Ranking the Teams

1. Trinity – In a year in which the Shamrocks were the Commonwealth’s top-ranked team for nearly the entire season, compiling a 31-6 record and winning the school’s third Seventh Region title, Trinity fell just short of their championship aspirations in a state semifinal loss to Scott County. The Shamrocks enter the 2014-15 season once again loaded for bear and the overwhelming favorite to win the Seventh Region and be among the top contenders for a state title.

 

The Shamrocks will have to start by replacing the 10 ppg they lose from graduating point guard Trey Ivory and the 8.6 points per game (ppg) and 6.3 rebounds per game (rpg) of graduating forward Craig Owens. Taking the sting out of those losses is the return of 6’10” forward and University of Louisville commit Raymond Spalding. Bringing his 13.4 ppg and 10.3 rpg back for his senior season along with the intimidating defensive presence that long frame brings to the lane.

 

Trinity also returns senior forward Daniel Ramser, a Bellarmine University commit averaging 6.1 ppg and shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc as well as Jax Levitch, who averaged 5.6 ppg but also shot an impressive 45.1 percent from three in his own right. Senior forward Christian Thieneman averaged just 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game but could be asked to do more this season.

 

The great unknown for Trinity this season will be the play of Mississippi transfer D’Angelo West. The 6’3” combo guard averaged 22.1 points and 5 assists in his last high school season in Mississippi.

 

What will not be unknown is the stellar defensive play around which all Mike-Szabo-coached teams are built. Last season, the Shamrocks surrendered just 47.3 points per game, tops in the Seventh for at least the fourth year running. Should West manage to play defense to that same level his teammates and other Shamrocks in the past have demonstrated, the Seventh is Trinity’s for the taking.

 

2. Eastern – Third-year head coach David Henley has taken relatively little time to turn the Eagles’ fortunes around. After going 13-16 in his first year on the job, Eastern went 20-9 in 2013/14 and fell just short of advancing in the Seventh Region tournament, dropping a 62-58 decision to DuPont Manual, a team the Eagles had beaten earlier in the year.

 

Whether or not Eastern goes even further in this year’s postseason will depend primarily on 6’7” senior forward Trey Moses and junior guard Cameron Reed. The departures of several senior leaders from last year’s squad (Bryce Byrd, Tyler Cambron, and Austin Howard) means that several questions will have to be answered by last year’s underclassmen as they step into starting and other major contributing roles.

 

If Coach Henley can put his pieces together in a manner similar to last year, then this may be the year Eastern reclaims the 28th District crown from the Ballard Bruins.

 

3. Manual – The Crimsons had not made it to the semifinals of the Seventh Region Tournament since 2010 and then a stellar effort led them to a 25th District title and a regional quarterfinal win over a talented Eastern team. Coach James Just’s team compiled an impressive 20-11 record last season that provides a solid jumping-off point for what ought to be a very good follow-up campaign.

 

Leading the Crimsons again this year will be 6’4” wing and UNC Ashville commit Dwayne Sutton. There are days in which Sutton might be the best player in the Seventh. He can move quickly around the court and score and rebound at a tremendous pace.

 

A large and talented senior class, led by Sutton, guards Ja’Kory Freemon and Jarrett Harness, and forwards Tyron Horton, Chris West, and Samuel Chilton will be instrumental in propelling this team to the next level. Depending on the draw, this is a team that could easily find itself playing for the Seventh Region title.

 

4. Ballard – Head coach Chris Renner begins the 2014-15 season in a rather unfamiliar position: rebuilding. Of course, most coaches would be thrilled if “rebuilding” meant being ranked fourth in the region and having a roster of talented players to work with. Nonetheless, the departures of longtime starters Quentin Snider and Kelan Martin to graduation and young standout Malik Dow to transfer leave many questions to be answered for the Bruins.

 

Those answers begin with senior guard Jalen Perry. A starter last season and a regular contributor to Ballard’s supremely talented squad in 2012-13, Perry will be the unquestioned leader of this team. The remainder of those questions should be answered by returning forward Corey Douglas but whose height makes the Bruins much better when healthy; and by 6’1” transfer guard Anthony Eaves. In his last season of high school in North Carolina, Eaves averaged 16 ppg and shot over 45 percent from behind the arc. If he turns into an even better offensive threat than expected, Ballard could conceivably end the season a lot higher than they’re currently rated.

