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A red hot Lincoln County continues to produce wins and remains the talk of the region but lurking in the shadows are the Pulaski County Maroons with their still impressive record, the gelling West Jessamine Colts, the emerging Boyle County Rebels, All A state-bound Danville Ads, some Warriors, Raiders, Cardinals and more. Rankings 1. Lincoln County - The Patriots stay hot with a convincing district win over Danville and short-handed victory over Tates Creek. Blade Nuckols scored 14 and Trevor Miracle scored 13 in the win over the visiting 11th region opponent which featured a Patriot squad hampered by injuries, most notably the absences of Will Bishop and Tramane Alcorn and a limited Colton Ralston. Lincoln faces DCA, Madison Central and Garrard County this week. 2. Pulaski County - Pulaski had a solid week recording wins over Barren County, Rockcastle County and Mercer County. They host Clinton County and Somerset this week before facing Tates Creek at Rockcastle County's Rocket Classic. 3. Wayne County - The Cardinals earned three clear and convincing wins last week over Rockcastle County, Adair County and Knox Central. Somerset Christian and Southwestern make up this week's schedule for Wayne County which should mean, barring an upset, they are riding a five game win streak heading into the huge matchup with McCreary Central next week. 4. West Jessamine - The Colts took one on the chin from Madison Central but got a blowout bounce-back win over Southwestern. They face district foes Trinity Christian and Mercer County this week. 5. Danville - The Ads lost two district seeding games last week, one to frontrunner Lincoln County and one to the resurgent Boyle County Rebels. Though scheduled to face Barbourville in Rockcastle's Rocket Classic Friday, Danville hopes to cause scheduling issues by winning their first round All A state game over Jacob Meyer's Holy Cross squad from the 9th region. 6. McCreary Central - The Raiders play just one game this week as they face York Institute out of Tennessee. The big one follows the next week with the all-important matchup with district rival Wayne County. 7. Boyle County - The Rebels may have turned the corner. They defeated Marion County to end the week but the big story involved the two wins over district competition. Their second win over Garrard County of the season was then followed by a win over Danville, putting Boyle County ahead in the race to be in the 2 v. 3 game in the district tournament and opposite Lincoln County. The Rebels travel outside the region twice this week with road games at Collins and Madison Southern. 8. Danville Christian - The Warriors' struggles continue. They fell to Corbin 79 to 52, a team they defeated earlier in the month by 4 at home. They also were blown out by Ashland. Both these games were against good competition on the road outside the region so maybe they are not indicative of a larger problem. However, the Warriors are looking for their first win since the 5th of January as they host the Lincoln County Patriots this week. That is their lone game this week as they don't play again until they return the favor to the Patriots with a 1/31 trip to Lincoln. 9. Garrard County - The Golden Lions fell to Boyle County and Corbin but defeated Marion County. Ethan Cooper is averaging 24.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game for the year so far. Garrard faces Bluegrass United before a big district matchup against Lincoln County. 10. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers defeated Burgin but fell to Metcalfe County. Indred Whitaker had a big individual week with a 28 point performance over Burgin followed by 23 points against Metcalfe. Both games were without Ben Godby. They face Pulaski County on the road this week. 11. Rockcastle County 12. Mercer 13. Southwestern 14. Casey County 15. East Jessamine 16. Somerset Christian 17. Burgin 18. Trinity Christian 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf

I, and this is speculation mixed with a fuzzy memory, believe that if there are 3 technicals on the bench the head coach gets tossed.

I originally had a list out to 14 typed out and Southwestern was my 11th. Could they make the regional? Absolutely. But honestly, I don't see them beating Lincoln, West Jessamine, or Pulaski County, one of their three likely opponents if they get there. So I really don't believe they have a legitimate chance at the title. Somerset is the cutoff for me. A full strength Somerset would be very dangerous. The problem with Lincoln County was demonstrated in their wins over Boyle and Garrard - sometimes they don't push the pace of scoring against teams with less overall talent and one or two dominant producers can make it a competitive game. If I'm Lincoln, I want to avoid Wayne County, McCreary County and West Jessamine. Ideal draw would, in my opinion, would be getting Mercer County in the first round and being on the same side as Pulaski. I think a road of Mercer, Pulaski, and whoever the other side produces is the best while the loser of the 48th, winner of a Somerset/West Jessamine matchup, and whoever the other side produces is the worst. Again, what is funny is that there is a very real chance that Lincoln could get upset in the district semis. Not that it is what is probable, but it is very much possible.

