Smallhoops

High School. For years Male was known only as High School.

CCH did a good job shutting down Tyren Moore after his fast start. Green having a big game for CCH. Looked like it was going to be 10 at halftime until Male hit a 3 to end the half.

Male has cooled off offensively but it’s defense continues to be suffocating.

Tyren Moore is cold-blooded. He has 12 points already, including 3/3 on 3’s.

Disappointed in the crowd. Thought there would be more people here. The state of high school basketball in Louisville, I guess.

I love it when someone still refers to Male simply as High or High School.

I do not. He was dressed and on the bench, so hopefully he will be back soon.

Butler's leading scorer, Trey Minter, did not play, apparently due to injury. It definitely was a battle.

Nice win for the Colts. who also beat Collins last week. They play Male tomorrow night.

Male's gym holds about 2000. The reality is that people just don't go to high school basketball games like they used to. I doubt that this game will be sold out, which would be a shame.

Their games are not normally sold out. I went to the Ballard-Male game at Male a couple weeks ago and it was full, although that was partly because Ballard had a lot of people there.

This past week was all fine and good, but the upcoming week brings us Primetime on Preston when the Male Bulldogs host the Covington Catholic Colonels Saturday night. Male was tested this week by Trinity (Trinity led by 7 going into the fourth quarter), but the Bulldogs prevailed. At the moment, both teams sport impressive 22-4 records and are ranked in the top five in the state. It should be Kentucky high school basketball at its finest. TEAM RANKINGS 1. Male Bulldogs (22-4) The Male Bulldogs extended their win streak to 7, and 12 of their last 13, by going 3-0 this week. After beating Collegiate (74-48) and Pleasure Ridge Park (86-74),the Bulldogs faced a fired up Trinity squad who led the Bulldogs 47-41 at the end of the third quarter. But Male flexed its muscles on both ends of the court and outscored Trinity 21-6 in the fourth quarter to secure the 62-53 victory. After playing the DeSales Colts on Tuesday and the Manual Crimsons on Thursday, Male will face Covington Catholic on Saturday in a much anticipated contest between two of the state’s best teams. 2. Ballard Bruins (22-3) The Bruins went 3-0 this week, with wins against Christian Academy (91-45), North Oldham (102-66), and Eastern (76-61). Ballard has now won 13 of their last 14 games, the sole loss during that streak being to Male. The Bruins are incredibly balanced offensively, with six players averaging at least 9.4 ppg. Ballard has two games on its schedule this week, facing 18-5 Lexington Henry Clay and Central. 3. Seneca Redhawks (17-8) The Redhawks split the two games they played this week. The win was a good win, a 74-55 win over the St. X Tigers. Trent Findley led Seneca with 23 points in that one. The Redhawks dropped the second game they played this week, falling to Madison Central 75-72. Seneca has a single game on its schedule this week, playing the Atherton Rebels on Tuesday. 4. Eastern Eagles (16-9) Eastern went 1-1 in the two games they played against good teams this week, beating Pleasure Ridge Park 65-47 but falling to the Ballard Bruins 76-61. Sophomores James Jewell (13.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Christian Spalding (13.1 ppg) lead the way for the Eagles, although junior Ben Craig (11.8 ppg) is not far behind. The Eagles play Kentucky Country Day and Waggener this week. 5. Trinity Shamrocks (14-12) Trinity’s 1-2 record from this past week is somewhat deceiving. After beating Carroll County 76-40, the Rocks took on two of the best teams in the Commonwealth. Lexington Catholic got the best of things by a 65-40 margin, and Male beat Trinity by a 62-53 margin. But the final score in the Male game does not tell the whole story; the game was tied at halftime, and Trinity led 47-41 at the end of the third quarter. A disappointing loss, to be sure, but encouraging in that it confirms that Trinity can compete with just about anyone. This week, Trinity will compete against Waggener and Lexington Lafayette. 