3 day event. To catch as many teams and players as possible, I was typically only able to see either half of a game or one full game for each team. However, I made note of the players that grabbed my attention in those games. Below you can see the 2026 players that caught my eye. These are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Lilly Ashcraft
Pendleton County | 5'6 | PG/SG
Lilly has strong handles and is someone who was very reliable for her team. Can score at all 3 levels and plays fearless. Really love her defense – doesn’t give up anything easy. Very solid player overall.
Haley Combs
North Laurel | 5'6 | PG
Very in control at the PG position and makes a lot of smart plays without forcing. Got to the rim and finished in some crafty ways. Knows how to create separation from defenders. Read passing lanes well and was in good help defense positions.
Miyah Courtney
Elizabethtown | 5'8 | CG
Effective playing on or off the ball. Great fakes and moves to get a step on defenders and finished strong at the rim on drives including some and-1 finishes. Excellent shooter with good range. Really nice recognition of when to go all the way to the basket & when to shoot the floater in the paint.
2026 5’8 CG Miyah Courtney (@MiyahCourtney) with Elizabethtown at the Cardinal Classic👀🌟
— Alyx White (@alyxwhite_) June 18, 2025
Effective playing on or off the ball. Great fakes and moves to get a step on defenders and finished strong at the rim on drives including some and-1 finishes. Excellent shooter with good… pic.twitter.com/8fU8HCQfpN
Alanah Dubose
North Hardin | 5'6 | CG
Lefty with a smooth jumper who was making things tough on the defense with the ability to pull-up and finish in traffic, while also being a strong outside shooting threat. Can also handle the ball well and made some nice passes.
Bayley French
Bath County | 5'7 | PG/SG
Very solid floor general and also effective playing on the wing. High basketball IQ. Consistently looks to beat defenders off the dribble without forcing & makes some great kicks to teammates. Crafty ball handler and creative on drives.
2026 5’7 PG/SG Bayley French (Bath County) at the Cardinal Classic @cardinal_classc👀🔥
— Alyx White (@alyxwhite_) June 17, 2025
Very solid floor general and also effective playing on the wing. High basketball IQ. Consistently looks to beat defenders off the dribble without forcing & makes some great kicks to… pic.twitter.com/68coUXoxGr
Aryanna Gulley
Ashland | 5'11 | F
Great length and uses it to impact the game on both sides of the ball. Finished well in the paint/around the basket. Set some nice screens & rolled strong off of them. Good touch on the boards.
Adalyn Gish
Henderson County | 5'5 | PG
True PG. High IQ, excellent court vision, utilizes fakes/no looks to deliver passes seamlessly through the defense. Always been surrounded by scorers and has facilitated so well, but is clearly ready to step up scoring role as well – knocked down shots and scored in the paint/at the rim. Constantly makes things tough defensively too by applying pressure and reading passing lanes.
2026 PG Adalyn Gish (@addy_gish) with Henderson County at the Cardinal Classic👀🍿
— Alyx White (@alyxwhite_) June 17, 2025
True PG. High IQ, excellent court vision, utilizes fakes/no looks to deliver passes seamlessly through the defense. Always been surrounded by scorers and has facilitated so well, but is clearly… pic.twitter.com/PEPM1QwdNc
A'Tylia Green
Henderson County | 5'7 | CG
True difference maker on both ends of the court – always finds ways to impact the game in a variety of ways. Can score it inside and out & very effective shot fakes to get defenders off their feet. Smooth game and came up big in clutch moments, hitting multiple buzzer beaters.
2026 CG A’Tylia Green (@Atylia4) with Henderson County at the Cardinal Classic👀🌟
— Alyx White (@alyxwhite_) June 17, 2025
True difference maker on both ends of the court - always finds ways to impact the game in a variety of ways. Can score it inside and out & very effective shot fakes to get defenders off their… pic.twitter.com/KRtrEmYDpg
Emma Holtzapfel
Notre Dame | 5'11 | CG
Great shooter – felt like it was going in every time she shot it. Not just a shooter though… drove gaps and can handle contact around the basket. Spaced the floor well and made the right reads. Super solid defensively as well.
Ashlinn James
Assumption | 5'8 | PG
DIFFERENT. Really elite talent and so crafty with the ball. Super tough defensive assignment with ability to catch fire from 3, but if you apply too much pressure, James will drive right around you and can make so many plays off the bounce. A playmaking threat on top of a scoring threat. Truly should be in every single conversation when it comes to 2026 Miss Kentucky Basketball.
Isabella Jayasuriya
Campbell County | 5'10 | G/F
Scored, distributed, defended – was doing a little bit of everything for the Camels. Great size for a guard, but can also go inside if needed. Felt automatic when she pulled from 3. Made great kicks off of drives.
Jaelyn Jones
Ryle | 5'10 | SG
Could just take over and try to score on every possession, but Jaelyn is far from a selfish player and always stays willing to make the extra pass. Can score at all 3 levels with consistency though and does a good job recognizing weaknesses in defense. Not afraid of contact on drives and had multiple and-1 finishes throughout the game. Also had multiple blocks defensively.
2026 5’10 SG Jaelyn Jones (@JaelynJones08) with Ryle at the Cardinal Classic👀🔥
— Alyx White (@alyxwhite_) June 18, 2025
Could just take over and try to score on every possession, but Jaelyn is far from a selfish player and always stays willing to make the extra pass. Can score at all 3 levels with consistency though… pic.twitter.com/7FlKCVdjwQ