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KSR's top takeaways from Nike EYBL Session 3/Run 4 Roses

Screenshot 2023-11-10 at 1.25.30 PMby: Phoenix Stevens07/15/25PStevensKSR
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Photo of Nike EYBL Session 3/Run 4 Roses by KSR

KSR made the trip to Louisville to get a look at some Kentucky targets at Nike EYBL Session 3/Run 4 Roses. The “largest girls’ basketball exposure event in the world” did not disappoint, providing a fun weekend of high-profile hoops. There were several prospects who balled out on the big stage. Plus, there was some intel that KSR learned while on-site.

Let’s get into our biggest takeaways from the event.

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First and foremost, the events that took place on Sunday should never, EVER happen

We’ll keep this brief, but it would be wrong if we didn’t point out what transpired on Sunday.

If you are unaware, all games were put to an abrupt pause due to what was described as “an ongoing safety concern”. We, thankfully, left the venue about an hour before everything went down, but after talking to dozens of coaches, recruits and fellow media members, it’s heartbreaking to hear just how traumatic things were for everyone involved.

There have been mixed reports about what actually went down, but what happened for a fact was the panic that everyone felt. We can say for a fact that the safety protocols at the event weren’t very great either. There’s no reason why we should have been able to walk in without our bags being checked.

Thankfully, there were no victims, but a lot of people were shaken up on Sunday. Prayers for everyone’s mental well-being. Now, onto some basketball.

Lindsey Hicks, Josh Petersen were on-site doing some recruiting

While we didn’t see Kenny Brooks in Louisville this weekend, assistants Lindsey Hicks and Josh Petersen were. We didn’t see Petersen either, but Fairfield assistant Blake DuDonis seemed to confirm Petersen was there with this social media post.

As for Hicks, she had eyes on Olivia Vukosa, Jordyn Palmer and Sydney Savoury every time they took the floor. She also got eyes on Whitley Rogers, De’Andra Minor and Erin Thomas.

Kentucky was very active on the recruiting trail this weekend. Hopefully, it pays dividends starting this winter.

Kentucky right in the mix for Olivia Vukosa, probably the most impressive prospect at the event

Olivia Vukosa has one of the more stacked top sevens you’ll ever see. She’ll make a commitment to Ohio State, UConn, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, LSU or Kentucky, and the Cats are right in the mix to land her.

With a lot of recruitments, you start to see a favorite emerge at this point in the process, but the same really can’t be said regarding Vukosa. She plans to visit all of her finalists before making a decision, including Kentucky.

She told KSR that she’s looking for a place with a family atmosphere, and that just so happens to be her favorite thing about Kentucky. That definitely helps. Additionally, she has a very, very strong relationship with Petersen that goes back to his time at Miami.

Heading into the winter, Kentucky could very well be the school of choice for the top five five-star prospect.

Sydney Savoury appears to be the staff’s top priority in the 2027 class

Kentucky is putting on the full-court press to land a commitment from Sydney Savoury, who has been the most prolific scorer on the Nike EYBL circuit, averaging 25 points per game. The staff got her in for a visit before Run 4 Roses, and as we noted before, they were front and center for all of her games this weekend.

Michigan and UCLA are among the top competitors to land her, and they were also courtside for each of her games. The Wolverines are the home-state team in her recruitment, so that’s something to monitor.

As Savoury told KSR, the staff is going “all in” on her. Consider her the top priority in the 2027 class. She’s ranked in the teens right now, but she should end up a top five prospect when it’s all said and done.

Mimi Thiero to Kentucky is a very real possibility with visit looming

Mimi Thiero to Kentucky isn’t just a pipe dream. It could happen. After offering her in May, the 6-foot-4 four-star forward told KSR that she is looking to visit Lexington in September. Getting her on campus for an official visit is a positive sign.

Kentucky will be losing Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett after this year, so bringing in Thiero could help fill in the hole that they’ll leave.

