Well, here we are folks. Going into the last week of the regular season.  What teams are playing well?  Are there any teams that haven’t peaked yet?  For tournament basketball that is the most important thing, who is playing good at the right time.  Since we typically start with North Oldham let's do it again.  The Mustangs had a huge blow this week.  Eli Green tore his ACL.  The kid was coming into his own.  He was the leading scorer a couple games as of late and was playing his role perfectly.  How will this affect the team?  Well, they are losing their best shooter.  Teams can scheme differently now.  Some new kids that haven’t played a lot will be asked to play more minutes in tournament time.  Will be interesting to see how they handle it.  Woodford is still playing good basketball.  Anderson County did what everyone thought they would do and slowed the game down but the Yellowjackets were just too athletic and won by double figures.  The biggest game of the week was Henry County beating Spencer.  Even though Spencer is without their best player it was a huge statement for Henry County to make by beating a top 3 team. The Wildcats are playing great basketball and obviously they host the region.  Can they be a Cinderella story?  Will be Fun to see.  South Oldham took care of their rivals Oldham County.  Yesterday the young Colonels had a chance to beat a top ten team but lost to Walton Verona.  But for the current rankings, I really struggled what to do with Spencer and Henry.  Spencer has beaten South, but Henry just beat Spencer.  But the Bears didn’t have their best player.  So I really did go back forth on the decision.

Below is my picks to win each district: (I might be way off because not sure some of the seedings)

District 29 North Oldham -Champs                         South Oldham- Runners up

District 30 Woodford County -Champs                  Spencer County- Runners Up

District 31 Henry County – Champs                        Owen County – Runners Up

District 32  Simon Kenton- Champs                        Grant County – Runners Up

 

Rankings for Week 11:

1.      North Oldham (19-5) Losing Eli Green is a huge loss.  My heart goes out to this young man.  But think about how good North Oldham is.  They have loss Austin Sears and Eli Green in the same year and they are still the heavy favorite to win the region.  The amount of talent at one county school is staggering.  The Mustangs finish the reg season off by playing two athletic teams in Jeffersontown and Fairdale.

2.      Woodford County (15-6) The Yellowjackets are undefeated in district play and will be heading into the district tourney at the 1 seed.  They are the favorite to win the District Tourney , however Spencer County and/or Anderson County can definitely upset them on the right night… Both have proved that they can stand toe to toe.  They end the reg season vs Frederick Douglas.

3.      South Oldham (17-7)  The Dragons have 2 region losses to Spencer and South.  I am keeping them at the 3 spot because of their complete resume this season.  They have beaten some good teams this year outside of their region.  They took care of their rivals by 16 points.  This is a typical South team that shoots a lot of threes.  I can tell you no one wants to play them come tournament time.  They finish with Fairdale, Frankfort and Gallatin County.

4.      Simon Kenton (13-9)  The Pioneers are always in the top 5 year in and year out.  This year is no exception.  I am not sure they have the talent to win it but Braylon Bilton is a baller that could possibly put the team on this back.  This week they finish the season off with Highlands and Owen.

5.      Henry County (16-10)  I decided to put the Wildcats in the top 5.  They have been playing great basketball since Jan 3, they are 11-2.  Baylor Nolin is avg 23ppg but Drew Cole and Ethan Keller has had some big games as of late.  Mr Keller was 8 for 11 vs Eminence from behind the arc finishing with 26pt.   If Ethan and Drew can score when Baylor is being doubled, watch out for Henry in the tourney.

6.      Spencer County (17-9)  To be honest I don’t feel great about Spencer being in the 6 spot but that is where I have them.. I think they are a really, really good team.  They could easily be the second best team in the region.  But since Seawright has been hurt they have lost 2 out of their last 4.  If they can get their leading scorer back, I have no doubt they can beat anyone.  They play Owen County, North Hardin, and Bardstown this week.

