se7ens

I truly believe those days will return. It's a cyclical thing and when it comes to urban schools like Holmes, Newport, to some extent Boone County, etc.., that cycle can be really exaggerated. You see some of that in Louisville as well (on the girls' side, Iroquois infamously went from 33-1 state champion to not being able to field a team for a bit). Holmes has had this a bit to - not as dramatically but there have been some losing seasons in between the epic success. Same thing has happened on the girls' side at Holmes - feast or famine.

Though there were a lot of good games featuring 9th region teams this week, there were only a few interesting contests between teams both from the 9th region. However, those games were good. None stood out more than Covington Catholic versus Newport, a matchup between the two hands-down best teams in the region (at least for now). I believe we can look at the region early on as distinctly segmented - 1 & 2 in a group of their own, 3 beside themselves at the moment, 4 through 7 as the other legitimate teams to make a run, 8 through 12, maybe 13, as the last group before you get to all the other schools competing in the 9th. 1. Covington Catholic - They came, they saw, they beat the Newport Wildcats on their home court. Their earlier game in the week was a blowout win over St. Henry. Brady Hussey, Caden Miller and Athens McGillis represent the three headed monster racking up the most offense for the Colonels and it was no different against Newport. Cash Harney, Luke Carroll and Nolan Ruthsatz round out the top contributors, at least this early in the season. They host St. Xavier of Ohio and NCC this week before facing La Lumiere of LaPorte, Indiana later in the week. 2. Newport - Sure, the Wildcats are no longer undefeated. But they have certainly opened the season impressively. Before falling to CovCath, Newport defeated Boone and Dixie. Taylen Kinney is up to 19 points per game and DeShaun Jackson is the other double digit scorer for the Wildcats at 13 points per game. They face Ryle and Huntington Expression Prep of West Virginia this week. 3. Cooper - We haven't seen the Jaguars at full strength yet and with Andy Johnson's hand injury, I don't know when we will. They defeated St. Xavier of Ohio but fell to Elder of Ohio earlier in the week. Yamil Rondon has played in all four games this year and has been impressive. Coach Sullivan will continue to work in the football guys but this team won't be the peak version of itself until Johnson returns. 4. Lloyd - The Juggernauts defeated Villa and Ryle on the road last week, averaging over 80 points as a team between the two games. EJ Walker had 21 against Villa and Isaiah Sebastian had 21 against Ryle. They face NCC and IMG Academy of Florida this week, the latter being the perfect setup for a lot of up and down basketball. 5. Ryle - The Raiders crushed Holmes before their undefeated record was blemished by losses to Lloyd and Central Hardin. Landon Lorms continues to lead the way with 16 points per game. They square off against the mighty Wildcats of Newport this week before playing rival Boone. 6. Boone County - The Rebels had just one game last week, a road loss to Newport by 13. There are no moral victories, but that kind of performance can be considered representative of a team that isn't a favorite to win the region but can certainly compete with anyone in the region on any given night. Mason Hall sits at 18.2 points per game. Boone plays Augusta and Ryle this week. 7. Highlands - The Birds split their week, defeating St. Henry but falling to St. Xavier of Louisville. Both games were on the road. They face Campbell County, Oldham County and Tates Creek this week as they do not play another 9th region team until January. 8. Dixie Heights - Dixie got a nice win over Conner behind Griffin Derry (22 points) and Hudson Blank (20 points) but could not hang around with Newport. The Wildcats held Dixie to just 24 points. Dixie has it much easier this week with games against Holmes and Bracken County. 9. Holy Cross - Nate Rominger scored 27 in the sole contest for Holy Cross, a win over Bishop Brossart. They face Roger Bacon of Ohio, Trinity Christian and East Carter this week. 10. Conner - The Cougars fell to Dixie Heights before participating in one of the best games of the week, a double overtime thriller that found them on the wrong side of a 81 to 76 score to Mariemont of Ohio in the John Turner Classic at Newport. Overall the John Turner Classic gave us a slew of great games, this one being chief among them. Landon Warner had 25 for Conner. They face Cooper on the road this week. 11. St. Henry - The Cru host Scott and Villa this week after a pair of losses to CovCath and Highlands. 12. Newport Central Catholic - NCC failed to compete with Scott, came back for a blowout win over Bracken County, and saw Caleb Eaglin finish with just one point as they lost to Campbell. No word yet if that is injury related. They face Lloyd, CovCath, and Ludlow all on the road this week, a tough prospect if they have to do it without Eaglin. 13. Beechwood - The Tigers split road games to the 37th district, falling to Scott in a blowout but bouncing back to take down Brossart. They host New Richmond this week. 14. Ludlow - The Panthers defeated Heritage and Calvary Christian. They hope to keep their conference record spotless as they host Bellevue and Villa. The finish the week off with another home game, that one against NCC. 15. Bellevue - The Tigers opened the year with a pair of conference wins over Calvary Christian and Villa Madonna. Noah Frommeyer had 37 against Calvary. They face Ludlow and Anderson County this week. 16. Villa Madonna - The Vikings defeated Dayton before falling to Lloyd and Bellevue. They face Heritage, Ludlow and St. Henry on the road this week. 17. Dayton - The Greendevils fell to Villa but defeated Heritage. They face Calvary, Robertson County and Raceland this week. 18. Holmes - The Bulldogs have yet to find the win column, losing this past week to Williamstown and Ryle. They face Dixie Heights and Frankfort this week and their prospects at either of those games giving them a win are bleak. 19. Heritage - Heritage lost to Dayton and Ludlow on the road. They face Villa and Calvary this week. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans defeated the Kentucky School for the Deaf 46 to 21. Matthew Bier had 14. They face St. Patrick on the road this week.

