Mr. Kentucky Basketball Jake Feldhaus has committed to play for a former Louisville coach

Kentucky’s 2026 Mr. Basketball has found a new college home.

Madison Central star Jake Feldhaus announced his commitment to the South Florida Bulls on Wednesday morning. A 6-foot-8 senior forward from the class of 2026, Feldhaus was previously committed to Belmont but backed off that decision a few weeks ago following a coaching change with the Bruins in March.

This past season, Feldhaus fueled Madison Central to a 30-4 overall record while averaging 20.7 points and 13 rebounds per game on 57.6 percent overall shooting. He was also named the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year and the 11th Region Player of the Year for his efforts. While not ranked by Rivals, Feldhaus also held offers from the likes of Liberty, Marshall, Northern Kentucky, Morehead State, and others.

Go bulls! 🤘🌴 pic.twitter.com/2Eh0vSW6zu

— Jake Feldhaus (@FeldhausJake) April 15, 2026

An added element to this decision? South Florida is now coached by Chris Mack, who the Big Blue Nation will remember well from his time as the head coach at Louisville (2018-22) and Xavier (2009-18) before that. After his stint with the Cardinals, Mack served as the head coach at Charlotte for two seasons, posting a 45-20 record but without any NCAA Tournament berths. He accepted the USF job in late March.

Jake Feldhaus is the son of Deron Feldhaus, who was also named Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year in 1987 at Mason County, but missed out on winning Mr. Basketball, an honor that went to John Pelphrey. Deron Feldhaus and Pelphrey went on to play for the University of Kentucky as part of the “Unforgettables” team in 1991-92.

Keeping it within the bloodline, Jake Feldhaus played for his uncle, Allen Feldhaus Jr., who is the head coach at Madison Central. Jake’s grandfather is the late Allen Feldhaus Sr., who played for UK under Adolph Rupp before coaching at Mason County. The younger Feldhaus is the second player from Madison Central to win Mr. Basketball, joining former Kentucky guard Dominique Hawkins, who did the same in 2013.

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