It's time to recap, so first, here is the obligatory mention of the biggest recent story in the 11th: DJ Jenkins has not suited up for Scott County's recent contests.

 

With that out of the way, we can focus on one of the State's finest tournaments (which also has some of the best spectators to take in a game with) going into the books as the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic High School went down.

 

While some (namely those who still think that the 12th, even on their best day, could handle the 11th) might disagree, I think we saw a strong showing from our Lexington-area teams. The biggest story breaking from the tournament was Henderson County's upset of Trinity, but to leave our analysis there would be short-sighted.

 

 

 

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

 

Lexington Catholic:

 

I'll go into more detail on the Knights' weekly results below. This section is reserved for the players and system that makes up one of the teams I was able to watch in person.

 

I came away impressed with what they were able to do. They have the Player of the Week in Michael Talbott, a reliable scorer in Tanner Johnson, an underrated asset in Jarrod Griffin, and some more kids who just fit their system.

 

Walker Boothe has stepped his play up and looks capable of logging plenty of minutes inside.

 

Reese Ryan, Donovan Morris, and Joseph Ogubu bring a toughness and athleticism from the gridiron that translates well.

 

Seeing emerging big-man Peter Whitman in significant action for the first time, I thought you could see the tools and potential, but that he might be a year or so away from really turning up. Don't let that fool you into thinking he won't be able to contribute in an year of the 11th that is somewhat weak in terms of post scorers though.

 

As if you can't tell from my gushing love for them throughout the weekly mentions, I think Catholic seems to have something other teams in the 11th are generally lacking right now-- they have a few different ways that they'll be able to beat you. On nights where Tanner Johnson doesn't shoot lights out, they still have a kid who can get to the rim in Michael Talbott and a solid secondary scorer and ball handler in Jarrod Griffin. That, plus the system that has given us trademark 2-2-1 pressure full and three-quarter court variations that have left a graveyard of opposing talent's past in it's wake is enough for me to say I'm sold.

 

Overall, the 11th may be more open than in year's past, but until someone knocks them off, I'll go with the talent and consistency of Lexington Catholic as my #1. If nothing else, at least it's now safest to say the Knights are the most reasonable pick based on past success.

 

 

 

 

PLAYER(S) OF THE WEEK:

 

Michael Talbott - Lexington Catholic:

 

The senior guard had some nice performances and looked to have improved from where he was at last season. Maybe I caught him on some off nights in the past, but I wasn't sold on how well his somewhat undersized frame would be able to handle the expectations that'd come with leading the show for the Knights.

 

After seeing him this season, many of those doubts were erased upon seen a quickness in his game that either wasn't there or wasn't as apparent to me in the past.

 

Michael showed a nice ability to manage the delicate balance that comes with needing to run the show yet still get other shooters, err... scorers, involved. I was impressed with his ability to get to the rim and have certainly revised my opinion on where I think he can take Catholic.

 

With Johnson likely drawing the other team's best defender, or at the least, spacing the floor by making teams pay if they don't have a body on him at all times, Talbott will have the freedom to operate, and could be in line for some big statistical nights.

 

 

Kirkland Humphrey - Madison Central:

 

Humphrey is an assassin from deep. That must have been omitted from some scouting reports leading into the US Bank Classic at Mason County High School. Either that, or there was something in the air at the historic Fieldhouse as he had a pre-Christmas scoring bonanza.

 

After escaping Newport in the opener behind his 20, both he and Cameron Thomas had 19 each in a quality win over Campbell County. While his 20 wasn't enough in a 56-49 loss to host Mason County, the Indians, who are still playing without Sam Jones, could be looking like a bit of a sleeper once he returns and things start clicking.

 

 

 

GAME OF THE WEEK:

 

Lexington Catholic @ Lexington Christian Academy - Jan. 6

 

As mentioned above, the Knights occupy the #1 spot in my overall rankings, but the Lexington Christian Eagles are #2 team and newly minted Head Coach Nathan Valentine drew the Knights at home first this year.

 

Last year, Doron Lamb and other well known personalities were brought in to lead a LCA pep rally held in anticipation of their game with Catholic, and the kids on West Reynolds Road want to show that they are ready to challenge the big dogs in the 11th. Knocking off Catholic would obviously have tremendous momentum for their budding program, and could really change the tides for an LCA team that has already started hot.