Week 2 featured some surprising results and really reinforced that the region is down across the board this year as really no one went unscathed. The one exception to that is the undefeated number 1. As always, when we go through the rankings view it as a tiered journey. Currently I believe we sit at three tiers - the contenders, the dark horses, and everyone else. 1. Pulaski County - The Maroons start out 5 - 0. Their schedule is incredibly similar to last year's so far and they have replicated the undefeated results this year. Will Blankenship, Ethan Idlewin and Zak Anderson all averaging double figures. Blankenship is also off to a blistering pace behind the arc, going 13/26 through the first 5 games. They host Wayne County and Somerset this week. Note - Carson Fraley has yet to appear in a boxscore yet for the Maroons. 2. Somerset - Things are rolling down in the Patch after that opening season loss to Mercer. Somerset had a perfect week last week with wins over West Jessamine, Rockcastle County, and Danville. The Danville win came on the road in convincing fashion as they defeated the Ads by 19. They face Casey County and Pulaski County this week, the latter being another road test. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Taylor County before coming back with a blow out victory over Southwestern. Antajuan Dumphord is averaging over 17 points per game as well as over 9 rebounds per game. Kendall Phillips also joins Dumphord in the over 17 points per game club. Seth Farmer rounds out their double digit scorers as he is over 12 points per game. They face Pulaski, Mercer and Danville this week. 4. Mercer County - The Titans stumbled this week, losing to Western Hills before defeating Jackson County. The Titans struggled from long distance against Western Hills, making just four out of nineteen three point shots. Trevor Ellis continues to average a double-double and Owen Barnes of course is contributing (and is currently the second leading scorer), but it is John Perry who has risen into that third leading scoring spot at 8 points per game that may help the Titans achieve consistent offensive success as a viable third scoring threat. Mercer plays Danville and Wayne County this week. 5. Danville Christian - DCA had a split week, falling to Evangel Christian before defeating Lincoln County by 12. Titus Boyd was limited to just 11 points against Evangel but came roaring back to form with 23 in the victory over the Patriots. They face Garrard County and West Jessamine this week, two games that should be easy wins if they expect to be a contender in the region. 6. Rockcastle County - The Rockets defeated Danville but fell short to Somerset by the tune of 2 points. Walker Craig is up over 22 points per game and Connor Hunt is putting in work down low, averaging 12 points per game and 8 rebounds per game. They face Boyle County, Casey County and Eastern this week. 7. Boyle County - Consistency isn't going to be there for the Rebels for a while still, but they are starting to show flashes of what they will be later in the season. They lost in a close one to Southwestern but convincingly defeated Harrison County behind Demauriah Brown's 18 points in his debut for the Rebels. Montavin Quisenberry also played in that game after not playing in the Southwestern loss. Rockcastle, Central Hardin and LaRue County await them this week and if the Rebels are truly now at full strength it could be a very fun week. 8. Danville - This is where we exit the contenders and enter the dark horses. Danville, after that initial success of week 1, got swept in week 2, losing Rockcastle, McCreary Central, Paris (in overtime), and Somerset. Those are four good teams and the Ads competed in each, but they just could not grab a win out of the pack. Most of the time this would cause a team to tumble out of the top ten. However, I still think Danville is at the top of the group of teams that constitute spots 8 through 12 this week, even if one of them is McCreary. Their search for consistency may be a long one, but there is success to be found if they can achieve it. 9. Southwestern - The Warriors opened the week with a win over Boyle but proceeded to lose to Greenwood and Wayne County. Zachary Hutchinson scored 23 in the win over Boyle. They face Somerset Christian and McCreary this week. 10. East Jessamine - The Jaguars achieved two blowout wins over Wellspring (homeschool) and Burgin. They host Franklin County and Lincoln County this week. 11. McCreary Central - I wanted to move the Raiders up higher after their blowout win of Danville, but that represents their sole win of the year so far. Now they have had a tough schedule, and that includes the loss to number 1 Pulaski earlier in the week, but they definitely need to improve on defense as they have seen some of their opponents pour on the offense. They travel to Williamsburg and Southwestern this week. 12. Trinity Christian - The Titans fell to Frankfort but crushed Robertson County and bested Casey County. It is likely that the fringes of the top ten represent the ceiling this year for Trinity Christian, but that is still a cool place for such a new member of the KHSAA to be. Just ask DCA who jumped from this very level to being a regional contender. Alan Coffman is averaging 16 points per game. They face Burgin, Holy Cross (Covington), and Owen County this week. 13. West Jessamine - The Colts continue their rebuild as they fell to Somerset and Sayre by convincing margins. Sawyer Thornton had 17 in the loss to Somerset. They face Lincoln County and Danville Christian this week. This also represents the start of the last tier, teams that really don't have the capability at making serious noise this year. 14. Lincoln County - And here is another storied program far beyond the top ten. The Patriots are without a win so far but they travel to Nicholasville twice this week - once to East Jessamine and once to West Jessamine - and if they can control the pace of either game they might be able to come out with a win. 15. Casey County - Casey defeated Burgin before falling to Pulaski County and Trinity Christian. They face Somerset and Rockcastle this week. 16. Somerset Christian - The Cougars got two huge wins over Garrard County and Williamsburg. Jack Baker and Ethan Warren are both at 16 points per game. They face Southwestern, Model and Greenwood this week. 17. Garrard County - Somerset Christian, Bryan Station and Whitley County all got the best of the Golden Lions this past week. They face Estill County and DCA this week. 18. Burgin - The Bulldogs lost to Casey County and East Jessamine. They face Trinity Christian and Fort Knox this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels fell to Covington Latin and the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. They face the Tennessee School for the Deaf this week.

