From Jason Frakes with the Courier- Journal.

 

Five matchups involving 10 of the top 14 boys basketball teams in the state highlight the first round of action for the Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic.

 

The bracket was released Tuesday for the 36th annual event scheduled for Dec. 16-20 at Fairdale High School.

 

Three first-round matchups will feature top-10 teams in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – No. 5 Covington Catholic vs. No. 10 North Hardin, No. 7 Christian County vs. No. 8 Fern Creek and No. 3 Paul Dunbar vs. No. 6 Ballard.

 

Other big first-round matchups will be No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 11 Doss and No. 2 Trinity vs. No. 14 Cooper.

 

The original time schedule has been altered so that none of the out-of-state will play on Sunday, Dec. 18, and so the tournament won’t overlap with the University of Louisville-University of Kentucky men’s basketball game on Dec. 21.

 

Here is the schedule:

 

* Friday, Dec. 16 – Fairdale vs. Franklin-Simpson, 6 p.m.; Trinity vs. Cooper, 7:30 p.m.; Ballard vs. Paul Dunbar, 9 p.m.

 

* Saturday, Dec. 17 – Chicago St. Rita vs. Ackworth (Ga.) Allatoona, noon; Huntsville (Ala.) Lee vs. Lilburn (Ga.) Berkmar, 1:30 p.m.; Christian County vs. Fern Creek, 4:30 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. Doss, 6 p.m.; Covington Catholic vs. North Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; St. Rita-Allatoona winner vs. Lee-Berkmar winner, 9 p.m.; St. Rita Allatoona loser vs. Lee-Berkmar loser, 9 p.m.

 

* Sunday, Dec. 18 – Quarterfinals and consolation-bracket games at 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.

 

* Monday, Dec. 19 – Consolation-round games at 4:30, 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.; semifinals at 7:30 and 9 p.m.

 

* Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Consolation final, 3 p.m.; fifth-place game, 4:30 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:30 p.m.

36th Annual Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass

December 16 - 20, 2016

28 games in five days

12 Kentucky Schools

4 out-of-state

 

TEAMS IN BOLD / RED ARE IN THIS YEARS CLASSIC

 

Courier-Journal's Preseason Poll

1.Bowling Green-4th region.

2.Lou.Trinity-7th region.

3.Paul Dunbar-11th region.

4.Scott County-11th region

5.Covington Catholic-9th region.

6.Lou.Ballard-7th region.

7.Christian County-2nd region.

8.Fern Creek-6th region.

9.Hopkinsville-2nd region.

10.North Hardin-5th region.

11.Lou.Doss-6th region.

12.Lexington Catholic-11th region.

13.Pulaski County-12th region.

14.Cooper-9th region.

15.Pleasure Ridge Park-6th region.

16.Universty Heights-2nd region.

17.Lexington Christian-11th region.

18.Mercer County-12th region.

19.Newport Central Catholic-9th region.

20.Graves County-1st region.

21.North Laurel-13th region.

22.Franklin-Simpson-4th region

23.South Laurel-13th region.

24.Perry County Central-14th region.

25.Bullitt East-6th region.

 

From Jason Frakes with the Courier- Journal.

 

Five matchups involving 10 of the top 14 boys basketball teams in the state highlight the first round of action for the Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic.

 

The bracket was released Tuesday for the 36th annual event scheduled for Dec. 16-20 at Fairdale High School.

 

Three first-round matchups will feature top-10 teams in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – No. 5 Covington Catholic vs. No. 10 North Hardin, No. 7 Christian County vs. No. 8 Fern Creek and No. 3 Paul Dunbar vs. No. 6 Ballard.

 

Other big first-round matchups will be No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 11 Doss and No. 2 Trinity vs. No. 14 Cooper.

 

The original time schedule has been altered so that none of the out-of-state will play on Sunday, Dec. 18, and so the tournament won’t overlap with the University of Louisville-University of Kentucky men’s basketball game on Dec. 21.

