The first week of the season is now in the books. There was limited action across the 12th region, which is pretty typical as the seasons change over from football to basketball. The games during the week were a little light on competition with the exception of a few but the weekend brought better selection, including the undisputed game of the week in the region.

The aforementioned spotlight matchup occurred Friday in Nicholasville as the West Jessamine Colts took down Pulaski County by a score of 69 to 57. A mix of newcomers, returning talent, and a new, experienced coach have the Colts looking like a contender out of the gate. Pulaski County still looks to be in that conversation all season as well, but, like we have talked about, health and consistency will be essential to them challenging for the title yet again. 

We will break down the rankings here shortly, but Mercer County joins Pulaski and West Jessamine in the top tier to start the season. The next level is made up of Southwestern, DCA, and Lincoln County, all teams that should be able to beat any other team in the region on a given night. 

The schedule across the region gets more bountiful in both quality and quantity this week, really starting on Tuesday with a great mix of games between regional foes and games between 12th region contenders and other quality central Kentucky programs.

Rankings

1. Mercer County (3-0) - The Titans are off and rolling, going undefeated in week 1 with wins over Somerset, Burgin, and Collins. Trevor Ellis scored 15 in both the win over Somerset and the win over Burgin. It will be essential to the Titans' success for them to provide quality complementary performances around Ellis. So far, so good. They face Trinity Christian and Caverna this coming week. Expect them to continue to be at or near the top throughout December for sure as they really don't start facing top tier talent until after Christmas.

2. West Jessamine (2-0) - How fun is the 46th going to be? We alluded to West Jessamine's story headed into the season. Coach Steve Adams has the Colts looking sharp as they downed Harrison County and Pulaski County. Sawyer Thornton and Gavin Murphy are averaging double figures in points through the first two games and Luk Tut, the leading rebounder, is right behind at 9.5 points per game. The Colts face Somerset and Danville Christian this week in two games that will definitely test them.

3. Pulaski County (0-2) - The Maroons are winless through two, but against solid competition - Madison Central and West Jessamine. They will have the ability to bounce back this week as they step down a in competition faced with games again Casey County and McCreary County Central. This was probably their hardest week in December (dependent on what the holiday tournament brings).

4. Southwestern (1-1) - The Warriors fell on the road by 1 in their opener at Metcalfe County but bounced back with a dominant win over Owsley County. Jarrett Simpson and Zachary Hutchinson are both averaging 18 points per game through those first two matchups. They host Danville and Boyle County this week. If they want to prove they are a real contender right out of the gate then they need to win these two games.

5. Danville Christian Academy (1-1) - Another Warriors squad, another team that went 1-1 for the week. DCA fell to Woodford County on the road in the opener but came back with a win over North Hardin later in the week. Their game with Adair County on 12/9 has been cancelled. They will face West Jessamine, Garrard County and East Jessamine.

6. Lincoln County (2-0) - The Patriots get two road wins out of region, something that isn't always easy to do. They defeated Lafayette by 1 and Harrison County by 12. Cash Baird in averaging 18 points through those first two while Sawyer Robbins is right behind him at 17 points per game. Clay Pendygraft is a name to get familiar with as he is showing the ability to contribute in the scoring column as well as a rebounder. The Patriots face Henry Clay and East Jessamine this week.

7. Somerset (1-1) - The Jumpers fell to mighty Mercer County to start the season, though Landen Lonesky and Aedyn Absher both had 14. They bounced back with a win over Danville at home. They face West Jessamine and Rockcastle County this week.

8. Boyle County (1-0) - The Rebels are keeping their December light as they anticipated not having their football players in the gym as early as they did. They had just one game last week, a forty point drumming over district foe Burgin. They have just one game this coming week, albeit a much tougher one as they travel to Southwestern.

9. East Jessamine (0-2) - Though winless, the Jaguars gave themselves a challenging opening week hosting Scott County and Lexington Christian. Keelyn Daniel is at 24.5 points per game through 2 games and will be a tough assignment for any defense. They face DCA, Lincoln County and Mason County this week as their tough December schedule continues.