6. St. Xavier Tigers (15-8) St. X started the week with a 74-55 loss to Seneca before beating the DeSales Colts by a 58-44 margin. Nick Mosley led the Tigers with 20 points against DeSales. The Tigers play Jeffersontown and Woodford County this week. 7. Waggener Wildcats (14-9) Waggener suffered a disappointing 60-56 loss to the Valley Vikings this week, but bounced back with a 72-62 win over the Western Warriors. Waggener has two games this week that should serve as a good gauge as to where the Wildcats are as the post season approaches, facing Trinity and Eastern. 8. Dupont Manual Crimsons (12-9) The Crimsons split the two games they played this week; the Butler Bears got the best of the Crimsons 77-57, but Manual beat Central by a 86-63 margin. This week brings games against Christian Academy and Male for the Crimsons. 9. Louisville Collegiate Titans (16-6) Collegiate went 2-1 this week. The loss was understandable, a 74-48 loss to Male, while the wins came against St. Francis (80-37) and Kentucky Country Day (81-65). It was the Titans’ second win over rival KCD this season. Collegiate will take on Eminence and Carroll County this week. 10. Christian Academy of Louisville Centurions (10-12) Christian Academy lost to Ballard (91-45) and Lexington Christian (77-59) this week, but got the best of Caverna by a 87-70 margin. On the schedule this week for the Centurions are games with Manual, Bullitt Central, and DeSales. 11. Central Yellowjackets (8-16) Central went 1-2 this week. The win was by a 70-49 margin over St. Francis. The losses were to Fern Creek (65-46) and Manual (86-63). This week brings games against North Oldham and Ballard. 12. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (12-10) The Bearcats went 2-1 this week, beating Portland Christian (87-50) and Fort Knox (83-72) but losing to Collegiate 81-65. Up this week for the Bearcats are games against Eastern and Eminence. 13. Atherton Rebels (9-13) After losing to Holy Cross 71-58, the Rebels won the other two games they played this week, beating Sayre (57-52) and Shawnee (54-38). This week the Rebels will take on Seneca and Whitefield Academy. 14. Shawnee Golden Eagles (12-11) The Golden Eagles had a tough 85-78 overtime loss to Fairdale to start the week and then lost to Atherton by a 54-38 margin. Shawnee has now lost four in a row. The Golden Eagles will look to get back on the victory train with a single game this week against the St. Francis Wyverns. 15. Walden Wolverines (16-7) Walden had a great week at the Warrior Classic in Danville, going 3-0. After beating host Danville Christian 75-54, the Wolverines beat June Buchanan 74-43 and capped off the trip with a 86-77 double overtime win over Christian Academy of Madison, IN. The Wolverines play Portland Christian, Brown, and L.I.G.H.T., a home school team from Danville, in the upcoming week. 16. St. Francis Wyverns (4-15) The Wyverns earned their fourth win of the season with a 67-57 victory over Villa Madonna. St. Francis lost the only other game it played this week, falling to Central 70-49. The Wyverns have a busy week ahead, playing Sayre, Shawnee, Community Christian, and Bellevue. 17. Brown Bears (4-18) The Bears also gained their fourth win of the season when they beat Evangel Christian 63-37 this week. Brown dropped the other two games it played, losing to Frederick Fraize (55-49) and Fairdale (81-41). Up this week for the Bears are Doss, Walden, and Bardstown Bethlehem. 18. Portland Christian Eagles (6-16) Portland Christian went 1-1 this week, falling to Kentucky Country Day (87-50) but then bouncing back to beat Frankfort Christian (78-55). The Eagles had an additional game on the schedule against Burgin but that game is being rescheduled. This week the Eagles will take on Walden and Community Christian.