Whitley Rogers, Jordyn Palmer also shined with their scoring ability

KSR was particularly impressed by Whitley Rogers and Jordyn Palmer, who stood out because of their innate ability to put the ball in the hoop in a multitude of ways. Through Session 3, Rogers ranks seventh on the Nike EYBL circuit in points per game (16.9).

Rogers may have the sweetest jumper in the 2026 class, and as for Palmer, she really excels at getting downhill but also managing to not force things. It almost looks like she plays in slow motion, but she’s still quicker than most everyone on the court. Her physical frame provides matchup problems for opposing guards on both ends of the floor.

We’ll have much more content from this past weekend coming your way the next few days. Stay tuned.

Rundown of prospects offered by Kentucky

2026

  • 5-star post Olivia Vukosa – No. 3 overall, No. 1 post – Christ the King (FL)
  • 5-star point guard Kate Harpring – No. 4 overall, No. 1 point guard – Marist (GA)
  • 5-star guard Trinity Jones – No. 7 overall, No. 3 guard – Bolingbrook (IL)
  • 5-star point guard Maddyn Greenway – No. 11 overall, No. 2 point guard – Providence Academy (MN) – Committed to Kentucky
  • 5-star guard Bella Flemings – No. 12 overall, No. 6 guard – Brennan (TX)
  • 5-star wing Savvy Swords – No. 18 overall, No. 4 wing – Long Island Lutheran (NY) – Committed to Kentucky
  • 4-star forward Amari Byles – No. 22 overall, No. 4 forward – DeSoto (TX)
  • 4-star guard Sanai Green – No. 23 overall, No. 9 guard – Long Island Lutheran (NY) – Committed to Duke
  • 4-star forward Kamora Pruitt – No. 24 overall, No. 5 forward – Legion Prep Academy (TX)
  • 4-star wing Bella Ragone – No. 28 overall, No. 7 wing – Mill Creek (GA) – Committed to Notre Dame
  • 4-star forward Mimi Thiero – No. 35 overall, No. 9 forward – Quaker Valley (PA)
  • 4-star guard Emily McDonald – No. 39 overall, No. 13 guard – Long Island Lutheran (NY)
  • 4-star guard Whitley Rogers – No. 41 overall, No. 15 guard – Little Rock Christian Academy (AR)

2027

  • 5-star guard Ivanna Wilson Manyacka – No. 2 overall, No. 1 guard – Bullis (MD)
  • 5-star wing Jordyn Palmer – No. 6 overall, No. 1 wing – Westtown (PA)
  • 5-star guard Sydney Savoury – No. 15 overall, No. 4 guard – Belleville (MI)
  • 4-star point guard De’Andra Minor – No. 21 overall, No. 3 point guard – Grind Prep Academy (OK)
  • 4-star forward Sydney Mobley – No. 22 overall, No. 6 forward – Big Walnut (OH)
  • 4-star guard Madeline Mignery – No. 33 overall, No. 11 guard – Cardinal Mooney (FL)
  • Forward Isabella Marion – Unranked (international) – Denmark

2028

  • 4-star forward Sydney Douglas – No. 2 overall, No. 1 forward – Etiwanda (CA)
  • 4-star point guard Chloe Johnson – No. 3 overall, No. 1 point guard – Marshall (MN)
  • 4-star wing Ella Peper – No. 4 overall, No. 1 wing – Dexter Southfield (MA)
  • 4-star guard Jhaliana Guy – No. 19 overall, No. 10 guard – Bettendorf (IA) – Committed to Stanford
  • 4-star guard Erin Thomas – No. 22 overall, No. 11 guard – Princeton (OH)

2029

  • Center Jayden McClain – Unranked (no rankings for 2029 yet) – Ryle (KY)
  • Wing Carib Morris – Unranked (no rankings for 2029 yet) – Cresset Christian Academy (NC)

(via ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT Ranki

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2025-08-02