10.  Wayne County (1-1) - The Jarrad Parmley Era started off with a loss to Whitley County on the road but the Cardinals were able to open up home play with a four point win over Garrard County. Kendall Phillips is starting off strong, averaging 15 points per game through 2 games. They face Taylor County and Knox Central on the road this week.

11. Garrard County (2-1) - Their only loss was the above four point game with Wayne County. They face Somerset Christian, Danville Christian, and Burgin this week. 

12. Danville (2-1) - Their only loss was a road trip to Somerset. I think they can quickly climb the rankings and they will do exactly that if they beat Southwestern.

13. McCreary County Central (1-0) - They got their opening win over Rockcastle County and now open up at home with Pulaski County. They follow that with a trip to Danville.

14. Trinity Christian (2-0) - Their leading scorer from last year may be gone but Bryce Thompson has already gone for 28 in a game. They face district foes Mercer County and Burgin this week.

15. Rockcastle County (0-1) - They face Berea and Somerset this week after falling to McCreary this past week.

16. Somerset Christian (3-0) - The Cougars are undefeated to start the season but step up in competition this week as they face Garrard County, Lynn Camp and Harlan.

17. Casey County (0-2) - They fell to Somerset Christian and Frankfort Christian. They face Burgin, Russell County, and Pulaski County this week.

18. Burgin (0-3) - The Bulldogs will look to find their first win of the year as they face Casey County followed by Trinity Christian and Garrard County this week.

19. Kentucky School for the Deaf (0-1) - The Colonels fell to the Light Eagles program (also located in Danville) and face the Tennessee School for the Deaf and Frankfort Christian this week.

Pulaski is actually 0-3.  They lost to Jeffersontown on Saturday.  I’m not sure they deserve a #3 ranking at this time 

2 hours ago, 24Rocks said:

Pulaski is actually 0-3.  They lost to Jeffersontown on Saturday.  I’m not sure they deserve a #3 ranking at this time 

They clearly have the pieces but it has to be concerning for them. I know some are going to say “but football,” but to me that’s mostly an excuse for basketball coaches at this point (unless their football team was at Kroger Field this weekend).
 

The last 2 years has seen Pulaski looking good early (yes even with having a football team), which isn’t happening this year. Curious to see how it plays out for them this time.

3 hours ago, se7ens said:

The first week of the season is now in the books. There was limited action across the 12th region, which is pretty typical as the seasons change over from football to basketball. The games during the week were a little light on competition with the exception of a few but the weekend brought better selection, including the undisputed game of the week in the region.

The aforementioned spotlight matchup occurred Friday in Nicholasville as the West Jessamine Colts took down Pulaski County by a score of 69 to 57. A mix of newcomers, returning talent, and a new, experienced coach have the Colts looking like a contender out of the gate. Pulaski County still looks to be in that conversation all season as well, but, like we have talked about, health and consistency will be essential to them challenging for the title yet again. 

We will break down the rankings here shortly, but Mercer County joins Pulaski and West Jessamine in the top tier to start the season. The next level is made up of Southwestern, DCA, and Lincoln County, all teams that should be able to beat any other team in the region on a given night. 

The schedule across the region gets more bountiful in both quality and quantity this week, really starting on Tuesday with a great mix of games between regional foes and games between 12th region contenders and other quality central Kentucky programs.

Rankings

1. Mercer County (3-0) - The Titans are off and rolling, going undefeated in week 1 with wins over Somerset, Burgin, and Collins. Trevor Ellis scored 15 in both the win over Somerset and the win over Burgin. It will be essential to the Titans' success for them to provide quality complementary performances around Ellis. So far, so good. They face Trinity Christian and Caverna this coming week. Expect them to continue to be at or near the top throughout December for sure as they really don't start facing top tier talent until after Christmas.

2. West Jessamine (2-0) - How fun is the 46th going to be? We alluded to West Jessamine's story headed into the season. Coach Steve Adams has the Colts looking sharp as they downed Harrison County and Pulaski County. Sawyer Thornton and Gavin Murphy are averaging double figures in points through the first two games and Luk Tut, the leading rebounder, is right behind at 9.5 points per game. The Colts face Somerset and Danville Christian this week in two games that will definitely test them.

