SixthRegionHoops

43-43.

Tied at 38 after three quarters.

BE 34, PRP 33. 3:38 left in third.

BE 28, PRP 24. Late second quarter.

PRP 18, BE 17. 5:20 left in first half.

PRP 14, BE 12 one quarter. D'Angelo Hunter has 9.

PRP 11, BE 7 in first quarter.

I have heard that the ruling was that he was disqualified on fouls, and not ejected.

21 - 14 PRP after one quarter.

PRP 19 Doss 12. 1st quarter.

Jeffersontown is hard to pin down. Wouldn't have been surprised if they won the district.

Brown

Here were my preseason rankings for the 6th Region. 1. Pleasure Ridge Park -- rated accurately 2. Doss -- rated accurately 3. Iroquois -- rated accurately (but got knocked out in the district) 4. Bullitt East -- rated accurately 5. Butler -- overrated (big disappointment) 6. DeSales -- rated accurately 7. Jeffersontown -- overrated (but not much) 8. Fairdale -- rated accurately 9. Holy Cross --rated accurately 10. Moore -- way overrated 11. Western -- underrated (a top 10 team in the region; beat PRP on PRP's home floor) 12. Fern Creek -- underrated (LIT semi-finalist; beat PRP in February) 13. Bullitt Central -- rated accurately 14. Southern -- overrated 15. Valley -- rated accurately 16. North Bullitt -- rated accurately 17. Whitefield Academy -- rated accurately 18. Beth Haven -- rated accurately Player rankings 1. Lamontray Harris – just named 6th Region POY 2. Cory Thomas – rated accurately 3. Antonio McDaniels – maybe a slight overrate, but that says more about how good the Region's players were this year 4. Montrell Little – rated accurately 5. Devon Johnson – rated accurately 6. Jeremiah Bell – overrated, but lots of skill and could be next year's POY if he works hard 7. D’Angelo Hunter – maybe a slight overrate, but when he's good, he's really good and makes PRP very tough to beat (ask Ballard) 8. William Johnson – overrated (same comments as Bell) 9. Caleb Longacre – rated accurately 10. Dominique Mack – rated accurately Regional predictions 25th District teams who should be in Regional tournament: PRP and Fairdale (check) 26th District teams who should be in Regional tournament: Doss and Iroquois (DeSales instead of Iroquois) 27th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: Moore and Bullitt Central (North Bullitt instead of Moore). 28th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: Bullitt East and Jeffersontown (Fern Creek instead of Jeffersontown). All things considered, my predictions were pretty solid. The favorite to make it to Rupp: Pleasure Ridge Park.

1 (tie). PRP (16-4) – quality wins (#1 Ballard, #7 Newport Catholic, St. Xavier, Bryan Station, Henry Clay, Johnson Central, Fern Creek, Jeffersontown); losses (#2 Trinity, #4 Scott Co., #7 Newport Catholic, #15 Doss) 1. (tie) Doss (13-5) – quality wins (#5 PRP, Southwestern, Eastern, Jeffersontown, Western); losses (#1 Ballard twice, #14 Lincoln Co., #18 Lexington Catholic, West Jessamine) 3. DeSales (15-5) – quality wins (#20 Iroquois, Waggener, Holy Cross, KCD); losses (#2 Trinity, St. Xavier, Bishop Brossart, Oldham Co., Daviess Co.) 4. Iroquois (15-3) – quality wins (Manual twice, Waggener, Western twice); losses (#2 Trinity, DeSales) 5. Bullitt East (15-4) – quality wins (#17 Collins, Boyle Co., Fern Creek, Jeffersontown); losses (#14 Lincoln Co., #17 Collins, Fern Creek, Fairdale) 6. Western (10-7) - quality wins (Male, Fern Creek, Holy Cross, Owensboro, Fairdale, KCD); losses (#15 Doss, #20 Iroqouis twice, St. Xavier, Oldham Co., Jeffersontown) 7. Fern Creek (13-7) – quality wins (Male, Bullitt East, Waggener, Oldham Co.); losses (#3 Hopkinsville, #5 PRP, Bullitt East, Jeffersontown, Western, Owensboro, Butler) 8. Holy Cross (14-4) – quality wins (Taylor Co., South Oldham); losses (DeSales, Western, Fairdale, East Jessamine) 9. Jeffersontown (10-7) - quality wins (Male, Fern Creek, Western); losses (#5 PRP, #15 Doss, Bullitt East, Eastern three times, Bryan Station, South Oldham, Waggener) 10. Bullitt Central (12-5) - quality wins (North Bullitt, North Oldham); losses (DeSales, Oldham Co., North Bullitt, Thomas Nelson, Warren East) Caveat -- Fairdale and Butler should be ranked ahead of Bullitt Central based on their schedules, but I had to include at least one team from the Bullitt Central, North Bullitt, Moore and Southern District)