 

Here is the schedule:

 

* Friday, Dec. 16 – Fairdale vs. Franklin-Simpson, 6 p.m.; Trinity vs. Cooper, 7:30 p.m.; Ballard vs. Paul Dunbar, 9 p.m.

 

* Saturday, Dec. 17 – Chicago St. Rita vs. Ackworth (Ga.) Allatoona, noon; Huntsville (Ala.) Lee vs. Lilburn (Ga.) Berkmar, 1:30 p.m.; Christian County vs. Fern Creek, 4:30 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. Doss, 6 p.m.; Covington Catholic vs. North Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; St. Rita-Allatoona winner vs. Lee-Berkmar winner, 9 p.m.; St. Rita Allatoona loser vs. Lee-Berkmar loser, 9 p.m.

 

* Sunday, Dec. 18 – Quarterfinals and consolation-bracket games at 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.

 

* Monday, Dec. 19 – Consolation-round games at 4:30, 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.; semifinals at 7:30 and 9 p.m.

 

* Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Consolation final, 3 p.m.; fifth-place game, 4:30 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:30 p.m.

 

Thanks for posting @King of the Bluegrass

36th Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass

December 16-20, 2016

Fairdale High School

28 Games - 5 Days

 

Featuring the TOP 6 Players in the Courier-Journal Preseason Rankings

PLAYER - SCHOOL - COLLEGE

1 Taveion Hollinsworth - Dunbar - Western Kentucky

2 Tony Jackson - North Hardin - Costal Carolina

3 Jaylen Sebree - Christian Co. - Costal Carolina

4 Tavin Lovan - Franklin-Simpson

5 Cole VonHandorf - Covington Catholic Fairmont State

6 Terry Taylor - Bowling Green - Austin Peay

16 Chance Moore - Fern Creek

18 Jacob King - Trinity - Campbellsville

23 Sean McNeil - Cooper - Bellarmine

24 Jaylon Hall - Doss

 

Out-of-State College Commitments

 

Al Durham - Berkmar (GA) - Indiana

Zack Cooks - Berkmar (GA) - New Jersey Tech

Malik Burnet - Lee (AL) - Troy

Taveion Hollingsworth not Traveion

It's Sean McNeil not McNeal

There is no r in it.

I'm going to say Jacob King who is a very nice player is not even a top 2 player on his own team.

Day #1 - First Round - Friday, December 16th

 

6:00 Fairdale vs #22 Franklin-Simpson

7:30 #2 Trinity vs #14 Cooper

9:00 #3 Paul l. Dunbar vs #6 Ballard

 

Fairdale High School

1001 Fairdale Rd.

Fairdale, KY]

 

Day #2 - First Round

 

12:00 Chicago St. Rita vs Altoona - Georgia

1:30 Huntsville Lee vs Berkmar - Georgia

4:30 #5 Christian County vs #8 Fern Creek

6:00 #1 Bowling Green vs #11 Doss

7:30 #5 Covington Catholic vs #10 North Hardin

 

Second Round - Saturday, December 17th

 

9:00 St. Rita / Altoona winner vs Lee / Berkmar Winner - West Gym

Losers - East Gym

Any broadcasts of these games?

Looks like another really nice collection of teams. Should give us a good picture of what the state looks like unless all the out-of-state teams win. Does anyone have any info on the out-of-state teams?

 

KING OF THE BLUEGRASS

Any broadcasts of these games?

 

My understanding is the tourney charges a fee to broadcast. Something like $250. CCH passed.

Looks like great games both tonight and tomorrow night. I'll probably make it out there at some point.

If you analyze the pods/draw, who do you feel has the best road to the Semi-Finals? The top pod with Covington Catholic coming out as what I would pick as the clear favorite to advance would be my opinion. Anyone else have any thoughts?

If you analyze the pods/draw, who do you feel has the best road to the Semi-Finals? The top pod with Covington Catholic coming out as what I would pick as the clear favorite to advance would be my opinion. Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

At full strength I might agree re: CCH. They're not at full strength. If they limit turnovers they can go far.

