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Region 2 may have some very talented players on rosters, but this is probably the weakest the region has been overall in quite some time. Christian County is ranked number 13 in the latest BGP poll, however the season will need to progress to determine whether that ranking is warranted or not. Here are the updates for this week. 1. Christian County – Coach Kerry Stovall 2017-18 record: 1-0 Week’s Record: 1-0 *BGP #13 The Colonels have earned the top spot in the region with their win over Paducah Tilghman even though it posed some questions. Christian County won 84-70 in game that Tighlman looked lost and unmotivated. One of the big questions for County is their offense. Ware dropped 38 points, almost half of what County scored. Paducah Tilghman is not known as a great defensive team, so what happens if a team can contain Ware, who will step up. That is a question that will be answered as the season moves along. For now, they are the top team in the region. 2. Hopkinsville – Coach Tim Haworth 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Tigers had a strong showing against Caldwell County. Jalen Johnson had 28 points. James Nicholas and Don Victor added 13 and 12 respectively. Hopkinsville then turned around and had a terrible performance against Bowling Green and lost 72-55. Johnson had 16 while only playing in the first half. Score was 30-25 at halftime. But without Johnson or Cager, Hopkinsville was overwhelmed. Good news was freshman Alijah Watts had 16 points. No team had more ups and downs in the region than Hopkinsville has. The Tigers were poised to be a top 5 team in the state and had a real chance to get a state title. Then Jalen Johnson transferred, then he didn’t, then he did. Then he came back and can play. Now, it seems he has a significant knee injury that will limit him. Shorty Cager was suspended before the season started until Feb 23. However reports are now that he will be rejoining the team by week’s end. We will not be able to get a good read on how this Tiger team will be until the new year. If Cager and Johnson are healthy and play, they are no doubt the number 1 team in Region 2, but that is not a guarantee right now. So, they lose the top spot. 3. Madinsonville North Hopkins – Coach Matt Beshear 2017-18 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 The Maroons came out guns ablazing to start the year. They soundly defeated Davies County 78-50. Cade Cunningham led Madisonville with 22 points and Kenny White add 17. Davies then turned around and beat Bowling Green, who ended up defeating Hopkinsville soundly. They also defeated Muhlenberg County 61-50 this time led by Ksuan Casey who had 19 and White who had 13. The Maroons seem to have multiple players who can score. There is a big test on Tuesday as Madisonville will host BGP#13 Christian County. This will give an early litmus test if the Maroons are for real this year and whether they have a chance to break District 8’s Region 2 title streak. For now they are at least keeping D8 from taking the top 3 spots in the rankings. 4. University Heights Academy – Coach Grant Shouse 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Blazers were down 19 points in the first half to a good Graves County team. They came roaring back to tie the game only to have Graves pull it out 69-65 in the end. Good news, UHA play significantly better defense in the second half which shows they can. Defense has been UHA’s Achilles heel in the past. They have always had talent. Kyky Tandy scored 34 points to lead the Blazers. They are going to need some others to step up and score if they are going to compete for the Region 2 title. In their other game they blew out Ft. Campbell 96-47. Drew McGowan led UHA with 25 points. Tandy got in trouble early but still had 20 points including this amazing windmill dunk on the break. Twitter (credit to @chrisjung). 5. Webster County – Coach Jon Newton 2017-18 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Webster County had a strong start to this season with 2 wins at home versus Crittenden County and Hopkins County Central. Crittenden was a blowout and Hopkins County Central was a convincing win 84-66. The Trojans then lost at Apollo 71-53. Ellis Chapman has paced the Trojans with 21 ppg and 7 rpg so far this year. Malachi Douglas has also contributed 14.7 ppg. Webster only has one game this week, but it is an interesting game against Madisonville North Hopkins on Saturday. It will decide who gets that 4th spot in the region rankings. 6. Henderson County – Coach Tyler Smithhart 2017-18 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 Henderson County’s season has not started they way they hoped. They took a big loss to Warren Central 64-87, and then lost to a decent McCracken County team 73-64. They did pick up a win against Barren County, but barely 58-57 in double overtime. But a win is a win. Henderson really looks to be struggling early this season. The good news is they have balanced scoring among 4 players. Jadal Fletcher, Corey Stewart, Cartel Gilbert, and Kale Gaither are all averaging over 10 points a game. The bad news, that is not enough offense to win. Coach Smithhart is an excellent coach and you should expect this team to come together and be a tough out by the end of the year. 7. Hopkins County Central – Coach Lee James 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Storm quickly put up two good wins against McLean County and Dawson Springs before falling to Webster County 84-66. HCC has been led by Blasin Moore who is averaging a double/double at 16.3 ppg and 12.3 rpg, and Tylan Mann who is adding another 15.7 ppg/7 rpg. The Storm has some tough games this week at Muhlenberg County before hosting defending region 1 champions Graves County. Should help determine how far their ceiling is. 8. Trigg County – Coach Payton Croft 2017-18 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 Last year Trigg County lost 6 of their first 7 games. This year they have already won 2 games, but they were supposed to win those games. A concern maybe how close the Crittenden game was, but Trigg still has lots of room for improvement. The Wildcats should win at least 1 of their 2 games this week. They should have no problems with Ft. Campbell, but a date at Livingston Central will prove their toughest game so far this year. 9. Dawson Springs – Coach Chad Burgett 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Panthers started the season with a good win at home against Christian Fellowship 67-48 led by 25 points from Austin Clark and 18 from Justin Putman. They fell in the their second game to Hopkins County Central 79-64. Dawson Springs had 4 players in double figures in the loss. This week the Panthers have 3 games at home. They play Union County, Madisonville, and Lyon County. 10. Livingston Central – Coach Bill McNamara 2017-18 record: 0-4 Week’s Record: 0-4 The Cardinals have gotten off to a dismal start this year. They probably were not favored in any of the games they played so far this year, but it is always tough to lose your first 4 games. LC is led by Seth Hosick who is averaging almost 18 ppg . Kobe T-Roy Ringstaff and Cameron Dean both are averaging 12 points a game. This week should give Livingston the chance to right the ship. They will be favored in at least 2 of those games and the 3rd would be a toss up. Those games will be a factor in where they rank next week. 11. Caldwell County – Coach Daniel Kukahiko 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 Caldwell County may have been the surprise team in the first week of school. They defeated Lyon County 64-50 in their opener, but it was their game against Hopkinsville that stood out. They were just a few point down in the middle of the 3rd quarter before Hopkinsville’s athleticism just became too much. It was a very good game for the Tigers and they should be able to find good things to take away. They will play at Crittenden County before hosting a really tough Mayfield team. 12. Union County – Coach Shane Smith 2017-18 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 Union County is another Region 2 team who has started the season 2-0. Blowout wins against Christian Fellowship and Fort Campbell do not really tell much of where this team stands this year. There isn’t a game on their schedule in 2017 that would have them being blown out, so games should be close for a while. Right now, the Braves are being paced by Elex Dunford at 28 ppg/7rpg and Logan Thomas at 19.5 ppg and 13.5 ppg. This week they will play Dawson Springs, Trinity (Whitesville) and Murray. All winnable, but tougher games at this point. 13. Lyon County – Coach Jeff Embrey 2017-18 record: 0-2 Week’s Record: 0-2 Lyon County experienced two close games this season, but came out on the short side. Losses to Caldwell County and McLean County were not how the Lyons hoped to start the season. Max Wadlington is leading the Lyons in scoring with 21.5 ppg/8.5 rpg and Gabe Board is helping with 12 ppg/7rpg. They will play Livingston Central, Crittenden County, and Dawson Springs. All should be close. 14. Crittenden County – Coach Denis Hodge 2017-18 record: 0-2 Week’s Record: 0-2 Tough start to the season for the Rockets. They were blown out by Webster County and then loss a close one to Trigg County. Logan Belt and Sawyer Towery both are averaging 11 ppg to lead Crittenden. The Rockets will play Caldwell County, Lyon County, and Hardin County, IL this week. 15. Fort Campbell – Coach Stacey Harrell 2017-18 record: 0-3 Week’s Record: 0-3 Falcons only have 6 players currently listed on their roster on KHSAA. That is tough for any team to play with, but the Falcons are trying to compete with just that. While the UHA game was truly a blowout, games against Northwest in Clarksville, TN and Union County proved they could somewhat hang around. They play Trigg County before hosting Hopkinsville on Friday. Players of the Week Double/Double season average by Logan Thomas, Union County (19.5 ppg/ 13.5 rpg) Blasin Moore, Hopkins County Central (16.3 ppg/ 12.3 rpg) Detorrion Ware, Christian County – 38 point effort vs Paducah Tilghman

