A new Kentucky high school basketball season is quickly approaching and the 12^th Region, that narrow portion of territory running down US 27 south of Lexington and branching out as far as McCreary and Wayne counties, is sure to excite. Recently, the region had become top-heavy with parity between the top three to five contenders in the region. This year there is no such dramatic drop off as the talent from top to bottom is down this year. At the onset there is no team in the region that stands out and screams state contender. 

 

There still exists a clear group of front runners, this year that number being four. However, on any given night we might see a team from outside that group beat a team from that top group. Let’s take a look at the teams from one all the way to nineteen. 

 

1. Danville Christian Academy – Don Story’s Warriors are first among a pair of teams at the top of the region that are going to be able to put a superb five on the floor with the main question being what comes off the bench. DCA loses Grayson Domidion but returns Emmanuel Dut (15.8 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game), Titus Boyd (14.9 points per game), Lual Ayiei (9.1 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game), and Noah Imfeld (6.8 points per game) while also adding Braden Fugate from Garrard County who averaged 8.8 points per game last year for the Golden Lions. But after that group, no one on DCA averaged more than a point per game last year. They also have the cruel path to the postseason that is the 45^th district. Can they hold up with so little depth over such a long season facing stiff competition? 

 

2. Wayne County – Mason Burchett is gone for Coach Rodney Woods but he still has a stacked lineup that may or may not include the uber-athletic Anatajuan Dumphord. But while we are waiting to see if the gridiron star also takes the hardwood, the Cardinals will be featuring possibly the best overall player in the region in Kendall Phillips. His 17.3 points per game performance last year was the high mark for the Cardinals. He is also joined by Kayden Phillips and Seth Farmer. Like the DCA Warriors, the problems start when you get past the starting lineup. One injury or slump could spell their doom. 

 

3. Somerset – Almost the entire roster returns for the Briar Jumpers as they will feature all of last year’s top 7 scorers back on the court. They are led by Indred Whitaker, Ben Godby, and Aedyn Asher. Gody and Whitaker are at the top of a six player senior class that also features emerging guard Jamison Coomer. 

 

4. Boyle County – Montavin Quisenberry and Guy Turner are both back for the Rebels as well as Avery Bodner and Maddox Hager not to mention Josh Bixler and Demauriah Brown coming over from Danville. That is the good news. The bad news, at least for the start of the season, is that the Rebels will be without all of those players until football is done. Seriously, I have no idea who they will actually put on the court. As always when it comes to Boyle County, that means they will face the real possibility of a long and brutal December but will end up with a roster with a large amount of physicality and athleticism.  

 

5.  Pulaski County – This is where things get interesting as Pulaski County, the reigning regional champ, sits at the top of what can be considered the next tier of competition beyond the frontrunners. There is a lot of parity here and the order, I freely admit, can certainly be argued. But deference should almost always be given to the team that can put the best player on the court, and most nights Carson Fraley is going to have a shot at winning that claim. Alongside Fraley is the returning Will Blankenship. Beyond that you will see a lot of new faces for the Maroons. 

 

6. Mercer County – So, the Titans have a better argument than anyone in the “second tier” that they are an actual contender. Trevor Ellis is fantastic. Thaddeus Mays was a terrific backcourt weapon. But two burning questions remain – the status of Owen Barnes and the point guard spot. They may be able to provide positive answers for those quickly. If that is the case, I think you can pencil them in as district champ and a regional contender. But without Barnes and solid point play, they are solidly second tier. 

 

7. Rockcastle County – The Rockets return over ninety percent of their scoring from last year. This includes the dynamic Walker Craig, one of the most versatile threats in the region. Overall, their 2022 – 2023 campaign was middling with a .500 record. They have the opportunity to make a massive leap forward, though they may be one year away from being a regional contender. 

 

8. Lincoln County – On paper, this is the right spot for the Patriots. I’m still not buying it though. With Jeff Jackson at the helm, a purposeful & methodic style of play, and Connor Davis and Blade Nuckols still around, I think Lincoln could very well make some noise throughout the year. As of today, William Bishop is not on the roster, and that may very well throw a wet blanket on the dream of a great season, but with the way Lincoln plays they don’t necessarily need depth. They have won regional titles with benches lacking varsity talent, they can do it again. 

