Defending Region 1 Champions: McCracken County Mustangs

Best Regular Season Region 1 Record: Mayfield Cardinals (17-0)

 

Region 1 last year had some very entertaining movement throughout the season. Paducah Tilghman looked like the team to beat before Mayfield roared to an undefeated regular season in Region 1. However Graves Co and McCracken Co ended up in the finals with the Mustangs moving on to the Sweet 16.

 

This year may not be much different than last year with a clear favorite to win the Region being Mayfield. They went undefeated in the regular season and they have the same basic team returning this season. Paducah Tilghman lost two big guns, but they also got a big transfer from LEAD Academy in Nashville that will boost them. McCracken lost a lot, but if we learned anything from last year, its they seem to always find a way to compete at a high level. Don't forget about Graves Co who return two of the regions best guards. Finally all eyes are focused on Marshall County and Zion Harmon. Right now he has been ruled ineligible, but if that changes, so do the dynamics of the region.

 

A lot of talent moved on this year in Region 1, but that is not to say there is still quite a big of talent in the region. This is the first year since 2015 there is not a front runner for the Player of Year. There are a handful of seniors who can have a big year and take that award.

 

1. Mayfield - Coach Chris Guhy

2017-18 record: 26-7

Key Losses: none

Key Returners: Carson Guthrie (14.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Connor Guthrie (16.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 39% from 3pt.), Desean Jones (12.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

 

 

The Cardinals had a great season last year. They were dominant in Region 1 last year going 17-0 during the regular season, They got to the semi-finals of the All A State tournament, and they finished the regular season ranked in the BGP Top 20. Through all that success, the Cardinals ended up stumbling come tournament time. They lost to Graves Co. by 2 in the 3rd district championship, and then to McCracken Co in the Region Semifinals.

 

Last year ended in heartbreak, but the Cardinals have to be excited about what this year will bring. They return their top 5 scorers from last season including the Guthrie brothers, who have been on a tear the last 2 years and both could be considered for POY in the Region. Conner Guthrie is the threat from the outside and the better ball handler. Carson Guthrie takes the ball inside and last year was dominant on the boards. Add to that Desean Jones and Trey Matthews plus one more season experience, and you have the makings of another team who make some serious noise at State tournaments.

 

The Cardinals begin the season as the favorite to win Region 1 and be a top 20 team in the state. They have a great chance of winning the All State A tournament and even making a run at the Sweet 16 if the chips fall right. Mayfield will have some tough region games right out of the gate facing Paducah Tilghman and McCracken County in their first 3 games. Although their full schedule has not been released, expect some tough opponents to be added from out of conference to get them ready for tournament play and avoid a repeat of last year.

 

 

2. Paducah Tilghman - Coach Roderick Thomas

2017-18 record: 19-10

Key Losses: Jerome Reed (18.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Joe Workman (10 ppg)

Key Returners: Rodriguez Thomas (12.4 ppg/ 45% from 3 pt), Michael Laster (8.3 ppg)

Key Additions: Tyus White (LEAD Academy), Amirion Joyce (Frederick Douglas)

 

Last year The Blue Tornado had the best chance in years to win Region 1 and advance to the Sweet 16. They were the favorite at the beginning of the year and played like it going 14-3 through their first 17 games. Then, they hit a wall going 5-7 to finish the season including losses in the 2nd District Championship and the first round of the Region tournament. There couldn't have been another region 1 team more disappointed in the outcome than Paducah Tilghman.

 

The 2018-19 season is a new hope for a program that has had the talent to win the Region, but just hasn't been able to get over the hump. Gone however is Region 1 Player of the Year JJ Reed and shooting guard Joe Workman. Those two accounted for almost half of the Tornado's offense last year. This season, senior Rodriguez Thomas will be expected to step up and carry a huge portion of the load. Last year, Thomas was second on the team in points and deadly from behind the arc. He will most likely be on the short list of potential POY in Region 1. Along side him will be junior Michael Laster who averaged almost 9 ppg and 5 rpg last year. Coach Thomas is excited about senior Avery Strayhorn and is expecting a big year out of him.

