11th Region Boys Basketball Preview

2024-25 saw the 11^th Region produce the State Champion.  Great Crossing, led by Mr. Basketball, and UK signee, Malachi Moreno and Vince Dawson, cut down the nets at Rupp Arena to add to the rich tradition of 11^th Region basketball.  In addition to the Champs, 6 other teams in the 11^th won at least 20 games.  Frederick Douglass, who fell in the Regional Finals by 2 points to Great Crossing, and Bryan Station all finished in the final top 10 rankings.   Great Crossing has to replace 71 points and 31 rebounds from their State Championship roster, and may take a step back this season, but will no doubt expect to compete with the teams at the top of the region.  Meanwhile, Frederick Douglass, Madison Central, Bryan Station, Lexington Catholic and Henry Clay all expect to be right there come March.  It should be another fun year in one of the best, if not the best,  region in the state.  I feel pretty good about the top 4.  After that it might take a while for things to shake out.  Thank you to the coaches that responded with information about their teams. Let’s take a look at what to expect. 

Here are the preseason rankings: 

1.  Frederick Douglass

24-25: 25-5, lost to Great Crossing  59-57 in 11^th Region Finals

Two points.  That’s all that separated the Broncos from a trip to Rupp Arena, and a possible State Championship.  Douglass was down by 13 points to Great Crossing in the 4^th quarter but staged a furious rally and had what would have been a game winning 3 point shot fall just short to end their season short of their goal.  The Broncos featured a balanced attack last season, with 7 different players averaging between 4.3 and 15.9 points per game.  While mainstays Aveion Chenault and Jaunte Jenkins have graduated from that squad, Coach Murray Garvin returns a deep, and experienced roster.   DeMarcus Surratt returns for his senior season after leading the Broncos in scoring last season with 15.9 points per game.   Joining him will be fellow senior Tate Robinson, who averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 44.9% on three point attempts last season.   Junior point guard Dakari Talbert figures to also play a key role after averaging 6.8 points a season ago.  In addition to Surratt and Robinson, Frederick Douglass will feature 9 total seniors with Keenon Banther, Terry Cayson, Nate Coen, Tavian Cotton, Naz Gillispie, Travis Joes and  Daniel Mpiana looking to play expanded roles in their final season at “The Farm.”  This team is experienced and deep.  

2. Madison Central

24-25: 20-12, lost to Frederick Douglass 62-52 in the 11^th Region Quarter-finals

Madison Central was the most improved team in the region last season.  After struggling to a 10-23 record in 23-24, Coach Allen Feldhaus Indians improved to 20-12, and won the 44^th District before falling to Frederick Douglass in the opening round of the 11^th Region Tournament.  A large part of that turnaround was due to the addition of the coach’s nephew, Jake Feldhaus.  After transferring from Mason County Feldhaus immediately became one of the best players in the 11^th Region.  In his Junior campaign, the Belmont signee averaged a double/double as he poured in 22 points per game, while pulling down 11.3 rebounds.  He’ll be joined by fellow returning senior starters Luke Asher (15.4 ppg/4.9 rpg), Will Richardson (8.3 ppg/2.6 rpg), and Cameron Steele (4 ppg).  The big news in the offseason was the addition of Grayson Allen who transferred in from Knox Central.  Allen averaged 21.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a freshman.  He is a dynamic shooter: 50% from the field, 40.9% from 3 and 81.2% from the line.  If Freddy D is #1 in the region, Madison Central is 1A. 

3. Bryan Station

24-25: 25-7, lost to Great Crossing 59-56 in 11^th Region Semi-finals

Bryan Station also came up just short to Great Crossing in the 11^th Region Tournament, when they fell 59-56 to the eventual State Champs.  The Defenders graduated 7 seniors from that team, but return their two leading scorers in seniors Amari Owens (22.5 ppg/4.2 rpg) and Taeshawn Adams (13.3 ppg/6.2 rpg).  Coach Champ Ligon will lean heavily on that dynamic duo, especially at the beginning of the season as his players settle in their expanded roles.  The Defenders played Frederick Douglass 4 times last season, with the Broncos coming out on top in 3 of those contests.  Station got closer in each game, losing by 8, then 6 then a single point before breaking through in the 42^nd District finals.   The two teams aren’t in the same holiday tournament this season, like they were last year, but could still square off 3 or 4 times, depending on how the postseason shapes up.  Each one should be a must see event. 

