Bluegrasspreps.com 8^th Region 2021-2 Basketball Preview

 

By:  Colonelmike

 

Last year was strange.   Very strange.   The COVID pandemic of 2020-1 really wrecked havoc on last year’s basketball season.    Whether a team could play a game – or even practice – was always in doubt.   Literally, an hourly decision.   And those weren’t the only decisions….how many players could practice together, who had to quarantine and for how long, how many fans could be in the stands (and where they could sit), and of course, the daily “mask/no mask” decision were ordeals no coach or athletic director was prepared to deal with.

Benches with chairs separated by six feet….the pregame coin toss(!!??)…and the echoes in the mostly-empty gymnasiums will be memories we will all take from last season.

Some Region 8 teams played as few as 13 regular season games (North Oldham and Carroll County); Then again, Grant County was practically unaffected by COVID, at least in terms of games played, as the Braves managed to play 30 regular season games.  The phrase “level playing field” meant little when facing the challenges brought about by COVID, which played no favorites.

Time to put last year in the rear-view mirror.

Some general thoughts on the state of the region:

-        Gone is the reigning “Dean of Coaches”, Jon Jones of Gallatin County, who retired after 27 seasons coaching the Wildcats.    We’ll miss Jones on the sidelines.   Good luck to his successor, Vance Sullivan, who takes over in Warsaw.  The baton of “Dean of Coaches” gets passed to South Oldham’s Steve Simpson, who is entering his 22^nd season in Crestwood.

-        Speaking of coaching turnover, the region has seen a lot of new faces come to the sidelines in the past few years.   In fact, when this season begins, ten of the eighteen coaches in Region 8 will have been with their team three years or less, and an eleventh - David Levitch of North Oldham - will be entering just his fourth season.    Brand new to the region this year at their current position:   Doug Oak (Carroll County), Vance Sullivan (Gallatin County), Derek Tingle (Henry County), and Blake Traylor (Shelby County).   Interestingly, three of those four are in the 31^st District.

-        The 31^st District has a lot of the newer coaches.   Besides the three newcomers at Carroll, Gallatin, and Henry, Trimble’s Marcus Mumphrey is starting his third season in Bedford and Gary Tuell is starting his third season in Eminence.   Only Devin Duvall at Owen County has been in place for some time in the 31^st.

-        Doug Oak, the new head coach at Carroll County, is hardly “new”.    The Panthers’ new head man is a former assistant at Henry and Trimble, and was a longtime head coach at Trimble County.

-        Double-doubles are hard to come by.   Two years ago, only Keishaun Mumphrey of Carroll County averaged a double-double over the course of an entire season in the 8^th Region.   Last year, FOUR players accomplished the feat, including Trevor Hardin of Henry County, Keishaun Mumphrey of Carroll County (again), Dylan Hammonds of Grant County, and Teagan Moore of Owen County.    Hammonds and Moore were just sophomores.

-        COVID had a definite – and unsurprising – impact on the offensive numbers in 2021.    The lack of summer work, shortened and modified practices, limited games – all conspired to see average team point totals and shooting percentages drop.   Only one 8^th Region team – Simon Kenton – averaged over 70 ppg last year, topping the region at 71.8 ppg.     

-        Of course, COVID’s negative impact on shooting likely contributed positively towards four individuals achieving double-double averages for an entire season! 

As I look at the region landscape, 2021-2 looks a lot different.   Last year, all signs pointed to Buckner.   The Oldham County Colonels were loaded for bear and had everything a championship team needed – balanced scoring, good shooting, size across the board, and talented depth.   This year, nothing seems to be so obvious.    As we tip off the season, at least five teams – maybe more - look poised to make a legitimate run for the region title.  Nobody looks to have the “complete package” out of the gate.   It should make for a wonderfully fun, delightfully unpredictable, season.

Last year’s preseason top two (Oldham County and North Oldham) finished as the two 8^th Region finalists.  I don’t feel nearly so comfortable with this year’s preseason rankings…

On to the 2021-2 preview!   

1 - NORTH OLDHAM (7-11, 29^th district runner-ups, 8^th Region runner-ups, lost to Oldham County, 62-56, in the region finals)  The last two seasons have brought extreme highs and lows to Goshen.   Two years ago, the Mustangs boasted one of the best players in the state of Kentucky, legitimate Mr. Basketball candidate Justin Powell.    Mustang fans watched Powell dominate the opposition through the month of December (2019) before a season-ending injury ended Powell’s Mr. Basketball aspirations and the dream of a first-ever regional crown for North.   The team finished 16-14 and lost to South Oldham in the first round of the 29^th District tournament by three points.

Last year, expectations were once again high.   The bluegrasspreps.com preseason rankings had the Mustangs ranked #2 in the region behind perennial contender Oldham County, and all the pieces appeared to be in place for a great run.   But poor shooting (44.2% on the season), a porous defense (the Mustangs surrendered 78 points per game over their first four games and 67 ppg over their first ten contests),and scheduling nightmares caused by COVID (half of North’s first fourteen scheduled games were cancelled) led to North Oldham’s ranking and fan expectations sinking like a lead balloon.   Heading into the post-season, the Mustangs were 4-9, had only one win over a team with a winning record (82-70 over Simon Kenton on the road), and it looked like the team just might be staying home from the 8^th Region tournament for the sixth consecutive year.

But the post-season was truly a new season for North Oldham.   Led by inspired play from sophomore guard Dallas Roberts, the Mustangs realized their pre-season potential, finishing as the 29^th district runner-ups, and advancing all the way to the school’s first-ever berth in the regional final game, where a determined Mustang squad fell in a close game to heavily favored Oldham County, 62-56.

Roberts, who led the team in scoring all year, raised his game in the post-season, averaging 20.2 ppg over the five district and regional tournament contests, including 25 points against South Oldham, 25 points against Simon Kenton, and 22 points against Oldham County in the region finals.    Roberts – a 46.2% shooter overall for the season – hit 53.1% of his shots in the post-season, including 9 of 23 (39.5%) threes.  

The Mustangs ride the momentum of the 2021 post-season into the 2021-2 season, with three returning starters to lead the way.

Roberts, a 6’1” junior, is the undisputed leader of this herd.   A starter on the varsity since he was an 8^th grader, Roberts will be entering his fourth season as a varsity starter.   Roberts enters his junior year having scored 1,111 points in his three year career to date, and having led the team in scoring in both his 8^th grade and sophomore seasons.    If he keeps up this scoring pace, Roberts is on his way to setting the new school scoring mark, eclipsing the record held by….David Levitch, his current coach. 

Roberts and 8^th Region 2021 Player of the Year honoree Kelly Niece of Simon Kenton put on one of the best on-court duels seen in the 8^th Region tournament in many a year in the semi-finals.    Niece (27 points, 10 of 17 shooting) outscored Roberts (25 points on 8 of 12 shooting), but Roberts had the last laugh as North won the game by two.

An accomplished free throw shooter, Roberts was #2 in the region last year, hitting 82.2% of his free throws.

Despite just now beginning his junior season, Roberts already has interest from Bellarmine, Evansville, Manhattan, Southern Illinois, Belmont, and VMI.

Roberts will be joined by Ian Higdon, a 6’6” junior forward who moved into the starting lineup midway through his freshman season.   Higdon already has scored over 500 points and has over 400 rebounds in his career and features an array of inside moves typically not found in an underclassman.   Exceptionally mobile, Higdon is hard to stop once he gets the ball on the blocks.   Higdon averaged 10.7 ppg last year – third-best on the team – and led the Mustangs on the glass at 7.1 boards a game.

Luke Anderson is the third returning starter.    The Mustangs’ shooting leader (percentage) at 61.1%, the 6’7” junior forward/center is a strong scorer in the paint, but didn’t look for his shot often in 2021, averaging just 4.1 ppg.  Anderson was number two in rebounding at 4.6 rebounds per game, and with a year of seasoning under his belt should be improved in both categories.

Jack Scales may be one of the best players you’ve never heard of in the region this year.  Scales played in 13 of the Mustangs’ 18 games last season, averaging 5.7 ppg.   He made 19 threes – third-most on the team – at a 33% clip, and promises to be one of the Mustangs’ best perimeter shooters in 2021-2.   Levitch is hoping Scales will have a breakout season as he moves into the starting lineup.

6’1” sophomore guard Jack Fischer figures to be the fifth starter for North.  Fischer saw only very limited varsity action in 2021, but comes with high expectations.

Levitch likes the match between his players’ talents and the Mustangs’ scheme.

“We look to have the most shooting we have ever had,” he said.  We have a good match of players that can do different things on offense.   (We) should have a good pace of play.”

“I think if we push the ball we will be tough to stop.”

Offensively, North looks to be able to score inside-out, with Higdon a proven inside scorer and Anderson developing into a steady post scorer.     Roberts is one of the premier slashers in the region, with remarkable body control and the ability to pass accurately out of trouble.    Scales and Roberts together form a solid 1-2 punch beyond the arc.

The question is where the scoring comes from if those four players aren’t producing or are hampered by fouls.    The transfer of Austin Carr-Cole, last year’s second-leading scorer at 14.8 ppg, leaves a bit of a scoring void, and no proven scorer coming up.  Other than the above four players, nobody else appeared in more than six varsity games last year or averaged more than 1.5 ppg (6’5” junior Miles Gay).

Instead, North will look to some newcomers to provide punch.  

Grant Neal appeared in just one varsity game last year, but Levitch is high on the 6’1” sophomore’s shooting skills.    Levitch is also impressed by Ryan Howard, 6’2” sophomore who transferred in, who – in Levitch’s words – “can flat-out shoot.”

Dom Portaro (6’3”) another transfer, and Keaton Whitt (6’0”), are two seniors that Levitch hopes will mold into contributors off the bench.  

If all these players pan out, the Mustangs will have a deep bench to lean on; until the season starts, however, nobody really knows.

Defensively, the Mustangs have a lot of length.   Four players check in between 6’4” and 6’7”, and three of those players (Higdon, Scales, and Anderson) will start.   These players will be crucial to North’s defensive plans.

“We have a lot of length and athleticism,” observed Levitch.  “Just rebounding the ball and giving teams one shot (will be key).  We have to guard the ball well to keep our bigs out of foul trouble.”

OUTLOOK:  For the third consecutive season, expectations are high in Goshen.    And Levitch wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think anything short of a region championship would be (considered) a failure for the most part,” he said.  “The goal has to be to win the region championship.”

There’s no question about the “go-to” guy.   Roberts should be among the top 4 or 5 candidates for the 8^th Region Player of the Year award, and – having been a point guard and a shooting guard – he’s capable of taking over the scoring in a game or helping his teammates be scorers.   Roberts is one of those rare talents who can take over a game, “willing” his team to the victory.

North will need to improve that shooting mark, and the Mustangs really can’t afford to have Higdon and Anderson in foul trouble.    But if the shooting percentages go up, and North’s bench can produce, this is very definitely a team that will contend for all the marbles.   North has never won an 8^th Region title, and last year was the team’s first trip to the finals, but the Mustangs enter the season with the momentum and confidence generated by last year’s post-season run.

 

2 - WOODFORD COUNTY YELLOWJACKETS (8-12, lost in the first round of the 30^th District to Anderson County, 41-39)      The Woodford County Yellowjackets arrived in the 8^th Region two years ago and were expected to be competitive immediately.    Seasoned in the brutally tough 11^th Region, and coming off a 21 win season, the Jackets were widely expected to have a big impact in their new home immediately.

But, to date, it hasn’t been quite that easy for the Jackets, who went 17-16 two years ago and exited the region tournament in round one, and who finished just 8-12 last season, losing in the first round of the district tourney to Anderson County.  Woodford has gone just 10-11 against Region 8 opposition in that time span, and 6-5 against District 30 foes.  

Against the 8^th Region’s “bluebloods” – Oldham County, Collins, South Oldham, and Simon Kenton – Woodford County is just 1-7 in its first two seasons in Region 8.

The Yellowjackets fortunes may be about to change.    Third year coach Jaron Brown has a great collection of talent that may well turn out to be the class of the region, if Brown can find the chemistry to mold them into a cohesive unit and overcome the challenges that youth presents.

At first glance, the Woodford roster looks like it might be that of a team that is rebuilding.    Gone are the team’s top two scorers and rebounders – Hunter Penn (15.9 ppg / 9.6 rebounds) and J D Alexander (9.2 ppg / 3.0 rebounds).  Ten of fourteen players are underclassmen, including four freshmen and four sophomores.    Two of those sophomores are projected starters and two of the freshmen will likely be among the first three players off the bench.    Only two regulars return to the lineup from last year.

But Brown got three huge (literally) Christmas gifts by way of transfer.    John McCrear, a 6’7” junior transfer from Lexington Catholic, and Jackson Twombley, a 6’7” senior transfer from Frankfort, may well be two of the top four or five players in the 8^th Region this year.    And Aden Nelson, a 6’2” junior transfer from Father Ryan HS in Nashville, TN, figures to be one of the first reserves off the bench.

Many observers are pegging McCrear to be the preseason favorite for 8^th Region Player of the Year.    The former Lexington Catholic Knight appeared in fourteen games last year for a loaded LexCath team, averaging 5.6 ppg and 4.8 rebounds, while hitting a whopping 67% of his shots.  Brown is excited about his ability to run the floor, and – on the defensive end – his ability to block and/or alter shots.  

All high praise when you consider who else the Yellowjackets will be putting on the floor this year.  Joining McCrear on the front line will be Twombley, who starred for the Frankfort Panthers last season, averaging 25.6 ppg (#9 in Kentucky), while also collecting 8.9 rebounds per game.    Like McCrear, Twombley is a solid shooter, hitting 61% of his shots in 2020-1, and Brown notes that he’s a good enough shooter to spot up on the perimeter and shoot the three, where he hit 35% of his shots last season.   Twombley is also good at finding his way to the stripe; the senior shot 165 free throws in 2020-1, by far the most on the Frankfort team, making 115 (70%). 

With Twombley and McCrear creating defensive nightmares for nearly every team the Jackets face, Woodford will simply need someone to distribute the ball on offense, and Brown appears to have the answer for that need in Brian White, a 5’11” senior point guard who averaged 8.6 ppg last year and shot 50.9% from beyond the arc.

White, in his second year as a starter, also saw extensive varsity action as a sophomore, so he brings a wealth of experience to the position and knows Brown’s system as well as anyone.

Joining those three will be two sophomores, 6’2” Taylor Penn (3.6 ppg in 11 games last year) and 6’3” Tyler Doyle (6.9 ppg last season).    

Doyle was one of only two Yellowjackets – Hunter Penn was the other – to play in all 20 games last year.

Offensively, the Jackets look to continue as one of the region’s better shooting teams (Woodford was #2 in shooting percentage last year in the region at 50.7%), but the team hopes to get more out of that shooting (last year’s team averaged just 60 ppg, only 11^th-best in the region).

First off the bench will be three football players.   Nelson, the transfer from Tennessee, led the Woodford football team in receiving this season in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.  Jasper Johnson and Makhi Smith, two 6’3” freshmen, will also see plenty of playing time.  Smith was number two on the Jacket football team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Look for the Yellowjackets to try to play at a faster pace and to utilize their size on the inside.    On defense, the Jackets will try to exploit what looks to be a deep, athletic bench to create that faster pace by playing “in your face”, aggressive defense.

OUTLOOK:   The talent is clearly there – McCrear already has a Division 1 offer from Arizona State, and Twombley has multiple offers from Division 2 schools.     You can’t coach size, it is said, and Brown clearly has plenty of that on his roster.     And Woodford has a veteran running the show in White.    This team oozes potential.    Brown, in his third year at the school, now has his system firmly in place and the Jackets look to be primed for a strong run at the region title.

With McCrear and Twombly on the floor, Woodford will have a huge size advantage over most region foes, with the possible exception of Oldham County.   If the guard corps can deliver, the Yellowjackets will have the opportunity to get high-percentage looks that many teams won’t be able to consistently contest.

Woodford would definitely appear to be a heavy favorite to advance out of the district and to contend for the Region 8 title this year.    That doesn’t mean that there are no questions to be answered.

Building team chemistry will be the first order of business on a team with basically only two primary players – White and Doyle – who have extensive experience playing on the floor together in varsity action.    And – athletic talent or no – the Yellowjackets will have to survive some growing pains, with half their top eight players coming from the sophomore and freshman classes.   There’s nothing that can replace experience – and experience takes time.

The schedule is fairly user-friendly, though Woodford will face Region 12 powers Madison Southern and West Jessamine, Region 5 favorite Bardstown, Region 5 power Central Hardin, and Region 8 contender – and District 30 rival – Collins.

The tournaments, however, are always played at the end of the season, not the beginning, so look for Woodford County – regardless of how the early season treats them – to mold into something very dangerous by the end of the year.   This team should be a legitimate contender for their first District 30 title and a potential Region 8 crown. 

 

3 - COLLINS (13-9, 30^th district champions, lost, 8^th Region semi-finals to Oldham County, 69-43) – Few teams have had the success the Collins Titans have had in the 8^th Region in just 11 short seasons.    During that time, the Titans – who have seen Chris Gaither handle the sideline duties for the last ten of those seasons – have amassed some impressive credentials:

-        238-110 overall school record (.684)

-        Amazingly, a post-season record that is slightly better than the regular season mark:  31-13 (.705)

-        10 winning seasons out of 11

-        6 district 30 titles / 5 runner-up finishes (Collins has never failed to make the region tourney)

-        3 Region 8 titles

The Titans are currently the three-time defending champions in the 30^th District and seeking their fourth trip to the Sweet 16 under coach Chris Gaither.    Guess what?   They just might get it.

