@ Burgin High School, Jan 8th-12th 

1. The Bracket

• Mon. Jan. 8th, Danville Christian vs. Trinity Christian (7:30) 
• Tues. Jan. 9th, Somerset vs. Somerset Christian (7:30)
• Wed. Jan. 10th, Burgin vs. Game #1 Winner (7:30)
• TH. Jan. 11th, Danville vs. Game #2 Winner (7:30)
• Fri. Jan. 12th, Championship Game (7:30)

     2. The Teams

1. Danville Christian 8-4 (BGP #2 and RPI #3) Breakdown- Coach Story's Warriors come into the tournament battled tested, as they have played the toughest out of region schedule of anyone in the 12th Region.  This team is the most athletic team, and brings a stifling defense on a nightly basis (45.5 PPG allowed 4th in the state).  The Warriors overwhelm teams with their ball pressure out front, collective size (6"11 @ the rim with BIG Lou) and rebounding prowess.  They have improved offensively as a team, and shooting a much better percentage from the field and 3 PT line this season.  It is much tougher to just "pack the paint" defensively against them.  The Warriors are a veteran team, and have been eyeing a return to the All A State Classic since being upended in the Semi-finals last season.  DCA "won" the draw as they have a favorable matchup in the opening round with Trinity Christian and Burgin awaits in the Semi-finals.  Barring any major upset, DCA will be ready for the championship game on Friday night. 

Key Players- Emmanuel Dut, the high flying wing player is one of the most explosive guards in the region and is hard to keep in front (13 PPG and 7 RPG).  Titus Boyd, the veteran Left Handed PG has been anchoring this program for years and is the heartbeat of this team and wants the ball when the game is on line (10 PPG and 6 RPG). and Lual Ayiei, the 6"11 lanky center is a Rim Protector that deters opposing teams finishes @ the rim (6 PPG and 8 RPG).

    2. Somerset 10-3 (BGP #1 and RPI #2)  Breakdown- Coach Young's Briar Jumpers come into the tournament playing some of their best basketball of the season (a big 47th district win @ Rock Tues. night).  This team has been inconsistent in spots, but seem to be finding their identity on both ends of the floor. The Briar Jumpers pack a punch offensively on the perimeter, and can stick in most games because of their outside shooting prowess (46% from the field and 40.6% from the 3 PT Line for 8th best in the state).  The Jumpers are a veteran group that have played in a ton of big games together, and still remember the sting of defeat from the Finals a  year ago.  Their path to the finals is more difficult, with a county rival game in the first round and another rival game in the Semis.  Also, the Jumpers will  have to win 3 games in 4 days to bring home the trophy for the first time since 2021.       

Key Players- Ben Godby, high flying wing player that can get to the rim and finish or shoot a nice pull-up jumper (20 PPG and 8 RPG).  Indred Whitaker, the smooth shooting guard who is 10th in the state shooting the 3 ball @ 41% can get hot quickly (19 PPG and 4 RPG).  Aedyn Absher, the emerging SO. is a secondary scorer for the Jumpers on the perimeter (10 PPG).

      3. Trinity Christian 9-4 (BGP #13 and RPI #8)  Breakdown- Coach Taylor's upstart Trinity Christian squad have showed signs of improvement in their 2nd season in KHSAA play.  They will look to play spoilers on the opening night of the tournament against DCA.  Trinity Christian is a very balanced scoring team with 4 players averaging above 9 PPG.  DCA will be the stiffest test TC has faced up to this point, and it would be a surprising upset if they were able to pull it off.  I expect this team to play hard and tough, but they may be a few years away from making serious noise. 

Key Players- (Albeit, my knowledge is a little less on this team) Alan Coffman (13 PPG and 3 RPG), Bryce Thompson (13.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG)

        4. Somerset Christian 5-7 (BGP #15 and RPI #12)  Coach Gover's Cougars will  also be looking to play spoilers in the opening round of the tournament as they will square off with crosstown foe Somerset.  The two teams met on Dec. 30th, and the Jumpers bested the Cougars by a wide margin (albeit the 3rd game of a holiday tournament is always tricky to assess).  SCS has some veteran players who have been through some big games, and they rely on their outside shooting presence and inside play of newly acquired Braley Adderley.  The Cougars have a very balanced offensive attack as all five of their starters avg. in double figures.  The Cougars will have to find a way to get over the mental hurdle of playing against Somerset, and find a way to slow their offense down if they are to advance to the Semis.

Key Players- Ethan Warren, athletic wing player who can take over games with his slashing ability and rim attacks (13 PPG and 5 RPG).  Braley Adderley, the  Power Forward has provided an inside presence for the Cougars (13 PPG and 7 RPG).

       5. Danville 2-11 (BGP #12 and RPI #17) First year Head Coach Tryston Ford, is a bright young mind in the coaching game but has learned early this season rebuilding tasks are no easy job.  The Admirals will look to find their stride in this tournament, as they await the winner of Somerset/SCS in the Semis.  The Admirals are the defending champion, but are not the same team as a year ago.  This team will play hard, but finds it hard to find consistent offensive play as they struggle to shoot the ball from the perimeter.  They do have some explosive guards on the perimeter that can get to the hole and thrive in One on One play.  Danville will have an advantage getting extra preparation time and rest, but will be a tall task for the Admirals to advance.

Key Players- Trae Paige, is an athletic guard who can break you down and make tough pull-ups (19 PPG and 5 RPG) and Braidin Baughman, well built PG that can get to the basket and finish (9 PPG).

        6. Burgin 3-10 (BGP #18 and RPI #18)  Coach Claunch's Bulldogs have fallen on hard times this season.  They graduated several key players last season, and have taken their lumps with young kids to start the season.  They are the host school, and will look to pull off a monumental upset in the Semis.  The Bulldogs struggle to score the  basketball, and are undersized to most teams that they play but will play extremely hard. 

Key Player- Jacobe Taylor, Athletic Wing who can shoot the ball from deep (19 PPG and 7 RPG)

• Outlook-  This should be an exciting week of basketball @ Burgin.  There are two heavy favorites to reach the championship game (DCA and Somerset).  Somerset's path is tougher, and they must stay focused to advanced to Friday night's championship game.  I see no way DCA is not the other team waiting in the finals.  This could potentially set up the first matchup (of potentially 3) of arguably the two best teams in the whole region with the venue being the tight gym @ Burgin.  These two teams should provide a compelling matchup/contrast in their style of play.?

                                                                                             

Nice breakdown! Definitely feels like we're moving toward a very interesting DCA/Somerset championship game.

Fantastic Work- Much appreciated!

I always to shine a light on the small schools, but especially this year when the best teams could very well be class A schools in the region.  That doesn't occur very often, and both schools have been building for this particular season for multiple years.