silo11

This is not the 2nd region we are used to seeing here in Kentucky. With the exception of UHA, the top teams in the region have all taken significant losses already. At the moment it seems that University Heights is the cream of the crop for the region, and then everyone else is looking up with lots of questions. As of now UHA looks to be worthy of the excitement. Here is what happened in Region 2 this week. 1. University Heights Academy – Coach Grant Shouse BGP#4 2018-19 record: 3-0 Week’s Record: 3-0 The Blazers surprised a lot of people when they opened the season as #4 in Bluegrass Preps Preseason Rankings. They have backed that up with 3 excellent games to start the season. They defeated Murray and Doss by almost 20, but the premier win was against Callaway, MS who is a top 50 ranked team in the nation. McGowan and Tandy have overpowered teams. McGowan is shooting over 60% from the floor, and Tandy is averaging over 27 ppg. Some tough region games coming up after this week, will show if there is any competition in region 2 for the Blazers. 2. Madisonville North Hopkins – Coach Matt Beshear 2018-19 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Madisonville showed they have the talent to compete for the region title with big wins over Daviess County and Muhlenberg County. They did look a little outmatched at the Marshall County Hoopfest against Belleville West so they may not be ready to face top 10 teams in KY, but they may get there by seasons end, especially when Cade Cunningham kicks it into gear. He has only avg 7.5 ppg so far. 3. Hopkinsville – Coach Larry Miller 2018-19 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Hopkinsville looked completely lost in their first game against Paducah Tilghman. They went on to be soundly defeated by the Tornado 80-65. They looked a little better in their next two games against Clarksville, Tn teams. They will play Christian County and Bardstown this week. 4. Christian County – Coach Kerry Stovall 2018-19 record: 0-1 Week’s Record: 0-1 The Colonels suffered their worst seasoning opening loss (27 pt loss to McCracken Co) since the 2010 season. However, the Colonels went on the win the Sweet 16 State Championship that year. This team doesn’t have the talent to do that it seems. Instead it may be a long year. 5. Webster County – Coach Jon Newton 2018-19 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 Webster won their first two games of the season again Crittenden County and Hopkins County Central. They were expected to win those two games and have a litter stiffer competition this week against Apollo and Caldwell County. 6. Hopkins County Central – Coach Lee James 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 Hopkins County started off the season well and found themselves on both sides of close games. They defeated McLean County by 1 and lost to Webster County by 4. They will play a good Muhlenberg Co team this week along with Calloway Co. 7. Henderson County – Coach Tyler Smithhart 2018-19 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 Henderson County had a tough offseason and things didn’t look to promising for this season. However the Colonels have started well winning their first two games againt Trinity (Whitesville) and North Hardin. They will play in the Independent Bank Classic in Evansville this weekend. 8. Livingston Central – Coach Chris Green 2018-19 record: 2-2 Week’s Record: 2-2 The Cardinals are one of the few teams that have played 4 games already this season. They started the year against two Region 1 juggernauts and just like their other Region 2 counterparts, were soundly defeated losing by 30+ to Graves Co and McCracken Co. They rebounded however with strong wins against Union Co and Hickman Co. They play Lyon Co, Trigg Co, and St. Mary this week. 9. Union County – Coach Shane Smith 2018-19 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Union didn’t have the season start they were hoping for when losing their first two games to Owensboro and Livingston Central. However did get their first win against Caldwell County. Kale Gaither has shown he is a force while averaging 23.5 ppg so far this season. If he can get some support from teammates, Union can accomplish some big things this year. 10. Caldwell County – Coach Daniel Kukahiko 2018-19 record: 0-2 Week’s Record: 0-2 This is not the expected start of the season for the Tigers. This team is returning all its starters from a year ago and they were hoping to have a better start this season than last. However they have dropped their first two games at Lyon Co and against Union. They have Crittenden and Webster County before they hit some very tough games against Muhlenberg and Paducah Tilghman. Derrin Boyd is leading the Tigers with 23 ppg. 11. Trigg County – Coach Payton Croft 2018-19 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Trigg County have started off pretty well this season. They have two wins against Dawson Springs and Crittenden County with a bad loss to Marshall County sandwiched between. They Wildcats will have winnable games against Fort Campbell and Livingston Central this week. 12. Lyon County – Coach Jeff Embrey 2018-19 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Lyon pulled an upset at home against Caldwell County behind a trio of scoring performances from Travis Perry (23), Gabe Board (21), and Jackson Shoulders (21). They lost the next two games to Butler Co and Elliot Co. Livingston Central, Crittenden Co, and Dawson Springs are on the schedule for this week. 13. Fort Campbell – Coach Robbie Townsend 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Falcons have a full roster of 14 players and a new coach. They defeated Clarksville Christian in the opener, and took a loss to Clarksville Academy on Friday. They will play Trigg County and Webster County this week. It will give a clearer picture of where this team may go. 14. Crittenden County – Coach Denis Hodge 2018-19 record: 0-2 Week’s Record: 0-2 The Rockets lost their first two games of the year against Webster Co and Trigg Co. Caldwell Co and Lyon Co are up next. 15. Dawson Springs – Coach Chad Burgett 2018-19 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 The Panthers have a pretty weak schedule their first three games, so far they have faired well winning two of those games and winning one. Union and Madisonville are up. Will be tough to win. Player of the Week Dekeyvan (Kyky) Tandy, University Heights, (Guard), Junior. KyKy Tandy scored 31 points against one of the top teams in the country. He added 7 rebounds to that line as well. Tandy is averaging 27 ppg so far this short season.

Scott County is looking really good already.