 

Tilghman also has a couple exciting transfers coming in this year. Tyus White, coming from LEAD Academy in Nashville, averaged 14 ppg and 4 rpg last season. He will fill in the gap left by Workman. The other transfer is Amirion Joyce, transferring from Frederick Douglass. He is a junior who is expected to play a lot of minutes.

 

Coach Thomas expects big things out of this team and believes they will compete again for the Region 1 title. He expects to go 9 deep and believes the Tornado have the deepest bench in the region. The team doesn't have a lot of experience together on the court, so it may take until after the Holiday tournaments for the team to gel.

 

Paducah's out of region schedule is just as impressive as last years. They will play open the season at home against Hopkinsville, and then have Central Hardin, Christian Co. and Henderson Co. This should help prepare them for the level of play they will need to compete for the region 1 title. They have the ability, will this be the year they get it done?

 

 

3. Graves County - Coach Joshua Frick

2017-18 record: 26-9

Key Losses: Trevor Grant (10.8 ppg), Brenden Young (10 ppg)

Key Returners: Ryan Mathis (11.5 ppg), Jordyn Noranjo (13.1), Jacob Savage (11.6)

 

Graves County exceeded expectations last year after losing big man POY Chris Vogt, but the Eagles came with the best balanced attack in the region. 5 different players averaged in double figures, led by Noranjo and Mathis. Graves went on to win the 3rd District by being the first team to beat Mayfield in Region 1, and went to the finals of the Region 1 tournament before losing by 5 to McCracken.

 

Graves does lose two key parts to their offense in Grant and Young. Both had significant contributions to the team that will be difficult to replace. Young's size and experience underneath will be sorely missed. However, both Mathis and Noranjo have already scored 1,000 points in their career and both are on pace to break the school's scoring record. These two guys can score anywhere on the floor in many different ways. Jacob Savage has been described as the motor that makes the team run. He averaged 7 rpg last season and will need to fill the void left by Young, who had almost 9 rpg.

The Eagles will rely on a few others stepping up in big ways. Coach Frick has 6 seniors all who have had significant playing time the last two seasons. Although they will be smaller this year than in the past, he says they will rely on a balanced attack and defense. The ability to put 5 guys on the floor who can dribble, pass, and shoot will make them a difficult team to play.

 

Expect Graves County to be at the top of the region all year long. They don't have a strong out of region schedule, but some of the holiday tournaments may make up for that. They may not be the front runners to go to the sweet 16, but they definitely have a legit chance of pulling the upsets and finding themselves there.

 

4. McCracken County - Coach Burlin Brower

2017-18 record: 28-7

Key Losses: Cameron Cartwright (14.4 ppg) Nathan Stonecipher (14.7 ppg)

Key Returners: Jackson Sivills (13.2 ppg)

Key Additions: Ramon Heard (Ballard Memorial)

 

McCracken was #6 in the preseason rankings for Region 1 last year. They had lost almost all their offense and seemed like it would be a down year. The Mustangs had other things in mind showing grit and determination on their way to the 2nd District Champion and then the Region 1 Championship, defeating the top 3 Region 1 teams along the way to the Sweet 16.

 

This year's team seems to have some similarities to last year's team. They lose their top two scorers in Cartwright and Stonecipher. They also lose two other contributing seniors who put together, added 11 ppg. They lose 65% of their scoring from last year. However, they return a fantastic junior in Jackson Sivills who will really need to step it up in order for McCracken to repeat. Trevor Winsett (5 ppg) is the next best returning player for the Mustangs. Ramon Heard, a sophomore from Ballard Memorial will be a big help underneath. He should develop into a strong player for the Mustangs and could be the difference in how successful they are this season.

 

A big reason for McCracken's success last season was a great defense and limited turnovers. Opponents only averaged 48 ppg last season, that was 3rd best in the state. They will have to heavily rely on that defense unless Coach Brower can develop some kind of offense to worry other teams.

