The squeaky symphony of rubber meeting hardwood stitches together a timeless opus stretched across generations. 

The Seventh Region strain tells of Allan Houston's satin jump shot and Seneca’s back to back state crowns in the 60s, Darrell Griffith soaring skyward and Eastern’s run through Rupp in ‘97.

A new generation is eager to make its mark, to compose the next verse of a song we'll have stuck in our heads from the first of December through the end of March.

• St. X shoots for back to back titles and an opportunity to quench a six decade state drought. 

• The recurring transience of Louisville basketball sends two of the city's most gifted to the open arms of Ballard, now the greatest obstacle to an X repeat.

• The young talent in the 7th is as promising as it's been in ages. Several members of the sophomore class have received a concoction of Division I offers, aau superlatives, and lofty prospect rankings.

 

This region is its own animal, and we begin with one in particular that has no intention of changing its stripes….

 

1. Saint Xavier ?

’24-’25 | 31-3, 7th Region Champion, 26th District Champion

? | Jeremiah Jackson (14.5 ppg/Southern Illinois commit), “Chief” Cameron (9.0 ppg), Joshua Lindsay (7.4 ppg/Top 20 player in the nation for the Class of ‘28)

? | Chance Dillingham (13.8 ppg), Will Hanke (9.3 ppg), Graham Krezmien (7.8 ppg)

?️ | After spending most of last season as the top ranked team in the state, the Tigers - and their twenty game win streak - were cut down at Rupp by J-Town. Three of the Top 10 players in the region reside on Poplar Level Road, making the X-Men an easy pick to repeat as champions and continue pursuit of the program's first state crown since 1962. Seniors Jackson and Cameron, plus hyper-athletic and highly regarded Lindsay have unfinished business. Joining Lindsay in a loaded sophomore class is 6’7” Jordan Jackson (offers from Oklahoma State and Morehead State) and 6’4” Braylon Garr. The Tigers are not only #1 in the 7th, they're probably opening the season atop the statewide polls, as well. 

 

2. Ballard ? 

’24-’25 | 20-11, 28th District Champion 

? | Baron Clay (7.8 ppg), Jaden Culver (7.3 ppg)

? | Sam Frazier (17.8 ppg), Blake Russell (15.8 ppg), Nate Richardson (11.6 ppg), Nick Hayden (9.4 ppg)

?️ | Tradition doesn't graduate, but the Bruins’ top four scorers did. That's 55 ppg combined out of Ballard's 75 point average from last season. Tradition does, however, attract talent looking for a change of scenery. It starts with former Male sharpshooter and region player of the year candidate Cole Edelen (WKU commit) and ends with highly touted sophomore Boogie Cook, formerly of CAL and owner of several P4 offers. Edelen, Cook, and the backcourt tandem of Clay and Culver may provide the most stubborn resistance to a St. X repeat. 

 

3. Male ? 

’24-’25 | 17-12

? | Jordan Mitchell (15.2 ppg), Jaymes Clark (8.5 ppg)

? | Jayson Gasaway (13.4 ppg), KeaShawn Jordan (10.1 ppg)

?️ | Is the future now for the Bulldogs? If it's not, it's coming sooner or later. With the transfer loss of star Edelen, sophomore Mitchell (Top 100 player in the country according to 247) is the next man up, followed by the titillating potential of 6’9” fellow sophomore and DI prospect Trey Hillerich, who can stretch the floor. The versatile Clark will give Male a little of everything, including senior stability.

 

4. Christian Academy of Louisville ⚔️ 

’24-’25 | 13-16

? | Jayden Washington (21.0 ppg/DI offer), Roland Swan (8.4 ppg), Guy Turner (7.4 ppg)

?️ | What might have been….the transfer losses of Boogie Cook and Man Robinson dings the Centurions a little. With them, CAL was set for the present and future. As it stands, they will still be formidable with the return of Washington, Swan, Turner, and sophomore Myles Howard, another Top 100 prospect. If Howard can make the jump from role player to the budding star he's projected to be, the Centurions could be the real deal anyway. 

 

5. Trinity ☘️ 

’24-’25 | 17-15, 7th Region Runner-up, 27th District Champion 

? | Garrison Gilvin (10.5 ppg)

? | Julius Edmonds (10.2 ppg), Avery Frasher (5.6 ppg), Josiah Lawson (5.6 ppg)

?️ | Arguably the most impactful transfer news out of the 7th was the loss of T's leading scorer Jayden Johnson (14.4 ppg) to Wasatch Academy (Utah). Johnson was the top rated player in the state for the current senior class and holds several P4 offers. Guard Garrison Gilvin stands as the lone returning bright spot, around whom the Rocks will orchestrate a rebuild. This doesn't look like a championship team on paper, but it's Trinity, so…. give them time.

