1) Warren Central (22-5)
High Rank - 1, Low Rank - 1, Average Rank - 1
    
2) Bowling Green (23-6)    
High Rank - 2, Low Rank - 2, Average Rank - 2
    
3) Clinton County (26-2)    
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 8, Average Rank - 3    
    
4) Barren County (17-12)    
High Rank - 4, Low Rank - 10, Average Rank - 7
    
5) Cumberland County (15-9)
High Rank - 5, Low Rank - 9, Average Rank - 8
    
6) South Warren (15-10)
High Rank - 4, Low Rank - 8, Average Rank - 5    
    
7) Russell County (16-10)
High Rank - 7, Low Rank - 14, Average Rank - 9    
    
8. Greenwood (17-12)    
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 9, Average Rank - 4    
    
9) Logan County (18-10)    
High Rank - 9, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 11
    
10) Monroe County (14-14)    
High Rank - 10, Low Rank - 15, Average Rank - 15
    
11) Warren East (14-14)
High Rank - 3, Low Rank - 11, Average Rank - 6
    
12) Franklin-Simpson (9-13)
High Rank - 8, Low Rank - 13, Average Rank - 10
    
13) Metcalfe County (10-18)
High Rank - 10, Low Rank - 14, Average Rank - 13
    
14) Glasgow (4-21)    
High Rank - 5, Low Rank - 15, Average Rank - 12
    
15) Allen County-Scottsville (11-17)
High Rank - 9, Low Rank - 15, Average Rank - 14    
    
16) Russellville (6-20)    
High Rank - 16, Low Rank - 17, Average Rank - 16
    
17) Todd County Central (2-26)    
High Rank - 16, Low Rank - 17, Average Rank - 17
    
18) Foundation Christian Academy (19-5)    
High Rank - 18, Low Rank - 18, Average Rank - 18

13th District (at Franklin-Simpson)