 

9. East Jessamine – It has certainly been a rough stretch as of late for the Jaguars but this may be the year they get back to mounting a respectable campaign. They probably also represent the bottom of the second tier of competition in the region. They return Miyo Jones, Myles Radford, and Keelyn Daniel and most of their reserves. They should be able to compete with Mercer County for the district title but how much of a threat they are to make a serious run in the post-season is yet to be determined. 

 

10. Southwestern – And so we enter the third tier of competition in the region which is occupied by a slew of teams that saw their cupboard get decimated by graduation and/or transfers. Connor Hudson leads a very young Southwestern team. Hudson is one of four seniors on the roster and they are joined by just one junior.  

 

11. Danville – This Admiral squad is going to look a whole lot different than last year. Tryston Ford takes over for Coach McKinney and will look to rebuild the program after transfers and graduation took almost the entire varsity roster from last year. 

 

12. West Jessamine – Taylor Harper replaces longtime Colts’ coach Damon Kelley and will have a massive rebuild in front of him as he returns no one who averaged more than 3 points per game last year.  

 

13. Trinity Christian – Bryce Thompson and Alan Coffman return for the Titans. This may be high for them, but given their returning scoring and their slightly beefed up schedule, Trinity Christian may be hoping to replicate the journey of DCA from their cellar to the top over the span of three years. 

 

14. Casey County – Caleb Brown is back but Ethan Willoughby is gone, along with his 27.8 points per game. Will Brown be able to increase his productivity to fill that hole? Will others step up? Or will the Colonels take a step back this year? 

 

15. McCreary Central – Kyle Stephens, the much-heralded Raider star, has graduated and not much remains. How sharp the decline will be is unknown but it is hard to believe they have any marquis wins that compare with last season’s. 

 

16. Garrard County – The transfer of Braden Fugate and graduation of most of the other Golden Lions rotation means scoring will have to be generated by some fresh faces. 

 

17. Somerset Christian – And finally, we reach the small school fourth tier of the region. All is not lost for these teams though as Danville Christian dwelled down here just two seasons ago and Trinity Christian is poised to compete with some larger schools this year. The Somerset Christian Cougars return Ethan Warren and Elijah Brummett though they lost their top scorer, Noah Brummett, to graduation. They hope to improve from last year’s 7 – 24 performance. 

 

18. Burgin – Jacobe Taylor is the bright spot returning for the Bulldogs as they look to build more positive momentum in their program. 

 

19. Kentucky School for the Deaf – The Colonels open with Fairdale in what is an expanded schedule from what they have had the past few years. However, they currently have a roster comprised of seven players, only two of them not being in 7^th or 8^th grade. 

This is fantastic @se7ens! So glad to have you covering the 12th Region again this season.

It's time to lace them up. Hoops - how exciting!

Good job @se7ensThanks for the preview!  

6 hours ago, se7ens said:

A new Kentucky high school basketball season is quickly approaching and the 12^th Region, that narrow portion of territory running down US 27 south of Lexington and branching out as far as McCreary and Wayne counties, is sure to excite. Recently, the region had become top-heavy with parity between the top three to five contenders in the region. This year there is no such dramatic drop off as the talent from top to bottom is down this year. At the onset there is no team in the region that stands out and screams state contender. 

 

There still exists a clear group of front runners, this year that number being four. However, on any given night we might see a team from outside that group beat a team from that top group. Let’s take a look at the teams from one all the way to nineteen. 

 

1. Danville Christian Academy – Don Story’s Warriors are first among a pair of teams at the top of the region that are going to be able to put a superb five on the floor with the main question being what comes off the bench. DCA loses Grayson Domidion but returns Emmanuel Dut (15.8 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game), Titus Boyd (14.9 points per game), Lual Ayiei (9.1 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game), and Noah Imfeld (6.8 points per game) while also adding Braden Fugate from Garrard County who averaged 8.8 points per game last year for the Golden Lions. But after that group, no one on DCA averaged more than a point per game last year. They also have the cruel path to the postseason that is the 45^th district. Can they hold up with so little depth over such a long season facing stiff competition? 

 

2. Wayne County – Mason Burchett is gone for Coach Rodney Woods but he still has a stacked lineup that may or may not include the uber-athletic Anatajuan Dumphord. But while we are waiting to see if the gridiron star also takes the hardwood, the Cardinals will be featuring possibly the best overall player in the region in Kendall Phillips. His 17.3 points per game performance last year was the high mark for the Cardinals. He is also joined by Kayden Phillips and Seth Farmer. Like the DCA Warriors, the problems start when you get past the starting lineup. One injury or slump could spell their doom. 

