5th Region Week 8 Review

1. John Hardin (22-1): Despite suffering its first loss in the 2019-20 season to 5th Region rival Elizabethtown, John Hardin holds on to the top spot following the Panthers' setback against Butler. Recovering from the loss to Elizabethtown, John Hardin notched back-to-back wins over North Hardin and Tates Creek. Holding offers from multiple NCAA Division 1 programs, Alex Matthews is leading John Hardin with a double-double average of 23.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

2. Elizabethtown (16-1): The Panthers pushed past John Hardin 81-74 but suffered a loss to Butler. An opponent from nearby Louisville, Butler beat Elizabethtown 89-68 in the Nathan McCurry Classic at John Hardin. Jaquais Franklin is averaging 20 points per game for the Panthers.

3. Marion County (12-7): After defeating both Adair County and Wayne County, Marion County dropped back-to-back games to Scott County and Lafayette. Jamison Epps is averaging a team-high double-double of 18.3 points and 12.6 rebounds per game for the Knights.

4. Bardstown (13-6): The Tigers are on a seven-game winning streak after claiming victories over Central Hardin and Lincoln County. Through Bardstown's first 18 games in the 2019-20 season, JJ Traynor was averaging a double-double of 18.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

5. LaRue County (13-5): The Hawks are on a four-game winning streak after claiming additional victories over Green County, Adair County and Greenwood. Leading LaRue County, Mark Goode remains among the top scorers in the state as he's averages 23.1 points per game.

6. North Hardin (8-12): Following a seven-point loss to John Hardin, North Hardin defeated Southern 66-57 in the Nathan McCurry Classic. Naasir Johnson is averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game for the Trojans.

7. Taylor County (9-10): The Cardinals claimed back-to-back wins, defeating Hart County and Monroe County. Kybrin Smith is the Cardinals' top performer 19 games into the 2019-20 season, averaging 17.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Taylor County boys' basketball team.

8. Central Hardin (7-12): The Bruins beat Fort Knox in between losses to Bardstown and Oldham County. Gavin George (13.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg) remains the leading scorer and rebounder for the Central Hardin boys' basketball team.

9. Hart County (9-10): The Raiders dropped a game to Taylor County before reeling off three straight wins over Nelson County, Cumberland County and Washington County. Jordan Burden is leading Hart County with a 19.2 points per game scoring average.

10. Campbellsville (8-10): The Eagles fell to St. Henry in the opening round of the All 'A' Classic. Malachi Corley continues to pace Campbellsville, averaging 16.2 points per game for the Eagles.

11. Nelson County (10-12): The Cardinals defeated rival Thomas Nelson 58-44 before falling to Hart County. Bryce Riley is leading Nelson County in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

12. Thomas Nelson (7-15): The Generals finished 1-2 in the Toyota Classic in Georgetown. Following losses to Frederick Douglass and Great Crossing, Thomas Nelson topped Christian Academy (Myrtle Beach, SC) 63-58. Andrew Mason is averaging 20 points per game to lead the Generals.

13: Bethlehem (8-9): The Eagles remained in the win column, leveling Frankfort Christian 72-20. Kruse Harned is averaging 14 points per game for Bethlehem, which claimed its second straight win.

14. Adair County (7-12): The Indians suffered losses to 5th Region rivals Marion County and LaRue County before edging Harrison County 54-52. Lucas Pooler is pacing Adair County, averaging 12.6 points per game for the Indians.

15. Fort Knox (4-9): The Eagles knocked off Frederick Fraize but slipped back into the loss column following a matchup versus Central Hardin. Chase Bellamy is leading the Fort Knox boys' basketball team with a 14.4 points per game scoring average.

16. Green County (4-14): Following the loss to LaRue County, Green County rolled past Caverna 67-43. Gunner Bush is averaging a team-high 17.1 points per game for the Dragons.

17. Caverna (4-13): The Colonels knocked off Washington County before dropping back-to-back games to Green County and Butler County. Deshante Richardson is averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game for the Caverna boys' basketball team.

18. Washington County (1-19): Remaining in the loss column, Washington County dropped games to Caverna and Hart County. Josh Burkhead leads Washington County with an 11.7 points per game scoring average.

I don't feel like people are giving Butler enough credit. They have a solid team and caught ETown after an emotional win. I could see them beating John Hardin or Etown either one on a given night but I feel like the Etown game was a bit lopsided due to being a trap game, in essence.

In other words the rankings look solid but personally I would flip #1 and #2 until one loses or they play each other again and there is a different result than their first game. I wouldn't look too much into Etowns loss to Butler after beating John Hardin.