article 8th Region Week 3 Review: Surprises, Upsets, and General Chaos

The 8th Region saw a week of craziness this past week. As I promised you in the preseason rankings, I expected significant movement among many teams this year - and this year's third ranking reflects that.

 

Sometimes, multiple "upsets" (and we could debate how many of the games I've highlighted, below, were true upsets, and how many weren't.) leave you with a poll that isn't changed much. But there is some movement this week, although there is no change at the top.

 

Games like the following keep things interesting. And they've certainly generated significant debate across the region. But one item is worth noting: There's a lot of basketball yet to be played, and I kind of doubt that this ranking will pass the test of time, either.

 

Things may change if some of the region teams can just start shooting straight. Unlike last year, when Region 8 sported some sharpshooting teams, 10 of the 17 teams composing this year's region are shooting less than 45% from the field.

 

And free throw shooting - let's not even go there.

 

One other note: The region will be well represented at the prestigious King of the Bluegrass Tournament at Fairdale, beginning this week. Walton-Verona, Collins, and Spencer County will all be playing; best of luck to all three as they represent Region 8!!

 

Among the head-turners this past week:

 

Trimble County 74, North Oldham 72 - On the Mustangs' floor, the Trimble County Raiders ended a 17-game losing streak to North with a dramatic two point win. Make no mistake, Trimble was the better team on this night. In the preseason, I had North ranked 13th and Trimble 14th, so perhaps the preseason ranking was pretty close in regards to how evenly matched these two are, but the Raiders got a statement win last week, and for the first time in years, started District seeding play at 1-0.

 

Grant County 66, Oldham County 63 - In the preseason, we questioned whether Coach Utter's team was ready to take the next step after showing improvement last season. The win over Oldham County - won by a dramatic, buzzer-beating three pointer - served notice to Simon Kenton and Walton-Verona in the 32nd that Grant County won't go away quietly during the district playoffs.

 

Walton-Verona 49, Oldham County 43 Maybe not a "surprise"; after all Walton-Verona, ranked 11th in the state, WAS favored, especially with the game at W-V, but this reinforced the undefeated Bearcats' claim to the top of the rankings.

 

Williamstown 79 St. Patrick 52 Last year's Demons won just two games - don't look, but this year's squad, while still a longshot to make the region tourney, is 4-5.

 

On to the Countdown:

 

1 - Walton-Verona (7-0) Last week: #1 W-V went 2-0 last week, including the dramatic 49-43 victory over Oldham County that helped cement the Bearcats' status as the top-ranked team in the region. Of course, the #11th ranked Cats - per last week's BGPreps statewide poll - were favored, but the fact is they ground out the win over one of the region's top teams. That's two wins over teams ranked in the region's top 5 (W-V previously defeated Gallatin County by 16) Kam Pardee leads the way with 15.5 ppg / 6.7 rebounds (tops in both categories), but he's getting solid support from Trey Bonne (13.4 ppg), Dieonte Miles (13 ppg / 5.8 rebounds), and Garrett Jones (10 ppg). Walton is one of only three teams(!) in the region hitting 50% or better from the field (the other two are South Oldham and Henry County). W-V is hitting 50.5% from the field, but a perplexing 59.5% at the line. On the other hand, 4 of the Bearcats' opponents - the ones for whom stats were available - all shot 44% or less versus W-V.

 

This week: 12/14 vs. Madison Central at Fairdale at 7:30 pm in the King of the Bluegrass Tournament.

 

2 - Simon Kenton (6-0) Last week: #4 Simon Kenton makes a two-spot move up this week, after an impressive week that saw them beat a pretty decent Conner team, 73-66, and two region rivals, Shelby County (81-53) and South Oldham (86-81). The South win was especially impressive, coming on the road. Although SK squandered an 18 point lead in the first half, and saw South draw to within one late in the game, the Pioneers showed cohesiveness, poise, and a big play ability in pulling away in the final seconds to get the victory on the road. Kelly Niece leads the region in scoring at 29.3 ppg, but this sophomore is not a selfish player; he repeatedly set up his teammates for easy baskets, as South had to pay close attention to his every move. Jeremy Davis (11.3 ppg) is explosive, and a tremendous outside threat; he had 9 threes versus Shelby. Like Walton, SK is one of the region's better shooting teams, hitting 47.8% from the field, including 39.2% beyond the arc, and 73.1% at the line. This is an exciting SK team; nothing like the teams we've seen in Independence the past few years. They are a get-up-and-go squad, that loves to shoot the three. Defensively, the half-court 2-2-1 defense is very effective.

