se7ens

Only two more weeks until district tournaments start and wow, did we have a ton of movement in the rankings this past week in the 9th. By now you know I am a huge fan of tiers rather than hyper-specific rankings. This region demonstrates why. I believe teams 1 through 3 are basically equal and one of these three will most likely be regional champs. Number 4 is a tier to themselves, not yet proven enough to be in the top 3 but certainly above the fray. They'll have a chance as well at the regional title but I don't know even they can be consistent enough over three games in the regional. Teams 5 through 11 are the dark horses. They have beaten up on each other and have moved up and down throughout the year. Obviously, not all of them will make it out of the district tournament and several of them will be playing each other in a district semifinal to continue their postseason. Teams 12 through 16 have no realistic chance at a postseason run, but they have each had their bright spots to celebratae this season. Teams 17 through 20, though at the bottom, all have games they as well should be proud about and they are a testament to how awesome this region is. Rankings 1. Lloyd Memorial - The Juggernauts have been accused of not showing up in the big moments. Well, it is February and they are playing their best basketball and look like they might be poised for a title run. As we have spoken to, they have not yet beaten the other two primary contenders, but they did play them super close while not playing their best. Last week saw the Juggs blow out St. Henry and Woodward (OH). This week they have Highlands, the Cincinnati Trailblazers, and Collins, the first two games being at home. The game against the Bluebirds is certainly one of the must-watch games of the week. 2. Cooper - I struggled knocking the Jaguars from the top spot, but the fact of the matter is the home loss to Walton Verona is a bad one. They got quality wins over Conner and Campbell earlier in the week, and they still are unbeaten against 9th region competition. They play Fairdale and Lexington Christian this week and I fully expect them to bounce back from yesterday's loss. 3. Covington Catholic - The Colonels had an awesome week, beating Holy Cross, Ryle and Newport. It was much needed as they entered the week on back-to-back losses. Now they appear to be back to playing at their standard. The host Moeller (OH) this week before traveling to Montgomery County and Dixie. 4. Newport - The aforementioned team on the island, Newport lost to CovCath last week but defeated rival and district foe NCC. They are clearly below the top 3 teams but above the fray. They will also be able to walk in to regional tournament as they will face either Dayton or Bellevue in the semifinals, both bottom 3 teams in the region that they have beaten by 30 plus. Newport faces Dixie and Conner this week. 5. Dixie Heights - The Colonels were rocked by a double digit loss at the hands of NCC but were able to bounce back with a blowout win over Kentucky Country Day. They have quite the week in front of them as they host Bracken County, travel to Newport and Holy Cross, and finish the week with a home contest with the blue Colonels of Covington Catholic. They obviously will have the chance this week to show they aren't just the best of the rest but are in fact a contender for the regional title. 6. Highlands - After trouncing Campbell County at NKU to end the week before, the Birds had just one game this past week. They were able to outscore the Conner Cougars by a tune of 79 to 74 at home. They continue to face great competition as they face Lloyd, Holy Cross, and Montgomery County. The Birds' schedule this season was definitely lopsided as they started the season with a slew of easier games but face really tough opponents here in the last third of the season. 7. Conner - The Cougars had a rough week, but it was against really tough competitors. They lost to Cooper, Highlands and South Dearborn (IN). They face Newport, NCC, and Lawrenceburg (IN) in an almost identical pattern from the week before (contender, dark horse, Indiana). This week's iteration should be a little more palatable though and I expect Conner to get back to their winning ways. That game against Newport could be very entertaining. 8. Ryle - The Raiders beat Scott and St. Henry but lost to Covington Catholic. They host two 37th district teams this week in Campbell and Brossart before traveling to Louisville to face St. Xavier on Saturday in a game that definitely stirs gridiron echoes. 9. Beechwood - The next three teams could literally be in any order and I'd accept it. The Tigers defeated Mason County but lost to Holy Cross and Campbell County. They really have yet to replicate their play from the All A regional. They face St. Henry, Trimble County and Heritage this week. 10. Newport Central Catholic - The Breds weren't competitive against city rival Newport but were able to get two great wins over Dixie and Holy Cross. The home win over the Indians came off a buzzer beating three pointer. They face Walton and Conner this week. 11. Holy Cross - The Indians had a very mixed week, losing by 23 to CovCath, beating Beechwood by 2 and losing to NCC by 3. They face Dixie, Scott, and Highlands this week. 12. Holmes - The Bulldogs are 3 wins away from a guaranteed winning season, no small feat based on where they have been in recent years. They face Villa, Scott, Augusta and Nicholas County this week. 13. St. Henry - The Cru have not won since January 21st and haven't beaten a 9th region team since December. They can change that this week in their lone game but it will be a tough ask as they face Beechwood on the road. 14. Boone County - The Rebels' last was Ludlow back on January 4th and they will get the chance to play them again this week. 15. Ludlow - The Panthers were victorious in their conference tournament as the knocked off Heritage in the championship game. They face Boone County and Owen County this week. 16. Heritage Academy - Bracken County, Pendleton County, and Beechwood await the Eagles this week. They are locked in to play the Boone County Rebels in the 4 vs 5 game in the district tournament. This will be their best chance to get a district win since they lost to Cooper in overtime in the 4 vs 5 game the first year Cooper competed in the tournament. 17. Bellevue - The Tigers got their best win of the year last week as they beat Villa at Villa in the conference tournament by 2 points. Arion Stuckey had 18. 18. Villa Madonna - The Vikings face Holmes, St. Patrick, Bellevue, and Bracken County this week as they look to break their 3 game losing skid. 19. Dayton - The Green Devils got win four as they beat St. Patrick. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans are scheduled to play Portland Christian on Saturday.