It was an interesting week in the Sixth Region this week, with several teams notching significant wins. Examples include DeSales' 70-58 win over Collins; Bullitt East beating North Bullitt 87-76 in overtime; Moore getting the best of J'Town by a 68-59 margin; Bullitt Central winning 63-56 in overtime against Holy Cross; and, in perhaps the most impressive win of the week, Valley beating Waggener 60-56. Most of those teams also suffered losses during the week, which just shows you must bring it every night in this competitive region. This week brings us the much anticipated match up between the Fern Creek Tigers and the Butler Bears. Those two teams have been at the top of the rankings for most of the year, and they will play Thursday night at Butler. That game will be a good preview of what might unfold in the post-season, which starts in just a couple of weeks. TEAM RANKINGS 1. Fern Creek Tigers (20-6) Fern Creek extended its win streak to seven and reached the 20-win mark with three wins this week. The closest of the three wins was a 61-55 victory over Southern, with the other two wins coming against Central (65-46, with Jaden Rogers having 23 points) and Great Crossing (64-43). This week brings the much anticipated battle with the Butler Bears on Thursday night. That should be a good one. 2. Butler Bears (15-7) Butler extended its win streak to six with wins over Manual (77-57) and Valley (79-41), but then lost by 20 points to a very good Madisonville North Hopkins team (91-71). Sophomore Turrell Cleaves led the Bears in scoring against Madisonville with 15 points. The big game this week for the Bears is the Thursday night match up with the Fern Creek Tigers. Before then, Butler will play Iroquois on Tuesday. 3. Jeffersontown Chargers (14-6) Five Chargers scored in double figures in J’Town’s 71-51 win over Bullitt East, which was the Chargers’ fifth win in a row. But the Chargers then stumbled against Moore, falling to the Mustangs 68-59. J’Town will look to get back on track this week when they play Whitefield Academy, St. X, and Valley. 4. Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers (14-9) PRP has played a series of games against quality teams, and unfortunately things have not gone very well for the Panthers, who now have lost four games in a row. This week the losses were to Eastern (65-47) and Male (86-74). Josh Williams scored 27 points in the game against Male. Things lighten up for the Panthers this week with a single game against Western on the schedule. 5. DeSales Colts (13-8) The Colts went 2-1 this week. The wins were against Western (65-48) and Collins (70-58), which was a very nice win for DeSales. Sekou Kalle had a big game against Collins with 25 points and nine rebounds. Unfortunately, the Colts finished the week with a 58-44 loss to the St. X Tigers. The Colts’ schedule this week has games against South Oldham, Male, and Iroquois. 6. Doss Dragons (15-8) The Dragons went 2-0 this week and now have won five games in a row. The wins this week came against Iroquois (83-64) and Valley (59-41). Doss will look to extend its winning ways even further this week with games against Brown, Western, and Southern. 7. Bullitt East Chargers (10-14) The Chargers’ six game win streak came to an end with a 71-51 loss to Jeffersontown, but the Chargers then got one of their best wins of their season when they beat North Bullitt 87-76 in overtime. Bullitt East will work to build on the momentum from that game when they play Grayson County and Southern this week. 8. North Bullitt Eagles (18-8) North Bullitt had a bit of a tough week, going 1-2 this week. After falling to Spencer County 72-68, the Eagles battled cross-county rival Bullitt East. Despite five Eagles scoring in double figures, North Bullitt fell to Bullitt East 87-76 in overtime. The Eagles were able to bounce back with a 59-44 win over Daviess County on Saturday. Up this week are games against Holy Cross and Fairdale. 