3. Pulaski County (0-2) - The Maroons are winless through two, but against solid competition - Madison Central and West Jessamine. They will have the ability to bounce back this week as they step down a in competition faced with games again Casey County and McCreary County Central. This was probably their hardest week in December (dependent on what the holiday tournament brings).

4. Southwestern (1-1) - The Warriors fell on the road by 1 in their opener at Metcalfe County but bounced back with a dominant win over Owsley County. Jarrett Simpson and Zachary Hutchinson are both averaging 18 points per game through those first two matchups. They host Danville and Boyle County this week. If they want to prove they are a real contender right out of the gate then they need to win these two games.

5. Danville Christian Academy (1-1) - Another Warriors squad, another team that went 1-1 for the week. DCA fell to Woodford County on the road in the opener but came back with a win over North Hardin later in the week. Their game with Adair County on 12/9 has been cancelled. They will face West Jessamine, Garrard County and East Jessamine.

6. Lincoln County (2-0) - The Patriots get two road wins out of region, something that isn't always easy to do. They defeated Lafayette by 1 and Harrison County by 12. Cash Baird in averaging 18 points through those first two while Sawyer Robbins is right behind him at 17 points per game. Clay Pendygraft is a name to get familiar with as he is showing the ability to contribute in the scoring column as well as a rebounder. The Patriots face Henry Clay and East Jessamine this week.

7. Somerset (1-1) - The Jumpers fell to mighty Mercer County to start the season, though Landen Lonesky and Aedyn Absher both had 14. They bounced back with a win over Danville at home. They face West Jessamine and Rockcastle County this week.

8. Boyle County (1-0) - The Rebels are keeping their December light as they anticipated not having their football players in the gym as early as they did. They had just one game last week, a forty point drumming over district foe Burgin. They have just one game this coming week, albeit a much tougher one as they travel to Southwestern.

9. East Jessamine (0-2) - Though winless, the Jaguars gave themselves a challenging opening week hosting Scott County and Lexington Christian. Keelyn Daniel is at 24.5 points per game through 2 games and will be a tough assignment for any defense. They face DCA, Lincoln County and Mason County this week as their tough December schedule continues.

10.  Wayne County (1-1) - The Jarrad Parmley Era started off with a loss to Whitley County on the road but the Cardinals were able to open up home play with a four point win over Garrard County. Kendall Phillips is starting off strong, averaging 15 points per game through 2 games. They face Taylor County and Knox Central on the road this week.

11. Garrard County (2-1) - Their only loss was the above four point game with Wayne County. They face Somerset Christian, Danville Christian, and Burgin this week. 

12. Danville (2-1) - Their only loss was a road trip to Somerset. I think they can quickly climb the rankings and they will do exactly that if they beat Southwestern.

13. McCreary County Central (1-0) - They got their opening win over Rockcastle County and now open up at home with Pulaski County. They follow that with a trip to Danville.

14. Trinity Christian (2-0) - Their leading scorer from last year may be gone but Bryce Thompson has already gone for 28 in a game. They face district foes Mercer County and Burgin this week.

15. Rockcastle County (0-1) - They face Berea and Somerset this week after falling to McCreary this past week.

16. Somerset Christian (3-0) - The Cougars are undefeated to start the season but step up in competition this week as they face Garrard County, Lynn Camp and Harlan.

17. Casey County (0-2) - They fell to Somerset Christian and Frankfort Christian. They face Burgin, Russell County, and Pulaski County this week.

18. Burgin (0-3) - The Bulldogs will look to find their first win of the year as they face Casey County followed by Trinity Christian and Garrard County this week.

19. Kentucky School for the Deaf (0-1) - The Colonels fell to the Light Eagles program (also located in Danville) and face the Tennessee School for the Deaf and Frankfort Christian this week.

Nice analysis!

3 hours ago, 24Rocks said:

Pulaski is actually 0-3.  They lost to Jeffersontown on Saturday.  I’m not sure they deserve a #3 ranking at this time 

That game wasn’t showing on the scoreboard earlier this afternoon. And I get the scrutiny of Pulaski at 3 but I haven’t seen enough from the teams below them yet to say they need to drop out of the top 3. They have the pieces of a top 3 team. They have been competitive. That’s enough for me it at the moment but it won’t be long until that changes. 
 