Oh for sure Conner at Cooper. Conner could legit win that, though I expect Cooper will. Holy Cross, though having a solid year, have been about 10-15 points worse consistently than the contenders in the region. I expect with it being at CovCath, it could get upwards of 20 plus in favor of the Colonels.

Final per the scoreboard. Statement win for the Breds, a team that hasn’t really been on the radar this year in the 9th.

Final let the scoreboard. Huge win for the Colts. May also mean we are headed for a tie for first in the district.

I think West Jessamine, Southwestern and Somerset all have the talent and coaching to be dangerous. I think out of those three, Somerset is clearly the one most effected by injury and not just inconsistency, growing pains etc… Will be fun to see what they can do if they can get to full strength.

Those who have followed my coverage of this region the past few years know that I love to utilize tiers when talking about the competition in the region. I think we clearly have separation established. DCA is the clear frontrunner, alone on the top. Pulaski and Mercer are the other contenders for the regional title. Below them are Lincoln and Boyle, two teams in the 45th with DCA, trying to claw their way to the regional tournament. Right below them we have the 4 teams of the 48th, only two obviously being able to make it to the regional. With those teams I would also clump Garrard, West Jessamine and Somerset, rounding out that fourth tier and the teams I think can make any noise in the postseason. Rankings 1. Danville Christian Academy - The Warriors just win. There was on fall off from the All A Championship title run as they beat Lincoln County behind Geu Leek Ateny's 24 points and 9 rebounds. They host Garrard County in a district matchup before traveling to Lafayette to face Bryan Station. Win both and they will already be at the 20 win mark. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons got wins over Southwestern and Rockcastle County. They have three road games this week against East Jessamine, Somerset, and Mercer County. The Mercer County game should be the game of the week. Pulaski still has not lost since losing to DCA on January 14th. 3. Mercer County - As mentioned, the Titans host Pulaski County this week in an epic matchup. Last week they had just one game, a win over district opponent East Jessamine with four players in double figures and Trevor Ellis getting 15 rebounds. They host West Jessamine and Burgin this week before traveling to Rockcastle and finishing up with the home game against Pulaski County. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots lost to DCA but got a nice revenge win over Boyle County where Braden Fugate went 4 from 8 for three on his way to 16 points. Lincoln also got a two point overtime win over Model. They host Southwestern and Danville this week. 5. Boyle County - The Rebels narrowly fell to North Laurel before getting solidly defeated by Lincoln County, a team they had just beaten. They then got a win over East Jessamine. They have three more district games in a row to finish out that seeding play. They play Danville and Garrard County on the road this week. 6. McCreary County Central - The Raiders open up the next tier, sitting on top of a bunch of teams that have beaten up on each other. They had two thrilling wins over district opponents this past week, a three point victory over Somerset Christian and an overtime win at home against Wayne County. Peyton Higginbotham had 28 points and 14 rebounds in the win over the Cougars. They face Somerset, Cordia and Buckhorn this week. 7. Somerset Christian School - Though they fell to McCreary, the Cougars got decisive wins over Southwestern and Jackson City. They only have one loss by a margin greater than ten this year and that was against mighty DCA. They face Wayne County, Clinton County and Cornerstone Christian on the road before hosting Burgin. 8. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to McCreary County after beating them by 20 plus only a couple of weeks ago. They now find themselves in a precarious situation where the four seed is looking them square in the eyes. They have their last two chances to potentially change that this week as they face Somerset Christian and Southwestern, two teams they have already lost to. 9. Garrard County - The Golden Lions have shown they play to the level of their competition all year. So far they have avoided any ugly losses though Danville got real close last week in a two point game. They had a one point loss to Madison Southern and a blowout over Casey County. If they want to show that they are "for real," then they need at least a win over Boyle this week. They also have a game against DCA and though the Warriors are clearly the better team overall, you can't count Garrard out. 10. West Jessamine - The Colts got road wins in Lexington over Dunbar (where former coach Damon Kelley is AD) and Lafayette (ironically the other place Damon Kelley coached). They have two district games this week as they travel to Mercer County and host Trinity Christian. 11. Southwestern - After starting 8 - 4, the Warriors have lost 7 in a row. Last week that included losses to Pulaski County, Somerset Christian and Cumberland County. They host Rockcastle County before going on the road to face Lincoln County, Wayne County and Berea. 12. Somerset - It will be more than a week off once the Briar Jumpers finally get to the hardwood this week. They had just one game last week, a Monday night loss to Corbin. They face McCreary County Central on Tuesday and then Pulaski County on Friday, both games at home. In fact, they don't go on the road again until Valentine's Day. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets were on both ends of blowouts last week, beating Casey County by thirty before falling to Pulaski County by 34. They face Southwestern and Mercer County this week. 14. East Jessamine - The Jaguars, like the Rockets right above them, won one big (over Burgin) and lost one big (to Boyle). They host Pulaski County and Sayre this week. 15. Danville - Nine losses in a row for the Ads, though they almost pulled off the win over Garrard County. They face Boyle County and Lincoln County this week in a pair of district games. 16. Trinity Christian - The Titans beat Cornerstone Christian with Bryce Thompson scoring 26. They face Dunbar, West Jessamine and Francis Parker this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs beat Frankfort Christian for their fourth win of the year. They face Mercer, Cornerstone Christian and Somerset Christian this week. 18. Casey County - Not only did Casey County get their first win of the year, they got it by 50 points over North Hardin Classical. Braiden Wilkerson went 3 of 4 from three point range, totaling 17 points. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels play Frankfort Christian Thursday.