Collins again enters the season as one of the “must beat” teams in Region 8.  

Last year was actually a bit of a rebuilding season for the Titans, coming off a region championship in 2020.   The team was extremely athletic, but very young and inexperienced in the backcourt, featuring a pair of talented, but green, sophomores.   On the inside, the Titans had talent, but no dominant size that could consistently make up for the fact that Collins was the region’s worst three point shooting team (25.3%).

In fact, only four region 8 teams shot worse, overall, than the Titans (42.3%) did.

On the other hand, the defense, long a Gaither staple, was superb, as usual.   Despite averaging only 52.4 ppg (tied for 16^th in the region), the Titans amazingly still averaged a positive victory margin as the defense held opponents to a mere 51.3 ppg.   Only Spencer County’s defense was more stingy.

Many of the Titans’ games were close; thirteen of 22 were decided by less than ten points.    The Titans faced overtime three times – for many teams, it will take a few years to play three overtime games – and Collins won all three.

And all year, the Titans provided a harbinger of what might come this year as the team repeatedly played some of its top competition close.   The Titans lost by four to St. Xavier, by five to DeSales, by four to Spencer County, and by six to Trinity.    Along the way, the picked up a late season revenge victory over Spencer County in the first (elimination) round of the 30^th district, when many were predicting that the Titans would lose and miss the region 8 tournament for the first time ever.

Back for 2021-2 are the team’s top three scorers.   Junior guard Kenyon Goodin (11.3 ppg), senior forward Aaron Thompson (11.0 ppg), and junior guard Quintin Simmons (9.5 ppg) will lead

Thompson is an underrated 6’2” senior forward who is starting for the third straight year.    Perhaps a little undersized for what Collins sometimes needs him to do inside, he nonetheless uses his size and mobility to his advantage both in the paint and on the perimeter.  Thompson was the best shooter on the team last year, hitting 52.9% of his shots, and he showed some potential on the perimeter, where he knocked down 16 threes, though he only hit 26% of those shots.

Goodin, who came to Collins last year from Butler, is probably the Titans’ best all-around player.   It’s perhaps not an oversight that, on the Collins roster, Goodin is the only player who does not have a position listed.   An athletic 6’3”, Goodin will likely be the tallest Titan in the starting lineup, and he’s talented enough to play all the positions on the court.   Of the returning veterans, he is the top returning rebounder, having averaged 4.6 boards a game last year.   Goodin checks all the boxes – quick and strong, with a year’s experience under his belt.    If his shooting percentages come up, Goodin could be one of the breakout stars of 2021-2.

Quinton Simmons has the potential to be one of the region’s top guards this season.   Gaither really likes his defense, and expects him to create a lot of easy shots for the Titans as a result of that defense. 

Xavier Jordan (3.0 ppg last year) may be the overlooked starter.    A strong playmaker, Jordan came on strong late last season, saving his season-high game for the Titans’ final game, the region semi-final loss to Oldham County, when he scored a team-high 18 points.  

All four players were superb at the line last year, and the Titans don’t figure to be a team opponents will want to get into a charity stripe contest with.   Goodin (76.5%), Simmons (71.9%), and Thompson (71.9%) all were accomplished free throw shooters in 2020-1, and Jordan was simply “lights-out”, hitting an incredible 90.3% of his free throw tosses (28 of 31).

Who the fifth starter is remains a mystery as of this writing.   Austin Thompson played in 16 games last season for the Titans and was the team’s only legitimate outside threat, hitting 17 of 41 threes (41.5%) and averaging 3.3 ppg…brothers Kobe and Kiya Ledford, who transferred from South Oldham, saw plenty of experience in Crestwood last year, with Kiya (3.2 ppg) playing in all 17 of the Dragons’ games, and brother Kobe (0.6 ppg) playing in eleven.   Kobe could see time at the point guard spot, and Kiya is explosive off the dribble. 

The Titans do have some size coming off the bench in 6’4” sophomore Keaton Baird and 6’6” freshman Isaiah Cochran, both of whom are perimeter players.   Neither, however, saw any varsity action last season and will have to catch up to the varsity game.

Look for the Titans to do what Gaither teams do best:  control the pace, bring 32 minutes of defensive intensity, and take high percentage shots.

“We want to generate offense from our defense and use depth this year,” Gaither said.  “We want quicker actions that get our better players into play-making positions.”

OUTLOOK:  Collins is not without some question marks.   Gaither believes that this year’s team will shoot the ball much better, but the Titans certainly have a ways to go in that category.   And perhaps most importantly, Collins has to show that it can reliably knock down a few threes, or the Titans will face a lot of teams packing the defenses in.   

Role-wise, the Titans need to find someone to fill the shoes of Dawson Eden, lost to graduation.   Eden’s defense and team-high 4.8 rebounds – and just his all-around hustle around the basket on both ends of the court -will be hard to replace and someone will have to step up their game to do so.

Still, Gaither’s defense will undoubtedly be one of the region’s best, if not the best, and even if the offense only improves marginally, the Titans should be in contention.   And this group looks to be exceptionally fast and athletic, which bodes well for Gaither’s style of play.    The Titans will seek to punish teams for 32 minutes on defense, and to put them away in transition, and it appears that they will have the athletes to execute that plan.     Collins looks to be one of the top two in District 30, along with Woodford County, meaning a 12^th consecutive trip to New Castle is likely.   From there, anything can happen.

Collins has taken at least 9 losses in five of the last six seasons, and don’t be surprised if they do so again this year as Gaither fine-tunes his team.    Collins will face its usual murderers’ row schedule, including the top-ranked teams from the fifth region (Bardstown), the sixth region (Bullitt East), and the 8^th Region (North Oldham, Woodford County, and Oldham County).    In addition, the schedule includes powerful squads from Boyle County, Madison Central, Christian Academy of Louisville, Trinity, St. Xavier, and Owensboro Catholic.

Trivia tidbit:   Only three teams have ever knocked Collins out of the region tournament.   Henry County did it in 2011, Collins’ first year of existence.   In the ten years since, only Oldham County (four times, including the last three tournaments that the Titans were eliminated from) and South Oldham (three times) have turned the trick.  Three of Collins’ eight region exits came in overtime (two against South and one against Oldham).

Another trivia tidbit:   Want to get the most for your admission money?   Go to a Titans’ game.  You have a fair chance of seeing more than 32 minutes of basketball.   Collins has played an amazing 21 overtime games in the eleven seasons the school has existed. 

-        Collins has played at least one overtime game every year except the 2011-12 season.

-        The Titans are on a 5-0 roll in overtime games, going 3-0 in overtime last year and 2-0 in 2019-20.

-        Collins is an incredible 14-1 all-time in regular season overtime games; the Titans are a more pedestrian 3-3 in post-season overtime contests.

-        Collins’ longest game came in the 2014-15 season, when the Titans outlasted Eastern in four overtimes.

-        Collins’ only regular season overtime loss came on 2/10/2018 at home against, Doss, 71-67.

 

4 - OLDHAM COUNTY COLONELS (14-5, 29^th district champions, 8^th Region champions, lost round 1 of the Sweet 16, 54-47, to George Rogers Clark)   Oldham County rode an incredibly talented group of seniors last year to the school’s 17^th Region 8 crown (tied with Shelby County for most region 8 titles).   Tyler Slone finished fourth in the Player of the Year balloting, and he was joined on the All-Region team by fellow seniors Deaton Oak and Sam Campbell. 

The Colonels were one of the top shooting teams in the 8^th Region, hitting 48.7% from the floor (third best in the region), 38% beyond the arc (third-best), and 75.5% at the line (also third-best).   Oldham excelled in part because nobody could focus on any one player; Slone’s 13.3 ppg led the team, with Campbell (11.1 ppg), Oak (10.0 ppg), and fellow senior Xander Wagner-Rose (8.5 ppg) close behind.

The Colonels ranked #8 in free throw shooting in Kentucky, and in the top 25 in three point shooting percentage.

Oldham County, however, will have to replace the entire starting lineup as all of those players are gone to graduation, along with starting point guard Grant Gibson.   If Oldham County wants to repeat as 8^th Region champs, coach Coy Zerhusen will have to do it with a whole new cast of characters.   That said, despite the fact Oldham will have a completely new set of starters, the Colonels will have at least two players with significant varsity game experience, and some newcomers with plenty of talent.

6’6” senior wing Sam Powell looks to be the leader of this year’s squad.   Powell, one of the first men off the bench last season, made an impression with his strong perimeter shooting.   Despite coming off the bench, Powell made 26 threes last year – third-most on the team – while hitting a phenomenal 41.9%.   Powell announced his presence early; in a nip-and-tuck game against North Oldham in the Colonels’ third game of the season, Powell came off the bench to score 16 points while hitting 4 of 4 three pointers, 1 of 1 twos, and 2 of 3 free throws.

With enough size and mobility to work the inside, Powell was also able to repeatedly shoot over the predominantly shorter players guarding him on the outside.    Powell averaged just 5.6 points per game, but appeared in all 19 games and had several double-digit scoring nights.   Powell is an early favorite for the 2022 All-Region team and should be Oldham’s scoring ace this year.

6’10” senior center Hayden Burgess will finally move into a starting role this year for Oldham County.   The OC faithful have been waiting a couple of years, watching as the tallest player to put on a Colonels uniform in many, many seasons has developed his game.    Last year, Burgess showed tremendous improvement running the floor, and his ability to smoothly attack the offensive glass yielded a lot of putback points and gave Oldham a rare weapon.    Burgess averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds off the bench and hit 70.5% of his shots, most from point-blank range.    He gives the Colonels’ perimeter players a big target for lob passes.

Two more seniors will join Powell and Burgess on the starting five, but neither saw much action in 2021.    6’0” Kenton Slechter, whose father, Matt Slechter, played at Oldham County, will fill one spot.   Slechter appeared in ten games last year, but mostly at garbage time.   Strong and athletic, Slechter looks to give the Colonels a slasher who can attack the rim.

The fourth starting senior will be Cooper Roush, a long 6’2” wing who played in seven games last season, averaging about a point a game.   Roush impressed in limited action last season, and his ability to play defense wins praise from Zerhusen, who constantly preaches that good defensive play earns playing time.

The fifth starter may be the most intriguing starter, although one Oldham County fans didn’t get to see in a varsity game last year.   Sophomore Max Green may well be the surprise offensive weapon on the team, a talented one-on-one player who can create his shot, knock down the deep jumper, and who has the leaping ability to block / alter shots on defense.    Green looked spectacular in a pre-season scrimmage against St. Xavier.

“(Max is) very skilled and talented,” said Zerhusen.  “(He has a) great feel and just needs to develop the consistency and toughness for varsity play.”

Offensively, the Colonels’ starting five would appear to check all the boxes.   Perimeter shooting?  Check.   Inside size for rebounding and protecting the rim?  Check.    Ability to penetrate and attack the rim?   Check.   Go-to player when you need a basket?   Check.

“We have size and plan on using it to play inside-out,” said Zerhusen.  “We can put a lot of shooters on the floor as well.   (It) might be a record-breaking year for the 3-ball for Oldham County.”

Defensively, the Colonels have long been a pressure defensive unit under Zerhusen, who played his high school ball for Billy Hicks at Scott County when the Cardinals made 32 minutes of full-court pressure defense their trademark.   Whether this new group of players can play that game is still yet to be determined.

“We are still trying to figure out what defenses will be our best with this group,” Zerhusen mused.  “We are long and plan on using that to disrupt other teams.   We need to find out who can guard the ball and keep other guards out of the paint.”

“I think we should be able to score, but we need to guard.”

A major factor that will determine whether Oldham can press as they have in the past is how the bench develops.  To play Zerhusen’s defensive scheme, the Colonels need fresh legs.

“We obviously lost a lot and with the COVID year last year, we didn’t really get to build experience with the guys (who are) returning,” he said.  “We will take some lumps at times, but could also be really good at times.  North (Oldham) and South (Oldham) have a lot back, but we still expect to be there come February.”

“I would put us in the conversation for Top Four in the region if we develop like we can.”

The bench is unproven, like most of the team.   Look for juniors Tyler Klein, Luke Amburgey, and Christian Alexander to provide a boost off the bench, but none of the three has more than 6 games of varsity experience. 

OUTLOOK:  Oldham looks to be pretty solid offensively with its new starting five, but depth and defense will be a concern for head coach Coy Zerhusen until a lot of new faces prove themselves in new roles.    Unlike last season, when the Colonels’ bench featured size, scoring ability, and depth, the Oldham bench this season is unproven.    With Zerhusen’s featured defense demanding fresh legs to function, how the bench develops is vitally important to the success of this Oldham team.

The 29^th District will be extremely competitive, as usual, with the three Oldham teams.    Both last year’s region champs (Oldham Co.) and runner-ups (North Oldham) hail from the 29^th, and both will be contenders this year.    South Oldham is trying to rebound after a rare losing season, but the Dragons return a lot of experience and will likely look more like their pre-COVID selves.  Getting to the Region 8 tournament will be no piece of cake, however, Oldham won’t play a district seeding game until January 14^th, 2022, when the Colonels travel to South Oldham.    The newcomers will have some time to settle in and learn their roles beforehand.

Overall, the schedule gets brutal after the New Year, with games against Seneca, Eastern, Collins, Covington Catholic, DeSales, Highlands, and Barren County in the mix, along with the district seeding games against South Oldham and North Oldham.    The Colonels’ record may not be as shiny as it usually is, but it’s likely that the team’s post-season prospects will be better as a result of the challenge.

Still, the starting five looks talented enough, on its own merits, to give a strong defense of both its 29^th district and 8^th Region crowns.   Oldham County won’t be cast aside easily this year.

 

5 - SIMON KENTON (16-9, 32^nd district champs, lost 8^th Region Semi-Finals, 66-64, to North Oldham) – How do you replace one of the most prolific scorers in school history?  

Correction:   How do you replace THE most prolific scorer in Simon Kenton history, and one of the top players ever to suit up in the 8^th Region?

Frankly, you don’t, as Trent Steiner, the Pioneers’ head coach is finding out.    At least, not with one new player.   Like so many coaches before him, Steiner knows that talented players like SK’s Kelly Niece only come along once in a blue moon.    When he graduates, you count your lucky stars, and you move on.    And you hope that maybe someday in the future, you’ll get lucky again.

Steiner, in his 19^th season as the head coach of the Simon Kenton Pioneers, will have to somehow replace the offensive production of Kelly Niece, who graduated at the end of last year with just about every SK offensive record.   Among Niece’s final accolades after his senior year (his fifth on the SK varsity):

-        KABC 8^th Region Player of the Year

-        School record 2,481 career points

-        47 points against Owen County on 3/12/21, SK record for most points in a game

-        30.1 ppg average his senior year, tops in the state of Kentucky    

-        88.7% free throw percentage, #3 in the state of Kentucky

Largely as a result of Niece’s contributions, SK ranked high in the region and the state offensively last season.    The Pioneers led the region in scoring at 71.8 ppg, finishing in the top 25 in scoring in the state.    The Pioneers ranked #1 in the region (#10 in Kentucky) from the floor, hitting 52% of their shots overall.   And SK was #2 in the region at the stripe, hitting 76.8% of their free throws (#6 in the state of Kentucky).    From beyond the arc, the Pioneers were fourth-best in Region 8, connecting on 36.5% of their ;perimeter shots. 

Niece almost willed SK to the Region 8 finals last season, scoring 27 points in one of the most exciting ballgames played all year, a 66-64 nailbiter loss to North Oldham in the region semi-finals.

“We all knew what our roles were over the last several years,” said Steiner.  “We have to figure out who we are ‘post-Niece’ era.  Once wee figure that out, we will be just fine.   But that stuff takes time.”

Despite Niece’s departure, and the void it leaves, the Pioneers are hardly empty-handed as they try to win a third consecutive 32^nd district crown.

Steiner returns the next four leading scorers, after Niece, from last year’s team.    Three of the four – Isaac Miller, Travis Krohman, and Andrew Smith – played in all 25 games last season.   The fourth – Hayden Carson – played in 20 games.   

The fifth projected starter, 6’5” senior Jack Marx, averaged 4.5 ppg last season while appearing in 13 contests.

Miller is the lone returnee who averaged in double figures last year, having tallied 13.4 ppg.   An electric player with the ball, was as adept handling the ball in the open court and driving to the rim as he was pulling up and shooting threes (25 made threes on 37.3% shooting).     Miller really stepped up his game in the post-season, averaging 16.5 ppg over four playoff games (he scored a minimum of 15 points each game), while hitting 63% of his shots (season average was 49%).   Beyond the arc, Miller hit 6 of 10 threes during the post-season for a cool 60%.

Krohman, an athletic 6’0” sophomore, enjoyed a remarkable freshman season, averaging 6.7 ppg, third-best on the team.   A shooter with long range, Krohman tied Niece for the most made threes on the team with 45, while hitting 38.1% from beyond the arc.   Playing in the shadow of Niece in the backcourt, Krohman still managed to make a name for himself around the region and projects as one of the region’s elite guards over the next couple of seasons.

