Hazard will play Perry County Central in the championship game of the WYMT Mountain Classic. PCC will be without the services of star guard Braxton Beverly who injured his foot in the previous game and is out of action for 4 to 6 weeks. But the Bulldogs will have to deal with Perry's 6'6 Justin Johnson who had 30 tonight in the win over Lawrence County.

WYMT Mountain Classic Championship Game @ Knott Central....Game time is 8:30 PM...

 

Perry Central beat Hazard 66-44 earlier in the year...Hazard was without big man Chris Hudson....

 

Perry Central comes in at 11-3 and averages 67 points per game...

 

Hazard comes in at 9-4 and averages 61 points per game.

 

 

Perry Central could be without star guard, Braxton Beverly.

 

 

Thoughts / Predictions?

Without Beverly, I think Hazard wins it, by 4. 65-61

Hazard will play Perry County Central in the championship game of the WYMT Mountain Classic. PCC will be without the services of star guard Braxton Beverly who injured his foot in the previous game and is out of action for 4 to 6 weeks. But the Bulldogs will have to deal with Perry's 6'6 Justin Johnson who had 30 tonight in the win over Lawrence County.

 

 

Chris Hudson is a GAM. That's G- A- M. He can and will guard Johnson unless the refs just call lots of little, ticky-tack fouls and won't let him play.

 

Seeing Hudson in person at the Republic Bank Classic and sitting near a very well-respected collegiate coach in Kentucky and overhearing him and one of his buddies talk about how they liked his athleticism only reenforced that notion.

 

Johnson has more basketball skill, but Hudson is way more athletic and is just too much of a physical specimen for JJ. I wouldn't want to meet Hudson on the football field as is, and think it's safe to say he's a D1, BCS conference type kid if he's been playing all his life and had any kind of work effort (which, I'll admit I know nothing about what kind of worker and student he is).

 

 

With that said, even with Beverly ailing, PCC probably has a more talented supporting cast around Johnson if you're looking 1 through 7 or 8, top-to-bottom.

 

I do think that since Beverly's been so instrumental in everything PCC has done as far as ball handling, orchestrating the offense, etc., that it will be interesting to see if PCC has someone capable of stepping up and handling that responsibility.

 

I'll go with Hazard by 1 in the upset, just because I think that Hazard is hot and will have a ton of emotion to play off of, and I'm not sure how Perry Central will respond sans Beverly.

Apparently the kid taking over the point for the 'Dores is John Toomer. He's the son of former UK basketball player Carlos Toomer and has sat out awhile due to an injury that he sustained during football season. It sounds like the 'Dores are in good hands with him, even if he won't be expected to just come in and replace Beverly right away. I'll change my prediction to PCC by 3 with him in the line-up.

 

Once Perry County Central gets everyone healthy, it looks like they'll have quite the team. Even so, Hazard still has the exchange kids that are awaiting a ruling. The 14th could get downright interesting.

Without Beverly, I think Hazard wins it, by 4. 65-61

 

Could see Hazard winning this one now.

All things considered, Hazard didn't blow me out of my seat at the RBC. Might have been the opponent (Scott County) though.

I think Hazard will win the championship by around 4. Beverly is extremely important to the Commodores' offense and his being absent in a big hot rivalry game like this one may make the difference for the Bulldogs.

 

By the way, I talked to someone who was from the Hazard area and he told me he had seen the exchange students in pick-up games and that one of them was a 6'2 or 6'3 guard that could possibly be the best guard in the 14th if he can become eligible. He said he was very skilled. Another one of them is 6'8, and a third student is also a guard. He said their eligibility status is being reviewed by the KHSAA and they should know something in a week or two.

I don't know if this guy was blowing smoke or what but if they are as good as he says and can get ruled eligible it could make Hazard the team to beat for a trip to the Sweet 16.

This will be a great championship game tonight. This game will accomplish two things:

 

1. It will give PCC players more experience handling ball pressure by not having Beverly.

2. It will provide Hazard a big lift going into the last part of the season.

 

Hazard wins by 4. 54 - 50

 

Good luck to both teams. Hope Beverly recovers quickly.

I wonder if it's going to be on TV? Earlier reports had the semi's and the championship game would not be on TV due to some rescheduling caused by weather postponements, but both semi games were on last night. I assume the championship will be shown as well.

Do you know any news about the telecast All State? It's a long drive from Booneville to Hindman and I'd rather watch it in my living room.

I wonder if it's going to be on TV? Earlier reports had the semi's and the championship game would not be on TV due to some rescheduling caused by weather postponements, but both semi games were on last night. I assume the championship will be shown as well.

Do you know any news about the telecast All State? It's a long drive from Booneville to Hindman and I'd rather watch it in my living room.

 

You can watch it streaming online through the KHSAA's website.

I wonder if it's going to be on TV? Earlier reports had the semi's and the championship game would not be on TV due to some rescheduling caused by weather postponements, but both semi games were on last night. I assume the championship will be shown as well.

Do you know any news about the telecast All State? It's a long drive from Booneville to Hindman and I'd rather watch it in my living room.

 

 

Yeah, I believe it will be TV, that was the whole point in moving to Friday due the NFL playoffs on sat being on CBS.

Even with Beverly, I'm taking PCC in low scoring game.

Even with Beverly, I'm taking PCC in low scoring game.

 

I meant without Beverly. I'm told Braxton will be out several more weeks.

I wonder if it's going to be on TV? Earlier reports had the semi's and the championship game would not be on TV due to some rescheduling caused by weather postponements, but both semi games were on last night. I assume the championship will be shown as well.

Do you know any news about the telecast All State? It's a long drive from Booneville to Hindman and I'd rather watch it in my living room.

 

I'd say it will be on tv.