BluegrassPreps.com 1st Region Boys Basketball Review Week 1 The 4 legit teams were a top the preseason rankings for Region 1 are all still undefeated. They have already impressed that they deserve to be among the top tier and maybe even the state. Both Paducah Tilghman and McCracken County opened eyes with their wins against perennial Region 2 opponents. That will change this week as they begin to play each other, so there will be at least one loss this week. 1. Mayfield – Coach Chris Guhy BGP #6 2018-19 record: 0-0 Week’s Record: 0-0 Mayfield hasn’t played a game yet this year. However, they will open the season at home against a very good Paducah Tilghman team. 2. Paducah Tilghman – Coach Roderick Thomas 2018-19 record: 3-0 Week’s Record: 3-0 Paducah Tilghman have started the season on a roll. They soundly defeated their first three opponents by double digits. Hopkinsville, Carlisle Co, and Adair County all fell to the Mustangs. Jacob Laster has been impressive the first three games averaging over 20 points per game. The Tornado will be in for some huge tests this week as they play BGP#6 Mayfield and BGP#9 Warren Central. 3. Graves County – Coach Joshua Frick 2018-19 record: 3-0 Week’s Record: 3-0 Another team showing that they are worthy to be a top tier team in Region 1. The Eagles took home 3 wins this week against Livingston Central, Massac Co (IL), and Ohio Co. Graves averaged 75 points per game over the three wins. Jacob Savage, Ryan Mathis, and Jordyn Naranjo were the three leading scorers in those games. Murray and Calloway Co are up next for the Eagles. 4. McCracken County – Coach Burlin Brower 2018-19 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 The Mustangs are also off to a hot start winning two impressive games against region 2 opponents. In the game against Livingston Central, 5 guys scored in double digits being led by Jackson Sivils (18). In the Christian County game, Sivils scored 23 while leading McCracken to a 27 point win over Christian County. They play Calloway Co and Cairo, IL this week. 5. Marshall County – Terry Birdsong 2018-19 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Marshall County hosts one of the premier high school basketball events in the country. They also get a chance to play in the process, however things haven’t quite started this season the way they had hoped. They lost to Muhlenberg Co by 6 and Pendleton Co by 5. They defeated Trigg Co in between those two games. They have Carlisle County coming up this week. They need that win to get back on track. 6. Murray – Coach Dior Curtis 2018-19 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Murray played two top teams to begin the school year. They were defeated by BGP#4 University Heights and Louisville Male, while defeating Christian Fellowship. Murray looked pretty good again Male keeping it close throughout. The Tigers have 4 players who are averaging 10+ ppg and one more at 9. Balanced scoring threat will make them dangerous as the year progresses. Things don’t get much easier as they host Graves Co this week. 7 Carlisle County – Coach Brian O’Neil 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Comets had a good win against St. Mary being led by Wilson (21) and Elder (19). Anderson and McGee also poured in double digit points in the win. However they were humbled by Paducah Tilghman by 20 a couple days later. Marshall Co. and Hickman Co along with Community Christian are up this week. 8. Calloway County – Coach Brad Cleaver 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 Calloway opened the season with a 71-53 win against Ballard Memorial. Kade Mize led the Lakers with 23 points. They lost by one point at Central High in TN. They have two really tough opponents this week going to McCracken Co and hosting Graves Co. 9. Fulton County – Coach Jamie Madding 2018-19 record: 0-1 Week’s Record: 0-1 The Pilots lost their first game of the season again South Fulton, TN. By just one point. Such a heartbreaker to open the season. They play Obion Co (TN) and Christian Fellowship this week. 10. Ballard Memorial – Coach Marla Cooper 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Bombers lost their opener to Calloway County, but rebounded to soundly defeat Fulton City by 21. Dequin Donlow led Ballard with 23 against Calloway and Drew Cox had 23 against Fulton City. They play Christian Fellowship, St. Mary, and Community Christian this week. All very winnable games. 11. St. Mary – Coach Greg Overstreet 2018-19 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 St. Mary lost their opener to Carlisle County by almost 20, but rebounded to a surprisingly dominant performance over Hickman County by almost 30. They will play Community Christian, Ballard Memorial, and Livingston Central this week. 12. Hickman County – Coach Wynn Harris 2018-19 record: 0-3 Week’s Record: 0-3 Tough start to the season for Hickman as they drop their first 3 games, and they weren’t really that close. It could be a long season for first year coach Wynn Harris. This week’s games are against Carlisle County and Christian Fellowship. 13. Fulton City – Coach Jon Dillard 2018-19 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Here is hoping things are not a repeat of last year where the Bulldogs won their first game, and no more. Fulton also won their first game this season by 1 point, snapping a 24 game losing streak. However they were soundly defeated in their next 2 games. 14. Community Christian Paducah – Coach Daniel Durrett 2018-19 record: 0-1 Week’s Record: 0-1 The Warriors were just one basket away from winning their opening game against Fulton City. So close for a team who has struggled to get wins the past 3 years. They will play St. Mary and Ballard Memorial next. Player of the Week Michael Laster, Paducah Tilghman. Laster had 25 points and 10 rebounds against Hopkinsville and 23 points and 8 rebounds against Carlisle County before cooling off at Adair County. He is shooting 65% from the field so far this season.

Christian County, Hopkinsville, University Heights WHOP 123

You have to remember they are returning everyone from last year, who swept a very good Hopkinsville team, and defeated a very good Christian County team twice. They play a much tougher schedule this year than last, and while I think their ranking may be a little high, its not by much. Male on the other hand, will be in the top 20 soon enough. One of the problems with preseason rankings is not knowing what any team really has, especially if a team lost talent from the year before. Nobody really knows who will step up and lead until the season begins. Teams that didn't lose a whole lot will be ranked higher in the preseason until things start shaking out. In Male's case, they are at best the 3rd best team in Region 7 right now, and will have to prove otherwise.