9. Holy Cross Cougars (14-9) The Cougars went 2-1 this week. The wins were against Atherton (71-54) and Owen County (84-52), while the loss was a disappointing one, a 63-56 overtime loss to Bullitt Central. The Cougars have games against Beth Haven and North Bullitt this week. 10. Iroquois Raiders (14-11) The Raiders went 1-1 this week, falling to Doss 83-64 but beating Fairdale 69-58. The win over Fairdale moves the Raiders ahead of the Bulldogs in this week’s rankings. On Iroquois’ schedule this week are games against Butler, DeSales, and Thomas Nelson. 11. Fairdale Bulldogs (11-11) Fairdale had an interesting week, which started with a 85-74 overtime win over Shawnee in which Charles Ward scored 34 points. Before the Bulldogs played the Brown Bears, Hunter McCutcheon became eligible and he immediately contributed, leading the Bulldogs with 22 points in their 81-41 win against Brown. Ward, McCutcheon, and Tyjuan Walter each scored 16 points against Iroquois, but Fairdale fell to the Raiders 69-58. Fairdale plays North Bullitt and Fairdale this week. 12. Western Warriors (11-12) Western went 0-2 against two good teams this week, falling to DeSales 65-48 and to Waggener 72-62. This week the Warriors will take on Doss, PRP, and Fort Knox. 13. Moore Mustangs (8-14) Moore grabbed its best win of the season this week, beating Jeffersontown 68-59. That is one of the most impressive wins in the Sixth Region this season. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the week also had a 69-62 loss to the Southern Trojans. On the Mustangs’ schedule this week is a single game against Bullitt Central. 14. Bullitt Central Cougars (8-16) It would have been easy to correctly predict the Cougars would go 1-1 this week, although most would have predicted that the win and loss would have been reversed. The loss was to Whitefield Academy (61-59), while the win was perhaps the Cougars’ best win of the season, a 63-56 overtime win over the Holy Cross Cougars. This week Bullitt Central faces Moore, Christian Academy, and Spencer County. 15. Valley Vikings (5-15) Valley had a very impressive win this week, beating a good Waggener team by a 60-56 margin. Unfortunately, the Vikings could not build on that achievement and lost the other two games they played this week, falling to Butler (79-41) and Doss (59-41). The Vikings face Fairdale and Jeffersontown in the upcoming week. 16. Southern Trojans (5-14) With Quincy Murrell leading the way with 22 points, Southern notched a nice 69-62 win over the Moore Mustangs this week. The Trojans then fell to Fern Creek, but only a 61-55 final margin. That’s a good week for the Trojans. This week Southern takes on Doss and Bullitt East. 17. Whitefield Academy Wildcats (13-9) Whitefield is having a really good year. The Wildcats went 3-0 this week and have now won seven of their last eight games. In addition to beating Beth Haven (90-73) and Carroll County (70-67), Whitefield had an impressive 61-59 win over Bullitt Central. This week Whitefield, which already has exceeded last season’s 10-win total, has three more opportunities for wins with games against Jeffersontown, Atherton and Washington County. 18. Beth Haven Bearcats (9-13) Beth Haven went 1-2 this week to move closer to a double-digit win total for the season, which would be a noticeable improvement on last season’s 6-win total. After falling to Whitefield Academy 90-73, the Bearcats beat Frankfort Christian (83-29) and Evangel Christian (72-51). Up this week for Beth Haven are games with Holy Cross and Christian Fellowship. 19. Evangel Christian Eagles (3-15) Evangel Christian went 0-3 this week, falling to Brown (63-37), Beth Haven (72-51), and Christian Fellowship (72-48). The Eagles do not have any games on their schedule this week.

