16th Region Boys Basketball Preview

[TCR]

To do a quick run of the history of the 16th region, for many years it was dominated by schools such as Ashland, Boyd County, Greenup County, or Rowan County. In the 1990's, only Ashland, Boyd, And Greenup County won regional title. This changed in the 2000's and 2010's when Rose Hill Christian, Morgan County, Russell, Elliott County (who had two separate three-peats from 2007 - 2009 and 2015 - 2017), East Carter, and Fleming County all won regional titles while Rowan County would represent the region strongly in 2011 by going all the way to the state finals, losing to Christian County 65-63 in two overtimes. In 2018 Randy Anderson would lead Boyd County to their first title since 2000 before Ashland would become the story of the region. The Tomcats would pull a massive upset of Elliott County in the 2019 regional semifinals and then win the regional final for the first time since 2002 against Boyd County to end the largest drought in school history. This would be followed up with five consecutive regional titles. Ashland achieved a final four, two elite eights, and in 2020 would have the first undefeated season in Kentucky basketball since 1948 but would not get to play in the state tournament due to COVID.

Ashland won the region in 2021 and 2022, compiling a 43 game region winning streak in that stretch which Russell ended. Losing 8 seniors from the 2022 team didn't seem to phase the Tomcats much, as they would win the 16th region tournament in 2023 by an average of 23 points per game. Despite losing a top 5 point guard statewide in Rheyce Deboard, the Tomcats came back to win it in 2024, topping their incredible streak from 1976 - 1980 when they won the 16th region for five seasons in a row, including a final four season in 1977. If the Tomcats were to emerge victorious in 2025, they would pull off a feat not achieved since 1952 when Clark County (Now George Rogers Clark in the 10th region) won seven straight regional championships from 1946 - 1952, including a state championship in that stretch. While Ashland has won the regional championship, teams like Boyd, Fleming, and Rowan have given them fits in that stretch and I would not expect this season to be any different.

Here are my preseason rankings for the 16th region. Giving the talent level and high quality of coaching in this region, it would not surprise me for these to change quite a bit throughout the season, especially as many of these teams with several graduations from last year start to gel.

1. Ashland Tomcats – 23-11 last season, 16^th region champions - The Tomcats are seeking to pull of something not done since Clark County did from 1946 -1952, and that is win the 16^th region for the 7^th consecutive season. With Liberty University commit Zander Carter returning, there is a lot of reason to have optimism and he is hardly the only player returning. This team returns the top three leading scorers including Braxton Jennings and Tyson LaLonde. Point guard Cam Davis returns and he has shown the ability to run the offense and make plays. Last season Ashland played Lyon County in the first round of the state tournament, having them down seven points midway through the fourth quarter. Lyon County would come back to pull off a two point win. Despite having some close games, nobody gave Lyon County the challenge that the Tomcats did and they hope to get another shot at Rupp Arena this season. Coach Ryan Bonner has won two regional titles as Ashland's head coach and he has set Ashland up with one of the toughest regular season schedules in Kentucky.

2. Boyd County –  27-7 last season, 16th region runner up - The Lions have won 5 of the last 8 against the Tomcats in the last two seasons, including the 64th district championship both times, but have come up short in both meetings in the regional championship. They’re looking to take it to another level this year and have the personnel to dethrone the Tomcats. Three of the top four scorers return in Jacob Spurlock, Cole Hicks, and Rhett Holbrook and the three have plenty of varsity experience. Coach Randy Anderson brings experience to the helm having achieved his 500^th win last season and is no stranger to making it to Rupp Arena.

3. Fleming County – 24-10 last season – lost in 16^th region semifinals - Buddy Ball is in full force as Coach Buddy Biggs and the Panthers made it to the semifinals of the 16^th region tournament, threatening Ashland before the Tomcats pulled away late. The Panthers hit their stride in February, defeating both Ashland and Boyd County for the first time since their 2014 regional championship season. Fleming County graduates 16^th region player of the year Adam Hargett and also loses leading rebounder Issac Frye to graduation, but do return their top scorer in Seth Hickerson (18.3 points per game) and their third leading scorer in Lucas Jolly at 16.1 points per game.