This is the first weekly review of the year and accounts for 11/27 through 12/3. We will get back on a normally scheduled reviews starting Monday - so some of this will obviously change as we take into account this week's games. Everyone knows headed into this year that the spotlight is on Newport and Covington Catholic. We will see have some clarity on where they currently stand when compared to each other as they play on the 9th. But the first week of play really shouldn't dissuade anyone from the notion that these are the top two teams. Cooper may eventually make a credible claim but after them we have a slew of teams jockeying for position and I expect to see spots four through nine shakeup a good amount from week to week, especially this early in the season. 1. Newport - The Wildcats had a big week right out of the gate. Their opening win was a decisive blowout against district foe Dayton. That game saw Taylen Kinney score 24 points, going a perfect three for three from beyond the arc. But the big splash of the week was the victory over nationally touted Richmond Heights of Ohio in the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic in Mason, Ohio. Taylen Kinney again stood out, scoring 27. As a team, the Wildcats went 7 of 12 from three point range with Kinney, Noah Silverton, and Jabari Covington all connecting from long distance. Week 2 features games against Boone County, Dixie Heights, and their fellow contender, Covington Catholic. 2. Covington Catholic - Speaking of the Colonels, they opened with back to back wins over Simon Kenton and Western Heights of Australia before falling to Great Crossing, who many consider to be the best team in the state at the moment. Caden Miller recorded a double-double in each of the first three games, nabbing an astounding 17 boards in the opening game against the Pioneers. Brady Hussey and Athens McGillis, alongside Miller, led the way in the scoring column for the Colonels in the opening week. Week 2 has them facing St. Henry and the mighty Wildcats of Newport. 3. Cooper - Coach Sullivan's Jaguars went 1 - 1 in the opening week with a victory over St. Henry and a loss to Delaware Christian of Ohio in overtime. Andy Johnson averaged 25 points between the two games as well as averaging 10 rebounds. Jaiden Combs will return from the gridiron to help fill out the roster for Week 2 (spoiler alert - Andy Johnson ends up a scratch for their first game of week 2 as Combs returns). Week 2 features contests against two legendary Cincinnati schools, Elder and St. Xavier. 4. Ryle - Week 1 had the Raiders go undefeated over three games with victories over South Oldham, Holy Cross, and Gallatin County. Landon Lorms led the Raiders in scoring each game with 21, 21 and 16 respectively. Anthony Coppola also scored 21 in the win over Holy Cross. The Raiders are certainly pouring in the offense early and if they can keep that up, they may be up in the rankings to stay and be a threat to get out of the very competitive 33rd district. Week 2 features the Raiders playing Lloyd and Central Hardin. 5. Lloyd Memorial - The Juggernauts got both their first week games in over the weekend at the Ohio Valley Classic, losing to Sycamore and defeating Goshen, both from Ohio. EJ Walker averaged 16, leading them in scoring both games as well as 10.5 rebounds. They square off against Villa Madonna and Ryle in week two. 6. Boone County - The Rebels are probably the darling of week 1 as they go 3 - 0 with wins over Newport Central Catholic, Highlands, and Tates Creek. Mason Hall has been spectacular early, with his feature performance being a 26 point night against the Bluebirds in a blowout victory. Week 2 features just one game for the Rebels against Newport on the road. 7. Highlands - The Bluebirds took one on the chin from Boone on the road, but Week 1 also featured wins over Scott and the Cincinnati Trailblazers homeschool squad. Nathan Vinson scored 50 over the first two games before taking on a very limited role against the Trailblazers. Brayden Moeves put on quite a performance with 21 points in the opening game but went 2 for 10 from 3 point range in the loss to the Rebels. The Bluebirds have the talent to be a serious threat to make a run in the postseason, but they are going to have to develop their depth as the season progresses. Week 2 has the Birds on the road to take on St. Henry and St. Xavier (KY). 