 

One thing McCracken never shies away from is a tough out of region schedule, and this year is no different. The Mustangs will play Christian Co., Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Livingston Central as well as playing in Floriday for a holiday tournament. After last year it is easy to second guess what McCracken has lost and how good could they be, but this year, this team seems more like the 2014-15 team when they lost so much after their Region 1 title the previous season.

 

5. Marshall County - Terry Birdsong

2017-18 record: 19-12

Key Losses: Aaron Reed (10 ppg), Skyler Smith (7.3 ppg), Matthew French (7.3 ppg)

Key Returners: Tyler Stokes (7.8 ppg), Tyler Powell (9.6 ppg)

Key Additions: Zion Harmon (33 ppg) - currently ineligible, Dawson Smothers

 

The Marshalls , defending 4th District Champs, had an up and down year last year as a upper mid pack team in Region 1. They took care of business when they needed to, but struggled against better teams. The high point of the season came when they took down Paducah Tilghman in the first round of the Region 1 tournament.

 

The story of the off season was ESPN no. 1 ranking PG for the 2021 class, Zion Harmon transferred to Marshall County. This changed the entire outlook for what the future of Marshalls basketball. However the KHSAA ruled Harmon ineligible, but he tried to appeal, but it was denied. If by some miracle Harmon is ruled able to play, it will change the outlook for MC. But for now, the Marshalls need to plan without him.

 

Marshall County lost quite a bit from last year including their top scorer and two significant contributors. Tyler Powell will be leaned upon to lead the team this year. He will play both guard positions. Tyler Stokes will return as the big man down low and at 6'6", it will be needed. Other players that Coach Birdsong will need to step up to fill the void this year are juniors Austin Riley and Bryce Flatt, and sophomore Jay Nimmo who will play the point.

 

The great news for Marshall, is this team is young and does not have any seniors, so while this year-s team will gain great experience, they can ride that experience into next season when they may be able to compete for the region with or without Harmon. If Harmon plays this year, it will put Marshall as a top three team in the region and a chance for their first region title since 2011-12 season.

 

6. Murray -Coach Dior Curtis

2017-18 record: 14-18

Key Losses: None

Key Returners: Hunter Utley (12.8 ppg), RaVichael Strickland (10 ppg)

 

Murray's first year under head coach Dior Curtis wasn't as bad as the record looked. They lost a talented scorer the previous year along with most of their starting lineup. Coach Curtis put together a competitive team that improved throughout the year including an great game against University Heights.

Things are totally different for Coach Curtis this year, there are no big losses to graduation, and the team has had the summer to get better and now are poised to make some noise. Hunter Utley and RaVichael Strickland will be the leaders of the team this year. Expect Will Lovins, Tommy Waldrop, Charles McCalister, and Noah Merriss to be major contributors with one or two of them reaching double digit average in points.

Murray should be one of the teams that make big gains this year. They may not have the talent of a Mayfield or Paducah Tilghman, but they will be much improved over last year. They have 3 tough opponents out of region this year where they most likely will be overmatched in University Heights, Louisville Male, and Bowling Green. It will be a great experience of what they need to do to compete with PT and Mayfield.

 

7. Carlisle County - Coach Brian O'Neil

2017-18 record: 12-17

Key Losses: none

Key Returners: Trey Wilson (17.4 ppg), Michael Thomason (12.0 ppg)

 

Coach Oneill has got to be happy last year is over. After losing their entire starting 5, the Comets went from 22-9 to 12-17. This year is the opposite. They really didn't have any key losses to their lineup. Last year they actually performed above expectations and found a gem of a player in Trey Wilson. Wilson emerged as a scoring machine and teammate Michael Thomason made his mark as well. Now in 2017-18, these two have expectations for the Comets to make strides to competing at a higher level. Wilson and fellow contributor Reese Anderson are both underclassman and have a great opportunity to build a foundation. Thomason and Trevor Elder are both seniors and can lead through their maturity on the floor.

