4th Region Boys Basketball Preview

[DragonFire]

In a region that has been as predictable as the 4th Region has been in the past quarter century, it is exceedingly rare to have a truly shocking result.  That occurred last year, as Warren Central climbed the ladder to knock off heavily favored Bowling Green in overtime, and in so doing taking home their sixth region title crown in seven years, and opening up the possibility for a run that may surpass even the GOAT 2002-2007 run the Dragons put together.  Their title represented the 23rd region title in a row won by a representative from the 14th District, and Warren Central and Bowling Green have no combined for each of the last 16.  Can there be any doubt as to what teams will be at the top?

Preseason 4th Region Rankings 1-10

1. Warren Central – The Dragons experienced both sides of the script in the last two years in the region final.  In 2023 they played the heavy favorite, pushed into an uncomfortable position in the fourth quarter, suddenly having to scrap with a team they’d swept to that point.  In 2024 they were the underdog, and they were the ones putting the pressure on the dominant team, making them sweat.  Somehow, the Dragons managed to come out on top of both of those scenarios, and completed their second three-peat in seven years.  In the process, they also pulled into first for most region titles among region teams, finally finishing chasing Bowling Green down for that honor.  For an encore they will pursue their fourth region crown in a row, which will require them to reload with some new faces.  Gone is all-stater Kade Unseld, as are heavy contributors Elijah Starks, Drevin Bratton, and Elijah Howard, part of seven senior departures in all. What they do have are some emerging stars, solid role player contributors, and some new and newly eligible transfers.  Senior Jarek Kirk is the leading returning scorer for Central, averaging 4.6 PPG for the Dragons.  He fits the prototypical mold for Will Unseld’s Dragons, long and athletic, at 6’6”.  That too is true of sophomore Armani Byrd (also 6’6”), who is part of a strong youth movement for Central. Byrd saw time in 22 games as a freshman, shooting 37% from three on 17/46 shooting.  6’3” junior Johan Pratt had a strong summer, and will look to take on a larger role.  6’1” sophomore Kash Carter will get his first chance to get on the floor for Central, after playing in 14 games for Warren East last year before transferring over.  He has been limited with injuries during the offseason, so may take some time to ramp up, but is expected to be a vital piece.  Probably the most surprising transfer contribution will come from 6’6” senior Ant McAfee.  McAfee played at Legacy Christian last year, leading the team to a state title in the KCAA.  McAfee scored over 1,000 points for Legacy Christian, and is very versatile from inside and outside.  It will take some time for these pieces to gel, but another hallmark of many Dragon squads has been that even if they look rough in the early days, they hit their stride around February, and ready for a run.  One milestone to keep an eye out for – The second win of the year will make Will Unseld the winningest head coach in the history of the program.  He currently sits one behind Tim Riley’s 307 wins.  

2. Bowling Green – The Purples have a proud history of strong and dominant teams, playing for over 100 years, so it is natural that there have been better teams that ultimately did not win the region than last year’s edition – for instance the 1998/99 team was 27-0 but fell in the opening round of region.  But last year’s edition is one of the most bitter in recent history.  The Purples were incredibly strong, carrying a 14-0 record in region play going into the final, and holding an eight point lead and the ball going into the final quarter.  But the game got tight, and the other team appeared hungrier, and it resulted in a Bowling Green team that may well have been able to cut down the nets at Rupp staying home.  The top two scorers from that team depart, but the cupboard is not bare at all for a program that always has talent to spare.  Chief among them is one of the best dual sport athletes the school has ever produced – Deuce Bailey.  On the gridiron, Deuce has quarterbacked his team to two straight state finals and last year’s state title (and that’s just as of this writing).  On the hardwood, he averaged double digits each of the last two seasons, and is the leading returning scorer from last season when he averaged 12.8 PPG.  Deuce is lightning quick, and when he is on, he is almost unguardable.  The Purples also return their next four highest scorers from last year, highlighted by Braylon Banks (8.4 PPG) and Jace Wardlow (7.9 PPG).  As always, guard play shines for the Purples, and they’ll rely on it again.  They will need to improve from beyond the three point line, with Bailey having the top mark among returnees at 37% accuracy from there – departing MJ Wardlow shot 51.6% from three, and the loss of that consistency will be felt.  Bowling Green has added a couple of transfers to this group, including 6’5” guard Joseph Hurt.  Hurt averaged 14.6 PPG last season for Fairdale, and his size will be very needed to counter Warren Central’s length.  