 

5. Waggener – Coach Bryan O’Neill and a talented group of underclassmen led Waggener to its first appearance in the Seventh Region Tournament in over a decade in 2013-14. A few names will shuffle around but the pieces are still in place for the Wildcats to make another run into the regional tournament.

 

Last year saw the emergence of super-talented freshman Devon Cooper. Now a sophomore, Cooper is the Wildcat most likely to have an incredible scoring night at any given moment. Also returning is a corps of talented juniors that emerged as a group their freshman year. Forwards Nicholas Kratholm (6’6”) and Jaalam Hill (6’5”) make up the backbone of a formidable frontcourt.

 

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they also lose longtime starters Semaj Ingram and Roderick Maddox to graduation and Brandon Wells and Tony Washington to transfer. That’s a lot of minutes and a lot of scoring to replace and it remains to be seen just how well they’ll manage.

 

6. Male – Expectations were high for the Bulldogs last season but struggling guard play and difficulties defensively led to a disappointing 17-16 season on Preston Highway, although they did manage to turn things around a bit at the end of the year to capture a 26th District title and win a game in the regional tournament before being eliminated by Ballard.

 

The effort to improve on last season’s record and make another run begins with 6’7” senior forward Will Paker, who led the Bulldogs in points, rebounds, and blocks last year. Also expected to be a major force in the frontcourt is 6’5” junior Alex Cook.

 

The frontcourt will be the centerpiece of this team but the season will hinge on the play of Male’s guards, who struggled last season. Senior guard Brandon Horne will be expected to do a lot of heavy lifting until it becomes clear exactly who else can help out.

 

7. St. Xavier – The Tigers are coming off an impressive 21-9 season in which they made the quarterfinals of the Seventh Region Tournament. Coach Kevin Kline has had an impressive string of success and improvement since taking over the program in 2008/09.

 

Unfortunately for the Tigers this year, they have to find a way to replace graduating senior Robert Shaw and his 17.4 points per game. Helping in that regard will be the return of second-leading scorer, senior guard Ashanti Burgess, (12.2 ppg) and leading rebounder, senior forward Andrew Marquess (8.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg).

 

Despite the losses, expect St. Xavier to contend with Male for the 26th District crown and return to another Seventh Region Tournament.

 

8. Central – Coach Doug Bibby spent the entirety of the 2013-14 campaign mired in a season-long rebuilding project that ended in a 9-20 record; unfamiliar territory for a program with a period of sustained success in the last decade.

 

Last year the team had just one returning major contributor; he returns this year in a significant position of leadership. Senior guard Brandon Johnson will be expected to be the steady hand on a roster of extremely young talent. The rest of the roster remains unproven but don’t expect Coach Bibby and the Jackets to be mired in the swamp for long. They’re still in position to finish second the 25th district and move into the Seventh Region Tournament.

 

9. Seneca – Once again the Redhawks find themselves in a tough battle of teams chasing Trinity in the 27th District and competing for that coveted second spot in the Seventh Region tournament. With the questions surrounding Waggener’s roster and experience they could well return there again.

 

Helping them in this task is one of the most talented players in the region: senior forward Chris Coffey. He, along with senior forward Elvis Kostic, make up a sizeable and talented frontcourt. If second-year coach Daniel Hawkins can pair them with a workable group of guards, they’ll be in position for a spot in the Seventh Region Tournament again.

 

10. Kentucky Country Day – The Bearcats are coming off an outstanding 2013-14 campaign in which they compiled a 17-11 record and won the Seventh Region All “A” Classic. 2014-15 could see them repeat in the latter and improve on the former.

 

KCD will be led by senior guard Malyiek McCray and junior forward Colin Ferguson. Those two surrounded by several talented returners could help ease the pain of losing graduating senior Zach Lyles and make the Bearcats the favorite in the regional All “A” once again. Unfortunately, their position in the same district as Ballard and Eastern will be a firm roadblock in the way of any dreams of making the regional tournament.

 

11. Christian Academy-Louisville – The Centurions will have their hands full replacing three influential departing seniors: forward Max Duff and Zac Passafume and guard Colton Talley. Coach Casey Smallwood has done an admirable job of building this program despite the looming specters of Ballard and Eastern at the end of each season. It will be an interesting competition between CAL and KCD for the best of the rest in the 28th District.