At the end of the day, there will be two teams from the 45th, with the likelihood that one of them will be Lincoln, then most likely West Jessamine, Mercer County, Pulaski County, Somerset, McCreary and Wayne. That of course is barring upset, the most vulnerable from that list being Somerset. I really feel like the best chances of winning the region are as follows: 1. Lincoln County 2. West Jessamine 3. Pulaski County 4. Wayne 5. McCreary 6. DCA 7. Boyle 8. Danville 9. Garrard 10. Somerset I don't believe anyone outside this ten can win the region. I believe the winner of the region comes out of the top 5. I think Lincoln wins the district and whoever is runner-up is going to have just a gauntlet to run through to the title, including having a chance to face Lincoln in the title game for what could possibly be the fourth time. So, yes, it is an amazing district, honestly I think Lincoln has the only legitimate chance to win the region out of the 45th. I definitely could be wrong but I don't think I am.

Correct.

Going to be difficult but not impossible for Danville to escape playing in the 4/5 game. I would imagine that at the end of the year the way it looks now is close to the final standings, with Boyle and Garrard possibly flipping 3 and 4. That second Boyle vs. Garrard game proved to be just as exciting as the first and gave Boyle the leg up in that race. I still think it is Lincoln and DCA getting out of the district but anything really could happen.

I believe him and Coach Walz at Highlands are the two longest tenured girls' coaches in the region. Both have stuck around at the same school and both in the same district pretty incredible. And I agree, he is about as good of a guy as it gets.

Last week gave us some amazing district match ups and really started to set the table for what the post-season may look like. The 12th also has their regional All A champ crowned as another 12th region team falls in the 2A state semis. Rankings 1. Lincoln County - The Patriots started district play 2 and 0 with two very tight wins over Boyle County and Garrard County. Perimeter shooting was messier than usual over the two game stretch for Lincoln as they went 8 for 35 behind the arc, a major factor in limiting their offensive output. Thankfully their ability to get points from multiple sources (Jackson Sims led the way against Garrard with 17, Colton Ralston against Boyle with 16) paired with their defensive effort was enough to get the victory in both games. They face another district opponent this week as they travel to play Danville before then squaring off against Tates Creek. 2. Pulaski County - The Maroons went on the road and picked up wins over Casey County and Southwestern. They face Barren County, Rockcastle County and Mercer County this week. 3. Danville - The Ads, behind Jarius Bryant's 37 points, defeated Somerset in the All A regional championship after previously dispatching district rival Danville Christian in the semifinals. Owen Barnes, hampered in the championship game and limited to only 3 points, scored 28 in the semifinals. Jalen Dunn also scored 22 in the title game. They face Lincoln County and Boyle County in a pair of district seeding games. Holy Cross (Covington) lurks in the distance, their first round A state opponent in the following week. 4. West Jessamine - The Colts are undefeated in 2023 and heating up. They added wins this week over Bluegrass United, Mercer County and Madison Southern. They face Madison Central and Southwestern this week. 5. Wayne County - The Cardinals competed with, but eventually lost to, a pair of 11th region foes in Lafayette and Madison Central. They host Rockcastle County, Adair County and Knox Central this week. 6. Danville Christian - DCA tumbling to sixth following the All A loss to Danville shows just how tight the tier of teams below Lincoln County and Pulaski County are. The Warriors look to bounce back this week as they take road trips out of the region to face Corbin and Ashland. 7. McCreary Central - The Raiders fell to Adair County but went on to knock off Taylor County in overtime of the 2A quarterfinals before ultimately losing to Mason County in the semifinals. They play Somerset Christian and Southwestern this week, both on the road. 8. Somerset - Somerset defeated Burgin and Somerset Christian on their way to the All A title game before falling to Danville. They fell to Southwestern the next day on what was sure to be a game where they entered not at emotional full strength. They travel to Burgin this week. 9. Garrard County - The Golden Lions played the Lincoln County Patriots tight but couldn't come away with the win. They then lost to LaRue County. They face Boyle County, Marion County and Corbin this week. 10. Boyle County - The Rebels still are struggling to hit their stride. They competed well against Lincoln County but lost and also fell to Harrison County in the 2A sectionals earlier in the week. They look to replicate their earlier win over Garrard County as they face the Golden Lions again this week before squaring off with crosstown rival and another district foe in Danville. They end their week by hosting Marion County. 11. Southwestern 12. Mercer 13. Rockcastle County 14. Casey County 15. East Jessamine 16. Somerset Christian 17. Burgin 18. Trinity Christian 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf

With this one at Lincoln you will not get me to pick the Golden Lions. Also, I am still convinced the best player on the court overall is Tramane Alcorn though Cooper may in fact be a better offensive producer. Can Garrard win? Sure. But it would have to be a rock fight and Cooper and company would have to be shooting well, winning something like 45 to 43. With that said, I'll stick by my 59 to 44 prediction in favor of the Patriots.