I love Lincoln. I also know DCA and Southwestern are capable of soon overtaking really any of the top 3 if those teams slip up. It’s going to be a fun region.

1 hour ago, QueenoftheSouth said:

They clearly have the pieces but it has to be concerning for them. I know some are going to say “but football,” but to me that’s mostly an excuse for basketball coaches at this point (unless their football team was at Kroger Field this weekend).
 

The last 2 years has seen Pulaski looking good early (yes even with having a football team), which isn’t happening this year. Curious to see how it plays out for them this time.

They have the pieces but each of the pieces seems to come with a caveat, which is probably true for most high school teams........  Carson Fraley is their best player and one of the better players in the region but he is slow.  If he can back his way to the right hand block he'll probably shoot that little right handed shot and score it.  Madison Central figured that out and took that away.

Farmer has a good, though a bit awkward looking hook with either hand, but his range is limited.  Cook is an excellent spot up three point shooter but he's not much of a threat to drive.   Anderson is a good all around athlete and has the best post moves but Farmer has that position locked up.  etc. etc.  There seems to be a "but" associated with each of them and when combined they add up to a team with potential but with flaws.

Coach Fraley's challenge is to figure out how to get those pieces working together.  I said a couple of weeks ago that they lack quickness and was told I didn't know what I was talking about but I stand by that assessment.  Madison Central and West Jessamine both got a lead in the second half and PC had a hard time playing from behind.  They just couldn't get any meaningful pressure on them.  Both of those teams had some quicker players than PC and they took advantage of it.

There are several 12th region teams they won't have any problems with.  However,  I think they're missing Blankenship and Wooldridge more than people thought they would.  

Why is Adair/DCA cancelled on the 9th?  Shouldn’t be weather? That’s a big time game.  DCA plays a tough out of region schedule with most region teams opting not to play them. 

Bookmark it Pulaski will be there in the end if Zach Anderson becomes full go.  If he’s injured, or half speed because of it I would maybe change my thought.  Good rankings, hard to rank a bunch of 1 & 1 teams.  Pulaski lost to Mad. central by ten, Lincoln beats Lafayette by one, Mad central beats Lafayette by 40.  Hard to know who is good this early.  Teenagers are unpredictable night to night, and this region is wide open.  

1 hour ago, 24Rocks said:

They have the pieces but each of the pieces seems to come with a caveat, which is probably true for most high school teams........  Carson Fraley is their best player and one of the better players in the region but he is slow.  If he can back his way to the right hand block he'll probably shoot that little right handed shot and score it.  Madison Central figured that out and took that away.

Farmer has a good, though a bit awkward looking hook with either hand, but his range is limited.  Cook is an excellent spot up three point shooter but he's not much of a threat to drive.   Anderson is a good all around athlete and has the best post moves but Farmer has that position locked up.  etc. etc.  There seems to be a "but" associated with each of them and when combined they add up to a team with potential but with flaws.

Coach Fraley's challenge is to figure out how to get those pieces working together.  I said a couple of weeks ago that they lack quickness and was told I didn't know what I was talking about but I stand by that assessment.  Madison Central and West Jessamine both got a lead in the second half and PC had a hard time playing from behind.  They just couldn't get any meaningful pressure on them.  Both of those teams had some quicker players than PC and they took advantage of it.

There are several 12th region teams they won't have any problems with.  However,  I think they're missing Blankenship and Wooldridge more than people thought they would.  

I think the comment on lack of quickness is a fair one. They’re not an overly athletic team but also haven’t been the last couple years (and they won it both years). 

11 minutes ago, LethalPG said:

Why is Adair/DCA cancelled on the 9th?  Shouldn’t be weather? That’s a big time game.  DCA plays a tough out of region schedule with most region teams opting not to play them. 

I heard that it was because they'd scheduled 5 games in 7 days and realized it was too much.  

The last I checked they had 8 games against top 25 teams.