BluegrassPreps.com 4th Region Final Rankings and Postseason Preview

[DragonFire]

1) Bowling Green (25-5)
High Rank - 1, Low Rank - 1, Average Rank - 1
    
2) Warren Central (13-10)
High Rank - 2, Low Rank 11, Average Rank - 2
    
3) Clinton County (19-10)    
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 9, Average Rank - 4
    
4) South Warren (14-10)
High Rank - 2, Low Rank - 7, Average Rank - 3
    
5) Barren County (19-11)
High Rank - 4, Low Rank - 9, Average Rank - 6
    
6) Warren East (19-10)
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 10, Average Rank - 5
    
7) Franklin-Simpson (14-12)
High Rank - 5, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 9
    
8. Greenwood (14-16)
High Rank - 5, Low Rank - 10, Average Rank - 8
    
9) Russell County (12-15)
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 7
    
10) Monroe County (15-13)
High Rank - 5, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 10
    
11) Cumberland County (15-13)
High Rank - 6, Low Rank - 16, Average Rank - 11

12) Metcalfe County (10-20)
High Rank - 11, Low Rank - 16, Average Rank - 14
    
13) Glasgow (8-16)
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 12
    
14) Todd County Central (13-15)
High Rank - 4, Low Rank - 15, Average Rank - 13
    
15) Logan County (14-15)
High Rank - 13, Low Rank - 16, Average Rank - 15
    
16) Russellville (5-25)
High Rank - 12, Low Rank - 16, Average Rank - 16

17) Allen County-Scottsville (3-24)
High Rank - 17, Low Rank - 17, Average Rank - 17
    
18) Foundation Christian Academy (13-11)
High Rank - 18, Low Rank - 18, Average Rank - 18

13th District (at Russellville)

Preseason, Todd County Central was the clear favorite for the district, but very early on it was apparent that the Rebels weren't going to be quite what was expected.  They started 0-2 and 3-5, and when they finally opened 13th District play, they promptly lost their first two games.  Instead, Franklin-Simpson, who has been the top seed in the district the last three years, made it four in a row as they won all six of their district contests by an average of 14 PPG.  That earned them a date with district tournament host Russellville, who the Wildcats have beaten in 13 of the previous 14 meetings, including a 24 point drubbing at Russellville earlier this year.  The Wildcats have a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging between 7.9 and 13.2 PPG for a low-scoring Wildcat squad (they average 58 PPG).  OJ Gamble is the leader, averaging 13.2 PPG, almost exclusively from around the rim.  Gavin Dickerson (11.8 PPG), Jakai Partinger (8.5 PPG), Mathias Dickerson (8.1 PPG), and Kamryn Ray (7.9 PPG) round out the attack for the Wildcats, who typically feature a 7-8 man rotation.  The team does not shoot well from the perimeter, so playing with the lead is a must, as they are not likely to work their way back from significant deficits from deep.  Franklin enters the postseason on a downbeat, dropping three of their last four, but they are a wide favorite in district play.  Russellville, by contrast, is a team that looks ready to find the exits on the season.  They've lost three in a row, and 13 of 15.  They failed to top 55 points in either matchup with Franklin, and have failed to score 60 of more in 22 of their 30 games.  A win in this matchup would be one of the most stunning results in recent memory.  While Logan County is the 2 seed, if anyone is to challenge Franklin-Simpson, it is likely to be 3 seed Todd County Central.  The Rebels have won four of six going into the postseason, which followed easily their worst loss of the year - a stunning 63-45 beatdown by Russellville.  Perhaps that brought focus to the Rebels, whose most significant win in that stretch was a 14 point over Warren East.  They are led by one of the most prolific scorers in the state, 1st Team All-Region selection Jamison Glass - the only member of the all-region teams from the 13th District.  Glass has scored 669 points this year, averaging 26.8 per game, while bringing in 9.3 rebounds per game.  Simply put - they're not going anywhere if Glass doesn't take them there.  Like Franklin-Simpson, they struggle mightily from outside, shooting only 29% from three as a team.  Glass combined for 70 points in his two matchups with Logan County, but the difference in the results was someone else coming with him.  In the first game, Todd Central lost 80-68, with no one other than Glass scoring in double digits, and they were 3/20 from outside.  In the second matchup, Keshawn Moore chipped in 18 points and they knocked down 10/20 from three, and the Rebels won in overtime.  That seems to paint a challenging picture for the Rebels in the semifinal, since uncharacteristically good outside shooting fueled their victory.  But their three point loss to Franklin was really the only time anyone pushed the Wildcats so far.  Logan County has won 3 of 5 entering the postseason, albeit against mediocre competition.  Their results against Todd County Central so far also basically came down to three point shooting.  They were an unconscious 15/24 from deep in the first matchup, but just 3/19 in the second.  The difference is that they shoot a little over 35% from three for the year, so it is a much higher expectation they could make up ground from there.  Samson Hightower leads the Cougars for the year with 14.7 PPG, and is second on the team with 37 made threes, shooting 45.1% from outside.  The Rebels will have to defend the perimeter well to pull out the win here.  So while Todd Central might be the bigger threat to challenge Franklin, they may not have the actual opportunity....

