BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Colleges interested in Martin County’s Braxton Keathley are in abundance for the standout guard. Kentucky’s leading scorer last season visited Florida State University this week as his recruitment for the Class of 2027 continues to attract national attention.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard, who averaged 34.3 points and 10 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Prestonsburg, toured the Seminoles’ campus in Tallahassee. He met with coaches and players, and explored both academic and athletic opportunities.

Florida State, which has the nation’s second-ranked 2026 recruiting class, is one of several high-major programs actively pursuing Keathley, alongside Louisville, South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas State.

Keathley recently picked up his seventh NCAA Division I offer from the University of the Pacific, joining Eastern Kentucky University, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Southeast Missouri State, Ohio University, UT Martin and Bowling Green.

Keathley has also trained alongside former Kentucky Wildcat and current Philadelphia 76er Tyrese Maxey during California-based drills and workouts, while gaining experience against elite-level competition.

Keathley’s national profile continues to rise. Last season, he shot over 50% from the field, led the nation in free-throw percentage for his class at 92.3%, and ranked third nationally among sophomores in scoring. He has already surpassed 2,000 career points and 500 rebounds, earning Second Team All-State honors from both the Lexington Herald-Leader and Louisville Courier Journal, the only sophomore in Kentucky to make either list.

Keathley, a National Honor Society member, said he remains focused on both academics and helping Martin County contend for a district and regional championship this season.

Upcoming visits include Louisville on Oct. 4 and Arkansas State on Oct. 25, with other programs expected to schedule official and unofficial visits in the coming months.