 

This could be a year we look back at as the one where the Eagles definitively "turned the corner". While I'm certainly not saying that the Eagles are there yet, it seems like an opportune time for a program to make the jump. Consider: traditional power Scott County is down; an injury to Mr. Basketball candidate Jeremiah Tisdale has derailed the hopes of a Henry Clay team that looked to be the class of the city schools; that a young, talented Dunbar team has been unimpressive so far and might still be looking for it's identity.

 

Now consider that LCA matches up with Catholic better, or at least less awkwardly (especially on the defensive end), than they do most of the other top teams.

 

Before we get to feast on this game, each will face a tough January 3 contest, as LCA must survive a dangerous test with Doss at Taylor County and Lex Cath an away date with Lafayette just to get to Tuesday's Showdown. While I'd be lying if I didn't say that I thought LCA would be the more likely of these two to suffer a let down due to looking ahead, Lafayette could also be a trap game if the Knights are overly dismissive.

 

 

 

OBSERVATIONS:

 

 

#1. Lexington Catholic:

 

Our team of the week came back home from the beautiful shores of Hawaii and rebounded from some early losses to high caliber out-of-state competition with an impressive performance. It began when they blitzed Betsy Lane, and the outcome was never really in doubt against a pesky, better than expected, Casey County team. While Casey County plays exceptionally hard and appeared to be fairly well-coached considering the point in his career that Maze Stallworth is at, they aren't ready to be a serious match for the Knights in Lexington.

 

An impressive semi-final win over Boyle County by a 65-47 margin saw Tanner Johnson shoot exceptionally well while both Griffin and Ryan seemed to have their names called quite a bit as well.

 

In the finals, Lex Cath fell to a tough Henderson County team who really opened eyes across the State with their performance over the past week and should be a legitimate threat to dethrone Hopkinsville in the 2nd Region. The Colonels' suffocating defense held strong during the 64-56 decision, as the Knights' marksmen were held to a 3 for 14 clip from distance. Lots of that had to do with making Tanner Johnson work hard to earn each of his team high 20, and the same could be said for Talbott's 10 and Griffin's 5. The Colonels seemed content with letting Ogbugu and Morris attack in the half court and living with it if they were beaten by them, but teams hoping to replicate this strategy need be advised of how well Henderson County defends, both individually and as a team.

 

 

 

#2. Lexington Christian Academy:

 

Coach Valentine has one of the State's best weapons at his disposal in Matt Rose. He also has a kid who I thought might be a bit of a wild-card coming into the season in developing sophomore big Tre King.

 

Past evaluations of King that came from diehard observers were a mixed bag. Some people loved his upside. Others questioned whether he had the "edge", "toughness", and/or genuine "mean streak" that he'd need to take his game to maximum heights.

 

While all indications are the King is a very good kid who is intelligent and well-rounded, the implications were somewhat worrisome, because, as a well known Kentucky High School figure who shall remain nameless once said, "some kids just don't have the dog in them... it's not something you can really teach or develop... some kids just don't have it".

 

Reports coming out of the Traditional Bank Classic this week seem to indicate that King looked improved and was able to make better use of his body inside. With strong performances in the team's win over Casey County and in a 67-50 defeat at the hands of Trinity, King has erased some of the previous skepticism.

 

The Eagles had quite the gauntlet to run if they were going to take home the crown, but overall, seem to be the #2 team in the region for the time being. They came out of the week with a 69-56 win over Bullitt East, a 67-50 loss at the hands of a Trinity team (who, despite losing to Henderson Co., is still the #1 team in the State for my money), a narrow 65-62 loss to a very good Manual team that is led by one of the State's best in Waynie Sutton, and a 54-38 win over Casey County.

 

LCA suffered a huge blow two plus weeks ago with the injury to Trevor Hill, but they are still going to be capable. I'm still consistently getting solid reviews on Drew Trimble. 8th grade sensation Kyle Rode looks like a player whose name will be etched into the minds of 11th Region followers for years to come. Benton Nighbert seems to be developing well.

 

 

#3. Bryan Station:

 

I've wondered aloud about the Defenders for a couple of weeks straight, but those questions came with the caveat that we would likely have answers following the Traditional Bank Classic. I felt the Defenders had a solid outing.

