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2014 39th District Tournament Preview

 

It's deja vu for the 39th District Boys Basketball Tournament, as the 2014 draw came out the same as it did last season. Mason County & Augusta, the 39th's top two squads, will square off yet again in the opening round. Last year's memorable Panthers win has been well-documented, but Chris O'Hearn's Royals savored a bit of revenge with a 17-point pounding of Jason Hinson's team back on December 20th in The Fieldhouse. The Royals have been a consensus top 3 team in the 10th Region for most of the year & boast a front line that will give any of the other 3 teams in this tournament problems.

 

As for Augusta, the defending District Tournament champions started the season off by establishing a school record 8 wins & 0 losses. The first blemish came against Mason County, which began a lengthy downhill swing--albeit against a quite formidable schedule. The Panthers dropped 7 of 9 games from December 20th to January 11th. Since then, however, Augusta has sported a 7-4 record & seem primed for the Tuesday night showdown with the Royals.

 

Bracken County & St. Patrick will start the tournament with a Monday night battle. Chad Persinger's Polar Bears enter the postseason just 1 game under .500 & have spent most of the season ranked in or near the Top 10 in the Region. Meanwhile the Saints & first-year coach Matthew Taylor enter the tourney on a 5-game losing skid & possess a 7-21 overall record. The two teams split their games this season, each winning on the other's court. The Polar Bears ended the Saints' season a year ago with a 15-point victory in this tournament.

 

It'll be hard to top the suspense & excitement from the 2013 tournament, but we're looking forward to seeing how things shake out this year.

 

The Pairings (all games at Bracken County)

 

Bracken County vs. St. Patrick - Feb. 24th 8:00 pm

Mason County vs. Augusta- Feb. 25th 8:00 pm

 

Championship Game - Feb. 27th 8:00 pm

 

Players To Watch

 

The only logical way to start this list is with Augusta phenom Brent Bach. The 6'1" senior has been headlining the state scoring leaders list most of the year & finished the regular season with an average of 30.6 ppg. Bach became a household name among 10th Region fans with his District Tournament performance two seasons ago & now finds himself atop most 10th Region player rankings.

 

Mason County big man Shawn Johnson, a veritable double-double machine (13.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg), is back leading the Royals. The 6'7" senior isn't the most flashy player, but finds a way to get it done in the paint on a nightly basis. Joining him on the front line is 6'5" junior forward Dorian Henry, who has emerged as a premier big man in the 10th. The duo comprise an imposing front court that no other team in the 39th can match.

 

Freshman guard Austin Crawford (6'1") is the go-to-guy for Bracken County & aside from being the top freshman in the 10th, is also one of the Region's top scorers at 23.3 ppg. Crawford is not only Bracken's top player/scorer, but also runs the point & is the team's best overall athlete.

 

Andrew Sticklen, a 6'5" junior, mans the paint for St. Patrick & possesses athleticism that makes him a difficult defensive assignment for most teams. Long & lean, Sticklen can do damage on the block, but can also face up & score.

 

Augusta is led by Bach, but a pair of sophomores supply plenty of firepower. Forward Camryn Snapp & deadly shooting guard Connor Maddox both average around 12 ppg. Another sophomore, guard Owens Crawford, suffered a serious injury in the season opener & just recently has returned to action, though certainly not at 100%.

 

Jake O'Mara, a 6'5" junior forward, makes an already powerful Mason County front court that much stronger. Sophomore point guard Antwavon Williams is the catalyst for the Royals & has shown flashes of brilliance at times this year.

 

Bracken County provides a strong back court mate for Crawford in 5'11" senior Nate Haight, the team's #2 scorer. Senior forward Ryan May plays bigger than his size & he can also be an effective scorer.

 

Beyond Sticklen, there are several Saints players who contribute, as balance is a key to their success. Among them are senior wing William McKay, junior guard Bailey Jodrey, freshman guard Chase Burton, & senior forward Andrew Brant.

 

Our Predictions

 

gold sunrise's picks:

 

Bracken County 65

St. Patrick 50

 

Mason County 73

Augusta 62

 

 

Mason County 75

Bracken County 61

 

mcpapa's picks:

 

Bracken County 76

St. Patrick 58

 

Mason County 72

Augusta 68

 

 

Mason County 64

Bracken County 54

 

Randy Parker's picks:

 

Bracken County 61

St. Patrick 51

 

Mason County 75

Augusta 68

 

 

Mason County 83

Bracken County 60

Posted

Great preview RP. I have a gut feeling that this tournament will be just as dramatic as last yrs only a new team will sit atop the 39th. This year there will be two upsets. Like I said I have a gut feeling about this

 

Bracken 74

St. Patrick 60

 

Augusta 55

Mason 50

 

Bracken 76

Augusta 70

 

I feel coach Hinson will have the panthers ready to play a slow tempo game cause he knows running with mason will be a terrible mistake. Not to mention historically Mason Co has not played their best at Bracken Co, and the panthers have been on a nice roll of late.

 

Bracken over Augusta in the final because Bracken has played two great games against Augusta. With this being at Bracken and the difficulty of beating a team three times in one season. I give my polar bears the nod. The last game between these two at the igloo was a barn burner that ended by a buzzer beater by Bach.

Posted
Great preview RP. I have a gut feeling that this tournament will be just as dramatic as last yrs only a new team will sit atop the 39th. This year there will be two upsets. Like I said I have a gut feeling about this

 

Bracken 74

St. Patrick 60

 

Augusta 55

Mason 50

 

Bracken 76

Augusta 70

 

I feel coach Hinson will have the panthers ready to play a slow tempo game cause he knows running with mason will be a terrible mistake. Not to mention historically Mason Co has not played their best at Bracken Co, and the panthers have been on a nice roll of late.

 

Bracken over Augusta in the final because Bracken has played two great games against Augusta. With this being at Bracken and the difficulty of beating a team three times in one season. I give my polar bears the nod. The last game between these two at the igloo was a barn burner that ended by a buzzer beater by Bach.

 

I'm glad you posted this first because I never would have. That being said I agree with everything you predicted(the scores,etc.). Where's the fun in everyone going chalk anyway? On a side note,will say if your not there at 5-5:30(and that's conservative) for the Girls game at 6:30 it may be hard to find a seat. I've heard ones from Augusta tell me they were getting there when school let out and park, shop at Dollar General and then wine and dine at Snappy's Italian Pizzeria before heading in when the doors open

Posted
I believe both first round games will be relatively close games. But Mason will destroy Bracken in the finals.

 

Sure hope your wrong about this. If it is indeed Mason / Bracken in the finals i would like to believe it is no more than 10 points eithier way. Dare I say Bracken with the upset :sssh: :ylsuper: :up:

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