 

This week: 12/20-22 - Simon Kenton Invitational Tournament

 

3 - Collins (6-1) Last week: #2 The Titans are ranked #19 in last week's Bluegrasspreps statewide poll, and Collins features arguably the best guard duo in the region. Marcellus Vail (21 ppg) and DayVion McKnight (17.2 ppg / 10.8 rebounds) are almost impossible to stop, but nobody else is averaging more than 5.8 ppg. Collins went 2-0 last week, with victories over Madison Central by 5 and North Bullitt by 11. Collins is shooting just under 45% from the floor, but surprisingly is hitting just 30.7% from beyond the arc. The Titans have passed most of their tests so far, with just the one loss, a 32 point loss to Trinity. But the question regarding the Titans' depth remains to be answered.

 

This week: 12/19 7:30 pm vs. Male at Fairdale in the King of the Bluegrass Tournament.

 

4 - Oldham County (5-2) Last week: #3 The Colonels edge out Gallatin County for the #3 spot as they can claim more quality victories so far (Highlands, Spencer County, Taylor County) and played Walton-Verona to a 6 point game, whereas Gallatin lost by 16. We'll know a much better comparison between the two when they play this coming week.

Oldham had a rough week last week, but in some ways, it wasn't exactly a disaster. Oldham dropped a three point decision to a vastly improved Grant County team on a buzzer-beating three pointer on 12/11, then fell to Walton Verona on the road by 6 three nights later. But the Colonels rebounded in strong fashion, handing previously undefeated Taylor County (9-0 coming into the game) their first defeat of the season by a 71-55 final score. Christian Harper continues his strong play; the talented senior who was either fouling out or making amazing plays last year has been a strong, steady influence, and has kept himself on the floor without getting into foul trouble. Harper leads the team in scoring at 15.2 ppg and leads the Colonels at 7.2 rebounds per contest. The addition of Cole Mesker to the lineup has added punch; Mesker, who missed the first three games of the season, is averaging 13.5 ppg since returning. The puzzling thing in Buckner is the shooting percentages; although many of the current players saw significant time on the varsity last year in reserve roles (Harper is the only returning starter), what was a tremendous shooting team last year is struggling this year. 38.6% from the field overall and 29.8% from three is far below what Coy Zerhusen expected from this team. In fact, based on the stats reported to the KHSAA so far, Oldham is ranked 16 of 17 teams in the region in shooting percentages. (at the line, it's a much different story, where Oldham ranks as one of the best shooting teams at 70.2%)

 

This week will be possibly the toughest week faced by any 8th region team this year, as Oldham faces three ranked teams, and Gallatin County, unranked, but one of the region's contenders.

This week: 12/17 @ #1 Scott County 12/18 vs. Gallatin County 12/21-22 #12 George Rogers Clark and #15 Central Hardin in the KY Bank Challenge at Rowan County HS.

 

 

5 - South Oldham (6-2) Last week: #6 South moves up one this week after going 2-1 against some solid competition. The Dragons are off to one of their best starts ever on the offense end of the court, where South is averaging a region-best 81.75 ppg. That certainly won't last as the season progresses, and I don't think even coach Steve Simpson in his most optimistic moments expects that, but it's still an eye-popping stat, considering South's schedule so far.

 

Last week, South slammed Covington Holy Cross, 85-63, then bounced an extremely good Lafayette team, 79-71. The Dragons' ability to keep the big 6'9" center for Lafayette from dominating inside against the shorter Dragons, was truly impressive. Then, in what perhaps was one of the most exciting games of the week - in a week full of exciting games - the Dragons fell at home to undefeated Simon Kenton, 86-81. South, which fell behind by 18 points in the first half, cut the lead to 13 at the half and ultimately pulled to within one at 78-77 before SK made big plays to pull out the win.