 

3. Somerset – Almost the entire roster returns for the Briar Jumpers as they will feature all of last year’s top 7 scorers back on the court. They are led by Indred Whitaker, Ben Godby, and Aedyn Asher. Gody and Whitaker are at the top of a six player senior class that also features emerging guard Jamison Coomer. 

 

4. Boyle County – Montavin Quisenberry and Guy Turner are both back for the Rebels as well as Avery Bodner and Maddox Hager not to mention Josh Bixler and Demauriah Brown coming over from Danville. That is the good news. The bad news, at least for the start of the season, is that the Rebels will be without all of those players until football is done. Seriously, I have no idea who they will actually put on the court. As always when it comes to Boyle County, that means they will face the real possibility of a long and brutal December but will end up with a roster with a large amount of physicality and athleticism.  

 

5.  Pulaski County – This is where things get interesting as Pulaski County, the reigning regional champ, sits at the top of what can be considered the next tier of competition beyond the frontrunners. There is a lot of parity here and the order, I freely admit, can certainly be argued. But deference should almost always be given to the team that can put the best player on the court, and most nights Carson Fraley is going to have a shot at winning that claim. Alongside Fraley is the returning Will Blankenship. Beyond that you will see a lot of new faces for the Maroons. 

 

6. Mercer County – So, the Titans have a better argument than anyone in the “second tier” that they are an actual contender. Trevor Ellis is fantastic. Thaddeus Mays was a terrific backcourt weapon. But two burning questions remain – the status of Owen Barnes and the point guard spot. They may be able to provide positive answers for those quickly. If that is the case, I think you can pencil them in as district champ and a regional contender. But without Barnes and solid point play, they are solidly second tier. 

 

7. Rockcastle County – The Rockets return over ninety percent of their scoring from last year. This includes the dynamic Walker Craig, one of the most versatile threats in the region. Overall, their 2022 – 2023 campaign was middling with a .500 record. They have the opportunity to make a massive leap forward, though they may be one year away from being a regional contender. 

 

8. Lincoln County – On paper, this is the right spot for the Patriots. I’m still not buying it though. With Jeff Jackson at the helm, a purposeful & methodic style of play, and Connor Davis and Blade Nuckols still around, I think Lincoln could very well make some noise throughout the year. As of today, William Bishop is not on the roster, and that may very well throw a wet blanket on the dream of a great season, but with the way Lincoln plays they don’t necessarily need depth. They have won regional titles with benches lacking varsity talent, they can do it again. 

 

9. East Jessamine – It has certainly been a rough stretch as of late for the Jaguars but this may be the year they get back to mounting a respectable campaign. They probably also represent the bottom of the second tier of competition in the region. They return Miyo Jones, Myles Radford, and Keelyn Daniel and most of their reserves. They should be able to compete with Mercer County for the district title but how much of a threat they are to make a serious run in the post-season is yet to be determined. 

 

10. Southwestern – And so we enter the third tier of competition in the region which is occupied by a slew of teams that saw their cupboard get decimated by graduation and/or transfers. Connor Hudson leads a very young Southwestern team. Hudson is one of four seniors on the roster and they are joined by just one junior.  

 

11. Danville – This Admiral squad is going to look a whole lot different than last year. Tryston Ford takes over for Coach McKinney and will look to rebuild the program after transfers and graduation took almost the entire varsity roster from last year. 

 

12. West Jessamine – Taylor Harper replaces longtime Colts’ coach Damon Kelley and will have a massive rebuild in front of him as he returns no one who averaged more than 3 points per game last year.  

 

13. Trinity Christian – Bryce Thompson and Alan Coffman return for the Titans. This may be high for them, but given their returning scoring and their slightly beefed up schedule, Trinity Christian may be hoping to replicate the journey of DCA from their cellar to the top over the span of three years. 

 

14. Casey County – Caleb Brown is back but Ethan Willoughby is gone, along with his 27.8 points per game. Will Brown be able to increase his productivity to fill that hole? Will others step up? Or will the Colonels take a step back this year? 

 

15. McCreary Central – Kyle Stephens, the much-heralded Raider star, has graduated and not much remains. How sharp the decline will be is unknown but it is hard to believe they have any marquis wins that compare with last season’s. 

 

16. Garrard County – The transfer of Braden Fugate and graduation of most of the other Golden Lions rotation means scoring will have to be generated by some fresh faces. 