 4. Lexington Catholic

24-25: 23-10, lost to Frederick Douglass in the 11^th Region Sem-Finals

Lexington Catholic went through some growing pains to begin last season.  But that’s to be expected when you graduate 9 seniors off of a 32-3 regional finalist.  The Knights record sat at 7-8 through their first fifteen games.  From there, however, Coach Brandon Salsman’s team caught fire, going 16-2 down the stretch and making it to the 11^th Region Semi-Finals.  Catholic made that run with primarily a cast of underclassmen.  The only senior that played a major role was Ryan Harward (12.2 ppg/4.7 rpg).  The Knights will enter 25-26 with 3 of their top 4 scorers and rebounders returning.  Leading scorer Max Meagher (12.9 ppg/5.6 rpg) and fellow senior Hank Woodall (11.0 ppg/5.7 rpg) will be joined by junior Jacob Holland (9.9 ppg/3.6 rpg) to form one of the most experienced trios in the region.

 5. Henry Clay

24-25: 20-8, lost to Bryan Station 60-48 in the first round of the 42^nd District Tournament

Henry Clay graduated 8 seniors from a team that won 20 games last season, but faded down the stretch, losing 3 out of their last 5, and bowing out in the first round of the district.  Though the Blue Devils lost a lot of scoring and experience, Coach Daniel Brown does return his leading scorer Jackson Stephan.  The senior wing averaged 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds last season, and is one of the top returning players in the region.  He’ll be counted on heavily on a Henry Clay roster that only features one other senior in guard Vance Waide.   Scott County transfer Colton Helton (12.7 ppg/4.6 rpg) should move into the starting lineup and be a big factor for the Devils.  Juniors Isiah Brown, Barrett Goodwin, Henry Morgan and Chaii Paris will add experience. 

 6. Tates Creek

24-25 13-16, lost to Lexington Catholic 61-53 in the semi-finals of the 43^rd District Tournament

Tates Creek had a young team last season, and consequently had an up and down season.  They opened up the season 5-1, then lost 10 out 12, before finishing 6-5 down the stretch.  In the middle of their midseason swoon was a 7 game losing streak.  Outside of that the Commodores were a solid 13-9.  Coach Keaton Belcher returns 4 of his top 5 scorers and rebounders from that squad.  Seniors Stephen Franklin (13.8 ppg/4.6 rpg) and Brady Manning (7.7 ppg/1.8 rpg) will be joined by junior Tom Haubenreich (8.9 ppg/3.5 rpg) and sophomore point guard AJ Slaughter (11.2 ppg/4.6 rpg) to form a squad that should contend with Lexington Catholic and Lafayette for the 43^rd District crown. 

 7. Lafayette

24-25: 12-17, lost to Lexington Christian 53-52 in the first round of the 43^rd District Tournament

The Generals, with a young, inexperienced roster, stumbled out of the gate last season, losing their first 6 games, and 8 of their first 10.  From there, though, things seemed to start to click for Coach Vince Sanford’s team.  Lafayette went 10-9 the rest of the way.  Lafayette returns 3 of their top 5 scorers and figures to be much improved.  They will be led by a pair of seniors Tyler Hunt (14.7ppg/7.8 rpg), who led the team in scoring and rebounding, and KJ Jones (10.5ppg/2.1 rpg).  They will be joined by juniors Ben Marsh (6.0 ppg/4.8 rpg) and Cooper Kirk (3.3 ppg/1.7 rpg), to form an experienced core that should continue the path that they established in the second half of last season. 

