All opinion based here:

 

1. NewCath

2. Holmes

3. CovCath

4. Cooper

5. Boone County

6. Dixie Heights

7. Conner

8. Newport

9. Highlands

10. St. Henry

11. Ryle

12. Ludlow

13. Holy Cross

14. Beechwood

15. Lloyd

16. Villa Madonna

17. Bellevue

18. Heritage Academy

19. Dayton

20. Cov Latin

 

1. James Bolden Holmes

2. Brandon Hatton Dixie Heights

3. Nick Ruthsatz CovCath

4. Drew McDonald NewCath

5. Zach McNeil Cooper

6. Sam Hemmerich Conner

7. Brenden Stanley Boone County

8. Jake Schulte NewCath

9. Bo Schuh CovCath

10. Quinton Chames Holmes

11. Will Stuhr Ryle

12. JaQuan Short Newport

13. Colin Hathorn Cooper

14. Connor Kunstek St. Henry

15. Markel McClendon

16. Drew Houliston Highlands

17. Tanner Moeves NewCath

18. Mitchell Cody Ludlow

19. Zach Pangallo NewCath

20. Cole Von Handorf CovCath

21. Ben Weyer NewCath

22. Ethan Snapp Newport

Are you on Twitter because I saw this exact list an hour ago?

All opinion based here:

 

1. NewCath

2. Holmes

3. CovCath

4. Cooper

5. Boone County

6. Dixie Heights

7. Conner

8. Newport

9. Highlands

10. St. Henry

11. Ryle

12. Ludlow

13. Holy Cross

14. Beechwood

15. Lloyd

16. Villa Madonna

17. Bellevue

18. Heritage Academy

19. Dayton

20. Cov Latin

 

1. James Bolden Holmes

2. Brandon Hatton Dixie Heights

3. Nick Ruthsatz CovCath

4. Drew McDonald NewCath

5. Zach McNeil Cooper

6. Sam Hemmerich Conner

7. Brenden Stanley Boone County

8. Jake Schulte NewCath

9. Bo Schuh CovCath

10. Quinton Chames Holmes

11. Will Stuhr Ryle

12. JaQuan Short Newport

13. Colin Hathorn Cooper

14. Connor Kunstek St. Henry

15. Markel McClendon

16. Drew Houliston Highlands

17. Tanner Moeves NewCath

18. Mitchell Cody Ludlow

19. Zach Pangallo NewCath

20. Cole Von Handorf CovCath

21. Ben Weyer NewCath

22. Ethan Snapp Newport

 

All in good fun, I understand. I'd change a few things with the teams if it were my list. I think you have Dixie and St. Henry too low. Beechwood will likely be better than you have them ranked, and I would have them ahead of Holy Cross if it were my list.

 

Cooper may be a little too high on your list. Conner and Holy Cross certainly are, but it's all for fun.

 

I think my top 10 would look like this:

1. NewCath

2. Holmes

3. CovCath

4. Dixie

5. Boone

6. St. Henry

7. Cooper

8. Ryle

9. Highlands

10. Conner

 

As for the players, I won't rank them at this point. You have a lot of the usual subjects listed, but I think you are missing some of the better players in the area. Personally, I'd have Schulte ranked higher than eighth.

I'd go with the following:

 

1. Holmes - Best player in the region in James Bolden. Arguably (key word) best 1-2 in the region in Bolden/McClendon. One of the most athletic 4/5's combos in the region with Chames/Hill. Will be one of the deepest teams in the region with a very good soph class and JV championship team coming up. Defensively will cause a lot of problems for opposing teams. Outside shooting will determine if they keep this ranking or not.

 

2. Newcath- Best starting 5 in the region. Best two "bigs" in the region with Schulte and McDonald. Star in the making in soph Ben Weyer. Key transfers in the Moeves brothers to round out the starting 5 and add depth. Unproven depth is the only thing that keeps me from putting them #1.

 

3. Dixie Heights- Best SCORER in the region in Brandon Hatton. Very good junior class that is deep with Rabe, Schreck, Bolin, Niehaus, and Isbel. Add Drew Moore to the equation and they have the potential to put out some serious length and athleticism on the court. You guys are seriously underrating this team.