 

12. Atherton – Coach Mark Tudor takes over a Rebels program that has been a miserable 8-16 and 6-18 in the last two seasons. He’ll look to rebuild and it will be a multi-season project.

 

13. Collegiate – Following a 2012-13 season that was one of the best in school history, last year’s campaign was a bit of a disappointment for the Titans. Coach Dionte Mucker enters his second season with the school hoping to improve on the 8-15 record.

 

14. Shawnee – After a 3-28 campaign two years ago, Coach Carl White led the Golden Eagles to seven wins in the following season. Now first-year head Coach Miquel Coleman takes over the program, hoping to improve even more.

 

15. Portland Christian – Like the Collegiate School, Portland Christian is still trying to rebuild after losing one of the great players in program history two years ago. Fourth-year head coach Joseph Meredith will try to improve on last year’s six-win outing.

 

16. St. Francis – Former University of Louisville basketball player Tony Williams took the Wyverns to arguably the best season in the history of the school last season… then took off to coach his own alma mater, Doss. Coach Richard Butcher takes over the program hoping to continue the positive work started by Williams.

 

17. Brown – Scott Cissell takes over as head coach of the Bears following a 6-18 season.

 

18. Walden – After a few years off, Walden re-entered district play last season and compiled a nine-win season but lost in the first game of the 28th District tournament. Second-year coach Kevin Manning will lead the Wolverines into their second year of district play.

 

 

Ranking the Top Players

 

1. Raymond Spalding – Trinity

The 6’10” University of Louisville commit made a big splash in his junior season, averaging a double-double in points and rebounds as well as generally menacing the interior defensively with his long reach. He’ll be expected to perform at that level again and lead the Shamrocks to another Seventh Region crown.

 

2. Dwayne Sutton – DuPont Manual

The 6’5” shooting guard led the Crimsons last season, averaging 21 points and was an honorable All-State selection by the Courier-Journal. The UNC-Ashville commit will look to improve on his junior season as he looks to lead the Crimsons into the Seventh Region championship game for the first time since 2000.

 

3. Cameron Reed – Eastern

Reed was just a second-team all Seventh Region selection last year, but that can hardly be helped in an area as stocked with talent as Louisville. Reed will look to improve both on that selection and on his already outstanding 14.8 ppg last season. The 6’5” shooting guard has already committed to the University of New Orleans.

 

4. D’Angelo West – Trinity

No one is yet sure just how quickly West will get the hang of playing in Trinity’s system or the supremely talented and physical Kentucky Seventh Region. What is known is that in his last season in Mississippi prior to transfer, the Texas State commit averaged 22.1 ppg, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and two steals. The sky seems to be the limit on West if he can learn quickly to play in Mike Szabo’s defense-focused system.

 

5. Will Parker – Male

The unquestioned leader on last year’s team, Parker will try to translate that leadership into an improved season for the Bulldogs. The 6’7” senior led Male in both points and rebounds last season. Parker has not yet made a college choice but has offers from both Bellarmine and Kentucky Wesleyan.

 

6. Jalen Perry – Ballard

After playing the last few years with big time leaders like Quentin Snider and Kelan Martin, Perry could be a role player. Now coach Chris Renner will ask the 6’3” shooting guard to step up and lead the Bruins new-look team. A supremely athletic guard, he is an outstanding scorer and defender and with a little help, could take Ballard back to the Seventh Region championship game for the third straight year.

 

7. Trey Moses – Eastern

At 6’7” and 240 pounds, Moses is an imposing figure on the floor. His stats from last season back that up: 12.5 ppg, 8 rpg, and four blocked shots per game. The Ball State University commit is the second major piece in Coach David Henley’s quest to reclaim Eastern’s former place among the Seventh Region’s elite.

 

8. Jax Levitch – Trinity

One of Coach Mike Szabo’s great unsung assets of last season, Levitch will be unable to fly under the radar as he heads into his senior season. The 6’5” senior forward made 46 of 102 shots from behind the arc, an impressive 45 percent rate. As the season goes on, he’ll weigh Division I scholarship offers from Delaware, UNC Wilmington, IPFW, and several others.