I would say that Ballard is the favorite, but the Cov Cath/Trinity/Hoptown/PRP/New Cath/Holmes/Lafayette/Doss/Knott Central grouping is nasty and all are capable of beating Ballard. Getting Corey Douglas (6'6 Jr) back from a stress fracture could be huge for Ballard because of his ability to block shots, rebound, and score on put backs. When was the last time the 9th Region had three premier, consensus top-10 teams with a chance of winning the state title?

My preseason team rankings were: 1. PRP 2. Doss 3. Iroquois 4. Bullitt East 5. Butler 6. DeSales 7. Jeffersontown 8. Fairdale 9. Holy Croos 10. Moore After five games, I would rank the teams as follows: 1. Doss (3-0) 2. PRP (4-1) 3. Bullitt East (6-0) 4. DeSales (5-1) 5. Iroquois (4-1) 6. Butler (2-2) 7. Jeffersontown (4-3) 8. Fern Creek (6-1) 9. Fairdale (3-2) 10. Western (2-2) Doss, DeSales, Iroquois, Butler, and Western are in the same district. Good Luck getting out of that thicket Doss and PRP have great size and athleticism. Bullitt East and DeSales will fight you to the end, and have separated themselves a bit from the teams ranked 5 and lower. Iroquois, Butler, and J'town have the personnel to move up. Fern Creek is the biggest surprise. Fairdale is one-dimensional, but it's good to have Thomas and Longacre as that "dimension." Western is intriguing with their wins over Male and Fern Creek.

Trinity has hammered PRP in their three meetings last year, and a couple of times this past summer. Maybe that changes with the new emphasis on fouls and contact by officials.

PRP's big three: McDaniels (33 points), Harris (26 points), Hunter (24 points). Reminds me of the Denver Nuggets in the early 80s when Kiki Vandeweghe, Dan Issel, and Alex English would get 80-90 points every game. J'town has exceeded expectations and will be a difficult game for anyone.

Doss 72, PRP 65. Doss is really good. If they can improve free throw shooting, they can beat anyone. Doss has not beaten PRP in a long time, and thus game was at PRP.

Doss 68, PRP 63 with 1:25 left in the 4th quarter.

Doss 59, PRP 53 with 5:00 left.

PRP 32, Doss 27 at half. Probably 30 fouls called. Players are going to have to adjust.

PRP leads an athletic Doss team 25-18 with 4:14 left in second quarter. D'Angelo Hunter having a big game for the Panthers. Lots of fouls being called. Same point of emphasis for HS and college games.