I'll say Lincoln County 59 Garrard 44.

The plain answer is no. I firmly believe that West should end up 2nd or 3rd in this ranking at season's end. Their schedule is tough all the way through but markedly front-loaded. They have experience, versatility and depth. But what they don't have right now are the on-court results to justify them being higher. I think that changes now and I really don't see them losing more than 3 games the rest of the regular season.

There are some things we have speculated about this region since the start of the year that are really becoming clear fact. Lincoln County is the best team in the region when they put forth a complete game. Pulaski County is a solid team and definitely a contender but they lack depth. West Jessamine is good and has one of the deepest rosters in the region but they also play a brutal schedule. The 45th district is about as good and equal as any district in the state. You cannot count out Wayne County, McCreary Central, Garrard County, or Boyle County in any given game. Somerset and Mercer County continually to quietly get better and work their way towards the postseason. All of these factors make this region one of the more interesting ones to watch as we head into mid-January. Rankings 1. Lincoln County - Jeff Jackson's Patriots have hit a stride and it showed in a big way with a dominant win over Pulaski County. Lincoln also had wins over Southwestern and McCreary Central, though they couldn't replicate the offensive explosion of 76 points that they had against the Maroons, scoring only 49 and 45 in their other victories. Colton Ralston accounted for 27 of the 76 points against Pulaski, including 5 three pointers. The Patriots host two district foes this week in Garrard County and Boyle County. These are the first district games of the season for Lincoln County and they play all 8 district seeding games in just a span of 30 days. 2. Pulaski County - Though they were thoroughly trounced by Lincoln County 76 to 49, the Maroons remain a contender in the region and that showed in their win over Rockcastle County 82 to 57. One big concern for the Maroons is the lack of challenge their schedule features for the rest of the season as the highest ranked team in this week's 12th region edition is number 8. Now they definitely played some really good competition in the first part of December and beat each of those teams, opponents like Madison Central, West Jessamine, Danville, McCreary Central, Danville Christian and Wayne County. But will the top heavy nature of their schedule hurt them down the stretch? They face Casey County, Southwestern and Perry County Central this week. 3. Danville Christian Academy - It has been discussed at length here on BGP about what the Warriors do well and what they don't. If you shoot well outside against them, you are going to have a chance. If you can limit their number of interior touches on offense, you are going to have a chance. Because of their design, DCA is really the team that best represents "can beat anyone, can lose to anyone." They are certainly well coached, play hard, and have talent. But they suffer the plight of most small schools where they have some dramatic characteristics that can be taken advantage of. They defeated Corbin and Danville at home before falling to Wayne County in Lincoln County's Patriot Classic. They commence their defense of the 12th region All A title starting Tuesday against Danville. 4. Wayne County - The Cardinals have an awesome core 4 players in Kendall & Kayden Phillips, Mason Burchett and Seth Farmer. But beyond that they drop off significantly in offensive production as those 4 listed represent 52.8 points of the Cardinals' 58.7 points per game average. That core has been clicking recently as they went 3 and 0 last week with wins over Somerset Christian, Boyle County and Danville Christian. They face Lafayette, McCreary Central and Madison Central this week. 5. Danville - The Ads had a rough week as they barely fended off Southwestern by two points before dropping two seeding games to DCA and Garrard County. They have a chance for vengeance this week as they start All A play against DCA. Danville went 10 for 24 from three against the Warriors in game 1 but three players (Barnes, Brown and Bixler) combined to go 5 for 16. If they can get more shooting efficiency out of those three, their ability to overcome DCA will increase exponentially. 