I am a huge Tyren Moore fan.

Two of the best players in this year's senior class, Justin Powell (North Oldham/Auburn) and Howard Fleming (Male/Illinois State) have been limited by injuries this year. Collins has two D I signees not already mentioned in Dayvion McKnight (WKU) and Marcellus Vail (Samford). All in all, this looks like a pretty typical year to me. Undergraduate talent in the Louisville area is abundant and includes the previously mentioned Kaleb Glenn of Male (freshman); Ballard's Maker Bar (sophomore), Gabe Sisk (freshman), and Jake Edelen (freshman); Fern Creek's Jaden Rogers, Zek Montgomery, and Darius Washington (all juniors); Eastern's James Jewell and Christian Spalding (both sophomores); DeSales' Sekou Kalle (junior); Trinity's Miles Franklin (sophomore); and Jeffersontown's Brandon Rayzor-Moore (sophomore). A lot of good young talent.

The rest of the year

With three weeks left, the Sixth Region is shaping up to have a terrific post-season. Fern Creek and Butler appear to be the favorites, but several teams have a shot at the regional championship. The rest of the regular season, and the post-season, will be filled with good teams playing quality basketball. What more could you ask for? TEAM RANKINGS 1. Fern Creek Tigers (17-6) Fern Creek went 2-0 for the week, beating Bryan Station 75-44 and PRP 80-70. The Tigers have now won 10 of their last 11, with the sole loss being to Ballard in the LIT. And remember, all of the Tigers’ major contributors are underclassmen. Fern Creek has games against Central, Southern, and Great Crossing in the upcoming week. 2. Butler Bears (13-6) The Bears played just once this week, easily dispatching the Central Yellowjackets by a 61-24 margin. Winners of four in a row, Butler plays Manual and Valley during the week, and then will face Madisonville-North Hopkins on Saturday in the Wes Strader Schoolboy Shootout at Warren Central. That should be a good one. 3. Jeffersontown Chargers (13-5) The Chargers move back into the number 3 spot in the rankings this week with nice wins against Manual (69-55) and Seneca (75-60). The Seneca win was particularly impressive for J’Town, which has won 4 games in a row. Up this week for the Chargers are games with Bullitt East and Moore. 4. Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers (14-7) PRP went 1-2 this week. The week started with a close 61-60 win over Desales, but the Panthers then fell to two good teams, losing to Oldham County 79-73 and to Fern Creek 80-70. The Panthers continue their streak of playing quality opponents with games this week against Eastern and Male. 5. DeSales Colts (11-7) DeSales continues to play well, but sometimes falls on the wrong side of the scoring column. This week is a good example: it started with a tough 61-60 home loss to PRP, but ended with a 71-46 win over Holy Cross. The Colts play Western, Collins, and St. X this week. 6. Doss Dragons (13-8) The Dragons continued their good season this week, going 2-0 with wins over Fairdale (78-54) and Atherton (61-55). Doss will look to extend its winning ways in the upcoming week with games against Iroquois and Valley. 7. North Bullitt Eagles (17-6) The Eagles had a good week, going 2-0 with wins against Grayson County (60-47) and Valley (64-59). North Bullitt, which now has a 3-game winning streak, plays Spencer County and Bullitt East this week. 8. Holy Cross Cougars (12-8) Despite Sam Bearden’s 22 points and 13 rebounds, Holy Cross fell to Christian Academy 65-61 early in the week before falling to the DeSales Colts 71-46 on Saturday. The Cougars will look to end their 3-game skid with games this week against Atherton, Owen County, and Bullitt Central. 9. Bullitt East Chargers (9-13) After losing six games in a row, Bullitt East has now won six in a row and moves up in the rankings. This week brought wins against Moore (80-65), Fairdale (59-53), and Kentucky Country Day (81-52). Bullitt East has games scheduled this week with Jeffersontown and North Bullitt. 10. Fairdale Bulldogs (9-10) Fairdale had a tough week, losing to Doss 78-54 and to Bullitt East 59-53. The Bulldogs, who now have lost 4 in a row, play Shawnee and Iroquois this week. 11. Iroquois Raiders (13-10) Quintel Walter’s 21 points were not enough in Iroquois’ 55-52 loss to Bullitt Central. But the Raiders bounced back and easily took care of Brown, beating the Bears 68-19. On Iroquois’ schedule this week are games against Doss and Fairdale. 12. Western Warriors (11-10) The Warriors had two good wins this week. The first was a 58-40 defeat of Bullitt Central, which allowed the Warriors to move up in the rankings. The other win was a nice 70-49 defeat of Shawnee. Western takes on DeSales and Waggener this week. 13. Bullitt Central Cougars (7-15) The Cougars went 1-1 this week, losing to Western 58-40 but bouncing back with a nice 55-52 win against Iroquois. This week Bullitt Central will take on Whitefield Academy and Holy Cross. 14. Moore Mustangs (7-13) Moore’s losing streak was extended to four this week with a 80-65 loss to Bullitt East. Darius Carver led the Mustangs in scoring in that one with 21 points. On the Mustangs’ schedule this week are games against Southern and Jeffersontown. 15. Valley Vikings (4-13) The Vikings earned their fourth win of the season early in the week, beating Fort Knox 58-44. Javon Warren (17 points) and Richard Gabriel (15 points) led the Vikings in that one. Valley played well but lost the other two games it played, falling to North Bullitt 64-59 and to Manual 64-59. The Vikings face Waggener, Butler, and Doss in the upcoming week. 16. Southern Trojans (4-13) Southern had a good 83-68 win over Whitefield Academy this week, which ended the Trojans’ 6-game losing streak. It also had a 66-57 loss to North Hardin. On the schedule for the Trojans this week are games against Moore and Fern Creek. 17. Whitefield Academy Wildcats (10-9) The Wildcats extended their win streak to 4 with wins over Bardstown Bethlehem (64-59) and St. Francis (83-75), but then saw that streak come to an end with a 83-68 loss to Southern. This week Whitefield will take on Beth Haven, Bullitt Central, and Carroll County. 18. Beth Haven Bearcats (7-12) The Bearcats started the week with a 85-73 win over Heritage Academy but then lost to Kentucky Country Day (78-50) and Fort Knox (79-69). Beth Haven has three games this week, taking on Whitefield Academy, Frankfort Christian, and Evangel Christian. 19. Evangel Christian Eagles (2-12) The Eagles lost to Shawnee 68-31 early in the week. Evangel Christian had a game against Covington Latin on its schedule for Saturday, but no score has been reported to the KHSAA for that one. The Eagles will look to increase their win total this week with games against Walden, Brown, and Beth Haven.

