For most athletes, winning one gold medal while representing their country would cap off an incredible career. Getting the opportunity to win at the highest level of competition while donning the “Team USA” jersey is the end goal for players of many sports.
For 18-year-old Caleb Holt, winning three gold medals for Team USA is just the beginning of his basketball journey.
As a leading member and contributor for gold-medal-winning Team USA in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, FIBA U18 Basketball World Cup, and the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, Holt has made a name for himself in the 2026 recruiting class. As a six-foot-four dynamic two-way guard, Holt has been a standout on the high school basketball scene for years, using his skill to be a true winner on every team he’s a part of.
“Caleb’s got a great winning quotient,” Holt’s current head coach at Prolific Prep, Ryan Bernardi, said. “He really cares about the end result of the game.”
As a freshman and sophomore, Holt led his former high school team, Buckhorn, to two straight 6A state titles in Alabama, earning MVP honors for both of those tournaments while being named Gatorade and MaxPreps’ Alabama player of the year for his sophomore season. Following this success, the highly-touted recruit transferred to Grayson High School for his junior campaign, making it to the state semi-final.
Now at Prolific Prep, Holt has shone, taking his game to the next level, with Bernardi having nothing but praise for the talented player.
“He’s really improving,” Bernardi said. “He was four for five from three today, improving at a high rate. He’s been a huge addition to our program.”
With Holt’s insanely successful basketball career to this point, top colleges around the country have been intensely recruiting him and his talents to come to their school next season. With his top five coming down to Arizona, Houston, Kentucky, Providence, and Alabama, where he started his high school career, Holt has a lot to offer at the next level.
A fierce mentality of winning has led Holt to become a force on the court in all aspects, giving his full effort in every play in each game he suits up for. Prolific Prep dropped its game to Dynamic Prep Monday morning at the Hoophall Classic, 78-66, but the efforts of Holt kept his team in it, never giving up for his squad.
Scoring 16 points with eight rebounds, while racking up three steals in an excellent defensive performance, displayed how important Holt is to any team he is a part of. The rising star consistently makes hustle plays by diving on the floor for loose balls and scrapping for rebounds on every possession, putting his team in position to win any game.
Those are the “winning plays” that an ordinary top recruit usually does not make, raising him above the rest in his class and cementing his status in the upper echelon of his peers.
“When the game goes away from us a little bit, he’s normally the one that makes a play to bring us back,” Bernardi noted. “His leadership qualities and how much he cares about winning (is unique). For some top players, the end result may not bother them as much as long as they play well. Caleb is not like that at all. He really cares about the end result.”