8. Dixie Heights - The Colonels opened up with a tough 24 point loss to Campbell County but recovered with a win over Simon Kenton. It was a dismal shooting night against the Camels as they went 35 percent from the field but flipped the script against the Pioneers, shooting 57 percent and holding them to 44 points. Week 2 has the Colonels hosting Conner and Newport. If they can contain both of those squads it will go a long way to seeing if they are legit, especially defensively. 9. Conner - The Cougars were out manned by visiting Henry Clay by the tune of 75 to 48 but bounced back with an exciting three point win over St. Henry on the road. Finn Louden scored 33 in the victory. Conner has Dixie Heights and Mariemont (OH) in Week 2. 10. Holy Cross - So this is where the dropoff happens. Holy Cross defeated the Cincinnati Trailblazers and fell to Ryle in Week 1. There are some bright spots in Latonia but this should still be viewed as the start of the rebuild. Nate Rominger is one of the standout sophomores in the region and he showed it these first two games. It will be fun to watch him develop his game throughout the year. 11. St. Henry - The Cru couldn't get it done at home, losing to both Conner and Cooper. However, they did participate Riverview Meat Tip-off Classic in Harrison County and defeated Doss. Andrew Flanagan had 25 in the win. They play CovCath and Highlands in Week 2. 12. Newport Central Catholic - Something to watch for with the Thoroughbreds based on the (very small sample sized) Week 1 results - they lost to Boone County by double digits when Caleb Eaglin and Ian Mann scored 43 of the team's 58 points. They routed Dayton by 30 and Mann & Eaglin accounted for just 33 of their 84 points. I know that win isn't competitive and it is just two games, but I am concerned that if the 'Breds rely on Mann & Eaglin almost solely, they aren't going to go far. The two Luhns and Vinny Petroze offer good supplemental options. We will have to stay tuned to see if they are able to consistently produce offense to complement the two leading scorers. They square off against Scott, Bracken County, and Campbell County in Week 2. 13. Beechwood - So I think this starts the fourth tier of the competition in the region. Can teams 13 through 19 beat some of the teams higher than them on a given night? Sure. Do I expect it? Not at all. Beechwood opened with a loss to Grant County though Jack Sullivan stood out with his 20 points. They came back with a win over Bracken County. They travel to Scott and Brossart in Week 2. 14. Ludlow - The Panthers fell to Trimble County in overtime and defeated Bracken County. Spencer Brandenburg scored 29 in the loss, Elijah Perrin scored 29 in the win. They face Heritage Academy and Calvary Christian, both conference opponents, in Week 2. 15. Villa Madonna - The Vikings competed with but fell to Bishop Brossart by 5 and lost to McNicholas of Cincinnati on the road. They face Dayton, Lloyd and Bellevue in Week 2. 16. Bellevue - The Tigers did not play in Week 1. Two conference games against Calvary and Villa are on the Week 2 schedule. 17. Dayton - Rough start for the Green Devils as they fall to Newport, NCC and Highlands Latin. They face conference opponents Villa and Heritage in Week 2. 18. Holmes - The Bulldogs fell to Pendleton County and Nicholas County. Week 2 has them playing Ryle and Williamstown. 19. Heritage - The Eagles beat Brown and lost to Berea. They face Ludlow and Dayton, both conference foes, in Week 2. 20. Covington Latin - The Trojans did not play Week 1 and have just the Kentucky School for the Deaf on the schedule for Week 2.

