article 4th Region Week 7 Review

[DragonFire]

1) Bowling Green (14-3) - 1/14 66-46 W #5 South Warren

Previous Rank: 1

This Week: 1/20 vs. #2 Warren Central, 1/21 vs. Christian County, 1/24 at #14 Warren East

 

2) Warren Central (11-5) - 1/16 83-59 W Knox Central (at Owensboro Sports Center), 1/18 47-85 L John Hardin (at Owensboro Sports Center)

Previous Rank: 2

This Week: 1/20 at #1 Bowling Green, 1/21 vs. #5 South Warren, 1/24 at #3 Greenwood

 

3) Greenwood (11-7) - 1/13 61-48 W Hopkinsville, 1/17 71-52 W at #14 Warren East

Previous Rank: 3

This Week: 1/21 vs. #7 Franklin-Simpson, 1/24 vs. #2 Warren Central, 1/25 vs. LaRue County (at John Hardin)

 

4) Logan County (14-3) - 1/18 65-58 W Madison Southern (at Southwestern)

Previous Rank: 4

This Week: 1/21 vs. #14 Warren East, 1/24 at #7 Franklin-Simpson

 

5) South Warren (11-7) - 1/14 46-66 L at #1 Bowling Green, 1/17 57-50 W Christian County, 1/18 64-70 L at Hopkinsville

Previous Rank: 5

This Week: 1/21 at #2 Warren Central, 1/24 at #12 Russell County

 

6) Barren County (9-6) - 1/14 72-40 W at #14 Warren East

Previous Rank: 7

This Week: 1/20 at #13 Monroe County, 1/21 vs. Ohio County, 1/24 vs. #11 Allen County-Scottsville, 1/25 at #7 Franklin-Simpson

 

7) Franklin-Simpson (9-7) - 1/14 47-41 W #10 Allen County-Scottsville

Previous Rank: 9

This Week: 1/21 at #3 Greenwood, 1/24 vs. #4 Logan County, 1/25 vs. #6 Barren County

 

8) Clinton County (14-6) - 1/13 48-36 W #6 Glasgow, 1/16 50-52 L #13 Metcalfe County (at Cumberland County)

Previous Rank: 8

This Week: 1/21 vs. #12 Russell County

 

9) Glasgow (9-9) - 1/13 36-48 L at #8 Clinton County

Previous Rank: 6

This Week: No games scheduled

 

10) Metcalfe County (12-7) - 1/13 83-64 W at #17 Todd County Central, 1/16 52-50 W #8 Clinton County (at Cumberland County), 1/17 51-38 W #12 Monroe County (at Cumberland County), 1/18 69-60 W Adair County

Previous Rank: 13

This Week: 1/23 vs. Louisville Holy Cross (at Eastern Kentucky University)

 

11) Allen County-Scottsville (9-8) - 1/14 41-47 L at #9 Franklin-Simpson, 1/17 66-38 W at Westmoreland (TN)

Previous Rank: 10

This Week: 1/24 at #6 Barren County

 

12) Russell County (8-9) - 1/14 60-45 W McCreary Central

Previous Rank: 11

This Week: 1/21 at #8 Clinton County, 1/24 vs. #5 South Warren, 1/25 at Pulaski County

 

13) Monroe County (7-9) - 1/13 51-48 W #16 Russellville, 1/16 76-69 W at #15 Cumberland County, 1/17 38-51 L #13 Metcalfe County (at Cumberland County)

Previous Rank: 12

This Week: 1/20 vs. #6 Barren County, 1/24 vs. Taylor County

 

14) Warren East (2-12) - 1/14 40-72 L #7 Barren County, 1/17 52-71 L #3 Greenwood

Previous Rank: 14

This Week: 1/21 at #5 Logan County, 1/24 vs. #1 Bowling Green, 1/25 vs. #15 Cumberland County

 

15) Cumberland County (4-13) - 1/16 69-76 L #12 Monroe County

Previous Rank: 15

This Week: 1/24 vs. Hart County, 1/25 at #14 Warren East

 

16) Russellville (5-9) - 1/13 48-51 L at #12 Monroe County, 50-48 W Whitesville Trinity

Previous Rank: 16

This Week: 1/21 at #17 Todd County Central, 1/24 at Edmonson County

 

17) Todd County Central (3-14) - 1/13 64-83 L #13 Metcalfe County, 66-47 W Friendship Christian (TN)

Previous Rank: 17

This Week: 1/21 vs. #16 Russellville, 1/23 vs. Jo Byrns (TN)

 

Notes

-Bowling Green has now won 11 straight overall, which allowed them to move to the top of the region ranks a couple of weeks ago and keeps them marching up the BGP rankings. That's their longest winning streak since they won 29 in a row during their state title run in the 2016/17 season. It's the longest winning streak of the Derrick Clubb era.

