One of the fastest rising basketball prospects in the state of Kentucky, Braxton Keathley, a sophomore at Martin County High School in Inez, earned himself a visit to the Kentucky basketball program in December.
The in-state talent is currently averaging over 34 points per game (as of Dec. 5) for Martin County and has his eyes set on playing college basketball in a few years, currently holding offers from near double-digit Division 1 schools. As a 2027 recruit, he already looks the part as a front runner for Mr. Basketball in his senior season. After a back-to-back years of having phenomenal in-state talents such as Reed Sheppard, Travis Perry and Trent Noah, Braxton might be on path to become that next type of household name.
The 6’5 guard took an unofficial visit to Kentucky on December 9th, sitting in attendance for their 103-67 win over NC Central. I asked him how his trip to Rupp Arena went overall and what his thought about it were.
“The visit was good. You walk in and see all the banners and jerseys hanging from the rafters and it feels almost like a dream. I was just a 9-10 year old not too long ago, going to games with my face painted blue and white with UK on it lol… Several fans recognized me and got pictures. The coaching staff visited with me before the game and welcomed me. I know the last couple of weeks has been tough for the coaches and players so I wasn’t wanting to add to their stress. I wanted to let them focus on the game and not be having to worry about accommodating me. I thought maybe the crowd wouldn’t be as big for this one but the fans still showed up for the team and cheered them on. That was great to see cause I know it meant a lot to the players and coaches to have that support. Rupp arena is a special place.”
That answer felt personal and connected to the state’s basketball program, so it led me to my next question — Did you grow up a UK fan? If so, who is your favorite Wildcat of all-time?
“My dad, granddad, and pops love Kentucky basketball. So it’s been a part of my life. I grew up really liking the players of Tyler Herro, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Malik Monk, and SGA. I got the chance to spend a week with Maxey training in August and I learned so much from him. He’s such a hard worker and focused. My dad coached professional basketball and he coached Wayne Turner and Anthony Epps, so I’ve always heard stories on how they competed and their toughness. So much tradition and so many great players.”
Even though Braxton has plenty of time to make his college decision, it’s important to know what exactly he is even looking for in a school.
“The biggest thing is loyalty and a commitment to being with me every step of the way. I’m not looking to be a portal guy or looking for the biggest bidder. I want to be somewhere that I can be 4 years and make an impact. I want to be someone that helps a team win a national championship. Be a leader and I want a coaching staff that believes in me and my abilities. I will work everyday to be the best I can and help my teammates and I want a staff that will do the same for me.”
Staying on the topic of UK and his unofficial visit, if he was to decide to land on Kentucky after his senior season, does he have an idea of how they’d use him in their system?
“I think I can play multiple roles. I’m a bigger guard that can play on or off the ball. I’m pretty good at getting down hill and creating but I can also come off screens and shoot it, or play off of screens without the basketball. What Coach Pope needs, I can be that guy. Offensively I can provide a punch.”
And lastly, you don’t become the state’s leading scorer by accident. It takes a lot of preparation, skill, and resources to even have a chance of being in that group of players. So I asked him to detail how he’s made it to this point, especially so quickly.
Q: Talk about how much work you have put in to get to this point? What do you feel like you are doing differently than the others to help elevate you to such a higher scoring mark on a consistent basis?
“The big thing my dad always says is to focus on the today and nothing else. What are you doing today to get better and out work the competition? During the off season I’m up everyone morning at 5-6 am and I’m going 3/4 workouts a day, not including getting in the weight room. I want to be the best and I know the only way I get there is focusing on getting just a little better (daily). I’m always trying to improve any weaknesses I have. I know the hard work will pay off in the end.”
As of December 18th, Braxton doesn’t currently hold an offer from Kentucky, yet, but does hold official offers from Bowling Green, Ohio, EKU, East Carolina University, Southeast Missouri State, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and UT Martin, including multiple other non-D1 schools. He’s unofficially visited Kentucky, Purdue, Furman, Louisville, and Florida State so far, with many more to come.
The 15th Region star will be one to watch over the coming years. Is he a Wildcat in the making? Could he wind up taking his talents elsewhere? We will one day find out.
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