There's no sugar coating it - this was a pretty bad year for the 13th District.  It really was expected, as no team was ranked above 11th in our preseason poll, and there's only one above that still, and that's Logan County, who enters at ninth.  In mid-January, it looked like there was potential that no team in the district would even reach double digit wins.  It turned out not to be that dire, as Logan County really rallied the troops in the back half of the season.  It was that momentum that allowed Logan County to claim their first top seed in the 13th District since 2020, ending four straight years of Franklin-Simpson holding that honor.  The Cougars have won the last two times they came in as the top seed in the district, those coming in 2019 & 2020.  The Cougars started the year just 2-7, but fell just three times after December 28th, winning 16 of their final 19 games, and 8 of their past 9.  They all but clinched the district when they mauled Franklin-Simpson 83-53 on January 24th, a margin so large it helped overcome the loss in the return trip on February 14th (by a mere 69-62 score).  Logan County averages just over 65 points per game, and are led by one of the region's top scorers, senior forward Samson Hightower.  Hightower averages 19.9 per game, and leads the Cougars in virtually every category - scoring, 2 point shots made, three point shots made, free throws made (and FT%), and even rebounds.  Simply put, if he has an awful game, then Logan County is likely to be in trouble.  But that doesn't happen (often).  They'll match up with #4 seed Todd County Central, a team having what may very well be the worst season in the school's history.  At 2-26, you'd have to go back 30 years before they were known as Todd County Central, to the 1930s, to find a time they had fewer wins.  And it was honestly slightly surprising they even got the second win, upsetting Russellville by a 68-57 score on February 14th.  That win snapped an 18 game losing streak.  They fell by 34 and 16 to Logan County this year, but aren't that far removed from their last win over the Cougars, that coming last year, a 62-56 OT win on February 2nd, 2024.  If the Rebels are to win, they are going to have to find a way to score more than they have been.  They've only topped 60 points four times - both of their wins came in those four games.  Sophomore John Ross Cardwell is the only Rebel to average in double figures, scraping in at 10 PPG.  46% of the shots they attempt come from three, where they only shoot 30.9%.  Todd Central tends to play 7 in their rotation - only Hunter Johnson isn't letting it fly from three (only 1 attempt).  All six of the others have attempted at least 67 threes.  If they are to be David to Logan County's Goliath, that is likely where it is going to happen. They were 11/42 from deep in their two games against Logan County.  They don't have to look far for inspiration though - just last year Russellville pulled a shocking 1/4 upset over Franklin-Simpson, in a game that I gave them no chance at all.  Perhaps Todd Central can duplicate that feat....  The other matchup looks similarly mismatched, even if the records imply something different.  Certainly the margins have been more palatable.  Franklin-Simpson (9-13) and Russellville (6-20) battle in the semis for the second straight year.  Franklin-Simpson swept the season series, winning just 60-53 when it was at Franklin, the site of the district tournament,before winning 57-45 on the road the next month.  The schedule is a big reason why, but Franklin does enter the postseason on a four game winning streak, sweeping three games against their 13th District mates before winning in double overtime on the road at Glasgow in the season closer.  Franklin has only played six games since January 25th, but they did win five of them, accounting for more than half of their win total on the year.  Last year's stunning upset kept Franklin home for region, snapping a stretch of eight trips in a row, and was just their third region missed out of 23 years.  Franklin is led by junior guard Jakai Partinger's 13 PPG, the only Wildcat who averages in double figures.  As a team, they average only 53 PPG, and they've scored 60+ only seven times - not coincidentally they've won all seven of those games.  They're a solid favorite over Russellville, who has beaten them only twice in the last 17 matchups, spanning seven seasons.  It just so happens that one of those matchups was last year's district semifinals.  Russellville much more resembles Todd County Central in how they're entering the postseason.  They did manage to win on Friday, snapping a seven game losing streak, but they are just 2-13 since the start of January.  Similar to the rest of the district, the Panthers simply do not score much, averaging only 56 PPG.  They've topped 60 points four times times in that stretch since January, but only won even one of those (over Todd County Central).  Last year, they had the advantage of the district tournament being played at home - now they'll be on the road, and they haven't won a road postseason game since 2013, losing their last four attempts.  The Panthers do have standout Octavious McKeage, a senior guard who averages 19.2 PPG along with 7.8 rebounds per game.  But they feel very, very unlikely to repeat their upset of last year.  The favorites seem very likely to advance. 

Predictions
Semifinal - Logan County 72 Todd County Central 47
Semifinal - Franklin-Simpson 64 Russellville 48
Final - Logan County 56 Franklin-Simpson 50

14th District (at Bowling Green)

