Way Too Early Preseason Rankings for 24-25

[24Rocks]

12th Region Rankings and 2024-2025 outlook

I just had time to do the top 5 based on the end of season RPI ranking.

1. DCA - RPI .64353  25-7 record

Returns 4 starters plus 1 player who started a large part of the season.  Their best player, 6-10 sophomore Leek Ateny, only played 9 games after becoming eligible in February.  They also have 7’ senior to be Lual Aye.  They lose top scorer Emmanuel Dut.

2.   Wayne County - RPI .60277  24-8 record

Top 3 scorers return.  Their top 4 rebounders also return.  They only lose 1 senior, Kayden Phillips - 8.2 peg.  5 of their top 6 players return.

3.   Pulaski County - RPI .57150  23-11 record

Regional winner the last 2 years.  They lose top scorer Will Blankenship (15.1 ppg) and starter Jalen Wooldridge (7.7 ppg).  They return their top 4 rebounders.  Top 3 point shooter Gavin Cook returns.  Only 1 double figure scorer (Anderson) returns.

4.  Rockcastle County - RPI .55248  17-12 record

Return leading scorers Walker Craig (20.90) and Travis Rogers (10.0).  Lose 2 of their top 5 scorers and 2 of their top 4 rebounders.

5.  Mercer County - RPI .54787   22-12 Record

Return leading scorer and rebounder Trevor Ellis (19.7 ppg and 12.5 rpg).  Lose Jackson Perry (5.2 ppg) and John Perry (8.1 ppg).    

[LethalPG]

6 minutes ago, 24Rocks said:

12th Region Rankings and 2024-2025 outlook

I just had time to do the top 5 based on the end of season RPI ranking.

1. DCA - RPI .64353  25-7 record

Returns 4 starters plus 1 player who started a large part of the season.  Their best player, 6-10 sophomore Leek Ateny, only played 9 games after becoming eligible in February.  They also have 7’ senior to be Lual Aye.  They lose top scorer Emmanuel Dut.

2.   Wayne County - RPI .60277  24-8 record

Top 3 scorers return.  Their top 4 rebounders also return.  They only lose 1 senior, Kayden Phillips - 8.2 peg.  5 of their top 6 players return.

3.   Pulaski County - RPI .57150  23-11 record

Regional winner the last 2 years.  They lose top scorer Will Blankenship (15.1 ppg) and starter Jalen Wooldridge (7.7 ppg).  They return their top 4 rebounders.  Top 3 point shooter Gavin Cook returns.  Only 1 double figure scorer (Anderson) returns.

4.  Rockcastle County - RPI .55248  17-12 record

Return leading scorers Walker Craig (20.90) and Travis Rogers (10.0).  Lose 2 of their top 5 scorers and 2 of their top 4 rebounders.

5.  Mercer County - RPI .54787   22-12 Record

Return leading scorer and rebounder Trevor Ellis (19.7 ppg and 12.5 rpg).  Lose Jackson Perry (5.2 ppg) and John Perry (8.1 ppg).    

Probably for a different topic, but you throw in Lincoln Co., Southwestern and Somerset and you have your top 8 right there in Region 12. 

[24Rocks]

41 minutes ago, LethalPG said:

Danville Christian returns two veteran guards and two 6"11 impact players.  They're state ranked caliber team talent wise. 

DCA returns 4 starters from a team that won 25 games.  They also return a player who started up until Leek Ateny (6-10 sophomore) became eligible in February.  They simply didn't peak at the right time.  They started to wear down during the stretch from the All A tournament until the district.  They'd put together a couple of quarters against teams like North Oldham and Wayne and look like a Top 25 team and then they'd have a couple of quarters where they'd look really average.  If the coaches can manage their fatigue better next year and have them peak by tournament time they could be really good.

[24Rocks]

2 minutes ago, LethalPG said:

Probably for a different topic, but you throw in Lincoln Co., Southwestern and Somerset and you have your top 8 right there in Region 12. 

I was going to include them but didn't have time.  Lincoln loses several seniors but has some good young players.  Somerset is in the same boat losing Godby and Whitaker, plus they lack size.  Southwestern has some good young players but they lose their best scorer in Hudson.  

[5thregionbasketball]

3 hours ago, ACfan4 said:

5th region could be weakest in my lifetime. Here is examples of how much everyone loses that were contenders this year. 

Adair- they lose their 8th man but everyone else returns. 

Central Hardin- Decker, Stone, Jaggers. that's their top 3 scorers

North Hardin- Boykins, Smith, Wiley, Ross all gone, that's 2 lead scorers and 2 other starters

Etown- Alex and Ayden Evans, Durbin, Hanier, Moberly. that's 2 lead scorers and 3 other rotation players

Larue- Lead scorer and rebounder Daniel Allen is gone

Caverna- Rowlett, and Barker 2 starters are gone

Green County- Mckinney the teams best defender who starts is gone

Washington County- 4 starters besides Gabe Weis are gone

Taylor County- Wise, Clements, Johnson, 3 starters gone.

Bardstown- Lead scorer and 2 other starters are gone. 

 

Bethlehem also loses Ballard and Culver but does return Osborne. Don't be surprised that Washington County doesn't also lose Weis. The 5th Region should be Adair's to lose next season. 