Fair, but Conner’s win over Dixie came by only 4 points and was back on 12/17. Dixie has only lost one game since then, that of course being Lloyd. Similarly, Conner beat Beechwood by 4 back on 12/19. After so much time it’s hard to keep the “they beat them so…” but I definitely hear you. I honestly think 4 through 7 is pretty superfluous. Highlands is also right there with those teams but I feel really good with them at 8. Conner beats both Cooper and Highlands this week and you will almost certainly see them rise to the 4th spot. Oh the other end of the spectrum, if they lose both there’s that chance that Highlands passes them. I often say that tiers are more useful than rankings. 1 through 3 is the contender tier. 4 through 8 is the next tier. 9 through 11 is the third tier and the last tier that I think includes teams that may have postseason life.

Welcome to February. The final days of January gave us some really exciting action in the 9th and led to a whole lot of movement among teams 2 through 8 in the rankings. Cooper sits high on top while Lloyd looks like they might be playing some of their best basketball of the year. CovCath, the other member of the trio of primary contenders all season long, is 1 - 4 in their last 5 and looking to right the ship as we head towards the postseason. The top 8 is conveniently made up of 2 teams from each district in the region. Now, it is hard to say that means we will see those 8 teams in the regional tournament but it is something to keep an eye on. This week features some more highly competitive games, including several between top ten teams. I'll only get to do the regular season version of this three more times. We are in the thick of it now. Rankings 1. Cooper - The Jaguars got a sweep this week, beating St. Henry, Highlands, and Jennings County (IN). Isaac Brown had 20 in the blowout win over St. Henry with Andy Johnson getting 19, both players making three 3-pointers. They travel to Conner for a district contest before facing Campbell County and Walton. 2. Lloyd - The Juggernauts had started to lose a little shine and have losses to the other two top three teams. However, they firmly reestablished themselves as a contender by soundly dismissing the upstart Dixie Colonels, most likely resulting in a 1 seed in the district tournament. In addition, they had another 20 plus point win over Beechwood. Lloyd faces St. Henry and Montgomery County this week, that second game being played at Bracken County. 3. Covington Catholic - The Colonels, as mentioned, are 1-4 in their last 5 games. Those games have included some great teams including Campbell County and Great Crossing, both of whom beat CovCath this week. Holy Cross, Ryle and Newport are on this week's slate for the Colonels. 4. Dixie Heights - The Colonels suffered a non-competitive loss to Lloyd to start the week but proceeded to beat Villa Madonna, Grant County and Ludlow. They face NCC and Kentucky Country Day this week. They are on a trajectory to face St. Henry in the 2 vs. 3 game, a team they beat by 8 last time. However, it seems both teams have been on an opposite trajectory since then, with Dixie continuing to surge and St. Henry floundering. 5. Newport - The Wildcats finally got to play Highlands and were triumphant in 73-69 game. Now they will look to wrap up the one seed as they face NCC this week. Newport defeated Archbishop Hoban earlier today and will face St. Xavier at NKU tomorrow. Next weekend features two thrilling matchups for the Wildcats as they are set to take on CovCath and Proviso East (IL) at Bracken County. 6. Beechwood - The Tigers defeated Boone County and Holmes but were unable to defeat Lloyd. They face Mason County, Holy Cross, and Campbell County this week, all on the road. That Holy Cross game is most likely going to be a stage-setter for the 2 vs. 3 game in the district tournament. 7. Conner - The Cougars' winning streak continued as they defeated Scott and St. Henry. They face Cooper, Highlands and South Dearborn (IN) this week. The Cooper game may very well be a preview of the district (and maybe, just maybe the regional championship). Conner is a team that has amassed 15 wins though playing a weaker schedule than the primary contenders in the region. That is the same story for Highlands, so keep an eye on that matchup. 8. Highlands - The Birds fell to Newport and Cooper last week but picked up a district win over Bellevue. They face Campbell County tomorrow at NKU before playing Conner and Mason County next weekend. 9. Ryle - .500 overall, less than .500 in the region and the district. That's what the Raiders have achieved on paper this year. However, they are on a four game winning streak, having won 3 games this past week including a victory over Augusta on the road today. They face Scott, CovCath and St. Henry this week. That CovCath game will help show whether this Cougar team has the muscle to compete in the postseason or if they will just be an also-ran. 10. Holy Cross - The Indians fell to Grant County but got wins over Mason County and Walton Verona. They face CovCath, Beechwood and NCC this week. That Beechwood game is almost certainly a preview of the 2 vs. 3 game in the district tournament. 11. Newport Central Catholic - The Breds beat Scott and fell to Moeller last week. They face Dixie, Newport, and Holy Cross this week. A win over Newport would throw the district into a three-way tie between NCC, Newport, and Highlands. 12. Holmes - A tough loss to Pendleton County was followed by a blowout at the hands of Beechwood. The Holmes Bulldogs look to bounce back this week as they play North College Hill (OH), Boone County and Bracken County. 13. Boone County - The Rebels are on a skid but they have been in a tough part of their schedule. That falls back down some this week as they face Brossart, Holmes, and Bracken County, all games that really could go either way. 14. St. Henry - The Cru have lost three in a row, losing to Cooper and Conner this past week. They face Lloyd, South Oldham and Ryle this week. 15. Heritage - The Eagles got wins over Bellevue and Williamstown while splitting the two game series against Ludlow. They played Tuesday and Thursday and each team won on their home court. Cade Holtman had 21 in the loss to Ludlow and 23 in the win. They face Brown this week. 16. Ludlow - As mentioned, the Panthers split the series with Heritage. They did get a nice win over Calvary Christian behind a 8 for 17 three point shooting performance. The week ended with a loss to Dixie. They face Augusta this week. 17. Villa Madonna - The Vikings got their fourth win of the season as they beat Dayton for the second time. They are off this week. 18. Bellevue - The Tigers lost to Heritage and Highlands but defeated arch-rival Dayton and Robertson County. They are off this week. 19. Dayton - Rough times for the Green Devils. They travel to St. Patrick's this week where they hope to get the fourth win of the year. 20. Covington Latin - The Brown game was scratched. They are scheduled to play Francis Parker this week.