6. McCreary County Central - The Raiders had an exciting start to the week as they won their first 2A Tournament games over Bell County and Whitley County, the second one coming in overtime with Kyle Stephens scoring 35 in the victory. They next defeated Somerset Christian by twenty before ending the week with a loss to the red hot Lincoln County Patriots. They face Adair County and Wayne County this morning. 7. West Jessamine - The Colts start 2023 3 and 0 with district seeding wins over Burgin and East Jessamine while also defeating Dunbar at GRC's Tim Short Automotive Classic. West, like Pulaski, has a top heavy schedule that featured a brutal start to the year. And though their second half is not "soft," it is nowhere near as intense as December. They face Bluegrass United, Mercer County and Madison Southern this week. 8. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers have guaranteed they will not be lower than the 2 seed in the district as they beat both Casey and Rockcastle this past week, each for the second time. It did take overtime to defeat Casey County on the road but Ben Godby and Indred Whitaker both scored 17 and Aedyn Absher pitched it 15 points and 5 rebounds to bring home the win. The road trip to Pulaski to finish off their district play happens at the end of the month on Friday the 27th. They face Burgin in the opening round of the All A regional and are also scheduled to play Southwestern in the Warrior Classic Saturday. 9a & 9b. Garrard County & Boyle County - The Golden Lions and Boyle County Rebels are about as even as two teams can be. They have almost identical RPIs, both are hovering around .500, and have played each other down to the wire. In the first of two district seeding games between the two, the Rebels came out victorious 64 to 63. Ethan Cooper had 26 for Garrard and Kason Myers had 22 for Boyle. Boyle would go on to lost by 2 to Wayne County later in the week. Garrard defeated Danville that same night and lost the next day to Apollo in overtime. These teams will meet again on the 17th of January, but as for this week the Golden Lions play Lincoln County and LaRue County and the Rebels have Harrison County to open the 2A sectional before also facing Lincoln County. 11. Mercer County - The Titans fell to Bourbon County in 2A sectional play but defeated Trinity Christian. They play West Jessamine and Scott County this week. 12. Casey County - The Rebels defeated Berea but fell to Somerset in overtime. They host Pulaski County, Rockcastle County, and Frankfort Christian this week. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets fell to district foes Somerset and Pulaski County before dispatching Adair County in overtime. They travel to Anderson County and district rival Casey County this week. 14. Southwestern - The Warriors had a pair of losses to 45th district teams Lincoln County and Danville. They face Taylor County, Pulaski County and Somerset this week. 15. East Jessamine fell to Madison Southern and West Jessamine. They have only Burgin on this week's schedule and are hoping to pick up their fourth win of the season. 16. Somerset Christian - The Cougars fell to Wayne County and McCreary Central in two district seeding games this past week. They have a bye in the All A regional tournament and end the week in Southwestern's Warrior Classic where they face Bell County. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs lost to West Jessamine, Campbellsville and Cumberland County. They face Somerset in the opening round of the All A and then go on to face East Jessamine, the Kentucky School for the Deaf, and Pineville. 18. Trinity Christian - The Titans fell to Bluegrass United and Mercer County. And although they compete in the 12th region for KHSAA post-season purposes, Trinity Christian is in the 11th for All A purposes and faces Frankfort Christian in the opening round. They also host Red Bird this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - The Colonels have road games against Red Bird and Burgin this week.

