Folks, it’s been one of those weeks in the 13th Region. Yep, we’ve had some teams pick up good wins that has left me scratching my head, and some teams dropping loses that did the same.

I’ll be the first to admit, this has been, by far, the hardest season I’ve ever had to rank teams. You’ve got teams that, when healthy, are very, very good. Then you have teams that have set their star player, and suffer a key loss, only to come back and get a huge road win.

Yep, those are just a few examples on why this has been so hard to decide to put which team where in my rankings. But with that said, I’m gonna give it a try.

 

1. Clay County (17-4 overall, 9-0 against 13th Region opponents)

If there is one thing you can count on during this wild and wacky high school basketball season, it’s the Clay County Tigers. They are a perfect 9-0 against regional competition, and the defending two-time 13th Region champion Tigers. Clay County saw its four-game win streak come to an end this past week after falling to Perry Central, 76-73. But no team in the region, other than Williamsburg, has been as consistent as Robert Marcum’s squad. Granted, the Tigers struggled during their last two regional games against South Laurel and Oneida Baptist, respectively.

 

2. Williamsburg (16-0, 12-0)

The Yellow Jackets remain the lone unbeaten team in the state, but they almost fell in the finals of the 13th Region All ‘A’ Classic Tournament championship game to Barbourville last week before defeating Barbourville, 56-54. The bottom line – Williamsburg won, but I also saw some chinks in the Yellow Jackets armor. The Tigers aren’t a bad team, and I thought they actually hurt Patrick Robinson’s squad at times pushing the ball upcourt. The Yellow Jackets also struggled guarding the perimeter at times. But with that said, Williamsburg won, and will now set their sights on beating Whitley County Tuesday while making a run at the All ‘A’ Classic State Championship beginning Thursday.

 

3. (tie) Corbin (12-6, 6-5)

This is where things begin to get a bit tough. Why is Corbin tied with South Laurel and Whitley County at the third spot? Well, I’m thinking because, these teams belong in the top five, but I’m not sure where. I really believe if Andrew Taylor played the entire game during the Redhounds’ three-point loss to the Colonels, they would have won, and they also recovered quite nicely by defeating Knox Central on its home court this past Friday. This Corbin teams always seems to pick things up heading into February, and I’m seeing the same thing this year.

 

3. (tie) South Laurel (9-9, 2-6)

I know, I know, most of you are probably thinking, ‘Hey, didn’t the Cardinals just lose to Whitley County?’ And yes, they did, but they were without the services of center Caleb Taylor, who is averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks a game. Put Taylor in the game, then the Colonels’ ability to score in the paint wouldn’t be as easy, and remember the last time he played against Whitley County, South Laurel won by 19 points. Plus, I don’t believe you’ll see the Cardinals turn the ball over 24 times and shoot 13-of-32 from the free-throw line again anytime soon.

 

3. (tie) Whitley County (15-4, 8-1)

The Colonels possess the second-best win streak in the region, but I’m still not sold on them just yet. Granted, they did defeat both Corbin and South Laurel the past two weeks, but the Redhounds were without star player Andrew Taylor for three-plus quarters, and the Cardinals were with starting center Caleb Taylor, who is averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks per game. Whitley County is winning, though, and I can’t overlook that fact. This team is a gritty bunch that plays solid defense. If they get past Williamsburg Tuesday, which I believe they will, they’ll go to a 50th District-best 3-1.

 

6. Knox Central (12-8, 5-3)

The Panthers are a tough team to figure out. They were riding a three-game win streak before losing to Corbin at home Friday, 74-71. This is the same Corbin team they had defeated on Dec. 21, 2014 by three points. This team continues to be very inconsistent. Knox Central was coming off a big 59-54 win against South Laurel, but just can’t seem to find any consistency right now.

 

7. Barbourville (14-6, 8-4)

The Tigers are a team to keep an eye on. They have a lot of upside, and was probably a half-inch from advancing to the Class ‘A’ State Tournament. The improvement of players such as Zach Deaton, Bradley Warren and Tate Carter has made Barbourville a dangerous team in the region.

 

8. Jackson County (11-9, 3-5)

The Generals are another team that has been very hard to read. They have the talent to beat anyone in the region, and it’s looking like Jacob Hammonds and Zach Lawson each have improved their play of late.

 

9. Harlan County (11-9, 4-4)

This is another team that has left me scratching my head. The Black Bears defeated Bell County on Jan. 2 by 33 points, but lost to the same Bell County team by 18 points this past Friday.

 

10. North Laurel (6-12, 1-4)

The Jaguars are currently riding a four-game losing skid, and have only won two games during their last 10 played. They desperately need a win over Clay County Tuesday in the worst way.

 

 

Player of the Week

Luke Woods, Whitley County

Woods scored 26 points, pulled down five rebounds and connected on 10-of-11 shot attempts from the free-throw line during the Colonels' win over South Laurel this past week.

Well Whitley definitely didn't get past Williamsburg.

Nope.