? King of the Bluegrass ? 

Saint Xavier (3-1, Consensus #1)
vs.
Warren Central (3-0, Consensus Top 10) 

? | Perennial Powers Collide In The State's Preeminent Holiday Tournament

We'll eschew the pleasantries as two of the state's top programs dive head first into the opening round of the King of the Bluegrass, hosted by Fairdale. 

The Dragons are two seasons removed from hoisting the state championship in 2023, while X currently sits atop the polls as the early favorite to claim this season’s crown.

Both schools are recent champions of this event, with the Tigers back to defend last year's title and Warren Central ascending the throne in 2022, the season that ultimately culminated in state glory.

X has shot the lights out from behind the arc so far, connecting at a 64% clip. Josh Lindsay (19 ppg) and Jeremiah Jackson (18 ppg) lead the Tiger offensive.

Kaleb Prince paces the Dragons with 15 ppg, including 25 in a comeback win over Taylor County on Saturday. 

Central has taken down one team ranked inside the nation's Top 100. Can they make it two and cut down last year's Kings of the Bluegrass?

Tip-off: Thursday, December 18th at 7:30pm from Fairdale High School 

I'll be attending this game so can do some updates. Also the KOB Tournament is being streamed on Hudl.

It’ll be a very tough ask for the Dragons. Kaleb Prince is a great ball player but I do know when he was needed against CAL last year for the Raiders in the smaller school state championship he went 3-10, in the district tournament he goes 4-13 both were losses. What I’m getting at is in the moments he was needed it was tough for him to get it going. This is a whole new team, system, it should come easier but in a game of this magnitude and the sort of crowds you can get at these outings I’m just not sure he’ll be big enough for the moment. I hope I’m very wrong and he drops 30 and the Dragons find a way to win this one but I’ll take X by 10 and possibly more if Byrd can’t get it going for Central, he hasn’t looked too solid this year but I know he can play.

Teams just took the floor for warmups. 10:00 on the scoreboard until start.

Out for tip off. 

X 3-2. 6:40 1Q.

WC 5-3. 6:19 1Q.

5-5. 4:33 1Q.

WC 7-5. 3:27 1Q.

WC 9-5. 2:49. 1Q. Injury time out for St. X's Chief Cameron. Looks like hurt ankle. Probably out rest of this game.

WC 9-6. 2:08 1Q.

WC 9-8. 1:54 1Q.

WC 11-8. 1:11 1Q.

WC 13-8. :27 1Q.