Campbell is on an upward trajectory, and that’s to be expected. Everything moving in the right direction. To beat CovCath by 20 under any conditions is incredible. With that said and not to take away from the win, this CovCath team, while extremely talented, hardworking and well-coached, lacks depth worse than probably any CovCath team since 2008/2009 maybe. This result does not surprise me when taking into account McGillis did not play. This is a top heavy roster and they can’t afford injury, illness, or foul trouble to their core in a must win game.

Yeah, for me it’s either Sam at Holmes, Scott at Dixie or Ross Hart at Beechwood. I know it’s hard to compare the level of competition sometimes, but Jerry Miles at Heritage also deserves a shout.

If the season ended today, who would be your coach of the year in the 9th? There is no absolute dominant, run-away team this year, though Cooper, CovCath and Lloyd have all sat near the top all season. Dixie has been wildly impressive, Beechwood has stunned some folks, and Holmes has started to slowly rise out of the ashes. But what coach do you think has done the best job overall so far this year in the 9th and why?

Well the game of the year certainly lived up to the hype. Cooper took down CovCath in overtime to supplant the Colonels as the number 1 team in the 9th. Meanwhile, Dixie Heights is also surging, the 33rd is setting up for a fun district tournament, and the top nine starts to really open up a gap over everyone else. Rankings 1. Cooper - Not only did the Jaguars get the thrilling overtime win over CovCath, they also decimated Boone and beat Fleming County on the road. St. Henry, Highlands, and Jennings County (IN) all visit Cooper this week. No 9th region team has yet to beat the Jaguars. 2. Covington Catholic - The Colonels fell to Cooper as well as Trinity in overtime before getting a one point win over Centreville (OH). The Colonels are going to be just fine and they also now know they are capable of running the Cooper defense out of the gym, at least for a quarter. Can they get the win over the Jaguars if they see them again, that’s the question. 3. Dixie Heights - Winners of 8 straight, the Dixie Colonels are headed into a big week of district play. They defeated Franklin County in their only game last week. This week they face Lloyd, Villa, Grant County and Ludlow. They are a essentially 3a and 3b with Lloyd right now so it will be nice to see what team actually prevails on the court and not just in the rankings. This game will almost certainly also determine the 1 seed in the district. 4. Lloyd - The Juggernauts fell to Simon Kenton but got a nice decisive win over Holy Cross. They have the aforementioned district showdown against Dixie befor taking on Brossart and Beechwood. 5. Beechwood - The Tigers traveled to Owensboro for the All A State but were quickly dismissed by the hometown Owensboro Catholic Aces. Jack Sullivan had 18 point and 7 rebounds. A stat that sticks out to me is that Beechwood only shot 6 free throws. They come back to NKY this week with games against Boone, Holmes and Lloyd. 6. Newport - The Wildcats had wins over Bellevue and Holy Cross last week. This week features a much different slate of games as they square off against Highlands in a game that will most likely decide who will get the 1 seed in the district. They then take on Archbishop Hoban (OH) and St. Xavier (KY) at NKU. It is a week that will give them opportunities to show they are still a regional contender. 7. Highlands - The Bluebirds got a double digit win over arch rival and district foe NCC last week. They host two more district opponents this week in Bellevue and Newport. The week wraps up with a road game at Cooper and a Sunday contest at NKU against Campbell County. The Newport game goes alongside Lloyd-Dixie as the co-game of the week for sure. 8. Conner - A big win for the Cougars as they take down the Ryle Raiders. There is a very good chance that game gets played again as a district semifinal. This week features Scott and St. Henry on the schedule as the Cooper game looms ahead. 9. Ryle - The Raiders may have fallen to Conner but they did get wins over Boone and Western Hills. They face Simon Kenton, the Cincinnati Trailblazers and Augusta this week. 10. Holy Cross - The Indians are on a 3 game skid and hope to break it with a win at home against Grant County. Mason County and Walton-Verona wrap up the week. 11. Newport Central Catholic - The Breds fell to CovCath and Highlands last week. They host Scott and Moeller (OH) this week. 12. Holmes - The Bulldogs had a great week, getting wins over St. Henry and St. Patrick. This week they face Pendleton, Beechwood and Dayton. 13. St. Henry - The Cru beat Brossart by 1 but fell to Holmes. They have a tough week ahead as they face Conner and Cooper. 14. Boone County - The Rebels only have one win this month so far. They face Beechwood and Campbell this week so that streak will continue barring a nice upset. 15. Heritage - Heritage continues their bid for a conference title as they square off with Bellevue, Ludlow both home and away, and Williamstown. 16. Ludlow - The Panthers’ busy week ahead includes that home and away with Heritage as well as games against district contender Dixie and conference contender Calvary. 17. Villa Madonna - The Vikings haven’t won since beating Dayton on January 2nd. The good news is they play them again this week. 18. Bellevue - The Tigers got a win over Carroll County last week and this week includes another winnable game as they take on rival Dayton. 19. Dayton - The Green Devils lost in close games the last time they played Villa and Bellevue. It will be interesting to see if they can pull off a win this time around against either of them. 20. Latin - The Trojans play this week against Brown.