For the last 23 region tournaments, the region champion has emerged from this district.  For 22 of those tournaments, the winner was either Warren Central or Bowling Green.  Those two are a combined 10-0 against 4th Region opponents outside of the district, 18-0 against everyone in the region outside of their matchups with each other.  Warren Central spent the entire year ranked #1 - Bowling Green spent the entire year ranked #2.  They are strong favorites in these contests, but the district semifinals may prove to be their best potential challenges outside of matchups with each other.  In the case of Warren Central, they had a phenomenal start to the season, rolling out to a 14-1 record by mid-January, just after winning at Bowling Green in a highly anticipated matchup.  That win cemented them at the top, but they have wobbled since then.  South Warren gave them a stiff test in late January, and the Dragons have quietly gone 5-3 in their last eight.  In fact, if it weren't for the fact that they swept Bowling Green, in particular grabbing the win on February 7th, Bowling Green probably would have overtaken the Dragons in the rankings due to the comparative play between the two. Central is averaging 12 fewer PPG in February than they did the season before that point, as a mixture of injuries, health, and different styles of defense have sapped their scoring.  What is keeping the Dragons afloat is their defense.  Only five teams have reached 60 points against them this season, and one of those required overtime to do it.  When they are scoring, it is usually by senior guard Ant McAfee, one of the state's leaders in scoring and threes made per game, with 21.1 PPG and 4.1 made threes per game.  Senior forward Jarek Kirk is also averaging in double figures with 12.2 PPG, and leads the team with 7.5 RPG.  The Dragons have come to rely on three point shooting more and more, with 44% of their attempts coming from the perimeter.  But that does mean in the games that McAfee is not hitting or if a team manages to limit his looks, the Dragons become more vulnerable - that's exactly what happened in a close call with Warren East and a loss to North Hardin where McAfee hit zero three pointers.  Central will likely need to play more inside/out basketball, going inside where Kirk is shooting roughly 60% from the field, and open the looks outside back up.  They'll also look to use their length to limit teams from going inside against them, forcing them to rely on threes.  If a team can get hot from three, they have a real chance at taking down Central.  Their opponent is the last team in the region to beat the Dragons in an elimination game, and in fact, did it in on the very floor they'll compete with each other on Tuesday - defeating Central at Bowling Green in the 2021 district tournament.  Stretching back further, Greenwood is actually the region team that won the last two elimination games against Central, knocking them out in 2017.  Not Bowling Green, not Barren County, Greenwood.  Greenwood fits exactly the mold of a team that could beat Central.  They've got some good size, and a few players who like to knock down the three. And a veteran squad to boot.  Senior guards Nick Simpson and Asher Pettus lead the Gators in scoring, with 14.7 PPG and 13.1 PPG respectively.  As a team, the Gators only make 34.6% of their threes, with just 40.5% of their attempts coming from deep.  But both Simpson and Pettus can be streaky shooters, prone to getting hot.  That's what happened for Pettus the last time the two teams played, going 7/11 from three.  The first time it was Nick Simpson, with a more modest 3/7 shooting from deep.  If both can get rolling, they've got a shot.  Where Greenwood runs into trouble is in their defense.  They've allowed 70+ eight times this year, including to Warren Central.  They found defensive success in the fourth quarter of the first meeting between the two teams, utilizing pressure and an extended zone to force nine turnovers and hold down scoring in the final quarter, but they allowed 86 the last time the two teams played.  They'll need their A game to get back to region for the first time since 2021.  