Defending Region 2 Champions: University Heights Academy Best Regular Season Region 2 Record: University Heights (15-2) Last year was a down year for Region 2 basketball. Both Hopkinsville and Christian County has huge expectations as some of the top players in their programs were seniors. Johnson, Cager, and Ware were going to battle for the Region 2 championship and do some major damage at the Sweet 16. That never happened. Hopkinsville struggled with injuries and off the court issues. Christian County couldn't seem to kick in the killer instinct. Because of that, UHA rose to the occasion and swept Hopkinsville on the season and defeated Christian County for the District and Region Title. Gone are those top players and both Hoptown and Christian County are rebuilding, however, the Tigers have the potential to make a very quick turn around. UHA brings back the same team that won last year, so expectations will be high looking for a repeat and more. But lurking just behind them, is Madisonville. A team looking to knock the 8th district from it's pedestal. They have the talent and coaching to make a run to break the streak. There are just a few teams that have a legit chance at winning the region, should be an exciting year. 1. University Heights - Coach Grant Shouse 2017-18 record: 23-8 Key Losses: Malik Lovin Key Returners: Dekeyvan (KyKy) Tandy (30.5 ppg, 5 rpg), Taquan Hollowell (11.5 ppg), Drew McGowan (11.2 ppg) The Blazers took advantage of injuries and poor play from the other District 8 teams to win Region 1 and move on to Rupp. This year, everyone is looking up at them. They return their top 4 scorers this season including Mr. Basketball contender KyKy Tandy who has recently committed to Xavier. Tandy will once again be a pleasure to watch and he is virtually unstoppable. UHA also returns Taquan Hollowell and Drew McGowan. Both can shoot from the outside and off the dribble. Taquan while not a true big man can hold his own in the front court. So matchups will be interesting because big men will have to move a lot to defend him while still worrying about Tandy driving the middle. The fact that the Blazers can spread the floor and score from anywhere will make them dangerous against anyone they play. However their achilles heel from last year was their defense. They allowed 66 ppg to opponents last year which is an improvement over the previous seasons, however when playing higher quality teams, that number goes up significantly. This is the area that UHA will have to improve most if they want to be considered an elite team in the State. UHA should begin the year as a BGP top 20 team and they could stay there the entire year. The schedule this season will help them be better prepared for the end of the year run. They are playing in the King of the Bluegrass tournament, Traditional Bank Classic and the All A State tournament. The quality of talent they will face at those tournaments will tell a lot about what kind of team they could be come the region tournament and the Sweet 16. An interesting game will be Jan 12 against Mayfield, the other top West Ky team Region 1 favorites. 2. Madisonville North Hopkins - Coach Matt Beshear 2017-18 record: 21-10 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Cade Cunningham (13.2 ppg), Ksuan Casey (16 ppg, 9.3 rpg), Kenny White (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg) Last year was a big growing year for the Maroons. They had an up and down first part of the season as their young team gained experience and maturity. The had a few really big blowout losses to some really good teams, and some good wins. The big moment of the season came when they defeated preseason favorite Hopkinsville by 20 pts. It was the first time they beat the Tigers since the 2010 region tournament. From that point on they played much better as a team and looked ready to compete. But it wasn't to be. They took a difficult loss to Christian County in the region tournament. Madisonville will be led by Seniors Cade Cunningham and Juniors Ksuan Casey and Kenny White. Cade Cunningham while not dominant from the outside, can shoot the ball and get hot. He is a good ball handler and sees the floor well, which starts everything on offense for the Maroons. Casey and White are great around the basketball and fantastic on the boards. Casey has a great chance of averaging a double/double this season, and if arguably the best player in KY didn't play in region 2, he could have a shot at POY. Look for Madisonville to be a much improved team this season. In a year where 3 of the big 4 teams in region 2 are rebuilding, they have a great chance of overcoming district 8's stranglehold on the region championship. The last team to win Region 2 that did not come from district 8 was 2001, when Madisonville won it. The next two seasons will be Madisonville's window to do so. 3. Hopkinsville - Coach Larry Miller 2017-18 record: 13-14 Key Losses: Stephen Cager (22.4 ppg), Jalen Johnson (17.5 ppg) Key Returners: James Nicholas (12.5 ppg), Jacarius Burks (11 ppg), Jamarion Sharp The Haworth era is over after taking the Tigers to five Sweet 16s and one of the records in the state. He has moved on to Louisville Male after his first losing season at Hopkinsville. It was a very rough year for the Tigers. Injuries and suspensions wreaked havoc on the season. There wasn't a player on the team that played in all 27 games. In the end, all the preseason hype didn't matter. Now, former assistant coach, now head coach Larry Miller will take the lead and try to continue the tradition of very good Hopkinsville teams. The advantage of all the injuries last year, is the amount of experience younger players received. Freshman Alijah Watts showed that he has the talent to play at a high level when he can stay in control. Jacarius Burks played well for the Tigers last year and will need to step even bigger this year. The two biggest factors for the success of this team will be James Nicholas and Jamarion Sharp. Nicholas has been touted as a future star for Hopkinsville, but he has only had flashes of that talent. This is the year he needs to put the team on his back and take control. The play of 7'1" Jamarion Sharp will be a big question mark. He got some game experience last year and worked hard over the summer. If he can just rebound and protect the rim, then the Tigers will have another great season. The Tigers have the biggest and best front court in region 2. If they can get the backcourt to stay in control and not force the ball, the Tigers may return to Rupp. If not, it may be another disappointing season for Hopkinsville. 4. Christian County - Coach Kerry Stovall 2017-18 record: 28-7 Key Losses: Detorrion Ware (32.2 ppg), Cory Trice (11.2 ppg), JaQuan Long Key Returners: Fred Tandy, Eric Brody, Damikeon Mathis Christian County had a great season and a chance to win the region. They won the regular season district 8, but lost to University Heights both in the district final and the region final. It was a tough loss for the Colonels. The off season was even tougher as they lose the region 1 POY Detorrion Ware. He was a huge reason for the Colonels success. If teams could stop him, then Christian County most likely lost. Not only do they lose him, but some very important role players in Trice, Long, and Langhi. The Colonels will have to have a different game plan this season. Coach Stovall is a great coach and will have that plan in place come game 1. The team has some experience and talent. Tandy, Brody, and Mathis all averaged around 8 ppg last season. They will all need to step up and really improve their game for them to have any chance in the region this season. Where the Colonels will really hurt is in the front court. The top 4 rebounders on the team have moved on and that is a big hole to fill. The Colonels talent alone should keep them as one of the better teams in the region. However don't think that this will be the same team as the past few years. They will look very different and will probably win more than they lose. They will figure out very fast what kind of team they are. They open the year against McCracken Co., then Hopkinsville, then Doss, then Owensboro. They also play Madison Central, Paducah Tilghman, Dunbar, Dupont Manual, and UHA 2x. That is a tough schedule. 5. Caldwell County - Coach Daniel Kukahiko 2017-18 record: 14-14 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Derrin Boyd (23.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Jameer Riley (10 ppg), John Davis (10 ppg), Cayden Fraliex (10 ppg). Caldwell County is a another team who had a really rough start to the season losing 7 of their first 12 games. Things looked much better after the holidays as the team chemistry improved. Even when the team lost they played well and continue to improve. This is great news for this season as Coach Kukahiko didn't lose any of his starters. In fact the Tigers return their top 8 players. If Caldwell is ever going to make some noise in the region, this is the year to do it. The Tigers will be led by Senior Derrin Boyd who showed an excellent ability to get the basket and score last season. He also led the team in rebounding. The team will look to him again as the leader on the floor. Davis will run the point, Fraliex will be the guy going after every loose ball, and Riley will be the all around role player. These four guys average 54 ppg between them and that could easily rise to 60 to 65 ppg or more. Versatility will be the strength of this Tiger team. The weakness will be the size. It is a guard dominated lineup that will have to stretch the floor. There are a lot of bigger lineups they will face this year, so quickness, crashing the boards, and solid fundamental play will be key to their success. 6. Hopkins County Central - Coach Lee James 2017-18 record: 16-14 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Tylan Mann (17 ppg), Keyairreon Hobgood (12.3 ppg) Hopkins County Central has a lot of good things to look forward to this year. First of all they had a very good season a year ago. The Storm had one of the more potent offenses in the region averaging over 73 ppg. This will be the same team this year, except one year older with one more year of experience. Tyler Mann was the main scorer for the Storm leading them in scoring. However, any of the starters can put up a big game. Hobgood had 26 against UHA in the region tournament. Putty had 21 in a close game with Lyon Co. Blasin Moore had 19 against Logan Co. These guys know how to put the ball in the bucket. The downfall of the team was that other teams had no problem scoring on them. This year, expect the scoring to still be high, but if Hopkins County Central wants to compete for that district crown, they will have to play better defense and box out. If they can get their defense under control, they can easily win 20 games this year. 7. Union County - Coach Shane Smith 2017-18 record: 15-16 Key Losses: Logan Thomas (18 ppg, 11 rpg), Marqualio King (9 ppg, 8 rpg) Key Returners: Elex Dunford (15.2 ppg) Key Additions: Kale Gaither (14.5 ppg) Union had a solid season last year making it to the semi-finals of the region tournament. Logan Thomas and his double/double average was a big reason for that. The Braves lose their front court, and that will be very difficult to replace. However, Elex Dunford returns and has room to become a big time scorer. Another starter, Cade Duncan will need to step up and play a bigger role. But the big news of the off season is sophomore Kale Gaither transfering from Henderson Co. Gaither is one of the rising stars in the state of Ky. He has already been putting on a show in AAU this summer having multiple games of 30 points or more. He will be a welcome addition to this Union Co team. It will probably take some time for the team to gel together, but with the transfer being from an same district school, it's doubly nice, and most likely puts Union as the team to beat in the 6th district. 8. Webster County - Coach Jon Newton -2017-18 record: 19-12 Key Losses: Ellis Chatman (20 ppg) Key Returners: Tyler Camplin (12.6 ppg), Malachi Douglas (11.6 ppg) Webster was one of the surprise teams last season. They only lost 4 games through the first half of the season, but then they hit the tougher part of the schedule and lost 7 of their last 12, including a first round exit in the district 6 tournament. The loss of Ellis Chatman is big for the Trojans. He was the leader of the team and the hole he leaves will be difficult to fill. Tyler Camplin and Malachi Douglas will be expected to take over the leadership void. They both had good year's last year, but played as a role player to Chatman. Coach Newton also will depend on the defensive leadership of Drew Skinner. He has been their best defender for the last two seasons and is expected to continue that role. Size will be a strength for Webster this year. Coach Newton plans on playing a more physical game and making sure each player knows his role. If he can get the players to buy into the style of basketball he envisions, then this team will have some success. Especially after they get a few games under their belt. The toughest out of region games they play will be Paducah Tilghman, Russellville, and Owensboro Catholic. 