Smith, a 6’2” senior, was probably one of the most consistent, yet overlooked, cogs in the SK machine last year.   He averaged 6.2 ppg while connecting on about 49% of his shots from the floor.   He added nearly four rebounds a contest.   Smith, who is playing on the varsity for the fourth straight season, has played in every game the past two seasons, a span of 57 contests.

Hayden Carson, a 6’3” senior, could turn out to be the most critical piece to the puzzle for SK because of all the things he does well.    Carson averaged a pedestrian 5.5 ppg last season, but was the third-best shooter in the region, hitting 63.0% of his shots from the floor.    In addition, Carson led the team on the glass, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game.

With all the offensive talent on this squad, it will be interesting to see who stands out, statistically, at year end.    Everyone on this squad took a back seat, willingly, last season as Niece had a year for the ages.

If the game is decided at the line, SK looks to be in good hands.    After hitting just shy of 77% of their free throws last season, the Pioneers will start 4 of their top 5 free throw shooters in Marx (90.9%), Krohman (88.2%), Carson (73.7%), and Miller (72.7%).    Miller shot more (110) – and made more (80) – than anyone not named Niece.   Of the expected starters, only Smith (56.5%) struggled at the stripe.

The bench has some promise, but is unproven.   6’5” senior Luke Morrison has the most game experience, having played in 20 games in 2020-1, averaging 1.3 ppg and 1.6 rebounds.

6’1” junior Isaac Gabbard and 6’2” junior Josh Bowling tallied little in the way of offensive stats last year, and both appeared in about half the games.   6’4” junior Jake Little provides some length off the bench, but played in just 9 games last year.   7’2” junior Gabe Dynes is an intriguing project on the inside, and is the tallest player in the 8^th Region, but he has yet to play in his first varsity game for Simon Kenton.

The overall schemes will be the same this year, and yet, things will be different, per Steiner.

“We will look the same because the will be running the same type of stuff on O and D, but no Kelly Niece will make it look different,” he said.  “Give us a month and we will be better; the ball is ‘sticking in players’ hands’ too much right now.”

If Simon Kenton is anything near as sharp on offense as they were last year, then the Pioneers will be hard to beat.   SK scored 70 or more points in 14 of 25 games, and 62 or more points in 21 games.   Averaging 71.8 ppg, the Pioneers simply scored at a pace that most teams couldn’t keep up with.

There is no Niece this season, but it appears that there is plenty of talent to make up those numbers by committee.  

As always, the schedule will be challenging.   The Pioneers play a lot of out-of-region competition, located as they are within  a short drive from teams in the 9^th and 10^th regions.    Besides facing pre-season Region 8 contenders Oldham County, North Oldham, South Oldham, and Walton-Verona, SK will face powerful competition from Muhlenberg County (top-ranked in the third region), West Jessamine (ranked among top contenders in the 12^th), Covington Catholic, Dixie Heights, and Highlands (ranked #1, #2, and #3 in the Ninth Region, respectively), Campbell County (#3 in Region 10), and Scott High (#5 in Region 10). 

This team could realistically be a contender for a trip to Rupp by the end of the year, and still have a deceptively high number of losses.  

OUTLOOK:   Two critical stretches of the season may tell a lot about the potential for this SK team.    During the two-week period from December 3^rd through the 17^th, the Pioneers will play the three Oldham County teams on back-to-back-to-back Fridays, entertaining defending region champ Oldham County on 12/3, then travelling to last year’s region runner-ups, North Oldham, on 12/10, then on to perennial power South Oldham on 12/17.

The Pioneers will again face a tough five-game, ten-day stretch in early February, taking on Covington Catholic (2/1/22), and then Dixie Heights two nights later on 2/3/22.   After travelling to Lloyd Memorial on 2/4, SK will take on Campbell County on 2/8 and go to Scott High on 2/11.

Despite having one of the region’s most talented rosters, Steiner does have some questions to answer.    Who will step up on the offensive end now that a new leader, or leaders, will have to take charge with Niece gone?    Who’s the new “go-to” at SK?    Or will this turn into a team with multiple legitimate scoring threats, ensuring that Simon Kenton will be very difficult to defend every night, with opponents unsure who to key on?

Will the defense take it up a step in 2021-2?    Last year’s team showed flashes at times, but also gave up 70 or more points to nine teams and allowed 65 ppg, meaning the Pioneers average margin of victory was just 6.8 ppg, despite averaging over 71 ppg.

What new face will emerge from the bench to be a consistent contributor? 

The Pioneers look to be the favorites to win their third consecutive 32^nd district crown, but Trent Steiner’s team will have to re-invent themselves a bit.    Still, this team looks like a team bound for New Castle and perhaps a contender for the Pioneers first-ever 8^th Region title.

 

6 - WALTON-VERONA BEARCATS (15-15, 32^nd district runner-up; lost round 1 of the 8^th Region tournament, 73-70, to Collins)   Mike Hester continues to build an exciting program at Walton-Verona.   Inheriting a team in 2019-20 that graduated practically everyone from the 2019 Region 8 champs, Hester made the Bearcats competitive his very first season, sitting at 12-12 before finishing 13-18.

Last year’s team took the next step, finishing 15-15 and advancing to the 8^th Region tournament as the 32^nd district runner-ups.    Walton also won the 8^th Region All-A tournament last season in impressive fashion.    Although the Bearcats would be deprived of competing in the state All-A tournament due to the tournament being shut down due to COVID, W-V did take advantage of their trip to face Top-20 Lyon County, upsetting the Region 2 power, 74-70. 

Despite the up-and-down season, Walton-Verona clearly established itself as a contender for this year, riding a youthful lineup to victories over Woodford County, 31^st district champs Owen County, and Region 10 power Campbell County, while dropping narrow losses to Collins (by 7 points), Spencer County (by 8), Mason County (by 2), Beechwood (by 4), and Simon Kenton (by 8).

The Bearcats were eliminated in the first round of the 8^th Region tournament by Collins by just 3 points in overtime.

In just two years as a head coach, Hester had clearly established himself as one of the region’s bright young up-and-comers.

The bulk of that team that was so close to a breakthrough season last year returns in 2021-2.

The top three scorers – and four of the top five – return this season, as well as two of the top three perimeter shooters, and the top four rebounders.

The Cats will continue to try to be the fastest team in the 8^th Region, pushing the ball on offense and pressing on defense. 

“We will continue to play extremely fast,” said Hester.  “We are going to run on missed and made shots, and shoot a lot of threes.   We are who we are.  Small shooters.”

Last season’s offense was among the most productive in the region.   The Bearcats were the second-most accurate team from three point range at 39.7%, despite putting up 21.5 threes a contest.   The Bearcats accuracy beyond the arc ranked #8 in the state of Kentucky.   Three different players hit 61 or more three pointers for the Cats.   Solid shooting from inside the arc and at the line led to an average of 66.6 ppg, second-most in the region behind Simon Kenton’s 71.8 ppg.    With most of the players back who were responsible for that production, Walton-Verona may well increase those numbers this year.

Senior Brant Smithers returns to lead the Bearcats after scoring 19.8 ppg and averaging 3.5 rebounds in 2021, one year after averaging 19.6 ppg as a sophomore.   One of the top players in the region, Smithers should repeat as an All-Region performer and will likely contend for the 8^th Region Player of the Year award this season.  

Blessed with tremendous range and accuracy, Smithers hit 94 threes last season at a 41.2% clip.  

Junior Carter Krohman gives the Bearcats a second elite shooter on the perimeter.   Krohman will be a third-year starter this season; he averaged 10.4 ppg as a freshman, and increased that to 11.3 ppg last year, while hitting 45% from beyond the arc.

“He started high school as only a shooter,” Hester said.  “(But) his game has matured and he is ready to make a jump.”

Julian Dixon joins the two veterans in the backcourt, and will get the nod at point guard.  Only a sophomore, Dixon has already appeared in over 40 varsity games, with five or six starts to his credit.   A freak athlete, Dixon averaged 5.5 ppg last season, and Hester expects a breakout season for him.  Dixon led those on the team who shot more than ten times in overall shooting percentage last year at 49.2%.

6’3” senior Cam Christy will be a critical piece to the W-V puzzle this year.   The team’s number three scorer (11.0 ppg) and number one rebounder (5.0) last year, Hester calls Christy the “glue and leader” of the Bearcat team.  

Rounding out the expected starting five will be Ethan Gutman, a 6’3” post who will be expected to take over down low for Trey Ferguson, last year’s starting center who tore his ACL midway through the football season and is out for the year.

Hester feels that this could be his deepest squad at Walton-Verona, going perhaps nine deep.    Among the players off the bench that he expects to contribute in meaningful ways are Max Montgomery, a sophomore who has started on the JV for the past two years.  Montgomery appeared in about half the varsity games last year, averaging 1.3 ppg at the guard spot.   Aaron Gutman, a 6’3” freshman is also expected to be able to provide an offensive spark off the bench.

“We believe that we are deeper than we have ever been,” stated Hester.  “We have not had the luxury of playing more than 6 or 7 guys our first two years.  Now we believe we are about 9 deep.   This should help us to play our style of play.   Our bench is a mix of young guys and some that have been in the program a while.   They all provide something different for us and they should be able to hold their own.”

“On any given night, we feel we have several guys who can be our leading scorer.”

An 8^th Region Player of the Year candidate himself while playing guard at Simon Kenton in the mid 2000s, Hester should know all about talented guard play.

Defensively, the Cats will continue to put pressure on the ball.   The experience gained over the last two years, plus the new-found depth, gives Hester more confidence about what the press can do.

“We feel like we can press against good teams this year,” he said.  “We have guards who can keep elite point guards in front of them.   As always, our size hurts us a little bit, and we will need to find a way to finish possessions with a defensive rebound.”

Dixon may turn out to be the Cats’ “defensive stopper”.

The concern, as it has been the past two years, remains rebounding.    With nobody over 6’3” on the roster, the Bearcats will be outsized most nights.

OUTLOOK:  A key stretch of six games between January 11^th, 2022 and February 1^st will tell a lot about these Cats.   Three of the games are the Bearcats’ 32^nd District seeding games, beginning with the 1/11/22 game at Williamstown, and with matchups against Simon Kenton on 1/14/22 at home and Grant County on the road on 2/1/22.   Those three games will determine the Cats’ post-season seeding.  In between are huge matchups against powerhouse teams Covington Catholic on the road on 1/20 and at home against defending region champ Oldham County on 1/29.   The sixth game will be a home game against Ryle.    How the Bearcats fare in this stretch may tell us a lot about their future, and whether this team is ready to take that next step.

Hester said the team’s goal is simple.

“We take it game by game,” he said.  “However, our number one goal is to get the #1 seed in the district to give us the best chance to make it to the region.   Then, anything can happen.”

With several veterans returning to a sharp-shooting, high-scoring club, Walton-Verona looks like a team that will be very hard to beat this season.    The Cats should be better defensively, but at the end of the day, they are capable of simply outscoring most teams.   And with several capable shooters, even keying on the Cats’ Player of the Year candidate (Smithers) may not be enough to keep Walton from putting up elite numbers on the scoreboard.

On the other hand, the Bearcats may be one of the teams in the region most dependent on solid shooting; a big question looming is whether or not Walton-Verona can do the other things necessary to win on nights when the Cats’ collective shooting eye is off.

W-V will also be looking to go into the post-season with some momentum.   For the last two seasons, the last month of the season hasn’t been kind to the Cats.   W-V lost 6 of their last 7 two years ago, and finished the season last year by dropping 8 of their last 9 games. 

Without a doubt, W-V will be exciting this year.  Now, in the third year of the Mike Hester system, with experienced, talented offensive players, the Bearcats should have a chance to go deep in the post-season, and have at least a shot at the district and regional crowns.

 

7 - SOUTH OLDHAM DRAGONS (7-10, lost in the first round of the 29^th District tournament, 75-63, to North Oldham)  With the retirement of Jon Jones at Gallatin County, South Oldham’s Steve Simpson ascends to the role of “Dean of 8^th Region Coaches”, having been in his current position longer than any other current region 8 head coach.    Beginning his 22^nd season with the Dragons, Simpson has compiled an impressive resume:  a record of 396-220 (.643), including the eight winningest seasons in school history, and all three of the Dragons’ appearances in the Sweet 16.  

South has won 20 or more games in 8 of their last 12 seasons, which includes Region championships in 2013, 2014, and 2016.    The team’s 29-6 mark in 2016 was the school’s best-ever record, and Simpson celebrated his 300^th victory at the school in grand fashion when South won its first-ever Sweet 16 tournament game in round one that year.

Simpson will undoubtedly reach the 400 win plateau this season as he and the Dragons try to bounce back from a rarity – a chopped-up COVID season in which the team finished below .500 at 7-10, the first losing season in Crestwood since the 2014-15 team went 11-17.     It was also the first time the Dragons missed the region 8 tournament since that 2015 season.

After five straight years leading the region in scoring, South’s offense dropped off a bit last year.   Two years after leading the state in scoring at just over 80 ppg in 2019, and one year after finishing #2 in team scoring in Kentucky at 77.5 ppg in 2020, the Dragons’ offense fell precipitously in 2020-1, averaging just 64.5 ppg, still the third-best in region 8 behind Simon Kenton (71.8 ppg) and Walton-Verona (66.6 ppg), but well below the Dragons’ pace from previous years.   The team shot relatively well, hitting 48.4% from the floor overall (fourth-best behind Simon Kenton, Woodford County, and Oldham County), and a solid 35.8% from beyond the arc, but consistency was a problem, the offense was prone to droughts, and the team uncharacteristically was one of the region’s worst at the line, where the Dragons hit just 61.1% (14^th of 18 teams in region 8).

For the first time in years, no South player showed up among the state’s leaders in scoring, three point shooting, and free throws.

With a full summer season under their belts this year, the Dragons hope to rebound.   And there’s plenty of reason for optimism.   For one thing, a losing season by a Simpson-coached team is a real rarity in Crestwood - and never have his teams suffered back-to-back losing campaigns.   

The Dragon faithful have plenty to be excited about on the floor.

Four veterans will anchor the starting five for Simpson, including the top two scorers and rebounders.    Leading the group will be 6’6” senior Ben Michel (14.2 ppg / 4.9 rebounds) and 6’2” senior Cole Davis (13.9 ppg / 4.4 rebounds) who led South in the 2021 campaign.

Also back are returning starter Ian Von Feldt, a 6’4” senior (4.9 ppg, 67% FG) and 6’2” senior guard Alex King.

Rounding out the starting five will be the remaining senior on the roster, 6’3” Murphy Couvillion, who will be seeing his first real varsity action after appearing in one game last season.

Michel and Davis are the known quantities.    Michel, despite checking in as one of the tallest players in the region, is comfortable out on the floor and actually is listed on the roster as a guard.   He has a strong move to the basket, and gets there quickly and smoothly with his long stride, often finishing with a textbook finger roll over the rim.    But he’s very capable of knocking down the three, making him a matchup nightmare for most region 8 perimeter defenders, who frequently find themselves helplessly watching him shoot over their outstretched hands.   Michel shot a good overall percentage from the floor last year (49.3%), but will need to improve at the line, where he hit just 52.9% of his shots.    The team’s only three-year starter, Michel will provide much-leaded leadership on the floor.

Cole Davis handled the point most of last season, and led the team with 32 threes, hitting 41% of his outside shots and 51.5% of his shots overall.   The team’s #2 scorer last year, his aggressive style also translated well on the glass, where he also ranked #2 on the team with 4.4 boards a contest.   

Von Feldt is a solid shooter who the Dragons might like to see shoot more often.   He led the squad last year in field goal percentage, hitting 66.7% of his shots while averaging 4.9 ppg.    South will also look for Von Feldt to increase his rebounding totals; a solid rebounder, he only averaged 2.8 a game last year.    That number should go up in 2021-2.

Alex King is perhaps the team’s most likely “breakthrough” candidate – a player who largely toiled in the shadows last year, but who has the tools to become one of the region’s best shooters.   King averaged just 2.2 ppg / 2.3 rebounds last season and hit only 40% of his shots, but Simpson believes that those numbers don’t tell the tale.    King may well be the consistent “third scorer” that South lacked last season.

To play Simpson’s super-fast paced open-post offense, the Dragons need depth, and that’s where the early question marks lie, though the coach believes he has the horses in the stable.  

6’2” sophomore Christian Veirs (3.9 ppg last year), 6’2” junior Nathan Touro, 6’1” junior Joe Downs, and 5’9” junior Tate Holbrook will be counted on to produce off the bench.   Veirs saw extensive action off the bench last season as a freshman, showing significant promise, but struggling with his shooting eye.    Touro, Downs, and Holbrook combined to appear in just seven games and will be unknown quantities as we start the year.    Simpson identified the development of the team depth as one of his primary concerns in December.

“Once our depth has a chance to develop, we could be a hard out late in the year,” he said. 

The Dragons’ success over the years has been largely a function of their ability to bring production off the bench.   Despite the overall inexperience of the bench, Simpson showed a lot of confidence in his troops, coyly stating:

“I believe they can do more than hold their own.”

An interesting newcomer to the roster is Ben Dunkle, who transferred from Oldham County.   Simpson is already impressed with his defensive skills.

