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<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LEXINGTON \u2014 If people didn\u2019t know who Reece Davidson was before the 107th Annual UK HealthCare KHSAA Boys\u2019 Sweet 16 tipped off, they certainly do now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAn unbelievable performance,\u201d North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. \u201cA star was born this week in Reece Davidson. Scoring 41 points, scoring 36 \u2014 average players don\u2019t do that, he\u2019s elite, and we\u2019ve 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\u2019t, very quickly. That\u2019s an unbelievable performance by him.\u201d
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.
\u201cNormal guys don\u2019t get 41 and 36 in the state tournament,\u201d Valentine said. \u201cThe way he shot the ball, the way he played the point, and with his size and ability to pass the ball \u2014 he played outstanding with three to four guys on him. He absolutely carried us this week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n