The top teams in Region 1 are pretty good. Mayfield made the BluegrassPrep.com preseason rankings coming in no. 18, but they don't have the topspot in the regions. At least not yet. Paducah Tighlman holds that spot until someone in the 1st takes it from them. But there are a quite a few teams who feel they can this year. Some strong statements have already been made by Graves County and Marshall County. This week already has some exciting matchups between the top teams, we could see some shake up in the standings by this time next week. 1. Paducah Tilghman – Coach Roderick Thomas 2017-18 record: 2-1 Weeks record: 2-1 The Blue Tornado opened up the season against region 2 powerhouse Christian County. PT looked terrible in the first half, before making a decent comeback in the second. It looked like the Tornado was going to get blown out on their own court. They did a good job of adjusting on offense, but they allowed D. Ware from Christian County to do pretty much whatever he wanted. Thomas was the only player to score in double digits for PT. The next two games went much smoother as the Tornado annihilated Carlisle County and a decent North Hardin team. Rodriguez Thomas and Jerome Reed led the Tornado to victory. The next two games for Paducah Tilghman will be at Murray and a tough game at Warren Central. Paducah Tilghman will stay atop the Region 1 standings this week, but a big game versus Graves County next week can change that. 2. Mayfield – Coach Chris Guhy 2017-18 record: 0-0 Week’s Record: 0-0 Mayfield hasn’t played a game this week. Scheduling anticipates that their football team would be playing. They start their season on Dec 7 against Caldwell County. 3. Graves County – Coach Joshua Frick 2017-18 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Some believe that the top teams in Region 1 are better than the top teams in Region 2. This has not been the case for quite some time, but, Graves County made a case that might be true. The Eagles dominated University Heights out of the gate, with Ryan Mathis and Brenden Young leading the way with a big night. Young set a Marshall County Hoopfest record with 23 rebounds in the game. Mathis was the definite leader on the floor. While UHA did storm back, Graves held their composure and finished strong for the win. Graves had great balanced scoring in their win against another Region 2 team, Livingston Central. Four players scored in double digits and eight players scored overall. They did lose to Blackman High School from Tennessee who are 8-0 and haven’t been challenged on the year. Graves has 3 more games this week against Murray, Calloway County, and Hopkins County Central. 4. Marshall County – Terry Birdsong 2017-18 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Marshall County started out their season strong with wins against Muhlenberg County and Massac County (IL). They also played BGP#7 Lexington Catholic tough and lost in 45-40 in a tough one in the MC Hoopfest. Reed led the Marshalls with 12 points and 7 rebounds in the back and forth game. Aaron Reed is emerging as the team’s go to guy early. He had a double/double (18/12) versus Massac County leading Marshall. Big games coming up on Tuesday and Friday hosting Carlisle County and at McCracken County. If the Marshall D plays like it did against Lex Catholic, I see the Marshalls coming away with the wins. 5. McCracken County – Coach Burlin Brower 2017-18 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 McCracken is another region 1 team that has started the season well. The Mustangs rolled to a easy win over Livingston Central at home. Then at the Marshall County Hoopfest, they found themselves down 22-10 after the 1st Quarter and slowly worked their way back to finally take the lead 62-61 with a couple minutes left in the fourth. Jackson Sivills lead the Mustangs with 20 points and Cartwright, Stonecipher, and Winsett added 15, 14, and 13 respectively. This was a great gut check for McCracken and it is great to see the game plan still working after losing so much from last year. While Henderson isn’t as good as they were in previous years, this is a great win for the Mustangs. They will look to stay undefeated as the have 3 home games this week against Calloway, Marshall, and Fulton. The game against the Marshalls looks to be the toughest obstacle to staying unbeaten. 6. Murray – Coach Dior Curtis 2017-18 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 Key Returners: Hunter Utley Murray’s new coach this year, Dior Curtis has had a great start so far this season. Murray completely dominated Hancock County to the tune of 89-47. Noah Merriss and TaVichael Strickland led 4 different players in double figures with 17 points each. Not many expected that to be the final score in this one. Livingston Central was a much closer game, but Murray still pulled out the win 59-53. But, there is a good chance Murray is below .500 by this time next week. Tough early test for the Tigers as they will go to Graves County and then host Paducah Tilghman. After that they will have to go to Union, which is a less challenging game than the other two, but they are also 2-0 right now. 7. Calloway County – Coach Brad Cleaver 2016-17 record: 2-0 Week’s Record: 2-0 The Lakers are another region 1 team that has started the year off well. Calloway is 2-0 after wins against Ballard Memorial and Central High, Tn. Both were close games, but the Lakers came out on top. The upcoming week has 3 tough games though. McCracken County, Hickman County and Graves County all wait for the Lakers this week. They could make a big splash or find themselves in a 2-3 hole. 8. Carlisle County – Coach Brian O’Neil 2017-18 record: 1-1 Week’s Record: 1-1 The Comets started out with a strong win against St. Mary. They looked good and played well behind leader Trey Wilson and Reese Anderson. Both scored 18 points to lead Carlisle. Then came the chance to prove they belong in the top teams in Region 1 as they hosted Paducah Tilghman. They were completely dominated in a 77-31 loss that puts more doubt that they belong in the top tier teams in region 1. Not a single player was able to score in double figures. Hoping that this was just a bad night for the Comets and they regroup and play well. They have a tough game against Marshall on Tuesday and then Hickman County and CCA over the weekend. 9. Ballard Memorial – Coach Marla Cooper 2017-18 record: 2-1 Week’s Record: 2-1 Ballard had a great opening to the season beating Livingston Central 81-77 and then crushing Fulton City 82-36. They also lost a close game to Calloway County at home. Dequin Donlow (19.7) and Khalil Griffin (15.3) are leading this squad who has 4 players averaging 10+ points per game. The offense will look to continue to in two very winnable games this week against Christian Fellowship and St. Mary 10. Hickman County – Coach Jimmy Long 2017-18 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 The Falcons didn’t have quite the success as the other top teams in Region 1. In fact, they struggled to find any offense in the first game of the season against Murray. Dalton Jewel was the only player who seemingly could find the basket leading the way with 29 points. The rest of the team only scored 18 points in route to a 89-47 loss. Things didn’t get any better against Lake County, TN losing 82-38. They did get their first win of the year as the offense finally clicked and the Falcons scored 78 points. Jewel led the way with 21 followed by Devontae Alexander who add 18. Hickman needs to keep the ship righted if they don’t want to fall any further in the rankings. They will play Gleason, TN as well as region 1 games against Carlisle County and Calloway County. 11. Fulton City – Coach Jon Dillard 2017-18 record: 1-2 Week’s Record: 1-2 The Bulldogs may have won a game, but it was not in the manner that they liked. Fulton City defeated a team that hasn’t won a game in 18 months..by 4 points. They then lost two games that were not close to Ballard Memorial and Todd County Central. Brennan Walker is the leading scorer so far this year averaging 12.3 ppg. The Bulldogs have 2 games this week against out of state teams. 12. Fulton County – Coach Jamie Madding 2017-18 record: 0-1 Week’s Record: 0-1 The Pilots lost a close game to Trigg County in the only game they have played this year. They were led by Andreous Smith who scored 25 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. Even though the Pilots lost this game, they showed good heart and have a great chance at winning their next two games at CCA and Christian Fellowship. McCracken County however will be a huge challenge for Fulton Co on Saturday. 13. St. Mary – Coach Greg Overstreet 2017-18 record: 0-2 Week’s Record: 0-2 St. Mary had a tough go of it in their first two games of the season, losing to both Carlisle County and Hickman County. They better look to up their game if they want to win against Community Christian this week. They also play Ballard Memorial and Livingston Central 14. Community Christian Paducah – Coach Daniel Durrett / Rhet McMullen 2017-18 record: 0-3 Week’s Record: 0-3 Community Christian’s woes continue into 2017 season. They came oh so close to winning their first game in almost 2 years when they opened the season against Fulton City. Games against Portland Christian and Beth Haven were not very close. They hope to find that elusive win against St. Mary, Fulton Couty, or Carlisle County this week. Player of the Week Dequin Donlow, Ballard Memorial – Averaged 19.7 ppg over 3 games leading the Bombers to a 2-1 record.