7.      Grant County (16-10) The Braves have had a great year for the most part.  They will have a chance to get to the regionals but it will not be easy.  They will have to beat Walton Verona again.  Last week they got them by only 3 points.   Nathanael Hamm has had a great season avg 16ppg.  The rest of the group are great role players who can score 17-18pts on even given night.  Cade Wagner, Trent Blake, Braylen Flamini and Mason Hammonds are all capable scores.  They finish up with Bryan Station and Pendleton.

8.      Anderson County (21-5)  The Bearcats led the region in wins.  They are obviously not the best team but winning over 20 games is always something to celebrate.  They gave Woodford a bit of a scare last week. They played them competitively, only losing by 12.  Should be a great district tourney semifinal game between them and Spencer.  Andrew Sparrow is the heart of the team avg 19ppg and 7rpg.  He is a beast that plays hard on every play.

9.      Walton Verona (15-12) The Bearcats got a big win vs Oldham County on Saturday by 3 points.  I guess that was a great game.  Coach Hester has a group that doesn’t have much height but they play hard.  The semi final game vs Grant will be a battle.  They finish their season off vs Scott, Great Crossing and Scott County.

10. Collins (8-16) I am going to once again keep the Titans in the top 10.  Mainly because Oldham County hasn’t had any wins as of late that would justify moving them in front of them.  Collins has had a really hard schedule as of late.  They finish their season off vs Boyle County, Oldham County and Central.  The game vs Oldham will be the deciding factor on whether they stay in the top 10.

11. Oldham County (11-14)  Back to back season its been a “what if” type of season for the Colonels.  Last year their best player tore his ACL before the season.  This season they started the season off by beating Henry and Spencer in convincing fashion then out of nowhere their best athlete quit the team. Even since then they have struggled to beat good teams.  They have some young talent and will be good in the coming year. They play Butler, Scott County and Collins this week.

12. Shelby County (8-17)  The Rockets are on a 7 game losing streak but I do feel they are better than all the teams under them.  Coach Leslie has done a great job with this team.

13. Owen County (12-11) The Rebels have had a solid season with the talent they have to use.  Michael Smith has had a great season avg 20ppg.  It will not be easy for them to get the regionals but they are my pick to get there with Henry County from District 31.

14. Gallatin County (8-17)  The Wildcats had a big win last week vs Eminence.  They jumped them this week because of that win.  This group has overachieved at times this season.  Can they get to the regionals.?

15.  Carroll County (14-11)  The Panthers also jump over Eminence.  They were on fire beating the Warriors by 26 points.

16. Eminence (14-13)  The Warriors have a winning record and they are working everyday to prepare for the District Tourney.  They are hungry to get to the regionals.

17. Trimble County (6-19)   Even though the Raiders have had a rough season they can get a couple wins this week to finish with 8 wins for the year.

18. Cornerstown Christian (4-15)  Getting 4 wins for a brand new team is a big deal. They will work over the summer to improve to get double that next season.

19. Williamstown (0-24)  You never want to see a group of boys to go the entire season without a win.  Its been a long year for the Demons. 

Henry County gets transfer guard Cooper Holland eligible Feb 26th the day before the district championship. So sad to see this kids season taken from him after all the other transfers in the state were let go. Kid did it the right way too. But glad he will get to see the floor some this year heading into his senior season. Also not sure on a return time for Drew Cole, I was there against Spencer and he did not play. I heard broken nose, but who knows. 

10 minutes ago, hc-fan2025 said:

Henry County gets transfer guard Cooper Holland eligible Feb 26th the day before the district championship. So sad to see this kids season taken from him after all the other transfers in the state were let go. Kid did it the right way too. But glad he will get to see the floor some this year heading into his senior season. Also not sure on a return time for Drew Cole, I was there against Spencer and he did not play. I heard broken nose, but who knows. 

This is huge news.  Do you think adding a player this late in the season will hurt the chemistry.?

51 minutes ago, Bballjunkie said:

This is huge news.  Do you think adding a player this late in the season will hurt the chemistry.?

I’m not sure I have watched him in a couple JV games and I think he will fit right in to how they are playing right now. My understanding is he only practices with the varsity guys and just plays JV. So they all are getting reps with him on a daily basis.