Predictions
Semifinal - Franklin-Simpson 62 Russellville 45
Semifinal - Todd County Central 64 Logan County 60
Final - Franklin-Simpson 60 Todd County Central 51

14th District (at South Warren)

In terms of average rank over the course of the year, the top three teams in the region all come from the 14th District, though South Warren enters a bit further behind in terms of rank entering postseason.  Those three teams are 14-3 against the rest of the region, with Bowling Green going a perfect 4-0 against out of district competition, and 6-0 against district competition.  While Bowling Green has been pushed by Warren Central twice, they enter district tournament play as heavy favorites to cut down nets at South Warren and Diddle Arena.  Their 25 wins in the regular season were their most since they won 27 in 2017, the year they cut down the nets.  The last three times they entered postseason play with 24 or more wins, they won the region tournament, and you'd have to go back 25 years to find the last time they had 25+ wins going in that they failed to win it.  The Purples have an average margin of victory of almost 16 PPG, and average 70.2 PPG.  They've been held to less than 64 points only twice since December 23rd - their two matchups with Warren Central.  They score a lot, they're deep, and they smother you with pressure.  The Purples placed two on the 1st Team all-region squad, big man Mason Ritter and guard MJ Wardlow.  Deuce Bailey was also a second team selection.  Ritter, who was also named co-POY for the region by the KABC, is the best big man in the region, and by far the best matchup advantage for the Purples.  The Columbia signee averages 14.7 PPG, hitting 67.1% of his attempts (14th ranked in the state), and pulls down nine boards per game.  When he gets the ball in the low block, the possession is over, it is at least two points.  Wardlow is the leading scorer on the team, averaging 18.2 PPG, highly adept at all three levels on offense.  He can drive the rim, knock down the midrange, and shoots 47.6%  from three, leading the team with 40 triples.  Deuce Bailey is a real x-factor.  A bit prone to streakiness in his shooting, if he is on, he will absolutely bury you.  In general, the Purples feature incredible guard play, aggressive defense, and have the best big man.  When Ritter is off the floor, they can be somewhat vulnerable to length, but he rarely leaves the floor.  They'll meet a Greenwood team that they've won five in a row and 37 of 40 against.  They haven't lost a game to Greenwood anywhere but at Greenwood since 2009, and haven't dropped a game in the postseason against them since the 2008 region finals.  They won by margins of 48 and 21 against the Gators this year.  Greenwood does enter postseason play on a mild uptick, winning their last two and four of six, but it would be almost miraculous for Greenwood to win here.  Nick Simpson (15.4 PPG, 3rd Team all-region) and Garrett Hatchett (10.8 PPG) lead Greenwood in scoring.  Their only prayer is to try to keep the pace and scoring low.  They were 5-14 this year when allowing 60 or more, and they've only won one of their last 24 matchups with the Purples where they gave up 60 or more.  In the other semifinal, you've got significantly more intrigue, though still a clear favorite.  Warren Central enters as our #2 ranked team in the region and #2 seed in the district.  They've been a tale of three teams this year.  There was the team that started the year before January 1, going 1-4 with the absence of Kade Unseld and Elijah Starks, who were recovering from injury and waiting to become eligible, respetively.  