@LethalPG hit the nail on the head saying 2 through 10 in this region is all about matchups. But I think we can now even extend that deeper into the region. This is about the hardest time I have ever had ranking a region. I think the top 5 are absolutely correct for this moment, though it includes a huge riser. After the top 5 is a mess. There is just so much parity inside the individual districts and, as we know, rivalry brings out the best in everyone most of the time. Well it was a big week of district play and it did not disappoint. Just some insanely competitive games and some really fun finishes. Rankings 1. DCA - What is clear is that DCA is the leader in the region and will continue to be the team to beat. They have beaten Elliott County, Walton-Verona and Hazard so far this week in Owensboro and are set to take on Lyon County today in the All A State Tournament finals. They have been showing off that they are a team to be reckoned with on a state level and there is a chance that both them and their girls team will be celebrating an All A state title today. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons cruised to two decisive wins this week over Somerset and McCreary. They now have 6 road games in a row, not returning home until Valentine’s Day. They face Southwestern and Rockcastle County this week. 3. Mercer County - The Titans fell on the road to Bryan Station but bounced back with a big district win over West Jessamine in Nicholasville. They now get to return home to face East Jessamine as their streak of district play continues. They wrap up the week at Trinity Christian. 4. Boyle County - The big riser of the week, separating themselves from the chaos, is Boyle County. They got a win over West Jessamine before defeating district rival Lincoln County. Though plagued by inconsistency and having previously suffered a blowout loss to DCA, the Rebels are going to be a rough matchup based on their strength and athleticism, highlighted by Seneca Driver. They have three home games this week including a rematch with Lincoln County. 5. Lincoln County - The Patriots took losses to Madison Central and district rival Lincoln County. They got a 2 point win over another district foe, the Golden Lions of Garrard County. This week may have exposed the Patriots but you also think it continues to battle test them as they prepare for the inevitable 2 vs. 3 district semifinal with Boyle in a few weeks. Speaking of Boyle, they get them again this week as well as the mighty Warriors of DCA. 6. Somerset Christian School - The Cougars top the heap of teams 6 through 12. The last couple of weeks these teams have had a mix of wins, losses and competitive matchups that make it exceptionally difficult to sort. The parity here is amazing. SCS is riding high, besting Wayne County as well as Casey County and Monroe County. They are preparing to go through their second set of district games, all of which are winnable. They start with a rematch against McCreary, who they beat the first time followed by game 2 against Southwestern, who they lost to previously, and then a road trip to Jackson City. Want a regular season district title? Then winning these next two games appears essential. 7. Garrard County - The Golden Lions defeated Danville on the road before losing to Lincoln by 2. They will have some work now to do if they hope to escape the 4 seed but they have shown they can compete with Lincoln and Boyle. They face Danville again this week before playing Madison Southern and Casey County. 8. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Somerset Christian on the road but were able to bounce back with a road win over Danville. They face Russell County, Clinton County and McCreary Central this week. 9. McCreary Central - The Raiders defeated district foe Southwestern before falling to Pulaski County. They have two more district games this week - Somerset Christian and Wayne County. This district has been exceptionally fun to follow and this week should bring more excitement. 10. Southwestern - The Warriors round out the top ten, making four teams from the 48th to appear in it. It also says something about the 48th that even with them being the lowest ranked, Southwestern certainly could still get the one seed. They lost to McCreary Central last week and have four games this week, the most importantly being SCS though they also face Pulaski. 