Basketball season begins in less than a month and fans across the state are gearing up for what should be another exciting season of Kentucky high school basketball. It is no different in the south central part of the state as we all speculate as to whom will represent the 12th Region in Rupp Arena come March. 12th Region basketball has the potential to be as strong and exciting as last year. With traditional powers such as Wayne County, Southwestern, Pulaski County, and West Jessamine maintaining strong teams again this year, new teams such as Mercer County and Casey County find themselves in the conversations as a team that could make their way to Rupp. Who will cut down the nets and travel the road to Lexington come March? Only time will tell. We wish all team the best of luck and look forward to your progress.

 

 

1.Mercer County Titans

 

Could this be the year of the Titans? The town of Harrodsburg sure hopes it is. The Mercer County Titans are the top ranked 12th Region team in all of the preseason polls and rightfully so. The Titans return a plethora of talent from last season and add one of the 15th Regions top players to their line-up. Returning starters senior Will Hager, senior Malik Dow, and sophomore Trevon Faulkner averaged 46 of Mercer County’s 69 points per game last season. Add one of the state’s top scorers and free throw shooters in transfer Dylan James’ 22.6 point per game average and you have a team capable of scoring at will. You also have a team that knows how to rebound. James was one of the state’s top rebounders averaging 10.1 rebounds last season and Dow had 8.6. Will Hager is the top player in the 12th Region and will be called upon for leadership of this talented Titans team. Coach Josh Cook knows if the chemistry comes together, this Titan team has the potential to have a special season.

 

 

2a. Southwestern Warriors

 

The Southwestern Warriors should once again be in the hunt for the 12th Region title this year. But, one thing Coach Steve Wright will be missing is a strong inside presence. With the graduation of Dylan Gaskins the Warriors will be without a true post player. Southwestern will however have the top combo guard in the class of 2018 in Steven Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald lit up the travel circuit this summer and the Warriors are expecting big thing from him this year. Alongside him will be guards Peyton Gover and Danny Butt. This will be a very difficult trio to guard and if you let up on defense they will light you up from 3 point range. Expect the Warriors to rely on the outside shot a lot this year. With their ability to shoot, no one in the region is safe and it may take an off shooting night to beat the Warriors. On defense, the Warriors will be bringing a lot of pressure and try to push the tempo of the game in their favor.

 

 

2b. Wayne County Cardinals

 

When the conversation is about 12th Region basketball, Coach Rodney Woods and the Wayne County Cardinals are always being mentioned. That is because they are a perennial power in the 12th Region and this year is no exception. Coach Woods has nine 12th Region titles while at Wayne County. This year he would like to cut down the nets for the tenth time and he has a team capable of doing just that. The Cardinals return four starters from last year’s team. Senior point guard Trey Blevins and swingman Corey Stearns are both four year starters who have helped lead the Cardinals to two 12th Region titles and are hoping to add a third in their final year wearing the red and white. Two other seniors will bring a lot of size in the paint with Nick Gillespie and transfer Daniel Coldiron. Sophomore Jakson Baker is the other returning starter who gained a lot of experience last year playing as a freshman. Look for the Cardinals to make a deep run come March.

 

 

4. Pulaski County Maroons

 

Coach Jimmy Voight will be in his second year with the Maroons and looks to have a strong team ready to compete for the 12th Region title. With the addition of transfer Landon Powell the Maroons are poised once again at the top of the 47th district and in the top five of the region. Powell is a very skilled point guard that was Somerset’s leading scorer last year prior to transferring to Pulaski County. Adding Powell to a line-up with standout forward Treyvon Sylvester bolsters the Maroons to a 12th Region challenger with the potential to make a run at the title in March. Riley Hall and Mason Helton will also be contributors once the Maroons finish their season on the football field.

 

 

5. West Jessamine Colts

 

West Jessamine lost a lot of scoring and rebounding from last season’s team due to graduation but Coach Damon Kelley is looking to rebuild around returning starter Siah Holifield. Holifield was last year’s leading scorer for the Colts averaging 15.3 points per game. Alongside Holifield, the Colts are fortunate enough to have talented junior point guard John Davis and junior Joe Gilbert transfer in to play this year. With the additions, the Colts look to challenge Mercer County for the 46th District crown. The backcourt for the Colts will be solid but the frontcourt will be the question. Other contributing players returning for West will be senior guard Cameron Seater and junior guard Isaiah Okesson. 2010 was the last time West Jessamine cut down the nets and the Colt faithful believe this team has a chance to return to Rupp once this team gels.

 

 

 

6. Casey County Rebels

 

Coach Maze Stallworth is in his third year at the helm of Casey County and he looks to have his best team yet. Casey returns their top two leading scorers in junior Jacob Smith and Colin Miller. They also return leading rebounder and inside presence senior DJ White. New comer freshman Max Reyes will add another ball handler and scoring threat to the Rebels lineup and transfer senior Wyatt Slone will round out what will be one of the bigger line-ups in the 12th Region. The Rebels have been the 47th District runner-up the past two seasons and are aiming to take the crown this year. They also have a team that has the potential to make a run in the region come March.

