6th Region Week 14 Review and Tournament Final Preview

 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT VARIOUS SITES, FERN CREEK AND VALLEY HIGH SCHOOLS

 

FIRST ROUND AT VARIOUS SITES

Butler def. Fairdale, 55-47, at Butler

Jeffersontown def. Moore, 74-36, at Jeffersontown

Evangel Christian def. Fern Creek, 79-53, at Evangel Christian

DeSales def. Pleasure Ridge Park, 62-58, at Pleasure Ridge Park

 

SEMIFINALS AT FERN CREEK

Jeffersontown def. Butler, 52-49

DeSales def. Evangel Christian, 52-48

 

FIRST-ROUND HIGHLIGHTS: Jaron Sullivan's efficient double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds helped Butler overcome a spotty shooting performance against Fairdale. Sullivan missed one shot of any kind all game, going 7-for-8 from the field. The rest of the team shot 16-for-45. Evangel Christian received 24 points from both Christian Doerr and Cyr Malonga against Fern Creek. Malonga added 12 rebounds. DeSales upset Pleasure Ridge Park with three scorers in double figures: Crew Gibson (21), Tyler Klein (18) and Brady Cummins (14). Klein led with eight rebounds. DeSales shot 64 percent from the field AND from 3-point range (9-for-14). Klein was 4-for-4 on 3s. Cummins was 3-for-4. Looks like the difference between DeSales and Butler was shooting and that showed in the outcomes, although both teams challenged themselves with tough schedules throughout the season. DeSales was the only first-round road winner. PRP bowed out early, so what have we learned.

 

SEMIFINAL HIGHLIGHTS: The two scores were nearly identical, 52-49 and 52-48. What are the odds of that happening in the final? Well, DeSales and JTown have combined to score or give up 52 points six times this season. They have combined to score or give up 48 or 49 points eight times. That's 14 hits in 120 outcomes, about 11.6 percent. How 'bout that for your unexpected stat of the week?

 

DeSales, No. 5 in the final regional rankings, survived with two double-digit scorers, Julian Bunton and Tyler Klein, both of whom bucketed 13, ending top-ranked Evangel's seven-game winning streak and its season. Johnny Djema led Evangel with 15 points and Ben Mukadi added 10 points and 13 rebounds. But leading scorer Christian Doerr was held to seven points. Second-leading scorer Cyr Malonga was held to four. Together they scored 11, fully one-third their combined season average of 34.6 ppg.

 

No. 10 Jeffersontown's win over No. 4 Butler seems almost as stunning. But the Chargers lost by just five to Butler on Valentine's Day. So, it wasn't like Butler showed it was clearly, ahem excuse me, the heartier team. Either way, I'm sure they are seeing red in Butler.

 

MONDAY FINAL AT VALLEY

 

DeSales (21-11) vs. Jeffersontown (16-12), 7 pm

 

OUTLOOK: After waxing poetic about the region having a different tournament winner each of the last four years and six different winners in 10 years, bracket-busting Jeffersontown is here to say: "We're still champs until we're not, Jonesy. And stop referring to yourself in the third person."

 

But I did say, not to myself, that Jeffersontown had a viable path to the semifinals. The Chargers beat Moore by four during the season, so I also said to expect a competitive game between them in the first round. JTown wound up doubling the score on Moore, and more. So, the region isn't through giving your friendly regional reviewer some headaches.

 

I did say DeSales was capable of running the table. The Colts have lost just two games to regional teams all season. But I did not expect JTown to plow through to the final again. Just couldn't see the Chargers beating Butler. Now that they are here, anything can happen. DeSales and JTown haven't met since 2014. A lot of players on JTown have been here before so this is nothing new. The Chargers have been in the regional final three of the last four years and four of six (2023, 2022, 2020, 2018). This is uncharted territory for DeSales, which hasn't played in a regional final since 2015 in a loss to Doss. DeSales last made the semifinals in 2021, so not a lot of players are still around to manifest that experience into game-day intangibles.

 

However, DeSales just shut down, and I do mean SHUT DOWN Evangel's two best players in the semis. What do the Colts have in store for JTown, which doesn't have any big-time scorers? Camron McDaniels leads JTown with 12.4 ppg although there are six players averaging 8.5 or better. DeSales, for its part, has five scorers averaging better than 9 ppg, led by Crew Gibson's 16.1. Both teams have similar shooting percentages across the board with DeSales having a slight edge from 3-point range and JTown from the line. Both squads are shooting around 53 percent from the field. It looks like DeSales can do it, but it also looks like JTown can withstand. It's No. 5 vs. No. 10 but I really have no idea who is going to win this tilt. I'm just not smarter than fate. Fate is undefeated and still champion. Whose side is fate on Monday. Get your popcorn.

 

FINAL REGULAR SEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS (unchanged):

 

1. Evangel Christian

 

2. Western

 

3. Pleasure Ridge Park

 

4. Butler

 

5. DeSales

 

6. Fairdale

 

7. Iroquois

 

8. Holy Cross

 

9. Fern Creek

 

10. Jeffersontown

 

11. Beth Haven

 

12. Bullitt East

 

13. Moore

 

14. Doss

 

15. Southern

 

16. North Bullitt

 

17. Bullitt Central

 

18. Valley

 

19. Whitefield Academy

Helluva job Jones.

Thanks for all your work this year.

I’ve seen more basketball this I can ever remember. I’ll say this about it:

HS Basketball in the Kentucky’s biggest city is alive and well. We should have GREAT games on Monday and Tuesday night!

20 minutes ago, Falcon Pride said:

Helluva job Jones.

Thanks for all your work this year.

I’ve seen more basketball this I can ever remember. I’ll say this about it:

HS Basketball in the Kentucky’s biggest city is alive and well. We should have GREAT games on Monday and Tuesday night!

Thank YOU. I think I am feeling a little loopy after 50-some weekly reviews though. Not drowning, just waving. It's nice to be appreciated, and you are a great basketball fan, my man.

I gotta agree with Falcon Pride!  You have done a hell of a good job all season long. I'm a rookie at this forum thing, but I really appreciate your helpful analysis and commentary!  Thank you for all your hard work! 

One more comment about DeSales. I realize that they have a tough task in front of them on Monday. J-Town is going to be tough to beat.  I do think that if DeSales' guards have a good night they will be successful. Their record may not look impressive to some with 11 losses, but all but two of their losses were to highly rated teams.  Ballard (by 2), Trinity twice (by 5 & 7), Moravian Prep (ranked #1 in North Carolina by 5), Warren Central (by 6), Butler twice (by 20 & 8), North Oldham (by 12), and Covington Catholic (by 6).  In their two most disappointing losses (Calloway County and South Oldham) the Colts' shooting guards had a hard time getting in their usual groove.  The blowout by Butler still befuddles me.  How will they do against J-Town?  My wish (and my prediction) is that they will continue their hot streak and win the school's 2nd Regional championship by defeating the Chargers in a hard-fought game.  I hope I didn't just jinx them!  

5 hours ago, coachb110 said:

I gotta agree with Falcon Pride!  You have done a hell of a good job all season long. I'm a rookie at this forum thing, but I really appreciate your helpful analysis and commentary!  Thank you for all your hard work! 

I appreciate your awesomeness. You did a great job this season, too, chiming in with some pretty good reporting along the way.