 

Station rebounded from a loss with a narrow win over a Male team that observers seemed to have reached a "talented but largely underwhelming" consensus on so far. They then overmatched Betsy Lane team and had an 85-67 decision over a usually talented Cincinnati Aiken team.

 

The story of the week though, was their 59-54 loss to Boyle County in the Traditional opener in a game that showcased that they can play with the State's top teams when they're on. "When they're on", however, is, as has often been the case in the past, when they are playing baseline to baseline and turning defense into offense back into defense.

 

Make no mistake, they have pressure that they can throw on some of the top teams in the State and still give them problems despite everyone in the gym knowing that the pressure is coming. That's the good news. The bad news is that some observers also noticed that they are definitely a team that has holes, some of which are just glaring at times, and which will likely present themselves when they try to throw pressure on some of the top teams in the State that know that the pressure is coming.

 

Handling the pressure, namely by not letting it rattle your guards, which while something that may be easier said than done, is still manageable, and you can expose them. They are also prone to playing a bit out of control in their half-court offense, particularly in regards to their shot selection.

 

The shot selection aspect is particularly troubling if you are someone who relies so heavily on pressure because if you can't score, you can't set up your press. Let it come as no surprise that Station is a team that will rely heavily on blitzing runs and, true to recent history, will probably live and die relying on their pressure. When the press isn't creating turnovers, they become infinitely more beatable.

 

Now that the dust is starting to settle on the first half of the season, I think it's safe to say that this team will have moments. Some will be good, as they could be a hot shooting hand away from beating anyone in the State. Some will be bad, as they could be a hot shooting hand away from leaving opponent's observers thinking, "I'm glad they took bad shots and we were fortunate enough that no one really blew up on us". My advice is just don't be the one who catches loses the "which Station guard beat his season average by 15+ against us" lottery.

 

 

#4. Henry Clay:

 

The 64-56 blemish at the hands of Henderson County on the Devil's record suddenly doesn't look nearly as bad. Unfortunately, a 73-58 loss to Covington Catholic two days later gives me pause. This is especially true with only a whoopin' of Betsy Lane sandwiched in-between the defeats and an earlier blemish to Eastern now looking much worse.

 

I know we have lots of 9th Region followers on the site, and though those who know me best will tell you that I am always delicate with my words in these situations /sarcasm, I'll go ahead and say it like this: "I really wonder how good Covington Catholic is this year".

 

I think you can take that and draw a number of possible inferences as to what I think of Henry Clay. As such, I'll continue being frank just this once /sarcasm: "I really don't know what this means for Henry Clay because I learned not to count them out based on how they handled similar circumstances last year."

 

We could obviously draw more reasonable conclusions had the Blue Devils seen more than two games that register on my Geiger counter, so unfortunately, if you clicked here hoping I'd go ahead and forecast the rest of Henry Clay's year already and that you could take it to the bank, then I'm afraid you are going to be miserably disappointed.

 

Get back to me after their 4 game stretch at Scott Co, vs Station, at Dunbar, and vs Creek that begins on 1/9 and we'll likely have a better idea of where the Devils stand.

 

If the results are still inconsistent after that stretch, then the most prudent course of action is probably to take whatever I'm then thinking is most likely for the Devils and turn that on it's head because my recent history of predicting what they'll do isn't great.

 

 

#5. Scott County:

 

Make no mistake, Billy Hicks can coach, but the loss of DJ Jenkins (which could be for the season), will hurt. The Cardinals were already off to a bit of a lackluster start with Jenkins. Competition like they faced last week in the Beach Ball Classic would easily be most team's toughest 3 game stretch in the season.

 

Given that the Cards came away with at least one win and still only have other losses to teams that either are, or would be at or near the top of the 11th, in Ballard, Lexington Christian, Lexington Catholic, and Manual means that I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

Still, my benefit of the doubt probably isn't worth much, because I'd imagine that as long as the Cardinals are without Jenkins, they'll be a bit of a long shot to win the 11th, even if Hicks can manage to mold a strong backcourt of Isaiah Johnson and Hines Jones into a formidable squad.

 

Forward Jamel Banks is serviceable and Tay Guyn, who has yet to really make the leap, is still extremely talented. Cooper Watts has now been shifted into a bit of a larger role. Same goes for Clarion Washington.