 

Junior forward Luke Morisson, a three-year starter, made a strong case to be among the top contenders for the 8th Region Player of the Year honors. Most impressive was the fact that Morrison seemed to rise to the occasion against the best competition, tallying 29 points against Lafayette (27 in the second half) and scoring 37 against Simon Kenton, a game in which he hit 5 threes. Morrison is averaging 23.9 ppg on the season. Seth Johnson has established himself as a solid scorer as well, scoring 21 points and grabbing 7 boards against Holy Cross and scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against SK.

 

The big question, however, continues to be the third scorer for South. At present, that appears to be Nick Cranfill, who is coming off the bench and averaging 12.2 ppg.

 

One of the top shooting teams in the region, South is hitting 50.4% from the field overall (third in the region), 41% from beyond the arc, and 78.6% at the line (tops in the region).

 

This week: 12/17 vs. Trimble County (district seeding game) 12/21-22 - Grant County Tournament

 

6 - Gallatin County (6-2) Last week: #5 Gallatin County falls one spot this week, despite riding a four game winning streak. During that streak, the Cats are averaging 75 ppg… The Wildcats beat district rivals Owen County (71-38) and Carroll County (63-52) to stake out a 3-0 district seeding mark as they try to defend their 31st title.

 

So far, the questions about Gallatin merely surround the strength of schedule. The Wildcats had two shots at highly regarded 8th region foes, but lost to Walton-Verona by 16 and Collins by just 2. We'll learn a lot more about Gallatin as they face Oldham County this coming week, and then again late in the season, when they face Simon Kenton, Anderson County, South Oldham, and Grant County.

 

Trey Coomer continues to lead the team in scoring at 15.3 ppg / 6.4 rebounds. Coomer is solid all-around; he has hit 20 threes while shooting at a 40.8% clip from beyond the arc, and he hits 81% of his free throws. Jarin Rassman and Wyatt Bowen also average in double figures, giving Gallatin County solid balance.

 

This week: 12/18 @ Oldham County 12/20-22 Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg, TN

 

7 - Grant County (7-3) Last week: #8 The Braves continue to show one of the region's highest-powered offense, and the defense - while still not quite elite status - is improved from last year.

 

Last week, the Braves were among the busiest of teams in the region, playing four games. They defeated Harrison County, 79-63, stunned Oldham County, 66-63; defeated Anderson County, 57-50, and lost to Beechwood, 81-69.

 

The Braves offensively are a tough team to slow down. They're averaging 72 ppg, with five players averaging in double figures, led by Jonas Alger at 13.6 ppg. Ben Vickers (12.2 ppg), Jack Epperson (12), Aaron Hurley (11.8), and Luke Dawalt (11 ppg) make a formidable lineup that has shooters everywhere. Dawalt, at 6'4" the largest of the players who see significant time, is adept at hitting the glass (6.8 rebounds/game) and shooting the three (15 made threes at 42.9%). Epperson leads the squad on the glass at 7.6 boards.

 

Shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc, the Braves can keep up with just about any team; they lost to South Oldham - averaging over 80 ppg - by just 5 at 80-75. And at 71%, they shoot FTs very well.

 

The question with Grant probably boils down to the team's depth. Only 7 players are getting significant amounts of time. Will that matter at the end of the year, when teams historically play fewer players than they did in the regular season? Maybe not, but if injuries hit Grant, it will be interesting to see who steps up.

 

This week: 12/18 at Carroll County 12/20-22 Grant County Invitational 12/20 opponent South Dearborn (IN) at 2 pm

 

8 - Spencer County (4-3) Last week: #7 Spencer County is rebounding after a difficult start to the season, when the Bears went 1-3. They've since won 3 straight, including 2 wins last week, when they beat Jeffersontown, 77-69, and North Oldham, 60-57. These were two solid wins, wth Jtown sitting at 5-2 and North at 4-4.

 

The Bears have specialized in close battles this year; of their 7 games, five have been decided by 8 points or less.

 

Sam Conley continues to lead the Bears at 18.5 ppg / 6.7 rebounds, but 5 different players score in double figures. In the last four games, the Bears have shown their versatility, with three different players leading the team in scoring. However, after those five, nobody is averaging more than 5 ppg.