Friday night's round 2 of the Male-Ballard battle for supremacy produced a 76-67 Male win and set things up for the rubber match between the two expected in the Seventh Region tournament. At least for those two teams, it may be that very little will matter until then. They both will win most, perhaps all, of their games until then, but what people will remember is who wins the anticipated third game between the two and probably represent the Seventh Region in the state tournament. I hope that game materializes, and I expect it to not be disappointing. But there still is something for every other Seventh Region team to play for. With only three weeks left in the regular season, it is yet to be decided who might win 20 games, who might end up with a winning record, who might reach double figures in wins, who might win more games than last year, etc. Here's hoping that every team reaches its own goal. TEAM RANKINGS 1. Male Bulldogs (19-4) The Bulldogs return to the top spot after their 76-67 win over Ballard on Friday night. Howard Fleming has returned for Male and, while he certainly is not back in top form yet, he will get there and adds an additional weapon to Male’s vast offensive arsenal. As they showed against Ballard, Tyren Moore (18 points), Cam Pope (16 points), and Kaleb Glenn (18 points) all can produce a big scoring night. They looked really good Friday night. Prior to beating Ballard, the Bulldogs beat a good Collins team from the Eighth Region 81-77; Tyren Moore had 25 and Kaleb Glenn added 24 in that one. The Bulldogs, who now have won 8 of their last 9 (the lone loss being to Ballard in the LIT), play Collegiate, PRP, and Trinity this week. 2. Ballard Bruins (19-3) After beating KCD 105-69 to extend its win streak to 10, Ballard fell to the Male Bulldogs 76-67 in the much anticipated rematch of the two top-ranked teams in the region. Poor shooting did in the Bruins; after hitting 16 of 29 (55%) 3-pointers against KCD, the Bruins hit just 2 for 20 (10%) against Male. Ballard got a monster game from Rashad Bishop, who scored 30, which is a good sign for the Bruins. My guess is that Ballard will not have another shooting night like that the rest of the season. Ballard has three games on its schedule this week, playing Christian Academy, North Oldham, and Eastern. 3. Seneca Redhawks (16-7) Seneca went 1-1 this week, beating Brown 80-36 but falling to Jeffersontown 75-60. Going into the week, Delshawn Simms was leading Seneca in scoring at 16.9 ppg. The Redhawks take on St. X Tigers and Madison Central this week. 4. Eastern Eagles (15-8) Eastern had lost 3 games in a row to upper tier teams in the Seventh Region but this week showed it belonged in that upper tier with an impressive 47-45 win over the St. X Tigers. Junior Ben Craig led the way with 18 points. The Eagles followed that up with a 71-41 win over Dixie Heights. The Eagles have a challenging week ahead with games with PRP and Ballard. 5. St. Xavier Tigers (14-7) The Tigers have hit a rough spot, going 1-2 this week. The win came against the Brown Bears (67-36), while the losses were to Eastern (47-45) and Dunbar (62-60). Cold shooting (37.5%) seems to have been the culprit against Eastern. St. X has an opportunity to bounce back this week with games against Seneca and DeSales. 6. Trinity Shamrocks (13-10) The Rocks had a great week, going 3-0. After dispatching Atherton 69-42, Trinity took care of Madison Central (61-53) and Woodford County (68-40). Trinity will look to continue its winning ways this week when they take on Carroll County, Lexington Catholic, and the Male Bulldogs. 7. Waggener Wildcats (13-8) Waggener also had a good week, going 2-0. They got the best of North Oldham 72-60 and then took care of business against Central by a 87-63 margin. The Wildcats face a couple Sixth Region teams this week, taking on the Valley Vikings and the Western Warriors. 8. Dupont Manual Crimsons (11-8) Manual split the two games it played against Sixth Region teams this week, falling to Jeffersontown 69-55 but beating Valley 67-62). The Crimsons face Butler and Central this week. 9. Louisville Collegiate Titans (15-5) Collegiate went 3-0 this week, with each win being by at least 15 points. The victims were Bardstown Bethlehem (52-37), Shawnee (66-44), and St. Francis (80-37). The Titans have an interesting week ahead, with a rematch against the Male Bulldogs, who beat the Titans 78-55 in the LIT, and with the KCD Bearcats, who the Titans beat 66-38 in the finals of the Seventh Region All A Classic tournament. 10. Christian Academy of Louisville Centurions (9-10) The Centurions started the week with a good 65-61 win over Holy Cross. Unfortunately, the rest of the week was not as kind to CAL, who lost to three good teams in Breckinridge County (78-75), Elizabethtown (90-69), and Bardstown (85-46). CAL has three games on the schedule this week with Ballard, Caverna, and Lexington Christian. 11. Central Yellowjackets (7-14) Central lost both of the games it played this week, falling to Butler 61-24 and to Waggener 87-63. The Yellowjackets have a full week ahead with games on the schedule against Fern Creek, St. Francis, Manual, and North Oldham. 12. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (10-9) The Bearcats had a busy week, going 2-2 in the four games they played. The wins came against Walden (76-47) and Beth Haven (78-50). The losses were to the Ballard Bruins (105-69) and Bullitt East (81-52). The Bearcats have games this week against Portland Christian, Collegiate, and Fort Knox. 13. Atherton Rebels (7-12) The Rebels lost to Trinity 69-42 and then fell to Doss by a respectable 61-55 margin. On the season, Da Von Johnson leads Atherton in scoring at 17.9 ppg. The Rebels face Holy Cross, Sayre, and Shawnee this week. 14. Shawnee Golden Eagles (12-9) After beating Evangel Christian 68-31 to start the week, Shawnee dropped the other two games it played, falling to Collegiate (66-44) and Western (70-49). The Golden Eagles have games on their schedule this week against Fairdale and Atherton. 15. Walden Wolverines (13-7) Walden split the two games it played this week, beating Maysville St. Patrick (76-45) but losing to KCD (76-47). The Wolverines play Evangel Christian and Burgin before playing in the Warrior Classic at Danville Christian on the weekend. 16. St. Francis Wyverns (3-14) With Darian Wade recording a triple double (17 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks), the Wyverns recorded their third win of the season against Burgin by a 68-44 margin. St. Francis lost the other two games it played this week, falling to Whitefield Academy (83-75) and Collegiate (80-37). The Wyverns have home games this week against Central and Villa Madonna. 17. Brown Bears (3-16) Brown played a lot of basketball this week. The Bears lost to Seneca (80-36), St. X (67-36), and Iroquois (68-19) this week. But there was a highlight on Friday night when the Bears beat Portland Christian 80-70. Josiah Bibb, who is averaging 19.3 ppg, had 35 against Portland Christian. That win moved the Bears ahead of Portland Christian in this week rankings. The Bears play Frederick Fraize and Evangel Christian this week. 18. Portland Christian Eagles (5-15) It was not a good week for the Eagles, who went 0-3 with losses to Highlands Latin (58-57), the Louisville Tigers (a home school team, 73-52) and Brown (80-70). Portland Christian is on the road this week with games at Kentucky Country Day, Frankfort Christian, and Burgin.