 

17. Somerset Christian – And finally, we reach the small school fourth tier of the region. All is not lost for these teams though as Danville Christian dwelled down here just two seasons ago and Trinity Christian is poised to compete with some larger schools this year. The Somerset Christian Cougars return Ethan Warren and Elijah Brummett though they lost their top scorer, Noah Brummett, to graduation. They hope to improve from last year’s 7 – 24 performance. 

 

18. Burgin – Jacobe Taylor is the bright spot returning for the Bulldogs as they look to build more positive momentum in their program. 

 

19. Kentucky School for the Deaf – The Colonels open with Fairdale in what is an expanded schedule from what they have had the past few years. However, they currently have a roster comprised of seven players, only two of them not being in 7^th or 8^th grade. 

Your thoughts on the top 5-10 players? And on any that might surprise us this year?

Somerset Christian could very well be in 10th-12th range.  They return 4 starters, and Ethan Warren is a pretty good athletic guard for this area. 

11 hours ago, QueenoftheSouth said:

Your thoughts on the top 5-10 players? And on any that might surprise us this year?

Top 3 - Carson Fraley, Kendall Phillips, Trevor Ellis. Beyond that, in no order, Montavin Quisenberry, Whitaker & Godby from Somerset, Walker Craig, and obviously Owen Barnes if he plays the whole year.

Player to watch on top of the ones I mentioned in the preview - Trevor Miracle will have to fill it up this year for the Patriots to have success and he certainly has the shooting ability to do so. 

1 minute ago, se7ens said:

Top 3 - Carson Fraley, Kendall Phillips, Trevor Ellis. Beyond that, in no order, Montavin Quisenberry, Whitaker & Godby from Somerset, Walker Craig, and obviously Owen Barnes if he plays the whole year.

Player to watch on top of the ones I mentioned in the preview - Trevor Miracle will have to fill it up this year for the Patriots to have success and he certainly has the shooting ability to do so. 

Also Dut, Boyd & Ayiei need to be in that conversation as well. That's a good top ten plus one.

I heard Owen Barnes got ruled eligible. 

10 hours ago, Statsdontlie said:

I heard Owen Barnes got ruled eligible. 

I don't think it has been in question for a while.  Had he tried to play football at the beginning of the season eligibility could have been an issue.  I don't think it has been a question he would be eligible for basketball for a while now.  Going to need him to be an efficient scorer. 

Bump.

Interesting coaching turnover in the 12th these last few years. I would never count out Jeff Jackson at Lincoln, and I also wouldn't sleep on Taylor Harper at West Jess. He's young, but got a great mind for basketball, I could see West Jess rebuilding quickly and staying on top of the 46th.

11 hours ago, burreaux said:

Interesting coaching turnover in the 12th these last few years. I would never count out Jeff Jackson at Lincoln, and I also wouldn't sleep on Taylor Harper at West Jess. He's young, but got a great mind for basketball, I could see West Jess rebuilding quickly and staying on top of the 46th.

I don’t see that happening in the 46th  for the next 3 years, assuming Mercer holds on to their current coach. Mercer is deep and should be the best team in the district this year as well as the next 2. 

19 hours ago, burreaux said:

Interesting coaching turnover in the 12th these last few years. I would never count out Jeff Jackson at Lincoln, and I also wouldn't sleep on Taylor Harper at West Jess. He's young, but got a great mind for basketball, I could see West Jess rebuilding quickly and staying on top of the 46th.

Unfamiliar with Coach Harper’s coaching, but he’s following a coach legend in Coach Kelly.  Coach Kelly maintained a great program at West for many seasons.  West does care about basketball, and has a good feeder system usually so that should help. 

Dumphord is now officially listed on Wayne County's roster. In my mind, and I could be totally wrong by end of season, that makes Wayne the favorite now. That adds even more size and athleticism. 

On 11/24/2023 at 8:54 AM, Lank said:

Dumphord is now officially listed on Wayne County's roster. In my mind, and I could be totally wrong by end of season, that makes Wayne the favorite now. That adds even more size and athleticism. 

I think their level of success will be determined by how well they control tempo. In a half court set, they will be a very difficult matchup. Phillips is such a smart player and can fill it up. But losing Burchett will affect their offense more than just the loss of his 14 PPG. He was that athletic perimeter kid that they don’t really have this year. I understand that Dumpford adds that to the interior, which is important, but that’s not the same as an athletic guard.

If teams can push the tempo and force them to play a faster pace, by applying defensive pressure on the perimeter, I think they could struggle.