4. Russell – 17-13 last season, lost in opening round of regional tournament - Losing sophomore point guard Elijah Neel to transfer is a big blow, but Russell still has some great young talent to be optimistic about. Sophomore Caleb Rimmer can get a double double on any night and is highly regarded both in the 16^th region and throughout the state. Gabe Pridemore has shown scoring capabilities and Tyler Cordial can be a presence in the paint. Freshmen Kaden Benge and Ryder Burgess may end up contributing more than expected this season with the loss of Neel. Russell will also have strong leadership they will need to replace in Noah Quinn and Tatum Fleming, two level headed seniors that steadied the ship last season. Coach Derek Cooksey, who led Fairview to the regional finals in 2010, has to be optimistic in the fact that there is not a single senior on this talented roster.

5. Greenup County – 18-15 last season – lost in first round of 16^th region tournament – Coach Corey Allison led the Musketeers to the 63^rd district championship and the program’s first appearance in the regional tournament since 2017 last season. The Musketeers lose leading scorer Eli Adkins (14.8 ppg) and a rock solid rebounder in Cohen Underwood (6.0 rebounds per game), but the Musketeers return two double digit scorers in SR Bryson Chandley (12.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and JR Kasey Gammon (10.1 ppg) who can be a threat from three point range. JR Bradley Adkins makes hustle plays all over the place and is expected to play a bigger role this season.

6. Rowan County – 23-11 last season – lost in 16^th region semifinals – Rowan County loses their top four leading scorers in Colby Wilburn, Brayden Mirus, Dashawn Watson, and Weston Maxey who combined for 48.4 points per game. Jayson Ingles returns and he shot a solid 37.4% from three point range last season and averaged 6.1 points per game. Madden Owen and Will Richardson, who also are an integral part on the football team, bring some additional athleticism to the roster. Shawn Thacker is an experienced coach who came close to winning a state championship in 2011 and since then his teams continue to be in contention in the 16^th region. This is not a new situation for him and by season’s end Rowan County should be a threat to any opponent.

7. Lewis County – 9-18 last season – lost in first round of district tournament - The Lions were unable to replicate their success from the 2023 season when they went 12-19 but 6 of their last 8 games, including the 63^rd district championship and then taking state ranked Boyd County to overtime in the regional tournament. However, the Lions return some important pieces to the puzzle. Despite graduating big man Xavier Prater who averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. However, the Lions also return Drew Noble (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 56% FG) and Julian Puente (12.9 ppg). The lions will likely be looking to shore up their three point shooting as they only shot 24.6% in that department last season.

8. Raceland – 16-15 last season – lost in first round of district tournament – Raceland graduates two of their top leading scorers in Christian Large (19.5 ppg) and Connor Sutton (10.5 ppg) but there are still reasons for the Rams to be optimistic. Connor Thacker returns, who was the team’s second leading scorer (13.5 ppg) along with the team’s leading rebounder at 7.4 rebounds per game. Combined with Jonah Arnett who racked up great experience as a freshman, averaging 9.6 points per game. Raceland is in a tough, competitive 63^rd district and will look to make the regional tournament for the first time since 2021.

9. Menifee County – 9-21 last season - lost in first round of district tournament – Menifee County will be led by new coach Jason Evans, a 1996 graduate of Menifee and has been involved with the program for a number of years. Menifee County returns their top two scorers in Brevon Ricker (20.6 ppg) and Aidan Manley (11.9 ppg) and with the right mix of players around them could be a threat. Ricker is a scorer that is capable of going off for major numbers and this can keep Menifee County in any game.

10. Elliott County – 5-25 last season – lost in opening round of districts – A very young Lions team took their hits last season but finished strong, losing 79-70 in the opening round of districts to a Morgan County team that defeated them twice in the regular season by a combined 67 points. Coach Greg Adkins has three regional titles under his belt and has to feel optimistic knowing that his two leading scorers, Lake Adkins and Elijah Faulkner, were freshman last season. The last regional win for the Lions came on February 14, 2023 against Menifee County and they certainly expect to end their 17 game losing streak coming into the season. Expect the Lions to be much improved.

