MADISON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi’s top high school basketball players took the court Saturday for the third annual Josh Hubbard Showcase, an event designed to give student-athletes one last high-level run before moving on to their college programs.
The showcase featured 38 of the state’s best girls and boys players and has grown each year, offering exposure opportunities and more than $10,000 in scholarship money this year.
Josh Hubbard said the event is built to help players compete in front of a broader basketball audience while also supporting them financially as they prepare for the next level.
“It’s just a blessing to have this platform just to give back,” Hubbard said. “It’s like a train, just give back to the things I have learned to the people that are behind me.”
The showcase included 17 local standouts along with Jackson State signee Blake Nettles, who said he is ready to make Jackson his home.
“It’s amazing, every time I come up here they show me love, so I’m ready for it,” Nettles said.
Nettles, the 2026 Mr. 6A Basketball, said the weekend was about more than competition. He pointed to the relationships built through the event and the mentorship he has received from Hubbard as he prepares for college basketball.
“I know Josh Hub… he’s a great guy so he always shoots me messages and texts telling me what I should do next on the next level,” Nettles said. “Definitely iron sharpens iron. Great competition.”
Hubbard said the showcase started as a vision to bring the event back to where it began at MRA and to help players understand the demands of college basketball, particularly the transition into their freshman season.
“Just taking a weekend out of their busy schedule to prepare them and show them what it is going to look like,” Hubbard said. “With my experience of my freshman year, what to expect… that’s what I wanted to show them as well.”
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