 

4. Covcath- Top 3 player in the region in NIck Ruthsatz. Best "3" in the region in Bo Schuh (if he isn't forced to play out of position). Stud freshman coming in to compliment Ruthsatz in Cole Von Handorf. Gritty front court players in Schult and Heppler. Interested to see how Nate Wichman does. Wild card for the Colonels, IMO. Depth is the only question I have with them. WIll need Schumate, Theobald, and Romes to give solid mins.

 

5. Boone Co- I really like the Rebels in the 5 spot after seeing them over the summer. They return virtually everyone from last year's team in Stanley, Hixenbaugh, Mayberry, McDonald, Stockwell, and Ordu. Mayberry and Hixenbaugh form a solid backcourt and Stanley is Mr Versailt at the 3. McDonald, at 6'7, has the chance to be a force in the front court. Really like the athelticism that Stockwell and Ordu bring to the front court as well as the samoan kid (name esapes me...sorry) who I've heard a lot of good things about. SOlid soph class coming up as well.

 

6. Conner- Will be led by a senior class that consists of Sam Hemmerich, Andrew Way, Will Ruholt, and Landon Lamblez. Hemmerich is probably one of the most underrated players in the region as he has the ability to drop 20+ on you every night. Solid JV team coming up that lost to Holmes in the region championship. Consistent play from Watts could give them an athletic presence at both ends and go a long way with guard production, as that was the biggest issue with them last year. If Barker wasn't enrolling early at UK for football, they would probably be bumped up a spot.

 

7. Cooper- You could probably put Cooper here or ahead of Conner and not be wrong. Cooper probably has a better starting 5 led by Morgan, McNeil, and Holland but I have questions in the front court with Hathorn and Liechty being the only two who return with experience. Jags will need guys like Shawn McNair, Kyle Henderson, and Patrick Dragan to step up and provide depth off the bench.

 

After those 7, I think it's really a crapshoot. Newport, Ryle, Highlands, and St. Henry could be included in any order and it wouldn't be wrong, IMO.

 

I do think Highlands will be better than people are expecting. I like what Coach L is doing over there and think the new faces that are coming out will help.

 

Newport will miss JaQuan Short as he is now at Lockland in Ohio, but I think Ethan Snapp can fill the scoring void left by him. Keep an eye on Dom Joseph and Paul Price. Two hard nosed kids that flat out get after it defensively and don't back down from anyone. Consistency will be the biggest question mark with this team.

 

My top 10 players:

 

1. James Bolden- Holmes

2. Brandon Hatton- Dixie

3. Nick Ruthsatz- Covcath

4. Drew McDonald- Newcath

5. Zach McNeil- Cooper

6. Jake Schulte- Newcath

7. Quinton Chames- Holmes

8. Bo Schuh- Covcath

9. Brendan Stanley- Boone Co

10. Sam Hemmerich- Conner

 

Other guys that are just outside the top 10 but a case could be made for them to be included:

 

Spencer Holland- Cooper

Zach Pangallo- Newcath

Tanner Moeves- Newcath

Will Stuhr- Ryle

Markel McClendon- Holmes

Drew Houliston- Highlands

I agree that some of your other guys should be in the top ten. Specifically, my top ten would include:

 

1. James Bolden (Holmes)

2. Brandon Hatton (Dixie)

3. Nick Ruthsatz (Cov Cath)

4. Drew McDonald (NCC)

5. Jake Schulte (NCC)

6. Samuel Hemmerich (Connor)

7. Zach McNeil (Cooper)

8. Bo Schuh (Cov Cath)

9. Will Stuhr (Ryle)

10. Tanner Moeves (NCC)

 

Other possibilities: Brendan Stanley (Boone), Zach Pangallo (NCC), Jordan Noble (St. Henry), Markel McClendon (Holmes)

Spencer Holland will play his way on to the top 10 list this year.

I'd go with the following:

 

1. Holmes - Best player in the region in James Bolden. Arguably (key word) best 1-2 in the region in Bolden/McClendon. One of the most athletic 4/5's combos in the region with Chames/Hill. Will be one of the deepest teams in the region with a very good soph class and JV championship team coming up. Defensively will cause a lot of problems for opposing teams. Outside shooting will determine if they keep this ranking or not.

