The concession stand at Henry County High School ,aka The Roy, is getting prepped for another exciting season and a great regional tourney in one of the best gyms in the state. The folks in New Castle know how to host a tourney and every young man that plays in this talented region dreams of cutting the nets down in the historic gym. 

No team has won back to back Regional Titles since South Oldham did it in 2014.  It’s been a wide open Region the last 10 years.  This year will be no different , although some might say it’s a three team race between Woodford, South Oldham and Simon Kenton. Others will say there are 8 or 9 teams that have a chance to make it to Rupp. Only time will tell . Basketball season is so close that folks in the 8th Region can smell it. 

Some of the best coaches and longest tenured coaches in the state are found in the 8th region. Night in and night out you will see these coaches work the sideline in a masterful way. Whether it’s the hall of fame coach from Crestwood, Steve Simpson, with his high volume shooting or it’s the seasoned coach up north, Trent Steiner , calling the right set play (he has 40 of them) at the right time to get the exact shot he wants or whether its Chris Gaither getting the most out of his players, these guys can flat out coach.  I could go on and on, so many great coaches in this region. Then you add one of the best coaches in the state over the last 30 years, Chris Renner. WOW!!!  It’s going to be a great season of basketball. 

Preseason Ranking: 

1) Woodford County

Even though Jasper Johnson took his talents to OTE, the Yellowjackets are still a clear favorite to win the region this year. They will be led by a super talented Armelo Boone. The Western KY signee averaged 21ppg last year for Frederick Douglous.  Armelo has had a ton of experience over the last two years in really big games for FDHS. His ability to create his own shoot will take Woodford a long way and they will be riding his shoulders all the way to Rupp Arena. Look for Armelo to be one of the leading scorers in the state this year. However, Armelo doesn’t have to do it all on his own. Talented Soph guard, Omari Joiner, will look to be the lethal second option for the Yellowjackets. Omari averaged an impressive 12ppg last year as a freshman. Carson Probst could be the most underrated player in the region. The 6’11 senior post player worked hard over the summer in the weight room to give Woodford a presence inside.  Carson will benefit and get a lot of easy dunks this season because of all the attention that Armelo and Omari will be getting. The Yellowjackets have some talented young men rounding out their starting lineup with Nolan Asher and Wyatt Peters.  

2) South Oldham

Anytime you have a super athletic and intelligent lead guard you have a chance to be special.  Julian Miles will run the show this year not only creating his own shot but also setting his teammates up for open looks. Julian made one of the greatest plays in the history of the District 29 tourney last year when he stole the ball from Max Green, arguably the best offensive player in the state , and scored to eliminate the Colonels. Julian, however, is not the only Senior on this veteran team. William Burnside a tall stretch post player can shoot the lights out along with Jake Fithian and Brooks Bee, who both can fill it up from behind the arc. This will be a typical Steve Simpson team that shoots a TON of threes. The hall of fame coach is excited to coach this group that has a lot of kids that can put it in the hole. Lastly, Julian will not be the only Miles that will play a large role on this team. Younger brother, Adrian, is an athletic lefty who can get to the rim with best of them. South will have the veteran leadership you need to win games in late February and March.  

3) Simon Kenton

Trent Steiner was 6 pts away from taking his team to Rupp last year in a game that could have gone either way. He will have a group of Seniors that are hungry to get back to the region finals and win it. Jay Bilton will lead the Pioneers this year coming off a strong junior season.  However, the other 4 seniors play their role very well. Bode Stone is a 6’7 game changer down low. He averaged almost 10 rebounds a game last year. Look for him to avg a double double this year. Braydon Polly, Jordan Bach and Marty Taylor will bring a ton of experience for this group.  The veteran group worked hard in the off season in hopes that they can get over the hump this season and have the feeling of running up and down the floor at Rupp.  Coach Steiner loves this group and I know he has his eyes on cutting down the nets down I71 at The Roy. This group will be able to put points on the board but more importantly, they can guard their opponents and make it hard on any team they line up against to score. Look for the Pioneers to make a push late in the season and contend for the Regional crown .