 

 

7. Boyle County Rebels

 

The Boyle County Rebels had a dream season last year winning the 12th Region tournament and making it to the final four of the Sweet Sixteen. But, this is a new year and the Rebels are looking to fill the void left behind after graduation. Most would think that this will be a rebuilding year for Boyle County, but the Rebel faithful have hidden smiles knowing they have a very good chance to surprise the competition. The Rebels return seven seniors from last year’s team. With the region’s top post player returning for his senior season Colton Elkins will be a problem for any opponent on both the offense and defensive ends of the floor. Senior shooting guard Josiah Robbins will be looked to for outside scoring and leadership along with fellow seniors Dario Delcastillo and Jase Sharp. Look for sophomores Jason Alexander and Bryce Slone to be major contributors and possible starters throughout the season. With the success this team had last season and the experience of being a winning program; look for Boyle County to be the dark horse in the 12th Region.

 

 

8. Danville Admirals

 

Over the past 2 seasons the Danville Admirals have been 12th Region Class A champions but have had the unfortunate position of being in a district with two state ranked powers. This year the Admirals see an opportunity to challenge for 45th District supremacy. Danville will be led by senior Spencer McKinney. He was a double digit scorer and led the team in rebounds last year. Senior Jakobi Turner returns after being out last year and should be a nice addition for this season. Senior guard Matthew Turner and sophomore Jared Southerland will also be a factor in how well the admirals succeed this season. Transfer Zach Blades will add some size inside for the Admirals. Look for Danville to be a good shooting team and take advantage of the three point shot.

 

 

9. Rockcastle County

 

The Rockets return leading scorer and rebounder junior Lucas Gentry who averaged 19.2 points per game last season and 8 boards. For the Rockets to make noise in the 47th district, they will need another season of strong inside play from Gentry and productivity from fellow juniors John Cornelius and Carson Noble. Look for the Rockets to be a dark horse in the 47th District.

 

 

10. Lincoln County Patriots

 

Lincoln County lost more to graduation than any team in the 12th Region over the past year. With that being said, this will be a rebuilding year for the Patriots. The Patriot faithful knows this is going to be a young team that will experience growing pain over the course of the year. But, Jeff Jackson has been to the 12th Region tournament 10 of his 12 years at Lincoln County so by seasons end this team should be a threat in the 45th District. Look for junior guard Noah Young to be the foundation for this young Patriots team.

 

 

11. Garrard County Golden Eagles

 

It has been 11 years since Garrard County has been in the 12th Region tournament but the Golden Lions have their best team they have had in a while. Garrard County returns their top two scorers in seniors Slade Crutchfield and Nick McCollum. They were also the leading rebounders. The Golden Lions look to improve on last season’s record and hope to challenge the 45th District come March.

 

 

12. Somerset Briar Jumpers

 

The Briar Jumpers will be a very young team this year with a starting line-up of four sophomores and a junior. Somerset will go through some growing pains this year but coach Cothron hopes to have them ready to compete in the All A Classic and the 47th District come seasons end. Look for the offense to run through sophomore forward Trae Harmon. He is the lone starter from last year’s team and for Somerset to be successful he will need to be a big part of the offensive scheme. Sophomore shooting guard Kross Grundy is also a name you could be hearing a lot from for the Briar Jumpers this season.

 

 

13. McCreary Central Raiders

 

The Raiders will be young but look to improve on last season. Unfortunately they are in the very difficult 48th District with two of the top teams in the region and state. Sophomore Hunter Jones will be the returning scorer for the Raiders. He averaged 12.3 points per game last season and has a nice touch from beyond the arch.

 

 

14. East Jessamine Jaguars

 

The Jaguars will be looking to find an identity this season with the majority of their scoring gone from last season. They hope to improve on their 9-18 record of last year and gain momentum as the season progresses. They are unfortunately in a very strong district with Mercer County and West Jessamine. Look for senior TJ Ross and junior Nathan Harper to play a role in this rebuilding year.

 

 

15. Burgin Bulldogs

 

The Burgin Bulldogs hope to improve on last season record but may have a difficult time in the 46th District. They bring back leading scorer senior Tommy Lopresto and rebounder Jordan Hurst.

 

 

16. Kentucky School for the Deaf Colonels

 

It is always a pleasure to see the success the Colonels have versus out of state teams. Could this year be the year they get a win over an in state team? They return seniors Ryan Mayes, Jeffery Couch, and junior Irvin Herrera. Best of luck to the Colonels.

 

 

 

2015-16 Top Players:

 

1) Will Hager (Senior) Mercer County- Strong guard that will take you to the rim. He is the heart of the Titans team and will be difficult to match up against. He was the Titans leading scorer with 17.1 ppg last season.