9. Henderson County - Tyler Smithhart 2017-18 record: 15-14 Key Losses: Isaac Anglin (13.6 ppg), Dajuan Simpson (7.5 ppg), Kale Gaither (14.5 ppg) Key Returners: Corey Stewart (7.5 ppg) Last year was a rebuilding year for the Colonels. The plan was to build around the ultra talented freshman Kale Gaither. The beginning of the year was rough and they lost quite a few games. Things began to click after the holidays and the team really started to look good going on to win the 6th district and advance to the semi-finals region game. Things were looking pretty good for this season...then it wasn't. Kale Gaither who is considered one of the best sophomores in the state transferred to Union County. Coach Smithhart knew he was going to lose the seniors from the season, but losing Gaither hurts. Henderson will only return two players with significant playing time from last season. Corey Stewart is the most experienced player and will be expected to provide some leadership to the team. Daymian Dixon will also be relied upon to spread the offense and be a bigger playmaker from beyond the arc where he shot 42% from. From there, it will be gaining experience by getting new players out on the floor. Even though they are young, Smithhart believes in his sophomore class, even without Gaither. They are expected to consistently grow and mature throughout the year. He is also prepared for some growing pains, especially through the beginning of the season. By the end of January, this team should be ready to fight for the district championship and be a tough out at regions. 10. Lyon County - Coach Jeff Embrey 2017-18 record: 8-19 Key Losses: Max Wallington (14.2 ppg) Key Returners: Gabe Board (15.6 ppg), Jackson Shoulder (10 ppg) Lyon County is one of those teams whose record doesn't reflect how good the team was. Being a small school, they held their own throughout the season, only being overmatched a few times. They pulled some big upsets including a 1st round win in the district tournament against Trigg County, lost by one in the district championship, and then playing Henderson Co uncomfortably close. The Lyons do lose one of their top scorers in Max Wadlington, however returning is top scorer Gabe Board and starter Jackson Shoulder. These two will lead the team that will have higher expectations this year. Board is a 1000 pt scorer who could reach the 18-20 ppg level. Shoulders will be relied upon to play hard down low and get the tough baskets and rebounds. An interesting player who is projected to start in 7th grader Travis Perry, who is almost 6 ft tall. Keep an eye on his development. Overall this is a young team that is building off last season’s growth and their expectations are to battle for the 5th district championship again this year. 11. Crittenden County - Coach Denis Hodge 2017-18 record: 7-20 Key Losses: Logan Belt (9.6 ppg) Key Returners: Sawyer Towery (11 ppg), Preston Turley (10 ppg) How does a team that wins 5 regular season games win the 5th district championship? Ask Crittenden County because that is what they accomplished last year. A true upset story, one of why to never give up and never surrender. The Rockets pulled out the biggest upset of the year in region 2 when they shocked Livingston Central in the first round of district play. They held on to win the 5th district by one point. How will that influence this year's team. The only significant loss they have is Logan Belt. They return everyone else. Coach Hodge will still have his top two scorers to go along with a year experience from a host of young players. Turley will only be a sophomore, while this will be Towery's final year of play. Expect a better record from Crittenden this season, and watch out, they may win the 5th district again! 12. Trigg County - Coach Payton Croft 2017-18 record: 11-14 Key Losses: Devron Triplet (11 ppg), DeOvion Day (11 ppg) Key Returners: Kendric Adams (9.2 ppg) Trigg started off the year very promising. Playing every team close and winning more than losing. Things were looking really good and they were climbing in the region rankings. Things started to get a little rocky in January, and then it totally fell apart in February where they lost their last 7 games, including the opening district game. The Wildcats lose their top two scorers in Triplet and Day and 4 of the 5 starters from last year. This team is very young and the best player on the team will be a freshman this season. Kendric Adams was an all district player as an 8th grader. Coach Croft has been impressed with his hard work and desire to improve over the off season. In fact he is excited how the entire team has worked hard to improve. Realistically this is a very young team with very limited experience. It could be a tough season, but the end goal is to continue to grow as a team and prepare for what can be in the future. 13. Livingston Central - Coach Chris Green 2017-18 record: 17-14 Key Losses: Cameron Dean (13.5 ppg), Seth Hosick (13.2 ppg) Key Returners: Cameron Head (9.2 ppg) This may have been the most up and down team of 2017-18. They lost the first 4 games, then won the next 15 of 20 including 6 in a row. Things were looking good and they climbed up the region 2 rankings. They had big wins against Webster Co and Carlisle Co. But then they lost to one of the worst teams in the region in the first round of the 5th district tournament...crushing end an otherwise good season. This season, they lose their two best scorers and not a whole lot to replace it. New Coach Christ Green will refocus the team and prepare them to play hard, scrappy basketball. Leadership of the team will be on Cameron Head, the top returning player with significant scoring experience. T'Roy Ringstaff will need to step up his game and the other returning starter. Max Downey will be relied upon to run point to get things going. This team will rely on outside shooting and quickness to make up for the lack of size, and only time will make up for lack of experience. 14. Dawson Springs - Coach Chad Burgett 2017-18 record: 10-20 Key Losses: Austin Clark (11.4 ppg), Braxton Cotton (14.8 ppg), Justin Putman (10 ppg) Key Returners: none Dawson Springs had a tough season under first year head coach Chad Burgett. Being a small school in a region with so much talent year in and year out is difficult. Add to that the loss of the team's top 3 scorers and the coach has his work is cut out for him. The Panthers are going to be young and inexperienced this year. Their top player averaged 5.4 ppg in 2017-18. Their starters averaged less than 10 ppg last season. Despite the gloomy outlook, Coach Burgett has a positive take on the upcoming season. The goal will be to improve each and every game. The game plan is to control the tempo and exert pressure everywhere. 15. Fort Campbell - Coach Stacey Harrell 2017-18 record: 6-19 It is tough to have a basketball program where not only do you lose player consistently to graduation, but also to families being transferred. As of right now, Ft. Campbell doesn't have a roster listed on KHSAA, nor have we received any response from the coaches. However, according to last year's roster, they should return their top two scores, Junior Jorden Clark who averaged more that 17 ppg and Senior Cameron Johnson who added 13.5 ppg. Top 10 Players to Watch 1. Dekeyvan (Kyky) Tandy, University Heights (Guard), Senior. KyKy Tandy is without a doubt the best offensive player in Region 2. He already has committed to Xavier University. 247sports has Tandy ranked as the 5th best combo guard in the nation for the 2019 class, and as the 2nd best player in KY for the same class. Tandy can score from anywhere on the floor. He is quick, versatile and knows how to finish at the rim. He can just as easily drive around you to score as he can just step back and launch a three. If you want to see how offense is played, make sure to catch a UHA game this year. Tandy averaged 30.5 ppg and he hits over 40% of his shots from three. Don’t be surprised if Tandy eclipses the 30 ppg mark again. He is no doubt a Mr. Basketball candidate for 2019. A place where Tandy needs to improve is his defense. It is mediocre at best. He will need to step up and lead on the defense end to be the complete player he wants to be. Video - 2. Ksuan Casey, Madisonville North-Hopkins Senior Casey exploded on the scene last year for the Maroons. He double his points per game and increased his average on the boards. Ksuan is one of the better forwards in region 2. He has the potential to take another big step this year. Casey has soft hands and pretty good vision for a big man. He can improve on enforcing his physical presence underneath. He won’t face many bigger than him in the region so he needs to assert himself. He has a great knack for rebounding and could average a double/double this season. Video - Dawson Springs High - Ksuan Casey highlights - Hudl 3. Derrin Boyd, Caldwell County (Forward), Senior Boyd was one of the top scorers in region 2 last year averaging 23 ppg. The southpaw can shoot from the outside or drive to the basket and finish. He has quick feet and handles the ball very well. His outside shot takes some time to develop, but it is effective. Boyd is a solid defender with good instincts. He is the leader of the team and does well to make others around him better. The team as a whole should be better, which in turn will help him succeed. Video - Hudl: We Help Teams and Athletes Win 4. James Nicholas, Hopkinsville (Forward) Senior Nicholas has never had the opportunity to be in the spotlight at Hopkinsville with all the talent that was ahead of him. Tim Haworth has always believe that Nicholas is one of the most talented players he’s coach. This will be the year to prove it. The spotlight is now on him. He is a quick forward with great hands and a great work ethic. He shoots over 50% from the floor and over 30% from 3 point range. He can jump out of the gym, but needs to hit the boards stronger and he can improve his post play. He prefers to play outside and drive to the basket, but the Tigers will need solid play down low to succeed this season. Video - james nicholas 216-17 highlights - Coach nicholas highlights - Hudl 5. Taquan Hollowell, University Heights (Forward), Senior Taquan has always had the skill and talent to be a great ball player. He just had to wait his turn. Hollowell can play bigger than his size for a forward and he is quick off the dribble. He anticipates the defense well in order to get to the basket. He is a good strong finisher and battles well on the inside. He could shoot better from the outside, but that isn’t his strength so he usually stays patient and waits for an opening to go. He averaged 11.5 ppg last year. Look for that to improve a few ppg this season. Video - 6. Cody Cunningham, Madisonville North-Hopkins (Guard), Senior Cunningham has come a long way as his game has continued to improve each year. He has good quickness and a good IQ for the game. He can score anywhere on the floor, but if can improve on his outside shooting, he can be a very good player. He shoots 43% from the floor and 33% from 3 point range. He has a knack for driving through defenses to get to the basket. Sometime he struggles to finish at the basket, but improvements will be made as he continues to lead. Video - 7. Jacarius Burks, Hopkinsville (Guard) Senior Burks will play the opposite side of Nicholas in the front court. He was forced into playing last season because of all the injuries the Tigers dealt with. He showed he can play averaging almost 12 ppg while shooting 61%. He is not a threat to shoot from the outside, and is a better post player than Nicholas. His breakout game was against Warrent Central where he led the Tigers with 22 points and 5 rebounds. 8. Tyler Mann, Hopkins County Central (Guard), Senior Mann last year averaged almost 17 ppg while pulling down almost 6 rpg. While Mann doesn’t play with some of the talent as others on this list, he is a very good ball player. He can play inside or outside even against bigger opponents. He has a nice outside shot and gets to the rim well. Could do a little better job at finishing once at the rim. Overall he is a talented player and should improve and could get to 20 ppg this season. 9. Kale Gaither, Union County (Guard), Sophomore Gaither led Henderson County last year as a freshman with almost 15 ppg. Look for him to improve on that after the transfer to Union County. He is a great ball handler that changes speeds well. He can drive to the bucket and finish at the rim. When he gets hot, he can shoot anywhere on the floor and hit, as reference in the video below. He had multiple 30 pt games in AAU this summer and has made top 10 player in multiple camps. He has a high ceiling. The question maybe will he stay at Union or even in KY through 2021. Video - https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10300253/5a66db9d0660a70f747fb714 10. Gabe Board, Lyon County (Guard) Senior Board averaged almost 16 ppg as a junior. He shot 40% from the field and 32% from 3 point range. Quickness is not his game, he is more of a set shooter, although he will drive and can finish. He struggles against quicker guards, however he passes the ball well and reads defenses well. Should lead the Lyons again this year in scoring.