They'll look to channel 1994, when the Gators won their first game ever over Warren Central in the district semifinals, a year in which Central entered with 26 wins and ranked #6 in the state.  In the other matchup, Bowling Green has the decided advantage of being district host.  They've lost an elimination game at home just once in the last seven they've hosted.  It is well known that they've never lost to South Warren, beating them 36 straight times, and it hasn't been closer than 15 in the last five matchups (strangely decided by exactly 15 three times in that span).  Discounting the COVID truncated year, Bowling Green has entered postseason play with 22+ wins every year since only having 19 in 2017/18.  They've only lost three times since January 5th, going 14-3 in that span.  Two of those losses were to Central, and the other a road loss at second region favorite Henderson County.  The Purples have scored 70+ ten times during that span, including a 109 point effort that was their highest output in 24 years.  Their 46.9% shooting from three as a team leads the state.  Four Purples average in double figures, led by senior guard Luke Idlett (15 PPG), who shoots an absolutely stunning 61.5% from three. Senior Joseph Hurt is next with 13.9 PPG, and while he can shoot from outside, is a bit more apt to score inside, with good, not overwhelming height.  Braylon Banks (12.8 PPG) and Jace Wardlow (12.1 PPG) are a bit more streaky, but any one of the four can lead the team in scoring in a given game.  The Purples have a much shallower rotation than they have in recent years, usually going only 7-8 deep, and the primary six are their seniors - Idlett, Hurt, Banks, Wardlow, Deuce Bailey, and Kadyn Carpenter.  Bailey has been much less of a factor than predicted this year - he was our preseason POY, and he's averaging nearly 5 PPG less this year than last year.  If he can find whatever he's been missing, look out.  The Purples have won 45 of their last 50 games at home, and six straight going into the postseason.  Bowling Green is also 165-3 against region opponents other than Warren Central since 1/2/2013, and haven't lost to any other region team other than Central in the postseason since 2008.  Their opponent will be looking to overcome all of that history and set their own.  In addition to never beating Bowling Green, South Warren has never advanced to a region tournament.  They've lost all 10 of their district semifinal contests - falling in the district quarterfinals four other times when there were five teams.  They haven't gotten within single digits in their last four attempts, and only two of those ten saw single digit margins.  They can look to Greenwood for inspiration - in addition to the aforementioned win over Warren Central in 1994 where Greenwood grabbed their first win of the series and first region berth, the Gators notched their first win over Bowling Green in the district tournament, that coming in a quarterfinal matchup in 1992.  Warren Central went through a similar period of futility as well, failing to advance in their first 13 district tournaments before breaking through (and winning region that year).  So why not South Warren? It's been a bit of rough sailing for the Spartans since January 1, going just 6-7 in their final 13 games.  Five of those losses were in district play, so comparatively it's not as bad as it may seem, but then again, those are the teams they've got to beat.  South is led by senior guard Griffin Rardin, who averages 16.2 PPG and is a sharpshooter from deep.  Rardin shoots 44.4% from three, with a majority of his attempts and makes coming from three.  Another senior, Thad Hall, also averages in double figures with 10.2 PPG.  In their first two matchups with Bowling Green, the Spartans lost both by 15, failing to top 58 points in either, shooting much better inside the arc than outside.  They'd be best served to take care of the ball against Bowling Green's ferocious pressure, and pick their spots outside, hopefully primarily with Rardin.  If this game was not at Bowling Green, I'd feel much better about South Warren's chances of making history. 