 

9. Christian Thieneman – Trinity

His humble stat line belies his talent. Though averaging just 4.1 ppg and and 2.9 rpg, the 6’5” forward has a great head for the game and makes good decisions. The Marshall University commit shot an impressive 53 percent from the floor and was an integral part of a Shamrocks team that made the state semifinals last season.

 

10. Chris Coffey – Seneca

The 6’5” forward averaged a double-double for a Redhawks team that struggled for much of last season. Now as a senior leader, he’ll try to improve on last year’s record and his own impressive numbers. At this point, he has drawn interest from several smaller colleges, a list that’s likely to grow as this season wears on.

 

 

Dates to Remember

 

Jan. 14-17, 2015 – Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley High School

Jan. 20-23, 2015 – Seventh Region “All A” Tournament

March 6-March 10, 2015 – Seventh Region Tournament at Valley High School

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by Randy Parker

Terrific preview. Can't wait!!!

Well written. Clear and concise.

Excellent work Getslow! :thumb:

 

Trinity is just absolutely loaded this year, but the 7th's talent as a whole is impressive.

Trinity is just absolutely loaded this year, but the 7th's talent as a whole is impressive.

 

It's starting to get closer to where it was 5-7 years ago, when you could look at the Seventh and not only say that there were three to four teams that could conceivably win the region, but that any one of the four could contend for a state title. It's fairly concentrated at Trinity right now, but they'll lose a lot after this season and I'll be curious to see where the talent distribution is in 2015-16.

Very nicely done. thanks

Lots of guys there just weren't room for in that top ten list in a loaded Seventh.

 

Daniel Ramser from Trinity comes to mind. Bellarmine commit. Outstanding player.

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see Ashanti Burgess from St. X make a big leap now that he'll be expected to pick up a lot of the scoring Robert Shaw did last year.

 

I think by the end of the year, we're going to be talking about Waggener's DeVon Cooper a whole lot as well.

 

Who else belongs in the conversation that will demonstrate his skill by year's end?

Thanks for the preview. I have a couple questions:

 

1. Where are the Waggener players transferring?

2. Why did you decide to rank West #4 and not rank Eaves. Both appear to be future D1 players who were very successful at their previous schools. Is there less information about Eaves that makes him more of an unknown, or is there objective reasoning that West is significantly better.

3. Do you think Eastern and Manual could contend for a state title this season?

3.

Thanks for the preview. I have a couple questions:

 

1. Where are the Waggener players transferring?

2. Why did you decide to rank West #4 and not rank Eaves. Both appear to be future D1 players who were very successful at their previous schools. Is there less information about Eaves that makes him more of an unknown, or is there objective reasoning that West is significantly better.

3. Do you think Eastern and Manual could contend for a state title this season?

 

1) I believe Brandon Wells is now at Central (though I don't know for sure and that's why he doesn't show up in that part of the preview; I'll figure that out). Tony Washington is now at Fern Creek.

 

2) I don't know if there's more information on West in general, but I certainly have more information on West. Eaves could definitely end up among the top ten; I just don't know a ton about him.

 

3) It'll be tough. I don't know if Eastern and Manual have a top five, much less a bench, that can contend with Trinity for a full game. They have some special players that will propel them to a lot of wins, but this Trinity squad is just absolutely loaded. In my opinion, the best shot for someone to knock them off in the regional tournament is for Coach Renner's reloading effort at Ballard to come together quickly.

Thanks!

No one in the state should be Trinity this year, but that's why they play the games.

Thanks!

No one in the state should be Trinity this year, but that's why they play the games.

 

Agreed; and anything can happen in a one-and-done tournament format.

 

But I'm looking at a Trinity roster that has five players that have already signed to play Division I or II basketball and a likelihood of two more.

 

Ray Spalding (Louisville)

Christian Thieneman (Marshall)

D'Angelo West (Texas State)

Daniel Ramser (Bellarmine)

Jay Murphy (New York University)

 

Jax Levitch (Choosing between several Division I offers)

Michael Stafford (Unsure but I think has some Division II offers on the table)

 

That's just an insane group of senior experience and talent that's tough to overcome.

 

And it creates expectations commensurate with that talent.

 

Last year, Ballard was stacked too and I think that even if Trinity had lost that Seventh Region final, the season could have been looked at as a success. That's just not the case this year.

Good work, Getslow!

Can't wait to see what Chad Carr has in store for CAL this year!

Nice work, Getslow. Thanks for the preview.

Great stuff!