4) North Oldham

 The Mustangs won 26 games last season. However, that team was the Grant Neil and Jack Fisher show. The two young men were a tough duo.  Who will fill their shoes? Coach Levitch ,the Rick Pitino disciple, can flat out coach.  Look for the Mustangs to run some great offense by spreading the court and shooting a lot of threes. Brooks Cargould and Gray Schmittle have been solid roles players in their career but will need to step out of the shadows and lead the team. With said, Jakobi McRoberts could be the key player for the North. McRoberts is the best defensive player who has improved his scoring over the summer.  Look for Jakobi to have a big Junior season. North Oldham could have the best two shooters in the region. Sophomore Eli Green and Freshman Austin Sears can flat out shoot the rock. Those two boys are gonna to be 2 names that everyone will get really familiar with in the coming years.

5) Anderson County

 Some might be surprised with the high ranking of the Bearcats but I have a feeling Anderson will be the biggest surprise in the region. When you have a smart PG with a high basketball IQ you have a chance to compete with anyone.  The Bearcats are hungry. Coming off a 16-13 season, look for the Bearcats to win 20 plus games and be a tough game each night especially when teams come to Lawrenceburg. Previously mentioned, Carson Sutherland is a throw back point guard that doesn’t do anything flashy but he gets the job down. Carson is a hard nosed guard that any coach would like to lead his team.  The Bearcats will need the group of seniors to show the leadership on both ends of the court throughout the year if they want to get back to the region.  Seniors, Treyton Hart, Calvin Ruble, Layne Hockensmith, and Will Powers are planning on using their experience to win some big games in February and March. Finally, don’t overlook one of the best freshman in the region to be the missing piece the Bearcats need to have a 20 win season. Noah Beasley has got game!

6) Collins

Collins is led by one of the best coaches in the Commonwealth. Coach Gaither worked his boys hard this summer and they are ready to have a winning season and compete against teams that are bigger and more talented. They will have to out execute teams to win on the big stage. The Titans have one of the best athletes in the state in Kade Goodin . Kade can affect the game on both ends of the court . He is a walking triple double night in and night out . Collins will rely heavily on him to play big minutes thoughout the year, I know Coach Gaither prays he can get through the football season with no serious injury.  Although Kade is by far the Titans best athlete, their best basketball player is Senior, Cole Harbin. Cole can score from anywhere. He will be one of the leading scorers in the region this year. Cole is a coach on the floor. He played for his dad growing up in AAU and has played against some of the best talent in the country. Speaking of playing for your dad, Coach Gaithers oldest son, Caden, will play a huge role for his dad’s team.  Caden and Cole will stretch the defense with their ability to shoot the ball which will give Kade the lanes he needs to drive to bucket.  Collins is a team no one will want to play come tournament time. 

7) Walton Verona 

It feels disrespectful putting WVHS in the 7 spots but I just don’t think they have the role players to be any higher. If it were not for Armelo Boone transferring into the region, Aaron Gutman, would be the front runner to win Region player of the year.  Mr Gutman will have to do everything this year.  Look for him to be a top 10 scorer in the Commonwealth this season. He is a talented young man that plays hard on every play.  The two kids that will be looked to prove me wrong and have monster year is Adam Gutman , younger brother of Aaron, and Senior Aiden Kerns.  If those two have big years the Bearcats will be able to surprise some people, including me.

8) Spencer County

The 2023-24 season was a magical year and one that Taylorsville KY will never forgot.  Coach Jason Burn did a masterful job during the tourney coaching his boys to a huge win and punching their ticket to Rupp. But that was last year, their hopes of repeating as champs will be a challenging road.  The Bears lost a boat load of points to graduation.  However, the pantry is not empty for Spencer. Jack Armstrong and Jackson Combs are seniors who enjoyed their time at Rupp Arena last season and they want to go back. Juniors, Samuel Seawright and Brady Smith, had big summers and are excited about playing big roles for this team.  Coach Jason Burns is really excited about the potential of the twins, Chris and Ben Armstrong.  These talented brothers are big forwards that can score in multiple ways.  Spencer will have to battle hard if they want to make it to the Regionals. 

