Seems like a pretty fair list. I agree with @Packaged Meat though about Tre Paige being left off. Preston, from Mercer County, is another that deserves to be on this list. I believe the Titans would be a .500 team if not for him. Who do we think is the front runner for coach and player of the year?

Welcome to BGP @BucketHead01!

1 minute ago, theguru said:

Welcome to BGP @BucketHead01!

Thank you! Followed along the past couple of years, and finally decided to join.

11 minutes ago, BucketHead01 said:

Who do we think is the front runner for coach and player of the year?

I'd say either Ellis or Boyd. I think it has to be a senior which knocks Ateny out.

1 hour ago, gchs_uk9 said:

I'd say either Ellis or Boyd. I think it has to be a senior which knocks Ateny out.

I'd say Boyd.  There are several games that DCA would not have won if it hadn't been for him.  Nothing against Ellis, he's a good player, but Boyd's toughness and defense have elevated that entire team.  

So, I am going to have a very unpopular take here, but I don't think Carson Fraley belongs on the list this year. Not his fault at all, injuries have just plagued the kid. But only playing in (and these numbers don't count the most recent game against Lincoln) 16 games and averaging 11.6 points I don't think cuts it. He isn't even the highest average scorer for the Maroons. Cash Baird, Braden Fugate and Sawyer Robbins for Lincoln all have higher averages. Not saying that scoring is the end all be all, just kind of shocked he got on and no kid from Lincoln, especially Baird, did. 

2 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

I'd say either Ellis or Boyd. I think it has to be a senior which knocks Ateny out.

I would personally select Boyd, but feel like Ellis will win it.  Both, are really good HS basketball players.

I think for COY you can take two approaches:  The one with the most success (and obviously the most talent) or the ones that have done more with less.  I think the coaches will choose the ladder.  I think Keith Adkins has to be commended on the job he has done with the Titans the past few seasons though. 

Some do more with less options: Al Gover, SCS has had a great season albeit a soft schedule.  Wade Davis, McCreary Central another great season for them and a real chance to win another district crown.  Kasey McCray, Garrard Co. similar to SCS has had a good year but not yet been able to clear the hump against a challenger.  

1 hour ago, se7ens said:

So, I am going to have a very unpopular take here, but I don't think Carson Fraley belongs on the list this year. Not his fault at all, injuries have just plagued the kid. But only playing in (and these numbers don't count the most recent game against Lincoln) 16 games and averaging 11.6 points I don't think cuts it. He isn't even the highest average scorer for the Maroons. Cash Baird, Braden Fugate and Sawyer Robbins for Lincoln all have higher averages. Not saying that scoring is the end all be all, just kind of shocked he got on and no kid from Lincoln, especially Baird, did. 

I'll concur.  Kade Hargis has starred in that role for the Maroons recently.  No knock on Fraley, and it's a shame he's had to battle so many injuries. 

I think for COY Shaun Busick at DCA has to be one of the leading contenders.  At the beginning of the year most people on this site were ranking DCA at #3 or #4.  The knock on them was that they'd lost too many good players and some of the ones he had to count on were young and untested.  He installed a new offensive system, switched defenses, and built a bench that goes 5 deep.  Winning the All A state championship was huge.  Yes, he did inherit an excellent point guard in Boyd and the two bigs in Ayiei and Ateny but he's done an outstanding job in bringing the rest of them along.

I understand the argument for picking a coach who's done a lot with less, like Al Gover.  Who knows how the rest of the season will play out.  If one of the coaches who has less options makes a strong run in the regional tournament it would solidify that argument.  

52 minutes ago, 24Rocks said:

I think for COY Shaun Busick at DCA has to be one of the leading contenders.  At the beginning of the year most people on this site were ranking DCA at #3 or #4.  The knock on them was that they'd lost too many good players and some of the ones he had to count on were young and untested.  He installed a new offensive system, switched defenses, and built a bench that goes 5 deep.  Winning the All A state championship was huge.  Yes, he did inherit an excellent point guard in Boyd and the two bigs in Ayiei and Ateny but he's done an outstanding job in bringing the rest of them along.

I understand the argument for picking a coach who's done a lot with less, like Al Gover.  Who knows how the rest of the season will play out.  If one of the coaches who has less options makes a strong run in the regional tournament it would solidify that argument.  

Busick or Atkins. I’d like to see Atkins get it because I felt that he got hosed last year. To me the turnaround he orchestrated at Mercer in his first year, even with the team having lost several seniors that played a lot of minutes, was an outstanding job. I know that’s last year but he’s done a great job this year as well and he’s certainly challenged his team by playing a great schedule. His resume says a lot about the caliber of coach he is.

But I can certainly support Busick. I was expecting them to be in that 3-5 range to start the season. What he’s done by involving the bigs on both sides of the ball has been impressive. That said, the supporting cast has proven to be a lot more talented than most people thought, so that has certainly helped a ton.

2 hours ago, LethalPG said:

I would personally select Boyd, but feel like Ellis will win it.  Both, are really good HS basketball players.

I like both a lot. Tough call there as both are clearly the heart of their teams. The go-to guys for their teams, and they’re the top 2 teams. Ellis has had the better career but it’s hard to argue with what Boyd has done this year. Be interesting to see what the coaches say.

3 hours ago, se7ens said:

So, I am going to have a very unpopular take here, but I don't think Carson Fraley belongs on the list this year. Not his fault at all, injuries have just plagued the kid. But only playing in (and these numbers don't count the most recent game against Lincoln) 16 games and averaging 11.6 points I don't think cuts it. He isn't even the highest average scorer for the Maroons. Cash Baird, Braden Fugate and Sawyer Robbins for Lincoln all have higher averages. Not saying that scoring is the end all be all, just kind of shocked he got on and no kid from Lincoln, especially Baird, did. 

Completely agree. Unfortunate for the kid but it’s the reality due to his health. 

Paige is a big miss IMO. Sure he’s not on a great team and better teams often share the wealth in terms of their averages. But he’s a kid that would perform well on any team in the region. He is a top 10 player and is deserving of being on this team. He chose to remain loyal to Danville and it hurt him.

On the other side of it, with Mercer being the second best team, how do you leave Preston off? In terms of importance to a top team, he was critical. As was mentioned, they would’ve struggled without him.

Southwestern shouldn’t have two players on this team……