 8. Great Crossing

24-25: 35-4, won State Championship 71-61 over Bowling Green

Great Crossing had a storybook season last year.  Coach Steve Page’s Warhawks, lost only a single game to a Kentucky team all season, and won their final 27 games in a row on their way to a State Championship.  Gone from that team are 6 seniors including Mr. Basketball Malachi Moreno (21.5 ppg/14.9 rpg), and Vince Dawson (18.0 ppg/5.3 rpg).  Rising junior LJ Holman transferred to Hargrave Military Academy as well.  The Warhawks will be very young with only Center Brady Orem (4.4 ppg/2.3 rpg)  and Travanti Cooper (2.2 ppg/1.9 rpg being the only returning players that averaged more than 2 points per game.  Though they will be young, Great Crossing has a large sophomore class that they will lean on heavily to bolster the 5 returning upperclassmen.

 9. Madison Southern

24-25: 15-16, lost to Madison Central 80-49 in first round of 44^th District Tournament 

The Eagles lost their top 2 scorers from last season with the graduation of Casen Nobbe (22.5 ppg/3.6 rpg) and Micah Whitaker (10.9 ppg/3.2 rpg).  However Coach Steve Wright’s team brings back several players that played major minutes for Southern last season.  Guards Tucker Nobbe (5.8 ppg/2.3 rpg) and Derek Helton (6.0 ppg/4.4 rpg) return for their sophomore seasons after being key role players as freshmen.  They will be counted on to play a much larger role this season.  They’ll be joined by junior forward Jordan Dunaway (6.3 ppg/5.4 rpg) to form an intriguing core.  If these young, but experienced players take a step forward, the Eagles should improve on their worksheet from last season. 

 10. Scott County

24-25: 6-21, lost to Sayre 83-48 in the first round of the 42^nd District Tournament

There’s no way around it, 24-25 was a lost season for Scott County.  The Cardinals finished 6-21 and went 2-13 in 11^th Region games.  Sean Woods has been brought in to restore Scott County to the level of play that Cardinal fans are used to.  The point guard for UK’s “Unforgettables” brings 20 years of coaching experience at the college level to Georgetown. Leading scorer Colton Helton transferred to Henry Clay in the offseason, but the Cardinals do return some experience from last season.  Starters Phillip Grimes (6.8 ppg) and Montae Washburn (10.1 ppg) return for their senior seasons and will make up an experience backcourt.  Junior Denzel Pulliam and sophomore Reed Rutledge will be counted on to play expanded roles after getting varsity experience last season.  Caelin Hunter, who transferred from Bryan Station, but was not able to play last season due to an injury, will play a role as well. 

 11. Lexington Christian

24-25: 15-18, lost to Great Crossing 81-51 in the first round of the 11^th Region Tournament

The Eagles graduated their 3 leading scorers from last season, including Saxton Howard and his 25.2 points per game.  There is reason for optimism for Coach Ted Hall however.  Caleb Marshall averaged 10.8 points per game, and shot 41.5% from three point range last season as a freshman.  He’ll be joined by fellow sharpshooter Chase Bentley (7.2 ppg/37.8% from 3) who will just be a freshman.  These two will be a problem for their fellow 11^th Region teams for a while.  LCA will be young this season, with only 1 senior on the roster.  But on nights that the threes are going down, they will be dangerous. 

 12. Sayre

24-25: 17-12, lost to Frederick Douglass 77-56 in 42^nd District Semi-Finals

Sayre graduated seven seniors, and 6 out of their top 7 scorers, from last season’s 17-12 squad.  Coach Rob Goodman does have some experience returning however.  Power forward Savion Staley (6.8 ppg/4.4 rpg), and point guard Caden Jones (2.5 ppg/1.0 rpg) return for their senior seasons.  They should get a boost from fellow senior combo guard Kenji Berger, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.  At times the Spartans might feature two point guards on the floor at the same time, as junior Will Johnson is expected to be a contributor.  This team should be athletic, like last season, but should be a better shooting team. 

 13. Western Hills

24-25: 10-21, lost to Great Crossing in the first round of the 11^th Region Tournament  

Western Hills struggled to a 10-21 record last season, especially in a stretch where the Wolverines lost 11 of 12 games.  Coach Geoff Cody’s team got it together late in the season, however and upended crosstown rival Franklin County to get to the 11^th Region Tournament, where they ran into eventual State Champion Great Crossing.  The Wolverines return a trio of contributors from that team. Wings Preston Clouse (5.9 ppf/36.5% 3pt) and Cameron Flynn (5.3 ppg/35.5% 3pt) are capable three point shooters.  Sophomore Matt Dicken averaged 3.9 points per game as a freshman and should be a major contributor this season.