9) Oldham County 

The Colonels are starting from scratch. First of all, the Colonels will have the fill the biggest hole left in the state. Last season , Max Green scored or assisted on most of the Colonels points. Who will step up this season? Secondly, Chris Renner is taking over in his first year with the Colonels. The Hall of Fame coach has a totally different defensive style than the previous coach.  Many people thought they could be a dark horse to surprise some folks in the 8th region but those hopes got crushed when their best returning player , Louis Nava, tore his ACL in late August .  Will the Colonels have enough scorers to beat good teams this year ? That is the big question. They will rely heavily on their big guy Henry Marcum. The 6’6 senior has a chance to avg a double double this season.  Will Hinkle is the best returning guard for the Colonels. He will be ask to handle the ball and run the show.  Other key players will be Nolan Leite, Jeromy Harmon, and Tim Rankin, who will need to step up if the Colonels want to avoid missing the Regional Tourney in back to back years. 

10) Gallatin County

 Not many teams would be picked to win their District after losing 8 seniors to graduation but that is what Gallatin is planning to do this season. The folks in Warsaw love their basketball and they will be behind these boys to overachieve and make it to another regional tourney after cutting the nets down as District 31 champs. The Wildcats will rely heavily on senior guard , Matthew Griffin. Matthew will look to have a great senior season after average 18 as a junior . His senior buddies , Andrew Brinker, Landon Smith and Ian Wilson will look to end their high school career on a high note. 

11) Henry County 

Sophomore, Baylor Nolin, has his sights on being one of the best Henry County basketball player in the history of the school. A talented young man who wants to lead his team to a district championship. Another strong sophomore Traevon Wright will help do his part to build on a 15-15 record from last year. Two juniors that plan on being big factors for the Wildcats success are Landen Tingle and Drew Cole.  The boys that practice and play in one of the best gyms in the state are planning to make a run come tournament time. They are going to give Gallatin County a run for their money in pursuit of the district title. 

12) Grant County

First year coach, Tyler Jones, has his work cut out for him. The Braves lost their 1500 career point scorer, Spencer Brenden . They also lost their leader and all-time career assist leader in Jackson Utter as well to graduation.  Coach Jones will have seniors to help him start building something special in Grant County. He has a vision of where he wants to go but it will take patience and hard work to get there.  Three seniors can help get the ball rolling in his first tenure . Ben Bossee will be a big time scorer for this years team.  Classmates Wyatt Hucker and Brennen Gordon will work hard to make sure this season is a successful one for the Braves. 

13) Williamstown

19 wins last season made for an exciting season for Williamstown. Unfortunately, this year will be much harder. The Demons lost 48 combined points from Colton Feagan and Honore Yangoua to graduation.  The boys will have to work hard this season to get to double digits wins. Javonte Yangoua and Owen Taylor will have to carry the load for Williamstown and younger guys will have to step up if they want to compete night in and night out. 

14) Shelby County

 Even though they lost their best two players from last year, Coach Traylor really likes his team. They are going to be more athletic top to bottom so their defense is where they are going to hang their hat. They are hoping to use their defense to generate easy buckets on the offensive end. Unfortunately for the boys of Shelby County, they are in the hardest district in the region. They will compete every game and will not back down from anyone but they will finish last in their district.  A double digit win season will be a successful season for the District 30 team out of Shelbyville . 

15) Owen County

The Rebels are another team that was hurt bad by graduation last year, losing 4 of their 5 starters.  The lone returner, Malachi Medford , will look to have a big year for Owen County. A ticket punched to region will definitely be in their reach as their team will need the first part of the year to gain experience. By February they will be a totally different team than they will be in December. Kamdyn Beckham, senior, will be another huge piece for Rebels this year. Look for him and Malachi to both avg close to 15 ppg a piece.  