Predictions
Not Pictured - Foundation Christian Academy
Semifinal - Warren Central 63 Greenwood 55
Semifinal - Bowling Green 72 South Warren 57
Final - Warren Central 55 Bowling Green 50

15th District (at Barren County)

Starting the year, three teams in the 15th District were ranked in our top five.  All of them fell to 10th or worse at some point, but only one scraped their way back into the top 5 at the end.  Barren County has been the standard bearer for the district for quite some time, making five straight region tournaments (though strangely with only two district tournament titles in those five years), and providing the last two region title game appearances for the district.  This year did not begin strongly, as the team opened 1-5.  It didn't end particularly well either, as they closed 1-3, albeit against good competition.  In between, they were 15-4, which included a seven game winning streak from mid-January until early February.  The Trojans are led in scoring by Senior forward Joshua Decker, one of the best post players in the region.  Decker takes good advantage of his frame, gets inside, and has made just under 56% of his shots inside the arc.  Senior guard Tate Spillman also averages in double figures, with 10.9 PPG, and is a leader on the floor, utilizing skills honed as the football team's quarterback.  Junior Kade Hardy is just below double figures, averaging 9.8 PPG, and serves as the team's primary deep threat, with 46 made threes.  The team plays inside through Decker much more than they shoot outside, a good move - they shoot just 29.3% from three as a team.  Barren County has proven adept at winning close games - they've won 8 of their last 10 games that were decided by single digits, including three games that were decided by just two points apiece.  They are 8-5 at home this year, but were perfect in district play at their gym.  In fact, they've won their last eight district games played at home.  They have advanced to the district finals in their last five tournaments hosted at Trojan gym, and they have won nine of their last ten against their opponent, Allen County-Scottsville, by margins of 14 and 19, the larger result coming at Barren County.  Allen County-Scottsville was not one of those four teams that started ranked highly - expectations started low and they stayed there.  The Patriots have a record that isn't bad, entering postseason play at 11-17.  But that included just a 3-11 mark against region teams, going 0-6 in their district, and included wins over two home school programs.  The Patriots have not advanced to the region tournament in four years, and do not look to be in good position to do it this year.  Junior Kyler Pedigo stood out for the team, averaging 18.2 PPG in his first year with the program, and leads the team in three point shooting (40.1%), free throw shooting (82.8%), and rebounds (5.2 per game).  Jackson Morris also averages in double digits with 10 PPG.  The Patriots enter the postseason on a three game losing streak, but two of those losses were as good a showing as they've had this year, losing by 10 at South Warren and by 7 at Butler County.  Despite that, they likely just don't have it in them to pull the upset over Barren County - plus, it has been 16 years since a 4 seed has won in the 15th District.  The other matchup promises much more potential.  Since Warren East moved over to the 15th District in 2023, they have met Glasgow in the district semis each year.  In 2023, East entered favored, and managed to survive at home by a 53-51 score, advancing to their first region tournament in 26 years.  Glasgow tagged them back last year by a 59-56 score, ending what had been a promising season for the Raiders.  Neither of them enter this game looking very good of late, but the two split their season matchups, seeming to indicate an unpredictable outcome.  East is on a five game losing streak coming in, losing games scoring low, scoring high, holding opponents low, and opponents scoring all over them.  The Raiders are 8-13 after starting the year 6-1.  East heavily relies on two scorers.  Junior Kaleb Prince averages 18.4 PPG, primarily driving to the hoop, and getting to the foul line, where he is 114/144 on the season.  He'll shoot threes, but it's not his primary weapon and he's far, far more likely to get inside.  More balanced in approach is senior Grenden Bratcher, who averages 15.6 PPG, and leads the team in three point percentage, makes, and attempts.  His 217 attempts from three are over 61% of his total attempts, making 38.2% of them.  There's not likely to be a game where both of the players are doing poorly, but it's unsurvivable if they do - no other player on the team averages more than 7.2 PPG.  The team is senior laden with seven - Kalbe Prince is the only significant player in the rotation who isn't.  The Raiders lost on the road in overtime to Glasgow by a 75-71 score, and then absolutely rocked the Scotties in the second matchup at home, 61-39.  This will be their first neutral court meeting of the year.  For Glasgow, the start of the year was tough as they waited for their best player to return, inside man Jerrick Martin, who only has played 11 games this year.  Unfortunately, even when he returned, things did not go well.  The Scotties have only four wins on the year, and while they have some history of playing teams close, their only wins are two over last place AC/S, the upset over East, and a December win over Russellville by five.  They enter postseason play losers of four in a row and 13 of their last 14 - one win over AC/S is the only one in that stretch.  Two players average in double figures for the Scotties, and Martin is not one of them.  Senior Josiah Driver (11.2 PPG) and Jaylen Bradley (10.1 PPG) lead an attack that is averaging only 51 PPG.  The Scotties are absolutely horrid shooting from deep - they make only 25.6% of their threes.  How can they win? They'll need to do what they did in December.  They got to the line - scoring 26 points from the charity stripe.  They limited their three point attempts - taking only 10 of 52 total attempts from outside.  And they had 41 rebounds, just absolutely crushing it on the boards.  Doing all of that without their post player Martin, it seems a formula to add Martin to and roll with.  Still, while East didn't close strong, they seem likely to win here. 

Predictions
Semifinal - Barren County 68 Allen County-Scottsville 51
Semifinal - Warren East 64 Glasgow 49
Final - Barren County 60 Warren East 53

16th District (at Cumberland County)