11. West Jessamine - The Colts have played competitive basketball for most of the year but just struggle to close out wins. They fell to Mercer and Boyle last week. They face Dunbar and Lafayette this week. 12. Somerset - Here we are at the bottom of the 12. The Jumpers lost two last week, falling to Madison Southern and Pulaski County. They have just one game this week, Corbin at home. In fact, they don’t go on the road again until Valentine’s Day. They have the ability to be dangerous in the postseason. Hopefully they can fine tune themselves and continue to work on getting to full strength. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets went 2-1 last week including a win over East Jessamine. They face Madison Centeal, Pulaski County and Casey County all at home this week. 14. East Jessamine - The Jaguars went 1-2 last week, their sole victory being a district game with Trinity Christian. It has been a disappointing season but they are still going to run themselves separated from the regional tournament only by a win over rival West. The focus has to be preparing for that game everytime they touch the hardwood. 15. Danville - The Ads are still winless in 2025. They face Garrard and DCA this week in two district contests. 16. Trinity Christian - The Titans host Cornerstone Christian, Mercer County and Lynn Camp this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs have four games this week including district opponent East Jessamine. 18. Casey County - The Rebels have four games this week and their matchup against North Hardin Classical may be their best chance so far at win number 1. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels were off and will be so again this week.

Last coached at Mason County. Was a boys assistant at Brossart and Highlands for a very long time before becoming head girls coach and AD at Brossart. Known for running the Blacktop League in Northern Kentucky. Over a 100 career wins and a 10th region Coach of the Year award.

Final per the All A site. Was not expecting that result.

The 9th Region deserves these teams to draw opposite of each other. Still doesn't mean both or either will make it. Both are certainly capable of losing to Lloyd, Newport, Beechwood, Dixie, Highlands and maybe one or two more. But it would at least set the table that this game COULD be the title contest.

Epic defensive play. Perfect way for this game to end. Hope McGillis didn’t hurt that ankle on the landing though.

Took a little bit but the Cooper defense I expected showed up.

Very excited about this one. I will be honest, I think Cooper wins this one and I think there is a chance that’s clear heading into the last few minutes. Cooper 61 CovCath 50. Andy Johnson gets 20 plus. They hold McGillis to less than 15. Now watch me be horribly wrong.

Defensively it doesn’t get much better than that. Good start to the tournament for the Mustangs.

I thank there is no doubt Coach Busick is doing the job he was brought in to do at DCA. I think Coach Webb at Boyle has kept this group together and managed a very difficult situation that includes not having Quisenberry and really not knowing for sure what other football players you would or would not have until the dust cleared. I thought they were done but I for sure could see them being able to win a district semifinal and then who knows what in region. Coach Gover at SCS obviously lost his best scorer and is putting together the best season in school history. Coach Dunbar at Southwestern seems to really invest himself into his team about as hard as anyone can. They have struggled some this season but man they keep putting themselves in the conversation with solid wins in the region. And finally I think you have to certainly recognize Coach Cash at Rockcastle County. A devastating injury takes out your team’s crux to start the year but then you just start building with what you have and you compete in games against quality competition and even get a really solid win over Somerset. I don’t know if they can be dangerous in the postseason still but wow am I excited about next year. Like contender excited.

The rankings after DCA are really just a bear to put together most weeks. I don’t know if there is a region that beats up on each other more than this one. Another Tuesday night of fantastic games ending up in fun results.

The Cougars are really starting to make their presence known in the region. This is their first win against Wayne County ever and arguably their best win in program history so far.