 

This years team has much higher expectations than last years. They had a whole season to gel together and learn how to play as a team. They showed flashes of that last year, especially during their mid to late season run where they won 8 out of 10 games before falling in their lost 5. Coach Oneill is really looking forward to see what this team can do this season.

 

Carlisle has a better out of region schedule than last year, but nobody that is overwhelming which is actually a good thing. They will play Ohio Co, Campbellsville, Livingston Central, Lyon Co., and a holiday tournament.

 

8. Hickman County - Coach Wynn Harris

2017-18 record: 11-21

Key Losses: Dalton Jewel (24 ppg, 11.2 rpg)

Key Returners: Devontae Alexander, Jackson Midyett, JD McClannahan

 

Hickman Co had high expectations last year, but the year ended up in disappointment with winning only 11 games and struggling throughout the year. Dalton Jewel was a huge bright spot as he could score from anywhere on the floor, and he did leading Region 1 in ppg. He has now moved on and the Falcons will have to find offense elsewhere, something they struggled to do last year considering Jewel was 45% of the offense himself.

Coach Wynn Harris has his work cut out for him in his first year as head coach of the Falcons. JD McClannahan returns along with Jackson Midyett, the only two players who had any significant contribution on offense last year. Devontae Alexander only played 12 games last season, but in the previous year averaged over 10 ppg, so maybe the three of them along with some other role players can gel and become a more competitive team this year, than the one man show from last year. Expect an up tempo game because the lack of size, and expects some growing pains from inexperience, a new coach, and a new system.

Much like previous years, Hickman will stay put with playing Region 1 opponents, with the exception of a Holiday tournament and a couple games against Tennessee teams.

 

9. Fulton County - Coach Jamie Madding

2017-18 record: 18-12

Key Losses: Andreous Smith (18.9 ppg), Brandon Walker (14.3 ppg)

Key Returners:Caleb Kimble (13.8 ppg)

 

Besides McCracken County's run through the Region 1 tournament, Fulton County had to be last season's biggest surprise. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the region, but Coach Madding had a great game plan and they finished the season very strong going 11-3 in their final 14 games.

The Lakers lose some immense scoring in Smith and Walker, and those shoes will be hard to fill, but Coach Madding believes he has the talent to do just that. Caleb Kimble will lead the team from the point while Camden Aldridge will protect the rim and lead in rebounding. George Scott is a versatile 3 or 4 and can score and rebound while 3 or 4 other role players contribute on both ends.

While the Pilots may not have as good a season as they did last year, they have a great chance at repeating as District 1 champions.

 

10. Calloway County - Coach Brad Cleaver

2017-18 record: 11-17

Key Losses: Jeremy Darnell (13.2 ppg) Aaron Dawson (8.1 ppg, 6 rpg) Garrett Scott (12 ppg, 7.6 rpg)

Key Returners: None

 

Calloway had a true up and down year last season. A good example is one night they take the most talented team in Region 1 to Overtime, and the next game score 22 pts the entire game, and the next they score 75 and beat their opponent by 35 points. It was a tough season for first year Coach Cleaver. This year doesn't look to get any easier after losing the top 3 scorers from last year. Nobody else on the team averaged more than 4 ppg so it may be another long season.

Garrett Scott looked to be the center of the Lakers offense, but he is not listed on this year's roster. If Scott doesn't play for Calloway this year, this team could be in for some big trouble. Things could get worse for Coach Cleaver before things get better. They will play mostly Region 1 schools and some of the smaller Region 2 schools. Hopefully some new guys step up to make a difference and give hope for the coming years.

 

11. Ballard Memorial - Coach Marla Cooper

2017-18 record: 12-16

Key Losses Bradley Chandler (11.5 ppg), Khalil Griffin (12 ppg)

Key Returners: Dequin Donlow (13 ppg)

 

The Bombers are another team that is losing a good chunk of scoring from last season. Chandler and Griffin were 3 of the top 4 scorers for the Bombers and like other teams will be tough to replace. However leading scorer Dequin Donlow will be back. He is a Junior and is working hard to make big improvements. The rest of the team will have to learn how to play with those together. There isn't a whole lot of experience left on the bench, so it may get rough for a while. Once the kinks are worked out, Ballard Memorial could be a good mid-tier team in region 1.