 

2) Trey Blevins (Senior) Wayne County- Skilled point guard that plays with passion every time he steps on the floor. Averaged 19.5 ppg and shot 40.3% from three point range.

 

3) Colton Elkins (Senior) Boyle County- If not already, he will be the leading shot blocker in Boyle County history. Strong center who is defender of the rim and throws down his shots with authority.

 

4) Corey Stearns (Senior) Wayne County- Swingman that handles the ball, shoots well, and can jump out of the gym. He averages 19.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg.

 

5) Stephen Fitzgerald (Sophomore) Southwestern- Swingman that finishes strong at the rim but has a nice touch from beyond the arch.

 

6) Trevon Faulkner (Sophomore) Mercer County- Shooting guard that can take a game over from beyond the arch but can finish at the rim. Averaged 16.8 ppg.

 

7) Treyvon Sylvester (Junior) Pulaski County- Power forward with size and strength inside. Runs the floor well and can finish above the rim. Led Pulaski in rebounds last season.

 

8) Malik Dow (Senior) Mercer County- Strong power forward who led the Titans in rebounding last season with 8.6 rpg.

 

9) Peyton Gover (Junior) Southwestern- Combo guard who led Southwestern in scoring last season with 13.5 ppg and 42.5% from three point range.

 

10a) Siah Holifield (Senior) West Jessamine- Guard that led the Colts in scoring last season with 15.3ppg

 

10b) Dylan James (Junior) Mercer County- Newcomer from the 15th region. Averaged a double-double and was a state leader in both scoring and rebounds last season.

 

 

Just missed the top 10:

 

Danny Butt (Sophomore) Southwestern

Lucas Gentry (Junior) Rockcastle County

Colin Miller (Junior) Casey County

Landon Powell (Junior) Pulaski County

Jacob Smith (Junior) Casey County

Job well done!!! I'm ready for next Tuesday!!!!

Great work! Team and player rankings look good! The 12th will again be one of the toughest regions in the state top to bottom.

I dig! Going to be a slobber-knocker of a region this time around! Wouldn't surprise me to see Jake Smith from Casey working his way into the top 10, as well as DJ White, just some bias opinions :popcorn:. Casey Rebs QB Breece Hayes (6'5) will most likely get the start at center for them as well, with Wyatt Slone coming off the bench. Lots of un-ordinary excitement surrounding our boys down here in Liberty, just hope we're up to the challenge! Nicely done Ram!

This is going to be another fun year in the 12th region!!

I dig! Going to be a slobber-knocker of a region this time around! Wouldn't surprise me to see Jake Smith from Casey working his way into the top 10, as well as DJ White, just some bias opinions :popcorn:. Casey Rebs QB Breece Hayes (6'5) will most likely get the start at center for them as well, with Wyatt Slone coming off the bench. Lots of un-ordinary excitement surrounding our boys down here in Liberty, just hope we're up to the challenge! Nicely done Ram!

 

Did Breece play in the scrimmage against Bullitt East? If he is who I think he is then he has improved a ton since I last saw him.

Did Breece play in the scrimmage against Bullitt East? If he is who I think he is then he has improved a ton since I last saw him.

 

Yeah, he played against Bullitt East. He's packed on quite a bit of weight during football and that's really upped his game!

Nice job!

Going to be a great year in the 12th, and good lawd is this region deep. Boyle at 7th, Danville at 8th and Lincoln at 10th all seem low, but don't think I'd move any of them — maybe Boyle to 5th or 6th — right now.

 

Of course, we'll see how everything shakes out this year on the court.

 

West has one of the toughest schedules in the state, and I could see them struggling for a majority of the regular season, then turning it on late like coach Kelley's teams always tend to do.

 

Side note: Don't think TJ Ross is playing for East this season.

Overall a really nice analysis. I do think that Wayne should be the #2 team at this point.

Overall a really nice analysis. I do think that Wayne should be the #2 team at this point.

 

They are #2.

Boyle County will face 8 of the top 10 teams in the 12th Region. I'm ready for the season to start so I can watch Colton Elkins work.

I am hearing Treyvon Sylvester is out till after christmas maybe. Still trying to recover from the hand he broke months ago.

Good work. Only complaint (this definitely ISN'T a criticism) is that I believe Slade Crutchfield from Garrard should be considered among the Top 15 players. He really is a do-it-all kind of player - point guard but also leading rebounder. Should also move into the Top 5 in career scoring at Garrard this season. Plus he's a really great kid.

I'm very anxious to see how Lincoln County turns out this season. I know they lost a ton but they've got a key returner in Noah Young and what appeared to be a very solid junior varsity club last season. And of course Jackson will have them playing well as the season goes along. I think Lincoln could be very difficult to defeat in the postseason.