Scheme-wise, don’t expect anything new.   South will run, run, run on offense, and they will shoot a lot of threes.    Last year’s squad took 48.4% of it’s total shot attempts from beyond the arc – only Anderson County (49.7%) shot a higher percentage of long-balls.   And with a full year of summer league ball, expect the Dragons to shoot those threes a lot better than they did last season.

On defense, South will continue to show multiple looks, often changing sets multiple times on consecutive possessions.    The Dragons will try to speed up the other team through a combination of presses and zone half-court pressure.

OUTLOOK:   A lot of teams took advantage of a down year last year in Crestwood to gain some measure of revenge on the Dragons.   Whether they can do that in 2021-2 may be a different story altogether.

Hidden in last year’s 7-10 record was this fact:  South’s losses came to some of the best teams around.   The Dragons fell to Oldham County (region 8 champs), Simon Kenton (Region 8 Semi-finalists), North Oldham twice (Region 8 runner-ups), Covington Holy Cross, Christian Academy of Louisville, and Spencer County.   With that in mind, it is notable that six of the Dragons’ losses were by 10 points or less.   Along the way, the Dragons notched one of the region’s better out of region wins when they beat the 6^th Region champions (Bullitt East).

South returns four veterans to the starting unit, and two have already signed with college teams, so any distractions in that regard are out of the way.   Cole Davis has signed with Lindsay Wilson and Ben Michel with Taylor University.  Expect this edition of the Dragons to be a much better shooting team, and improved in regards to ball movement; the two critical elements of Simpson’s offense.

A reasonably tough schedule – featuring Bullitt East (top ranked team in region 6), Christian Academy of Louisville from the 7^th, Central Hardin from the 5^th, and Holy Cross from the 9^th, along with many of the top contenders in the 8^th (North Oldham, Oldham County, Simon Kenton, Collins) – should prep this team for a difficult post-season.   Playing in the brutally challenging 29^th district, South may have to knock off either the North Oldham Mustangs (Region 8 favorites in many polls) or defending 8^th Region champ Oldham County just to advance to New Castle.

If the bench can mature and develop, and the Dragons can find multiple scorers to challenge defenses, this team has some definite potential for a bounce-back season. 

 

8 - OWEN COUNTY REBELS (15-12, 31^st district runner-ups, lost round 1 of the 8^th Region tournament, 67-39, to Oldham County)   Since the 2015-16 Owen County Rebel team headed to New Castle with the Kentucky Mr. Basketball on its roster, 29 wins under its belt, and bearing the role of region tournament favorite, the basketball fates haven’t been kind in Owenton.

Heading into last season, Owen County had won just 24 games over the previous four seasons, with no region tournament a`ppearance to show for their efforts.     But head coach Devin Duvall had a powerful youth movement coming up through the ranks, and he knew better times were ahead.

Better times arrived last season as the Rebels went 15-12, their first winning season since that magical 2015-16 campaign, finishing as runner-ups in the 8^th Region All-A tournament, District 31 runner-ups, and making their first trip back to New Castle, where their season ended at the hands of eventual champion Oldham County.

This year, look for the next step up.

Owen County returns all but one player from last year’s squad.   Jack Spurgeon (5.4 ppg) graduated, but the core of the team returns, including the top three scorers, the top four rebounders, and all of the top shooters.

Leading the way is one of the top candidates for 8^th Region Player of the Year.   6’6” junior Teagan Moore was the state’s #3 leading scorer in 2021, averaging 28.9 ppg – second in the region only to 2021 Player of the Year Kelly Niece – and averaged 10.6 rebounds, fourth-best in the region.    Moore, voted All-State Honorable Mention last year, has already accumulated 1,578 points and 700 rebounds after three years on the varsity, and he led the Rebels in scoring and rebounding in both his freshman and sophomore years.

A 3,000+ point career scoring mark is potentially within reach.

An imposing matchup problem for most opposition guards, Moore is tall enough and strong enough to post up down low, but is a superb ballhandler and dangerous in the open court with the ball in his hands.   Unlike many other high schoolers who clock in at his height, Moore is also one of the region’s elite shooters, hitting 57.3% of his shots overall last season.

Senior point guard Lincoln Cobb (6 ppg) is a three-year starter and brings veteran leadership to the team quarterback role.  6’2” senior Isaac Wash – the team’s number two returning scorer at 10.9 ppg and number two returning rebounder at 5.0 rebounds per contest – also returns.   Wash was the team’s premier outside threat in 2021, hitting 30 three pointers at a team-high 46.2% clip.

Those three veterans would be imposing enough in a returning starting five, but they will be supported by three sophomores who saw plenty of varsity action last year as freshmen.

6’8” Brax Ward (5 ppg / 4 rebounds) has been brought along slowly by the Owen coaching staff, and provides an “eraser” on the back of that defense that few teams have.   Ashton Moore  and Micah Shelton didn’t score a lot in 2021, but Moore (26 games) and Shelton (25 games) both saw extensive varsity action and both shoot around 35% from beyond the arc.

There probably isn’t another team in the region with this much varsity game experience in such a young group of players.   It all figures to pay off this year and next for the Rebels, who come into the year as the prohibitive 31^st district favorites, and expecting to contend again for the All-A region title – and perhaps more.

Head coach Devin Duvall, entering his 16^th season in Owenton, knows he has something special.

“Returning most of our rotation should make for an exciting year in Owenton,” he said.  “Moore can score from anywhere, defends multiple positions, and should be one of the front runners for 8^th Region Player of the Year as a junior.”

One of the better shooting teams in the region last season, the Rebels return the players who recorded the seven best shooting percentages on the team, including Moore’s 57.3% mark and Ward’s 51.1% from the floor.   But it was at the line where the Rebels shone last year, hitting 76.9% of their charity tosses, tops in the region and ranking #4 in the state of Kentucky.   Cobb (84.1%), Moore (80.7%), and Shelton (80%) all cleared the 80% threshold, and Wash hit 74.2%of his freebies.

Moore, adept at getting to the stripe, took an average of ten free throw attempts every game, making 221 of 274 attempts on the season.

Moore (10.6 rebounds), Wash (5.0), and Ward (4.0) will lead the charge on the glass, and Owen should fare well on the backboards most nights.

OUTLOOK:   The talent on this Owen County team would appear to predict some really special seasons coming up for Owen County fans the next few years.    Duvall expects to take a step up from last year, with his team the favorites to win the 31^st district for the first time since 2016, and with designs on claiming the 8^th Region All-A tournament.    Owen hopes a return trip to New Castle this year will be rewarded with some victories as well; the Rebels haven’t won a game in the 8^th Region tournament since the 2015 team lost in the semi-finals to Collins.

In part because of the constant interruptions from COVID, and in part due to the youth on the team, Owen never quite got into a roll last year, with the team’s longest winning streak sitting at just three games (twice).     A measure of how Owen is maturing as a team will be whether the team can string together some winning streaks this season.   A look at the schedule would suggest some opportunities exist to get wins and build momentum.

The schedule will provide some challenges; the Rebels will face 8^th Region preseason contenders Collins, Walton-Verona, and Simon Kenton, with the W-V and SK games coming in February.   Also on the schedule are games are perennial powerhouses Montgomery County and South Laurel in the Gateway Holiday Classic at Montgomery County in late December.

If Owen can stay healthy, the Rebels should be the clear-cut favorites in the 31^st District.   The Rebels struggled against Walton-Verona last year, falling to the Bearcats by 26 points in the 8^th Region All-A championship game and by 16 points a week later.    Both teams return essentially the same personnel from last season, and the Bearcats figure to be the Rebels’ primary rivals for the Region All-A crown.

 

 

9 - SHELBY COUNTY ROCKETS (9-11, lost in the first round of the 30^th District tournament, 67-60, to Anderson County)   Will the long-sleeping giant revive in 2021-2?

Want to talk about basketball tradition?   Take a trip to Shelbyville, and wander through the halls of Shelby County High School.   Ask, and you can probably get someone to give you an impromptu tour of the memorabilia.   The pictures of the Mr. Basketballs.   The banners.   The 1978 state championship trophy.   The Hall of Fame players.   The legendary coaches.   The fans – one of the most loyal fan groups in Region 8. 

The almost equally legendary navy and old gold uniforms.   The traditional Shelby County pinstripes.

As any long-suffering Rockets fan will tell you, this is the tradition that has been in hibernation since the OTHER school in Shelbyville (Collins) opened in the 2010-11 school year.

One year before, the Shelby County Rockets went 24-6 and won the school’s 17^th Region crown, a mark equalled only by Oldham County’s 17 titles.

Since then, the Rockets have gone 110-203 over 11 seasons.   Three winning seasons, including one twenty-plus win season in 2015 (21-9).   A combined post-season record of just 3-12, with one district title (2015) and two appearances in the Region tournament.

Two region tournament appearances in eleven seasons.   And no victories in New Castle on either trip.

Not many district wins, either.  Until the Rockets edged Anderson County, 44-40, on February 25, 2021, the Rockets had lost 27 consecutive district games, dating back to 2016.    Their previous win over a district opponent was on 2/9/2016, when Shelby edged Spencer County, 46-43, in three overtimes.

A “down” Shelby County isn’t good for the region.    Great traditions always help raise the region banner just a little bit higher.   And frankly, there’s no reason why the Rockets can’t be a force again.

Good news, Shelby County fans.   The long period of basketball underachievement may be over.   The Rockets may be stirring from their slumbers.

New coach Blake Traylor takes over after one year as an assistant at Shelby County.    Traylor previously spent five years as an assistant at cross-town rival Collins, and before that, three years assisting at Woodford County.    He’s familiar with the recent Shelby County struggles, and he thinks this may be the turnaround year.

Shelby ended 2021 with a flourish, winning five of their last seven games.    The Rockets were competitive in a COVID-shortened 9-11 campaign.   Though they went just 1-5 in district play, the Rockets fell to Spencer County by only 6 points, to Collins by 4, to Woodford County by 6, to Collins in the rematch by a competitive 13 points, and to Anderson County in the first round of the district tournament by just 7.    The Rockets ended that long district slump by defeating Anderson County in Lawrenceburg, 44-40. 

In short, the Rockets went 1-5 over a tough district slate with the games decided by an average margin of only 4.3 points.

Shelby was also competitive with their non-district schedule, losing games against Henry Clay, Franklin County, Bullitt Central, Owen County, and Fifth Region power Bardstown each by ten points or less.

First, the bad news.

Gone are the three of the Rockets’ top four scorers, their top two three point shooters, and two of their top three rebounders.

Leading scorer and rebounder Timothy Fuller (14.8 ppg and 6.2 rebounds) transferred for the second time in two years, taking his game to Ballard for his junior year.  The undisputed leader of the team, Austin Griffin (11.1 ppg / 3.9 rebounds) graduated, along with Trent Burchfield (10.7 ppg), and Isaac Chandler (top shooter on the team at 62.7% from the floor).   The foursome combined for 66% of Shelby’s point production last year and hit 80 of the Rockets’ 99 threes.  

And now for the rest of the story.

Mr. Excitement, 6’1” junior Kyre Bishop, returns to the team in 2021-2.    Bishop, one of the most athletic players in the 8^th Region, moved back to Shelby from North Carolina in the latter stages of last year, playing in just six games, and averaged 12.3 ppg.    One of the most electric players on the court, Bishop also averaged nearly four rebounds and hit 75% of his free throws and will be a difference-maker in 2021-2. 

“Kyre Bishop will be the focal point for other teams,” Traylor observed.  “He moved back from North Carolina in the middle of last season and immediately made a huge impact on our team.   He is so athletic and strong that teams must know where he is at all times.   Give him any type of lateral space and he is going to get to the rim and finish.”

6’0” senior guard JaShon Marshall returns for his third year as a starter for t he Rockets after averaging 8 ppg and 4.6 rebounds (2nd on the team) in 2021.   Like Bishop, Marshall is an athletic player who can explode for points at any given time.   Shelby will look for more scoring consistency from Marshall this year, but the potential is there for a monster season.   Marshall should join Bishop as one of the Rockets’ top two scorers.

5’11” junior point guard Omauri Downs (7.1 ppg) should be steady at the “1”.   Downs led the team in free throw attempts in 2021, hitting 73.8%.    He may be a breakout candidate from the perimeter to replace the outside shooting of Fuller and Burchfield, one season after hitting 6 of 17 (35.3%) in the COVID-shortened season.

Dallas Mercer moves up into a much larger role in 2021-2.   The 6’4” sophomore “wasn’t physically ready to play as a freshman last year”, appearing in just 6 games and averaging 0.3 ppg.   But Traylor says that nobody has improved over the off-season as much as Mercer, who may be the most versatile player on the team, a tall forward who can attack the rim, handle the ball, and shoot from the outside.

“The growth of Dallas Mercer could be the biggest key for our team,” Traylor said.  “I expect him to eventually be an All-Region type player.   The jump he takes this year will open a lot of eyes.”

Either 5’9” junior guard Maalik Stoner, 5’11” sophomore guard Dillon Ritchey, or 6’6” senior center Gavin Prewitt will round out the starting lineup.

Stoner was one of Shelby’s better JV players last year, and was beginning to break into the varsity rotation when he suffered a high ankle sprain late in the year.  

Ritchey also had great success last year on the JV squad, but was another player who wasn’t physically ready for the rigors of the varsity campaign.  Traylor says he is the best shooter in the program and will undoubtedly wind up as one of the Rockets’ most important players this year.

Prewitt brings size to the floor, something that’s not overly in abundance on the Rocket roster.   Despite the fact the senior hasn’t played organized basketball since middle school, Traylor says he has shown some solid natural ability during the pre-season.   His ability to run the floor may allow him to fit into the Rocket scheme, and Shelby could certainly use some size in the lineup.

Depth, according to Traylor, should be a Shelby strength this year.

Besides  the above, Traylor is expecting contributions from 5’11” senior guard Brice Brown, who transferred to Shelby County from Waggener this year.   Brown was one of just three roster players to play in all eleven of Waggener’s games last year, averaging 2.7 ppg.

Bishop Bale, a 6’1” sophomore forward, played wide receiver for the football team and is a state championship caliber track athlete.  

“He instantly makes us more athletic,” Traylor said.

5’7” sophomore guard Michael Jones only appeared in two games last season, but Traylor expects more this year.

“As soon as his body catches up, he will be a great player for us,” he commented.

Traylor says that the ability of the players to fill multiple roles is Shelby’s greatest strength heading into the season.

“Our strength is in the versatility of our players,” he said.  “Positionless basketball has changed the game the past few years.   All of our players….can create plays and shoot the basketball.   Our keys on offense are going to be ball movement, spacing, and getting paint touches.”

“With everyone being able to create plays, getting dribble penetration should be something we are able to do to put pressure on all five defenders for the other team.”

Defensively, look for Shelby to try to play pressure defense for 32 minutes.   Primarily a man-to-man team, Traylor hopes the team’s depth will allow him to keep fresh legs on the court.  A bonus this season is the maturation of Mercer and the addition of Prewitt, two bigs who will give the Rockets more rim protection than Shelby has had recently. 

Expect Shelby County to be at its best in transition, when the pressure defense is forcing opponents into ill-advised shots.

OUTLOOK:   There’s a new excitement and quiet confidence in the narrative that’s coming out of Shelby County HS, though it might be a rough start for the new regime.  Currently on lockdown due to COVID until 11/29 – three days before the road opener at Trimble County – Shelby will miss both of its scrimmages, which would have been vital opportunities to work out the kinks.

The shooting will need to improve – Shelby hit just 44.3% of its shots in 2021, ranking in the lower half of the region.    But that should improve if the Rockets can make their planned transition offense “go”, resulting in more high-percentage shots.   And it might not even matter that much in the 30^th District.    The 30^th was by far and away the worst shooting district in the 8^th Region in 2021; although Woodford County was number two in Region in shooting at 50.7%, nobody else shot better than Shelby’s 44.3%, with Anderson County checking in at 43.6%, Collins at 42.3%, and Spencer County at 41.2%.

Traylor has focused on the mentality.    After all, the last Shelby County team to win the region title did so in 2010 – when the seniors on this team were just 6 or 7 years old.  

“We expect to be one of the best teams in the region,” Traylor asserted.  “(we expect) to compete for that title at the end of the season.”

“This team has the chance to be the best Shelby County team in the past several years,” he continued.  “There is collectively more talent on this team than any other Shelby County team that I can remember in my seven years coaching basketball in this county.”

“We expect to compete with anyone.”

 

10 - GRANT COUNTY BRAVES (15-16, lost round 1 of the District 32 tournament, 65-61, to Walton-Verona)  - Glass half-full or half-empty?

Sixth year Grant County Head Coach Joe Utter could be forgiven if he was a little blue to start the season.    After all, Grant County – who surprised a lot of folks last year with one of the youngest starting fives in the region, but who still won fifteen games, and who projected to return almost the entire team this year – instead has been battered in the off-season by simple bad luck.

Incoming junior point guard Mason Guffey, who would have been starting at the point for the third consecutive season, transferred in the off-season to Taylor County.    The team’s second-leading scorer last year (13.2 ppg), and premier outside threat (51 made threes, at 38.6%), Guffey wil be difficult to replace.