hmmm...lot a Bowling Green hype from some on here. Too good to be true, or just a bad game. They play Hoptown tomorrow. That should tell us something.

Nice! Sounded like a great game.

He played in last night's game against Caldwell County. Scored 28 points.

Final from Marshall County Hoopfest.

UHA down 19 comes back to almost win it. Graves wins 69 - 65

Great game going on here. 66-65 Graves with 3 minutes left at Marshall County Hoopfest. Updates @chrisjung twitter Chris Jung @chrisjungKNE) on Twitter currently in a puke timeout :puke:

Harmon vs Jeffries should be a nice matchup to watch when they play Olive Branch

I know its only the first game of the year and there we will learn much more in the next few weeks, but 2 things I take from this game. First, the Jekyll and Hyde Tornados still exist. I hope they can change that this year. This has haunted them the past few seasons. Consistency is a huge problem. Second, Christian County seemed really one dimensional. Good defensive teams will be able to contain Ware and force others to contribute.

That would be Ware. He is a beast.

7 Corbin 5 Lexington Catholic 3 Henry Clay 2 Rockcastle County 1 Scott County TB Scott County

1st Region: Mayfield 2nd Region: Hopkinsville 3rd Region: Owensboro Catholic 4th Region: Bowling Green 5th Region: John Hardin 6th Region: Fern Creek 7th Region: Trinity 8th Region: Oldham County 9th Region: Covington Catholic 10th Region:Clark County (GRC) 11th Region:Scott County 12th Region:Mercer County 13th Region: Corbin 14th Region: Knott County Central 15th Region: Floyd Central 16th Region: Boyd County Championship Game: Trinity vs Fern Creek Champion: Fern Creek

7 Iroquois 5 Waggener 3 Shawnee 2 Manual 1 Bullitt Central TB: Waggener

7 Knox Central 5 Floyd Central 3 Boyd Co 2 Lee Co 1 Franklin Co TB Floyd

I think what he is saying is that who UHA will face much stiffer competition in their district. They have a tendency not to play defense.

7 Newport Central Catholic 5 Boone County 3 Mason County 2 St Patrick 1 Bracken County TB NCC

7-Warren Central 5-Bowling Green 3-Ohio County 2-Livingston Central 1-Glasgow TB - Warren Central

These rankings are based on Cager and Johnson playing this season.

