2013 39th District Tournament Preview

 

One of the two Districts in the 10th that doesn't seed its post-season tournament, the 39th has yet to see its top two teams go head-to-head. All that will change in a Tuesday night semi-final clash between host Mason County & tiny Augusta, the Region's smallest school in terms of enrollment. The Royals & Panthers have seemed on a collision course ever since Chris O'Hearn's squad turned back Jason Hinson's crew in last sesason's 72-71 title game. Last year both teams advanced to Regional play, but this season there will be only one. The Bracken County Polar Bears, however, are doing what they can to communicate that this is far more than a two team District. Chad Persinger's undersized, but scrappy bunch have won 5 of their last 6 games (as of this writing) with the lone loss coming at home to Augusta (67-62). Andy Arn & the St. Patrick Saints were hit hard & early by injuries, but by no means will be a walk in the park for the Polar Bears in the first semi-final. However it all turns out, we look forward to an exciting three days of basketball in Maysville.

The Pairings (all games at Mason County)

 

St. Patrick vs. Bracken County- Feb. 18th 8:00 pm

Augusta vs. Mason County- Feb. 19th 8:00 pm

 

Championship Game- Feb. 21st 8:00 pm

 

Players To Watch

 

The 39th has a good amount of individual talent, but two names belong at the top of this list. The first is Augusta junior Brent Bach. The 6'0 guard has drawn the attention of fans throughout the Region, as well as the eyes of many a Division 1 coaching staff. Averaging right at 27 points per game, Bach is a scoring machine who can light it up from the perimeter, but also uses his speed & athleticism in getting to the basket. Like all pure scorers, Bach makes a good living at the charity stripe (see: 18-18 vs. Pendleton County, 14-14 vs. Montgomery County).

 

Behind Bach comes Mason County big man Shawn Johnson. The 6'6" junior is 2 rebounds short of averaging a double-double (14.9 ppg & 9.9 rpg) for the season, but has established himself among the 10th's elite post players. Like Bach, Johnson has put up some of his most impressive numbers in big-game situations & there is no reason to think that trend will discontinue.

 

Neither Bach nor Johnson carry their respective teams solely on their own shoulders. Senior forward Steven Chambers has emerged as a more consistent contributor for the Royals over the last few weeks. Senior Alex Stahl & sophomore Cameron Frame bring much needed perimeter scoring, while sophomore Dorian Henry provides added post presence.

 

Playing alongside Bach, Tanner Kelsch has been one of the 10th's unsung heroes. The 6'0 senior scores 16.8 points per game, but is counted upon to wear many hats for the Panthers. A pair of freshmen, forward Camryn Snapp & guard Connor Maddox both score around the 8 points per game range. But the wild card for Jason Hinson's team will be 6'6" senior Cody Staggs, who just recently was granted his eligibility. The big man scored 12 points in his season debut vs. Rowan County on Tuesday.

 

Bracken County has as balanced a scoring attack as anyone in the District, with six players averaging between 7 & 11 points per game. Senior guard Philip Jefferson leads the team in scoring & just two nights ago posted a career-high 27 points--including a game winning 3--in a road win at Villa Madonna. Austin Ray is a senior guard who does most of his damage on the perimeter. Brothers Grant (senior) & Austin Crawford (8th grade) are the team's two best athletes and overall players. Big man Eli Florer & guard Nate Haight round out the group of six that the Polar Bears lean on the most.

 

Sophomore forward Andrew Sticklen has been a focal point of the St. Patrick offense, particularly when the team lost high-scoring senior Cory Jodrey for the season early in the year. Senior guard Harrison Applegate has also stepped up his play for Andy Arn's squad.

 

Our Predictions

 

On February 1st Bracken County went to Maysville without leading scorer Jefferson & pulled away for a 12 point victory. We expect a similar result when the two teams kick the tournament off at 8:00 on Monday night.

 

As for the much-hyped Mason County/Augusta affair, we anticipate a much tighter contest. The Panthers, as evidenced by their 110 points vs. Rowan County, are an entertaining, high-scoring squad. Conversely, the Royals seem to play their best when the score remains in the 50's or low 60's. Johnson & Chambers will provide a matchup problem for the Panthers--even with Staggs' presence--but by the same token, the top two teams in the 10th could not contain Bach (33 vs. Montgomery, 39 vs. Brossart). We expect this one to be close the whole way through, but look for a repeat of last year's District result with the Royals narrowly coming away with the victory.

 

Thursday night we foresee Chris O'Hearn & company cutting down the 39th's nets for a 13th consecutive season. The Royals are playing their best basketball at just the right time.

Bump

My heart says Augusta. I really hope it happens for them, BUT my head says Mason County.

 

I was impressed with the Royals size and defensive pressure last week when we played them in the Fieldhouse. They had Harrison County down by 28 points in a recent contest. I don't see the Panthers getting past them, although I hope they do.