18 hours ago, Bballjunkie said:

Well, here we are folks. Going into the last week of the regular season.  What teams are playing well?  Are there any teams that haven’t peaked yet?  For tournament basketball that is the most important thing, who is playing good at the right time.  Since we typically start with North Oldham let's do it again.  The Mustangs had a huge blow this week.  Eli Green tore his ACL.  The kid was coming into his own.  He was the leading scorer a couple games as of late and was playing his role perfectly.  How will this affect the team?  Well, they are losing their best shooter.  Teams can scheme differently now.  Some new kids that haven’t played a lot will be asked to play more minutes in tournament time.  Will be interesting to see how they handle it.  Woodford is still playing good basketball.  Anderson County did what everyone thought they would do and slowed the game down but the Yellowjackets were just too athletic and won by double figures.  The biggest game of the week was Henry County beating Spencer.  Even though Spencer is without their best player it was a huge statement for Henry County to make by beating a top 3 team. The Wildcats are playing great basketball and obviously they host the region.  Can they be a Cinderella story?  Will be Fun to see.  South Oldham took care of their rivals Oldham County.  Yesterday the young Colonels had a chance to beat a top ten team but lost to Walton Verona.  But for the current rankings, I really struggled what to do with Spencer and Henry.  Spencer has beaten South, but Henry just beat Spencer.  But the Bears didn’t have their best player.  So I really did go back forth on the decision.

Below is my picks to win each district: (I might be way off because not sure some of the seedings)

District 29 North Oldham -Champs                         South Oldham- Runners up

District 30 Woodford County -Champs                  Spencer County- Runners Up

District 31 Henry County – Champs                        Owen County – Runners Up

District 32  Simon Kenton- Champs                        Grant County – Runners Up

 

Rankings for Week 11:

1.      North Oldham (19-5) Losing Eli Green is a huge loss.  My heart goes out to this young man.  But think about how good North Oldham is.  They have loss Austin Sears and Eli Green in the same year and they are still the heavy favorite to win the region.  The amount of talent at one county school is staggering.  The Mustangs finish the reg season off by playing two athletic teams in Jeffersontown and Fairdale.

2.      Woodford County (15-6) The Yellowjackets are undefeated in district play and will be heading into the district tourney at the 1 seed.  They are the favorite to win the District Tourney , however Spencer County and/or Anderson County can definitely upset them on the right night… Both have proved that they can stand toe to toe.  They end the reg season vs Frederick Douglas.

3.      South Oldham (17-7)  The Dragons have 2 region losses to Spencer and South.  I am keeping them at the 3 spot because of their complete resume this season.  They have beaten some good teams this year outside of their region.  They took care of their rivals by 16 points.  This is a typical South team that shoots a lot of threes.  I can tell you no one wants to play them come tournament time.  They finish with Fairdale, Frankfort and Gallatin County.

4.      Simon Kenton (13-9)  The Pioneers are always in the top 5 year in and year out.  This year is no exception.  I am not sure they have the talent to win it but Braylon Bilton is a baller that could possibly put the team on this back.  This week they finish the season off with Highlands and Owen.

5.      Henry County (16-10)  I decided to put the Wildcats in the top 5.  They have been playing great basketball since Jan 3, they are 11-2.  Baylor Nolin is avg 23ppg but Drew Cole and Ethan Keller has had some big games as of late.  Mr Keller was 8 for 11 vs Eminence from behind the arc finishing with 26pt.   If Ethan and Drew can score when Baylor is being doubled, watch out for Henry in the tourney.

6.      Spencer County (17-9)  To be honest I don’t feel great about Spencer being in the 6 spot but that is where I have them.. I think they are a really, really good team.  They could easily be the second best team in the region.  But since Seawright has been hurt they have lost 2 out of their last 4.  If they can get their leading scorer back, I have no doubt they can beat anyone.  They play Owen County, North Hardin, and Bardstown this week.