[Waterboy70]

3 hours ago, ACfan4 said:

5th region could be weakest in my lifetime. Here is examples of how much everyone loses that were contenders this year. 

Adair- they lose their 8th man but everyone else returns. 

Central Hardin- Decker, Stone, Jaggers. that's their top 3 scorers

North Hardin- Boykins, Smith, Wiley, Ross all gone, that's 2 lead scorers and 2 other starters

Etown- Alex and Ayden Evans, Durbin, Hanier, Moberly. that's 2 lead scorers and 3 other rotation players

Larue- Lead scorer and rebounder Daniel Allen is gone

Caverna- Rowlett, and Barker 2 starters are gone

Green County- Mckinney the teams best defender who starts is gone

Washington County- 4 starters besides Gabe Weis are gone

Taylor County- Wise, Clements, Johnson, 3 starters gone.

Bardstown- Lead scorer and 2 other starters are gone. 

 

Adair should walk thru the region based on this. 

[Waterboy70]

2 hours ago, LethalPG said:

Danville Christian returns two veteran guards and two 6"11 impact players.  They're state ranked caliber team talent wise. 

But as they showed this year, either the players or the coach is not ready for prime time. I thought they would walk thru the 12th this year. Didn't happen lol

[Waterboy70]

The 13th should look like this:

1) South laurel returns everyone but 1 that averaged 2 pts. Pending Mabes knee healing 100% they will be one of the best in the state.

2)Harlan County will be right their with Huff at 17ppg expanding his role and Cotrill stepping up

3)Bell returns everyone with Burnett stepping up to be top player in the region

4)North Laurel returns most of its team and adds a year of experience

5a) Corbin losses a lot but has a decent group returning--no size though

5b) Clay county also lost a lot but should be good

7) Pineville returns its two top scorers but little else

8)Knox central Returns a good young group but loses Chadwell(the top rebounder in state)

9)Jackson County on paper should be higher on this list but they always seem to struggle at times

10)Harlan the graduation of Mcclendon will be tough to overcome but they may surprise.

[LethalPG]

2 hours ago, Waterboy70 said:

But as they showed this year, either the players or the coach is not ready for prime time. I thought they would walk thru the 12th this year. Didn't happen lol

Coaching matters for sure! 

[LethalPG]

3 hours ago, 24Rocks said:

I was going to include them but didn't have time.  Lincoln loses several seniors but has some good young players.  Somerset is in the same boat losing Godby and Whitaker, plus they lack size.  Southwestern has some good young players but they lose their best scorer in Hudson.  

Somerset beat DCA in region because of gameplan, execution and some luck.  Not because of individual talent.  Almost all their shots came off an executed set play designed to get an open 3.  Lincoln should be back as well.  Should be another great season with a lot of talent coming back in region.  DCA will be right back in it for sure because their size and natural ability is overwhelming in this rural region.  

[24Rocks]

1 hour ago, LethalPG said:

Somerset beat DCA in region because of gameplan, execution and some luck.  Not because of individual talent.  Almost all their shots came off an executed set play designed to get an open 3.  Lincoln should be back as well.  Should be another great season with a lot of talent coming back in region.  DCA will be right back in it for sure because their size and natural ability is overwhelming in this rural region.  

I think Somerset won for three reasons.  First, DCA handled their screens poorly.  They tried to fight over instead of switching like Pulaski did.  That let Somerset’s game plan and execution come into play as you mentioned.  Pulaski switched on the screens which made a big difference in Somerset’s shot selection.  

Second, DCA missed a LOT of free throws.  They aren’t a great FT shooting team but they were awful in that game.  
 

Third, DCA didn’t handle Somerset’s pressure well at the end of the game.  

[The Professor]

Hazard has their entire roster returning next year from a 26-7 season. The Bulldogs were actually the best team from the 14th to represent the region at Rupp but Breathitt County put together one of their best outings of the season at the right time and defeated them in overtime at Powell County in the regional tournament semifinals.
They had beaten eventual regional winner Perry Central three times during the season. 

[Xtiger69]

St.X returns the entire team they will be very good next year!

[1Forrest1]

On 3/24/2024 at 3:44 PM, Strawberrybarrow250 said:

Cooper will be very good again next year and a definite top 10 team for sure.  I would imagine them and Newport will be battling it out for the 9th region again.  Cov Cath will have some good guard play, but unless they get a transfer will really be missing a big man.

Not with Yamil leaving. 

[The Professor]

On 3/24/2024 at 3:44 PM, Strawberrybarrow250 said:

Cooper will be very good again next year and a definite top 10 team for sure.  I would imagine them and Newport will be battling it out for the 9th region again.  Cov Cath will have some good guard play, but unless they get a transfer will really be missing a big man.

I felt bad for Newport this year. You could see they had an awesome team but without their best player in the lineup (he tried to play some but it was obvious he couldn’t cut it with his groin injury) they were fighting an uphill battle. If any one of Lyon County’s main players——Perry, Riddick or Shoulders, had been absent from their games they would not have been the champions. Most teams in the tournament could say the same thing—-take out their best player and they’re not going very far.