16) Trimble County

 When you lose a 21 ppg scorer on a team that only won 7 games last year, you have to wonder where the points will come from for the Raiders this season. Ethan Keller, Junior , is ready to pick up the slack and have a big season for Trimble County. 

17) Carroll County

The boys from Carrollton lost all 5 starts off last years team that went 12-17. This season will be a learning experience for their young guys to gain experience and help the program move forward in years to come. 

18) Eminence  

After winning just 4 games last year, Coach Brandon Gabbard feels good about his team and love the direction of the program. Junior Brady White will look to lead his team to a double digit win season.

Preseason top 25 players (in no particular order)

Anderson County - Carson Sutherland, Treyton Hart 

Collins - Cole Harbon , Kade Goodin

Gallatin County- Matthew Griffin 

Grant County- Ben Bossee

Henry County - Baylor Nolin 

North Oldham- Brooks Cargould, Jakobi McRoberts

Oldham County - Henry Marcum , Wil Hinkle

Owen County- Malachi Mefford

Shelby County - Adwin McDuffus 

Simon Kenton- Jay Bilton, Bode Stone, Jordan Bach

Spencer County - Jack Armstrong 

South Oldham- Julian Miles, William Burnside, Jake Fithian, 

Walton Verona - Aaron Gutman

Woodford County- Armelo Boone, Omari Joiner, Carson Probst, Nolan Asher,

Great write up!

Thanks…. I am a rookie so I have no idea why a ? popped up next to Spencer county.  My fat fingers probably did that without me catching it. 

Welcome to BGP @Bballjunkie!

5 hours ago, Bballjunkie said:

Thanks…. I am a rookie so I have no idea why a ? popped up next to Spencer county.  My fat fingers probably did that without me catching it. 

Thank you theguru for correcting that.

Great write-up on the outlook of the season in the eighth region, @Bballjunkie!

I agree Woodford, South Oldham, and Simon Kenton will likely be the top teams. The addition of Boone to Woodford certainly pushed the Yellowjackets over the edge as the favorites, in my book. I'm looking at North Oldham and Collins as the more "sleepers" in the region that could make some big noise. Levitch at NO is a great coach and Collins always has seem to have the talent and athletes to compete.

I agree @St. Matthews Boy.  Levitch has done a great job at NO. I ate my words last year big time. Going into the season last year I thought they would be way down because they graduated 4 starters from the previous year.  Then they won 26 games lol. I will never count them out again. 
As for Collins, I believe Coach Gaither has one of the best basketball minds of anyone in the state. Big fan of his.  So I would never count his team out either. 
 

Gonna be a fun season !!!!

My preseason top 5.

1.  Woodford 

2.  South Oldham 

3.  Sk

4.  Walton 

5.  Spencer 

 

The teams that have the best players win.  These five teams have the best players in the region in my humble opinion.  Unless Collins, OC, and North have some new players show up then they will not be in the mix.

6 hours ago, PBnoJ said:

My preseason top 5.

1.  Woodford 

2.  South Oldham 

3.  Sk

4.  Walton 

5.  Spencer 

 

The teams that have the best players win.  These five teams have the best players in the region in my humble opinion.  Unless Collins, OC, and North have some new players show up then they will not be in the mix.

I would not argue against against your picks at all and 100% agree with your comment .It’s about the jimmy’s and the Joe’s more than X’s and O’s.

SK will surprise some people this year!

52 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

SK will surprise some people this year!

That is why they are in my top 5.  Barring something catastrophic (I won't say the word).  One of those five teams are cutting down the nets in New Castle.

8 hours ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

SK will surprise some people this year!

Tough to "surprise" people when they are being talked about as 1 of the Top 3 teams in the region.

Unless you are talking about a different surprise.

On 10/30/2024 at 6:53 AM, No Hiding Here....BC 21 said:

Tough to "surprise" people when they are being talked about as 1 of the Top 3 teams in the region.

Unless you are talking about a different surprise.

Stay tuned!

The Fighting Jason Burns' from Taylorsville will have something to say about being ranked 4th from the 30th district!

Bump.