1. John Hardin (13-0): Frontrunner John Hardin knocked off Madisonville-North Hopkins 72-58 in the Raymond Reed Classic at South Laurel High School on Saturday. The Bulldogs and Maroons squared off in a battle between two of the state's top boys' high school basketball teams. Alex Matthews remains on a tear for John Hardin, averaging 23.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

 

2. Elizabethtown (9-0): The only other undefeated boys' basketball team in the 5th Region, Elizabethtown notched wins over DeSales and Owensboro. Jaquais Franklin is leading the Panthers, averaging 19.2 points per game for the Panthers.

 

3. Marion County (9-3): The Knights are on a three-game winning streak. From Jan. 3-4, Marion County notched back-to-back wins over Campbellsville and Washington County. Jamison Epps is pacing Marion County, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds per game for the Knights.

 

4. Bardstown (7-6): Following back-to-back losses, Bardstown beat Hopkinsville 79-67 on Saturday, Jan. 4. JJ Traynor is leading Bardstown, averaging 18.4 points per game for the Tigers.

 

5. LaRue County (8-4): The Hawks haven't played since December 30. Mark Goode, one of the state's most underrated boys' high school basketball players, leads LaRue County with a 25 points per game scoring average.

 

6. Taylor County (6-9): The Cardinals claimed another win on Friday, Jan. 3, defeating Adair County 58-51. Nick Knifley and Kybrin Smith are combining to average 32 points per game for Taylor County halfway through the 2019-20 season.

 

7. Campbellsville (4-8): The Eagles dropped early-2020 games to Marion County and Lincoln County. Malachi Corley continues to lead Campbellsville, averaging 14.6 points per game for the Eagles.

 

8. Central Hardin (5-7): Faring well early in 2020, Central Hardin claimed victories over Grayson County and Fairdale. A dozen games into the current campaign, Gavin George is averaging 12.8 points per game for the Bruins.

 

9. North Hardin (4-10): The Trojans split a pair of games in Week 5, defeating Southern before suffering a one-point loss to Doss. The victory over Southern allowed North Hardin to halt a six-game losing skid.

 

10. Nelson County (8-7): The Cardinals absorbed a loss in a 2020 debut, falling to Woodford County. However, Nelson County continues to show improvement.

 

11. Adair County (5-7): The Indians pushed Taylor County but eventually fell on Friday, Jan. 3. Lucas Pooler is averaging 14.5 points per game for Adair County through the Indians' first dozen matchups in the 2019-20 season.

 

12. Thomas Nelson (5-8): The Generals dropped three games in the City of Middletown Holiday Classic, losing to host Eastern, Atherton and Henderson County. Through 13 games, Andrew Mason is leading Thomas Nelson with a 20.3 points per game scoring average.

 

13. Bethlehem (6-5): The Eagles opened 2020 with back-to-back wins, beating both Washington County and Trimble County convincingly. Kruse Harned is leading Bethlehem in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game.

 

14. Hart County (5-5): Continuing to win in the new year, Hart County defeated visiting Green County 58-50 on Friday, Jan. 3. Jordan Burden is averaging nearly 18-plus points per game for the Raiders.

 

15. Fort Knox (2-5): Determined Fort Knox picked up its second straight win on Friday, Jan. 3, topping visiting Portland Christian 80-59. Chase Bellamy is averaging 15 points per game for the Eagles.

 

16. Caverna (2-9): The Colonels haven't played since December 27. Through 11 games, Deshante Richardson is averaging a team-best 16.2 points per game for the Caverna boys' basketball team.

 

17. Green County (2-11): The Dragons opened the new year with a pair of losses Hart County and Model in less than 24 hours. Gunner Bush is averaging team-highs of 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for Green County near the midway point of the 2019-20 season.

 

18. Washington County (1-12): Remaining in the loss column, Washington County dropped back-to-back games to Bethlehem and Marion County. The Commanders haven't won since defeating Adair County 80-69 in a season opener December 2.

Bump.