There was the team that played without Kade Unseld after January 1, when Unseld sat out due to load management.  Despite having almost everyone else available in those games, they still managed to only go 2-2 in those games, with a loss to Christian County a particularly bad one given the quality of opponent. Finally, there's the one with Kade Unseld, which has gone 10-4, with those losses being all to top 5 opponents (Lyon County, Bowling Green x 2, Lexington Catholic).  That team averaged 70 PPG, and proved highly capable of playing with the best teams, especially pushing the Purples.  It's not exactly a surprise - Kade Unseld was named player of the year by the 4th Region voters as a 1st team selection, and was the co-POY for the region as named by the KABC.  Unseld averages 16.1 PPG, with 5 RPG and 4.7 APG.  He is their best ball handler, distributor, and purest shooter, though his averages have taken a hit as he works his way back from knee surgery.  Simply put, they need him to be his best for them to be his best.  The leading scorer for the team and most consistent player is Elijah Starks, also a 1st Team all-region selection.  Starks has averaged 17.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG since becoming eligible January 1.  Starks has an incredible engine, going full bore the entire game.  Another Bowling Green transfer who has been critical is Drevin Bratton, a 3rd Team all-region selection.  Bratton bore the entirety of the scoring load in the December games, and has proven very versatile, shooting 45.7% from three while hitting 55% of all his shots.  The trio give Central great size and length, if not the type of size featured by Ritter.  Bratton in particular was dominant against South Warren this year, combining for 43 points in their two matchups, shooting an unconscious 19/24 from the floor.  Starks also poured in 31 in the two matchups.  The Spartans have their hands full trying to stop them.  As for South Warren, their scoring average has come up to 64 PPG this year, but they’ve also allowed that many per game as well.  The Spartans have only scored 64+ against Warren Central three times, all of them at home, and it included their lone win, a 76-74 OT win five years ago.  They’ve famously never won a district semifinal game, going 0-9 in the round thus far, and a 2020 win over Warren East in the “play-in” game is their only district tournament win on their home court.  Still, it is an advantage they’ll be glad to have – they were 7-5 in home games this year, with two of the losses coming to Bowling Green and Warren Central.  Their first matchup with Central at home was a 69-60 decision, a very competitive game that wasn’t really comfortable for Central until about midway through the final quarter.  The Spartans are one of the best three point shooting teams in the region, knocking down 40.5% from outside, with threes making up 38.5% of their total attempts.  One hole in Warren Central’s defense is defending the three point line – they often dare teams to beat them from outside.  It is an opportunity for a strong Spartan attack. That attack is led by Drew Hudson, a 2nd Team all-region selection, leading scorer for the Spartans at 15.2 PPG, and the school’s all-time leader in made three pointers.  Hudson knocks down a 39.8% clip from outside, a strong percentage given he has attempted 176.  Second leading scorer Griffin Rardin doesn’t attempt as many, just 108, but makes 50.9% and averages 2.6 makes per game.  He was 4/5 in their close loss, and an uncharacteristic 1/5 from deep in their blowout loss to Central.  They’ll need to be on to have a realistic chance.