It was the second year in a row that the Braves were victimized by a critical transfer, coming on the heels of sharpshooter Blake Robinson’s transfer before last season.

As if Guffey’s departure wasn’t bad enough, the team’s backup point guard from last year – Utter’s 6’0” sophomore son, Jackson Utter - broke his ankle a little over a week ago and is likely lost for the season. 

And…..last year’s number three scorer, Wayne Ziegler (9.0 ppg), is coming off surgery.   Ziegler should be ready for game one, physically, but he’ll have to play “catch up”.

Still, there’s a lot of cause for optimism in Dry Ridge.

Returning to lead the way will be junior sensation Dylan Hammonds, a 6’4” force that exploded on the region 8 scene last year.   Forced to be a leader as a sophomore on a very young team, Hammonds turned into an almost unstoppable force, finishing as just one of four players in the 8^th Region to average a double-double, averaging an impressive 22.5 ppg / 10.7 rebounds.  Hammonds finished as the region’s #5 scorer, #3 rebounder, #3 free throw shooter (82.1%) and one of its top overall shooters at 58.0%.   A legitimate Player of the Year candidate, probably for the next two years, Hammonds will be called upon to average near those numbers again this year.

“(He’s a) tough matchup for most teams,” pointed out Utter.  “He can score in the post and knock down jumpers.”

Hammonds moves into his junior season having already eclipsed over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his varsity career.

Among the other projected starters….

5’9” senior Colton Scalf is another two year starter for the Braves.   A solid shooter, particularly from the perimeter, where he hit 38 threes (38.8%) last year, he should average in double digits, per Utter.

Spencer Breeden was the team’s “7^th man” last year, averaging 2.8 ppg.   A combo PG / SG, Utter will need Breeden to assume more of the ballhandling abilities after the transfer of Guffey and Utter’s injury.

Micah Wills will move into the post for the Braves, bringing the length Grant hasn’t had for a while.   Wills is a 6’9”, 225 pound junior who averaged 4.5 ppg / 4.0 rebounds last season.  Like Scalf, Utter is looking for Willis to mature into a double-digit scorer this year, and is counting on him for 3-4 blocks a game.  

5’11” point guard Daniel Fox will likely be the primary ballhandler for the Braves.    Fox started for the Junior Varsity last year and doesn’t have a lot of varsity experience.

Look for Ziegler to move into the starting lineup after he fully recovers from his surgery; the 6’0” senior averaged 9 ppg last year and will give Utter four players who are very capable of averaging in double figures for the season.    With that potential balance, Grant might be able raise it’s scoring average back to the level it enjoyed during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, when it ranked among the region 8 leaders in scoring at about 71 ppg.

Senior Thomas Fox and junior Carter Gabbert look to fill out the top eight players for Grant.   Utter feels that Gabbert – a JV starter last year – could be one of, if not the, premier outside threat on the varsity.    Utter feels he could very well be capable of making 5-6 threes in games.

Grant finished as the #10 team in Kentucky last year in free throw shooting – one of four region 8 teams in the top ten – at 74.7%.  Only Oldham County, Simon Kenton, and Owen County outshot the Braves at the line in region 8 last season.    Counting Utter, the Braves return four players that shot at least 37 free throws and made at least 73%.    Add in Ziegler, who just missed the 70% mark at 69.3%, and Grant figures to fare well in close games decided at the line this year.

“Expect us to play fast and (to get) in transition,” Utter said.  “We will likely look to go to Micah Wills and Dylan Hammonds in the half court.  This is one of the best shooting teams I have ever coached.”

Defensively, the Braves will continue to be a man-to-man team, but Utter hopes to pressure and deny more, exploiting, among other things, Wills’ length.

OUTLOOK:   Though Utter is only in his 6^th season as a head coach, he’s been a coach at Grant County for 15 years.   Few coaches know their school like he does.   The program has been on a definite rise in his first five years.    After winning 23 games total in his first two years at the school, the Braves have averaged 19 wins a season the last three years and advanced to the Region 8 semi-finals in 2020.   The Braves have been a scoring machine; although last year’s squad saw its scoring average drop to 62.2 ppg, the previous two Grant teams averaged about 71 ppg.

Last year’s team checked in at #15 in the pre-season rankings, but despite an aggressive schedule and an incredibly young team, the Braves remarkably moved steadily up the rankings and finished the regular season ranked #6 in the region.    Thirty regular season games – more than COVID allowed any other region 8 team to play – certainly helped mature an inexperienced squad, but Utter certainly pulled off one of the best jobs of coaching in the region.

Utter may have more talent and depth than he had last year, and he’ll need it in a competitive 32^nd district.  

Still, Grant County checks a lot of boxes heading into the season.    A legitimate superstar in Hammonds, a solid scoring supporting cast in Scalf, Ziegler, and Mills, a defensive “eraser”, reasonable depth, and a veteran, proven coach.    Getting out of the 32^nd won’t be easy, but it’s definitely a reasonable goal for this team.

The Braves get pretty small pretty quick without Mills and Hammonds; those two will need to be able to stay on the court as much as possible for Grant County.   Offensively, the Braves work very well with a small lineup, but the man defense struggle without at least one of the two bigs on the floor.   Grant’s defense, in part due to the offense’s style of play, tends to give up a lot of points, anyway.    Last year’s squad surrendered 61.1 ppg, ranking number twelve in the eighteen-team region.   Sixteen of thirty-one opponents score 60 or more points against Grant.   A large measure of this team’s success will be whether or not Grant can lower that average this year.

Ready or not, Grant opens with three tough games, including northern Kentucky power Beechwood at home on 11/30/21, followed by a home game against 8^th Region contender Woodford County, also in Dry Ridge.    A road game with perennial contender South Oldham on December 4^th wraps up a challenging first week which may tell us a lot about Grant County’s potential.

The Grant schedule overall is very competitive, with additional games later against last year’s 8^th Region runner-up, North Oldham, defending 8^th Region champ Oldham County, region contenders Collins, Simon Kenton, and Walton-Verona, and perennial 10^th Region powerhouse Mason County. 

 

11 - TRIMBLE COUNTY (11-13, lost in the 31^st District semi-finals, 75-60, to Henry County) – Marcus Mumphrey enters his third year as the head coach in Bedford, and the Raiders’ mentor has several reasons for optimism.

Last year, in the Raiders’ first year back in the 31^st District, Trimble County took a young team and competed very well.   The Raiders finished 6-5 against District 31 competition, and ended the year strong, winning six in a row before seeing their season come to an end just one game shy of the 8^th Region tournament in a 15 point loss to eventual district champion Henry County. 

For a team dealing with the longest region 8 tournament drought – the Raiders last made it to New Castle in 2000 – it was an encouraging sign.

That team returns four of its top six scorers in 2021-2, including top scorer James Thomas Wilcoxson, a 6’3” junior who averaged a team high 14.7 ppg, and 6’3” senior Tate Ogburn, who finished third on the team in scoring at 12.2 ppg.   Ogburn led the team in rebounding at 8.6 a contest, while Wilcoxson was second in that category, averaging 5.5 boards a game.

Not surprisingly, Wilcoxson (51.6% from the floor) and Ogburn (49.5%) were also the team’s top shooters.

Those two figured prominently in the late-season run, with Wilcoxson averaging 16.8 ppg and 7.8 rebounds during the final seven game stretch, leading the team in scoring three times and registering a double-double (17 points / 12 rebounds) against Eminence.    Ogburn was even a touch better; averaging nearly 5 points better during the last seven games than he did over the full season.  Ogburn tallied 17 ppg over the final seven games and also averaged 9.4 boards.   Ogburn led the team in scoring twice, and recorded four double-doubles during that span, including an impressive 25 point / 16 rebound performance in a rout of Gallatin County in which he led the team in both scoring and rebounding.

Also back for Mumphrey are other key contributors from last year, including sophomore Ethan Horn, who averaged a solid 9.7 ppg and 3.6 rebounds as a freshman and looks to take the next step up this year.  Senior Dalton Penick (4.6 ppg) adds senior leadership, and is key on the perimeter; Penick tied for the team lead with 28 made threes last season while hitting 33% from beyond the arc.

Those four form the nucleus of a club that will definitely be heard from this year; a blend of experienced underclassmen and seniors that should put Trimble County right in the conversation for that elusive Region 8 tournament spot.

Some questions need to be answered; after the above four players, not much experience returns.  The fifth starter – and the entire bench – will be very green; 5’8” sophomore Coltin Humphreys has the most varsity experience of the bunch, but he only played in 10 of 24 games last season.   Brayden Wilson, a 5’3” sophomore, appeared in eight.   Senior Hunter Kelly is the only other roster player with varsity experience, having played in two games last year.   Combined, those three made just 3 of 14 total shot attempts in 2020-1 and grabbed six rebounds.     How they evolve at the varsity level may well tell the tale on Trimble’s season.

Free throw shooting will need to improve for the Raiders this year.    Trimble shot just 61.3% at the stripe last season; only four teams in the region shot worse.   Even over that strong seven-game finish to the year, Trimble struggled at the line, hitting just 50% of their charity tosses in wins over Eminence and Bethlehem, and less than 50% against Carroll County and Henry County.   In the District 31 semi-final loss to the Henry County Wildcats, Trimble hit just 8 of 19 free throws (42.1%).  

Sometimes it’s all a matter of who gets to the line; Penick (85.7%) and Humphreys (83.3%) are both tremendous free throw shooters, but the two only combined for 13 attempts last season.   Wilcoxson and Ogburn, who were the top two shooters at the line, in terms of attempts, hit just 64.1% and 57.3%, respectively. 

Like last year, Trimble is dodging nobody.    The schedule features games against three of the teams ranked in the top five in the region in most polls, including North Oldham, Woodford County, and Walton-Verona.   The schedule also includes games against two Louisville opponents in Iroquois and Kentucky Country Day when Trimble plays in the Iroquois Invitation just before Christmas.

OUTLOOK:   Like everyone else in the 31^st District, Trimble County likely is chasing pre-season district favorite Owen County for this year’s district title.    But the Raiders look poised to challenge Henry County and Gallatin County as the team most prepared to be the top contender to the Rebels, and a 20-point win over the Warsaw Cats this past March certified that.

This is Mumphrey’s third Trimble County team; his players should be comfortable with his system and expectations, and the seniors on this team have now been playing in that system since they were sophomores.    It’s frequently true that a program’s “big jump” occurs when the coach has been in place for three seasons.

Coach Mumphrey has to find a credible fifth starter, and the bench will have to develop in order to compete in a district where Owen and Henry will definitely try to press the pace for 32 minutes this year.    Furthermore, the team will have to improve at the line in order to win those close ones in the tournaments.   The Raiders, however, have a potent 1-2 punch in Wilcoxson and Ogburn, and a solid supporting cast in the starting lineup.     There’s reason to be excited in Bedford, and it just might be time to plan on a March trip to New Castle.

 

12 - GALLATIN COUNTY WILDCATS (14-10, lost in the semi-finals of the District 31 tournament, 76-71, to Owen County) – After 27 seasons prowling the sidelines in Warsaw, Gallatin County head coach Jon Jones finally hung up his whistle at the end of the 2020-1 season.    Jones, who defied conventional logic that said that a small school couldn’t be a consistent winner year after year, amassed 456 wins in his career with the Wildcats, averaging 17 wins a season.    Despite being the fourth-smallest school in Region 8, Gallatin County, under Jones’ leadership, was the fifth-winningest program in the region over the last six seasons.

It was as if Jones saved the best for last; he won the district championship four times in his final five seasons, and won 67 percent of his games during that span.

Vance Sullivan takes over in Warsaw for 2021-2.    The JV head coach the past three years at Gallatin County, and the head coach of the freshmen the three years before that, Sullivan comes with coaching pedigree:  his father, Dan Sullivan, has been the coach at Walton-Verona, Campbell County, and is currently the head man at Ludlow.

“I have big shoes to fill following Coach Jones,” he stated.  “He was one of the best motivators and communicators that I have been around.  I am excited about the opportunity to lead this group of young men and continue on the success Coach Jones has had.”

Sullivan gets a bit of a head start, thanks to a veteran roster, and having coached these players over the last six years on the younger teams, he knows the personnel and the program well.    He needs no “orientation” to Gallatin County basketball.

The Wildcats, who started slow last season, dropping five of their first six games, finished strong, going 13-5 over the second 2/3 of the season.    And most of the key contributors return.

Five players return who started at least one game last season; four are seniors.    The quintet includes the top three scorers from last year (and 5 of the top 6), the top three rebounders, and top overall shooter, and the top three point shooter.  

Of the top statistical leaders from last year, only Hayden Dickerson (8.9 ppg) is gone.

Logan Riddle leads the group of returnees.    The 6’3” senior forward led the Wildcats in scoring last year at 10.8 ppg, rebounding at 4.6 boards per contest, and posted the best shooting percentage on the team at 50.3%.    Riddle is a strong post presence, who has lead the team in rebounding two years running, but he has a soft enough touch with the ball to step out and hit the mid-range jumper.

6’0” senior Ashton Guillion will be the Cats’ point guard.    Guillion tied for number two in scoring last year, averaging 10.1 ppg, while finishing as the number two rebounder with 3.2 / game.     A potentially explosive scorer, Guillion had 30 points against South Oldham last season.

One of the best perimeter shooters on the team is Drake Skidmore, a 5’11” senior guard who will likely have some big scoring nights.    Skidmore led the team from beyond the arc last season, hitting 38.1% of his threes (43 / 113).   Skidmore was also one of the best free throw shooters, hitting 70.2% at the line.

Rounding out the starting five should be 5’8” senior Zac Johnson (6.9 ppg) and 5’10” sophomore guard Kellen Dossett (5.8 ppg).    Both bring a ton of experience; Johnson has played in 55 of the 56 Wildcat varsity games over the past two seasons, and Dossett has been playing on the varsity since he was in 8^th grade.

Look for 6’3” senior forward Mason Arnold to see a lot of minutes, and perhaps even break into the starting lineup.   Arnold, however, got little time on the floor with the varsity last year and will need time to mature into a major role this year. 

After the top six, though, Gallatin gets very young / inexperienced in a hurry.  The top three off the bench – 5’9” junior guard Tyller Ragio, 6’2” freshman Jonah Brinker, and 6’4” sophomore Eli Newman – appeared in a combined 11 games last season and accumulated just 14 points between them.  

“Early on, depth will be on issue,” Sullivan observed.  “Trying to find a rotation of guys when I have to sub will be tricky.   Some of our younger players need to separate themselves from the rest of the pack and provide us with the depth.”

“Jonah Brinker will be counted on to give us depth this year,” he added.   He is a freshman….and provides us with length and (the) ability to stretch the floor”

“Mason Arnold played sparingly last year at the varsity level; he is our best rebounder and starting to expand his game on the offensive end of the floor.”

Scheme-wise, look for Gallatin County to look like much like it always has, adapting their offense to take advantage of what the defense is giving up.  Offensively, the Wildcats will work through Riddle in the post, but against some teams, Sullivan will look for his guards to take charge offensively off the dribble.

Size-wise, the Wildcats look to be one of the shorter teams in the region; Eli Newman is the tallest player on the roster at 6’4”; twelve of twenty players listed on the roster are under six foot.

Defensively, the Cats will remain a scrappy man-to-man team in the half court setting, though Sullivan says they may press a little more than in the past.

“We are not going to light up the scoreboard every game, so we have to rely on our defense to keep us in games,” Sullivan pointed out.

Outlook: 

It’s hard to follow a legend, and that’s what Coach Sullivan is dealing with.   We’ve had plenty of coaching legends in the 8^th – Glen Drury, Barney Thweatt, Tommy Creamer, Jock Sutherland, Bob Hoggard, Gary Forrest.    Being the “next guy up” is a challenge.    But the cupboard is hardly bare in Warsaw, and the Cats are playing in what looks to be a wide-open District 31.

December could be a challenge – how much the reserves are able to contribute to the overall effort early will dictate Gallatin’s success.     The early schedule has its challenges – home games against District favorite Owen County, and pre-season region contenders Collins and Walton-Verona will test this team early.     But the overall schedule is manageable, despite potential games against region contenders Oldham County, South Oldham, and Simon Kenton later in the year.  

The starting five should be more than able to hold their own, despite a serious lack of size.

Sullivan feels that shooting will be improved over last year’s 41.8% mark (60.6% at the line), and that alone could move the needle upwards for the Wildcats.   Last year, only Eminence (40.3%) shot worse from the floor than Gallatin in the six-team 31^st District.     If this year’s edition of the Wildcats can shoot straight, if the team can battle even on the glass by committee, and if the bench can mature, Gallatin County has the potential to be back in the district finals again this year.   A lot of “ifs”, but the district is truly wide-open this season, and there’s plenty of time to answer those questions.

 

 

 

 

13 - Henry County Wildcats (17-10, 31^st District Champs, lost in Round 1 of the 8^th Region tournament to North Oldham, 61-57)    For the first time in a long while, the Henry County Wildcats will have a new head coach prowling the sidelines.    After ten seasons, Enoch Welch departs New Castle and will be replaced this year by Derek Tingle, a former Wildcat and 2000 graduate.

Welch had a solid run at Henry, posting back-to-back winning seasons the last two years and taking the Wildcats to the last four Region 8 tournaments.    His teams won one 31^st District title and finished as the runner-ups five times.    His 2013-14 team finished with his best season record, going 20-11.