Bluegrasspreps.com 2nd Region Boys Basketball Preview Region 1 teams surprised many people in the sweet sixteen the past few years, Calloway County in 2015 and Murray in 2016. This year there are a couple teams that truly believe they make a bang at the Sweet Sixteen in 2017 as well. Region 1 was hit hard by graduation this offseason. 18 of the top 30 scorers in the region were seniors and have moved on. Some of the best teams last year were hit particularly hard and will have a much more difficult time repeating last year’s success, while some of the teams that were mediocre the past few years have a chance to compete at the top of the region. The discussion here will change and morph over the year, but for now here are our Region 1 rankings for the both the teams and the top players. 1. Hopkinsville – Coach Tim Haworth 2016-17 record: 28-7 Key Losses: C.J. Hennigan, Brandon Govan, Josiah Patton Key Returners: Jalen Johnson (17.7 ppg, 39% from 3pt), Shorty Cager (15.9 ppg, 44% from 3pt) Since Tim Haworth took over as head coach at Hopkinsville in 2010, the Tigers always seem to have a very good basketball team. This year will be no different. The Tigers have won the 2nd region 5 out of the last 6 years. They hope to continue that dominance this year. That opportunity depends on whether Jalen Johnson will be ruled eligible for the upcoming season. Johnson initially transferred to Aspire Academy prior to the start of the school year to play basketball, but did not play in any games and was not officially on their roster for the first game. He transferred back to Hopkinsville last week. The Tigers are awaiting a ruling from KHSAA if he will be able to play. Coach Haworth is fully expecting his eligibility to be approved. If that is the case, then the Tigers become the favorite to win Region 2. It also puts them as one of the top teams in the state. If he is ruled ineligible, the Tigers can still win Region 2, but things will be much more difficult. Johnson lead the Tigers in scoring last year and was no doubt the leader on the court. Johnson paired with fellow senior Shorty Cager, makes arguably the best backcourt in the state. Both are quick, both can shoot, both handle the ball with ease, and both see the floor while making good decisions, and both are above average defenders. Add juniors James Nicholas and Tefrell Toliver down low, and you can see a very good team forming. Nicholas and Toliver were both highly touted by Haworth while they were freshman. He believes this is the year they both will breakout and achieve to the level he believes they can. The most interesting player on the roster is junior Jamarion Sharp. Sharp has not played a lot over the past two seasons, but he grew 4 inches since last season and is now listed at 6’11”. Not sure how much he has improved in his skills down low, but with that kind of height, the Tigers will be scary in the paint. Hoptown always seems to play one of the toughest out of region schedules in the state, and this year is no different. The Tigers will play Bowling Green (2x), Owensboro, McCracken Co., Mayfield, Russellville, and two Holiday tournaments, one being at CPS in Nashville featuring some of the top talent in the nation. 2. Christian County – Coach Kerry Stovall 2016-17 record: 27-8 Key Losses: Jaylen Sebree, T”Aiveyhon Mason Key Returners: Detorrion Ware (20.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg), Cory Trice (11.4 ppg) Kerry Stovall returns to Christian County after a few years of absence. He has won a state title with this very school before leaving to go home to Muhlenberg Co. But after Frankie Smith stepped down last year, Christian County convinced Stovall to return. He has got a talented team, and I’m sure it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing. If Johnson is ruled not eligible to play for the Tigers, the Colonels would be the favorites to win Region 2. The Colonels lost more than Hopkinsville did last year. Losing Sebree and Mason would hurt any team in the state. Their talent was a huge reason for their success last year. However, having Detorrion Ware for another 2 seasons is a reason to smile. Ware is a fantastic talent who led Christian County in scoring last season as a sophomore. One more year of summer ball and more experience under his belt, he will be one of the premier players in the state to watch. He could drop 30+ points in a half it seems, and with Sebree and Mason moving on, the team will look for more of those high scoring nights from him. His partner in scoring this year will be Cory Trice. Trice was the 4th option last year. He will be the 2nd option this year. He has worked hard to strengthen all aspects of his game. One of the questions will be who else will step up for the Colonels. They will not be able to rely on just 2 players to win this region. It is just too difficult. JaQuon Long showed some flashes of being that third guy last year, and he probably gets that by default. Christian County really only played a 7 player rotation last year. The Colonels may look to football star Kolbe Langhi for help or Damikeon Mathis, but someone will have to step up to complete this team. County opens the year at very good Paducah Tilghman team. They also will play Doss, Owensboro, Russellville, Mayfield, John Hardin, Bowling Green, and some other out of region teams. They will be well tested come tournament time. That is a pretty tough schedule. 3. University Heights Academy – Coach Grant Shouse 2016-17 record: 13-15 Key Losses: Travion Hollowell Key Returners: Keke Tandy (23.6, 41% from 3 pt), Drew McGowan (11.6 ppg, 40% from 3 pt) UHA was most likely the most talented and best team in the state last season, with a losing record. It was Flash and Dash with the duo of Travion Hollowell and Dekeyvan Tandy. Both averaged more than 20 ppg last year and they were fun to watch. This year Hollowell is gone so Keke will be the go to guy. Even though Tandy led the team in scoring, Hollowell was the clear leader on the team. Now Tandy will have to step up and assume that role. Keke Tandy is one of the most talented players in the state. He is only a junior and has multiple D1 offers. Last year he actually took a step back in points (23.6) scored versus his freshman year (26.4). Look for him to rebound and average at least 26 this year. Tandy is one of those few guys in the state that just can’t be stopped. But scoring will be more difficult with teams not having to worry about Hollowell on the other side. UHA still has a lot of talent on the team. Taquan Hollowell and Drew McGowan played big roles last year, and those will be magnified this year. McGowan can score from anywhere on the floor, but he is deadly from 3 point range, and always seems to hit the big shots when needed. Taquan is probably the hardest working player on the team. He hustles his way around the court each and every play. That leadership will be needed. The biggest knock on UHA over the past few seasons has not been their offense, but instead their defense. The Blazers averaged almost 71 ppg last year in scoring…they also gave up almost 70 ppg to the other team. They gave up 80 points or more in 7 games last year, losing all 7. The gameplan in the past has seemed to be to outgun the other team, and that didn’t work well against teams with equal talent. If the Blazers can get a grasp on the defensive side of the court, they could be very dangerous and have a high chance to win the region. Their schedule is softer than their 8th district rivals. They will play Southwestern, Graves Co, Murray, and a couple Holiday Tournaments. The district is tough enough to get them ready for the regional play. If they can even make it there. 4. Madinsonville North Hopkins – Coach Matt Beshear 2016-17 record: 15-15 Key Losses: Noah Cunningham, Conner Cline, Dylan Ashby Key Returners: Ksuan Casey (8.1 ppg), Kenny White, Cade Cunningham The Maroons were hurt by graduation last year losing their top 3 scorers. If only they could have those guys back this year, they would have a great chance to make some serious noise. But instead, Madisonville will be looking for some guys to step up and show they can perform beyond expectations. They do have some players that made contribution last year. Cade Cunningham, Christian Fields, and James Gilbert all logged some significant playing time. Coach Beshear thinks they will be okay with the experience these guys received playing last year and in summer ball. The key to victory will go through big man Ksuan Casey and guard Cade Cunningham. Casey only averaged 8 ppg last year, but also averaged almost 8 rebound a game. He will have to make his presence known. Cade has had an excellent summer and has shown some tremendous growth. The Maroons expect big things from the sophomore in years to come. The Maroons schedule is not as difficult as some of the other region 2 teams. They do play Owensboro Catholic, Daviess Co and Louisville Central. Those are top quality teams. They also will match up with Apollo, Ohio Co., and McCracken Co. 5. Henderson County – Coach Tyler Smithhart 2016-17 record: 22-10 Key Losses: Taye Calloway, Robert Dawson, DeAngelo