Defending Region 1 Champions: McCracken County Mustangs Best Regular Season Region 1 Record: Mayfield Cardinals (17-0) Region 1 last year had some very entertaining movement throughout the season. Paducah Tilghman looked like the team to beat before Mayfield roared to an undefeated regular season in Region 1. However Graves Co and McCracken Co ended up in the finals with the Mustangs moving on to the Sweet 16. This year may not be much different than last year with a clear favorite to win the Region being Mayfield. They went undefeated in the regular season and they have the same basic team returning this season. Paducah Tilghman lost two big guns, but they also got a big transfer from LEAD Academy in Nashville that will boost them. McCracken lost a lot, but if we learned anything from last year, its they seem to always find a way to compete at a high level. Don't forget about Graves Co who return two of the regions best guards. Finally all eyes are focused on Marshall County and Zion Harmon. Right now he has been ruled ineligible, but if that changes, so do the dynamics of the region. A lot of talent moved on this year in Region 1, but that is not to say there is still quite a big of talent in the region. This is the first year since 2015 there is not a front runner for the Player of Year. There are a handful of seniors who can have a big year and take that award. 1. Mayfield - Coach Chris Guhy 2017-18 record: 26-7 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Carson Guthrie (14.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Connor Guthrie (16.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 39% from 3pt.), Desean Jones (12.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg) The Cardinals had a great season last year. They were dominant in Region 1 last year going 17-0 during the regular season, They got to the semi-finals of the All A State tournament, and they finished the regular season ranked in the BGP Top 20. Through all that success, the Cardinals ended up stumbling come tournament time. They lost to Graves Co. by 2 in the 3rd district championship, and then to McCracken Co in the Region Semifinals. Last year ended in heartbreak, but the Cardinals have to be excited about what this year will bring. They return their top 5 scorers from last season including the Guthrie brothers, who have been on a tear the last 2 years and both could be considered for POY in the Region. Conner Guthrie is the threat from the outside and the better ball handler. Carson Guthrie takes the ball inside and last year was dominant on the boards. Add to that Desean Jones and Trey Matthews plus one more season experience, and you have the makings of another team who make some serious noise at State tournaments. The Cardinals begin the season as the favorite to win Region 1 and be a top 20 team in the state. They have a great chance of winning the All State A tournament and even making a run at the Sweet 16 if the chips fall right. Mayfield will have some tough region games right out of the gate facing Paducah Tilghman and McCracken County in their first 3 games. Although their full schedule has not been released, expect some tough opponents to be added from out of conference to get them ready for tournament play and avoid a repeat of last year. 2. Paducah Tilghman - Coach Roderick Thomas 2017-18 record: 19-10 Key Losses: Jerome Reed (18.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Joe Workman (10 ppg) Key Returners: Rodriguez Thomas (12.4 ppg/ 45% from 3 pt), Michael Laster (8.3 ppg) Key Additions: Tyus White (LEAD Academy), Amirion Joyce (Frederick Douglas) Last year The Blue Tornado had the best chance in years to win Region 1 and advance to the Sweet 16. They were the favorite at the beginning of the year and played like it going 14-3 through their first 17 games. Then, they hit a wall going 5-7 to finish the season including losses in the 2nd District Championship and the first round of the Region tournament. There couldn't have been another region 1 team more disappointed in the outcome than Paducah Tilghman. The 2018-19 season is a new hope for a program that has had the talent to win the Region, but just hasn't been able to get over the hump. Gone however is Region 1 Player of the Year JJ Reed and shooting guard Joe Workman. Those two accounted for almost half of the Tornado's offense last year. This season, senior Rodriguez Thomas will be expected to step up and carry a huge portion of the load. Last year, Thomas was second on the team in points and deadly from behind the arc. He will most likely be on the short list of potential POY in Region 1. Along side him will be junior Michael Laster who averaged almost 9 ppg and 5 rpg last year. Coach Thomas is excited about senior Avery Strayhorn and is expecting a big year out of him. Tilghman also has a couple exciting transfers coming in this year. Tyus White, coming from LEAD Academy in Nashville, averaged 14 ppg and 4 rpg last season. He will fill in the gap left by Workman. The other transfer is Amirion Joyce, transferring from Frederick Douglass. He is a junior who is expected to play a lot of minutes. Coach Thomas expects big things out of this team and believes they will compete again for the Region 1 title. He expects to go 9 deep and believes the Tornado have the deepest bench in the region. The team doesn't have a lot of experience together on the court, so it may take until after the Holiday tournaments for the team to gel. Paducah's out of region schedule is just as impressive as last years. They will play open the season at home against Hopkinsville, and then have Central Hardin, Christian Co. and Henderson Co. This should help prepare them for the level of play they will need to compete for the region 1 title. They have the ability, will this be the year they get it done? 3. Graves County - Coach Joshua Frick 2017-18 record: 26-9 Key Losses: Trevor Grant (10.8 ppg), Brenden Young (10 ppg) Key Returners: Ryan Mathis (11.5 ppg), Jordyn Noranjo (13.1), Jacob Savage (11.6) Graves County exceeded expectations last year after losing big man POY Chris Vogt, but the Eagles came with the best balanced attack in the region. 5 different players averaged in double figures, led by Noranjo and Mathis. Graves went on to win the 3rd District by being the first team to beat Mayfield in Region 1, and went to the finals of the Region 1 tournament before losing by 5 to McCracken. Graves does lose two key parts to their offense in Grant and Young. Both had significant contributions to the team that will be difficult to replace. Young's size and experience underneath will be sorely missed. However, both Mathis and Noranjo have already scored 1,000 points in their career and both are on pace to break the school's scoring record. These two guys can score anywhere on the floor in many different ways. Jacob Savage has been described as the motor that makes the team run. He averaged 7 rpg last season and will need to fill the void left by Young, who had almost 9 rpg. The Eagles will rely on a few others stepping up in big ways. Coach Frick has 6 seniors all who have had significant playing time the last two seasons. Although they will be smaller this year than in the past, he says they will rely on a balanced attack and defense. The ability to put 5 guys on the floor who can dribble, pass, and shoot will make them a difficult team to play. Expect Graves County to be at the top of the region all year long. They don't have a strong out of region schedule, but some of the holiday tournaments may make up for that. They may not be the front runners to go to the sweet 16, but they definitely have a legit chance of pulling the upsets and finding themselves there. 4. McCracken County - Coach Burlin Brower 2017-18 record: 28-7 Key Losses: Cameron Cartwright (14.4 ppg) Nathan Stonecipher (14.7 ppg) Key Returners: Jackson Sivills (13.2 ppg) Key Additions: Ramon Heard (Ballard Memorial) McCracken was #6 in the preseason rankings for Region 1 last year. They had lost almost all their offense and seemed like it would be a down year. The Mustangs had other things in mind showing grit and determination on their way to the 2nd District Champion and then the Region 1 Championship, defeating the top 3 Region 1 teams along the way to the Sweet 16. This year's team seems to have some similarities to last year's team. They lose their top two scorers in Cartwright and Stonecipher. They also lose two other contributing seniors who put together, added 11 ppg. They lose 65% of their scoring from last year. However, they return a fantastic junior in Jackson Sivills who will really need to step it up in order for McCracken to repeat. Trevor Winsett (5 ppg) is the next best returning player for the Mustangs. Ramon Heard, a sophomore from Ballard Memorial will be a big help underneath. He should develop into a strong player for the Mustangs and could be the difference in how successful they are this season. A big reason for McCracken's success last season was a great defense and limited turnovers. Opponents only averaged 48 ppg last season, that was 3rd best in the state. They will have to heavily rely on that defense unless Coach Brower can develop some kind of offense to worry other teams. One thing McCracken never shies away from is a tough out of region schedule, and this year is no different. The Mustangs will play Christian Co., Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Livingston Central as well as playing in Floriday for a holiday tournament. After last year it is easy to second guess what McCracken has lost and how good could they be, but this year, this team seems more like the 2014-15 team when they lost so much after their Region 1 title the previous season. 