Last year’s edition of the Wildcats went 17-10, including an almost-perfect 10-1 mark against district 31 foes.    Henry kicked off the year with an impressive 5-0 start that included a victory over Anderson County, a landmark win over a school that no Henry team had beaten in decades.  The season ended in a narrow 61-57 loss to eventual region runner-up North Oldham in the first round of the regional tournament.

Tingle, the Henry County Middle School coach last season, is a University of Kentucky graduate who also played some college ball at Division 3 Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

Besides the coach, gone is perhaps one of the most impactful players in Henry County basketball history.   Trevor Hardin, a 6’5” center, graduated, taking his 22.7 ppg and 11.9 rebounds (6^th-best in the state) with him.

Hardin’s stats were among the region’s best as he was fourth in region in scoring (22.7 ppg), tops in rebounding (11.9), and second in field goal percentage (64.3%)

From the new face on the sideline, to the missing big man in the middle, to the style of ball on the court, Wildcat fans can expect to see some new things in 2021-2.

Tingle hopes to push the pace at both ends of the court.    He’s “not a fan” of half court sets and hopes to get a high percentage of baskets out of transition.     When in the half court setting, look for the Cats to try to exploit quick ball movement with a lot of ball reverses, ball screens, and dribble handoffs.   

He feels that he has the kids to make this philosophy work.

Returning to run the show will be 6’0” senior point guard Kevin Wix-Flowers.   Wix-Flowers was the number two scorer last year at 13.9 ppg, and was excellent at getting to the line, where he hit 70.3%.    Despite being one of the smallest guys on the floor, Wix-Flowers scrapped his way to nearly 4 rebounds a game.   Wix may miss a few games early; a shoulder injury from football has kept him from practicing.

The only other returning starter is forward Sam Royalty, a 6’7” senior who is also the quarterback for the Wildcat football team.    Despite playing in Hardin’s considerable shadow last year, Royalty just fell short of averaging a double-double himself, tallying 8.8 ppg and 8.9 rebounds.    A big, strong, and amazingly mobile big man, Royalty has the ability take the ball to the rim in a couple of powerful steps, or pull up and nail the mid-range jumper.   With a 6’6” wingspan, and 240 pounds on his frame, Royalty will be tough to move out of position.   Per Tingle, Royalty should touch the ball at least once on every offensive possession.

After Wix-Flowers and Royalty, the starters will include a lot of new faces.   Nobody besides those two averaged more than 1.1 points per game last season.

The newcomers in the starting five look to be 5’10” junior Jerred Slone, 5’11” junior Peyton Amyx, and 6’4”, 240 pound Grayson Clark, also a junior.     Of the three, Slone saw the most action, appearing in 25 of the Cats’ 27 games last year.

Tingle wants to “…develop ‘basketball players’, not players who can just run ‘basketball plays’…”    As such, look for a more free-wheeling style from the Cats this year, which will be a stark contrast to the more structured “sets” look of the past few years.    All five players on the court will have the “green light” to shoot at any time.

Tingle hopes the perimeter shooting woes of last season may be in the rear view mirror; he’s looking for Amyx, Wix-Flowers, and perhaps 6’0” junior Luke Lyons to be the primary three-point threats, and he believes last year’s three point percentage of 31% will go up.

One of the better three point shooters – perhaps the best on the team – is 6’0” senior Avery Stivers, but he will be on the bench until at least January as he rehabs from an ACL tear suffered in the summer.

Nevertheless, the trey will certainly be more of a complimentary weapon to the Cats’ transition game and their inside game with Royalty.  

In the post, Royalty has struggled with foul issues in the past, and Tingle is acutely aware.   

“We get small kind of quick,” he pointed out.   “Sam has to work on keeping out of foul trouble; it’s been his Achilles heel in the past.”

If Royalty does get in foul trouble, don’t be surprised to see the Cats go small in the post with 6’2” sophomore Jordan King.    Tingle is real high on the sophomore, who he believes has made as much improvement in the off-season as any player on the team.  

Another option might be 6’2” junior Andy Johnson, who, in Tingle’s words, “…is a wide body who can bang on the inside.”

Look for the Cats to press a lot on defense, primarily using a 1-2-1-1 matchup “jump and run” zone, though Henry will utilize the 2-2-1 some.   In the halfcourt, Henry County will normally be in an aggressive man-to-man defense, putting pressure on the ball to speed teams up and cause turnovers.

Slone may be the Cats’ best man defender; the junior guard is cat-quick with tremendous anticipation; he will probably draw the assignment of the other team’s primary ballhandler.

A big fan of the defenses employed by Rick Pitino at Kentucky and Louisville, Tingle is working hard on team conditioning in an attempt to have the team on the court in the fourth period that’s in the best shape – and still capable of applying pressure.  

“The kids want to know why we run until the tongues are hanging,” he said.   “You win games at the end.   We want to be in better shape than the other team (in the fourth period) and able to still apply consistent pressure.”

The biggest challenge facing Henry County in December is going to be getting everyone healthy and up-to-speed.   Of the 29 players in the overall Wildcat program, 11 are out of action as of this writing due to various injuries and illnesses.   It provides a lot of opportunities for the younger players, but probably ensures a bit of rust when the Cats take the floor on November 30^th at home against Anderson County.

Tingle acknowledges that it’s up to him to find a way to make these changes in philosophy work, and to not only extend Henry County’s streak of Region Tournament appearances, but to start registering tournament victories.

“My biggest concern is how fast these inexperienced kids learn their roles,” he pointed out.  “Will they develop the confidence necessary?   That’s on me.”

OUTLOOK:   Question marks abound, such as how soon will the injured Cats come back and how quickly can they reach 100%?   Will the players be able to adjust to the new, uptempo style of play successfully?   And will the shooting improve over last year’s group, which saw only one person (Hardin) hit over 50% from the floor?  

Other than Royalty, who hit 49% from the field last year, no returning Wildcat connected on over 41% of his shots, on a team that took only 27.3% of its shots from beyond the arc (only Carroll County, at 24.6%, took fewer of their shots from long range).  The free throw shooting (59.8% in 2020-1, ranked #16 of 18 teams in region ? also must improve for tournament success.  

On the other hand, the building blocks are in place with a veteran point guard, a potentially dominant big man, and sufficient depth to run the transition game.    And in a wide-open 31^st District, there’s no reason to believe why Henry County cannot be a strong contender to repeat as district champs and return to the region tournament for a fifth straight season.

 

14 - ANDERSON COUNTY BEARCATS (8-11, 30^th District runner-ups, lost round 1 of the 8^th Region tournament, 58-45, to Simon Kenton)  Last year was the first time in Bryan Hyatt’s three years at the helm of the Anderson County Bearcats that the Cats finished with a losing record – but the team got hot at the right time, adjusting its style of play to a ball-control, defensive-minded approach that paid off in spades late in the year, and the Bearcats reached the 8^th Region tournament for the first time since Glen Drury’s final season in 2018.

Like many teams, Anderson struggled with the COVID schedule early.   After playing four games (going 2-2) in the first 10 days, the Cats managed just three games over the next five weeks.    When they travelled to play Grant County on 2/20/21, seven weeks into the season, the Bearcats were 2-5, and trying to fight through all the scheduling nightmares – game scheduling, practice scheduling – to get any bit of consistency into their game.

But the Bearcats rallied late in the year.    The Cats registered three of their four highest-scoring games in the final four games of the regular season, topped a hot Shelby County team, 67-60, in overtime, to start the district 30 tournament, then slowed down the pace against heavily favored Woodford County in the District 30 semi-finals, coming away with a 41-39 upset win that propelled Anderson County back to the district finals and a berth in the 8^th Region tournament.

Hyatt hopes to build on that late-season momentum, but the Bearcats will have to start with a mostly clean slate in 2021-2.

Jacob Spencer, a 6’3” senior guard, is the only returning starter from last year.   Hyatt describes Spencer as an “offensive player that can do a little bit of everything.”   Spencer averaged 6.3 ppg last year on a team that featured Carson Wooldridge (14.6 ppg) and Tristian Staley (12.7 ppg); he’ll be asked to take shoulder more of the scoring load in 2021-2.

The four senior starters who graduated took a lot with them, per Hyatt.

“We lost four senior starters that had tremendous basketball IQ,” he said.  “Staley and Wooldridge being the biggest losses.   I think (Bryce) Snellen will help replace Wooldridge’s numbers, but it’s going to take a committee to replace everything Staley did.”

Bryce Snellen, a senior, is expected to be one of the “constants” – along with Spencer – this year, according to Hyatt.   Snellen didn’t play basketball last season; per Hyatt, he probably would have been in the mix to start.   An “interior” player that is an “absolute warrior”, the Bearcats will look to him to be one of the team’s better rebounders.

As of this writing, only Spencer and Snellen appear locked in as opening day starters.

Interestingly, on a team with seven seniors on the roster, only Spencer, the lone returning starter, and Brady Cox, who appeared in seven games, are seniors with any varsity experience whatsoever.

After Spencer, sophomore Brady White probably has the most actual varsity game experience, having played in 12 varsity games last year.    A son of former 8^th Region Player of the Year Wayne White, Brady White looks to be one of the young guards who look to play a major role on this year’s Bearcat team.

Sophomore Josh Bixler and Senior A.J. Jones bring rare quickness to the guard position for Anderson County, but limited experience.    Bixler played in 8 games last season; Jones is a senior point guard who didn’t play basketball last season.   Like Snellen, Hyatt feels Jones would have been in the running for a starting spot last season had he played.

Tyler Sira – another senior who didn’t play in 2021 – and three freshmen figure to compete for major playing time.   (Alex Walker, a 6’2” freshman wing, Carson Sutherland, a freshman point guard, and Will Powers, another freshman guard.)  

“We will be noticeably quicker at the guard spots,” stated Hyatt.  “I think we will play different styles throughout the season.  One night, you will see us play off the dribble and other nights we will play more “traditional”, off the pass and cut.”

“This is the deepest team we’ve had in a long time,” he continued.  “I will play 10-12 kids to start the season.   Our guard spots have 7-8 kids that need to play some.   They all bring something different to the table.”

Hyatt hopes that the depth he sees will translate into the ability to be disruptive in the full court setting.   Not only do the Bearcats have a lot of talented kids, but there are a lot of guards on the roster and far more quickness than in the past.

The Cats have one player who stayed in school for an extra year due to COVID.    Hyatt reflected on how this creates a once-in-a-lifetime situation.

“This is a very interesting team,” he said.  “This team will be combining five classes.  At some point, all of those classes will be represented on the floor.   With three seniors coming back, and three projected to be in the playing time mix, and one of the better freshmen classes we have had in a long time, it’s going to be interesting.”

OUTLOOK:   There’s a lot of unknowns in Lawrenceburg as we start the season.   With so little varsity experience returning, and 80% of the starting lineup from last year gone, the Bearcats will bring a lot of talent to the table, but a lot of water will have to pass under the bridge before team chemistry can be established and roles can be realized.    Who will be the “go to” scorer?   The “lock down” defender?   What personnel combinations will work in what situations?    What are the team’s true strengths to be exploited – and weaknesses to be covered up?   What style of offense will work best with these players?   Can the Bearcats get defensive stops?    Who will become the emotional leader of the team?

It's a lot for the coaching staff to work through, but that’s what the regular season will be for.    It’s an odd situation when the freshmen and sophomores have far more varsity experience than all the seniors, combined.

Statistically, the Bearcats hope to shoot the ball better than last year, when Anderson shot just 43.6% from the floor, one of the lowest percentages in the region.  Poor shooting was one of the major reasons why Anderson averaged just 52 ppg, ranking 17^th of 18 teams in the regin.    However, with a predominantly young – very young – roster, expecting big improvement in that statistical category may be a big ask.

An improvement at the line, however, is a reasonable expectation.   Anderson County’s 55.8% free throw shooting percentage in 2021 ranked dead last in the 8^th Region.  For a young team to succeed while trying to muscle its way into contention with the likes of Collins and Woodford County, the Bearcats will have to hit their free throws.

Hyatt knows the offensive cohesiveness will not be there early.   And he worries about the defensive boardwork.    Still…

“I expect to have a highly competitive team,” he asserted.  “Hopefully, we’ll find a way to get out of the district so my young guys get the region tournament experience.  I do know our district is loaded at the top two spots.”

“I like my team,” he continued.  “Some nights I’m sure will be a challenge; combining youth that can play with inexperienced older guys will be challenging.   Hopefully, Spencer and Brady White and my two most experienced guys can help combine the different groups.   I think we will be an improving team from game to game and week to week.   By the end of the season, we should have a nice team.”

 

15 - CARROLL COUNTY PANTHERS (1-13, lost round 1 of the District 31 tournament, 50-48, to Gallatin County) – Last year was a bit of a nightmare for the Panthers.   If anything could go wrong, it certainly did, and the name of the black cloud hanging over Carrollton was called COVID.

The Panthers managed just 13 regular season games – and four of those came in the last week of the regular season.  In the first month of the season, Carroll County played just 2 games, and from January 4^th through March 6^th, Carroll County played just 9 games – and had 18 official COVID cancellations.   

The team’s lone victory came on February 5^th, 2021, when – playing just their third game of the season – the Panthers defeated Eminence by a final score of 64-47.

With hardly any games played, and constantly limited practice, the Panthers managed just 52.4 ppg, fewer than every team in the region except Collins, who averaged 52.0 ppg.

It was a difficult situation for a team that had struggled dating back to the 2019-20 season; the Panthers enter this year having lost 24 of their last 27 games dating back to the spring of 2020. 

Somewhat overshadowed by the dark cloud of the pandemic, senior Keishaun Mumphrey had one of the most impressive seasons in school history.    Following a long line of Mumphreys at the school who have excelled on the basketball court, Keishaun averaged a double-double for the second straight year, averaging team-highs in points (24.8) and rebounds (11.8), while shooting an impressive 54.6% from the field.   It was unfortunate that the Region 8 Tournament crowds in New Castle never got to see this young man play in the region tourney.

Mumphrey finished #3 in scoring in the 8^th Region (#13 in the state) and #2 in the region in rebounding (#7 in the state).    A model of consistency, Mumphrey finished with an incredible 13 double-doubles in his 14 games.

As we enter the 2021-2 season, Jonathan Moore has moved on as the coach, moving to take over the head coaching job at Franklin County.    Enter Doug Oak, a longtime veteran of the 8^th Region wars.   Oak, a star player at Oldham County under Hall of Fame coaches Bob Hoggard and Gary Forrest, has plenty of experience on the sidelines of the 8^th Region, having coached under Todd Gilley at Henry County and Frank Ragland at Trimble, before later spending 7 years as the head coach of Trimble County.   He’s spent much of the last few years coaching youth basketball and watching his son, Deaton, star at Oldham County HS.

Oak may be the perfect hire for Carroll at this time.    Infused with one of the region’s sunniest dispositions, Doug is an optimist who not only expects the best, he plans and prepares for it.    He’s also one of the most demanding teachers of basketball fundamentals in the region 8 coaching ranks, and is known for his ability to teach shooting.   

And shooting is what has to improve in Carrollton, where only two of the last 13 Panther teams have shot better than 45% in a season (and both shot just 46%).

Last year’s Carroll squad shot 44.4% from the floor, which was in the middle of the pack for the region, but the team hit just 28.5% of its threes (#18 – last – in the 8^th region) and just 59.2% of its free throws (#17 in the region).   Oak thinks those numbers will improve.

“We should be able to shoot the ball well from the field and free throw line,” he said.  “This is all contingent on learning how to take good shots.”

Oak has some experience coming back; five of the eight players who played in 12-14 of the Panthers’ games last year return, including three starters:  6’1” forward Jaxon Hewitt (6.8 ppg), 5’8” point guard Andrew Shaw (6.5 ppg), and 5’11” shooting guard Landon Isaacs (2.1 ppg).

Hewitt may be the key to the offense, according to Oak.

“Jaxon Hewitt will be the guy in every scouting report,” he said.  “He is one of the better shooters in the region when he’s given the time to get his feet set.”

Hewitt took a whopping 90% of his shots from beyond the arc last year, connecting on 24 of 69 threes for a solid 34.8%.  

Shaw returns at the point for the Panthers, and Oak expects him to be a strong complement to Hewitt with his dribble penetration skills.

Besides the three returning starters, Oak expects juniors Austin Hicks (5’11”) and Mitchell Lacefield to round out the starting five.   

Oak expects the team to be deep, though he also expects junior Kenyion Mumphrey and sophomore Braden Stephenson to perhaps get the most time off the bench.   Mumphrey, who also plays on the football team, figures to be in the mix for a possible starting role; Stephenson will likely be the first guard off the bench.    Oak is looking for a breakthrough year for the sophomore, who can play either guard spot.

“We have several guys who can stretch the defense and make shots,” he stated.  “Due to our lack of size, we will have to work from the outside in, trying to get dribble penetration to free up our shooters.    Developing an understanding of spacing and ball reversal will be key for us to be successful.”

But…

“We have some really good depth,” he continued.  “There are about 13 guys who could contribute significantly as the year progresses.”

Size will be an issue for the Panthers; according to the KHSAA roster, the team has just one player over 6 feet (Hewitt, at 6’1”).    Without the “monster” inside in Mumphrey, gone to graduation, the Panthers look to try to replace his numbers by committee.