The more we talk about the 45th, the more excited I get for the district semifinals and we still have like 45 days until those happen.

There will definitely be some shake up among the top 4 next week. This has been mentioned before in these review threads, but one of the most dominant features of the 12th is that there are so many teams that have a simply dominant set of 2 or 3 players but very little depth beyond the starting lineup. That argument can basically be made for every team in the top ten. And Lincoln probably has the best set of top talented players and you saw that translate last night. That doesn't always happen like that but when it does for the Patriots they are going to be near impossible to beat.

I think the top 5 are spot on and then there's a big drop off after those with Conner certainly being the best of the rest. After that it is a complete toss up, as evidenced by Scott beating Simon Kenton last night. When it comes to the 9th region tournament, I think it will be NDA, Holy Cross, Dixie, St. Henry, NCC, Highlands and then someone being left out of Ryle, Cooper, and Conner. I bring this up now because all 9 of those teams in the top 12 of all of NKY. The postseason is going to be so much fun and about as competitive as its been in a very long time. Outside of the 9th, I also am excited about how far Grant County can go in the 8th and I think there is going to be a really interesting set of games in the 37th district as both Brossart and Campbell need to play Scott still for seeding purposes as the 1 seed gets a free pass to the 10th region tournament.

Holiday tournament season has now come and gone. January is upon us which means an increase in the number of high-profile matchups between regional and district foes. Who can turn the corner coming out of winter break and make their mark on the region? Rankings 1. Pulaski County - After going 3 and 0 in Daytona, Florida against out of state competition, the Maroons are now at 13 - 1 on the season. They start off 2023 with a tough road trip to Lincoln County before hosting Rockcastle County. 2a. Danville Christian - The Warriors went 2 - 1 in the holiday tournament at Campbellsville. Their trip ended with an overtime victory over host Campbellsville. They have a huge week this week as they host Corbin, face the Danville Admirals in the first version of this season's crosstown showdown and finish off the week at Lincoln County's Patriot Classic where they square off with Wayne County. 2b. Danville - The Admirals went 2 and 1 in the Ellis Trucking Christmas Classic at Mercer County. They face Southwestern, Danville Christian and Garrard County this week. This game between DCA represents a huge opportunity for Danville when it comes to district seeding but is also a prelude to the rematch that will happening the following week in the first round of the regional All A tournament as they square off again. 4. Lincoln County - A 2 - 1 trip in the Ashland Invitational included wins over Henry Clay and Perry County Central. Tramane Alcorn is up to 17 points per game. The Patriots start the week off by hosting the mighty Maroons of Pulaski County before hosting McCreary Central and Southwestern. The Patriots do not return to the road until January 17th and look to capitalize off this long home stretch. 5. McCreary County - The Raiders went 2 - 1 at the Monticello Bank Classic at Wayne County. They start 2A Sectional play against Bell County this week while also squeezing in a game against Somerset Christian before finishing off the week with a road trip to Lincoln County where they will look to show everyone that they deserve to be in the regional contender conversation. 6. Wayne County - The Cardinals went 1 - 2 in their Monticello Bank Classic. They host Somerset Christian and Boyle County before traveling to Lincoln County to face Danville Christian in the Patriot Classic. 7. West Jessamine - The Colts went 1 - 2 in the White, Greer and Maggard Classic at Lexington Catholic. They face Burgin, East Jessamine and Dunbar this week. 8. Garrard County - The Golden Lions went 1 - 2 in the South Oldham Christmas Tournament. Ethan Cooper is sitting above 24 points per game. They face district foes Boyle County and Danville this week before hosting Apollo. 9. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers blew out Logan County before defeating Somerset Christian. Ben Godby is averaging over 18 points per game while also averaging over 7 rebounds. They face Rockcastle County and Casey County on the road this week. 10. Boyle County - The Rebels are still looking for their stride but did manage to go 2 - 1 in the Ellis Trucking Christmas Classic, defeating host Mercer County in overtime on the final day. They face Garrard County and Wayne County this week. 11. Mercer County 12. Casey County 13. Rockcastle County 14. Southwestern 15. East Jessamine 16. Somerset Christian 17. Burgin 18. Trinity Christian 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf

I would add Boyle County and Wayne County to this. Again, I think whatever two teams make it out of the 45th have a shot and Boyle, though starting rough, should never really be discounted when you have Quisenberry on the floor. As far as Wayne County, if Burchett and both Phillips play at maximum potential, they can beat anybody in the region, no question. If I am updating the tier system based on likelihood of post-season success alone: Tier 1 - Pulaski County Tier 2 - Lincoln, DCA, West Jessamine, Danville Tier 3 - Boyle County, Wayne County Tier 4 - Somerset, McCreary County, Garrard County Tier 5 - everyone else

So there seems to be two prevailing arguments on each side: 1) December tournaments are good because they simulate the postseason, present opposition you won't normally see, and foster team chemistry. 2) December tournaments are bad because they can often have games with poor attendance leading to a dull environment and low return on investment from a financial standpoint. To me then, it comes down to the reason for the tournament. If it is for a school to make money and make an impression on the community, outside a handful of the big ones, that really won't happen. But if it is for teams to get better and kids to have fun, they serve the purpose. Ironically, I think these two sides can be enlarged for a person's entire perspective on sports - do they serve the kids or the schools/community/adults? I know what my idealistic perspective is (everything you can possibly do to make the best experience for student athletes), but I also understand the realist perspective on the other side which is that there are real world factors to consider in the operation of youth sports (the same way there are real world factors to consider in the operation of a December basketball tournament).

If I had to pick today the 8 teams making it to the regional tournament, it would be: 45th - Lincoln & Danville 46th - West Jessamine & Mercer 47th - Pulaski & Somerset 48th - Wayne & McCreary I think if it was different in the 46th, 47th, or 48th it would be a surprise. However, I would not be shocked if there were two different teams out of the 45th. That one is going to be wild and though Lincoln is good and has one of the best 3 players in the region, if they are the 1 (and that is still a big if) they could certainly lose to either the 4 or the 5. That's how much parity there is in that district. And the crazier thing to me is that I would probably say the two teams out of that district, whoever they are, have the second and third best chances to win the whole thing behind Pulaski.

