BluegrassPreps.com 1st Region Boys Basketball Preview

A very wide open region this year.  I practically could have chosen any order for teams 1-4.  I think that as many as six teams have a shot of winning the First Region.  Here are my preseason rankings:

1. McCracken County - there will be very big shoes to fill with the loss of Region 1 Player of the Year Noah Dumas.  Forward Ian Hart is the leading returning scorer averaging 12 points and 5 boards.  The Mustangs will have quality depth, and look for Brant Brower to make a big production leap this year.  Other players to watch are Jack McCune, Cason Tilford, and Max Blackwell.

2. Murray - The duo of Grant Whitaker and Trey Boggess will be as good as any duo in this region.  Whitaker scored 20 points per game last year, and is probably the favorite for Region 1 Player of the Year.  The question is who else will step up for the Tigers, but they have a good core of youth.

3.  Paducah Tilghman - Would you believe me if I told you that PT has not won the Region since 2010?  That's quite a drought for this storied program.  The Tornado will need to replace the scoring of Eli Brown, but Mian Shaw should improve on his 14 PPG average from last year.  Shaw is very tough to keep out of the lane, and he also is a decent shooter.  PT also has some other experience returning with PG Tragen Arthur, Forward Landon Fitzgerald, and dual-sport stars Cam Marshall and Brian Thomas.  This team may get off to a slow start with several players not joining the team until after their state championship football game.

4. Graves County - I flipped some coins on ranking these Top 4 teams and the Eagles lost my coin tosses.  Drew Thompson averaged 21 points a game last year, and is returning for an additional year.  Mason Grant is an athletic guard who averaged 12 points and 4 boards last year.  This will be a very dangerous team, and they look to the the class of the 3rd District.

5. Marshall County - Zion Harmon is now playing basketball for the WKU Hilltoppers, and now there must be some others to step up.  The Marshalls have several capable candidates in Quinn Smith, Cole Mills, Colby Schroader and others.  I look for this team to develop all year under Coach Birdsong, and they will be right there at the top of the Region at the end of the year.

6. Calloway County - This team shoots the three ball very well, and so consider them a threat every single night.  They are led by Senior Matthew Ray who averaged 14 points and 9 boards last year (and shot 41% from deep).  The 4th District is strong once again this year and it's a shame that one of Murray, Marshall or Calloway will not make the regional tourney.  The one-seed will be very important in this district (but CFS is strong too!)  The Lakers have the tools to be dangerous in the year-end tourneys.

7. Carlisle County - Garrett Hayden averaged 18 points and 5 rebounds last year and returns to hopefully lead the Comets to another 1st District title.  

8.  Mayfield - a young and inexperienced team, but Mayfield always has great athletes.  Look for Sam Stone to be the leader.

9.  Hickman County - sort of a surprise team for me last year, and Coach Holt has done a very good job.  Could they upset the Comets to take the 1st District championship?

10. St. Mary - the Vikings always have great multi-sport stars and the ones to watch this year are Cade Fleming and Daniel Willett.  The Vikings are having to replace several talented Seniors this year.

11. Christian Fellowship

12. Fulton County

13. Ballard Memorial

14. Community Christian

15. Fulton City