 

The Bears are managing to put up the points despite shooting just 42.8% from the field.

 

Spencer is one of the best free throw shooting teams in region 8 at 70.3%, but they have only gone to the line an average of 12 times a game, a figure which will likely have to come up if they hope to contend for the region title.

 

The big question seems to revolve around the Spencer defense, which has held only 2 teams under 62 points, and they surrendered 59 and 57 points in those two games. Still, both of those games came in the last three contests, so it appears the defense may be coming around.

 

This week: 12/19 - 9 pm vs. Ballard in the King of the Bluegrass Tournament.

 

9 - North Oldham (4-4) Last week: 9 The Mustangs remain at #9 this week after dropping two games last week, as they ride a three game losing streak.

 

But it's hard to tell just what those three consecutive losses mean; North lost them by a combined 7 points. That included a 2 point loss to #13 Ballard the week before, and then a 2 point loss to Trimble County last week and a 3 point loss to highly regarded Spencer County.

 

How good is this North team? First year coach David Levitch isn't sure, himself, but there are reasons for optimism.

 

Senior guard William Hare has been a huge plus for the Mustangs, averaging 9 ppg and that average is rising. He had 16 points/7 boards against Ballard and 13 points and 5 rebounds against Trimble. He only scored 3 against Spencer, but was coming off an illness. Tyler Higdon has also had the hot hand of late, with 14 vs. Ballard, a double-double against Trimble (15/10), and another double-double against Spencer, with 13 pts / 13 rebounds. He's averaging 11.3 ppg on the year.

 

But North needs leading scorer Grant Adelson (13.6 ppg) to regain his shooting stroke. The most experienced Mustang, Adelson started the year hot, but has been ice-cold of late, hitting just 9 of 30 shots during the 3-game skid. For North to be consistently successful, they need Adelson to regain his form.

 

The Mustangs have quite a week ahead: 12/17 vs. #16-ranked Waggener, and 12/20-22 in Independence, KY at the Simon Kenton Invitational Tournament.

 

10 - Anderson County (4-3) Last week: 10 Anderson County is still a bit of a mystery team. Under first-year coach Bryan Hyatt, the Bearcats have pretty much performed as expected, beating the teams they were expected to beat, and losing to teams they were expected to lose to. That said, I don't think anyone expected them to lose to Rockcastle County - but, on the other hand, the Bearcats lost by a respectable 13 points to Walton-Verona and only by 7 to Grant County, holding the high-scoring Braves to just 57 points in the loss.

 

The Cats ended last week on a high note, knocking off Harrison County, 52-49, in a game that was a lot closer than expected - Harrison County checks in with a 1-6 record.

 

Tyler Rice leads the team in scoring at 15.6 ppg, while Alex Carpenter is chipping in 11.4. A deadeye shooter, Carpenter is hitting 66.7% of his shots overall and 63% beyond the arc(!!), where he is 17 of 28.

 

On the positive side, Anderson is an extraordinary free throw shooting team, hitting 73.4%. On the negative side, the Bearcats are managing just 20 rebounds a game.

 

We'll really get to know this team in mid-January, when the meat of the Bearcats' schedule comes up, with games against Collins, Spencer County, Woodford County, and Gallatin County looming.

 

This week: 12/20 vs. Paintsville at Raceland HS at 3 pm in the Derby Classic

 

11 - Shelby County (2-5) Last week: #11 The Rockets went 1-1 last week, with a 52-44 win over Meade County and an 81-53 loss to Simon Kenton.

 

The Rockets are experiencing problems scoring points, remniscent of last season. Over the last four games, the Rockets have scored 53 points or less in each game. Noah Gordon leads the way with 13.8 ppg and 6.5 rebounds; Taurius Robinson averages 11.2 ppg and 6.3 boards. Kaleb Hulker would appear to be the most likely "third scorer" for the team, averaging 7.8 ppg, but he's hitting just 28% of his shots.

 

Like so many 8th region teams so far, shooting is a problem, as Shelby is hitting just 41.3% from the field as a team.

 

The Rockets are looking for a signature-level victory to give them some momentum. But so far, they've lost their two best chances, falling to South Oldham and Simon Kenton.