The 14th District may have the best teams, but the 16th District has the most teams, and their five team district tournament where seemingly anyone can win has been the most entertaining of the last couple of years.  Last year saw a buzzer beater, a 1 seed upset, and a 3 seed cutting down the nets.  You just don't know what you'll get from the district.  (Cards on the table, as I sit here writing, I am watching the 4/5 matchup between #4 Monroe County and #5 Metcalfe County, and it is NOT going well for Monroe County, so I'm going to skip that one and speak more to the other four teams.)  One constant that you have gotten most of the year is Clinton County.  The Bulldogs started the year 21-0, setting a school record for their best start and longest winning streak.  They won their first nine games against district competition, which included a pair of wins in the All A Classic against Cumberland County and Monroe County.  They were unbeaten at home.  They advanced to the quarterfinals of the All A Classic, falling in overtime to Hazard, a top ten team in the state, by just two.  That was most likely their most impressive result of the year.  Like Warren Central, they appeared unbeatable up to a point, but the cracks began to appear some in mid-January, as they had a pair of close calls against Cumberland County and Monroe County just after the All A, and the last two games they played were a two point win over Barren County and their only region loss, falling 58-48 to district rival Russell County.  The Bulldogs are very balanced, with four players scoring in double digits, and they primarily feature a six man rotation with a seventh sprinkled in.  Senior Cannon Young (16.8 PPG) leads the team, one of four Bulldogs in the rotation that shoot better than 50% at the field, coming in at 53.5%.  Junior Jaxson Mason (14 PPG), William Beaty (12.1 PPG), and Nick Poore (11.0 PPG) also all average double figures, while Drew Davis (7.8 PPG) leads the team in percentage from the field, making 59.7% of his attempts.  But with Clinton County, it's never about their scoring.  It's always about their defense - year after year, the Bulldogs are one of the best in the state at holding scoring down.  This year, they are currently fifth in the state in team defense, holding opponents to just 47.5 PPG.  Only three teams have scored more than 60 points against them, and none have scored more than 61 in regulation.  This is a team that will try to get inside, control the pace, and not give up long rebounds.  Of their two potential opponents, Monroe County has played them closer, falling by margins of 10, 15, and 7, while Metcalfe County fell by 13 and 14.  But the Hornets look like the team that will advance, and to be fair, they have not played Clinton County since January 3rd - plenty of time to make adjustments and improve.  The Hornets enter postseason play having lost six of eight, but that did include arguably their best win of the year, a 66-65 buzzer beater win over Greenwood.  A win over a 14th District team is never to be taken lightly - Clinton County didn't even play a team from that district.  The Hornets are very opposite of Clinton County in style.  They want to run, they want to score.  Unfortunately, that also means they'll frequently get into shootouts that they don't win - 12 teams scored 70+ against them, and seven of those games were decided by single digits.  Metcalfe County won none of them.  It will be difficult for them to draw Clinton County into a track meet, difficult to score enough on them, and they are going to have to be better on defense than they've been.  They do feature a very talented corps that will likely have them well positioned for next season.  Four of their top five scorers are juniors, led by junior Cade Button.  His 23.5 PPG leads the region, primarily getting inside to the rim, though he also leads the team in three point percentage at 41.2%.  Senior Hudson Jessie (13.4 PPG) and junior Kruz Tucker (10.2 PPG) also score in double figures.  One thing that may work in Metcalfe's favor is that they'll not be rusty - in addition the 4/5 game they'll have played in two games earlier, they managed to get a pair of games in last week despite the snow.  Meanwhile, Clinton County has played only three times since February 1st after a very active early schedule, and the last of those games came back on February 14th.  Perhaps if Metcalfe County can get up on them quickly and hold on, it could be interesting.  The 2/3 matchup is undoubtedly THE game of the district semifinals in the region.  District tournament host Cumberland County posted a 6-4 record in district play (going 1-1 in the All A).  Three of those losses were to Clinton County while one odd clunker was a loss to Monroe County.  The Panthers went 15-9 overall, won six of their last eight going into the postseason, and had one of the best single wins in the region, knocking off Adair County 82-77 in the season opener.  Their slate included a pair of wins over district tournament opponent Russell County, but came by margins of 3 and 4, with the four point win coming at home in overtime.  The Panthers have actually allowed more points than they've scored this year, owing to a habit of winning closely and a couple of outliers where they got blown out.  Cumberland County played 14 games this year that were decided by five points or less, going 11-3 in those games.  They're battle tested - if it's close, they won't blink, even if they don't get the win.  Three Panthers score in double figures - Senior Zachery Harwood (12.2 PPG), Sophomore Gavin Craft (11.5 PPG), and Junior Noah Wood (11.0 PPG).  However, Craft hasn't played in weeks - he may not be available.  Cumberland County has surged all the way up to our #5 spot, in large part due to a win on the road at South Warren.  They're looking to get back to the region tournament, where last year they were a surprising participant in the region semifinals.  Opposing them will be Russell County, a team that like Cumberland County is no stranger to tense games.  Four of the last six games they played coming into the postseason were decided in overtime, with the Lakers splitting those results.  Russell County is one of the higher scoring teams in the region, averaging 71.5 PPG.  They have a powerful 1-2 punch in Mayes Gosser and Owen Loy, both of which average 16.9 PPG - only a single point separates them across all games played.  Both can and will shoot threes - both are much more adept at scoring inside the arc - their 31.7% and 28.8% three point shooting percentages respectively are the two worst on the team among players who have attempted more than 10.  The threes are typically the domain of junior Maddox Shearer, who is the other double digit scorer for the team, averaging 12.2 PPG, with 61 of his 113 field goals coming from three.  Eight players typically get into the rotation for Russell County, four seniors, and four juniors.  Russell County's win over Clinton County confirms that they are a team that has the goods to win the district, but it has been a while since they've been able to get the win they need.  They haven't advanced to the region tournament since 2018, when the last appearance of their 13 regions in a row came.  The Lakers had never missed a tournament since moving to the region but have been absent for a long time.  If there's one game you can make it to or to watch streaming, I think this is the one.

