Week in Review: 

Henderson County finished its regular season with wins over Muhlenberg County and Owensboro.  The Colonels extended their winning streak to 12 games. Lyon County has put together an impressive streak of its own, going 3-0 last week with wins over Livingston Central, St. Mary, and Marshall County. Webster County started its week with 2 convincing wins over Caldwell County and Ft Campbell.  However, the Trojans dropped their regular-season finale at home to Apollo.  Union County hit a two-game skid last week, losing to 2nd Region opponents Hopkinsville and Hopkins County Central.  Because the Tigers and Storm both showed superiority over Union County, the final rankings for this season will see a little shakeup. 

KABC Player of the Year: Congratulations to Bray Kirk of Lyon County on being selected as the KABC 2nd Region POY.  This award puts Kirk in the running for Mr. Basketball, a race that is as wide open as it has been in some time.  

Team Rankings:

1. Henderson County (23-4) - The Colonels earned a bye to the 6th District Championship and will await the winner of Union County and Webster County.  The Colonels have shown tremendous consistency, depth, and team defense.  Xavion Johnson and Amare Stewart lead the well-balanced Colonels, averaging nearly 14 points and 4 rebounds a game. 

2. Lyon County (24-6) - The Lions will face Crittenden County in the first round of the district tournament.  Lyon County is led by 2nd Region POY Bray Kirk and his 21 points per game.  Nolan Coffman is one of the best shooters and rebounders in the region.  The Lions are shooting the ball more efficiently and are one of the top defensive teams in the state. 

3. Webster County (20-8) - The Trojans face Union County for the 4th time this season in the opening round of the 6th District Tournament on Tuesday night.  Webster County is led in scoring by Freshman Caleb Bumpus, who averages nearly 17 points per game.  The balanced Trojan offense has looked very impressive at times this season, ranking among the highest-scoring teams in the region. 

4. Hopkins County Central  (15-9) - The Storm will face Dawson Springs in the opening round of the 7th District Tournament on Tuesday.  With all five starters averaging double figures, the Storm boasts a very dynamic and balanced offensive attack.  Their athleticism allows them to match up well with the top 3 in the region and makes them a legit contender in the postseason. 

5. Hopkinsville (15-13) - The Tigers will face Ft Campbell in the opening round of the 8th District Tournament on Tuesday.  James Bradley and Jonovan Leavell lead the Hopkinsville scoring attack.  The Tigers are one of the best rebounding teams in the region, which makes them a tough out in postseason play. 

6. Union County (17-11) - The Braves will face off against Webster County on Tuesday.  This is the most interesting first-round district matchup in the region.  The Braves are led by Daishawn Curry, averaging nearly 18 points per game, and are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the region. 

7. Christian County (12-12) - The Colonels will face the Blazers of University Heights in the opening round of the 8th District Tournament on Tuesday.  Rahsean Stevenson leads the Colonels with 16 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.  Christian County and UHA played once during the regular season, with the Colonels winning the matchup 75-65.  

8. University Heights (7-16) - The Blazers struggled down the stretch, albeit against solid competition.  Keshawn Moore, averaging 26 points and 8 rebounds a game, makes them a legit contender to upset the Colonels and earn a place in the 2nd Region Tournament. 

9. Caldwell County (14-15) - The Tigers are limping into postseason play, having lost 4 of their last 5 games.  However, the dynamic duo of Pax Aikens (20.5 ppg) and Daelyn Lander (17.8 ppg) makes the Tigers dangerous. 

10. Livingston Central (12-14) - The Cardinals end their regular season on a 4-game losing streak.  They will play Trigg County on Tuesday in the opening round of the 5th District Tournament.  Livingston has defeated the Wildcats in both matchups this season by 11 and 13 points, respectively.  The Cardinals are led by Logan Wring’s 25.6 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. 

11. Madisonville North Hopkins (5-21)

12. Dawson Springs (11-15)

13. Ft. Campbell (9-17)

14. Trigg County (7-21)

15. Crittenden County (2-28)

 

Bump.