3. Warren East – The Raiders had a very strong 23/24 campaign when considering what they had lost from the previous year, putting up a 19-11 campaign.  Those 19 wins represented the third-most for the program in the last quarter century.  But the squad faded down the stretch, dropping their final three games, including a disappointing 59-56 loss to Glasgow in the 15th District semifinals, denying them a second straight region tournament berth.  Five of the top seven scorers return from that team, and the Raiders look to be the favorite in the district.  Guard Kaleb Prince, a second team all-region selection last year, led the team last season with 15.2 PPG, taking a gigantic step up in his sophomore campaign.  He’ll be relied on to continue that progression his junior year, and he seems an early favorite for first team all-region honors.  Prince does most of his damage inside the arc – complementing him is Brenden Bratcher.  The senior wing averaged 11.9 PPG last year, attempting two-thirds of his shots from outside the arc, easily leading the team in attempts (212) and makes (66).  With the departure of Kyler Pedigo to Allen County-Scottsville, Bratcher will need to up that percentage and other outside threats will need to emerge.  In addition to the returnees, the program added a key transfer as Wyatt Gravil transferred in from Edmonson County.  The senior forward returns after a one-year hiatus from the program, where he played in 11 games as a sophomore.  His junior campaign in Edmonson County saw him average 9.4 PPG while shooting 63.4% from the field, a mark that placed him in the top 50 in the state for field goal percentage.  In short, the Raiders have an experienced group returning, that can score inside and outside.  The Raiders will test their mettle during the regular season against both Warren Central and Bowling Green, both back on the schedule for the first time since East departed the 14th District after the 21/22 season.  Those will be valuable measuring sticks to balance around the critical district games – most crucial of which will be facing Barren County twice and Glasgow once by January 3rd.

4. Barren County – Outside of Bowling Green and Warren Central, no program is as consistent as Barren County.  That starts at the top with head coach Warren Cunningham, who enters his 17th season at the head of the program, the longest unbroken tenure in the region (D.G. Sherrill started at Bowling Green three seasons before Cunningham took over at Barren County, but took three seasons off in the middle).  12 of the previous 16 seasons his squad has made the region tournament, including last season.  The end of that season was mildly surprising, as the Trojans fell to Cumberland County, their first loss at any point to Cumberland County in 15 years.  This year they will look to emerge from the competitive 15th District once again, and they will be led by a group of seven seniors.  The headliner of that group is Tate Spillman.  The powerful multi-sport athlete led the team in scoring last year with 14.5 PPG, tying for the team lead in three pointers made (64), and finishing as a second team all-region selection.  He will get a slightly late start on practicing for basketball as he has led the football team to the region final round for the first time ever. Second leading scorer Brey Bewley (9.3 PPG) also returns – Bewley led the team in free throw percentage with an 82.7% mark, and is one of the most accurate from three on the team, shooting 36.8% from deep last year.  Like the teams above, Barren County also picked up a key transfer.  Just like their district mate Warren East, that transfer came from Edmonson County.  Senior forward Josh Decker should step right into a starting role for the Trojans, averaging 11.3 PPG a season ago for Edmonson County.  The top seed in the district will be critical, with East, Glasgow, and Barren County all looking strong.  The Trojans have grabbed that in four of the last five seasons.

5. Glasgow – The Scotties returned to the region tournament a year ago, winning the 15th District for the first time in five years, and added their first win in a region tournament contest in 12 years.  It wasn’t enough for William Buford to retain his job, as he was relieved of his head coaching position after just two years, and after their best postseason performance in years.  Hired in his place is Brandon Stockton, the Scottie legend and former Mr. Basketball himself.  He inherits a veteran squad that lost only three seniors from last year, and only one rotational member, leading scorer John Carter Walbert (15.2 PPG).  Six returning players played in 26+ games, led by talented junior forward Jerrick Martin.  Martin, one of the best young talents in the region last year, averaged 11.7 PPG and seven rebounds per game – leading the team in rebounds a season ago, while making nearly 55% of his attempts.  Josiah and Jeremiah Driver also return, averaging 8 PPG and 7 PPG a season ago, respectively.  The Scotties will be tested early, with road trips to Greenwood and Bowling Green, before hosting Warren East in an early season district contest.  