Predictions
Quarterfinal - Metcalfe County 82 Monroe County 56 (it is 73-49 with 4:00 left in the game, so feeling prettttty good about this "guess")
Semifinal - Clinton County 58 Metcalfe County 49
Semifinal - Cumberland County 76 Russell County 74
Final - Clinton County 54 Cumberland County 48

Predictions are 6-2 in the district semifinal round - they were mostly all layups and the two misses were probably the most easily missed. 

Two games stood out - the 2/3 game in the 15th District between Warren East and Glasgow, and the 2/3 game in the 16th District between homestanding Cumberland County and Russell County.  In the 15th, the two teams had split their regular season series, with each home team winning.  It was a tight affair early, with Glasgow leading after the first two quarters, and they led 33-29 less than a minute into the third.  The Raiders responded with a 15-0 run, holding Glasgow scoreless for almost seven full minutes, and taking their largest lead of the game at 44-33.  But East would go cold, subsisting on free throws for most of the final quarter.  The Scotties first cut it to a one point deficit at 48-47 midway through the fourth, but couldn't equalize or get in front.  That is, until the final minute of regulation.  East led 53-52 with the ball and less than a minute left, but a turnover in the lane led to a fast break, finished by a Martin bank shot to put Glasgow in front 54-53.  The Raiders worked it for a corner three that was missed, rebounded by Gravil, and put back in while being fouled by Martin - his fifth - with just over 4 seconds left.  After a made free throw, it was 56-54 East.  The inbound came to Driver who flashed up the floor, and managed to lay it in despite the block attempt by Bratcher, sending it to OT at 56 all.  East led 62-61 just under two minutes in, but a 10-3 run put Glasgow in front for good, and sealed by an and-1 with less than 10 seconds remaining for final margin of 74-68 in OT.  It's the second straight year that Glasgow knocks East out in the semis - the 2022 region tournament appearance remains East's only trip since 1997.