 

Regardless of whether or not Jenkins eventually returns, it will be interesting to track the progress of the aforementioned four. My guess is that either way, their contributions will determine how far the Cardinals eventually go (though it will obviously be on a larger scale if Jenkins remains).

 

 

#6. Tates Creek:

 

A two point win over a better than most think Whitley County squad followed by back to back losses to West Jessamine and Russell County aren't as bad as they look when you consider that Jordan Fucci didn't play in two of the three contests and "only" had 17 and 5 against West Jessamine. The Commodores are a capable bunch, but obviously aren't the same team without him at full strength.

 

Additionally, Lexington-area teams typically don't perform as well as you'd predict in tournaments like the Berea Invitational. Taken together, you can see why I'm not really concerned with the recent results.

 

That Trey Sturdivant, Darius Barksdale, and Isaiah Patterson had bigger roles, even for a short time, could wind up being a positive thing for a team that is so dependent on Fucci.

 

Same goes for the man who responsibility for scoring and leadership solely fell onto in Desmond Duke, whose work with both Creek and Charlotte Court make him one of my "All Blue Collar" kids in the 11th.

 

 

#7. Madison Central:

 

The Indians are still without Sam Jones, who will be a real difference-maker once he returns to action. Right now, the 11th appears too burdensome for Cameron Thomas and the supporting cast to carry without the big fella', but don't count out the valuable experience that the rest of the Indians who are being asked to step up in his absence are getting now and how it has the potential to really boost an always well-coached squad.

 

 

#8. Lafayette:

 

The Generals have a huge three game home stand coming up, as they'll host Lexington Catholic, Bryan Station, and Tates Creek. After that, two road contests with a return game at Catholic and the first in a game of two district contests against LCA will end a telling two-week stretch.

 

So far, consecutive road losses to Scott County and Lincoln County, which were preceeded by a stretch of consecutive roads losses to Grant County, Tates Creek, and Manual, aren't bad when you take any one or two and hold them in isolation.

 

If you are banking on the Generals, then the lack of a marquee win despite having a few opportunities to notch one is what is likely most bothersome.

 

Also concerning could be the fact that the final margin in a season opening loss to Lincoln County is nearly the exact result as their contest on 12/27, but that's probably looking into things too much, as each improved and were already familiar with one another.

 

The Generals can't help the fact that Dunbar and Madison Central weren't at full strength when they easily dispatched them.

 

Their absolute demolition of North Laurel in London en route to an 80-55 win was impressive, but has certainly lost some of it's luster. A win over Lawrence County, which figures to be one of the top teams in the 15th, is solid. Same goes for a 64-48 victory over a well coached Clinton County team. Still, it is going to take much more than victories over these types of teams to really register points. Don't count the Generals out, but don't bank on them until they show that they can do it either.

 

 

#9. Dunbar:

 

Some of my doubts about the Bulldogs were quelled in a conversation with an 11th Insider. While their record is still lackluster, there have obviously been lots of moving parts in the Bulldogs lineup and the team still hasn't come close to hitting it's peak. Things are starting to settle down now, and the Bulldogs could soon come back to the pack. Lots of kids playing bigger roles early in the year, now kids are coming back and there are lots of kids who are playing smaller roles than early in the year, different kids playing new roles that they'll play for the rest of the year, and... you get the picture.

 

A loss to Central doesn't look nearly as bad to those who got to see the Yellow Jackets go 2-2 against the field at the Traditional (beating Simon Kenton and Bullitt East; getting smoked by Manual and narrowly losing to Covington Catholic), nor is the loss to St. Xavier. The loss to Dixie Heights in the Ashland Invitational Final is more concerning.

 

The Bulldogs are going into a stretch of games in January that will be downright unforgiving. With Madison Central (1/6), @LCA (1/9), Montgomery Co (1/10), @Tates Creek (1/13), Henry Clay (1/15), Boyle Co (1/20), @Lex Cath (1/22), @Lafayette (1/27), Bryan Station (1/30), and an opponent to be named at the King of the Bluegrass Showcase (1/31), I don't know if there's a tougher month for anyone in the 11th.

 

Hats off to Coach Chalk for scheduling up, but you have to wonder if the stretch will damage an already delicate Bulldogs' psyche more than it benefits them in terms of competition and quality wins.