6. South Warren – The Spartans took a step back last year, dropping from 21 wins in 22/23 to just 14 last year.  Still, their 14-11 record marked a minor milestone – just the second time in program history that they posted consecutive winning seasons.  They’ll see another minor milestone this year – head coach Carlos Quarles will be at the helm for a third season, incredibly just the second coach in the history of the program to hit that mark.  Jason Holland, Blane Embry, and Nelson Cundiff all last a pair of seasons apiece before him, and before that, Tony Hopper and Deron Breeze only lasted one.  Not since inaugural coach Derrick Clubb have the Spartans enjoyed this much stability.  That extends to the players as well, as only three seniors departed from last season’s edition.  That included leading scorer Drew Hudson, but the next five leading scorers return for the Spartans.  Sharpshooter Griffin Rardin is chief among them, averaging 14.4 PPG a season and shooting a scorching 50.4% from three on 117 attempts.  Senior Bryce Button also returns, averaging 11.7 PPG a season ago.  His debut will likely be delayed by a run as QB for the football team that should go to at least the state semifinals.  An under the radar “addition” will be Thad Hall, who averaged 7 PPG last year, but only played in ten games.  South will face the same challenge/problem they have always had – beating Bowling Green or Warren Central when it counts.  In the case of Bowling Green, that would be “at all” for they never have.  They’ll almost certainly have to go through one of them achieve a milestone that would by no means be “minor” - to reach the region tournament promised land that they still have yet to make in program history.

7. Cumberland County – Last year was a banner season for the Panthers.  They won 18 games – their highest mark since winning 23 in 1997.  They won the 16th District title for the first time since 2009, and posted a winning record for the first time since that same season.  Finally, they won a region tournament game, snapping a string of nine straight losses in the region tournament, grabbing their first victory at region since 1990.  In other words, none of the players were alive when they’d last won a region tournament game.  Head coach Kurtis Claywell wasn’t alive either – born one week after that event.   They’ll look to repeat the best of those events and try to advance even further in postseason play with a lot of the same faces.  Only two seniors depart from that team, and the Panthers return their top seven scorers.  Leading the way is senior Zachery Harwood.  He was a second team all-region selection last year, averaging a double-double with 15.9 PPG and 11.9 rebounds per game, the latter being good enough for 11th in the entire state.  He also made 55.1% of his attempts, exceeded on the team by only Braden Perdue, who made 55.6% of his attempts while averaging 7.9 PPG.  The Panthers struggled from three point land last year, most likely a primary component of why only 1 out of ever 3 attempts by the team was a three.  Cumberland County wants to keep the game in the 50s for points, they crash the boards, and they get inside.  They’ll get after it early in the five team 16th district – after tune ups with Adair County and Edmonson County, their next three games are in district play against Russell County, Monroe County, and Clinton County.  That’s exactly the type of start a veteran team should want.

8. Clinton County – From 2012-2022, the Bulldogs did not miss a single 4th Region tournament, but the last two years have been conspicuous in their absence.  Last year’s misfire was the byproduct of a hyper-competitive 16th District.  The Bulldogs won 19 games and finished 6-2 in district play (7-2 if you count their win over Monroe County in the All “A”), but the flip of a coin knocked them down to the 2 seed in the district, and they fell to eventual district champion Cumberland County by eight.  The season did include an All “A” region title, so all was not lost.  They will be in a position to get back to region this year, losing only two seniors from last year.  Now, those two were important, as Cohen Davis (14.4 PPG) and Steele Burchett (12.9 PPG) were the leading and third-leading scorers on the team, respectively.  Returning to pick up the slack is senior center Cannon Young.  Cannon averaged 14.1 PPG last year, making 53.6% of his attempts, and averaged 9.1 rebounds per game. His play earned him third team all-region honors.  His frontcourt mate Nick Poore averaged 9.4 PPG and 9.4 rebounds per game.  Those strong rebounding efforts led a team that tied for 14th in the state in rebounds per game.  The Bulldogs clean the glass.  Young and Poore are the only seniors on the squad, and Clinton County never goes very deep – typically employing a seven man rotation.  Clinton County will be out of sight, out of mind for most of the region for most of the year – Foundation Christian Academy is the only team they currently have scheduled outside the 15th and 16th Districts, and they don’t even play a 15th District team until meeting Glasgow on January 31st.