King of the Bluegrass players to watch

 

Jason Frakes article from the Louisville Courier-Journal

 

The 36th annual Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic will tip off Friday at Fairdale High School. Here’s a look at players to watch for all eight first-round games (Kentucky rankings from The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches):

FRIDAY

* 6 p.m. – Fairdale (4-2) vs. No. 22 Franklin-Simpson (6-0)

Fairdale is led by a trio of juniors in Glenn Queen (16.3 ppg), Craig Ash (13.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Markelo Sullivan (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Franklin-Simpson features perhaps the top uncommitted senior in the state in 6-foot-4 Tavin Lovan (24.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg).

 

 

* 7:30 p.m. – No. 2 Trinity (4-1) vs. No. 14 Cooper (4-1)

Trinity senior guard Jacob King, a Campbellsville University signee, has not yet played this season because of a broken left pinky finger and likely won’t return until the middle of January, coach Mike Szabo said Top players for the Shamrocks are 6-5 junior Jay Scrubb (15.0 ppg), 6-2 senior Lukas Burkman (14.2 ppg) and 6-4 sophomore David Johnson (10.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Sean McNeil (17.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg), a 6-4 Bellarmine University signee, leads Cooper.

* 9 p.m. – No. 6 Ballard (3-0) vs. No. 3 Paul Dunbar (5-1)

Ballard features the senior duo of 5-7 guard Jamil Wilson (17.3 ppg) and 6-3 guard/forward Clivonte Patterson (16.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg). Defending state champion Paul Dunbar is led by 6-2 senior guard Taveion Hollingsworth (27.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), a Western Kentucky University signee and the front-runner for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball award.

SATURDAY

* Noon – Chicago St. Rita (4-1) vs. Acworth (Georgia) Allatoona (5-3)

St. Rita is led by the backcourt of 5-10 senior RaShaad Williams and 5-11 junior Jordan Matthews. Allatoona was Georgia’s Class 5-A state runner-up last season but returned just one starter from that squad in 6-3 junior guard Trey Doomes. He has several scholarship offers, including from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn and Florida State.

* 1:30 p.m. – Huntsville (Alabama) Lee (8-4) vs. Lilburn (Georgia) Berkmar (6-3)

Lee is led by 6-3 senior guard Malik Burnett (Troy signee) and 6-7 sophomore forward Kobe Brown (four-star recruit according to 247sports.com and the son of head coach Greg Brown). Senior guards Al Durham, Jay Estime and Zach Cooks lead Berkmar. Durham has signed with Indiana University and Cooks with the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

* 4:30 p.m. – No. 7 Christian County (6-0) vs. No. 8 Fern Creek (6-0)

Christian County is led by 6-6 senior Jaylen Sebree (16.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who has signed with Coastal Carolina. Detorrion Ware (20.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg), a 6-5 junior, also is a solid player for the Colonels. Chance Moore, a 6-6 senior who transferred from Eastern, leads Fern Creek. Ahmad Price, Tony Rogers and Anthony Wales lead a strong junior class.

* 6 p.m. – No. 1 Bowling Green (5-0) vs. No. 11 Doss (3-2)

Bowling Green features one of the state’s top seniors in 6-6 Austin Peay signee Terry Taylor (23.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg). Zion Harmon, a 5-9 guard, is the top-rated eighth-grader in the nation and is averaging 15.5 points per game. Doss, last year’s state runner-up, is led by 6-0 junior guard Stephon Franklin (19.2 ppg) and 6-5 senior guard Jaylon Hall (13.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

* 7:30 p.m. – No. 5 Covington Catholic (5-1) vs. No. 10 North Hardin (4-2)

Covington Catholic features the high-scoring backcourt of 6-4 junior C.J. Fredrick (20.3 ppg) and 6-1 senior Cole VonHandorf (15.7 ppg, Fairmont State signee). Tony Jackson, a 6-4 senior guard who has signed with Coastal Carolina, leads North Hardin. Trace Young, a talented 6-9 senior, won’t be eligible for the Trojans until after the King of the Bluegrass after transferring from Huntington (West Virginia) Prep.