Defensively, the Panthers want to focus first and foremost on contesting shots.    Carroll will be less concerned with causing turnovers or speeding up the other team than they will be on making sure there are no uncontested shots allowed.    A man to man team early, Oak hopes Carroll will be able to able to play multiple defenses well by year-end.

OUTLOOK:   Everyone’s chasing Owen County in the 31^st District, and Carroll County will undoubtedly fly under the radar early on, until the Panthers can prove their worth.   The Panthers are trying to end a long dry spell; Carroll County last made it to the 8^th Region in 2006, when they finished as the 31^st District runner-up.   Only Trimble County, who last made it to New Castle in 2000, has endured a longer drought.

The schedule is manageable and offers a chance for Oak’s troops to chalk up some wins and develop a winning mindset.    The Panthers wrap up the season at home in Carrollton for their final four games.   The marquee non-district region 8 matchups occur late in the season, with Carroll facing South Oldham on 1/31/22 and Walton-Verona on 2/17/22.   Both games are in front of the home crowd.

Replacing Mumphrey’s numbers from last year will be a tall task on a team without a proven “go-to” player, but Oak is a veteran coach who knows how to develop players.   Hewitt and Shaw, cut loose to become the new leaders of this team, may well prove to be the potent 1-2 punch that the Panthers need to kick-start the season.    If Carroll can improve their shooting, as Oak thinks they have, and can be competitive on the glass despite their lack of size, the Panthers could make a late run in what may be a wide-open district race.  

 

16 - WILLIAMSTOWN DEMONS (11-17, lost first round of the District 32 tournament, 68-51, to Simon Kenton)    No head coach enjoyed what the 2021 season brought.   COVID alone raised havoc with everything.   But a young Williamstown team seemed to have no end to the trials and tribulations that 2021 delivered.

The Demons managed to get in more games than most teams – 31 total – but a very young squad got younger, quickly, after the season started.   Williamstown saw key contributors go to the sideline before the season even started, and then injuries felled starters shortly after the season began. 

It didn’t do any wonders for the final record, but it gave head coach Jacob Cheesman the opportunity to get a lot of young players plenty of playing time, and the Demons will likely be a better team in 2021-2 for it.

Cheesman, entering his third year as head man in Williamstown, has an entire different feeling entering the 2021-2 season.

“This is my third season,” he said.  “Each of the last two seasons, we’ve wanted to play fast offensively and pressure defensively, but we just haven’t had quite the right personnel to execute that.”

“Offensively this season, our personnel are geared to a faster pace.”

“Off the bench, our 6^th – 8^th men – Riley Morris, Lucas Masters, and Derek Meece – are all scrappy guards who fit the faster-paced play right with the varsity,” he continued.  “The keys to success are limiting turnovers and shooting consistently.”

Shooting consistently was not something last year’s Demons were able to do.   Williamstown’s 41.1% shooting from the field ranked 17^th in the 18-team region, eclipsing only Eminence’s 40.3%.    The Demons hit just 31.9% from beyond the arc, and just 61.5% from the line.   Only three players on the roster shot better than 47% from the floor; the rest all shot below 42%.

But the youth movement showed considerable improvement as the season progressed, and the team won three in a row to close out the regular season before bowing in the first round of the 32^nd district tournament to eventual district champ Simon Kenton by 17.

The Demons shot 52% and 49% in two of those three victories, and scored 68, 66, and 64 points in three of their last five games, after averaging only 53.5 ppg for the season as a whole.   It was a promising end to challenging year.

This year, the Demons enter the season with renewed confidence after a full summer of off-season conditioning and games, and with the accumulated experience of the past two seasons under Cheesman’s system.   It’s still a very young team, and it still may be a couple of years away from peaking, but the Demons should show significant improvement this season.

All five expected starters saw significant varsity game experience in 2021.   6’3” senior Joel McCain – one of only two seniors on the KHSAA roster -  will be entering his fifth straight season in the starting lineup, and guards Gunner Feagan (5’8” junior), Honore Yangoua (6’3” sophomore), and Colton Feagan (6’0” sophomore) return to the starting lineup after starting last year as freshmen and sophomores.

The fifth expected starter – 6’1” sophomore Malachi Donaldson – appeared in 24 of the Demons’ 28 games last season.

“We have exciting young guard play,” asserted Cheesman.  “Gunner Feagan, Colton Feagan, and Honore Yangoua…last year as freshmen and sophomores, they all worked their way into the starting lineup and gained valuable experience.”

“Gunner is a ‘lights-out’ three-point shooter (74 made threes, 37% in 2021) who puts pressure on teams to space the floor.  Honore and Colton (36%) are drastically improved three-point shooters who can attack and finish or create shots for others.”

Gunner Feagan was particularly hot in the second half of 2021, leading the team in scoring in eight of the team’s final 14 games, averaging 13.8 ppg, and eclipsing the 20 point mark four times.  

Despite Cheesman’s eagerness to see his guards in action, he knows the key to this year’s team will be McCain.

“Joe McCain is the important cog because of his experience and reliability,” he asserted.  “He is 8-10 points per game and 6-8 rebounds every night out.” 

McCain finished 2021 strong, averaging 10.7 ppg / 5.4 rebounds over the final 13 games.   He scored in double digits in 8 of those games, had a double-double (18 points / 10 rebounds) against Villa Madonna, and led the team in scoring twice during that stretch.  

Colton Feagan was identified by Cheesman as perhaps the most improved player over last year.   Feagan took over the starting point guard role early last season as a freshman and never gave it up.  Just 6’0”, Colton Feagan was the “rebounding champ” during “Juneball.”

Yangoua can shoot the deep ball, but is more adept at finishing around – or even above – the rim.   Cheesman feels his shooting has improved, but he is more pleased with his defense.    Look for Yangoua to draw the task of disrupting the other team’s best ballhandler.

Donaldson may turn into Williamstown’s version of a “point forward”.   While Cheesman says he’s a “dynamic playmaker”, he thinks he can change the game thanks to his ability to pass from the post.   Look for the Demons to take a disadvantage – Donaldson is a 6’1” post – and turn it into an advantage….Donaldson will use his smaller size and quickness to play defense on any opposing player except for the point guard.

The Demons will look much like other 32^nd district teams this season in the sense that Williamstown will try to play a fast-paced game.   The Demons aren’t big – McCain and Yangoua are the tallest starters at 6’3”, and Lucas Masters off the bench is the tallest Demon at 6’4” – but Cheesman looks for them to be “quick and scrappy.”    Cheesman is confident last year’s shooting woes will be a thing of the past, but he knows that rebounding is a legitimate concern.

“Our main focus is on rebounding,” he said.  “We have to all buy in to rebounding with two hands and not allow second chances.” 

“It’s not one or two players making a difference, it’s the team philosophy and system that every player rebounds or they can’t play,” he continued.  “Tough teams rebound.   We have to collectively buy in to rebounding for 32 minutes with two hands.”

Productive depth has been an issue the last two seasons, but Cheesman thinks this young squad can go pretty deep if need be.

“We’re young, with a lot of sophomores, but they got a lot of experience a year ago,” he pointed out.  “We can realistically go ten deep, but will likely be 8-ish deep depending on the matchup.  Our bench will primarily consist of Riley Morris (5’10” sophomore), Lucas Masters (6’4” junior), and Derek Meece (5’9” junior).”

“Cole Milburn (5’11” sophomore) is a strong and reliable post player and Christian King (5’8” senior) can be a reliable ball handler if we need to go deeper.  I think our bench can hold their own and with certain combinations of our top eight we can be really fast on the floor or slightly longer defensively.”

The Demons are trying to cast aside history and create a new level of expectations in Williamstown.   According to Cheesman, only one Williamstown team has finished above .500 over the past 16 seasons.  Finishing above .500, therefore, becomes job #1 for this improving squad.

Task two is to win the 8^th Region All-A tournament.

“The All A is always something small schools are looking forward to,” he said.   “Two seasons ago, we got a chance to play for na 8^th Region All A Championship; last year we were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champion.”

“We want to use the first half of the season to improve each game and be at our best for the 8^th Region All-A and get another chance to play for a championship.”

Job number three is to improve in the district.

“The last two seasons we haven’t been good enough to compete for four quarters at a time in district play,” Cheesman lamented.  “We believe (that) even though we’re younger, we’re better, and we’re aspiring to rise out of that fourth seed.”

OUTLOOK:   Expect the Demons to be demonstrably better this season.   Youth has a habit of showing improvement in leaps and bounds, and this year’s team could be substantially better than last year’s.     That said, two of Cheesman’s goals will still be real challenges for this squad.   Walton-Verona and Owen County will be the odds-on favorites in the 8^th Region All-A tournament in Eminence the first week of January, with more older, more experienced squads.   And the 32^nd district is going to be a very tough district to finish as one of the top 3 seeds, as Simon Kenton, Walton-Verona, and Grant County all have solid teams coming back.   Impossible goals?   No.   Very challenging?  Certainly.

Still, one objective at a time, and Williamstown is poised to make some noise behind a youth movement that is experienced beyond their years, and a winning season is in reach.  

That said, the reality is that Williamstown will try to make noise with three sophomores in the starting lineup and a fourth sophomore coming off the bench – half the top 8 players will be about 15 years old, competing against 17 and 18 year olds, who are simply physically and mentally bigger and stronger.  It may well be that Williamstown’s breakout year is still a season away, when this group of sophomores and juniors become juniors and seniors.   Cheesman, however, is already tapping into an advantage his sophomore class has on their side:  an understanding of how to win.

“Our sophomore class won the NCKC 8^th grade tourney two years ago,” he points out.  “Ten of our 22 high school players in the program are sophomores.”

 

 

17 - SPENCER COUNTY BEARS (17-7, lost in round 1 of the 30^th District tournament, 51-42, to Collins) –  The Sam Conley era in Taylorsville is over. 

What a run it was.   Sam Conley led an exceptional group of ball players through the ranks at Spencer County High School, resulting in perhaps the greatest five-year stretch of basketball in school history.

Conley himself played on the varsity for five seasons, from the 2016-17 season through the 2021 campaign.   Per the school’s stats, the talented Conley finished with career totals of 2,059 points and 766 rebounds.   He finished his senior year averaging 21.2 ppg and 7.4 rebounds, both team-highs.

Conley led the Bears in scoring for his last four years, including average a career-high average of 22.0 points as a junior.   He led the Bears in rebounding his last three seasons, with his final season his best, when he averaged 7.4 boards a contest.

During that five-year stretch, Spencer County won 20 games or more four times, and went 17-7 during last year’s COVID-shortened season.   Overall, the Bears went 99-44 during the span, posting winning seasons all five years.

Conley finished as the #6 scorer in the 8^th Region this past season.

Conley, who finished third in the 8^th Region Player of the Year balloting last year behind Simon Kenton’s Kelly Niece and Henry County’s Trevor Hardin, was joined by a talented supporting cast.   Conley was one of seven seniors to play their final games on the Spencer hardwood last year, including:

-        Jake Whitlock – perhaps one of the most overlooked players in the 8^th Region, because he played his entire career in Conley’s shadow, Whitlock posted some all-region caliber numbers during his career.   Whitlock finished a five-year varsity career with 1,289 points and 354 rebounds, while hitting 127 threes at a 32.7% clip.   One of the team’s best free throw shooters over that span, he was 279 of 379 at the stripe for a career percentage of 73.6%.   Whitlock saved his best effort for his senior year, averaging 16.5 ppg (2^nd-best on the team and his highest season average over his career), while hitting 35 threes for a team-best 36.5% and nailing 74 of 91 free throws for a team-best 81.3%, good for fifth-best in Region 8.  Playing the point guard spot for five seasons, Whitlock was the steady hand that kept the Bears on track.

-        Lucas Hornback – Hornback was the third member of the trio of seniors that formed the core of this talented class.   Like Conley and Whitlock, Hornback was on the varsity five straight seasons, and he, too, saved his best for last, averaging a career-best 12.2 ppg (third-best on the team) and 5.6 rebounds (second-best) last year.    A tremendous free throw shooter, Hornback shot nearly 72% at the line for his career.    From the perimeter, Hornback hit 40 or more threes in each of his final two seasons in Taylorsville.

 

Four other seniors graduated from last year’s Spencer County team, including the top three scorers – and seven of the eleven players who scored at all in 2021 – the top two shooters (percentage), the top two three point shooters (percentage), the top two (and four of the top five) free throw shooters, and the top three rebounders.  In all, 89% of the Bears’ scoring and 87% of the rebounding is gone to graduation.   Co

So now Jason Burns, named the 8^th Region Coach of the Year in 2021, starts his ninth season at Spencer having to do something he hasn’t had to do since the 2015-16 season:  craft a new chemistry, creating a lineup from new parts and new talents.

It was unfortunate that the Bears weren’t able to have more post-season success during the last five seasons.   However, playing in a competitive 30^th District – which has produced two of the region champions during that five-year stretch – the Bears actually managed to get out of the District tournament and advance to New Castle and the Region 8 tournament just once during the “Conley Era”.   That was in 2019, when the Bears lost in the semi-finals, 70-47, to eventual champ Walton-Verona.

Only two players return with varsity experience:  6’4” junior Jonathon Combs and 6’1” junior Brice Roark.   Combs is a solid contributor on the glass, and can step out and shoot the three.   He averaged 5.7 ppg, fourth-best on last year’s team, and averaged 3.8 rebounds, fourth-best.   He hit 29 threes at a 34.1% clip.

Roark averaged 2.0 ppg in 24 games, but struggled shooting the ball, hitting just 29% of his shots from the floor.  Roark, however, is the Bears’ best returning defender, and – as Burns states – “affects the game in so many ways.”

No other player returns to the Bears’ roster who played on the varsity in 2021.    A young group, the Bears have no seniors listed on the roster, which includes five juniors, five sophomores, and one freshman.

Joining Combs and Roark in the expected opening day starting lineup are:  Luke Erhardt, a 5’11” sophomore guard, Camden Cox, a 6’0” sophomore guard, and Drew Barron a 6’1” sophomore guard.

Erhardt is a lefty who Burns expects to be one of the better shooters on the team.   Cox has a “high basketball IQ” and can “flat-out shoot the ball,” according to Burns.   Barron should also be able to score, and gives the Bears a little more length.   Burns expects Barron to help on the glass and provide defensive pressure on the ball.

Also in the mix for a possible starting role is Joe Blansett, a 6’4” junior forward, who – along with Combs – is the tallest player on the team.   Blansett gives the Bears more rebounding punch.

When push comes to shove, Burns feels that Erhardt, Cox, and Combs will lead the team in scoring.   He thinks this team will be a really good shooting team when all is said and done, but that remains to be seen.   Spencer was not a particularly good shooting team the past two years, despite the talent on its roster.    The Bears won games in spite of their shooting woes.  In fact, Spencer shot just 41.2% from the floor in 2021, ranking 16^th of 18 teams in the region, and just edging out Williamstown (41.1%) and Eminence (40.3%).

Still, Burns thinks this team will be different.

“We will be a really good shooting team,” he asserted.  “We’ve had some good individual shooters in the past few seasons, but this year’s team will be able to have 4-5 players on the court at the same time that can all shoot collectively.  We will play fast, maybe even faster than we have in the past.”

“I think our depth will be better than in years past as well,” he continued.  “The biggest concern is our experience.   We only have two returning players with varsity experience and have zero seniors.”

Besides Blansett, Burns looks to bring Kellen Marksbury (5’11” sophomore), Stephen Perry (6’1” junior), and Jack Armstrong (6’3” freshman) off the bench.

“We think we can play ten guys,” he said.

While all the inexperience – and the associated unknowns - has some concerned that the Bears will struggle on offense, Burns is more worried about the other end of the court.   The Bears had one of the best scoring defenses in Kentucky in 2021, when they surrendered just 49.3 points per game, best in Region 8 and ranking the Bears #9 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“I think this year’s team will be one of my better shooting teams,” he stated.  “We have a chance to be a really good offensive team.”

On the other hand…

“We couldn’t guard a soul over the summer, which really hurts me inside,” he remarked.  “I do think our lack of experience will rear its head off-and-on early.   Anytime you play sophomores and freshmen, it’s going to show.”

OUTLOOK:   Spencer County looks to drop back in the pack somewhat in 2021-2.   The first half of the season will be critical for the Bears as Burns looks for offensive and defensive lineup combinations that work, backups (and starters) who can contribute, and for defensive playmakers.    The Bears will almost certainly have to defeat one of two district foes that figure to be among the Region’s top contenders – Collins and Woodford County.  Spencer would appear outmatched on paper against Collins’ athleticism, depth, and guard play, and Woodford’s huge, powerful frontcourt.

Then again, the games aren’t played on paper.

The post-season is a long way away, and Burns has done a masterful job of developing players in Taylorsville over his eight-season tenure.  Collins and Woodford have known, proven talents.    Spencer needs the season to evolve / develop.    When the District tournament finally comes around, the best “teams” will advance, and getting to that point is what Burns is focused on now.

Right now, though, this Spencer County team is a real mystery.

“We won’t look good on paper after losing basically everything from last season,” he said.  “But we are going to be fun to watch and (we may) surprise a lot of people.”

