LEXINGTON — If people didn’t know who Reece Davidson was before the 107th Annual UK HealthCare KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 tipped off, they certainly do now.
Davidson and the North Laurel Jaguars saw their dream of winning a state championship come to an end on Friday with a 69-66 loss to Montgomery County in the quarterfinals. However, Davidson left a lasting impression with his standout performances against Breathitt County on Thursday and the Indians on Friday.
The junior has positioned himself as a frontrunner for the 2026 Mr. Basketball award by dominating in both games. In the loss to Montgomery County, Davidson scored 41 points while also recording 10 rebounds, four blocks, four steals, and one assist.
His 41-point effort ranks fifth all-time for a player from the 13th Region, according to the KHSAA Record Book, trailing only Richie Farmer of Clay County (51), Trent Noah of Harlan County (48), Russ Chadwell of Clay County (43), and Bo Roaden of Corbin (42).
“An unbelievable performance,” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “A star was born this week in Reece Davidson. Scoring 41 points, scoring 36 — average players don’t do that, he’s elite, and we’ve kept it about the team all year. Reece is an elite player. His trend line, he might not be the best player in the state right now, but his trend line, he going to surpass that, if he hasn’t, very quickly. That’s an unbelievable performance by him.”
Throughout the tournament, Davidson tallied a total of 77 points and 19 rebounds, averaging 38.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and three blocks per game.
“Normal guys don’t get 41 and 36 in the state tournament,” Valentine said. “The way he shot the ball, the way he played the point, and with his size and ability to pass the ball — he played outstanding with three to four guys on him. He absolutely carried us this week.”
And the scary thing is, Davidson will only continue to get better.