Ranking the Teams: 1. Pleasure Ridge Park — the Panthers stunned Bullitt East en route to the regional title last year, and returns three of the top players in the region – seniors Lamontray Harris, D’Angelo Hunter, and Antonio McDaniels. All are bona fide Division I players, and are the reason the Panthers are ranked #2 (behind only Ballard in the preseason AP poll that was released on November 20). Harris and Hunter are long and athletic, and McDaniels is extremely quick and an excellent perimeter shooter. 6’5 junior Richard Gaines may be the best leaper in the city, and 5’11 junior Khalid Raheem has great speed, strength, and quickness. The bench is deep, with football star Deshawn Rushin one of many Panthers who will make significant contributions. PRP’s size, talent, and experience (along with Coach Dale Mabrey, who has won the region 12 times and is 44 wins shy of the most in Kentucky high school history) makes them the favorite this year, but Bullitt East’s 2012-13 team knows that is meaningless when you have an off night against a good team in the regional tournament. 2. Doss – the Dragons have virtually everyone back from last year’s 19-11 team, and they are big (Tyler Jefferson, Montrell Little, and Dazjon Dukes), fast (Dujuanta Weaver), and strong (Daelyn Franklin). They also added Jaelin Sanford, who was a great player for Moore over the past couple of seasons. Unfortunately, Sanford suffered a knee injury in the spring, and will not play until January, at the earliest. Even if Sanford is unavailable, look for a breakout season for the Dragons and Coach KC Goodin, and they should be in the top 25 throughout the year. If Doss can develop some perimeter shooters (perhaps Sanford, if he is unable to cut and run hard off the knee) to compliment their post players, look out. An early road game at PRP and a January contest against Ballard will tell us exactly how good they are. 3. Iroquois – the Raiders have a scoring machine in senior Devon Johnson, as well as a very deep and experienced collection of players from a team that went 17-14 a year ago. Coach Jeff Morrow’s state championship and big game experience makes Iroquois extremely dangerous. With so many returning players, don’t be surprised if Iroquois will have 6-8 players who will average 5 or more points per game. Playing in arguably the most competitive district (Doss, Iroquois, Butler, DeSales, and Western) in the state will be a stiff test at the end of the year. 4. Bullitt East - the Chargers lost practically everything from last year’s 29-5 squad, but rest assured they will have enough talent to knock off anyone in the region if they play at a high level. The coaching turmoil in the last few weeks didn’t help, but Coach Blackburn agreeing to come out of retirement will steady the situation. No returning Charger can boast of a stat-filled 2012-13, but they will have several players (Ezra Troutman, Rhett Troutman, 6’9 junior Tyler Bacon, and 6’5 sophomore Jared Farris) that will not be easy to deal with in the regional tournament. 5. Butler – the Bears are led by a former player and assistant coach, Rick Gibson, and return plenty of talent from last year’s regional runner-up team that finished 24-8, led by juniors Jeremiah Bell and William Johnson and seniors Kermit Malone and Josh Whetstone. Losing Demetrius McReynolds to graduation will be impossible to fill, but Bell has a huge upside. Depth may be a problem, and the Bears must avoid foul trouble. 6. DeSales – the Colts return everyone from last year’s solid team that won 16 games, and are led by seniors Nathan Roush and Daniel Breedlove (both of whom averaged more than 10 ppg) and 6’5 junior Chase Shelllman (12 ppg and 6 rpg). Roush is a great leader, and will hope to ride his success as the outstanding quarterback on the gridiron on the basketball court. Getting out of the district won’t be easy, because the Colts have to battle Doss, Iroquois, and Butler to make it to the regional tournament. 7. Jeffersontown – the Chargers have a solid group of experienced players returning from a team that won 12 games last year, and Coach Clay Moody is looking for some good chemistry to make this team a threat as the year develops. If J’town competes with (and perhaps beats) PRP at home in December, that would provide a huge confidence boost for the rest of the year. 8. Fairdale - Fairdale returns an outstanding backcourt in seniors Cory Thomas (18 ppg) and Caleb Longacre from its 2012-13 team that finished 19-11 and was a serious threat to win the region. Whether the Bulldogs can develop enough depth and front court play will determine their fate this year. Coach Gregg Longacre will look for ways to allow his talented guards to dictate the pace of the games, and Thomas and Longacre may not come out of any games all year. 9. Holy Cross – the Cougars are led by a very solid and experienced trio of seniors in Norman Ellis, Jack Schmitt (13 ppg) and Dominique Mack (13 ppg), and they will significantly improve on their 9-21 mark from last year. If form holds, a Holy Cross – Fairdale matchup looms in the first round of the 25th District. Holy Cross matches up well against Fairdale at the guard position, and that could prove to be a great contest. The Cougars have a legitimate shot at making the regional tournament for the first time in a long while. 10. Moore - coming off of a 23-8 season, the Mustangs have a fantastic freshman in David Sloan, athletic senior Trae Stott, and a solid post player in senior Justin Richardson. Coach Matt Lemon is in his first year at Moore, but coached an excellent Seneca team to some big wins a couple of years ago. 11. Western - has the severe misfortune of being in the ultra-tough 26th district, but has a lot of post play firepower in 6’6 senior Chris McCraw. If guards Kitrell Withers and Terrell Howard elevate their games, the Warriors could improve on their 9-13 record from a year ago, and are capable of beating anyone. 