The 2nd Region Tournament starts Wednesday, March 4th, at Madisonville North Hopkins High School.  Opening round games will be played on Wednesday and Thursday, March 4th and 5th.  The semifinal round will be held on Monday, March 9th, and the championship on Tuesday, March 10th. 

Round 1 Matchups: 

3/4 at 6 pm: Henderson County (District 6 winner) vs. Christian County (District 8 Runner-up) 

In the regular season, the Henderson County Colonels won this matchup 71-26.  This was the first of a 13-game winning streak the Northern Colonels put together to finish their season.  Since then, Christian County has gone 7-6 with solid wins over Muhlenberg County and Owensboro.  Henderson County's defensive pressure and its ability to force turnovers bothered Christian County in the first matchup.  For Christian County to pull the upset, they will have to limit their turnovers and find some outside scoring and balance to prevent the Colonels from putting extra pressure on star forward Rahsean Stevenson. Depth and the dynamic backcourt of Xavion Johnson and Amare Stewart give the Henderson County Colonels the advantage in this matchup. 

 

3/4 at 7:30 pm: Hopkins County Central (District 7 winner) vs. Livingston Central (District 5 Runner-up)

These teams didn't play in the regular season.  The Storm of Hopkins Central finished their season winning 5 of their last 6, with their lone loss to a very good Marshall County team on the road.  Conversely, the Cardinals have lost 5 of their last 6 games, with their lone win coming in the 5th District opener against Trigg County.  However, in that stretch, they did play Lyon County twice, Mayfield, and Carlisle County.  Coach Hargrove put together a schedule that would have his guys toughened up for tournament time.  The balanced scoring attack of Hopkins Central is quite impressive and makes scouting for a team like them particularly difficult.  Led by Semari Pettus at nearly 15 points per game, all 5 Storm starters average double figures.  For the Cardinals, 70% of their scoring comes from the duo of Logan Wring (25.4ppg) and Bryson Walker (19.2 ppg).  The athleticism and balanced attack of the storm should prevail here. 

 

3/5 at 6:00 pm: Lyon County (5th District Winner) vs. Union County (6th District Runner-Up) 

These teams played on January 2nd, with Lyon County posting an impressive 80-53 home victory over the visiting Braves.  The Lions have won 8 games in a row heading into the tournament, with impressive wins over Grayson County and Marshall County in that stretch.  Their only loss in 2026 was a 53-51 home loss to Henderson County, a day after winning the All-A State Championship.  Union County struggled over the last couple of weeks in region play but won the 6th District opener against Webster County to earn a trip to the tournament.  Lyon County's interior defense makes it tough for teams that don't have much size to score.  Although Union County's slashers, Daishawn Curry and Gavin Black, are tough finishers going to the rim, the Braves will need to light it up from 3-point range to have a shot in this one.  Lyon County's ability rebound and score on the break, coupled with the 1-2 punch of Region Player of the Year Bray Kirk and All-Region forward Nolan Coffman, provides the Lions with just too much firepower for the Braves in the end.  

 

3/5 at 7:30pm: Hopkinsville (8th District Winner) vs. Madisonville (7th District Runner-Up)

Hopkinsville beat Madisonville on January 10th this season at home, 85-56.  The Tigers seem to have righted the ship after some late-season struggles, having won their last 3 games in a row.  The Tigers handled Fort Campbell easily in the 8th District Tournament and beat Christian County for the 3rd time this season to capture the last 8th District Championship between the two schools.   Madisonville, which struggled mightily through its worst regular season in recent memory, is playing its best basketball as of late.  The Maroons dismantled Caldwell County in the 7th District opener to move forward in postseason play.  However, Madisonville's struggles continued in the championship game as the Hopkins Central Storm defeated them 82-40.  Though Madisonville did well to put itself into the tournament, it just doesn't have enough scoring punch to pull the upset on the Tigers.  Hopkinsville's James Bradley is a one-man wrecking crew, and with the help of guard Jonovan Leavell and wing Jayon Bass, Hopkinsville just has too many weapons for the Maroons to overcome. 

I’m glad the bracket has Henderson and Lyon on opposite sides. I predict the two will meet in the region championship game and give me Lyon County to win the second matchup with the Colonels to return to Rupp. 

Bump.