7.      Grant County (16-10) The Braves have had a great year for the most part.  They will have a chance to get to the regionals but it will not be easy.  They will have to beat Walton Verona again.  Last week they got them by only 3 points.   Nathanael Hamm has had a great season avg 16ppg.  The rest of the group are great role players who can score 17-18pts on even given night.  Cade Wagner, Trent Blake, Braylen Flamini and Mason Hammonds are all capable scores.  They finish up with Bryan Station and Pendleton.

8.      Anderson County (21-5)  The Bearcats led the region in wins.  They are obviously not the best team but winning over 20 games is always something to celebrate.  They gave Woodford a bit of a scare last week. They played them competitively, only losing by 12.  Should be a great district tourney semifinal game between them and Spencer.  Andrew Sparrow is the heart of the team avg 19ppg and 7rpg.  He is a beast that plays hard on every play.

9.      Walton Verona (15-12) The Bearcats got a big win vs Oldham County on Saturday by 3 points.  I guess that was a great game.  Coach Hester has a group that doesn’t have much height but they play hard.  The semi final game vs Grant will be a battle.  They finish their season off vs Scott, Great Crossing and Scott County.

10. Collins (8-16) I am going to once again keep the Titans in the top 10.  Mainly because Oldham County hasn’t had any wins as of late that would justify moving them in front of them.  Collins has had a really hard schedule as of late.  They finish their season off vs Boyle County, Oldham County and Central.  The game vs Oldham will be the deciding factor on whether they stay in the top 10.

11. Oldham County (11-14)  Back to back season its been a “what if” type of season for the Colonels.  Last year their best player tore his ACL before the season.  This season they started the season off by beating Henry and Spencer in convincing fashion then out of nowhere their best athlete quit the team. Even since then they have struggled to beat good teams.  They have some young talent and will be good in the coming year. They play Butler, Scott County and Collins this week.

12. Shelby County (8-17)  The Rockets are on a 7 game losing streak but I do feel they are better than all the teams under them.  Coach Leslie has done a great job with this team.

13. Owen County (12-11) The Rebels have had a solid season with the talent they have to use.  Michael Smith has had a great season avg 20ppg.  It will not be easy for them to get the regionals but they are my pick to get there with Henry County from District 31.

14. Gallatin County (8-17)  The Wildcats had a big win last week vs Eminence.  They jumped them this week because of that win.  This group has overachieved at times this season.  Can they get to the regionals.?

15.  Carroll County (14-11)  The Panthers also jump over Eminence.  They were on fire beating the Warriors by 26 points.

16. Eminence (14-13)  The Warriors have a winning record and they are working everyday to prepare for the District Tourney.  They are hungry to get to the regionals.

17. Trimble County (6-19)   Even though the Raiders have had a rough season they can get a couple wins this week to finish with 8 wins for the year.

18. Cornerstown Christian (4-15)  Getting 4 wins for a brand new team is a big deal. They will work over the summer to improve to get double that next season.

19. Williamstown (0-24)  You never want to see a group of boys to go the entire season without a win.  Its been a long year for the Demons. 

Anderson Co. with 21 wins.  Ten of those wins came at the expense of the bottom teams of the region with only 1 win against a higher ranked (Henry Co.) region team.  Don't be fooled by their record.

South Oldham, North Oldham and Woodford have to be the favorites heading into tournament time.

Great write up!

Are we just gonna skate by the fact that Owen County has beat the #5 and #6 teams on this list in the last two nights? One by a last second shot in OT, and one by 32 points. Not saying they will win it all, by no chance, but I am saying that if they happen to make it to the region tournament I wouldn't exactly be looking past them if the team I coached drew them. 

15 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

Are we just gonna skate by the fact that Owen County has beat the #5 and #6 teams on this list in the last two nights? One by a last second shot in OT, and one by 32 points. Not saying they will win it all, by no chance, but I am saying that if they happen to make it to the region tournament I wouldn't exactly be looking past them if the team I coached drew them. 

It was a very tough senior night for Henry County for sure. Owen County came in lighting it up. And Henry just looked stunned by what was happening for most of the night. It was 8-0 quick before the starters went in and Owen county kept up that momentum and never looked back. They deserved that win no doubt. Looking forward to a possible re match next Friday!