Predictions
Not Pictured - Foundation Christian Academy
Semifinal - Bowling Green 75 Greenwood 46
Semifinal - Warren Central 62 South Warren 55
Final - Bowling Green 61 Warren Central 50

15th District (at Allen County-Scottsville)

This district seemed pretty easy to figure for the first month and a half, and then got reaaaaaaal weird out of nowhere in late January.  Barren County managed to wrap up the top seed in the district after four games, starting a perfect 4-0, sweeping Warren East, and winning those four games by an average of 17 PPG.  Maybe their problem in their final two district games is that they just didn’t have anything on the line, but I would say two identical 58-43 losses to Glasgow and Allen County-Scottsville was probably the last thing I’d have expected.  The loss to Allen County-Scottsville was especially alarming.  That came on February 5th, just three weeks ago.  It is the only win AC/S had against a region opponent this year, and the Patriots finished the year just 3-24.  And Barren County will be playing *checks notes* Allen County-Scottsville in the 1/4 in the exact same spot – Patriot Gym.  Barren County enters the postseason winners of five of their last eight games, but just two of those were outside their home gym.  In fact, Barren County has won only two of their last nine games away from home.  It’s simply not what you’d expect from a team that became the first in the entire region to wrap up the top seed in their district.  Barren County features a rotation of 8-9 players, and has only one player scoring in double digits, 2nd Team all-region selection Tate Spillman.  Spillman averages 14.6 PPG, with 55% of his attempts being three pointers.  The Trojans are very much a modern attack in that regard – over 50% of their attempts come from deep.  They hit only 32.2% from three, and that likely explains the variance in their results.  Shooting at home, you’re comfortable with the atmosphere, the depth perception, so likely to hit a higher clip.  And frankly if you’re not on from three, you’re going to have a lot of empty possessions that put you behind the 8 ball.  They were 5/24 from deep in the loss against the Patriots three weeks ago.  If that happens again, they’re in trouble.  Still, surely that result won’t happen again.  That win is the only win AC/S has in the 2024 calendar year, and their only other win against a KHSAA team came against John Hardin in late December.  The Patriots rarely score over even 50 points – they did it only nine times, and their only game over 60 came against the Bluegrass Blazers home school team.  For AC/S to have a shot, they have to keep the pace low and the scoring low.  Chase Ross (10.4 PPG) leads the Patriots in scoring.  The other semifinal will put the old “hard to beat a team four times” mantra to the test.  Life in the 15th District has been good to Warren East, as the Raiders have had a noticeable uptick in wins since joining last year.  They won 21 games last year and 19 this year – both are higher than any season they had since 2012/13, and that’s the only season in the 25 seasons prior to the last two that East reached 19+ wins.  And of course, last year featured East’s first district title since 1989 and their return to the region tournament.  Their two losses to Barren County before January 6th doomed any chance they had of grabbing the #1 seed, and they finished tied for the top spot but lost the tiebreaker thanks to those losses.  That put them against a Glasgow squad that they beat three times this year, by margins of 10, 27, and 2.  The larger margins each came at home, with the first matchup not counting towards district standings as it was a 2A sectional game.  We don’t really have a baseline for how this game might go on a neutral court – the two teams haven’t met at a neutral venue in almost 20 years.  East’s performance this year earned head coach Kyle Benge coach of the year honors by the KABC.  It also landed Kaleb Prince 2nd Team all-region honors, as his 15.2 PPG led the team.  Brenden Bratcher (11.7 PPG) is the only other Raider to average double figures.  Still, 64.4 PPG average is the highest by the team since the 2015/16 season, and fifth highest in the last 35 seasons.  Kaleb Prince scored 23, 23, and 21 in three matchups with Glasgow, and they will clearly need him to continue that consistency to pull the victory.  It’s far from a sure thing despite the three victories, especially as the Raiders enter the game with three losses in four games.  Even so, Glasgow is far from playing their best ball, though they won their final game of the regular season, a surprising 69-62 win over Cumberland County.  It’s one of only three wins they’ve had since January 5th, and they’re 3-9 in that stretch.  They have not had consecutive wins at any point in that stretch, though it also did feature the 58-43 win over Barren County, their best win of the year.  The Scotties are not deep – they typically only feature seven in their rotation, and only two average in double figures – John Carter Walbert (15.7 PPG), and Jerrick Martin (11.3 PPG).  Glasgow has a higher focus on shooting inside as compared to the rest of the region, attempting only 30% of their shots from three.  They’ll need Walbert to be on to have a chance – he had 20 points in their first loss and 26 in their third, both competitive games.  He managed only 12 in their blowout loss, including going 0/5 from three.  The Scotties pushed East last year, and will be looking to get past their new rival to reach the region tournament after a year off – 2022 was their only appearance at Diddle since 2019. 

Predictions
Semifinal - Barren County 55 Allen County-Scottsville 42
Semifinal - Warren East 68 Glasgow 59
Final - Warren East 62 Barren County 51

16th District (at Russell County)