 

2. Newcath- Best starting 5 in the region. Best two "bigs" in the region with Schulte and McDonald. Star in the making in soph Ben Weyer. Key transfers in the Moeves brothers to round out the starting 5 and add depth. Unproven depth is the only thing that keeps me from putting them #1.

 

3. Dixie Heights- Best SCORER in the region in Brandon Hatton. Very good junior class that is deep with Rabe, Schreck, Bolin, Niehaus, and Isbel. Add Drew Moore to the equation and they have the potential to put out some serious length and athleticism on the court. You guys are seriously underrating this team.

 

4. Covcath- Top 3 player in the region in NIck Ruthsatz. Best "3" in the region in Bo Schuh (if he isn't forced to play out of position). Stud freshman coming in to compliment Ruthsatz in Cole Von Handorf. Gritty front court players in Schult and Heppler. Interested to see how Nate Wichman does. Wild card for the Colonels, IMO. Depth is the only question I have with them. WIll need Schumate, Theobald, and Romes to give solid mins.

 

5. Boone Co- I really like the Rebels in the 5 spot after seeing them over the summer. They return virtually everyone from last year's team in Stanley, Hixenbaugh, Mayberry, McDonald, Stockwell, and Ordu. Mayberry and Hixenbaugh form a solid backcourt and Stanley is Mr Versailt at the 3. McDonald, at 6'7, has the chance to be a force in the front court. Really like the athelticism that Stockwell and Ordu bring to the front court as well as the samoan kid (name esapes me...sorry) who I've heard a lot of good things about. SOlid soph class coming up as well.

 

6. Conner- Will be led by a senior class that consists of Sam Hemmerich, Andrew Way, Will Ruholt, and Landon Lamblez. Hemmerich is probably one of the most underrated players in the region as he has the ability to drop 20+ on you every night. Solid JV team coming up that lost to Holmes in the region championship. Consistent play from Watts could give them an athletic presence at both ends and go a long way with guard production, as that was the biggest issue with them last year. If Barker wasn't enrolling early at UK for football, they would probably be bumped up a spot.

 

7. Cooper- You could probably put Cooper here or ahead of Conner and not be wrong. Cooper probably has a better starting 5 led by Morgan, McNeil, and Holland but I have questions in the front court with Hathorn and Liechty being the only two who return with experience. Jags will need guys like Shawn McNair, Kyle Henderson, and Patrick Dragan to step up and provide depth off the bench.

 

After those 7, I think it's really a crapshoot. Newport, Ryle, Highlands, and St. Henry could be included in any order and it wouldn't be wrong, IMO.

 

I do think Highlands will be better than people are expecting. I like what Coach L is doing over there and think the new faces that are coming out will help.

 

Newport will miss JaQuan Short as he is now at Lockland in Ohio, but I think Ethan Snapp can fill the scoring void left by him. Keep an eye on Dom Joseph and Paul Price. Two hard nosed kids that flat out get after it defensively and don't back down from anyone. Consistency will be the biggest question mark with this team.

 

My top 10 players:

 

1. James Bolden- Holmes

2. Brandon Hatton- Dixie

3. Nick Ruthsatz- Covcath

4. Drew McDonald- Newcath

5. Zach McNeil- Cooper

6. Jake Schulte- Newcath

7. Quinton Chames- Holmes

8. Bo Schuh- Covcath

9. Brendan Stanley- Boone Co

10. Sam Hemmerich- Conner

 

Other guys that are just outside the top 10 but a case could be made for them to be included:

 

Spencer Holland- Cooper

Zach Pangallo- Newcath

Tanner Moeves- Newcath

Will Stuhr- Ryle

Markel McClendon- Holmes

Drew Houliston- Highlands

 

Agree with you on Dixie, and don't forget the 6'4-6'5 PF Andrew Hedger. Did you see something that you dropped Cooper to 7 after a while back we talked and you had them around 4 or 5... You also moved Boone up a bit. What did you see over the summer that made you switch them? I didn't get to see Boone at all, unfortunately. I do like Stanley and Mayberry. How good is Hixenbaugh/Macdonald?