5. Marshall County - Terry Birdsong 2017-18 record: 19-12 Key Losses: Aaron Reed (10 ppg), Skyler Smith (7.3 ppg), Matthew French (7.3 ppg) Key Returners: Tyler Stokes (7.8 ppg), Tyler Powell (9.6 ppg) Key Additions: Zion Harmon (33 ppg) - currently ineligible, Dawson Smothers The Marshalls , defending 4th District Champs, had an up and down year last year as a upper mid pack team in Region 1. They took care of business when they needed to, but struggled against better teams. The high point of the season came when they took down Paducah Tilghman in the first round of the Region 1 tournament. The story of the off season was ESPN no. 1 ranking PG for the 2021 class, Zion Harmon transferred to Marshall County. This changed the entire outlook for what the future of Marshalls basketball. However the KHSAA ruled Harmon ineligible, but he tried to appeal, but it was denied. If by some miracle Harmon is ruled able to play, it will change the outlook for MC. But for now, the Marshalls need to plan without him. Marshall County lost quite a bit from last year including their top scorer and two significant contributors. Tyler Powell will be leaned upon to lead the team this year. He will play both guard positions. Tyler Stokes will return as the big man down low and at 6'6", it will be needed. Other players that Coach Birdsong will need to step up to fill the void this year are juniors Austin Riley and Bryce Flatt, and sophomore Jay Nimmo who will play the point. The great news for Marshall, is this team is young and does not have any seniors, so while this year-s team will gain great experience, they can ride that experience into next season when they may be able to compete for the region with or without Harmon. If Harmon plays this year, it will put Marshall as a top three team in the region and a chance for their first region title since 2011-12 season. 6. Murray -Coach Dior Curtis 2017-18 record: 14-18 Key Losses: None Key Returners: Hunter Utley (12.8 ppg), RaVichael Strickland (10 ppg) Murray's first year under head coach Dior Curtis wasn't as bad as the record looked. They lost a talented scorer the previous year along with most of their starting lineup. Coach Curtis put together a competitive team that improved throughout the year including an great game against University Heights. Things are totally different for Coach Curtis this year, there are no big losses to graduation, and the team has had the summer to get better and now are poised to make some noise. Hunter Utley and RaVichael Strickland will be the leaders of the team this year. Expect Will Lovins, Tommy Waldrop, Charles McCalister, and Noah Merriss to be major contributors with one or two of them reaching double digit average in points. Murray should be one of the teams that make big gains this year. They may not have the talent of a Mayfield or Paducah Tilghman, but they will be much improved over last year. They have 3 tough opponents out of region this year where they most likely will be overmatched in University Heights, Louisville Male, and Bowling Green. It will be a great experience of what they need to do to compete with PT and Mayfield. 7. Carlisle County - Coach Brian O'Neil 2017-18 record: 12-17 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Trey Wilson (17.4 ppg), Michael Thomason (12.0 ppg) Coach Oneill has got to be happy last year is over. After losing their entire starting 5, the Comets went from 22-9 to 12-17. This year is the opposite. They really didn't have any key losses to their lineup. Last year they actually performed above expectations and found a gem of a player in Trey Wilson. Wilson emerged as a scoring machine and teammate Michael Thomason made his mark as well. Now in 2017-18, these two have expectations for the Comets to make strides to competing at a higher level. Wilson and fellow contributor Reese Anderson are both underclassman and have a great opportunity to build a foundation. Thomason and Trevor Elder are both seniors and can lead through their maturity on the floor. This years team has much higher expectations than last years. They had a whole season to gel together and learn how to play as a team. They showed flashes of that last year, especially during their mid to late season run where they won 8 out of 10 games before falling in their lost 5. Coach Oneill is really looking forward to see what this team can do this season. Carlisle has a better out of region schedule than last year, but nobody that is overwhelming which is actually a good thing. They will play Ohio Co, Campbellsville, Livingston Central, Lyon Co., and a holiday tournament. 8. Hickman County - Coach Wynn Harris 2017-18 record: 11-21 Key Losses: Dalton Jewel (24 ppg, 11.2 rpg) Key Returners: Devontae Alexander, Jackson Midyett, JD McClannahan Hickman Co had high expectations last year, but the year ended up in disappointment with winning only 11 games and struggling throughout the year. Dalton Jewel was a huge bright spot as he could score from anywhere on the floor, and he did leading Region 1 in ppg. He has now moved on and the Falcons will have to find offense elsewhere, something they struggled to do last year considering Jewel was 45% of the offense himself. Coach Wynn Harris has his work cut out for him in his first year as head coach of the Falcons. JD McClannahan returns along with Jackson Midyett, the only two players who had any significant contribution on offense last year. Devontae Alexander only played 12 games last season, but in the previous year averaged over 10 ppg, so maybe the three of them along with some other role players can gel and become a more competitive team this year, than the one man show from last year. Expect an up tempo game because the lack of size, and expects some growing pains from inexperience, a new coach, and a new system. Much like previous years, Hickman will stay put with playing Region 1 opponents, with the exception of a Holiday tournament and a couple games against Tennessee teams. 9. Fulton County - Coach Jamie Madding 2017-18 record: 18-12 Key Losses: Andreous Smith (18.9 ppg), Brandon Walker (14.3 ppg) Key Returners:Caleb Kimble (13.8 ppg) Besides McCracken County's run through the Region 1 tournament, Fulton County had to be last season's biggest surprise. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the region, but Coach Madding had a great game plan and they finished the season very strong going 11-3 in their final 14 games. The Lakers lose some immense scoring in Smith and Walker, and those shoes will be hard to fill, but Coach Madding believes he has the talent to do just that. Caleb Kimble will lead the team from the point while Camden Aldridge will protect the rim and lead in rebounding. George Scott is a versatile 3 or 4 and can score and rebound while 3 or 4 other role players contribute on both ends. While the Pilots may not have as good a season as they did last year, they have a great chance at repeating as District 1 champions. 10. Calloway County - Coach Brad Cleaver 2017-18 record: 11-17 Key Losses: Jeremy Darnell (13.2 ppg) Aaron Dawson (8.1 ppg, 6 rpg) Garrett Scott (12 ppg, 7.6 rpg) Key Returners: None Calloway had a true up and down year last season. A good example is one night they take the most talented team in Region 1 to Overtime, and the next game score 22 pts the entire game, and the next they score 75 and beat their opponent by 35 points. It was a tough season for first year Coach Cleaver. This year doesn't look to get any easier after losing the top 3 scorers from last year. Nobody else on the team averaged more than 4 ppg so it may be another long season. Garrett Scott looked to be the center of the Lakers offense, but he is not listed on this year's roster. If Scott doesn't play for Calloway this year, this team could be in for some big trouble. Things could get worse for Coach Cleaver before things get better. They will play mostly Region 1 schools and some of the smaller Region 2 schools. Hopefully some new guys step up to make a difference and give hope for the coming years. 11. Ballard Memorial - Coach Marla Cooper 2017-18 record: 12-16 Key Losses Bradley Chandler (11.5 ppg), Khalil Griffin (12 ppg) Key Returners: Dequin Donlow (13 ppg) The Bombers are another team that is losing a good chunk of scoring from last season. Chandler and Griffin were 3 of the top 4 scorers for the Bombers and like other teams will be tough to replace. However leading scorer Dequin Donlow will be back. He is a Junior and is working hard to make big improvements. The rest of the team will have to learn how to play with those together. There isn't a whole lot of experience left on the bench, so it may get rough for a while. Once the kinks are worked out, Ballard Memorial could be a good mid-tier team in region 1. 