In the 16th, Cumberland County seemed to have reasonable control, leading 40-35 at the half.  But a 9-0 run in the middle of the quarter put Russell County in front, and it ballooned to a 20-5 run that had the Lakers sitting on an 11 point lead going into the last quarter, and grew as high as 13.  Russell County made a pretty big mistake, taking all the air out of the ball starting at about the 5:30-6:00 mark, and it almost bit them.  It was 70-61 with 2:13 left.  The Panthers split a pair of free throws, got the rebound, laid it in - 70-64.  Forced a turnover nailed a three.  Suddenly it was 70-67 with 1:30 left - and then the Lakers charged on the next possession to return the ball.  The Panthers didn't cash in immediately, but the tone was set.  Eventually Cumberland County tied it at 71 all and missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it.  They'd closed on a 10-1 run to send it to OT.  As mentioned in the preview, both teams are well acquainted with close games and overtime sessions.  Momentum implied that Cumberland County might be poised to take it, but it would turn out, they would never lead again after that initial third quarter run.  The game was tied at 73 all in OT, but the Lakers used an 8-2 run to put the game away, winning 83-78. 

With the field set, here's a look at the teams in the region tournament:

Barren County
33rd Appearance (6th Straight)
Record: 22-31 (Lost last 2)
Titles: 1 (1999)
Result Last Appearance: 2024 Region Quarterfinalist (lost 54-50 to Cumberland County)

Bowling Green
68th Appearance (11th Straight)
Record: 110-49
Titles: 18 (Last in 2021)
Result Last Appearance: 2024 Region Runner-Up (lost 64-57 OT to Warren Central)

Clinton County
33rd Appearance (First since 2022)
Record: 13-29
Titles: 1 (1960)
Result Last Appearance: 2022 Region Semifinalist (lost 78-47 to Bowling Green)

Franklin-Simpson
44th Appearance (First since 2023)
Record: 37-39 (Lost last 7)
Titles: 4 (Last in 1992)
Result Last Appearance: 2023 Region Quarterfinalist (lost 73-28 to Warren Central)

Glasgow
51st Appearance (2nd Straight)
Record: 40-44
Titles: 6 (Last in 1977)
Result Last Appearance: 2024 Region Semifinalist (lost 71-36 to Warren Central)

Logan County
16th Appearance (2nd Straight)
Record: 13-14
Titles: 1 (1984)
Result Last Appearance: 2024 Region Quarterfinalist (lost 72-42 to Warren Central)

Russell County
14th Appearance (First since 2018)
Record: 8-13
Titles: 0 (2013 Finalist - won 1957 12th Region title)
Result Last Appearance: 2018 Region Semifinalist (lost 75-61 to Warren Central)

Warren Central
32nd Appearance (4th Straight)
Record: 72-12 (Won last 18)
Titles: 19 (Won last 3)
Result Last Appearance: 2024 Region Champions (Won 64-57 OT against Bowling Green)

-I know Warren Central has had a lot of success, but it still caught me off guard to see that five of the other seven teams lost to Central in their last appearance.
-Barren County, Bowling Green, and Warren Central are all in the field together for the 14th time since 2000.
-Mentioned in the preview, but Russell County made the first 13 region tournaments after joining the region in 05/06, but hadn't been back since, until now.  
-Glasgow is one of the lowest win total teams ever to make the field, with only five wins currently.  Allen County-Scottsville made in 2001 with just four, but it is rare air for the Scotties. Four of their wins came against 15th District competition. 

Incredible work DF!  Really appreciate your passion for basketball in the 4th Region.

While I'd like BG to win it obviously, I'm not holding my breath as it seems Central has the best team.

But I thought BG had the best team last year.  So what do I know.

Surprised East got knocked out where they did.  Thanks for all the hard work this season!

16 hours ago, Purple88 said:

Incredible work DF!  Really appreciate your passion for basketball in the 4th Region.

While I'd like BG to win it obviously, I'm not holding my breath as it seems Central has the best team.

But I thought BG had the best team last year.  So what do I know.

Surprised East got knocked out where they did.  Thanks for all the hard work this season!

WC does seem like the best team. If they are shooting it well….. oh boy! 
East is just getting penalized by the basketball gods for leaving the 14th. That’s still ridiculous.