 14. Franklin County

24-25: 11-14, lost to Western Hills 57-54 in first round of the 41^st District Tournament

Coach Mac McIntosh takes over as Coach of the Flyers and will hope to improve on their 11-14 record, and first round exit in the district tournament.  He will be the 5^th head coach iin the last 4 seasons for Franklin County.  His main returning starter is combo guard Kaevin Russell, who averaged 10.6 points and 2.7 rebounds a year ago.  Luke McDonald averaged 2.7 points and returns for his junior season.  Seniors LeDarrius Simmons, and Shalom Moore, both part of Franklin County’s undefeated football team, show on the roster after not playing last season.  They could add an interesting wrinkle to the Flyers roster. 

 15. Paul Laurence Dunbar

24-25: 3-27, lost to Tates Creek 82-62 in the first round of the 43^rd District Tournament

The 2024-25 season was a disaster for Dunbar, as they limped to a 3-27 record, with only a single win against an 11^th Region opponent.  Steve Quattrocchi was brought in to take over as head coach to right the ship.  He returns several contributors from last years team.  The leading returning scorer is junior power forward Asher Horn, who averaged 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.  He’ll be joined by senior wing Cage Taylor (11.5ppg/3.6 rpg), junior guard Dominic Faulkner (6.8 ppg/2.9 rpg) and senior big Landen Egner (7.6 ppg/5.9 rpg).  In additon, 4 seniors appear on this season’s roster that did not play for the Bulldogs last season: Blake Young, Chris Snow, JT Martin and Miles Johnson.  I could not find much information on them, but if they are able to contribute, PLD should be much improved.

 16. Frankfort

24-25: 23-8, lost to Great Crossing 74-35 in the semifinals of the 41^st District Tournament

Coach Ed McKinney, who led Frankfort to a surprising 23-8 record a season ago, unexpectedly stepped down last month to take a job on the Centre College staff.  Derek Robinson was tabbed to step in and lead the Panthers this season.  Frankfort lost leading scorer Kiyas White (15.1 ppf/4.2 rpg) to graduation as well as Zavian Knuckles (14.0 ppg/3.4 rgp) and Teagan Crowdus (6.9 ppg/3.2 rpg) to transfer.  Their leading returning scorer is Cameron Crocker who averaged 8 points and 3 rebounds a game as an 8^th grader last season.  He’ll be joined by Gavin Proffitt (7.4 ppg/3.1 rpg) and Stephane Bebe (2.5 ppg/1.4 rpg) to lead the team this season. 

 17. Berea

24-25: 14-17, lost to Bryan Station 82-47 in the first round of the 11^th Region Tournament

Coach Eric Fields Pirates made a run to the 11^th Region Tournament last season.  If they are to do that again, they will lean heavily on senior guards Finley Blevin (11.2 ppg/39.4% 3pt) and Liam Brewer (7.3 ppg/33.8% 3pt) who combined to knock down 133 three pointers last season.

 18. Model

24-25: 15-14, lost to Berea in the first round of the 44^st District Tournament

The Patriots return their 2^nd leading  scorer, and leading rebounder in senior Riley Mollette (14.9 ppg/9.3 rpg) who averaged almost a double double last season.  Coach Christopher Evans also returns senior Jayden Bingham (5.0 ppg) and sophomore Landon Mayo (5.7 ppg).  Model’s roster features 10 players that will be either freshmen or sophomores this season, so there might be some growing pains along the way.  

19. Frankfort Christian

24-25: 4-24, lost to Frankfort 84-32 in the first round of the 41^st District Tournament

Brendon Woody will step in as the Head Coach to lead the Royals as they continue to build their program.  Frankfort Christian does return their three leading scorers in the senior trio of William Sims (17.5 ppg/6.2 rpg), Grant Asher (9.8 ppg/3.2 rpg) and Kaden Bratton (8.1 ppg)  as they look to be more competitive this season.