14th Region Boys Basketball Preview

[All State Baseball]

It’s time for the second greatest thing every year. It’s basketball time in the bluegrass. We had an exiting year in the 14th region last season. What can we expect this coming season?

 

1) Breathitt County (18-10): The Bobcats are the defending 14th region champions. Breathitt County was hit with some devastating news last season when head coach BB King passed away, Breathitt County AD and head football coach, Kyle Moore would step in on interim basis, leading the Bobcats to a birth in the KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 State Tournament at Rupp Arena. 
 

Breathitt County lost quite a bit from last season but they do return the best player in the 14th region on guard Austin Spurry. Breathitt County also has a new head coach in former Knott County Central girls head coach, Jeff Honeycutt. 
 

2) Perry County Central (20-15): For the most part, the Commodores struggled last season, in fact, 14 of their 20 wins at the start of the new year. Perry County Central returns two of their top players from last year in Tristen Woods and Rydge Beverly. 
 

3) Knott County Central (13-18): After all the success the Patriots have had and are use to having, it’s hard to imagine them not having a good season or even being in contention for a regional championship, well that happened last season when they went under .500 at 13-18. Patriots only lost two from that team and return both leading scorers in Hunter Haddix and Drake Slone. 
 

5) Hazard (28-4): Hazard had a tremendous season last year and was 2 wins short of a 30 win season. The Bulldogs lose 6 from that team and most of which, were they’re leading scorers. One thing to note, as long as the legend, Al Holland is at the helm, the Hazard Bulldogs will always be in contention for a region title. 
 

6) Letcher County Central (22-11): For the first time in a while, the Cougars had a good season, winning 22 games and winning a district title. Things seem to have fell off for the Cougars towards the  end of the season as they had lost 5 of their final 8 games. Two of those three wins was in the 53rd district championship and the first round of the 14th region tournament. 
 

7) Estill County (20-13): The Engineers accomplished something that is few far and in between for them, a 20 win season. Engineers wouldn’t be able to 4 peat as district champs as they would fall to Powell County in the district championship game. Engineers lose their leading scorer in Kade Benton, but they do get a big boost in return as landed Owsley County transfer, 3 year starter and leading scorer at 20 ppg, Seth Schott. 
 

8 ) Powell County (14-19): Powell County didn’t have much success last season but they did accomplish one thing and that was winning a district championship. Pirates return most of their team from a year ago and they will be giving everyone fits this season. 
 

9) Wolfe County (15-17): Wolfe County was doing great through out most of the season but the wheels fell off the wagon in their final 10 games where they lost 7 of those. If that doesn’t hurt, this will, they also lost their leading scorer from last season in Swayer Thompson. 
 

10) Leslie County (15-15): Leslie County had a rough season last year. Sure they won 15 games but most of those were against smaller schools. They do return one of their leading scorers, freshman, Jayden Hacker. 
 

11) Jenkins (18-13): The Cavaliers are back in the 14th region after spending a few seasons in the 15th region. Most of Jenkins’ wins last season came against out of state opponents. 
 

12) Owsley County (6-25): Owsley had a horrible season last year, winning just 6 games. More bad news even hit the Owls as 3 year starter and leading scorer Seth Schott transferred to district foe, Estill County. 
 

13) Lee County (15-15): The Bobcats a good season in quite some time. They even had a big win over Estill County, a team they hadn’t beat in years. Lee County losses leading scorer Zach Watterson from last years team so the Bobcats may take a step back. 
 

14) Jackson City (7-21): The Tigers struggled all last season. They couldn’t seem to get anything to go their way and to throw salt into the wound, their best player, freshman Corey Flinchum, who averaged 26 ppg, transferred out. School is unknown (to my knowledge). 
 

15) Cordia (1-29): Cordia’s lone win came over Ligon Home School. A team they played three times and only beat once. 

[TribeTime]

Flinchum is at Wolfe. 

[The Professor]

The region is weak this year when compared to the rest of the state’s regions but someone still has to win it and head to Rupp in March. That someone will most likely be Perry Central, Breathitt County or Knott Central. 

[theguru]

Bump.