9. Greenwood – The Gators have been living the tough life of a 14th District program not named Bowling Green or Warren Central the past two years, with their win total in the last two years not matching or exceeding the win total they had in their outstanding 21/22 campaign all on its own.  They closed the season with just five wins in their final 18 games, falling by 28 in the district tournament. They did improve by five wins year over year, and they will look to keep climbing back into the thick of things thanks to losing only three seniors from last year, and they return their top three scorers.  The leader of that group is senior guard Nick Simpson.  Simpson led the Gators with 15.3 PPG a season ago, and was a third team all-region selection.  He was a bit below average from three, where the Gators attempt 40% of their shots, shooting only 33.1% from deep, and the team will likely need that percentage to come up.  Garrett Hatcher was one of only three players last year to play in every game, and the senior guard averaged 10.7 PPG last season, making 47.6% of his attempts.  Rounding out the top trio is leading rebounder Asher Pettus, who pulled down five boards per game, while scoring 9.5 PPG.  All three will be heavily relied upon.  Head coach Will McCoy is entering his sixth season at the helm, which will break a tie to put him into sole possession of second place in terms of years coached at Greenwood, behind only Blane Embry’s eight.  He should move into second place on the wins list this year as well, needing only eight wins to surpass Larry Cheatham, the first coach for the program.

10. Metcalfe County – Much of the year did not go well for the Hornets, and they did not enter postseason with strong momentum, losing seven of eight, beating only Glasgow during that stretch.  They entered the 16th District as a 5 seed, but made a Cinderella run, knocking off Monroe County on a buzzer beater and then smashing host school and top seed Russell County to reach the region tournament.  They fell in overtime in the region tournament, ironically to the only team they beat in their poor stretch – Glasgow.  The good news is that almost everyone returns from the team – just two seniors are out from that squad.  The top five scorers return, which includes one of the top scorers in the state from last year, Cade Button.  Button averaged 24.4 PPG last year, which was 18th in the state.  He hit 49% of his shots from the field, 32% from three, and the year got him placed as a third team all-region selection.  He absolutely lived at the free throw line – he was 205/261 from the foul line.  He’s still just a junior, as is the other prominent scorer on the team, Hudson Jessie.  Jessie averaged 13.9 PPG, and led the team with 280 rebounds, good enough for 8.2 rebounds per game. The duo are easily the highest scoring returning duo in the region.  The hero of the Monroe County game – Maddux Garrett (7.5 PPG) – and Kruz Tucker (7.0 PPG) also return.  All four of those players are juniors.  The Hornets should have a solid year this year, but 25/26 is shaping up to be a very good one for Metcalfe County.

The Rest of the Field
11. Franklin-Simpson
12. Logan County
13. Monroe County
14. Russell County
15. Allen County-Scottsville
16. Russellville
17. Todd County Central
18. Foundation Christian Academy

Top Players in the 4th Region

1. Deuce Bailey, Sr. (Bowling Green)
2. Ant McAfee, Sr. (Warren Central)
3. Jerick Martin, Jr. (Glasgow)
4. Cade Button, Jr. (Metcalfe County
5. Kaleb Prince, Jr. (Warren East)
6. Braylon Banks, Sr. (Bowling Green)
7. Cannon Young, Jr. (Clinton County)
8. Jarek Kirk, Sr. (Warren Central)
9. Zachery Harwood, Sr. (Cumberland County)
10. Griffin Rardin, Sr. (South Warren)

 

[theguru]

Great work @DragonFire!

[TheBarber]

And… color me shocked, but Central got 2 transfers from west TN I’ve heard. 2 brothers. 

[theguru]

Bump.

[DragonFire]

14 hours ago, TheBarber said:

And… color me shocked, but Central got 2 transfers from west TN I’ve heard. 2 brothers. 

Only one appears to be varsity currently, but yes, this is the case.