Ware, Idris Mitchell Key Returners: none This year was supposed to be the year that Henderson dethrones the District 8 stranglehold on Region 2. The region tournament will be held at Henderson and they had most of their starters returning from a 22 win last year with some really good games against tough competition. And then…..Taye Calloway, the team’s leading scorer and best talent transfers to Doss. Then Ware and Mitchell won’t return either. That means all of the team’s top scorers will not be playing this year. They still have a great coach, great fans, and a tough atmosphere to play in. But the road to Rupp just got harder and steeper. The Colonels do still have talent, albeit it is unproven. They will rely their seniors to lead this team, even if they do not have a ton of game experience. Cartel Gilbert will be the most experienced returner this year . He had some very good games last year leading the Colonels in scoring. There were other games he didn’t score at all. He will need to get more involved in the offense and fill in some of the gaps that have been left. Look for Jadal Fletcher to contribute more this year as well. He has a nice outside shot and looks to have really improved over the off season. The Colonels will need every bit of Alec Agnew’s height down low. The big man is good on the boards, but really needs to work on his post work in order to contribute on offense. Coach Smithhart will have this team ready to play. They always play hard and are always a tough win, especially when playing at Henderson. The schedule will be challenging as they play numerous teams that have been picked to win their region (Warren Central, Paducah Tilghman, Knott Co. Central, Hopkinsville) plus Ohio Co, and holiday tournaments. This is the season for the Colonels, because they will graduate the majority of their starters after this season. 6. Webster County – Coach Jon Newton 2016-17 record: 18-15 Key Losses: Ethan Gilbert Key Returners: Chatman Ellis (13.8 ppg), Daylan Lewis (10.6 ppg), Malachi Powell (11.1 ppg, 42% from 3pt) Things really drop off when you leave the 8th district. Webster County is bringing back most of their starting lineup from last year. A team that improved vastly as the year went forward until it ended in a sour game against Christian County in the second round of the regional tournament. Webster has some decent talent and they play with grit. Losing Ethan Gilbert will hurt some, but have Ellis, Lewis, and Powell return for another year to play together will help. If they want to compete anywhere close to the level of the district 8 teams, they will need a game plan that will slow the game down and use their strengths as a team to keep it close and then anything can happen. The Trojans shoot well from the outside, but their inside game is lacking. Too many times they had to settle for mediocre shots from the outside last year. That will need to improve this year for them to have success against better teams in the area. They should easily have a winning record again this year. Looking at their schedule they will be favored in most games outside of the higher ranked Region 1 teams and maybe Apollo. 7. Livingston Central – Coach Bill McNamara 2016-17 record: 18-15 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Cameron Dean (14.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg), Sean Hosick (8.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) This is the point where schools just don’t have the firepower to matchup with the top teams in the region. The Cardinals would fall under that category. They have a good team coming back with all of their starters ready to go on the year. Outside of the top teams, Livingston Central has the most experienced team returning for 2017. They had 8 players who played in at least 30 games last year. All 8 will be playing this year again. The Cardinals will look to senior forward Cameron Dean for leadership on both sides of the floor. Dean does a great job around the basket but really needs to cause more contact. He only shot 100 free throws last year, and he really needs to get that up around 160 or higher. The same could be said about center Sean Hosick. These guys need to be really good around the basket for Livingston to succeed. Other contributors will be guard Cameron Head, who was the team’s best outside shooter, Kobe T-Roy Ringstaff, and Dylan Sherer. Livingston Central’s schedule pretty much consists of games with region 1 and region 2 schools. They do have a holiday classic thrown in there as well. 8. Trigg County – Coach Payton Croft 2016-17 record: 8-19 Key Losses: none Key Returners: Devon Triplett (18.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Jordan Cameron (8.7 ppg) Coach Croft’s team had a disappointing season last year after making a big splash the prior year and going 21-8 on the season. Last year was a tough pill to swallow. However, the Wildcats made some good strides and having most of your starting lineup return is a good way to start. Although Trigg County doesn’t have the talent or athletes that their neighboring teams in Christian County do, they should be much improved over last year. The team has worked very hard in the off season and that will be evident in the games played this year. Add to that the rest of the second region is down as well and the Wildcats can have a nice season. Trigg will be led by talented guard Devon Triplett. He is a fascinating player to watch. Unfortunately last year he didn’t get a lot of help. Jordan Cameron, Jakobe Bridges, and Micah Brown will all be looked upon to contribute this year. Keep an eye on JaKobe Bridges as he averaged 6.6 ppg last year as a freshman. If he can keep improving, he will be a nice compliment to Triplett by the end of the season. Trigg should be the second best team in District 5, and could give Livingston Central a run for the their money. 9. Dawson Springs – Coach Chad Burgett 2016-17 record: 17-16 Key Losses: Dylan Simpson Key Returners: Braxton Cotton (11.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Justin Putman (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) The Panthers will be without Dylan Simpson this season. Simpson was Dawson Spring’s go to man. He averaged almost 17 ppg last year, and losing that hurts for any team. It will be very interesting to see how much sophomore Braxton Cotton has improved in the offseason. He was the second best player on this team last year as a freshman. His second year may prove to be a little more difficult as teams will be focused on him since they don’t have to worry about Simpson anymore. Senior center Justin Putman will have to take some of that pressure off. He help by giving Trigg a good inside game, especially against equally talented teams in the area. Dawson is not going to compete with the top tier teams in the region, however, they can compete for the district title since Madisonville lost quite a bit from last year as well. 10. Caldwell County – Coach Daniel Kukahiko 2016-17 record: 16-14 Key Losses: Josh Wilkerson, Javonte Riley, Russel Brandon Key Returners: Derrin Boyd (13.5 ppg) Tigers are another team in the region that lost so much from last year. Wilkerson was one of the best players in the region last year averaging almost 18 ppg, and he was great from the outside. They also lost Riley and Brandon who combined averaged over 25 ppg. That is a big chunk of scoring to lose in one offseason. The bright spot is junior Derrin Boyd, who was the team’s second leading scorer last year returns. Caldwell although having a winning record last year, didn’t compete very well against the top teams in the area. They did very well against equally talented teams, and the hope will be they will do the same this year. Caldwell will have to find some scoring from some of their other players besides Boyd. However only one player on the team (John Davis) had any kind of playing time last year. The team is full of sophomores and juniors who just do not have any experience playing at this level. The Tigers may have some growing pains this year, but hopefully they can grow together and really compete at the end of this year and into next year. 11. Hopkins County Central – Coach Lee James 2016-17 record: 21-10 Key Losses: Damontae Barnhill, Mason Burgett, Jackson Porter, Kyle Slate, Austin James Key Returners: Tylan Mann OUCH! Talk about a tough offseason. Nobody in region 2 was hit with players graduating than Hopkins County Central. They lost their entire starting lineup. Everyone. Barnhill was one of the more exciting players to watch in Region 2 and he could score from anywhere (20.5 ppg). Losing that is tough enough, but losing all the role players as well, and only having one player return who had any significant playing time really makes having a successful season tough. Mann is the only player returning who played in 30 or more games last year for the Storm, and he only averaged 6 ppg. This year’s roster is small and obviously inexperienced. It may be a long year for Coach James, but he is working hard on defense first, and then scoring. The current starting lineup for the Storm this year averaged less than 12 ppg combined. 