11. East Carter – 17-13 last season – lost in opening round of regional tournament - The last two seasons have ended nearly identical for east Carter, a slow start but a strong finish, losing to Boyd County both times, 60-51 in overtime two seasons ago and last year losing 60-52 as underdogs. East Carter is expected to take a step back this season as they lose their top five scorers. The Raiders’ returning leading scorer is Quentin Johnson who averaged 2.5 points per game last season as a junior, but has a lot of athletic ability and can make plays. The Raiders will have a lot to replace, but Cole Brammer has shown the ability multiple times to take his team to the regional tournament. His teams have usually start slow, but they improve steadily over the course of the season and are a tough out by the end of the year.

12. West Carter – 9-19 last season – lost in the first round of district tournament – After a 5-6 start last season, West Carter would finish the year with a 4-13 record including a loss to rival East Carter in the first round of the 62^nd district tournament. One area West Carter is looking to shore up for the 2024 – 2025 season is their offense. West Carter shot 38.9% from the field last season and 60.6% from the free throw line and they look to improve on both this year. There is some optimism with leading scorers Nathan Webb (11.2 ppg) and leading rebounder Jacob Waddell (8.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg lst year) returning.

13. Morgan County – 23-7 last season, lost in opening round of regional tournament - The Cougars will have a lot of replacing to as only one of their top seven scorers returns. Sophomore Asher Gamble will be playing a much bigger role this season and senior Cody Dagnan will provide strong leadership for this young Cougar squad that will have a lot to figure out this year. Morgan County may take some bumps early on, but Coach Reece Griffith has done a good job motivating this team and keeping them in contention for the regional tournament.

14. Bath County – 8-21 last season – lost in first round of district tournament – Matthew Perry starts his second season as head coach and hopes to continue to build. Double digit scorer Montana Brashear returns, but outside of that Coach Perry will have to replace eight seniors from last year’s team. That being said, Coach Perry had success at Morgan County including a regional championship in 2004. This is not a new situation for him and if he put the right ingredients together his program could improve.

15. Fairview – 8-23 last season – lost in first round of district tournament – New Eagles Head Coach Cameron Conley will have a retooling job to do as Fairview lost leading scorers Tamel Smith (18.3 ppg) and Steven “Bubba” Day (21.3 ppg) who was also their leading rebounder (8.4 ppg). The plus for Coach Conley is that he will have a foundation to build on with several young players including Jace Manning who average 3.2 ppg last year but is expected to be a heavy contributor this year. The Eagle have a tough challenge being in the 64^th district with Ashland and Boyd County, both of whom will likely boast top 20 teams statewide this season

[theguru]

Bump.

[brooksville]

Watched Boyd County today play very well against Great Crossing.  They lost 76-72 but were in control the entire first half.  Scoring was Jacob Spurlock 28, Cole Hicks 19, Clark Huff 9, Jackson Childers 8, Rhett Holbrook 6, Ethan Rardon 2.  14/37 from three.

[St. Matthews Boy]

18 minutes ago, brooksville said:

Watched Boyd County today play very well against Great Crossing.  They lost 76-72 but were in control the entire first half.  Scoring was Jacob Spurlock 28, Cole Hicks 19, Clark Huff 9, Jackson Childers 8, Rhett Holbrook 6, Ethan Rardon 2.  14/37 from three.

Saw the end of that Boyd-GC game. Early, obviously, but kinda surprised by that score. Although, Boyd should be very tough this year. Spurlock and Hicks help create a solid core for the Lions.

[brooksville]

Jackson Childers is a 6’8” transfer from West Virginia.  Senior.

[DevilMayCare]

Superb job, @TCR.

• Stop me if you've heard this before.... the 16th is Ashland's to lose. You can't hand it to them now on account of the second best team being their arch-rival, but Ashland is in a class of their own on paper.

• Fleming has looked the part of #3 through two games. The transfer from Bourbon County has helped offset the loss of Adam Hargett. 