12. Fern Creek – the Tigers have a new coach in former Ballard assistant, James Schooler, and he will rely heavily on seniors Joe Jackson, Shaun Best, and Marti White to develop into a solid team and improve on its 6-26 mark from a year ago. The 6’6 Jackson has the potential to develop into an excellent and versatile player. 13. Bullitt Central - won 10 games last season without the benefit of a single senior player. Look for improvement from the Cougars this year, who have a solid chance to advance to the region with senior Zack Humphrey and rebounding machine Brett Bourland leading the way. 14. Southern - lost a lot of talent from its 2012-13 ball club that finished 14-17, and Coach Shedrick Jones will have to develop a lot of young talent in order to compete with the top level teams in the region. They have enough to make the regional tournament, but it gets very difficult for the Trojans to compete with the top teams in the region – at least for this year. 15. Valley - the Vikings (7-15 in 2012-13) are lead by senior Jacob Mills. Playing in the same district as PRP, Fairdale, and Holy Cross will make a trip to the region tournament difficult. 16. North Bullitt - has a new coach, Dick Briggs, and he will rely on lots of sophomores and juniors who won 12 games in 2012-13. If the Eagles develop, they have shot at knocking off Bullitt Central and getting to the regional tournament. 17. Whitefield Academy - remains a very young team, and will have to develop quickly in order to knock off either Bullitt East or J’town for a chance to advance to the regional tournament. 18. Beth Haven - (10-16 in 2012-13) recently hired former Iroquois coach Michael Stinnett to lead them, and this is truly a rebuilding year. 25th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: PRP and Fairdale 26th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: Doss and Iroquois. 27th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: Moore and Bullitt Central. 28th District teams who should be in the Regional tournament: Bullitt East and Jeffersontown. The favorite to make it to Rupp: Pleasure Ridge Park. Top 10 players: TOP PLAYERS (assuming Jaelin Sanford is unable to play due to an ACL knee injury): 1. Lamontray Harris – PRP – 6’6 Sr. – dominating rebounder and post player who runs, jumps, and blocks shots. Three year starter on a perennial top-10 team, and is developing a deadly three-point shot. Major Division I prospect. Must avoid foul trouble. 2. Cory Thomas – Fairdale – 6’1 Sr. – strong and powerful ball handler who can shoot from distance and also get to the rim. Should be the leading scorer in the 6th Region. Must be an ironman on this year’s team. 3. Antonio McDaniels – PRP – 5’9 Sr. – another three year starter with tons of big game experience. Has played his best games against the highest level of competition. Quickest first step in the region. Capable of having a 30 point night. Deadly three point and free throw shooter. 4. Montrell Little – Doss – 6’4 Sr. – could be in for a breakout season, as Doss returns the core of last year’s team. If he stays out of foul trouble, will be a threat to get a double-double every night. If he is great this year, Doss will make life very, very difficult for PRP. 5. Devon Johnson – Iroquois – 5’11 Sr. – great scorer who should shine with the return of virtually every player from last year’s Raider team. Very athletic. Must develop more patience on offense and cut down on turnovers. Will battle for the 6th Region scoring crown. 6. Jeremiah Bell – Butler – 6’3 Jr. – athletic, slashing forward who will look to fill the scoring void left by the departed Demetrius McReynolds. A scorer who should get a lot of opportunities at the free throw line. 7. D’Angelo Hunter – PRP – 6’6 Sr. – athletic and intriguing Division I prospect. If he continues to get stronger, will help form a devastating trio of players with Harris and McDaniels at PRP. A breakout season could put him as one the three best players in the region. Hunter should get lots of good looks if opponents double team either Harris or McDaniels. 8. William Johnson – Butler – 6’2 Jr. – a bull of a player with size, strength and agility who could develop into a premier post defender. Should get lots of easy baskets and put backs. 9. Caleb Longacre – Fairdale – 6’0 Sr. – super competitive and experienced. Longacre is the son of a coach and is a gym rat who knows the game. Unlike last year, will have to become more aggressive scorer. Excellent free throw shooter. 10. Dominique Mack – Holy Cross – 6’1 Sr. – athletic and versatile player who can shoot, drive, and pass the basketball. With a good supporting cast, Mack could develop into a very dangerous player. Also rebounds the basketball and defends well. CAVEAT – If Jaelin Sanford at Doss is able to regain his quick, slashing style, he will be one of the top three players in the region. Coming off an ACL injury is brutal, and I cannot say what he will be like physically. He relied on his explosiveness in the past, and a shaky knee makes a prediction on his success this year quite difficult. If he focuses on being a three point shooter in January and learns to trust the knee, he could be a dominating player in February and March. It is too early to tell at the present time.

How good is Campbell County? PRP has some athletes, but really struggles to throw the ball. If Campbell Co. is really talented, then they should win. Otherwise, this should be a competitive game.