12. Union County – Coach Shane Smith 2016-17 record: 8-22 Key Losses: Kaile Gaither, Elex Dunfor Key Returners: Logan Thomas (13.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg) Until County doesn’t have a lot of talent compared to some of the other schools in Region 2. However they do have something no other team does. They have a player who averaged a double/double for the season. Senior Logan Thomas led the Braves in almost every offensive category. He had over 300 rebounds on the year. He will be leading the team again this year hoping for even better numbers. That may be too much to do because the Braves lost their next 2 best players to graduation. The team will rely on Marqualio King and Josh Girten, both seniors, to pick up some of the slack and help Thomas. 13. Lyon County – Coach Jeff Embrey 2016-17 record: 17-13 Key Losses: Payton Martin, Jack Rooyakker, Key Returners: Gabe Board The Lyons didn’t lose as much as some of the other teams, but they still lost quite a bit. Two of their Three highest scores graduated and just like many other teams, there is not a lot of experience to replace them. They will struggle until some of the guys can step up to replace the scoring hole left from last year’s seniors. Coach Embrey will look to Gabe Board and Max Wadlington to fill some of the scoring gaps, but with 4 freshman and only 10 players on the roster, it will be a tough go for a while this season. 14. Crittenden County – Coach Denis Hodge 2016-17 record: 7-24 Key Losses: Stacey Harrell Key Returners: Logan Belt (9.4 ppg), Gavin Dickerson (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) The Rockets leading scorer will not be returning this season in Bobby Stevens. However, Belt and Dickerson are returning and hoping to improve on a learning experience last season. Many of the games last year were pretty close and winning or losing was just determined by just a few bad breaks or decisions. Most of the team is back and ready to improve on last year’s record. If Coach Hodge can get them to a point where they are comfortable playing together, a much better season could be ahead of them. 15. Fort Campbell – Coach Stacey Harrell 2016-17 record: 4-24 Key Losses: Kevin Moon, Christian Duff Key Returners: Cameron Johnson It is a difficult thing for a basketball having so much change from one season to another. Nobody experiences that more in region 2 than the Fort Campbell Falcons. Coach Harrell only has 3 players returning from last year’s roster of 13. Johnson will be looked upon as the leader of the team. He averaged over 8 ppg last year. However the other two returning players didn’t play very often so it is going to be another difficult year for Falcon basketball. Top Players to Watch in Region 1 Dekeyvan (Kyky) Tandy, University Heights, (Guard), Junior. KyKy Tandy is without a doubt the best offensive player in Region 2. He already has offers from many major D1 programs (Florida, Oklahoma) although he has not committed. 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 23.6 ppg, down from 26.4 ppg the previous year. He hits over 40% of his shots from three. Don’t be surprised if Tandy eclipses the 30 ppg mark. 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 - Jalen Johnson, Hopkinsville (Guard), Senior Jalen is a very talented and underrated player. He is one of the guys to look out for Player of the Year for Region 2. He initially transferred to Aspire Prep Academy at the beginning of the school year, but transferred back to Hopkinsville before the season without playing a game for Aspire. He is a smart player with great speed. He can score from the outside as well as at the rim. He is an above average ball handler and he sees the floor well. He is an excellent defender who usually is called upon to defend the best players in man to man. He averaged almost 18 ppg and 5 rpg last year and look for that to be closer to 20/5 this season. Johnson currently has an offer from Samford. Video - Jalen Johnson Jr. Highlights - Jalen Johnson highlights - Hudl Stephen (Shorty) Cager, Hopkinsville, (Guard), Senior Cager is one of the smallest (5’8”), but quickest guards in Kentucky. There are not many who can match his quickness and speed. Add to that the jumpshot that he has worked so hard on and he becomes a real handful. Cager is an elite ball handler with very good floor vision. He is not afraid to pull up from the outside at any time. This can also be his weakness as he make poor shooting decisions. He is at his best when he is moving, although his set shot has improved, especially from behind the arc (45%) . His best shot is driving and pulling up at the free throw line. It is almost money unless to can keep up. Best free throw shooting on the Tiger team. Video - De’Torrion Ware, Christian County, (Guard), Senior Ware is another amazing talent heralding from District 8. He is one of the other guys to look out for POY in region 2. He has worked super hard this summer and shed some weight to allow him to be a better player on the floor. He is in the best shape in his high school career and expect a huge season. He averaged almost 21 ppg last year, leading Christian County. With Mason and Sebree gone, this is his time to shine for the next two years. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor and is great at putting himself in a good position for putbacks. He is a good ball handler, probably could see the floor a little better. Very tough to guard because his touch is so good when shooting whether driving or throwing up bombs. He can hit from 30 feet with consistency. He took 500 shots last season, half of them from 3 point range. He currently has an offer from Southeast Missouri State.\ Video - Cameron Dean, Livingston Central, (Forward), Senior Dean isn’t as well known because he doesn’t play for one of the “big” school in Region 2. However, Dean can hold his own in the post. He averaged over 14 ppg and 7 rpg last year as a junior. He will again be expected to lead his team this season. He can handle the ball well, especially in the post. He has a good first move to the basket. Where he excels is on the boards and defense. He is a above average defender down low and really knows how to get position on both the offensive and defensive glass. He is one of those players who doesn’t get a lot of glory, but a lot of players just don’t like playing against. Taquan Hollowell, University Heights, (Guard), Junior Travion is gone, now it’s his turn. Taquan has always had the skill and talent to be a great ball player. He just has had to wait his turn. With Tandy and older brother Travion leading UHA the past two years, Taquan has just been a role player. Now he gets a bigger part of the action. Hollowell has good size for a guard 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 7.5 ppg last year. Look for that to at least double this year. Video - Devon Triplet, Trigg County, (Guard), Senior Triplett averages almost 19 ppg and 6 rpg last year for a squad that didn’t have much experience on the court. This year, that team has had a full year to play together, and look for Triplet to be even better. Devon can shoot from the outside, but it is not his strength. Especially from deep (30%). He excels at getting to the basket and finishing. He has shown he can score, even when defenses are completely focused on him. He will need to get his teammates more involved in the game this year if he wants to see those numbers go up significantly. Video - http://cbsprt.co/2Al5Qqf Chatman Ellis, Webster County, (Guard), Senior Chatman has quick feet and loves to drive in the lane. He is very confident and has a good first step. He can take it all the way to the basket and finish or pull up for a quick floater. He goes to the basket with authority, especially for his size. He has good ball handling skills is an above average defender. He could stand to improve from the outside. He seems to always want to drive first and rarely takes a 3 point shot (38 attempts). He will be counted on to lead Webster County again this year. http://www.hudl.com/v/27iC62 Logan Thomas, Union County, (Center), Senior Gotta mention the big man. The only player in region 2 to average a double/double. He doesn’t have as much talent as other guys on this list, but no one has more grit. Thomas is surprisingly good around the basket. He release is quick and he takes advantage of that. He is a decent ball handler, but a great rebounder. He plays bigger than his true height. He is a joy to watch. Video - http://cbsprt.co/2zYarhI Cody Cunningham, Madisonville North-Hopkins (Guard), Junior Cody spent the last two years under the shadow of his brother Noah, who was a great player for MNH. Cody only averaged 6 ppg last year, but he has had a great summer and has developed nicely. Cunningham was selected as an all star at the Ric Bouls Blue Chip camp this summer. His strengths are his ability to shoot from the outside and creating opportunities off the dribble. He sees the floor okay, but with continued experience, he can become a very effective passer. Look for his numbers to improve greatly this year. Video -