 

6. Manual ♈ 

’24-’25 | 26-6, 25th District Champion

? | Ahmad Shelton (6.6 ppg), Geoffrey Njogu (5.4 ppg)

? |Malachi Coleman (21.0 ppg), Justice Decker (16.3 ppg), Noah Smith (10.5 ppg)

?️ | Coach Miquel Coleman has forged the Crimsons into a perennial contender. The goats have run off five consecutive district titles and four straight twenty win seasons. To keep things moving in the right direction, Manual has to overcome the loss of all three double figure scorers. Njogu has been getting some pre-season love from the media and will be expected to take a step toward becoming one of the region's best.

 

7. Eastern ?

’24-’25 | 13-15

? | Josh Brock (10.8 ppg), Bramer Thornsbury (7.8 ppg), Johnny McFarland (7.4 ppg)

? | Calvin Anthony Nichols (8.3)

?️ | The ceiling got a whole lot higher - figuratively and literally - with the incoming transfers of Noah Bol (7’1”/DI interest) and Damian Jung (6’10”/Northeastern commit). Whether or not they can offset the outgoing transfer of leading scorer Cash Whitehead remains to be seen. The starting five looks legit, but depth could be a question mark. The Eagles are the 7th Region’s wildcard.

 

8. Waggener ??

’24-’25 | 10-14 

? | William Effinger (13.6 ppg), Leo McQuery (12.3 ppg), Arion Roach (6.0 ppg)

? | Chrishad Bethel (12.1 ppg)

?️ | The Wildcats return all but one player from the main rotation. The district jockeying between Waggener, Atherton, and Seneca may be the most underrated battles in the 7th this season. If there's an achilles heel for this team, it's perimeter shooting. The Wildcats were dead last in the region in made threes and percentage.

 

9. Atherton 〰️

’24-’25 | 15-11

? | Jeffry Johnson (16.8 ppg), Keenan Tudor (6.5 ppg)

? | Emmanuel Jones (16.5 ppg), Delvontay Coward (9.5 ppg)

?️ | Long a doormat of the city, the Ravens have posted back to back winning seasons for the first time this century. They even gave Trinity something to think about in the 27th District. Johnson excels in transition and is a ball-hawking defender. He may have to steal a drop or two of juice from the football program to keep the basketball side trending up.

 

10. Seneca ??

’24-’25 | 9-22

? | Noah Stephens (15.9 ppg), Darian Shy (15.8 ppg), Prestyn Wheatley (13.3 ppg)

? | Deaireus Wells (11.5)

?️ | A lot of offensive firepower returns for the Redhawks. They just need full seasons from Stephens and Shy, who both missed significant time last year. Wheatley is yet another member of a loaded sophomore class in Louisville. Scoring shouldn't be an issue, it's the defense that needs improvement. No one in the city allowed more points last year than Seneca.

 

11. Shawnee ?

’24-’25 | 10-19

? | Kentrell Britt (11.2 ppg), Mikey Walker (11.1 ppg), Levi Shanklin (10.0 ppg)

? | Charlie Baker (10.3 ppg), Markel Maddox (8.2 ppg)

?️ | Optimism abounds for a team that returns three double figure scorers. They need bodies on the glass, but the Eagles could slide up a notch or two in the region after battling tooth and nail with the middle tier late last season.

 

12. Brown ?

’24-’25 | 13-17

? | Dayton Evans (12.9 ppg),  Samuel Valentine (10.5 ppg)

? | KJ Mitchell (9.2 ppg), Muhammed Seck (8.5 ppg)

?️ | Another 26th District team under the boot of X and H. Last season began and ended with the Bears taking some lumps, with a few more sprinkled in between. Most of their wins came against the worst teams in Louisville. If there's improvement this season, expect it to be marginal.

 

13. Central ? 

’24-’25 | 8-21

? | Tae'ren Pryor (13.0 ppg)

? | Kual Deng (12.7 ppg), 

?️ | The Jackets are wallowing in a stretch of six consecutive losing seasons. The prospects of getting back “in the black” don't look promising. Leading scorer Pryor is back, but Deng’s versatility will be missed and Chris King (11.7 ppg) is nowhere to be found on this season's roster. Shawnee looks primed to overtake Central in the district, something that seemed unfathomable in the 2010s.

 

14. Kentucky Country Day ??

’24-’25 | 5-17

? | Paxton Byrne (15.1 ppg), Carter Suddick (10.1 ppg)

? | Coleman Akridge (19.1 ppg)

?️ | The Bearcats’ five wins came against the bottom of Louisville's barrel. Akridge was the pace setter for a team that liked to shoot the three, but having Byrne and Suddick back should help ease that loss of production.