 

-Speaking of Bowling Green streaks, their 20 point win over South Warren moves them to 24-0 all-time against the Spartans. There is some hope for the Spartans, who dropped their first matchup by 35 a season ago before closing to 4 and 6 in their latter two matchups. It's the 11th time out of the 24 matchups that Bowling Green won by 20 or more.

 

-Bowling Green will look to add to their other incredible winning streak this Friday - that being the 50 straight wins they have over Warren East. I understand the Raiders have had hard times over the years, but honestly, that might be the most impressive streak I've ever encountered. I've mentioned this before, but it becomes even more impressive when you consider that Warren East led the series by a 41-35 margin when the streak began. Bowling Green has now won more games in a row over East than East has ever won against them period.

 

-Warren Central experienced a "best of times, worst of times" trip through the 2A Classic in Owensboro. On Thursday, the Dragons were nearly flawless, so long as you exclude their inexplicable third quarter where they blew a 14 point lead. Warren Central was 16/31 from three in that game, winning the rebound battle by 13 rebounds, and winning the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarters by a combined 38 points. On Saturday against #1 John Hardin, they hit 16 shots again. That's shots, not threes - 16 shots total as they suffered their worst loss in nine years and put up their season low score of 47. They are a better team than they showed that day, but John Hardin absolutely reaved their souls in that game.

 

-Warren Central has to refocus fast, as I do not think it is an exaggeration to call this their most important week of the year. This week they take on Bowling Green, South Warren, and Greenwood - their three primary rivals in the 14th District. The Bowling Green and Greenwood games are on the road. The Dragons cannot afford to let the John Hardin game hang in their minds. A 3-0 trip through the week with the two big rivals coming to Central later on would set them up nicely for the #1 seed in the postseason. 0-3 would be disastrous, putting them at risk at sinking to the 4/5 game. They split with all three teams a season ago. Central has won the first matchup of the year with Bowling Green in each of the last two seasons, but have won only once in their last five games against the Purples at Bowling Green.

 

-Moving beyond the top two teams, most of the rest of the top ten was fairly static. Glasgow took a hit as they fell to Clinton County 48-36, and posted their lowest score since falling 94-32 to the state champion Bowling Green team in 2016/17. Landon Frasier did return to score two in this matchup, but Jaden Franklin and Tucker Kirkpatrick remained out of the boxscore. Nick Sorrell had his worst game of the year, going just 1/7 from the field and posting only seven points. It's just hard to keep them ranked higher when there's so much uncertainty about their personnel. If they get healthy for a stretch run, the record really won't matter, but honestly, it feels almost like a cursed season.

 

-Metcalfe County surges back into the top 10 thanks to their run to the All "A" region title, surpassing last season's 11 win total in the process to grab their most wins since the 2010/11 season. They won the All "A" region title that season too. Incredibly, they are 0-4 in their official district standings thanks to increasingly stunning losses to Cumberland County and Russell County, and they were swept by Clinton County. No matter, they grabbed some revenge on Clinton County with a 52-50 win in the All "A" semifinals. That 2010/11 team was their last winning season, and the Hornets appear increasingly likely to refresh that. That team won 16 games, and Metcalfe County looks to have a very good shot of getting past that win total - their previous high above that was 21 games in the 07/08 season.

 

-The 16th District tournament will be one to watch this year. Clinton County has clinched the #1 seed, but their six games against district opponents have now been decided by a combined average of 5.5 PPG. And that includes a 13 point win over Cumberland County - remove that and the other five games were decided by an average of 4 PPG. A lot to shake out in the 2-4 positions there, but a lot can happen.

 

-Logan County and Franklin-Simpson tangle this Friday. Logan County is still unbeaten in region play, but will make the trip to Franklin for a game that will basically clinch them the #1 seed. In actuality, they could lose it based on tiebreakers if either Todd County Central or Russellville were to win out in the district and Logan County were to lose their remaining games after Franklin (one each against Todd County Central and Russellville), but come on, that's not going to happen. If Franklin-Simpson were to deal the Cougars the loss, then it is likely those two will come down to a coin flip for the top spot at the end of the year.

 

-Glasgow still leads District 15 with a 3-0 record, and thankfully for them, they still have another 12 days before they have their next district contest, the crucial road game against Barren County. If all goes as planned for the Trojans, they will enter that game at 4-1 in district play, and looking to clinch at least a tie for the top spot.

 

-Games this week most likely to affect the region rankings - 1/20 #2 Warren Central at #1 Bowling Green, 1/21 #7 Franklin-Simpson at #3 Greenwood, 1/21 #5 South Warren at #2 Warren Central, 1/24 #4 Logan County at #7 Franklin-Simpson, 1/24 #2 Warren Central at #3 Greenwood, 1/25 #6 Barren County at #7 Franklin-Simpson. In other words, you can scarcely go wrong with a Franklin-Simpson or Warren Central game this week.

[theguru]

Bump.

[theguru]

Bump.