2nd Region Rankings, and Tournament Preview

Ranking the Field

1. Lyon County (29-3)

2. Henderson County (24-6)

3. University Heights (23-6)

4. Christian County (15-17)

5. Madisonville North Hopkins (17-15)

6. Caldwell County (19-13)

7. Union County (13-17)

8. Trigg County (12-19)

First Round Matchups

Henderson County vs. Trigg County (Wednesday, 6pm)

Henderson County defeated Trigg County two weeks ago on the road 77-48.  Trigg County played the Colonels to a 1 possession game at half-time before Henderson County went on a tear in the second half to put the Wildcats away.  The potential absence of leading scorer and rebounder Jhaden Vaughn with a knee injury that kept him out of the district tournament could make this uphill climb even more difficult for Trigg County should he not be able to go on Wednesday.  Trigg County has found a secondary scoring option down the stretch this season as junior guard Caleb Fogle has shot the ball extremely well from 3 over the last few weeks.  However, the Colonels boast the most efficient offense in the 2nd Region shooting nearly 51% as a team, one of the stingiest defenses allowing only 52 ppg, and a host of offensive weapons with Cooper Davenport (14.3 ppg), Alec Satterfield (10 ppg) and Elijah Suggs (7.3 ppg) leading the Colonels as of late.  It would take a monumental effort by Trigg County and an off night by the Colonels for the Wildcats to pull the upset. 

UHA vs. Caldwell County (Wednesday, 7:30pm)

The Blazers of UHA are on a 5 game winning streak and boast a potent offensive attack.  Gavin Grubbs (15.8 ppg) and Quentin Quarles (15.5 ppg) give the Blazer's backcourt a significant advantage in this quarterfinal matchup.  Caldwell County's big man JayDarius Wilson (20.8 ppg and 10.9 rpg) will have to do much of the heavy lifting for the Tigers to overcome the Blazer's speed and athleticism.  Because the height and length of Elijah Walton and Kyler Baker for Heights can help neutralize Wilson, I think Heights will win this game going away.  The Blazers shoot the ball too well from 3 and will use their superior speed to create a tempo to their liking. 

Madisonville North Hopkins vs. Union County (Thursday, 6pm)

Madisonville secured itself a winning season, taking care of business in the district tournament with wins over Hopkins County Central and Caldwell County.  The Maroons have proven themselves to be a dangerous team with wins over Hopkinsville and Christian County.  They gave Lyon County a scare 3 weeks ago in a 70-73 loss to the Lions.  Madisonville won the regular season matchup over Union County in early January in a 77-70 victory at home.  The backcourt of Kanyon Johnson (13 ppg) and Lemontae Ratcliff (11.8 ppg) will give the Maroons the advantage in this one.  Union County lost its All-District sophomore star Daishawn Curry (13.9 ppg) to a sprained ankle in the 6th District Tournament and is doubtful to play on Thursday.  His absence will be felt as Madisonville's press is likely to create problems for the Braves.  Though Union County point guard Jarren Johnson had one of his best performances of the season against Madisonville, the Maroons will likely get the best of the shorthanded Braves. 

Lyon County vs. Christian County (Thursday, 7:30pm)

Undoubtedly the best matchup of the first round.  Lyon County defeated the Colonels of Christian County 66-49 in early January in the City of Hopkinsville Classic.  Christian County's defense proved to be formidable in slowing the Lion's three-headed monster limiting Perry and Reddick to below their season averages.  However, the Colonel's offensive struggles (0-13 from 3) kept the game out of reach.  Christian County has played one of the toughest schedules in the state and finished their regular season schedule winning 4 of their last 5.  However, Lyon County's offensive firepower, led by Kentucky's all-time leading scorer Travis Perry, will likely prove to be too much for the Colonels who average under 60 points per game.  Lyon County's 87.4 points per game and uptempo style is really difficult to counter, even for deliberate teams like Christian County.  The Colonel's physicality could keep things interesting for a while but Darrell Bateman (23.6 ppg and 12.3 rpg) is going to need a major effort from teammates Jordan Miles (14.2 ppg) and Prince Northington (7.6 ppg) to have a shot at beating Lyon County.