 

15. Louisville Collegiate ⚔️ 

’24-’25 | 7-24

? | Neal Wantye (16.4 ppg), Zac Tossou (7.2 ppg)

?️ | Improvement is expected with the return of last year's top five scorers. Is it enough to climb out of the 26th District cellar? They should at the very least pose a challenge to Brown.

 

16. Highlands Latin ???????

’24-’25 9-12 

? | Luke Hamilton (19.1 ppg) | Eli Pellum (8.9 ppg)

? | Ryan Kimbell (14.4 ppg)

?️ | The Highlanders are dipping their toes back into district and regional competition for the first time in a couple of years. Hamilton's ability to score will go a long way toward keeping them out of the region's basement.

 

17. Portland Christian ?

’24-’25 | 12-17

? | Ben Keller (14.8 ppg), Jack Tredway (9.2 ppg)

? | Dylan Webb (13.3 ppg)

?️ | Keller returns as a career 1,000 point scorer, but the loss of Webb on the interior leaves a void. He averaged a double-double, including a region best 13 rebounds a night.

 

18. Francis Parker ??

’24-’25 | 8-18

? | Brooks Haile (15.3 ppg), Dax McCoy (8.1 ppg)

? | Quentin Johnson (17.1 ppg)

?️ | Johnson was a double-double machine at 17 & 10 a night. That production, especially in the paint, is hard to replace. Haile will be called upon to shoulder the offensive load. He was the Wyverns’ only perimeter threat last season.

 

Player Of The Year Watchlist

Cole Edelen (Ballard) | 21.6 ppg | 354 career 3s

 

Jeremiah Jackson (Saint Xavier) | 14.5 ppg | 52% career FG shooter

 

Jordan Mitchell (Male) | 15.2 ppg | 81% FTs

 

Jayden Washington (CAL) | 21.0 ppg | 56% on two-point FGs 

 

 

Early Season Games Of Interest 

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. But the first week of the season features several games that will provide an appropriately grand opening for one of the state's premier regions. Needless to say, December 5th is the jewel of opening week.

 

Eastern vs. South Oldham (12/1) - Our first peek at the Eagles’ twin towers against an 8th Region contender and state final four team from last season.

 

Trinity at Male (12/5) - The hype won't be what it would have been if Edelen and Johnson had stayed in place, but these are still two of the biggest athletic brands in the state and they get after one another on the hardwood.

 

Ballard vs. Manual (12/5) - We'll get our first look at Edelen and the Bruins going full throttle. Ballard will be justly favored, but Manual basketball commands a newfound respect. 

 

CAL vs. Seneca (12/5) - Two of the city's best young players meet as Howard and Wheatley look to take the next step. But it's the senior Washington that will likely wield the greatest influence.

 

Waggener vs. North Oldham (12/6) - An early opportunity to see what the Wildcats have to offer against a heavy 8th Region favorite and Top 20 caliber team in the state.

The Dec 1st game with Ballard vs North Oldham will be very interesting to see if Cole Edelen & Bookie Cook will be eligible by then.

Edited November 14, 2025Nov 14 by theguru

Top players in 7th Region based on 247 KY recruiting rankings.

Jeremiah Jackson would be number 1 on my list.  The others are real good players but they are not him.

19 hours ago, JohnWinger said:

The Dec 1st game with Ballard vs North Oldham will be very interesting to see if Cole Edelen & Bookie Cook will be eligible by then.

This game is no longer listed on Khsaa website. Wonder if North dropped them after Boogie and Cole enrolled at Ballard. Interesting ?!?!?!?

Visually the best preview yet. Great work!

Ballard has one of the best young post players in the country. He is young and he is still growing. 
6’11 Mason Grivna is very skilled

Ballard vs Male will be a battle of the two of the best centers that the city of Louisville has ever seen at such a young age! 

 

 

On 11/14/2025 at 12:28 PM, JohnWinger said:

The Dec 1st game with Ballard vs North Oldham will be very interesting to see if Cole Edelen & Bookie Cook will be eligible by then.

 

On 11/15/2025 at 7:35 AM, Bballjunkie said:

This game is no longer listed on Khsaa website. Wonder if North dropped them after Boogie and Cole enrolled at Ballard. Interesting ?!?!?!?

I'm not sure what happened there, but it's a shame that game came off the schedule. That was probably the biggest opening night game in the state.

St. X starts out #41 in the Nation in Maxpreps rankings. I think Rainier Beach at #46 will be moving up after adding Tyran Stokes.

 

27 minutes ago, Tigerpride94 said:

 

I love how active he is, especially on the defensive end. He's got length and a good looking stroke.

Male's got a good one.

 

What happen at Male for Cole to leave and go to Ballard?