• For years now, the 63rd District has been the one to watch in this region. I think if Russell had kept everyone in-house, they're probably your favorite. But Neal's departure opens that district up again. They need Burgess to play beyond his years and his physical stature.

[TCR]

5 hours ago, DevilMayCare said:

Superb job, @TCR.

• Stop me if you've heard this before.... the 16th is Ashland's to lose. You can't hand it to them now on account of the second best team being their arch-rival, but Ashland is in a class of their own on paper.

• Fleming has looked the part of #3 through two games. The transfer from Bourbon County has helped offset the loss of Adam Hargett. 

• For years now, the 63rd District has been the one to watch in this region. I think if Russell had kept everyone in-house, they're probably your favorite. But Neal's departure opens that district up again. They need Burgess to play beyond his years and his physical stature.

Thank you for the kind words!

It will be interesting with Ashland and their case. Despite missing three key players, they made a strong showing against Great Crossing and Zander Carter shined having to carry more than his usual heavy load. Carter can handle the basketball, but is most effective when he is playing on the wing but the situation left the Tomcats with little option. They're certainly the favorite this year, but strange things have happened. Take 1972, when Russell pulled a massive upset over Ashland and if I'm correct it was when Ashland was ranked #1 in the state. 

Boyd County will face a young Greenup County team Friday and will be tested heavily Saturday against a multi-time defending state champion in Maryland, Lanham Christian. Although a smaller school, they are coached by Byron Mouton who was one of the captains on Maryland's 2002 national championship team and he has turned that program into a power. I think it's a great test for them in their Roundball Classic.

Lanham Christian is 0-3 right now - but probably one of the best 0-3 teams out there. Their star point guard, Diego Joy, transferred prior to the season and two of the three losses are against rock solid teams that would compete for the 16th region title. They were able to pick up another point guard who has been solid so far - note that Maryland plays under different rules from Kentucky. The third, Bullis School, I had the opportunity to see at DeMatha Catholic this summer. They have Eric Reibe who is committed to UConn and a powerhouse team ranked in the top 15 nationally. 

Fleming is looking impressive. It's not like Fleming was lacking heavily, but Buddy Biggs would find a way to keep that team competitive after the graduations they had. They looked like the mature team they are early on, but faced two teams in East Carter and Greenup County that are typically late bloomers. Like you mentioned the  Take Greenup County for example. Corey Allison in his first season started 3-12 but finished 8-6. His second season, they start 7-9 and then he finishes 11-6 with a district championship. East Carter has given Boyd County a good run in the regional tournament the past couple of seasons when they met. The Robinson kid for Fleming looked great as did Johnson. Hickerson had an amazing full court shot hit at the end of the first quarter against Greenup County that is worth a look.

I would agree about Russell - I thought the trio of Neal, Pridemore, and Rimmer would be a force for the next four seasons but Neal's departure changes that. It's especially a big blow to the team losing their point guard. But, the Cooksey's have won in some tough situations before and I'm sure will find a way to navigate this one to keep Russell competitive. Russell was heavily questioned early in the year after the graduation of 16th Region Player of the Year Brady Bell and I'm sure they will find some way or another to be competitive.

The 63rd, like you said, is interesting. You never know who could pop out of that district. Just two seasons ago a 5-16 Lewis County team would get hot late in the season and avenge two regular season losses to Russell to win the district championship. That was a 26-7 Russell squad, one that won the King of the Smokies Tournament during the season in the midst of a 16 game winning streak and turn right around and avenge a loss to Fleming County in the first round of the regional tournament. This century, only one Russell squad I know of met that and only one exceeded it. That being the 2013 squad under the late great Merle Kidwell and the 2007 squad under Steve Dodd (Who, ironically was on the Ashland team from 1972 I mentioned earlier) and would have had a great case for winning the region back-to-back before an unfortunate injury to Jonathan Vanhoose. It's all about hitting your stride at the right time and Greenup County, Lewis County, Raceland or Russell could do just that. It was similar in volleyball this season as Greenup County had a fantastic team that was one of the region's best but didn't get to make the regional tournament due to colliding with eventual regional finalist Raceland in the first round.

Going to be a fun year for basketball!