 

12. Fulton City - Coach Jon Dillard

2017-18 record: 1-24

Key Losses: Emmett Hathaway (11.4)

Key Returners: Cameron Madding, Brennen Walker

 

The Bulldogs were poised to make a run at a .500 season last year till some late transfers before the season began derailed that. Fulton City won their first game of the year, and that was it. They were blown out the rest of the year with a few exceptions. Things don't look much better this year for the Bulldogs. However they have a young team that Coach Dillard can groom and get them experience so we should see improvement as the season moves on.

Coach Dillard has 8 newcomers to the team this year and he feels the team has already shown signs of improvement. Expect the Bulldogs to shoot a lot a 3s, press relentlessly, and play good fundamental basketball. Madding and Walker will be leading the charge. Walker will play inside and outside as a stretch 4 man, and Madding will be the motor for the offense because of his athletic ability to get to the bucket. Drew Malray, Cade Malray, and Keith Martin all are hoping to contribute this year as well.

Right now they sit at a 24 game losing streak. They have a great chance to break that streak in the first game of the season again Community Christian who broke a 63 game KY losing streak themselves at the end of last year....against.....Fulton City.

 

13. St. Mary - Coach Greg Overstreet

2017-18 record: 9-20

Key Losses: Gage Mathis (10 ppg), Hale Sims (16 ppg)

Key Returners: Bryce Haas, Jack Bell

 

The Vikings lose their top two scorers from last season so they will rely on sophomores Haas and Bell. Bell played in every game last season and Haas however only played in 4 games, but is ready to go for the full season this year. There is not a whole lot of experience on this team and it will be a tough to make progress on last year's record.

It is a very young team however and lots of room for growth. The Vikings don't have a senior on the roster, and only four juniors. So there is hope that by the end of this season, they have built something to really compete next year.

14. Community Christian Paducah - Coach Daniel Durrett / Rhet McMullen

2017-18 record: 2-26

Key Losses: Jonathan Rogers (11 ppg)

Key Returners: Ben Carter (12.6 ppg)

 

Going winless over the course of a 30 game season is pretty difficult. Doing that mostly through a second season must be very painful, however, breaking that streak with a win is like winning a championship. CCA was able to break a 63 game losing streak at the end of last year, and even win a second game. Unfortunately CCA is a small school with very limited talent. Ben Carter will be the leader on the team being the only Senior and the only player with any offense from last year. Hopefully they will be competitive enough to win a few more games this year and keep that losing streak behind them for good.

 

 

Top 10 Players to Watch in Region 1

 

1. Jackson Sivills, McCracken County, (Guard) – Senior (POY Candidate)

Sivills was part of a trio from McCracken County that made that offense go. The other two parts are gone, and now this team will be Sivills to push going forward. He is a good defender with long arms and good fundamentals. On the offensive side of the ball he can drive, but he is a better shooter from the outside hitting 40% from 3 point range. He needs to improve his free throw shooting (65%) because he will go to the line a lot more this year since team can focus on just him. Sivills currently has offers from Murray St, NKU, Rice, Samford, and a few others.

Video - Game Highlights vs Paducah Tilghman - Jackson Sivills highlights - Hudl

 

2. Connor Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate)

Conner is probably the best shooter in the region and should be considered one of the best in the state. He lives for the outside shot. Last year he took over 250 shots from 3 points range making 39% of them. He doesn't have to be set to hit the shot either. He is just as good taking the shot off the dribble and he is setting up and hitting from the outside. He is decent ball handler, but he would be the guy that will hit the big shot when you need it. Pressure doesn't seem to get to him and he has a chance to play at the next level the way he can shoot.

Video - Connor Guthrie 219, SG, 6'3 Mayfield - Connor Guthrie highlights - Hudl

 

 

3. Carson Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard/Forward) - Senior (POY Candidate)

Carson is the brother of Connor and probably the more complete player. He has the ability to play inside or outside. He can shoot, rebound, pass, and handle the ball with ease. He is as complete a player in Region 1 as there is. He is a beast down low and has a great chance of averaging a double/double this season. He compliments his brother's game and that is what makes the two of them so dangerous.

