John Hardin (5th Region Champions) Team/State Tournament Preview

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Season Recap

 

The John Hardin Bulldogs amazing season continues as they are still undefeated as they ended up winning the 5th Region for the second straight year. The Bulldogs are the first team since Clay County in 1989 to enter the State Tournament undefeated. This was a team who wasn’t even picked to win their region at the start of the year and they have proved everyone wrong. Going into Rupp Arena they will have a record of 35-0. They average 73 points per game while they give up 54 points per game. The balance of John Hardin is why they are such a tough team to beat. They are one of the best rebounding teams in the State. This is a team who has blew out teams but also won games at the buzzer. They like to really pressure opponents on defense and try to make them uncomfortable. They have been down before in the second half and it never seems to bother them. They defeated Taylor County 62-51 in the region finals to win the 5th Region. At Rupp Arena they will be playing 10th region winner Campbell County who in the latest BGP Poll were ranked 8th in the state. This should be one of the better first round games.

 

Starting Five

 

Jachai Walker 6’0 PG Senior- Walker is averaging 9.5 points per game. He is their most consistent three-point shooter as he is shooting 37 percent from the three-point line. He is a player you don’t hear a lot about, but he always does his job and makes the Bulldogs go. For the point guard spot, he also rebounds well.

 

Aaron Scott 6’0 SG Senior- Scott was second on the team in points averaging 14.5 points per game. Scott is an elite athlete who will make plays during the game that really makes your jaw drop. He can be an affective shooter as well as he is streaky when it comes to shooting. His driving game has got better as he has had a great Senior year.

 

Trevon Harris 6’3 SF Junior- Harris averaged 13.3 points per game while being second on the team averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. Harris who is a slasher shoots an amazing 59.8 percent from the field. He has really come on this year and has been great for the Bulldogs. With his length he is also an elite defender to go along with a great driver on offense.

 

Alex Matthews 6’4 PF Junior- Matthews is the Bulldogs best player and he’s proven it all year. He leads the team in points by averaging 17.5 points per game and leads the team with 10.9 rebounds per game. He shot an amazing 62.2 percent from the field this year. He has developed a good midrange game this year. Defensively he can guard multiple positions which shows his versatility. Matthews is a heck of a high school basketball player and his energy never stops.

 

Preston Murrell 6’9 C Junior- Murrell averages 8.6 points per game and averages 5.9 rebounds per game. Murrell has improved tremendously since last year as he has become a big weapon for the Bulldogs inside. When he gets the ball deep down low there isn’t much you can do to stop him with his size. The big guy is also a good free throw shooter for his size.