Agreed 1000 percent. I am really excited to see what this team does.

The situation with Boyle and the situation with Somerset are not the same. Whitaker and Godby drive that Briar Jumper team. Will they get better with further additions? Yep. But at Boyle, you literally had the entire team against Adair made up of players who had NEVER experienced playing in a varsity game. Somerset slipped one spot and it was because they got passed up by Mercer, the team that beat them. I think Somerset gets better but the Boyle team against Adair will not be seen again this year.

This week's rankings saw a significant amount of shakeup in the top half with no movement in the bottom. I expect that volatility in the top ten to continue as the tiers shake out, new players get adjusted to their teams, and rosters get completed with football now coming to an end. Some general and thoughts and things to consider to start. First, Boyle County is going to just float around in the rankings until they get consistency. I considered their football players when ranking them in the preseason. However, these week by week rankings have to consider the team on the floor. Obviously help is coming soon, but we cannot ignore a thrashing like the one they took to Adair County. So they fall this week. I think we are also trying to define the group of teams that can win the region. I think I would have put it at six in the preseason. That would have ruled out Rockcastle, Lincoln, Danville, and Southwestern (as well as the teams ranked below them). I think those four teams specifically have a chance to really assert themselves into that conversation but they have a lot to prove. Now, onto the first edition of the weekly rankings: 1. Mercer County - This may very well may be there only week at number 1 or they may make a habit out of it. They have a big week in region looming up after this week but look for them to extend their initial winning streak this week when they play Western Hills and Jackson County. Trevor Ellis opened up the season with back to back 20 plus point performances and the Titans now are sitting at 3 - 0 as they defeated Somerset, Taylor County, and Clay County. 2. Wayne County - It was a drastically different story in the two games the Cardinals won last week. Kendall & Kayden Phillips combined for 41 points in an absolute beat down of Garrard County 83 to 42. However, the Phillips duo were held to 5 points a piece against Whitley County in which Wayne was still able to grind out the win behind Seth Farmer's 14 points and 10 rebounds. Those are two very different ways to win a ball game and, for now, we will chalk that up as a positive for the Cardinals. But single digit nights from Kendall Phillips may spell trouble if they happen with any regularity. They host Taylor County and Southwestern this week. 3. Pulaski County - If we learned anything last week, Will Blankenship and Zak Anderson are going to be trouble for opposing team's offenses. We know that Pulaski has arguably the best point guard in the region in Carson Fraley. They just needed to replace the pieces around him. It looks like that may have happened and, if so, that vaults the Maroons into the contender discussion. They defeated three storied programs in Madison Central, West Jessamine and Jeffersontown. That's an amazing first week, even if those three teams listed aren't necessarily at their peak. This week they face McCreary Central and Casey County. 4. Danville Christian - DCA is still a contender. And Woodford County is a great team in their own right. But when you lose your opening game at home to a team that lost one of the best talents in the state to transfer and is having to reclaim their identity, you don't get to hang on to the top spot. DCA rebounded from that loss to Woodford County with a 77 to 40 blowout victory over East Jessamine, so the first week wasn't all bad. They go on the road to Evangel Christian and Lincoln County this week. 5. Somerset - The good news - Indred Whitaker, Ben Godby & Aedyn Absher are really good. The bad news - Coach Young is looking to fill the gap after them still. They fell to Mercer County and defeated East Jessamine, both at home. They face West Jessamine, Rockcastle County and Danville this week. These three games should be a nice test to see if the triumvirate of scoring can expect help in the points column or if they will have to continue to carry the water. 6. Rockcastle County - Walker Craig scored 33 in the Rockets' lone game of opening week, a 62 to 44 victory over McCreary Central. They face Danville and Somerset this week, two teams who will give them (and Mr. Craig specifically) a harder time. 7. Boyle County - The aforementioned Rebels sit at seventh after their blowout loss to Adair County. Let's name some names in the scoring column because they won't appear too frequently now that the state champion football team is about to send over most of the basketball roster to Coach Webb. Harper Webb had 12, Owen Wheeler had 10, Seneca Driver and Kylar Goodin each had 9, and Collier Sexton had two points. None of those five appeared in a game for the Rebels last year. They face Southwestern and Harrison County this week. 8. Danville - Tryston Ford's Ads took Tates Creek to overtime and fell by 2 but were able to come back and beat another Fayette public school in Dunbar as they beat the Bulldogs 71 to 59 at East Jessamine. Trevarion Paige recorded 23 points in the loss to Tates Creek. In addition to Paige, the Admirals also have Ontario Hill, Braidin Baughman, DyiRon Moody, and Braylon Guest standing out early this year. They have an incredibly busy week coming up as they play Rockcastle County, Paris, McCreary Central and Somerset. 9. Southwestern - The Warriors started the season out with a trio of wins over Berea, Campbellsville, and Casey County. Connor Hudson has 53 points over those first three victories. Boyle, Wayne County, and Greenwood are on the schedule this week. 10. Lincoln County - The Pats opened up the season with a pair of losses, falling to Lafayette and Harrison County. The long distance shots are not falling consistently as they went 7 of 32 for the first two games. That will need to be rectified if they are going to find success this year. They face Henry Clay and Danville Christian this week. 11. East Jessamine - The Jaguars started the week (and the season) off with a win over Scott County but proceeded to lose to Somerset and DCA. This week they face the Wellspring Guardians and the Burgin Bulldogs. Miyo Jones is averaging over 20 points per game through the first three so it will be interesting to see what numbers he can put up this week against weaker opponents. 12. West Jessamine - The Coach Taylor Harper Era started off with losses to Harrison County and Pulaski County but Ethan Little was able to guide the Colts to Coach Harper's first win, the victory coming over Johnson Central. They face Somerset and Sayre this week. 13. Trinity Christian - The Titans defeated Model and St. Pats but fell to Montgomery County. Alan Coffman had 28 in the win over Model. They face Frankfort, Robertson County, and Casey County this week. 14. Casey County - Casey fell to Southwestern but defeated the homeschooled Kentucky Christian Knights. Reegan Randolph is averaging a clean 20 points per game through the first two contests. They face Burgin, Pulaski and Trinity Christian this week. 15. McCreary Central - The Raiders dropped games to South Laurel and Rockcastle County. They face Pulaski County and Danville this week. 16. Garrard County - Damarion Boatley is averaging 15 points per game as the Golden Lions bested Frankfort but fell hard to Wayne County. They face Somerset Christian, Bryan Station and Whitley County this week. 17. Somerset Christian - So far so good as the Cougars defeated Lynn Camp and Burgin. They play Garrard County and Williamsburg this week. 18. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Anderson County, Francis Parker and Somerset Christian last week. They face Casey County and East Jessamine this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels fell to Fairdale in their opening game. They were lead by Dakota Cox with 27. KSD travels to Covington Latin before hosting the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf.