I’m not saying it will be the highest quality basketball you can see, but if you want to see one district tournament where just about anything could happen, this is the district tournament to attend.  You wouldn’t think it could be quite that unpredictable given that Russell County and Clinton County both finished at 6-2 in district play with Cumberland County just behind at 5-3, but there were a lot of close games and unpredictable results.  The top seed wasn’t decided until a coin toss broke the tie between Russell County and Clinton County – the Lakers grabbed the top spot despite getting absolutely dragged by Clinton County in an 83-48 massacre for the Bulldogs to achieve that tie.  That result was part of a long stretch of really not playing well that Russell County is in the midst of.  They enter the postseason on a four game losing streak, and they are 4-10 in their last 14 games.  Three of those wins were in district play, including a 54-48 win over potential opponent Monroe County.  But it also featured a surprising 79-78 loss to another potential opponent – Metcalfe County.  At home, no less, where the district tournament will be played.  Russell County had beaten Metcalfe County by 27 on the road earlier in the year, making it a shocking result.  The challenge for the Lakers will be to rediscover their form in time for their matchup on Tuesday – by that point they’ll be two weeks removed from their most recent win.  They will at least be more rested than their opponent, who will have played two days prior.  Russell County plays up to 9 men in their rotation, so will likely be looking to push some pace and wear their opponent down.  They have three players who average in double figures, led by Mayes Gosser (13.6 PPG), who was a 3rd Team all-region selection.  Gosser also leads the team in rebounds, with 6.8 per game.  Owen Loy (12.5 PPG) and Braydon Cerrato (11.4 PPG) also average in double figures.  Their preferred opponent is likely Metcalfe County, despite that stunning loss.  The Hornets have only managed a 10-20 record on the year, and Russell County did have the blowout win over them previously, while Monroe County has 15 wins and really pushed Russell County in both matchups.  Metcalfe County does play between 7-9 in their rotation, so does have some ability to withstand short rest, but they are also much more heavily reliant on a single player.  That would be Cade Button, a 3rd Team all-region selection, who averages 24.4 PPG.  Button has attempted almost 30% of the shots for the team this year, averaging 48.4% from the field.  Hudson Jessie (and I double checked to make sure I had the first and last names right on that as I sure would’ve thought they were reversed) is the only other Hornet averaging in double figures, with 13.0 PPG, and he also leads the team with 7.9 per game – he has almost 30% of their total rebounds.  It puts a lot of pressure on those two players or for someone else to step up.  In the first two matchups with Russell County, that was Kruz Tucker, who led the team with 15 points in their first matchup, and had 20 points in the second matchup, hitting 6/7 from three.  The Hornets were 12/18 from three in that game – not a reliable and sustainable rate to pull an upset.  In their matchups with Monroe County, a six point loss and two point win in double overtime, Button had 25 in each.  They also settled for three point attempts in each game – attempting 59 combined.  Metcalfe County has only one win in their last eight games.  Meanwhile, Monroe County has won two of three and a respectable four of their last nine.  Their attack is more balanced, with three scorers in double digits, and they play eight men in their rotation.  Austen Arnett leads the team with a 16.6 PPG average, with Brison Nuckols (15.4) and Branson Williams (12.0) also pitching in.  Williams is almost exclusively an inside player, while Nuckols and Arnett will play both inside and outside, particularly Arnett. Williams also averages 10.2 boards per game, placing him 34th in the state for that category.  The difference in their Metcalfe County results was more a result of what the Hornets did than Monroe – Metcalfe hit significantly more threes in their win.  Monroe County shot abysmally from outside in both games – they’re much more consistent if they can get down low (as most teams are).  That played its part in their losses to Russell County as well, as they attempted 39 threes in those two games combined – they’re not likely to win that way.  If they make it to that game, look for them to emphasize getting down low, and trying to improve on the 39.5% FG% they had their last matchup.  The other semifinal matchup might be the most even semifinal in the entire region.  Clinton County and Cumberland County each defeated the other on the road – Clinton County won by 2 at Cumberland County two weeks ago while Cumberland County won by 6 at Clinton County in December.  Both games featured each team scoring in the 50s – expect the same this time around as well.  While they split the games this year, this was a series Clinton County had dominated for a long time prior.  In fact, Cumberland County lost 38 in a row to Clinton County before winning earlier this year.  So there will be a bit of a psychological advantage there in all likelihood, despite the fact many of those games were highly competitive.  Clinton County has one of the best posts in the region, 3rd Team all-region selection Cannon Young.  Young averages 14 PPG, hitting 53.6% of his attempts, and pulls in 9.2 rebounds per game.  Cohen Davis leads the team in scoring with 14.3 PPG, and leads the team in threes with 43 makes.  Steele Burchett adds 13.1 PPG.  Clinton County plays through the inside game, attempting only 25% of their shots from outside.  That focus also makes them very tough to beat on the boards – they average 34.3 per game, rating 12th in the state.  In their first matchup (the 58-52 loss), Clinton County went 5/22 from three.  They made the adjustment, and in the second matchup, went 3/11 from three, and got to the line more often, taking 13 more free throws in the matchup.  Look for them to lean back into that.  Meanwhile, Cumberland County features Zachery Harwood, the lone 2nd Team all-region player from the 16th District.  Harwood averages 16.4 PPG, and 11.7 boards per game, good enough to lead the region and place 12th in the state. Harwood has a 55.4% FG%, a dogged inside presence.  He is the only Panther averaging in double figures, and they go roughly eight deep.  As a team they shoot poorly from outside, hitting only 27.5% from three.  In their loss to the Bulldogs, they went 1/15 from three.  In their win, they managed a more respectable 4/18 effort.  They’ll likely need to take some attempts from outside to keep Clinton County honest, but it’s clear they don’t excel from outside and if they fall in love with shooting outside, they may find the battle to be severely uphill.  With Cumberland County it will really be a case of can they find a way to beat a team that has dominated them for so long.  They have only one postseason win against Clinton County in the last quarter century.

