1. Butler County Bears (22-11) – Regional Semifinalist – Coach Calvin Dockery

                The Bears return their top 4 scorers from a year ago and are led by one of the best players in the state in junior Ty Price.  Price averaged 31 points per game last season and is being recruited by several division 1 programs.  Lawson Rice also returns.  Rice averaged a double double last season with 18 points and 11 rebounds per game.  Justin Castlen and Trevor Deweese both made big contributions last season and expect to take another step forward this year.  The Bears and Price will be featured in many high profile events this season including the Marshall County Hoopfest, King of the Bluegrass and the Evansville Bosse Holiday Classic.  This team has all the making to bring Butler County its first ever regional championship.

 

2. Ohio County Eagles (23-9) – 10th District Runners Up – Coach Paul Decker

                Ohio County is coming off a disappointing end to their 2021-2022 season.  After being upset in the 10th District Championship game, they drew the eventual regional champions in Owensboro.  The Eagles came up 10 points short and their fantastic season came to an end.  They return a nice core from last year’s 20 win team led by senior swingman Elijah Decker.  Decker scored 17 points per game last season and has been a major contributor for the Eagles since 8th grade.  Carter Young emerged last year as one of the better players in the region.  Coach Decker will need him to take another step forward this year to help replace some of the production lost by the graduation of Parker Culbertson.  Carson Kennedy and Bo Morse gave great minutes last year and will be big contributors to this year’s starting lineup.  The Eagles will play a tough schedule with holiday tournaments at Gibson Southern Indiana and Ashland.  This group will be motivated to erase last season’s tough finish and should be at the top of the region all season long.

 

3. Daviess County Panthers (13-15) – Lost in 9th District – Coach Neil Hayden

                More than any other team in the region, the Daviess County Panthers won the offseason.  Jonathan Moss returned to the program from Owensboro. DeAaron Watkins came over from Madisonville and Jackson Lee came over from Breck County.  Watkins brings a paint presence that will immediately give Daviess County one of the best front courts in the region.  Add Moss and Watkins to returning senior guard Gage Phelps, and the Panthers have one of the best starting lineups in the region.  Phelps is coming off a season where he averaged 18 points per game.  Houston Oberst was a weapon from beyond the arc last year and adding Watkins and Moss should open him up even more.  Late in the season, Jaxon Brown and Ayden Ayer emerged as scoring threats and they expect to take another step forward this season.  On Paper, the Daviess County Panthers have one of the most talented rosters in the region.  If they can put it together on the floor, expect these Panthers to in the mix for a 3rd region title until the very end.

 

4. Owensboro Catholic Aces (28-6) – 3rd Region Runner Up – Coach Tim Riley

                While they Aces will have to replace 31 points per game production in lost seniors Brian Griffith and Parker Gray, Coach Riley still returns a very nice core of players.  They will be led by much improved guard Luke Beickman.  The Aces are expected to make a state title run in football, but when that run comes to an end, Kiser Frick and Tutt Carrico are also expected to be big contributors on the hardwood.  Solly Smith is a foreign exchange player who logged very good junior varsity minutes last year and is one of the more under the radar players in this region.  With all Tim Riley coached teams, the schedule for the Aces is tough.  They may have slow start with a high number of football kids coming in late but come tournament time, Owensboro Catholic should be right in the mix for a regional title.

 

5. Owensboro Red Devils (19-11) – 3rd Region Champs – Coach Rod Drake

                The Devils are coming off another 3rd Region Championship season but will have to replace nearly all of their varsity production from last year’s team.  Owensboro will have to replace 9 of their top 10 scorers from a season ago.  Dayshawn Sanders is the top returnee, coming off a great postseason run.  Sanders was a star during the 3rd Region Tournament last year and expects to carry a lot of the scoring load early on.  Will Hume brings some varsity experience back and should be a key contributor.  Keaton Hughes and Courtland Howard will give the Devils a solid presence in the paint.  The tradition of the Devils tells you that they will bounce back and again compete for another regional title but they have a lot of unknowns at the varsity level.  It will be interesting to watch and see how Coach Drake puts all the pieces together this season.

               

6. Mclean County Cougars (21-9) – Lost in 10th District – Coach Darren Lynam

                Coach Darren Lynam has turned Mclean County Basketball into a perennial 20 win program.  While they will have to replace some key seniors, they return guards Gunnar Revelett and Brodie Cline who both averaged over 12 points per game last season.  Juniors Landon French and Jax Lee will be expeted to take steps forward this season.  The 10th district is always a gauntlet with Ohio and Muhlenberg, but Coach Lynam has put Mclean County in the conversation for a district title every year he has been at Mclean.  Expect the same in 2024.

 

7. Meade County Greenwave (8-19) – Lost in 11th District – Coach Jason Tripure

                Coming off a rebuilding year, the Waves have much higher expectations this season.  They return almost all of their key production from last season.  Cade Scott unfortunately suffered an injury during football season that will likely keep him out for a good portion of basketball but top scorers Garrett Hardesty and Peyton Johnson return.  Both Hardesty and Johnson averaged double figure scoring last season.  Sophomore Hayden Shouse is expected to take a big step forward this season, while seniors Ryan Dycus and Tevor Ling will add key minutes.  The Waves enter the 23/24 season as favorites to win the 11th District title and return to the Sportscenter.