Also Dut, Boyd & Ayiei need to be in that conversation as well. That's a good top ten plus one.

Top 3 - Carson Fraley, Kendall Phillips, Trevor Ellis. Beyond that, in no order, Montavin Quisenberry, Whitaker & Godby from Somerset, Walker Craig, and obviously Owen Barnes if he plays the whole year. Player to watch on top of the ones I mentioned in the preview - Trevor Miracle will have to fill it up this year for the Patriots to have success and he certainly has the shooting ability to do so.

A new Kentucky high school basketball season is quickly approaching and the 12th Region, that narrow portion of territory running down US 27 south of Lexington and branching out as far as McCreary and Wayne counties, is sure to excite. Recently, the region had become top-heavy with parity between the top three to five contenders in the region. This year there is no such dramatic drop off as the talent from top to bottom is down this year. At the onset there is no team in the region that stands out and screams state contender. There still exists a clear group of front runners, this year that number being four. However, on any given night we might see a team from outside that group beat a team from that top group. Let’s take a look at the teams from one all the way to nineteen. Danville Christian Academy – Don Story’s Warriors are first among a pair of teams at the top of the region that are going to be able to put a superb five on the floor with the main question being what comes off the bench. DCA loses Grayson Domidion but returns Emmanuel Dut (15.8 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game), Titus Boyd (14.9 points per game), Lual Ayiei (9.1 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game), and Noah Imfeld (6.8 points per game) while also adding Braden Fugate from Garrard County who averaged 8.8 points per game last year for the Golden Lions. But after that group, no one on DCA averaged more than a point per game last year. They also have the cruel path to the postseason that is the 45th district. Can they hold up with so little depth over such a long season facing stiff competition? Wayne County – Mason Burchett is gone for Coach Rodney Woods but he still has a stacked lineup that may or may not include the uber-athletic Anatajuan Dumphord. But while we are waiting to see if the gridiron star also takes the hardwood, the Cardinals will be featuring possibly the best overall player in the region in Kendall Phillips. His 17.3 points per game performance last year was the high mark for the Cardinals. He is also joined by Kayden Phillips and Seth Farmer. Like the DCA Warriors, the problems start when you get past the starting lineup. One injury or slump could spell their doom. Somerset – Almost the entire roster returns for the Briar Jumpers as they will feature all of last year’s top 7 scorers back on the court. They are led by Indred Whitaker, Ben Godby, and Aedyn Asher. Gody and Whitaker are at the top of a six player senior class that also features emerging guard Jamison Coomer. Boyle County – Montavin Quisenberry and Guy Turner are both back for the Rebels as well as Avery Bodner and Maddox Hager not to mention Josh Bixler and Demauriah Brown coming over from Danville. That is the good news. The bad news, at least for the start of the season, is that the Rebels will be without all of those players until football is done. Seriously, I have no idea who they will actually put on the court. As always when it comes to Boyle County, that means they will face the real possibility of a long and brutal December but will end up with a roster with a large amount of physicality and athleticism. Pulaski County – This is where things get interesting as Pulaski County, the reigning regional champ, sits at the top of what can be considered the next tier of competition beyond the frontrunners. There is a lot of parity here and the order, I freely admit, can certainly be argued. But deference should almost always be given to the team that can put the best player on the court, and most nights Carson Fraley is going to have a shot at winning that claim. Alongside Fraley is the returning Will Blankenship. Beyond that you will see a lot of new faces for the Maroons. Mercer County – So, the Titans have a better argument than anyone in the “second tier” that they are an actual contender. Trevor Ellis is fantastic. Thaddeus Mays was a terrific backcourt weapon. But two burning questions remain – the status of Owen Barnes and the point guard spot. They may be able to provide positive answers for those quickly. If that is the case, I think you can pencil them in as district champ and a regional contender. But without Barnes and solid point play, they are solidly second tier. Rockcastle County – The Rockets return over ninety percent of their scoring from last year. This includes the dynamic Walker Craig, one of the most versatile threats in the region. Overall, their 2022 – 2023 campaign was middling with a .500 record. They have the opportunity to make a