The first wave of holiday tournaments is now in the books. There were some strong performances out of 12th region teams including some thrilling games and eye-catching individual feats. Rankings 1. Pulaski County - Undefeated no more. The Maroons fell for the first time this year in the championship of the Lee's Famous Recipe Holiday Classic to host Madison Southern after close wins over Lloyd Memorial and Bryan Station. They now travel to Daytona, Florida to play in the Daytona Beach Sunshine Classic. 2. Danville Christian - DCA opened up the week with a big win over rival Boyle County. The Warriors also participated in the Madison Southern Lee's Famous Recipe Holiday Classic, defeating Bryan Station and losing to Madison Southern. Titus Boyd averaged 19.5 points between the two games. DCA now competes in the Campbellsville Holiday Classic, opening with Oldham County. 3. Danville - The Ads went 2 -1 in Gatlinburg, finishing with a thrilling one point win over Kentucky Country Day. They now head to Mercer County for the Ellis Trucking Christmas Classic where they open with Central Hardin before facing Lafayette and Rockcastle County. 4. Lincoln County - The Patriots went 1 - 2 in LCA's Central Bank Jim Rose Classic. They now make the trek to Ashland to compete in the legendary Ashland Invitational where they open with Perry County Central. 5. Wayne County - The Cardinals went 2 - 1 in McCreary Central's Arby's/KFC Classic with wins over Somerset and Barbourville. They now host the Monticello Bank Classic where they open with Russell County. 6. West Jessamine - The Colts throttled Calloway County and defeated host LCA before falling in the championship game of the Jim Rose Classic to Vestavia Hills (Alabama) 93 - 88 in double overtime. Daniel Waters had 33 in the loss. They now go to Lexington Catholic for the White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic where they open with North Oldham. 7. Garrard County - The Golden Lions went 1 - 1 in Montgomery County's Gateway Holiday Classic. They now head off to South Oldham for their tournament where they open with Iroquois. 8. McCreary County Central - The Raiders hosted the Arby's/KFC Classic and went 3 - 0. They now head off to Wayne County's Monticello Bank Classic. 9. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers went 1 - 2 in the Arby's/KFC Classic. They play two regular games this week against Logan County and Somerset Christian. 10. Boyle County - The Rebels played just one game, a double digit loss to Danville Christian. The Rebels try to pick themselves up as they begin play in the Ellis Trucking Christmas Classic at Mercer County. 11. Mercer County 12. Casey County 13. Rockcastle County 14. Southwestern 15. East Jessamine 16. Somerset Christian 17 Burgin 18. Trinity Christian 19 Kentucky School for the Deaf