12. Fulton City - Coach Jon Dillard 2017-18 record: 1-24 Key Losses: Emmett Hathaway (11.4) Key Returners: Cameron Madding, Brennen Walker The Bulldogs were poised to make a run at a .500 season last year till some late transfers before the season began derailed that. Fulton City won their first game of the year, and that was it. They were blown out the rest of the year with a few exceptions. Things don't look much better this year for the Bulldogs. However they have a young team that Coach Dillard can groom and get them experience so we should see improvement as the season moves on. Coach Dillard has 8 newcomers to the team this year and he feels the team has already shown signs of improvement. Expect the Bulldogs to shoot a lot a 3s, press relentlessly, and play good fundamental basketball. Madding and Walker will be leading the charge. Walker will play inside and outside as a stretch 4 man, and Madding will be the motor for the offense because of his athletic ability to get to the bucket. Drew Malray, Cade Malray, and Keith Martin all are hoping to contribute this year as well. Right now they sit at a 24 game losing streak. They have a great chance to break that streak in the first game of the season again Community Christian who broke a 63 game KY losing streak themselves at the end of last year....against.....Fulton City. 13. St. Mary - Coach Greg Overstreet 2017-18 record: 9-20 Key Losses: Gage Mathis (10 ppg), Hale Sims (16 ppg) Key Returners: Bryce Haas, Jack Bell The Vikings lose their top two scorers from last season so they will rely on sophomores Haas and Bell. Bell played in every game last season and Haas however only played in 4 games, but is ready to go for the full season this year. There is not a whole lot of experience on this team and it will be a tough to make progress on last year's record. It is a very young team however and lots of room for growth. The Vikings don't have a senior on the roster, and only four juniors. So there is hope that by the end of this season, they have built something to really compete next year. 14. Community Christian Paducah - Coach Daniel Durrett / Rhet McMullen 2017-18 record: 2-26 Key Losses: Jonathan Rogers (11 ppg) Key Returners: Ben Carter (12.6 ppg) Going winless over the course of a 30 game season is pretty difficult. Doing that mostly through a second season must be very painful, however, breaking that streak with a win is like winning a championship. CCA was able to break a 63 game losing streak at the end of last year, and even win a second game. Unfortunately CCA is a small school with very limited talent. Ben Carter will be the leader on the team being the only Senior and the only player with any offense from last year. Hopefully they will be competitive enough to win a few more games this year and keep that losing streak behind them for good. Top 10 Players to Watch in Region 1 1. Jackson Sivills, McCracken County, (Guard) – Senior (POY Candidate) Sivills was part of a trio from McCracken County that made that offense go. The other two parts are gone, and now this team will be Sivills to push going forward. He is a good defender with long arms and good fundamentals. On the offensive side of the ball he can drive, but he is a better shooter from the outside hitting 40% from 3 point range. He needs to improve his free throw shooting (65%) because he will go to the line a lot more this year since team can focus on just him. Sivills currently has offers from Murray St, NKU, Rice, Samford, and a few others. Video - Game Highlights vs Paducah Tilghman - Jackson Sivills highlights - Hudl 2. Connor Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate) Conner is probably the best shooter in the region and should be considered one of the best in the state. He lives for the outside shot. Last year he took over 250 shots from 3 points range making 39% of them. He doesn't have to be set to hit the shot either. He is just as good taking the shot off the dribble and he is setting up and hitting from the outside. He is decent ball handler, but he would be the guy that will hit the big shot when you need it. Pressure doesn't seem to get to him and he has a chance to play at the next level the way he can shoot. Video - Connor Guthrie 219, SG, 6'3 Mayfield - Connor Guthrie highlights - Hudl 3. Carson Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard/Forward) - Senior (POY Candidate) Carson is the brother of Connor and probably the more complete player. He has the ability to play inside or outside. He can shoot, rebound, pass, and handle the ball with ease. He is as complete a player in Region 1 as there is. He is a beast down low and has a great chance of averaging a double/double this season. He compliments his brother's game and that is what makes the two of them so dangerous. Video - junior year - Carson Guthrie highlights - Hudl 4. Ryan Mathis, Graves County (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate) Ryan has good ball handling skills, adequate range from 3 point, but he simply is smart for his age and will continue to improve. He seems to excel in big games. He led the Eagles in scoring multiple times last year and was a huge leader on the floor. He took a step back last year scoring wise, but that wasn’t a bad thing necessarily because all the other aspects, assists, steals, rebounds, went up, as well as his teammates' scoring. 5. Rodriguez Thomas , Paducah Tilghman (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate) Thomas is a good player with a decent work ethic. He can handle the ball well and is good at penetration. He has a pretty good outside shot, but shoots better from a set position than he does off the dribble. He knows his way around the basket and moves well away from the ball to get open. He still makes some silly mistakes and needs to cut down on those mistakes. Video - Rodriguez Thomas HIghlights - Rodriguez Thomas highlights - Hudl 6. Jordan Noranjo, Graves County (Guard) - Senior (POY Candidate) Noranjo really broke out last year leading Graves County in points. He got his chance to prove himself when Mathis went down 2 years ago, He started every game since. He can score from anywhere on the floor, but relies a lot on his jump shot and quickness when getting to the basket. Could see his average per game rise to the 18 point/game range. 7. Tyus White, Paducah Tilghman (Guard) - Senior White grew up in Paducah and moved to Nashville. He has played for LEAD Academy for the past couple years and last year broke out scoring 14 ppg and pulling down 4 rpg. He will be a huge addition for the Blue Tornado and will help fill the void left by Reed and Workman. It will take some time for him to acclimate himself to the team, but rest assured he should flourish against region 1 competition. Video - Tyus White c/o 219 - Tyus White highlights - Hudl 8. Trey Wilson, Carlisle County (Guard) - Senior Wilson is a scrappy player who knows his way around the floor. He is quick and keeps his head up while handling the ball so he has good vision of where his teammates are. He penetrates well and makes good decisions with the ball. He can shoot from the outside. He has a good set shot and is decent shooting off the dribble. He could really use another scorer on his team to take pressure off of him. Video - Vienna - Trey Wilson highlights - Hudl 9. Hunter Utley, Murray (Guard) - Junior Utley was the leading scorer on the Tigers team last year as a sophomore so he still has a lot of room to grow and experience to gain. He is a good ball handler with good view of the floor. He shot almost 40% from 3 pt range last year so he can hit it from the outside, and he likes to shoot it from downtown (200+ attempts). He is also good and driving and picking up the foul, to which he shoots 80% from the FT line. Being that Murray didn't lose much this offseason, that should boost Utley's numbers even more. Page Not Found - Hudl 10. Desean Jones, Mayfield (G/F) - Senior Jones is kind of the forgotten guy on Mayfield's team because of the Guthrie brothers. In reality, he would be the top player on the majority of teams in region 1. He can play inside and outside. The number that pops out of the page is how accurate he is from 3 point range hitting at a 47% clip in 50 attempts. At that rate, he should probably shoot from there more, but still, teams have to pay attention to him out there while also focusing on his teammates. *Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Guard) - Sophomore Harmon is considered the best point guard in America in his graduating class, and is ranked as ESPN's #9 overall player. He can do pretty much everything. He led Bowling Green to a state title as an 8th grader and led the state in scoring last year as a freshman. His ball handling skills are off the chart as his ability to get to the basket. He is quick, nimble and if you figure out how to stop him from driving, he will step back and drain it from the outside. There is reason for all the hype surrounding this young man. I hope that we can keep him in Kentucky so we can watch this talented young man continue to blossom.

