Inside the 15th Region 2/2/15

Overview:

The deeper we go into the season, the harder it gets to produce a top 5 for the 15th Region. Many questions still remain as we approach the regional tournament. Can Lawrence County get it together and play to their potential? Will Sheldon Clark get healthy in time to make a run at their first 15th Region Title since 1983? Will Johnson Central and Head Coach Tommy McKenzie continue to dominate the 15th Region? Is Pike Central the real deal? Can Bill Mike Runyon keep Paintsville playing at a high level night in and night out? Are Shelby Valley and Betsy Layne a real threat or are they victims of a weak schedule? Is Pikeville or East Ridge going to be able to sneak up on anyone? There are so many questions left to be answered with the only certainty being the 15th Region tournament will be fun to watch. Let’s see how the rankings shake out after 9 weeks of play!

Rankings after Week 9:

1. Johnson Central (15-8) – The Golden Eagles seem to be peaking at the right time for Head Coach Tommy McKenzie. In week 9 they defeated Magoffin County 86-46 in a game that saw 15th Region POY candidate Kyle Gullett post 25 pts, 7 rbs, 6 blks, 3 stls, 2 ast, and 2 Dunks in just under 3 quarters of play. The win moved JC into a position to draw at least a tie for the 57th District #1 seed (win vs. Paintsville Thursday night still needed). Week 10 will see the Golden Eagles travel to the to the 14th Region to take on Breathitt County (Tuesday night, February 3rd) and host Paintsville (Thursday night, February 5th). The Paintsville game should be a great one as the Tigers narrowly defeated JC 56-57 on January 13th. JC is now 12-3 with Kyle Gullett in the lineup and 11-1 since having their full compliment of players available.

2. Sheldon Clark (15-4) – Frankie Smith and the Cardinals went 0-2 in week 9, suffering losses to Paintsville 40-51 on the road and George Rogers Clark 58-67 (also on the road). The losses marked 3 straight after opening the season 15-1, but might not be the biggest hurdle facing Sheldon Clark. In the Paintsville game, Senior PG and 15th Region POY candidate Chase Parsley went down with an ankle injury (SC up 5 at the time of injury late in the 3rd quarter). X-Rays were negative, but tendon and ligament damage is still unknown. Initial reports have Parsley returning in 2-3 weeks as the Cardinals looked lost without him in the Paintsville game, struggling to run any type of offense as Dylan James was being double and triple teamed in his absence. In the Clark County game, Sophomore All State Candidate Dylan James, put the Cards on his back and scored 36 pts while grabbing 10 rebounds (hitting 7 3’s) to give his team a chance to win. Week 10 will see Sheldon Clark travel to Tolsia, WV Monday (Senior transfer Kaleb Strugill’s former team), travel to Phelps on Friday, and close out the week at Belfry on Saturday. Don’t look for the losing streak to continue this week as the Cards are still a team to be reckoned with.

3. Paintsville (15-7) – Paintsville went 2-0 in Week 9 with a 51-40 win over Sheldon Clark at home and 89-38 win vs. Lee County in the Appalachian Wireless Prep Showcase at Jackson City. In the Sheldon Clark game, Paintsville came back from a 13 point 2nd half deficit to keep their home record a perfect 8-0 on the season. The Tigers seem to be buying into their roles as they stay committed to a 3-2 sagging zone defense and continue to get big offensive contributions from Senior PG Luke Daniels and Senior PF Quinton Hensley. In week 10 the Tigers will travel to Morgan County on Monday and Johnson Central on Thursday (JC is also undefeated at home). If the Tigers are able to defeat the Eagles again, they will be in a tie for the 57th District #1 seed with Sheldon Clark (District Tournament will be played at Johnson Central this season).

4. Shelby Valley (15-10) – Head Coach Jim Hicks has the Wildcats playing well against tougher competition as they have seen an increase in SOS. In week 9 SV got a big 59th District win vs. Pikeville at home 59-43, extended their All-A State Tournament win streak to 9 vs. Campbellsville in the opening round of the State All-A Tournament at the Frankfort Civic Center 58-46, and finally lost in the All-A quarter finals to a 20 win Owen County 52-56 in OT. Junior standout PF Hunter Swindall averaged over 20ppg during the week, but the Wildcats also saw key performances from role player Lamont Wright and Senior Big Man Andrew Newsome. If the Wildcats can solidify their point guard play, they can be a scary team to play come March. In week 10 Shelby Valley will play East Ridge on the road Friday in a 59th District affair that could lock in the #1 seed for the Wildcats.

5. Betsy Layne (16-7) – Betsy Layne went 2-0 in week 9 with wins against Magoffin County at home 75-64 and South Floyd on the road 70-55. Betsy Layne and 15th Region POY Candidate Peyton Case have a chance to beat anyone if they bring their A game (defeated Perry Central 82-75 in OT earlier in the year), but have struggled against the best the 15th Region has to offer in Sheldon Clark (lost at home 88-56: running clock), Paintsville (yet to play but scheduled), and Johnson Central (yet to play but scheduled). In week 10 Betsy Layne will Prestonsburg at home on Wednesday and Allen Central at home on Friday. Both games will have implications in seeding for the 58th District Tournament.

Close to cracking into the Top 5:

Pike Central and Lawrence County.

Upsets in the Region:

Pike Central defeated Lawrence County 84-71 at home 27 January (Lawrence was at full strength).

Paintsville defeated Sheldon Clark 51-40 at home 29 January (Parsley ankle injury for SC in game).

Games to Watch in Week 10:

Boyd County @ Lawrence County Tuesday, February 3rd.

Paintsville @ Johnson Central Thursday, February 5th.

Prestonsburg @ Betsy Layne Wednesday, February 4th.

Shelby Valley @ East Ridge Friday, February 6th.

Agree or Disagree?