The week held some incredibly competitive games between regional opponents and we continue to define who the early season standout teams are. The region now turns its head towards holiday tournaments for the next couple of weeks featuring some stout matchups between regional contenders here in the 12th and squads they usually don't get to play. Rankings 1. Pulaski County - The Maroons' undefeated start continues as they are now up to eight wins on the year following victories over Wayne County and Somerset. Pulaski had to survive a dismal shooting night at the Briar Patch as they made just 2 of 17 attempted three point shots. Barek Williams was able to power the Maroons to victory and preserve the undefeated streak with 20 points. They play in Madison Southern's Lee's Famous Recipe Holiday Classic and open with Lloyd Memorial of the 9th region. 2. Danville Christian - The Warriors fell to the Golden Lions of Garrard County but defeated West Jessamine by four in overtime. Titus Boyd scored 24 in the victory. Lual Ayiei has his rebounding average up to 11 per game. DCA takes on district foe Boyle County before headed off to Madison Southern's Lee's Famous Recipe Holiday Classic where they open with Bardstown. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots squeaked past West Jessamine in overtime before dispatching East Jessamine later in the week. Connor Davis averages right around 6 points per game but was a key contributor in the victory over West Jessamine, scoring 16. The Patriots take on Henderson County in the opening round of the Central Bank Jim Rose Classic at Lexington Christian. 4. Danville - This truly might as well have been 2a, 2b, and 2c and they are all in the same district. Danville has lost just one game so far and it was game number 2 of the year against the now undefeated Pulaski County Maroons. The Ads defeated Mercer County in overtime by 2 behind Owen Barnes 22 points and 10 rebounds. They followed that up with a 3 point win over Washington County. Danville now travels to Gatlinburg for the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic. 5. Wayne County - The Cardinals have been through some adversity. They finished last year 2 and 8 in their last ten games. Their top rebounder from last year, who was also their 3rd leading scorer, left the team unexpectedly. But here they are, having a successful start to this year. Behind their top two scorers, Kendall Phillips and Mason Burchett, are Kayden Phillips and Seth Farmer who have both risen to fill holes left in the roster. They fell to Pulaski before defeating Mercer County and Scott (TN). They play in the Arby's/KFC Classic at McCreary Central where they play Somerset, Barbourville, and Morristown-Hamblen East (TN). 6. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers split the week, defeating Casey County but falling to Lincoln County. Ben Gody is leading the team in points per game with 19.7 and rebounds per game with 8.3. They play in the Arby's/KFC Classic at McCreary Central scheduled to take on Wayne County, Cordia, and the hosting Raiders. 7. Boyle County - The Rebels are making their slow and steady rise back into the higher tiers of the region. They defeated Rockcastle County and Central Hardin before falling on the road to 9th region contender Highlands. They host Danville Christian and Spencer County this week. 8. West Jessamine - The Colts have talent. The Colts have an experience and distinguished coach. The Colts have experience. The problem is they need to blend that altogether into a winning formula. They had two contenders on the ropes but fell to both Lincoln County and DCA in overtime to drop to 2 - 5 on the year. Jacob Jones had 21 in the loss to the Patriots. They open with Calloway County in the Central Bank Jim Rose Classic at Lexington Christian. 9. Garrard County - The Golden Lions have gotten hot and had three wins last week, defeating East Jessamine, DCA, and Bell County. Ethan Cooper, 28.2 points per game, continues to wow the region. They travel to Montgomery County this week to play in the distinguished Gateway Holiday Classic where they open up against Johnson Central. 10. Mercer County - The Titans took Danville to overtime but lost by two and also lost to Wayne County before finishing the week up with a win over Somerset Christian. They travel to Gatlinburg to play in the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic. 11. McCreary County Central - The Raiders defeated Williamsburg and Southwestern before falling to Breathitt County. They host the Arby's/KFC Classic this week. 12. Casey County - Casey County prevailed over Rockcastle County by 6 after falling to Somerset. They play in the Sayre School Jim Lankster Classic. 13. Rockcastle County - The Rockets fell to Boyle County and Casey County. They play in Clinton County's Twin Lakes Holiday Classic this week. 14. Southwestern - The Warriors beat Somerset Christian and lost to McCreary Central. They travel to East Jessamine before playing in the Rafferty's Caveland Classic at Edmonson County. 15. East Jessamine - The Jaguars fell to Garrard County and Lincoln County. They play Southwestern before heading to the Capital City Classic Holiday Tournament. 16. Somerset Christian School - The Cougars lost to Southwestern but beat Oneida Baptist. They ended the week with a loss to Mercer County. They play Campbellsville on the road. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs defeated Trinity Christian by 3. They face Frankfort Christian and Robertson County on the road. 18. Trinity Christian - The Titans fell to Burgin before defeating Whitefield Academy. They travel north to Villa Madonna before the break. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf - They remain off until mid-January.