Hoptown at 2 hit the crossbar. So close to a different score. Great game but the weather was terrible.

Mayfield is looking like they will be the cream of the crop for Region 1. PT, Graves, and McCracken will give them a run.

PT may have lost JJ Reed, but they picked up a great addition in Tyus White from LEAD Academy in Nashville. They should compete to go to Rupp again this year.

Doesn't seem as strong of a schedule as in the past. But I am not familiar with some of the teams so maybe it is.

It was posted on the Christian County website, however I do not know if they ever looked at another resume.

hopkinsville has dropped the interim title and named Larry Miller as the official head coach of the Tigers.

Now Western Kentucky has two incredible talents in Tandy and Harmon. Hopefully they play each other at some point next season!

Pretty Impressive pitching by Diuguid in this one. I remember watching him when he lived in my neighborhood as a toddler. Always loved baseball.

They keep stacking up. Anyone know where he may be leaning at this point. There will be more offers to come.

Haworth is a good coach who loves his players. It will be interesting to see how he does going against 7th region schools on a regular basis versus 2nd region schools. There is far more depth in the 7th. I hope he will rise to the challenge.

Tim Haworth has accepted the job at Male.

You can't forget about Jordan Majors who had D1 recruitment, but instead chose to go to Florida Tech where is the all time leading scorer for that school. Congrats to Jalen after a tough roller coaster season.

He will have lots more.... Hoping he gets one closer to home

The score may turn out like this... But this comment is absurd to me. Not even close???

Quickly getting out of hand.

McCracken frustrates Oldham to win by 5 in a low scoring game.

Congrats to SC. There goes my S16 bracket...lol. Clutch for the Cards.

WOW great game. 2 big, big 3's there at the end by SC. Clutch