 

 

#10. Woodford County:

 

Visiting Woodford County soundly defeated Frankfort, 74-58, and sits at 9-3 on the season. Until someone proves me wrong, I'm going to stick with Woodford to come out of the district as a winner.

 

Generally speaking, Woodford County usually chugs along by beating the teams they are supposed to beat and plays the teams that are supposed to beat them closer than they are supposed to. While they may not have the overall depth and talent that some of the city schools have due to sheer numbers, I still think it's a mistake for anyone to overlook Hundley's bunch come tournament time in any given year. While it would take an impressive run for them to win the whole thing, they are definitely a spoiler.

 

 

 

 

BITS & PIECES:

 

Sayre lost to DeSales 54-44 in the Finals of the Henry County Invitational after pulling out close victories over Bishop Brossard and Atherton. The Spartans are now 9-3 on the season and seem to be improving.

 

 

Frankfort, mentioned above, has played fairly close with Western Hills and Franklin County, winning each contest by 3. They've also lost a 2 point decision to Sayre. 15 and 16 point losses to Paris and Woodford County, respectively, may not be atrocious if the final was as close as the score indicates.

 

 

Franklin County has better days ahead and Coach Tony Wise deserves plenty of time and patience in a rebuilding effort. Wins over Collins and Moore are encouraging, as are narrow defeats at the hands of Woodford County, Frankfort, North Oldham, and Fern Creek. With Ryan Schneider and Demarcus Kennedy being the lone returnees who saw significant playing time and a talent who is still years from maturity in 8th grader Diablo Stewart, the Flyers have a long way to go, but should improve over the course of the season.

 

 

Madison Southern's 66-52 loss to Lincoln County and 75-71 loss to North Laurel make me think that they are capable of giving lots of other teams a solid contest when they are on top of their game. Last week's lopsided losses to Bowling Green and Monroe County (in Western Kentucky) aren't nearly as bad as they look when you research their opponent's records.

 

 

Western Hills joined Sayre in Henry County, but came away with a lopsided loss to Seneca, a narrow win over St. Patrick, and a loss to Bishop Brossart. While their performance may not be things that get noticed by some of even the most hardcore fans, I think it's fair to say that the Wolverines are still showing improvement. They have already matched last season's win total before the New Year. Losses are closer and seemingly far more competitive. It all leads me to think that brighter days are ahead, and that the program is still showing life by grinding towards new goals.

 

 

Model has had a rough holiday stretch, but there's no shame in a 76-66 loss to Paris. Ephraim Otieno gave the Patroits 15, while Garrison Gray had 17 and Alex Chen had 14 points and 17 boards in the road defeat. The fact that Model, even in what would seem to be a "rebuilding" year following strong All A pushes, can play teams like Paris, who beat #2 LCA by 8 points, close is a testament to the program's progress under Coach Wes Scarberry.

 

 

Berea is now 6-5 on the season and indications are that they were competitive in games against Villa Madonna, Dayton, and Bellevue in the Swaugger Holiday Classic at Bellevue.

 

 

 

UNDER THE RADAR GAME(S) OF THE WEEK:

 

Lincoln County @ Bryan Station - 1/9

Lexington Catholic @ Lafayette - 1/3

Madison Central @ Holmes - 1/9

Scott County @ Henry Clay - 1/9

Woodford County @ Madison Southern - 1/6

Edited January 4, 201511 yr by JokersWild24

1. Bryan Station

2. LCA

3. Lexington Catholic

4. Henry Clay

5. Scott County

6. Madison Central

7. Tates Creek

8. Lafayette

9. Dunbar

10. Sayre

11. Woodford County

12. Frankfort

13. Franklin County

14. Madison Southern

15. Model

16. Berea

17. Western Hills

 

At this point who really knows. Anyone in the top 8-10 could win this region and I mean that!! Throw them in a hat and rank them that way. Crazy this year.

Craziness. Wow.

I still think LexCath is the top team in the 11th. Bad bad showing versus Lafayette but a lot of time to make up for it.

I still think LexCath is the top team in the 11th. Bad bad showing versus Lafayette but a lot of time to make up for it.

 

Agree. Tough stretch of games for lots of teams. If nothing else, you like Catholic because it's safe given that you'll probably see more consistency out of them than anyone else.

 

As more teams drop games, I'm getting intrigued by the race for the 11th this year. Really is wide open right now. Everyone is beatable.