One thing is becoming clear as we enter the later part of the season - this region is Danville Christian's to lose at this point. Most of the top ten teams had losses this past week but not DCA. DCA had a convincing win over Pulaski which should dispel any doubt that they are the front runner for the region. After them, the rest of the region seems to be falling into parity with seemingly any team between 2 and 14 capable of beating (or losing) to any other. DCA has a chance at making some serious noise in Owensboro for the State All A. For the rest of the region, teams will continue to position themselves as good as possible in their districts as we inch closer to the postseason. Rankings 1. Danville Christian - As stated, the Warriors defeated Pulaski County handily last week. They also put a running clock on Boyle County, 70 - 35. They have the All A State Tournament this week and will open their run with Elliott County. 2. Pulaski County - Pulaski was able to bounce back from their loss to DCA with a win over Caverna. They face Clay County, Somerset and McCreary Central this week. 3. Mercer County - The Titans got a district win over East Jessamine before falling to Harlan County in the 2A. Trevor Ellis sits right around 15 points per game with 9 rebounds per game. They face Bryan Station and West Jessamine on the road. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots defeated Danville and LCA handily before being blown out by Ashland. They were held to 23 by the Tomcats with Sawyer Robbins scoring 9. They host Madison Central, Garrard County and Boyle County this week. 5. Southwestern - The Warriors to Adair County and Russell County. They square off with Berea, McCreary Central and Valley this week. Jarrett Simpson had 18 points and 11 rebounds against Adair. 6. Wayne County - The Cardinals survived an upset bid by Rockcastle County by 4 points and then blew out McCreary Central. They face Somerset Christian and Danville this week. 7. West Jessamine - The Colts fell to Madison Central but handily disposed of East Jessamine. Luk Tut had 22 in the win. They face Boyle County and Mercer County this week. That Mercer game may end up deciding the 1 seed in the district. 8. Somerset - The Jumpers were able to get two wins this week, a blowout over Casey County and a nice win over Garrard County. They face Madison Southern and rival Pulaski County this week. This is about where the line is for teams I expect to be able to make some noise in the postseason. A win over Pulaski could cement Somerset on the positive side of that line. 9. Boyle County - The Rebels got two district wins over Garrard County and Danville before taking the district loss to DCA. They face West Jessamine and Lincoln County this week. The Lincoln game may end up a preview of the 2 vs. 3 district semifinal. 10. Garrard County - The Golden Lions fell to Boyle County and Somerset before bouncing back wit a win over Dunbar. They face district foes Danville and Lincoln County on the road this week. 11. Somerset Christian - The Cougars had two 8 point wins this week over McCreary Central and Betsy Layne. Braley Adderly went 11 for 13 from the floor on his way to 25 points against Betsy Layne. They face Wayne County, Casey County and Monroe County this week. 12. McCreary Central - The Raiders fell to Somerset Christian and Wayne County last week. They have two tough games this week against Southwestern and Pulaski. 13. East Jessamine - The Jaguars lost two district games to Mercer and West Jessamine. They have Trinity Christian and North Hardin this week. 14. Rockcastle County - The Rockets had another opportunity at a great upset but were unable to defeat Wayne County. They host Caverna and Clay County in the Rocket Classic this weekend. 15. Danville - The Ads' skid continued with losses to Lincoln and Boyle County. They host Garrard and Wayne County this week. 16. Trinity Christian - The Titans play two in district this week against East Jessamine and Burgin. This is their chance to set themselves up to possibly be the 3 and not have to be on Mercer's side of the district tournament, if Mercer ends up the 1 that is. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs play Collegiate, Model and Trinity Christian this week. 18. Casey County - The Rebels are still seeking their first win of the year as they play Jackson County, Somerset Christian and Barbourville this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels lost to their Tennessee counterparts. They face Red Bird this week.