Video - junior year - Carson Guthrie highlights - Hudl

 

4. Ryan Mathis, Graves County (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate)

Ryan has good ball handling skills, adequate range from 3 point, but he simply is smart for his age and will continue to improve. He seems to excel in big games. He led the Eagles in scoring multiple times last year and was a huge leader on the floor. He took a step back last year scoring wise, but that wasn’t a bad thing necessarily because all the other aspects, assists, steals, rebounds, went up, as well as his teammates' scoring.

 

5. Rodriguez Thomas , Paducah Tilghman (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate)

Thomas is a good player with a decent work ethic. He can handle the ball well and is good at penetration. He has a pretty good outside shot, but shoots better from a set position than he does off the dribble. He knows his way around the basket and moves well away from the ball to get open. He still makes some silly mistakes and needs to cut down on those mistakes.

Video - Rodriguez Thomas HIghlights - Rodriguez Thomas highlights - Hudl

 

6. Jordan Noranjo, Graves County (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate)

Noranjo really broke out last year leading Graves County in points. He got his chance to prove himself when Mathis went down 2 years ago, He started every game since. He can score from anywhere on the floor, but relies a lot on his jump shot and quickness when getting to the basket. Could see his average per game rise to the 18 point/game range.

 

7. Tyus White, Paducah Tilghman (Guard) - Senior

White grew up in Paducah and moved to Nashville. He has played for LEAD Academy for the past couple years and last year broke out scoring 14 ppg and pulling down 4 rpg. He will be a huge addition for the Blue Tornado and will help fill the void left by Reed and Workman. It will take some time for him to acclimate himself to the team, but rest assured he should flourish against region 1 competition.

Video - Tyus White c/o 219 - Tyus White highlights - Hudl

 

8. Trey Wilson, Carlisle County (Guard) - Senior

Wilson is a scrappy player who knows his way around the floor. He is quick and keeps

his head up while handling the ball so he has good vision of where his

teammates are. He penetrates well and makes good decisions with the ball. He

can shoot from the outside. He has a good set shot and is decent shooting off

the dribble. He could really use another scorer on his team to take pressure

off of him.

Video - Vienna - Trey Wilson highlights - Hudl

 

9. Hunter Utley, Murray (Guard) - Junior

Utley was the leading scorer on the Tigers team last year as a sophomore so he still has a lot of room to grow and experience to gain. He is a good ball handler with good view of the floor. He shot almost 40% from 3 pt range last year so he can hit it from the outside, and he likes to shoot it from downtown (200+ attempts). He is also good and driving and picking up the foul, to which he shoots 80% from the FT line. Being that Murray didn't lose much this offseason, that should boost Utley's numbers even more.

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10. Desean Jones, Mayfield (G/F) - Senior

Jones is kind of the forgotten guy on Mayfield's team because of the Guthrie brothers. In reality, he would be the top player on the majority of teams in region 1. He can play inside and outside. The number that pops out of the page is how accurate he is from 3 point range hitting at a 47% clip in 50 attempts. At that rate, he should probably shoot from there more, but still, teams have to pay attention to him out there while also focusing on his teammates.

 

*Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Guard) - Sophomore

Harmon is considered the best point guard in America in his graduating class, and is ranked as ESPN's #9 overall player. He can do pretty much everything. He led Bowling Green to a state title as an 8th grader and led the state in scoring last year as a freshman. His ball handling skills are off the chart as his ability to get to the basket. He is quick, nimble and if you figure out how to stop him from driving, he will step back and drain it from the outside. There is reason for all the hype surrounding this young man. I hope that we can keep him in Kentucky so we can watch this talented young man continue to blossom.

What a great review. :thumb:

What a great review. :thumb:

 

I agree gold sunrise, amazing preview @silo11

Great job Silo!