 

This week: 12/19 vs. Somerset 12/21 vs. Lafayette

 

12 - Trimble County (4-4) Last week: #13 Trimble moves up a spot after a 2-1 week last week, when the Raiders ended a 17 game losing streak to North Oldham with a 74-72 win in Goshen, then a 74-55 win over Eminence. They ended the week with a 15 point loss to a talented Franklin County team.

 

Despite the win over North, I couldn't quite make the case to put Trimble ahead of North Oldham (at #9) when looking at both teams' body of work to date.

 

What's impressive is that Trimble is making a definitive move up the ladder with a first-year coach, and without the services of Shane Mills, who averaged 10.7 ppg / 7.1 rebounds for last year's Raider squad and would have been a senior this year at Trimble (he transferred).

 

Reece Webster, the talented point guard, leads Trimble at 13.8 ppg, but he's getting solid support from Evan Stevens (13.0 ppg).

 

This week: 12/17 South Oldham (district seeding game) 12/21-22 Jefferson County Invitational at Southwestern HS (IN)

 

13 - Carroll County (3-2) Last week: #14 Carroll has played the fewest games of any 8th Region team, but they are giving hints that they might be favored to make it to the region tournament this year.

 

The pre-season preview picked the 31st with Gallatin County and Henry County as the favorites to make it to New Castle, but this past week, Carroll staked its claim with a 70-60 victory over Henry County, giving it an early edge over the Wildcats. They then lost to district favorite Gallatin County - but by a much closer margin than may have been expected, as Gallatin managed a 63-52 win.

 

Keishaun Mumphrey is having a banner year, averaging 17.2 ppg / 8.4 rebounds, and hitting 60.3% of his shots. Wyatt Supplee is actually leading the team in scoring, just slightly eclipsing Mumphrey with an average of 17.3 ppg. Carroll needs a third scorer; David Duncan may be that player, averaging 9 ppg.

 

Carroll is not a major threat from the outside, having made just 15 threes this season for 29.4%. And the Panthers still aren't shooting free throws well, at 55.1%. But they've raised their overall field goal shooting percentage to 46.1%, a definite improvement over last year and not looking so bad in a region that is struggling to hit baskets this year.

 

This week: 12/18 vs. Grant County 12/21-22 Jefferson County Invitational at Southwestern HS (IN)

 

14 - Henry County (2-5) Last week: #12 The Wildcats fall two spots this week, after falling to Carroll County by 10 last week and defeating Owen County by 13 at 66-53. But to date, the Cats have managed just two victories against weak competition; their best game may have been a 6 point loss to DeSales.

 

Trevor Hardin, ranked as one of the region's best in the preseason, has not disappointed, averaging 22 ppg / 7.2 rebounds. Zack Woods is also having a good season, scoring 13.6 ppg while hitting 68.4% of his shots. But the two aren't getting much support from the rest of the team. Three point shooting has been basically non-existent for Henry, which is making them much easier to guard.

 

On the other hand, the Wildcats are the best-shooting team in the region, hitting 54.1% from the field - due in part because the Wildcats are attacking the rim and not settling for long jumpers. Strangely, despite their high field goal percentage, the Wildcats are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the region at 51.2%.

 

This week: 12/18 @ Bullitt Central

 

 

15 - Williamstown (4-5) Last week: #15 OK, a record of 4-5 isn't going to get most people excited. But if you were a Demons fan last year who had to endure a 2 win season, this year is a marked improvement. Although Williamstown looks to be a decided longshot to reach the region in the loaded 32nd district, they have shown dramatic improvement this year.

 

As of this writing, the Demons have won 3 of their last 5 games. Last week, they lost to Boone County by just 10, with Cole Kighlinger scoring 19 points and grabbing 6 boards. On 12/14, they defeated St. Patrick, 79-52, and they wrapped up the week with a lopsided loss to Lloyd Memorial.

 

This year, Williamstown has won 4 games by 5, 13, 17, and 27 points. Last year, both victories were by 1 point.

 

Besides Kighlinger, Cole Kemper has been a solid scorer, averaging 10.4 ppg. Kemper has hit 25 threes and is hitting 43.9% from the field.

 

This weeki: 12/20-22 Aleris Christmas Tournament, held at Hancock County HS.