 

8. Grayson County Cougars (9-20) – Lost in 12th District – Coach Travis Johnston

                Grayson County graduated 2 of its top 3 scorers, but return a young lineup that should have Cougar nation very excited.  Jack Logsdon turned a lot of heads this summer and is coming off a 13 point per game season as an 8th grader.  Kadin Hanshaw and Spencer Langdon are two more freshman that are ready to break out this season.  Junior guard Tayden Logsdon comes over from Caverna where he put up almost 14 points per game and should give Coach Johnston another solid scorer.  Grayson County will be young, but this group has a ton of potential. 

               

9. Breckinridge County Tigers (12-18) – 3rd Region Semifinalists – Coach Jeff LaGrange

                The Tigers are coming off an impressive postseason run last year that took them all the way to the semifinal round at the Sportscenter.  Mercer Rogers will be the top returnee to the program, coming off a 12 point per game season.  Three sport athlete Wyatt Burnett should give the Tigers a big bodied scorer who can lock down the block defensively.  Sophomore Jonah Miller and junior Brayden Carmen bring varsity experience back and are expected to take even bigger roles this season.  The Tigers expect to contend for an 11th district title and will be heavy favorites to return to the Sportscenter in March.

 

10. Muhlenberg County Mustangs (8-23) – 10th District Champions – Coach Aaron Morris

                The Mustangs will have to replace 2 of its top 3 scorers from a year ago but do return all region candidate Madox Jernigan. Jernigan put up nearly 14 points per game a year ago. Jace Sommers and Isaac Coats return experience from last year’s team.  As always, Muhlenberg will play a very difficult schedule that should have them ready for tournament action.  Coach Morris should have them in the mix for another 10th district title.

 

11. Apollo Eagles (5-23) – Lost in the 9th District – Coach Ryne Tinsley

                This once proud program has fallen on hard times over the past 5 seasons.  Since winning the regional title in 2018, Apollo has not won more than 5 games in a year.  Coach Ryne Tinsley takes over and will bring a very good staff with him.  While the Eagles will be very young, they are expected to improve the win total this season.  Junior guard Kobe Kelly will be the only experienced player returning from last year’s team.  Transfers Luke Jarboe and Landen Bratcher are expected to be big contributors.  Apollo has a nice batch of freshmen in Eli Williams, Tate Powers, Max Johnson and Landon Henning who Coach Tinsley will be depending on to lay a new foundation for the program.  While change is not expected overnight, the Eagles are expecting to start moving this program back in the right direction.

               

12. Edmonson County Wildcats (18-13) – 12th District Champions – Coach Trey Tinsley

                New Coach Trey Tinsley steps in for Coach Brad Johnson who retired after guiding the Cats to a 12th district title a year ago.  Coach Tinsley and the Cats will have to replace a bulk of the team’s production after losing 8 seniors.  Senior Will Alexander is the team’s top returning player, averaging 10 points per game last season.  Junior Joshua Decker is the only other player returning who logged key minutes last season.  Wyatt Gravil comes over from Warren East and will add some size and production to the lineup.  Coach Tinsley will look to find consistent production to complement Alexander while trying to find a path to overcome Grayson and Butler County in the 12th district.

 

13. Hancock County Hornets (18-12) – 11th District Champions – Coach Josh Roberts

                The Hornets will have a new look this season on the roster and on the sidelines.  Coach Mike Orr retired at seasons end and Coach Roberts has stepped back into a program he once coached to a district title back in 2014.  He will have his work cut out for him, as the Hornets will have to replace 8 seniors and nearly all production from last year’s team.  Dylan Morris is the lone Hornet returning that logged key minutes last year.  This year’s group will have an uphill climb in the district, but Coach Roberts has proven that he can maximize the talent in Hawesville.

 

14. Whitesville Trinity Raiders (14-16) – Lost in District – Coach Nathan West

                When a school the size of Whitesville Trinity loses a senior class like they lost last season, you can expect a rebuild.  Especilly when replacing seniors like Landon Huff, Nate Hernandez and Landon Smith.  Those guys were the core of this program for the past 4 seasons.  They will turn to a young group to start the new chapter, led by Juniors Hayden Aull and Connor Hatfield.  Coach West has done a great job of building this program but you can expect a rebuilding year for the Raiders this season.

               

15. Cloverport Aces (7-22) – Lost in District – Coach Jason Hurst

                The Aces will look to build on last season’s 7 win year.  They will return top scorer Cole Weatherholt and his 13 points per game.  Junior Dorcey Emery will look to take a bigger step forward with the loss of seniors Thaddeus Hall and Connor Lagadinos.  The schedule is set up for the Aces to make a run at a double digit win season.

 

 

Preseason 1st Team All-Region

Ty Price – Butler Co – 31.2 ppg

Lawson Rice – Butler Co - 18.1 ppg & 11.3 rpg

Elijah Decker – Ohio Co – 17.3 ppg & 7.7 rpg

Gage Phelps – Daviess Co – 18 ppg

DeAaron Watkins – Daviess Co – 11.4 ppg & 7.7 rpg

 

Preseason 2nd Team All-Region

Madox Jernigan – Muhlenberg Co – 13.9 ppg

Jack Logsdon – Grayson Co – 13.3 ppg

Garrett Hardesty – Meade Co – 13.4 ppg

Luke Beickman – Owensboro Catholic – 9.8 ppg

Jonathan Moss – Daviess Co – 8.6 ppg

 

Preseason 3rd Team All-Region

Tayden Logsdon – Grayson Co – 13.5 ppg

Mercer Rogers – Breck Co – 12.2 ppg

Carter Young – Ohio Co – 9.7 ppg

Peyton Johnson – Meade Co – 11.2 ppg

Gunnar Revelett – Mclean Co – 12.5 ppg

Bump.