Predictions
Quarterfinal – Monroe County 66 Metcalfe County 59
Semifinal – Monroe County 57 Russell County 54
Semifinal - Clinton County 59 Cumberland County 56
Final - Clinton County 70 Monroe County 55

 

 

 

[DragonFire]

Well, I decided to go bold with my predictions for the 16th District, but already 0 for 1. But it was worth it for that finish! I got Monroe County's score right at least....

 

[DragonFire]

On 2/24/2024 at 8:52 PM, DragonFire said:

 Franklin enters the postseason on a downbeat, dropping three of their last four, but they are a wide favorite in district play.  Russellville, by contrast, is a team that looks ready to find the exits on the season.  They've lost three in a row, and 13 of 15.  They failed to top 55 points in either matchup with Franklin, and have failed to score 60 of more in 22 of their 30 games.  A win in this matchup would be one of the most stunning results in recent memory. 

I struggle to think of a recent postseason upset in the 4th Region that approaches this one.  I think you have to go back to Barren County's upset of Glasgow in 2009 to find one that competes.  Barren County entered that matchup 4-23, and upset an 18-5 Glasgow team.

Other 1/4 (or 5) upsets since then:

2013 14th District - 5 seed Greenwood beats 1 seed Warren East 52-45.  I think the Russellville victory is bigger than that one due to Warren East's track record at that time of not winning district semifinal games (they had not advanced to the region tournament since 1997 and wouldn't until 2023), and Greenwood entered that game at 15-14, their 5 seed a product of a tough district, not a bad team. (This remains to date the only 1 seed to lose their opening game in the 14th District)

2014 13th District - 4 seed Franklin-Simpson beats 1 seed Logan County 71-70. While Logan County had grabbed the top seed, this was possibly the worst 13th District field on record.  No one in the district finished with a winning record - Russellville ultimately had the best overall record at 11-19.  Logan County had finished tied for the top spot in the district with Russellville, but got the tiebreaker due to a season sweep.  They had in fact already lost to Franklin-Simpson by 16 points in December.  Nowhere near the magnitude of the Russellville win.

2018 13th District - 4 seed Franklin-Simpson beats 1 seed Logan County 65-61. This one had a bit more bite to it, but there were still indications this could happen.  Logan County entered merely 15-13, while Franklin-Simpson was 6-21.  Franklin had been terrible for a long stretch similar to 2024 Russellville, losing 14 of their last 15 games entering the postseason.  Still, Franklin-Simpson had beaten Logan County in December, so it wasn't as if they had no shot. The main surprise came due to the fact that Logan County was playing at home and had beaten Franklin-Simpson in the same gym by 25 exactly one month prior.

And that's it.  Those are really the contenders since the Barren County upset in 2009, and I feel confident in saying the Russellville upset exceeds the others. (Also, in reviewing results for this post, I saw that the 16th District hasn't had a 1/4 or 5 upset of the top seed since 1994.  So I suppose I was further out on the limb than I thought when I picked Monroe to advance to the district finals......)

Two games in, this has been an entertaining postseason in the 4th Region.  Every single other district semifinal will be played tonight - it'll be interesting to see if we get anything else out of the ordinary!

[DragonFire]

Two #1 seeds advance as Barren County uses a 17-4 final quarter to turn a close game into a 48-29 blowout, while Bowling Green is never threatened by Greenwood in an 80-52 drubbing. But it turned out I had the right idea in the 16th, just the wrong team. Metcalfe County absolutely trucks Russell County on the Lakers’ own home court, winning 69-52. Half the top seeds are out of the postseason from what was already a lacking field. 