 

18 - EMINENCE (6-20, lost in the first round of the District 31 tournament, 69-57, to Trimble County) – Gary Tuell enters his third season as the head coach of the Eminence Warriors, hoping to begin to see the program development that he logically would have expected in his second season last year, only to see everything disrupted by COVID.

While the Warriors didn’t improve much on their win total last season, finishing 6-20, with only one victory over an 8^th Region foe, Eminence certainly made use of the COVID season.     With no graduating seniors, Eminence returns a deep group of players who have gained a lot of varsity experience the past two years under Tuell, and a handful of exciting newcomers that make this appear to be one of the more deep teams in Region 8.

Four starters return from last year’s team, and three starters from Tuell’s 2019-20 squad.  

The four returning starters include 6’0” junior Josh Ruzanka, who led last year’s edition of the Warriors at 13.1 ppg and 6’2” Elijah League, a junior who averaged 10.8 ppg and a team-high 7.8 rebounds.

6’1” freshman guard Blaze Berry (6.9 ppg / 4.7 rebounds) and 6’4” forward Morgan Powers (5.8 rebounds, second-best on the team) also return, giving Tuell four of his top five scorers back and his top three rebounders.

Three starters from the 2019-20 season return as well, including Davontaye Saunders, a 5’10” senior, who led the Warriors two years ago at 10.3 ppg, 5’11” senior Adriene Bailey (8.1 ppg in 2019-20), and 6’4” senior Abelardo Reza, who averaged five rebounds per contest.   Though none of those three played last season, all three bring strong varsity experience, potential scoring/rebounding, and senior leadership to the team, providing extra depth.

An added bonus is the presence of 6’2” senior Elijah Cook, who has been the first man off the bench for Eminence for the last two years.  

Tuell is also excited about some newcomers who look to be positive contributors to the squad immediately.    Among those are a pair of seniors, 6’1” Adonis Whitney and 6’0” Javon Rorex, along with a 6’3” freshman, Avery Holland.

“We have an opportunity to create some turnovers and extend our pressure, playing up in the passing lanes and not worrying about foul problems and fatigue,” Tuell said. 

“It will take time for us to figure this team out and time for the players to understand how we want to play,” he continued.  “This thing won’t come together overnight.   But we should be a good basketball team by the end of January.”

Tuell contrasted the team’s new-found depth and what he found when he arrived in Eminence, and also credited the new, state-of-the-art, 1,000-seat gymnasium for part of the growth.

“We’ve gone from the last two years when we had only five or six players to this year having seventeen on the roster,” he said.  “(we have) Seven returning starters and at least ten or eleven who should all have meaningful roles.   I don’t know if that makes us better, but it makes practices more competitive and should make us one of the deepest teams in the 8^th Region.”

Referencing the new arena, with its chair back seats, hi-tech lighting and video, and large locker rooms:

“The new gym has been a great recruiter for us,” he observed.  “Everybody in school wanted to play basketball this year to they could be part of the first Eminence team to compete in the new gym.”

Tuell expects the new-found depth to be especially beneficial on the defensive end, allowing the Warriors to be more aggressive in their pressure defense, without having to be overly concerned about fouls.   But the ability to keep fresh legs on the court is bound to improve the Warriors’ offense as well, which will be a key improvement for a team that went 0-10 in district 31 play last season.

The Warriors shot just 40.3% from the floor last year, last in the region, and hit only 62% of their free throws.   As a result, the team managed a region-worst 46.5 ppg, a full five and a half points less than the next-to-last team, Anderson County, at 52 ppg.

Interestingly, the Warriors shot the three pretty well last year, hitting 35.4%, the best three point shooting percentage in the 31^st District, and 6^th-best in the region overall.   The Warriors return three of their best perimeter shooters in Ruzanka (44.6% on 25 of 56 shooting), Berry (43.4% on 33 of 76 shooting), and League (33% on 37 of 112 shooting).   Ruzanka and Berry actually shot better from beyond the arc than inside it, which is encouraging.    It’s very possible that the upside for this Warriors team, in terms of shooting efficiency, may be much higher than last year’s overall figure of 40.3% suggests.

Eminence finished last season strong, winning three of their final five games, including a victory over Calvary Christian (20-10).   And, though the team failed to register a win over any of their District 31 foes, the margins got closer as the season progressed.   The Warriors’ final three games against District 31 opponents were decided by competitive scores to Owen (by 11), Gallatin County (13), and Trimble County (12, in the district tournament).

OUTLOOK:   It’s been five seasons since the Warriors last reached New Castle for the 8^th Region tournament (2017, lost in round 1 to Anderson County, 69-60).    The Warriors would love for the “new beginning” signified by the shiny new gym to be the year they go back.

Gary Tuell is only in his third year coaching in the 8^th Region, but the veteran coach has coaching roots going back 30 years in the college ranks as a head coach and as an assistant, including time spent under Denny Crum at Louisville.    The wealth of knowledge Tuell can bring to bear is a major asset in the Warriors’ corner.

Tuell appears to be cultivating a “chip on the shoulder” approach in Eminence as one of the smallest high schools in the state tries to be competitive with the 8^th Region “bigs” – schools like Oldham County, Collins, South Oldham, Simon Kenton, Woodford County, etc.   The Warriors have done it before, but Tuell has to dust off the history books, with the stories of the great Warrior teams from 70s and 80s, to perhaps convince his squad.   

Still, the “first-blush” look at this Warrior squad would suggest that Tuell is making progress.     With a veteran group coming back, tons of seniors, and the excitement of a “gem of a gym”, Eminence just might be this year’s surprise.

The season opens with three winnable ballgames, and Eminence gets their first district test on 12/9/21 against Gallatin County.   All four games are at home in the new gynasium, and if the Warriors can win three of the four – or sweep – expect “Warrior Mania” to begin sweeping Eminence, which would give the Warriors a huge momentum boost heading into a revealing four-game road trip that will include back-to-back district matchups with Trimble County and Henry County.

 

 

8^th Region Rankings (coaches’ poll) –

15 of 18 region coaches voted.    Scoring as follows:   5 points for a first-place vote, 4 points for a second place vote, 3 points for a third place vote, 2 points for a fourth place vote, and one point for a fifth place vote.   Interestingly, the top 8 nearly matched the bluegrasspreps.com rankings this year, with the exception that SK and W-V are flipped.

Team                                                   Points              First Place Votes            Appears on ? ballots

North Oldham                                       65 points           9 first place votes                        15 ballots

Woodford County                                 48 points           2 first place votes                        14 ballots

Collins                                                 45 points           3 first place votes                        13 ballots

Oldham County                                     35 points           1 first place vote                        13 ballots

Walton-Verona                                     15 points                                                           8 ballots

Simon Kenton                                       9 points                                                            6 ballots

South Oldham                                       7 points                                                            5 ballots

Owen County                                        1 points                                                            1 ballot

 

 

           

8^th Region “Top Twelve” (in no particular order)

The “Top Three”

Dallas Roberts, North Oldham                        Junior               Remember, he was just a sophomore when he put together that dominant post-season performance last year.   Scary scorer.    Roberts is a solid jump shooter, but he is perhaps the region’s best at finding a path through a defense to the rim.  Trying to stay in front of Roberts is one of the region’s most challenging defensive tasks.   A talented passer; Roberts has spent significant time running the Mustangs’ offense, and started in that role his entire 8^th grade season.    Roberts should finish as North Oldham’s all-time leading scorer by the time he finishes.

John McCrear, Woodford County                   Junior               Incredible talent; McCrear will be asked to shoulder more of the statistical load in Versailles this year after taking a backseat last year at Lexington Catholic.   Already in receipt of a Division 1 offer from Arizona State before his junior year even starts, McCrear’s already being mentioned as one of the favorites for Player of the Year.

Teagan Moore, Owen County                          Junior               The top returning scorer in the region (28.9 ppg); Moore was the #3 scorer in the state.   A 6’6” nightmare at guard, Moore is also one of the region’s top rebounders and very well could finish with a double-double average this year.   Perhaps one of the best 6’6” ballhandlers we’ve seen come through the region in many a year; very capable of putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim.  

The “Next Nine”

Sam Powell, Oldham County                           Senior               Could have an explosive year scoring, a big (6’6”) who moves powerfully, and shoots with uncanny accuracy from beyond the arc.    Oldham’s likely go-to scorer this year could threaten a double-double.

Kyre Bishop, Shelby County                            Junior               Not so much of a household name yet as he only played six games last year after moving back from North Carolina, and Shelby missed the region tournament.   Perhaps one of the most electric ballplayers in the region, an explosive blend of speed and power.    May be the secret elixir that Shelby has needed to get back to New Castle.

Kenyon Goodin, Collins                                   Junior               Struggled a bit last year as a sophomore to put it all together for the Titans in his first year in Shelbyville, but has tremendous athleticism and can do so many things for Collins.    Goodin does an awful lot of things very well; if he develops an outside shot, Goodin should be the complete package in 2021-2.

Jackson Twombley, Woodford County            Senior               Incredible scorer for Frankfort last year (25.6 ppg) , ranking in the top 10 in the state.    Strong rebounder (8.9 per contest), and great shooer 61% overall, including 70% at the line and 35% beyond the arc.   Tremendous size; Twombley will be one of the dominant inside players in the region this year and should have another year averaging over 20 ppg.

Dylan Hammonds, Grant County                    Junior               His young team needed a leader to step up last year, and Hammonds exploded on the scene, averaging a double-double.   Blue-collar player who -does things the old-fashioned way; he simply outworks everyone else on the floor.  Had 8 double-doubles in his final 9 regular season games, including 43 points / 14 rebounds against Dohn Community (OH), 36/17 against South Oldham, 35/15 against Boone County, and 30/11 against Shelby County during the stretch.

Brant Smithers, Walton-Verona                      Senior               Calling Smithers a “shooter” would be an injustice; Smithers is a “SCORER”.   Smithers is very capable at creating his shot from the perimeter, and his ability is evident from the numbers he puts up despite everyone on the court and in the stands knowing that Walton-Verona is going to put the ball in his hands.   Smithers shot 41.2% beyond the arc last year while making an impressive 94 three pointers.   Per the coaches – see below – Smithers may be the player most likely to win Player of the Year over the three pre-season “favorites”.

Isaac Miller, Simon Kenton                             Senior               Miller didn’t get much publicity last year – playing on the same team as Player of the Year Kelly Niece, the spotlight pretty much avoided him.   But everyone will know Miller in 2021-2; a player with a non-stop motor, Miller pushes the pace, whether it’s on defense or leading a break.    The next great scorer at SK, Miller may be an underestimated dark horse to make it two Players of the Year in a row for the Pioneers.

Ben Michel, South Oldham                              Senior               Coaches respect this young man because of his size (6’6”), talent, mobility, and shooting stroke.   But last year’s rough season in Crestwood didn’t  keep his name in the forefront of region 8 conversations.    It should be.    Playing on the perimeter, Michel is a challenge for man to man defenders.   He’s usually much taller than the player fronting him, and can often simply shoot over them.    A tremendous three-point shooter, he has one of the region’s best “first steps” and can drive on defenders that choose to crowd him.    Michel may have one of the best finger rolls in the region.

 Ian Higdon, North Oldham                             Junior               Like some of the others on this list, Higdon has toiled in obscurity behind some better-known players like Justin Powell and Dallas Roberts the last two seasons.   As a junior, Higdon has a real opportunity to shine in 2021-2, featuring some of the best post moves in the region.   A strong rebounder, Higdon is adept on the glass at both ends of the floor.   If he stays out of foul trouble this season, Higdon is a likely all-region performer.

An informal poll of 12 of the 18 region 8 coaches found 5 coaches who picked North Oldham’s Dallas Roberts as the preseason favorite for 8^th Region Player of the Year, and 5 coaches who picked Woodford County’s John McCrear.   The remaining two coaches picked Owen County’s Teagan Moore as the preseason POY favorite.

All three are in their junior season.

Another player that figured prominently in the poll was Walton-Verona’s senior Brant Smithers.   Though he did not receive any first place votes, Smithers was in the top 5 voting on ten of the twelve ballots.

 

8^th Region Coaching Veterans –

the following coaches have been at their current posts the longest of the 8^th Region coaches

Steve Simpson, South Oldham                           22^nd season

Trent Steiner, Simon Kenton                              19^th season

Devin Duvall, Owen County                              16^th season

Chris Gaither, Collins                                        11^th season

Coy Zerhusen, Oldham County                            9^th season

Jason Burns, Spencer County                               9^th season

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow @ColonelMike, you put a lot of work into that, thank you so much.

Live coverage of 8th Region boys basketball starts this week on Pegasus Sports:

Saturday      12/4/21     South Oldham vs. Grant County 

Broadcast time:  7 pm

www.pegasussportsky.com

The video broadcast is FREE and in high definition.    We will also archive the broadcast on the site or one year.

Other upcoming boys' games on Pegasus Sports

Friday 12/10/21      North Oldham vs. Simon Kenton 

Saturday 12/11/21  Body Armor Showcase at Henry County High School

     South Oldham vs. Lexington Catholic OR Boyle County  1 pm

     Oldham County vs. Moore   2:30

     Henry County vs. (Lou) Holy Cross  4 pm

     North Oldham vs. Western  6 pm

All-A fans:   Pegasus will be the exclusive video broadcaster of the 8th Region All-A tournament this year from 1/3/22 - 1/7/22, live from Eminence's shiny new arena!

I've been waiting on this and it didn't disappoint. Great job Mike.

1 minute ago, Deaconjim said:

I've been waiting on this and it didn't disappoint. Great job Mike.

I know right.

Great preview @ColonelMike!

Good reading, but it wore me out. Play ball!

13 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

Good reading, but it wore me out. Play ball!

I saw it in my sleep and I still don't think I got it all. 

Another well done preview.  After reading these, I feel like I could go anywhere in the region and know exactly what was going on.  Can't wait for this season to finally get going!

3 hours ago, SCaesar01 said:

Another well done preview.  After reading these, I feel like I could go anywhere in the region and know exactly what was going on.  Can't wait for this season to finally get going!

Many thanks.

I enjoy writing these, though the time commitment is excessive.   However, I unexpectedly had the time this year, and sought to create more than just a ranking, but a real preview of what's coming up in the 8th.

My apologies to anyone who feels it is too long, but I was looking to create a true "preview".

CM

Just now, ColonelMike said:

Many thanks.

I enjoy writing these, though the time commitment is excessive.   However, I unexpectedly had the time this year, and sought to create more than just a ranking, but a real preview of what's coming up in the 8th.

My apologies to anyone who feels it is too long, but I was looking to create a true "preview".

CM

Better too much than not enough.

There are a lot of teams that could get hot and win this region this year.

North Oldham takes a big "L" in their opening night game against Manual....    The Mustangs will benefit from a really tough schedule this year - but their W-L record might not show it.

Woodford County, however, registers a solid victory over a very good Danville team from the 12th.

8th Region is off to a TREMENDOUS start in games against other regions....

Walton-Verona over defending state champs Highlands, 97-94, was certainly the game of the week for the 8th Region schools.   Kudos to the 8th Regions' defending All-A champs for taking down the STATE champs.....

Grant County 60-57 over Beechwood   - Braves beat a very good Tiger squad

Woodford County over Danville - Danville is one of the better 12th region teams.

Oldham County destroyed North Hardin ....the defending 8th Region champs showed the new faces can replace five departed senior starters pretty darn well....

Simon Kenton over Ryle - Gabe Dynes, the Pioneers' 7'2" center, made his varsity debut an solid one.

Williamstown beat Model AND Williamstown beat St. Patrick tonight for back to  back wins on back to back nights.    Williamstown hadn't won back-to-back games to start a season since the 04-05 season, when the Demons beat Walton-Verona and then Deming to start the year...

Spencer County 84, Thomas Nelson 75 - a positive start for a team that is truly starting with a blank slate this year....

Carroll County's 65-18 loss to Boone County was bad, but we know Doug Oak's team is in a rebuilding mold and starting from scratch.

North Oldham's loss to Manual wasn't surprising, although the margin was a bit more than might have been expected.   

Dayton 77 Trimble County 65 - this was a surprise in my book....   

Inside the Region:

Henry County 72, Anderson County 66 - Henry beats Anderson for the second year in a row after not having beaten the Bearcats in decades....

 

 

This week, big games in the 8th:  (rankings as of 12/12/21 Bluegrasspreps.com)   

12/13

Owen County at Gallatin County - early role of 31st district favorite may be up for grabs...?

12/14 

North Oldham at #18 Walton-Verona

Simon Kenton vs. Conner

12/16

Trimble County at Gallatin County - chance to jockey for seeding position between two teams with both promise and question marks as far as District 31 opportunities.

Shelby County vs. Oldham County - one of the oldest rivalries in Region 8.    OC has owned this of late; what about the new-look Rockets?

12/17 

North Oldham vs. BGP #7 Paul Dunbar at Fairdale HS (King of the Bluegrass)

Simon Kenton at South Oldham

Spencer County vs. #18 Walton-Verona - first real top-tier test for new-look Bears

Henry County vs. Eminence - just because.    Fierce county rivalry game.   How improved are the 3-1 Warriors?

12/18

South Oldham at BGP #13 Christian Academy of Louisville

Trimble County at #18 Walton-Verona      Time for the real Raiders to step it up.