Agree with you on Dixie, and don't forget the 6'4-6'5 PF Andrew Hedger. Did you see something that you dropped Cooper to 7 after a while back we talked and you had them around 4 or 5... You also moved Boone up a bit. What did you see over the summer that made you switch them? I didn't get to see Boone at all, unfortunately. I do like Stanley and Mayberry. How good is Hixenbaugh/Macdonald?

 

After re-thinking it, I think Cooper OR Boone could be listed at 5 with the other at 6...Conner at 7.

 

I saw Boone over the summer without McDonald and Stockwell and they looked really good.

 

Mayberry is a very strong PG and plays a fundamentally sound game. Both him and Hixenbaugh play well together at the 1/2 at both ends and Stanley obviously does it all. Very versatile.

 

Haven't seen McDonald over the summer but he is 6'7/6'8 and has good footwork with a soft touch around the rim.

 

Only weakness I see with Boone is no consistent outside threat. Still, they flat out get after it on defense. I was very impressed with them when I saw them.

After re-thinking it, I think Cooper OR Boone could be listed at 5 with the other at 6...Conner at 7.

 

I saw Boone over the summer without McDonald and Stockwell and they looked really good.

 

Mayberry is a very strong PG and plays a fundamentally sound game. Both him and Hixenbaugh play well together at the 1/2 at both ends and Stanley obviously does it all. Very versatile.

 

Haven't seen McDonald over the summer but he is 6'7/6'8 and has good footwork with a soft touch around the rim.

 

Only weakness I see with Boone is no consistent outside threat. Still, they flat out get after it on defense. I was very impressed with them when I saw them.

 

Good to know. I know Mayberry has always been an aggressive defender. Stanley is a very nice, well rounded player. I guess where my questions kind of lied were with the big men. I think McDonald is solid, but haven't seen him take that next step yet. I know he's big, but can he handle Stuhr, Schulte/McDonald, and is he athletic enough to defend the smaller bigs at Conner, Cooper, Dixie, St. Henry, etc.

 

Great part is, we'll get to find out in the winter. I always like to see Boone be good and competitive in the 9th.

Dom Joseph and Paul Price play hard but will not contribute on the offensive end of the floor.

This feels like Cowboys/49ers before the salary cap. The truth be told, the rest of the region will be looking up at Holmes and NewCath.

I'd go with the following:

 

1. Holmes - Best player in the region in James Bolden. Arguably (key word) best 1-2 in the region in Bolden/McClendon. One of the most athletic 4/5's combos in the region with Chames/Hill. Will be one of the deepest teams in the region with a very good soph class and JV championship team coming up. Defensively will cause a lot of problems for opposing teams. Outside shooting will determine if they keep this ranking or not.

 

2. Newcath- Best starting 5 in the region. Best two "bigs" in the region with Schulte and McDonald. Star in the making in soph Ben Weyer. Key transfers in the Moeves brothers to round out the starting 5 and add depth. Unproven depth is the only thing that keeps me from putting them #1.

 

3. Dixie Heights- Best SCORER in the region in Brandon Hatton. Very good junior class that is deep with Rabe, Schreck, Bolin, Niehaus, and Isbel. Add Drew Moore to the equation and they have the potential to put out some serious length and athleticism on the court. You guys are seriously underrating this team.

 

4. Covcath- Top 3 player in the region in NIck Ruthsatz. Best "3" in the region in Bo Schuh (if he isn't forced to play out of position). Stud freshman coming in to compliment Ruthsatz in Cole Von Handorf. Gritty front court players in Schult and Heppler. Interested to see how Nate Wichman does. Wild card for the Colonels, IMO. Depth is the only question I have with them. WIll need Schumate, Theobald, and Romes to give solid mins.

 

5. Boone Co- I really like the Rebels in the 5 spot after seeing them over the summer. They return virtually everyone from last year's team in Stanley, Hixenbaugh, Mayberry, McDonald, Stockwell, and Ordu. Mayberry and Hixenbaugh form a solid backcourt and Stanley is Mr Versailt at the 3. McDonald, at 6'7, has the chance to be a force in the front court. Really like the athelticism that Stockwell and Ordu bring to the front court as well as the samoan kid (name esapes me...sorry) who I've heard a lot of good things about. SOlid soph class coming up as well.

