Martin County star Braxton Keathley recaps Kentucky visit: 'The name on the jersey means a lot.'

The state of Kentucky has been pumping out high-quality basketball talent over the last few years. Martin County’s Braxton Keathley could be the next star out of the Bluegrass.

Keathley is playing at a high level to begin his junior season with the Cardinals. Martin County is off to a 3-0 start and is receiving votes in KSR’s latest Top 25 statewide rankings. The 6-foot-5 guard is nearly averaging a triple-double early in the season, fueled by his 29.7 points per game on a 42.9 percent shooting clip from deep. He was the state’s leading scorer last season at Prestonsburg with over 34 points per outing. Rivals has him ranked as a three-star 2027 recruit and the top player from the state in his class.

As a homegrown Kentuckian, he’s hoping to lead Martin County back to the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. He got a small taste of what playing in that building might feel like on Tuesday night when he took an unofficial visit to Kentucky to watch the Wildcats’ 103-67 win over North Carolina Central. The ‘Cats haven’t officially offered him, but interest has ramped up as of late.

“It was great. I’ve been to a UK game before, obviously,” Keathley, who grew up a UK fan, told KSR on Wednesday about his trip to Lexington. “Going up there on a recruiting visit and the coaches coming up and talking to me, especially as me being a fan of a lot of players from Kentucky: Tyler Herro, Devin Booker, all these guys, fan of the team. It meant a lot to me to be able to talk to the coaches and get to meet them.

“I thought the game was really exciting. I thought the ball movement was good and the spacing was good for UK. Trent Noah looked really good, too. I was a little bit surprised by how good he is in person. But it was really cool.”

NEW: First look at 2027 PG Braxton Keathley on his unofficial visit to Kentucky today. @BraxKeathley #BBN #KentuckyBasketball pic.twitter.com/HsZ5Bqd4iN

— Dylan (@BigBlueDylan) December 9, 2025

Keathley doesn’t know Noah personally, but as a fellow in-state product, Noah is someone he’s watched play plenty over the years. Now a talented recruit in his own right, Kealthy is receiving similar treatment from the Kentucky staff that they gave Noah. During his visit, Keathley met with multiple Kentucky coaches. He’s hearing the most from assistant coach Cody Fueger right now and is already looking to plan a return visit in the near future.

“Kentucky is a great place to be at,” Keathley said, adding that he’s been talking with UK coaches for a little bit now. “The name on the jersey means a lot.”

The Wildcats are hardly the only school in his ear, either. Keathley is beginning to rack up Division I offers from mid-majors. The likes of Pacific, Eastern Carolina, UT Martin, and Ohio (among a few others) are schools that have already extended scholarships, and he hears from them regularly. At the high-major level, he went on an unofficial visit to Louisville in October and intends to make it back for another visit soon. He’s also visited LSU, Florida State, and Purdue unofficially, with South Carolina texting him daily. Over the summer, Keathley even worked out with former Wildcat guard Tyrese Maxey and his trainer, Drew Hanlan.

“I’m just grateful to be in this spot,” Keathley said. “A lot of kids want to be in my position, and I’m grateful that I’m in this position that I am right now.”

Up next, a big opportunity awaits Keathley and Martin County on Wednesday night when Huntington Prep (WV) — the same school attended by current UK freshman Braydon Hawthorne — visits for a game that tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Martin County and Huntington Prep will play twice this season, the second game happening in West Virginia in mid-January.

And speaking of prep schools, Keathley says he’s heard from some out-of-state programs lately, but he has goals of doing big things here in the state as a high schooler. He believes he can lead Martin County to the Sweet 16 and win the state’s Mr. Basketball award.

“That means something,” he said. “It means a lot.”

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