[DragonFire]

To say that the results of the region so far have been unexpected would be underselling it.  There have been some very entertaining games and very surprising results.  Only one district had their top two seeds both advance - the one you'd think, the 14th.  In the others, we have a 2/4, 1/3, and 3/5 matchup.  Bowling Green, Warren Central, and Barren County all advance, and are ranked 1, 2, and 5.  The other teams that made the field? 11, 12, 13, 15, 16.  Someone very, very surprising is going to be in the region semifinals.

[Purple88]

@DragonFire how is the regional tournament seeded?

[DragonFire]

40 minutes ago, Purple88 said:

@DragonFire how is the regional tournament seeded?

Random draw pairing district winners and runners-up. Members of same district will be on opposite sides. District winners will draw for slots 1, 3, 5, 7, then runners-up draw for slots 2, 4, 6, 8. The runner up will have the corresponding numbers for the side with their district winner removed prior to drawing. So if Bowling Green drew slot 3, then Warren Central will only be able to draw 6 or 8. 
 

The draw order is on a yearly rotation. This year district 14 will draw first, followed by 15, 16, 13. 
 

Slots 1 & 3 will play at 6 & 7:30 respectively on Tuesday, 3/5. Slots 5 & 7 will play at 6 & 7:30 respectively on Wednesday, 3/6. Semis are Monday, 3/11 and finals are Tuesday, 3/12. 
 

There are many years that perhaps a better way of seeding would be perhaps desired (but not RPI, ew). This isn’t going to be one tbh. Bowling Green/Warren Central final has been inevitable for a while. The rest is just chairs on the Titanic. Though I am psyched for a few of these teams that really had a Cinderella run. 

[Purple_Reign]

20 hours ago, Purple88 said:

@DragonFire how is the regional tournament seeded?

District tournament winners will play district tournament runners-up from a different district.  Can't have the same districts on the same side of the bracket. Reason why BG and WC can only meet in the finals every year. 

[DragonFire]

With the field now set, a brief historical snapshot of the teams in the field:

Barren County
32nd Appearance (5th Straight)
Record: 22-30
Titles: 1 (1999)
Result Last Appearance: 2023 Region Semifinalist (lost 51-46 to Bowling Green)

Bowling Green
67th Appearance (11th Straight)
Record: 108-48
Titles: 18 (Last in 2021)
Result Last Appearance: 2023 Region Runner-Up (lost 52-50 OT to Warren Central)

Cumberland County
35th Appearance (First since 2022)
Record: 11-34 (Lost last 9)
Titles: 0 (1958 & 1980 Finalist)
Result Last Appearance: 2022 Region Quarterfinalist (lost 54-43 to Barren County)

Glasgow
50th Appearance (First since 2022)
Record: 39-43 (Lost last 5)
Titles: 6 (Last in 1977)
Result Last Appearance: 2022 Region Quarterfinalist (lost 43-40 to Clinton County)

Logan County
15th Appearance (First since 2020)
Record: 13-13
Titles: 1 (1984)
Result Last Appearance: 2020 Region Semifinalist (lost 64-52 to Bowling Green)

Metcalfe County
29th Appearance (2nd Straight)
Record: 12-27 (Lost last 6)
Titles: 1 (1985)
Result Last Appearance: 2023 Region Quarterfinalist (Lost 56-54 to Barren County)

Russellville
55th Appearance (First since 2021)
Record: 37-51 (Lost last 2)
Titles: 3 (Last in 2001)
Result Last Appearance: 2021 Region Quarterfinalist (Lost 53-48 to Allen County-Scottsville)

Warren Central
31st Appearance (3rd Straight)
Record: 69-12 (Won last 15)
Titles: 18 (Won last 2)
Result Last Appearance: 2023 Region Champions (Won 52-50 OT against Bowling Green)

-Bowling Green, Russellville, and Glasgow have the most appearances of any team in the history of this region.  This is the first region tournament they've all been at since 2016, just the fourth time it has happened since 2001.
-Cumberland County and Metcalfe County have not both been at the region tournament at same time since 1997.
-The most prominent grouping of the last quarter century is Barren County, Bowling Green, and Warren Central, all in this current field.  13 region tournaments since and including 2000 have had all three teams in the field.
-This is the 5th appearance for both Cumberland County and Logan County since 1998.

[TheBarber]

Good luck to these teams in the BG/WC Invitational.