Kentucky Names 2026 Miss Basketball And Mr. Basketball

Madison Central's Jake Feldhaus and Assumption's Ashlinn James take home top high school basketball honors

Mar. 23, 2026 at 1:34am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Kentucky has announced the winners of the 2026 Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards. Ashlinn James of Assumption High School was named Miss Basketball after leading her team to the Sweet 16 championship game. Jake Feldhaus of Madison Central High School was named Mr. Basketball after averaging a double-double and leading his team to the 11th Region semifinals.

Why it matters

The Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards are the highest individual honors in Kentucky high school basketball, recognizing the top male and female players in the state. These awards highlight the state's strong basketball tradition and the talented student-athletes who represent the future of the sport.

The details

Ashlinn James, a 5'7" senior who has signed with Indiana University, averaged 14.9 points and 4.5 rebounds while leading Assumption to its first Seventh Region championship since 2007. She played six seasons of varsity basketball, starting as a seventh-grader at Eminence before transferring to Assumption as a junior. James scored 816 points over two seasons at Assumption and finished with 2,208 points over her six-year varsity career. Jake Feldhaus, a 6'8", 220-pound senior forward who has signed with Belmont University, led Madison Central to a 30-4 record and the semifinals of the 11th Region tournament. He averaged 20.7 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor. Feldhaus was named the 11th Region Player of the Year and recorded 30 double-doubles.

  • The awards ceremony took place on March 22, 2026 in Lexington.
  • Ashlinn James played six seasons of varsity basketball, starting as a seventh-grader at Eminence.

The players

Ashlinn James

A 5'7" senior who has signed with Indiana University, Ashlinn James led Assumption High School to its first Seventh Region championship since 2007 and was named Miss Basketball.

Jake Feldhaus

A 6'8", 220-pound senior forward who has signed with Belmont University, Jake Feldhaus led Madison Central High School to the semifinals of the 11th Region tournament and was named Mr. Basketball.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

The Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards highlight the continued excellence of Kentucky's high school basketball programs and the bright futures of the state's top players, who will go on to represent their communities at the collegiate level.