It is still the first half of December but already we are starting to formulate some significant questions in the 12th. Is Pulaski County the team to beat? Is DCA a significant threat for a regional title? Can Boyle County get their football kids incorporated and the season in the right direction? Will Tramane Alcorn be able to carry Lincoln to consistent success? There are more regional matchups this week that will continue to bring us clarity as we have our last large batch of regular games before heading into holiday tournaments. Rankings 1. Pulaski County - The Maroons remain undefeated with wins over McCreary Central, Casey County and DCA. The three headed monster of Cayden Lancaster (21.2 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game), Barek Williams (19.5 ppg & 5.8 rpg), & Carson Fraley (12.8 ppg & 7.5 rpg) really have Pulaski cruising early in the year. The biggest vulnerability exposed so far is that there is not much scoring beyond those three. If they lose one or more to injury or foul trouble, will they have the pieces to fill the hole? Pulaski faces Wayne County and Somerset this week with both games on the road. 2. Danville Christian Academy - DCA blew out Madison Southern before hanging tough with the mighty Maroons of Pulaski County on the road in what turned out to be a ten point loss. Much like Pulaski, the Warriors have three core players producing in Titus Boyd, Emmanuel Dut & Lual Ayiei who are the top three scorers and rebounders. They face Evangel Christian, West Jessamine & Garrard County this week. 3. Lincoln County - The Patriots earned wins over Wayne County and Madison Southern before falling to Evangel Christian in Kentucky Straight Apparel Classic in Bardstown. Tramane Alcorn is leading the way with 19.5 points per game. They host both West and East Jessamine this week, two teams that often play a much faster style of basketball than Lincoln will want to. 4. West Jessamine - After a rough start to the year, the Colts have now put two in the win column with victories over Trinity Christian and Bourbon County. The Colts have five players averaging over 10 points per game, lead by Daniel Waters at 18.4. West has two huge games against regional competition this week as they travel to play Lincoln County and host DCA. 5. Danville - The Ads were on a tear last week as they defeated Rockcastle County, Casey County, Frankfort and McCreary Central. Owen Barnes and Demauriah Brown both scored 21 in the nine point victory over McCreary. They are on the road this week for both games, contests against Mercer County and Washington County. 6. Somerset - The Briar Jumpers got wins over Boyle County and Rockcastle County before falling to Rowan County in Knightstown, Indiana in the famous Hoosier Gym. Indred Whitaker scored 26 in the win over Rockcastle. Ben Godby led the way in the other two games with 26 against Boyle and 24 in the classic setting in Indiana. They play Casey County, Pulaski County, and Jackson County this week. 7. Wayne County - The Cardinals fell to Lincoln but defeated Southwestern. Kendall Phillips scored 20 in the win. They host Pulaski County, Mercer County & Scott(Tennessee) this week. 8. Mercer County - The Titans recorded two victories with a scoring differential over 20 as they defeated Nelson County and Pendleton County. Trevor Ellis is scoring close to 16 points per game. They face Danville, Wayne County and Somerset Christian this week,. 9. Boyle County - All things considered, the Rebels could be ranked lower but they finally got their first win of the year over Clay County as the football players make their way back. Montavin Quisenberry made his debut for Boyle in the win and certainly didn't disappoint as he scored 24. The Rebels look to build off that win as they face Rockcastle County, Central Hardin & Highlands this week. 10. Garrard County - The Golden Lions defeated Somerset Christian and Knox Central before falling to Lexington Christian. Ethan Cooper is up to 29 points per game on average, leading the region in scoring. They square off against DCA, East Jessamine and Bell County this week. 11. McCreary Central - The Raiders competed with Pulaski and Danville but fell short in both. They face Williamsburg, Southwestern and Breathitt County this week. 12. Casey County - Just like McCreary, the Raiders lost to Pulaski and Danville. They go on the road to face Somerset and Rockcastle County this week. 13. Rockcastle County - Coach Cash's Rockets fell to Danville and Somerset before Defeating Barbourville. They face Boyle County and Casey County this week. 14. Southwestern - The Warriors scored a huge win over a reeling Boyle County before falling to Wayne County and LaRue County. Eli Meece scored 30 in the win over the Rebels. They face Somerset Christian and McCreary Central this week. 15. East Jessamine - The Jaguars picked up wins over Frankfort Christian and Trinity Christian. They face Lincoln County and Garrard County both on the road this week. 16. Somerset Christian - The Cougars fell to Garrard, Model and Adair. They face Southwestern, Oneida Baptist and Mercer this week. 17. Burgin - The Bulldogs fell to Powell County and Berea. They host Trinity Christian this week in a district matchup. 18. Trinity Chrisitan - The Titans fell to both Jessamines but defeated Robertson County out of the 10th region. They face Burgin and Whitefield Academy this week. 19. Kentucky School for the Deaf -Micah Tucker is averaging 13.2 points per game this year as the Colonels picked up their first win of the young campaign, defeating the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf after falling to their counterparts from Western Pennsylvania and New York. They play LKY (homeschool) this week.

It will be closer than what I would have thought 3 weeks ago, but I am going to say Lincoln 51 Wayne 39.

So now that I have become exceptionally familiar with the schedules in the 12th, I realize that we now have a 19th team in Trinity Christian who officially joins the 12th this year. Also, Somerset Christian, who I have accounted for in the rankings this year and the two before it, officially joined the region as well meaning we now have 19 teams competing for a regional title in the 12th with a tremendous size range and robust community of small schools.

Balancing scoring down the roster, versatility on both sides of the ball, the now older roster all gelling with the Luhn system after one year under their belts - all things that are going to spell success for the Breds. I expect them to hang right around the top of the second tier of the 9th all year with a real chance to make some noise in both the All A and the Regional Tournament.