 

These early games are big for seeding, correct? Am I correct in saying that the first meeting between the teams is used as the tiebreaker, at least in the 43rd?

 

District play means that you only get 2 of the three from Bryan Station, Henry Clay, & Scott County out of the 42nd; only get 2 of the 5 from Dunbar, Lafayette, Lexington Catholic, Lexington Christian, and Tates Creek.

 

I legitimately think that any of those teams listed could conceivably beat the others on a given night.

 

Whoever has the 4/5 seed in the 43rd is going to be at a pretty heavy disadvantage in terms of what they'd have to go through, but there's going to be some good teams in those slots.

 

I've forgotten the breakdown on how the 43rd does the seeding/tiebreakers, so someone correct me if I'm wrong or it's been changed recently.

I've forgotten the breakdown on how the 43rd does the seeding/tiebreakers, so someone correct me if I'm wrong or it's been changed recently.

 

Don’t know of any recent changes. Formula for the 43rd:

 

2-way ties:

1. Head-to-head results

2. Coin flip

 

3-way ties:

1. Head-to-head results

2. Draw from 2 hats – one with seeding, one with team names

Catholic will be tough down the stretch. Need to take some of load off Tanner Johnson

Catholic will be tough down the stretch. Need to take some of load off Tanner Johnson

 

You’re right, but there’s only one person in the world keeping him from passing to his talented teammates and getting them more involved. And it ain’t his defender.

 

On another note, congratulations on your first posts, hope you enjoy this board as much as I have. Pretty sharp crowd of nice folks. I’m about the only dummy.

The Bulldogs are going into a stretch of games in January that will be downright unforgiving. With Madison Central (1/6), @LCA (1/9), Montgomery Co (1/10), @Tates Creek (1/13), Henry Clay (1/15), Boyle Co (1/20), @Lex Cath (1/22), @Lafayette (1/27), Bryan Station (1/30), and an opponent to be named at the King of the Bluegrass Showcase (1/31), I don't know if there's a tougher month for anyone in the 11th.

 

Hats off to Coach Chalk for scheduling up, but you have to wonder if the stretch will damage an already delicate Bulldogs' psyche more than it benefits them in terms of competition and quality wins.

 

The Bulldogs remaining schedule for the season...

 

@Madison Central

@LCA #19 in LIT Rankings, tied for #21 in Cantrall Rankings,

Montgomery County (DMD Classic at Frankfort High)

@Tates Creek

Henry Clay #25 in Cantrall Rankings

Wayne County (Hall of Fame Classic at Southwestern) #12 in Cantrall Rankings,

Boyle County #12 in BGP Rankings

@Lexington Catholic #6 in LIT Rankings, #16 in Cantrall Rankings, #11 in BGP Rankings

@Lafayette #16 in LIT Rankings

Bryan Station #14 in LIT Rankings, #14 in Cantrall Rankings,

Dupont Manual (King of the Bluegrass Showcase at Fairdale) #3 in LIT Rankings, #3 in Cantrall Rankings, #7 in BGP Rankings

Lexington Catholic #6 in LIT Rankings, #16 in Cantrall Rankings, #11 in BGP Rankings

Tates Creek

Doss (Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette) tied for #21 in Cantrall Rankings, #5 in BGP Rankings

Madison Southern

@Henry Clay #25 in Cantrall Rankings

West Jessamine

@Scott County #7 in LIT Rankings, #18 in Cantrall Rankings

 

I dare to say probably the toughest slate of games left for any team in the state! I don't put much into computer based ranking systems or rankings in general but just a good bit of information to add.

I dare to say probably the toughest slate of games left for any team in the state! I don't put much into computer based ranking systems or rankings in general but just a good bit of information to add.

 

I'm not going to be shocked if we start to see a new Dunbar during that tough slate now that everyone is back, healthy, and they've been playing together for a bit.

 

I've heard things I like about Dontelle Brown, and remember his emergence around this time last year really sparking Dunbar. If he has developed some more and still brings that same toughness and edge, then he's going to really boost them.

 

Not really a ton of depth in terms of bigs in the 11th this season (in terms of what's usually there). Maybe not a Sam Jones, Jordan Fucci, or even Ross Jenkins (and hopefully I'm not slighting anyone and forgetting them), but I think Brown could win up being a name the pops up on the lists for the next tier.