 

16 - Owen County (1-6) Last week: 16 The Rebels have lost five straight, including two 31st district seeding games last week.

 

On 12/11, Owen fell to Gallatin County, 71-38, and on 12/14, Henry County defeated Owen, 66-53

 

Noah St. Clair is making his presence known, however, on a struggling team, averaging 17.6 ppg, and Isaac Smith is just shy of averaging a double-double, scoring 11.2 ppg and averaging 9.8 rebounds.

 

But shooting (40.2% from the field, 33.8% beyond the arc, and 60.4% at the line) continues to plague Coach Duvall's squad.

 

This week: 12/18 vs. Eminence (31st seeding game) 12/19-21 Berea Invitational Owen County opens against Berea at 7:30 pm on 12/19.

 

17 - Eminence (1-6) Last week: #17 The Warriors had a rough week last week, falling to Walton-Verona, 89-31 on 12/10 and losing at Trimble County, 74-55.

 

Braedin Hinkley is the sole Warrior in double figures, averaging 10.6 ppg and hitting 39.3% of his threes. Kris Dixon (8.7 ppg) and Dakadrian Saunders (8.6 ppg) are the next-highest scorers for Eminence.

 

The biggest issue is obvious: Eminence is the worst-shooting team from the field in the region, hitting just 34.7% of their shots, and just 30.2% from beyond the arc. The charity stripe has been much better to the Warriors, where they are just 57.3%.

 

At 0-2 in district 31 seeding play, Eminence needs a bounceback with this week, as they face Owen County on Tuesday. They will then join Williamstown at the Aleris Christmas Tournament hosted by Hancock County HS.

 

This week: 12/18 @ Owen County (district 31 seeding game), 12/20-22 Aleris Christmas Tournament at Hancock County HS.

 

 

Region 8 Leading Scorers - Note that these averages are based upon figures submitted the schools to date. The figures may be slightly off as not all schools have reported stats for every game.

 

1 - Kelly Niece, Simon Kenton 29.3 ppg

2 - Luke Morrison, South Oldham 23.9

3 - Trevor Hardin, Henry County 22.0

4 - Marcellus Vail, Collins 21.0

5 - Sam Conley, Spencer County 18.5

6 - Noah St. Clair, Owen County 17.6

7 (tie) - DayVion McKnight, Collins 17.2

7 (tie) - Keishaun Mumphrey, Carroll Co. 17.2

 

Till next week!

 

CM

Edited December 17, 2018 by ColonelMike

Trimble had a loss to Oldham before their win over North so they’re actually 1-1 in district seeding. First district win since 2014 at South.

Simon Kenton v. Walton should be an excellent game! Walton's bigs vs. SK guards. Who will be able to neutralize the other?

 

I saw a post on another thread that said this is the best SK team in years... pretty cool that Niece brings that much to the table. I know he has decent role guys around him, but I know there has been a lot of talent at Simon throughout the years. So, to be the best tells me a lot about KN and this team. Is it their year? Finally.....

Trimble had a loss to Oldham before their win over North so they’re actually 1-1 in district seeding. First district win since 2014 at South.

 

Correct. Typo on my part. Gotta slow down when I type.

 

(However, Trimble did not play South, they played at North.)

Simon Kenton v. Walton should be an excellent game! Walton's bigs vs. SK guards. Who will be able to neutralize the other?

 

I saw a post on another thread that said this is the best SK team in years... pretty cool that Niece brings that much to the table. I know he has decent role guys around him, but I know there has been a lot of talent at Simon throughout the years. So, to be the best tells me a lot about KN and this team. Is it their year? Finally.....

 

Not taking a single thing away from Niece - he's simply an extraordinary player... but there are several more reasons, in my opinion, as a guy who usually sees SK only 2-3 times a year, why this SK team is far more dangerous than the ones I've seen in a long time. The coaching staff, for one, has done a remarkable job.

 

CM

Correct. Typo on my part. Gotta slow down when I type.

 

(However, Trimble did not play South, they played at North.)

 

Correct. First ever win vs North. However it is their first district win since they beat South December 2014.

Great work @ColonelMike no doubt WV is the favorite but the region appears to have a few contenders for those ROY nets.

ttt