Last week really demonstrated what the 9th Region can be. There was a marquis matchup between contenders, several other games between top 10 teams, some great upsets, and an amazing All A regional tournament. The finish to the All A was one of the best we have seen in that tournament in a while. What does this all mean going forward? I think at this moment there are 5 teams I could see winning the region. At this moment CovCath and Cooper look like the best the region can produce. Lloyd has competed with both, neither performance being their best. The Juggs still have one of the most formidable players on the court in any given game with EJ Walker and are definitely capable of winning it all. Then there are a slew of "argument teams" after that, teams that are clearly a "step down" from the top 3 but there's an argument for each. You'll see that this week in basically every team 4 through 10. We are entering the home stretch of the regular season. Let's dive in and break down the rankings, the week behind us, and the week ahead. Rankings: 1. CovCath - After a week where the biggest basketball story surrounding CovCath had nothing to do with the current team on the court, the Colonels still find themselves atop the heap. It will be interesting to see if the Ruthsatz-Hall of Fame drama impacts this group at all but so far Coach Thelen has this group clicking really well. After a string of really tight finishes, the Colonels got a blowout win over Holmes last week followed by a convincing win over Highlands. Athens McGillis and Donovan Bradshaw both had 20 in the win over Highlands and Cash Harney chipped in 18. That means those three accounted for 80 percent of the Colonel scoring. On the year, those 3 accounts of roughly 71 percent of the scoring for the Colonels. So if there is any key weakness to be identified there, it is that they are extremely vulnerable to injury or foul trouble involving those 3 players. The Colonels have a really tough weak as they face NCC, Cooper, Trinity, and Centerville (OH). 2. Cooper - The Jaguars finally got back to game play with high quality wins over Lloyd and Ryle. Andy Johnson had 30 in the win over Lloyd. This week brings another epic matchup as Cooper squares off against CovCath. The Jaguars get the favor of home court in this one. It may be the best game in the state this Tuesday and we can only hope it is played again in the regional tournament. Cooper has two road trips this weekend, one in their district against Boone and Saturday's matchup at Fleming County. 3. Lloyd - The Juggernauts took two losses last week but there really is no shame in either of them. They fell by 4 to Cooper in a game where they certainly left knowing things to improve upon if they see the Jaguars again. They also lost on the road by 9 to Great Crossing who is a contender to win the Sweet 16. There is no doubt Lloyd is a contender and has the ability to win this region. They have beaten all the 9th region teams they have played other than the two ranked above them. Will they be able to change that tune in the postseason? They face Simon Kenton, Holy Cross and Ludlow this week. 4. Beechwood - The Tigers kick off a group of teams 4 through 10 which could be put in a whole lot of different orders. There is no doubt now that the Tigers can beat any team in the region on any given night as they rolled through the All A Regional, culminating in an epic two point win over Newport. St. Henry, Holy Cross, and NCC were the other teams defeated. It was pretty much the hardest draw the Tigers could have gotten with no favorable upsets to clear the road for them. And they pulled it off. Along the way Jack Sullivan scored his 1000th point and ended up tournament MVP. Their All A state run opens up ironically with Owensboro Catholic, their football opponent in their successful 2A championship bid. 5. Newport - The Wildcats defeated Ludlow in the All A before falling to Beechwood in the finals. There is a regional contender here, to me there is no doubt. However, they will need to continue to get healthy and build the chemistry they were not afforded to build earlier in the year. They have just one game this week, a home contest tonight against Bellevue which should be a running clock. But up in the distance is a crucial game with Highlands on the 29th which will most likely decide the 1 seed in the district. 6. Dixie Heights - The Colonels have not lost since December 19th and only seem to be getting better. They defeated Highlands and Tates Creek last week. Cancellations have left them with just Franklin County on this week's schedule. On the horizon is the district tilt with Lloyd which will most likely decide the 1 seed for the district. 7. Highlands - The Bluebirds have not played a tough schedule. That may be starting to show itself on performance now that enter the end stages of the regular season. Highlands was able to blowout the Cincinnati Trailblazers homeschool program but lost to Dixie and CovCath. The CovCath game was a double digit victory for the Colonels. A one point win over Ryle is arguable their best win of the year. They will have a few more opportunities to get some marquis wins as Newport, Cooper, Campbell, Lloyd and Beechwood all are coming up but for this week they play only their rival and district foe Newport Central Catholic. 8. Ryle - The Raiders convincingly defeated Grant County earlier in the week before falling to district foe Cooper. They have two more district games this week as they play Boone and Conner. They then host Western Hills on Saturday. 9. Conner - The Cougars blew out Boone County by a score of 80 to 41 last week in their only game. Landon Warner had 19. They face Campbell and Ryle this week. 10. Holy Cross - The Indians were bounced from the All A by eventual champ Beechwood. They have just one game this week, a road game at Lloyd, a tough task indeed. 11. Newport Central Catholic - The Thoroughbreds defeated Dayton and Heritage in the All A before falling to Beechwood. Ian Mann had 21 in the loss. The Breds have two tough ones this week as they host Covington Catholic before traveling to Fort Thomas to square off with district rival Highlands. 12. St. Henry - The Cru were bounced by Beechwood as well from the All A. They are on a bit of a skid but will look to bounce back as they play Brossart and Holmes this week. 13. Holmes - The Bulldogs could not compete with CovCath but were able to defeat Calvary in a close one. They face Grant County, St. Henry and St. Patrick this week. 14. Boone County - The Rebels fell hard to district foe Conner. They face Scott, Ryle and Cooper this week. 15. Heritage - The Eagles face Dayton, Villa and Whitefield Academy this week after losing to NCC last week in the All A. 16. Ludlow - The Panthers defeated Bellevue and Dayton before falling to Newport in the All A. They play Villa, Bellevue, and Lloyd this week. 17. Villa - The Vikings fell to St. Bernard (OH) and Leslie County. They face Ludlow, Williamstown and Heritage this week. 18. Bellevue - The Tigers fell to Ludlow and Oldham County last week while defeating Williamstown. They face Newport, Calvary, Ludlow and Carroll County this week. 19. Dayton - The Green Devils got a long sought after third win of the season over Trimble County. They face Heritage and Calvary Christian this week. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans fell to St. Patrick. They are off the rest of January.