massive leap forward, though they may be one year away from being a regional contender. Lincoln County – On paper, this is the right spot for the Patriots. I’m still not buying it though. With Jeff Jackson at the helm, a purposeful & methodic style of play, and Connor Davis and Blade Nuckols still around, I think Lincoln could very well make some noise throughout the year. As of today, William Bishop is not on the roster, and that may very well throw a wet blanket on the dream of a great season, but with the way Lincoln plays they don’t necessarily need depth. They have won regional titles with benches lacking varsity talent, they can do it again. East Jessamine – It has certainly been a rough stretch as of late for the Jaguars but this may be the year they get back to mounting a respectable campaign. They probably also represent the bottom of the second tier of competition in the region. They return Miyo Jones, Myles Radford, and Keelyn Daniel and most of their reserves. They should be able to compete with Mercer County for the district title but how much of a threat they are to make a serious run in the post-season is yet to be determined. Southwestern – And so we enter the third tier of competition in the region which is occupied by a slew of teams that saw their cupboard get decimated by graduation and/or transfers. Connor Hudson leads a very young Southwestern team. Hudson is one of four seniors on the roster and they are joined by just one junior. Danville – This Admiral squad is going to look a whole lot different than last year. Tryston Ford takes over for Coach McKinney and will look to rebuild the program after transfers and graduation took almost the entire varsity roster from last year. West Jessamine – Taylor Harper replaces longtime Colts’ coach Damon Kelley and will have a massive rebuild in front of him as he returns no one who averaged more than 3 points per game last year. Trinity Christian – Bryce Thompson and Alan Coffman return for the Titans. This may be high for them, but given their returning scoring and their slightly beefed up schedule, Trinity Christian may be hoping to replicate the journey of DCA from their cellar to the top over the span of three years. Casey County – Caleb Brown is back but Ethan Willoughby is gone, along with his 27.8 points per game. Will Brown be able to increase his productivity to fill that hole? Will others step up? Or will the Colonels take a step back this year? McCreary Central – Kyle Stephens, the much-heralded Raider star, has graduated and not much remains. How sharp the decline will be is unknown but it is hard to believe they have any marquis wins that compare with last season’s. Garrard County – The transfer of Braden Fugate and graduation of most of the other Golden Lions rotation means scoring will have to be generated by some fresh faces. Somerset Christian – And finally, we reach the small school fourth tier of the region. All is not lost for these teams though as Danville Christian dwelled down here just two seasons ago and Trinity Christian is poised to compete with some larger schools this year. The Somerset Christian Cougars return Ethan Warren and Elijah Brummett though they lost their top scorer, Noah Brummett, to graduation. They hope to improve from last year’s 7 – 24 performance. Burgin – Jacobe Taylor is the bright spot returning for the Bulldogs as they look to build more positive momentum in their program. Kentucky School for the Deaf – The Colonels open with Fairdale in what is an expanded schedule from what they have had the past few years. However, they currently have a roster comprised of seven players, only two of them not being in 7th or 8th grade.

5 point game- Woodford County 4 point game- Simon Kenton 3 point game- Bishop Brossart 2 point game- Greenwood 1 point game- Ballard

They had the game in Wayland's gym last year. I hope they do that on a yearly basis.

This job was posted on the school district site 7/13/23 and is now on the KHSAA open jobs page as well. Coach Mike Walls went 24-35 over two seasons.

Here's what I have to say, and I don't want to be mean, however, that article has me extremely confused. Leave out all the cute sports puns, don't call anyone involved by their last name since they all have a last name, and give me a timeline/account of events I can actually follow. Woof.

Dan Albrinck, NCC class of ‘84, has been named head coach.

No idea.

Apparently this job has been open for about a month now after the resignation of Beau Menefee.

That requirement would buck the historical trend for basketball at NCC. As far as my memory serves, the only coach to be hired on either side with head coaching experience has been Ron Dawn (admittedly that has happened several times with that one individual). But on the girls side, Meyer, Stoll, and McDonald all came in without head coaching experience. The bigger trend is being an alum. Besides Luhn and Detzel on the boys side, every basketball head coach at NCC since like 2000 has been a graduate of the school.