@sweet16 what do you think Mayfield's chances are in the All "A" state tournament?

I think it will be very close. IF Tilghman plays to their potential, which they have had a lot of problems doing the past few years, then they can beat Mayfield. However, Carson and Conner are legit and it is hard to see anyone stopping them this year once they get going. It should be a fun year!

Thanks for these notes. Didn't get some of this information when contacting teams. Appreciate the help!

:thumb:

BluegrassPreps.com 1st Region Boys Basketball Preview Region 1 probably had the best championship game of all regions last year watching upstart Mayfield and favorite Graves County go into overtime. Graves came out on top but Mayfield put the whole region on notice that they will be back for the 2017-18 season as they return two of the top players in West Kentucky in the Guthrie brothers. A lot of teams were hit pretty hard by graduation this offseason. There are quite a few teams that will be starting over and others that are rising to the top. Region 1 has a few senior players to watch in Reed, Wilson, and Jewel. However the real talents in Region 1 are in the junior class. Some of the top teams in the region all seem to have great talent in the class of 2019. That means the top teams this year will be around for round two next year as well. So here is the rankings and preview for the 14 teams in Region 1. 1. Paducah Tilghman – Coach Roderick Thomas 2016-17 record: 20-11 Key Losses: DeCoven Grubbs (9.3 ppg) Key Returners: Jerome Reed (14.8 ppg/6.3 rpg), Rodriguez Thomas (13.8 ppg/ 41% from 3 pt), Joe Workman (11 ppg, 39% from 3 pt.) The Blue Tornado will be looking to finally get over the hump to win Region 1. This is something they haven’t been able to accomplish since the 2009-10 season. Tilghman always seems to have a good team, just not the best team. This may be the year that is different. They will be the favorite to win region 1 going into the season even though Mayfield who beat them in the Region 1 tournament last year will be strong again too. . This year’s Tornado team will look very similar to last year’s team. They only lost one starter (Grubbs) and return their 3 top scorers for another year. Reed and Workman are seniors and this will be their last chance. Reed is a force to be reckoned with down low. Now that Chris Vogt has moved on, Reed would be considered the premier big man in region 1. He averaged almost 15 points a game and 6.3 rebounds a game last year and he should improve on both of those. A stat line approaching 20 ppg and 8 rpg is not out of the question. Reed is complimented by two fantastic guards. Thomas and Workman both handle the ball well and shoot very well from 3 point range. Thomas is better at driving inside than Workman, but both can score off the dribble. Reed will get some help inside from Michael Laster. Laster had a respectable freshman year averaging over 8 ppg and 5 rpg. He could easily up that do 10 ppg and 6 rpg. If everyone improves on their play from last year, Paducah Tilghman will be very tough to beat. Paducah’s out of region schedule is just as impressive as last years. They will play games against Christian County (2x), Apollo, North Hardin, 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? 2. Mayfield – Coach Chris Guhy 2016-17 record: 23-11 Key Losses: Anton Lumson (13.8 ppg) Key Returners: Carson Guthrie (15.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 38% from 3 pt), Connor Guthrie (16.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 45% from 3pt.), Kent Tray Matthews (9.2 ppg). The Cardinals were last year’s biggest mover in Region 1. They started off slow but came on strong and almost took the region losing to Graves County 77-71. Next to Paducah Tilghman, the Cardinals bring back the most talented team in Region 1. The Guthrie brothers were a force to be reckoned with last year and they were only sophomores. This year Connor and Carson may be 1,2 in the region for scoring. Carson has good size for a guard and is a great ball handler. He will be the leader on the court for the Cardinals. He can play inside or outside and has a great basketball IQ. Connor is more a pure scorer who can scorch the nets from the outside. Almost 60% of his shots came from beyond the arc last year, and he made 45% of those. Good luck to all region 1 teams having to guard these two. Add to that Kent Tray Matthews who averaged almost 10 ppg last year, and should improve on those stats with Lumson leaving. Because of Mayfield’s success in football, their season won’t get started until Dec 7. Carson and Kent Tray both are starters for the Cardinals football team as well as some other key players. It may take them a couple weeks to find their niche like last year. Once they are rolling on all cylinders, they can win this region. The only knock against them is their schedule. They do not play a single out of region game that will challenge them other than the All A Classic. They should win the Region 1 easily and then be challenged at the state tournament. They will need to draw from that experience for the Region 1 tournament and beyond. 3. Graves County – Coach Joshua Frick 2016-17 record: 27-8 Key Losses: Vogt Key Returners: Ryan Mathis (13.3 ppg), Jordyn Noranjo (11.4) Nobody in the region was hurt more by graduation than the Eagles. Not having Chris Vogt, the 6’11” big man in the middle will be tough to overcome. He has been a mainstay for Graves County for the past 4 years and the whole game plan has been centered around him. Now that the Region 1 POY is gone, Eagle basketball will have to be played a little different. Good news is, they have Ryan Mathis and Jordyn Noranjo. Mathis and Noranjo will be the go to guys for Graves this year. Both are fully capable of producing for the Eagles. Mathis will be the leader for this team. After an injury last year, Mathis had to sit out 6 weeks but came back just in time for the Region 1 playoff run. Mathis is a quick guard who plays tough defense and can score from anywhere on the floor. He has a great basketball IQ and can be a real game changer. He will have to figure some new ways to do that now that the focus will be on him instead of his 6’11” teammate. Noranjo blossomed last year when Mathis got hurt. He stepped right into his shoes and the Eagles didn’t miss a beat. In fact, when Mathis came back, he got better. He was the difference maker in Graves County winning the Region 1 title last year. He scored 28 points including 5 for 5 from beyond the arc. The biggest knock against both Mathis and Noranjo is free throw shooting. Both will need to shoot better than 70% this year if they want the chance to win Region 1. Graves schedule for 2017-18 is not as strong as last year, but they still have some good competition. They play at Hopkinsville and Hopkins County Central. They will host Ohio County and Muhlenberg County. They also have a few holiday tournaments where they could see some tough competition. 4. Marshall County – Terry Birdsong 2016-17 record: 21-11 Key Losses: Houston Harvey Key Returners: Dylan Walters (11.3 ppg), Aaron Reed (12.3ppg), Matthew French (8.0 ppg) The Marshalls had some very exciting games last year. They played the top 4 teams in the region very well and hope to improve this year. They played much better the beginning of the year than towards the end, especially against better teams. They are hoping they can play well from start to finish this year with no huge losses leaving and the core of their starting lineup back. The three seniors, mentioned above, will be called upon to lead the Marshalls to this task. All 3 improved from their sophomore year to their junior year, and Coach Birdsong is hoping that will be the case this year. Coach Birdsong, hired in the offseason, is hoping his first year at Marshall will be even more successful than last year. Birdsong should be a great fit for Marshall County, being that he has coached in Region 1 for the majority of his career. Asked about the upcoming season, Coach Birdsong stated “We’re going to work our tails off to create that toughness, that sense of pride that I felt as a player. It’s not about me, this program is 1,000% about these young men.” The Marshalls have some talent, but they are not as talented as some of the other teams in the Region so they will have to work extra hard to overcome. If they can improve from last year and keep the success going the entire season, they have a chance to do well. Marshall has one of the better out of region schedules this year. They play Lex Catholic, Holmes, Ohio Co., Warren Central, and a Florida Holiday tournament. Those are pretty good games against some good teams. 5. Carlisle County – Coach Brian O’Neil 2016-17 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. 6. McCracken County – Coach Burlin Brower 2016-17 record: 25-9 Key Losses: Sivils, Tyce, Ellington, Hagan Key Returners: Cameron Cartwright (10.2 ppg, 39% from 3 pt), Nathan Stonecipher (8.6 ppg) McCracken had its ups and downs last year, but played very well for the most part. Even though the Mustangs didn’t have a superstar last year, they had a lot of contributors. Unfortunately they lost quite a few of those contributors and will have to reload for this year. The Mustangs will be led by Cameron Cartwright and Nathan Stonecipher. Cartwright was the second highest scorer for McCracken and the senior guard will be looking to vastly improve on his scoring. He shoots very well from the outside, but will need to push into the middle to open things up for his teammates since he will be the focal point. Nathan Stonecipher is the other senior who will have to give some leadership to this team. He plays with real grit and that can be contagious, especially for a young team. Jackson Sivils is a sophomore that showed some promise last year. Look for him to make some noise as he gets more playing time. Especially if he can keep up his 3 point shooting. Last year he hit nearly 50% of his 3 point attempts. The Mustangs have a strong out of conference schedule this year again. They will play Henderson County, Christian County, Apollo and Hopkinsville. I don’t see McCracken County competing for the region 1 title this year, but the Mustangs always seem to put a solid team on the floor that plays their hearts out, so anything can happen. 7. Hickman County – Coach Jimmy Long 2016-17 record: 12-15 Key Losses: Grant Davis, Logan Pittman Key Returners: Dalton Jewel (19.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Parker Estes (8.3 ppg) Hickman Co won the 1st District last year, so they ended the season on a positive note before losing to a very good Mayfield team. The Falcons will rely heavily on Dalton Jewel, the teams leading scorer last year. Jewel has the ability to dominate in the paint, especially now that Chris Vogt has moved on. He can shoot from the outside, but its not where Coach Long would really want him to be. He really needs to improve his free throw shooting. He went to the line over 230 times last year, but made just 146. Parker Estes will running the team from the top. He averages almost 9 ppg last year and truly could improve that to 12-13 ppg. He can shoot from the outside, but needs to work on taking good shots. Betweent the two, if they can work inside and out, they have a great chance of winning the 1st district again, and moving further in the regional tournament. Hickman mainly will play region 1 teams with the exception of a holiday classic and Dawson Springs. 