 

6. Conner- Will be led by a senior class that consists of Sam Hemmerich, Andrew Way, Will Ruholt, and Landon Lamblez. Hemmerich is probably one of the most underrated players in the region as he has the ability to drop 20+ on you every night. Solid JV team coming up that lost to Holmes in the region championship. Consistent play from Watts could give them an athletic presence at both ends and go a long way with guard production, as that was the biggest issue with them last year. If Barker wasn't enrolling early at UK for football, they would probably be bumped up a spot.

 

7. Cooper- You could probably put Cooper here or ahead of Conner and not be wrong. Cooper probably has a better starting 5 led by Morgan, McNeil, and Holland but I have questions in the front court with Hathorn and Liechty being the only two who return with experience. Jags will need guys like Shawn McNair, Kyle Henderson, and Patrick Dragan to step up and provide depth off the bench.

 

After those 7, I think it's really a crapshoot. Newport, Ryle, Highlands, and St. Henry could be included in any order and it wouldn't be wrong, IMO.

 

I do think Highlands will be better than people are expecting. I like what Coach L is doing over there and think the new faces that are coming out will help.

 

Newport will miss JaQuan Short as he is now at Lockland in Ohio, but I think Ethan Snapp can fill the scoring void left by him. Keep an eye on Dom Joseph and Paul Price. Two hard nosed kids that flat out get after it defensively and don't back down from anyone. Consistency will be the biggest question mark with this team.

 

My top 10 players:

 

1. James Bolden- Holmes

2. Brandon Hatton- Dixie

3. Nick Ruthsatz- Covcath

4. Drew McDonald- Newcath

5. Zach McNeil- Cooper

6. Jake Schulte- Newcath

7. Quinton Chames- Holmes

8. Bo Schuh- Covcath

9. Brendan Stanley- Boone Co

10. Sam Hemmerich- Conner

 

Other guys that are just outside the top 10 but a case could be made for them to be included:

 

Spencer Holland- Cooper

Zach Pangallo- Newcath

Tanner Moeves- Newcath

Will Stuhr- Ryle

Markel McClendon- Holmes

Drew Houliston- Highlands

Good to know. I know Mayberry has always been an aggressive defender. Stanley is a very nice, well rounded player. I guess where my questions kind of lied were with the big men. I think McDonald is solid, but haven't seen him take that next step yet. I know he's big, but can he handle Stuhr, Schulte/McDonald, and is he athletic enough to defend the smaller bigs at Conner, Cooper, Dixie, St. Henry, etc.

 

Great part is, we'll get to find out in the winter. I always like to see Boone be good and competitive in the 9th.

 

I think playing football will really help McDonald with his foot work and explosiveness. Still remember the dunk that Chames threw down on him last year off a falling out of bounds oop from Palmer....NASTY. Video on youtube of it under nkysports highlights link.

Dom Joseph and Paul Price play hard but will not contribute on the offensive end of the floor.

 

I think you're selling them short. Both could potentially be 8-12 ppg players, IMO. I've also seen them a lot over the summer though so I guess I am just a bigger fan than those who aren't as familiar with them.

This feels like Cowboys/49ers before the salary cap. The truth be told, the rest of the region will be looking up at Holmes and NewCath.

 

While I agree that Holmes and Newcath are 1-2...don't count out Dixie. They are going to be much better than a lot of people realize. Hatton won't have as much pressure on him this year to be "the man" which will help the offense run smoother. Legit threat to win the region, IMO.

While I agree that Holmes and Newcath are 1-2...don't count out Dixie. They are going to be much better than a lot of people realize. Hatton won't have as much pressure on him this year to be "the man" which will help the offense run smoother. Legit threat to win the region, IMO.

 

After speaking with a couple of coaches I suggest you add Cov Cath as a team that worries some folks as a potential spoiler to Holmes or New Cath's trip to Rupp.

I think NCC and Holmes are 1-2 with Cov Cath and Dixie not as far behind as others think.

The 9th is going to be fun to watch this year.