I'll be honest, I have no idea who the candidates will be. I don't think they are any of the names mentioned here so far and I don't think they will be from the current staff (or we would have a new coach already). With that said, my best guesses at people who may go for it: Marcus Harris, Ludlow boys' assistant and former girls assistant at NDA, HC, SHDHS, and Scott Sam Elsbernd, former boys coach at Pendleton and girls coach at Bracken George Stoll, former NCC girls head coach Nicole Chiodi - former NCC assistant and legendary player Tyler Teke - former Lloyd head coach and Ryle assistant Paul Sturgeon - current Lloyd head coach and former St. Henry Head Coach

The year he is leaving doesn't surprise me at all. His eldest graduated last year, she played for him. His middle daughter didn't play basketball but she graduates this year and his youngest, a son, will be coming up through the ranks soon and a varsity girls schedule would probably keep him away from seeing a lot of those events. Doing it in April is a little weird, though its not uncommon for Catholic schools to make these moves after Spring Break. The biggest surprise for me is that they didn't have an in-house coach ready to take over as has been the case for most of their basketball openings, men's and women's, for most of history. It will definitely draw a large applicant pool. And also, call me crazy, but there's a non-zero chance one of them is John Brannen.

NCC's Ralph Meyer III has stepped down after 5 years as head coach.

I'll say that looking at it, this should be an easy Warren Central win on paper. However, I also think it has the potential for been the hardest game for them on their projected path. Pulaski doesn't have the depth that Warren Central does and I'm more concerned about that then any physical mismatches. I think this could be a tie in the 30s around half but end up being a 20 point win for Warren Central. With that said, Pulaski just needs to control tempo at some critical junctures to stem that from happening. Must easier said than done, but that's how they win.

If Pulaski can pull off the upset of the tournament over Warren Central, it’ll be at least in part to Barek Williams. He is probably the best overall player of Pulaski’s three-headed monster that includes Carson Farley and Cayden Lancaster. All three have been overshadowed in the 12th region MVP talk but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them, especially Williams, opens some eyes at Rupp.

Congratulations to the Pulaski County Maroons on surviving and advancing out of what is most certainly one of the most challenging regions top to bottom in the state. Let's look at how the regional tournament culminated and the road Pulaski has in front of them. Semifinal 1 - Lincoln County 55, West Jessamine 44. The hosting Patriots owned this game from start to finish, dictating tempo and keeping the Colts out of sorts offensively all night. Colton Ralston was definitely the star of the game with 17 points and 9 boards. The Patriots ended up with just 1 rebound shy of West Jessamine's rebounding total, getting 21 to the Colts 22. That number could have been much more lopsided in favor of West looking at the game on paper but the Patriots held their own physically. The Colts definitely can say they had a successful year, especially the second half of the season, but they did not play up to their potential facing elimination against Lincoln County. Semifinal 2 - Pulaski County 44, McCreary County Central 41. Kyle Stephens put the Raiders of McCreary Central on his back once again scoring 23 points and accounting for more than half of the team total but ultimately he could not drag them across the finish line. Carson Fraley led the Maroon effort with 16 as Pulaski showed off their winning recipe of offensive production out of their three headed monster of Carson Fraley, Barek Williams and Cayden Lancaster, keeping their starting 5 on the court as much as humanly possible and playing a methodical style of ball that puts a dramatic sense of importance on each possession. Finals - Pulaski County 57, Lincoln 50. Between January 1st and the end of the district tournament, Pulaski won just one game where they scored under 70. They did it three times in the regional tournament. Given the lack of depth beyond their top 3, the game plans Coach Fraley rolled out certainly played a part in conserving the energy needed to play a complete game each time out at Lincoln County. Frankly, they won the tournament and beat Lincoln County playing very much like Lincoln County. Barek Williams led the way in the title game and finishes regional play with an argument that he, Tramane Alcorn of Lincoln and Kyle Stephens of McCreary are the three best players in the region. The Patriots don't end up making it to Rupp this year and lose Alcorn, Jackson Sims and Colton Ralston. They will be good next year, but I don't know if they will be the fierce contender they were this year. So what's next? Pulaski County finds themselves in an incredibly interesting position. They play Warren Central to open the tournament and the Dragons are probably the best team in the tournament from top to bottom. Warren Central has just one loss on the year and that was to Madison Central, coincidentally a team Pulaski County beat by 1 at the very beginning of the season. If Pulaski can get past the Dragons, the top bracket is wide open and they will have a legitimate chance to get to the title game. Logic dictates that Pulaski may be best off continuing the methodical tempo that got them through the regional tournament as Warren Central holds an overall greater amount of depth and will most likely want to push the tempo to create an early lead that they can coast on. I do not see the Maroons having the capability to overcome a double digit deficit at any time in this game so they truly need to make every possession count. I will be back next week after the state tournament to recap Pulaski's run and discuss whether they were able to slay the Dragons and pursue the title or if they were just one of several teams left in Warren Central's dust.

Gosh, David Buchanan would be a home run hire in my book. About as high quality of a man and student of the sport as you are going to find. Yes, they could definitely get a high talented up and comer or a big splash out of state hire, but I will be firmly rooting for a Buchanan hire.