8. Murray – Coach Dior Curtis 2016-17 record: 16-13 Key Losses: Preston English, Zach Flener Key Returners: Hunter Utley Murray has a new coach this year, Dior Curtis. Curtis is not unfamiliar with Murray’s program as he has been the assistant coach for the Tigers for a while. He has a challenge in front of him however. The Tigers lost talented guard Preston English who would have won the Region 1 POY if it weren’t for some guy named Vogt. English averaged nearly 24 ppg and 10 rpg. Those are some huge shoes to fill. Have that and the loss of Zach Flener (11 ppg) and it makes the mountain even higher. Coach Curtis has two contributors returning from last year, Hunter Utley (6 ppg) and Wil Lovins (5 ppg). Those are the only two players returning who had any significant contribution for the Tigers. The good news, the entire team is pretty young. There is only two seniors on the roster this year. This will give Coach Dior the opportunity to shape the team the way he wants it. Things may be a frustrating year at times this year, but if the Tigers can pull together and get good solid fundamental play, they can setup things for a good run next season. One step at a time. Murray out of region schedule isn’t too shabby and will have some difficult games. They will play Bullitt Central, Todd Co., and UHA. This teams hopefully will only help them learn and become better. 9. Calloway County – Coach Brad Cleaver 2015-16 record: 21-11 Key Losses: : Kamden Price (18.1 ppg), Payton Johnson (11.0 ppg/ 7.5 rpg) Key Returners, Jeremy Darnell (7.4 ppg) Calloway had a good run last year winning the 4th district over Marshall County. Then their coach went to Marshall County and they have hired Brad Cleaver. Cleaver appears to have had a great basketball career at Calloway and Morehead State, but this will be his first head coaching opportunity. Unfortunately, like some other region 1 teams, the Lakers will be starting over again. They have lost their two top contributors from last year in Price and Johnson. They will return only two starters, Jeremy Darnell (Sr.) and Garrett Scott (Jr.). Other than a handful of seniors, this team is another young team made up of a lot of sophomores. Coach Cleaver will have the opportunity to build a program in the way he wants. Region 1 isn’t very strong this year after the first few teams, so a winning record isn’t out of the question, but winning the 4th district will be very difficult. The Lakers out of region schedule has the team playing Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, and Caldwell. 10. Fulton City – Coach Jon Dillard 2016-17 record: 12-17 Key Losses: Areon Ferrell Key Returners: Devontae Alexander (10.3 ppg/6.0 rpg), Branden Walker (16.9 ppg) The Bulldogs are one of the few teams in the region who did not lose a lot. They will return almost their entire starting lineup. The problem is they haven’t had a ton of talent to compete with other teams in region 1. However, that may change this year since the Region seems to be weaker than in years past. Walker and Alexander have proven they can score last year. If they can improve on that and on the defensive end, they can make some great strides this season. They should at the very least garner a winning record this season. They probably won’t compete for the Region title, but they can still have a successful season. Fulton City should be better than most teams in the bottom half of the region. They have a very weak out of region schedule that will help their wins totals this year. 11. Fulton County – Coach Jamie Madding 2016-17 record: 11-19 Key Losses: Davis Major, Kahari Miller Key Returners: Andreous Smith (13.8 ppg/ 5.9 rpg), Caleb Kimble (7.5 ppg) The Pilots had a tough go of it last year, and unfortunately this year won’t be any easier for Coach Madding. Fulton County loses two of its top scorers in Major and Miller. They will have 3 starters returning, but only Smith and Kimble had major contributions last year. The good news for the Pilots is that really started to play better at the end of last year and made games closer than they should have been. They still lost, but showed tremendous improvement. That is the hope of what will take place this year for FC. They are a very young team with mostly freshman and sophomores, but if they can gel and get some good play from Smith and Kimble, they can win some games and make things close. 12. Ballard Memorial – Coach Marla Cooper 2016-17 record: 7-21 Key Losses Jamarrion Williams Key Returners: Chandler Bradley (8.6 ppg), Dequin Donlow (7.7 ppg) The Bombers had a tough season last year, and coach Cooper knew that would be the case going in. They had a great 3 game stretch heading into the region 1 tournament where they won 3 games. Coach Cooper is hoping that this year the team can pick up from that success. There are six seniors on the roster this year. They are led by Chandler Bradley and Dequin Donlow. Both of them will be relied upon to pick up their game and doing some scoring. The Pilots lost top scorer Jamarrion Williams, so they will rely on the duo to pick up the slack. They will also look to Matthew Grogan and Ramon Heard to pick up some slack and make bigger contributions this year. Look for the Pilots to improve upon last year’s record, but hold expectations in check. It will be difficult for them to get that .500 mark, but they may surprise some. 13. St. Mary – Coach Greg Overstreet 2015-16 record: 12-17 Key Losses: John MacCauley, Aaron Higgins Key Returners: Hale Sims The Vikings lose the second leading scorer in the Region, John MacCauley, who averaged 20 ppg. They also lose Aaron Higgins who averaged just under 10 per game. This is significant because St. Mary only averaged 50 ppg. When over half of your scoring is gone, it can make for an unpleasant season. St Mary does have Hale Sims returning so they don’t lose all of their scoring. And they could have another MacCauley show up and play a big game. MacCauley came out of nowhere to lead the Vikings in scoring. Coach Overstreet can hope for another MacCauley this year, but if that doesn’t happen, it could be a very long season indeed. 14. Community Christian Paducah – Coach Daniel Durrett / Rhet McMullen 2015-16 record: 0-30 Key Losses: Logan Browning Key Returners: Jonathan Rogers Going winless over the course of a 30 game season is pretty difficult. Things won’t get any easier for the Warriors this year after they lose their leading scorer who averaged almost 16ppg in Browning. Community Christian just can’t field enough talent to compete with most of the teams in Region 1, although their closest game last year was a 7 point loss to Fulton City in the All “A” Classic. Unfortunately for CCA, this may be another tough year, but hopefully wins won’t elude them as much. There is always the possibility of some guys rising to the challenge and growing in their skills with hard work. This team always plays hard and lays it all out every game, even though they don’t match up well. Top Players to Watch in Region 1 Jerome Reed, Paducah Tilghman (Center/Forward) Senior Arguably the most talented player in Region 1, Reed had another great summer and looks to be the leader for the Tornados this year. When he is on, he seems unstoppable, but he will need to cut down on fundamental mistakes. He will dominate smaller teams and will hold his own against bigger ones. Exciting to watch and most likely will play at the next level if he continues to improve throughout the year. Team him up with Rodriguez, and he could average close to a double/double on the season. Connor Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard) – Junior 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 200 shots from 3 points range making 45% 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. Carson Guthrie, Mayfield (Guard/Forward) - Junior 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, and he is only a junior. He had a huge game in AAU this summer where he carried his team with 32 points and 12 rebounds including 6 three pointers. He compliments his brother’s game and that is what makes the two of them so dangerous. There is a good possibility Carson averages close to 20 ppg and 10 rpg this season…it would not be a surprise if it happens. Ryan Mathis, Graves County (Guard) Junior Mathis had been known in Graves as the 2nd best player on the team. Now that Vogt is gone, he is indeed now the best player on the team. 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. When he went down in late January because of an off court injury. He recovered quicker than expected and was able to play in the region 1 playoffs and beyond. He should continue to grow and mature. Rodriguez Thomas , Paducah Tilghman (Guard) Junior Thomas is a very good player with a pretty good 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. He has a pretty high upside. He really needs to make the most of his time with Reed this year. Dalton Jewel, Hickman County (Center/Forward) Senior Dalton Jewel is the best big man in the Region next to Jerome Reed. He has great presence around the basket. He rebounds well and shoots well in the paint. He is not as quick as some of his counterparts, but he makes up for that with some savy play on the inside. Really don’t want him straying to far from the basket, but he will shoot from 3 pt range, but it is not advised (25%). It would be really interesting to see what he could do if he was on a higher caliber team. He very well may lead the Region in scoring this year after finishing 3rd last year (19.8 ppg). He also could average a double/double for the season after coming so close last year (9.2 rpg). 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. Jordan Noranjo, Graves County (Guard) Junior Noranjo had an opportunity to show what kind of player he was last year when Ryan Mathis went down with injury. He didn't dissapoint. He also carried Graves County to the Region 1 championship with 28 points. He can score from anywhere on the floor, but relies a lot on his jump shot and quickness when getting to the basket. Joe Workman, Paducah Tilghman (Guard) Senior Workman was a little of a surprise last year. It was a pleasant surprise for the Tornados. Workman, who wasn't on the team in 2015, scored 27 and 19 points in his first two games. He hit over 38% of his threes last year and he is a nice compliment to Reed and Rodriguez. He can handle the ball well and sees the floor well too. He will play a big part in Tilghman's tournament run this year. Andreous Smith, Fulton County. (Guard/Forward) Senior Smith averaged almost 14 points and 6 rebounds per game last year as a junior. Smith has a better inside game than outside. He still shot over 115 times from 3 point range, only hitting 24 of them. If he can shoot better from the outside this year, and continue his work inside, he will have a very nice year, even if playing for an inferior team.