In the simplest of terms, Male played better than Ballard. Howard Fleming did play and contributed 7 points, but he was a little rusty. He will get better as he gets back into game shape. Male got good production from Kaleb Glenn, Tyren Moore, and Cam Pope, and was the better team, at least for tonight. Ballard did not shoot the ball very well, but got a big game from Rashad Bishop, who had 30 points. so its 1-1 now, with these two teams heading toward a likely third, and deciding, game in the Seventh Region tournament. It will be monumental.

The new Dr. Litkenhous! I like it!

The big news in the Sixth Region this week came Saturday night when the Butler Bears took down the previously undefeated Elizabethtown Panthers by a 89-68 margin. Quite a win for the Bears, and perhaps Butler is the best team in the region. I chose not to move them up in the rankings this week because Fern Creek, with wins over Moore and Seneca, certainly did nothing to take away from being ranked in the top spot. Fern Creek and Butler don't play each other until February 14, so I guess we'll just continue to watch some really good basketball being played in the Sixth Region and debate the issue until then. TEAM RANKINGS 1. Fern Creek Tigers (15-6) With wins this week over Moore (89-67) and Seneca (53-45), the Fern Creek Tigers have already moved past their 14-win total from last season. And a lot more wins are sure to come. Jaden Rogers continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 17.1 ppg while Zek Montgomery throws in 14.9 ppg. Darrius Washington leads Fern Creek in rebounding at 7.3 rpg. Fern Creek has games against Lexington Bryan Station and PRP on its schedule this week. 2. Butler Bears (12-6) Butler got a statement win Saturday night in the Nathan McCurry Classic at John Hardin High School, beating the previously unbeaten Elizabethtown Panthers by a convincing 89-68 margin. It was the Bears’ third win of the week, the prior wins coming against Fairdale (80-59) and Moore (65-62). Beating the then 7-11 Moore Mustangs by 3 one night and then beating the 16-0 Elizabethtown Panthers by 23 the next night shows just what can happen in Kentucky high school basketball. The Bears play just once this week, taking on the Central Yellowjackets on Tuesday. 3. Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers (13-5) The Panthers went 2-0 this week, beating Moore 84-72 and Fairdale 82-66. Junior Nevin White, who is averaging 9.1 ppg for the season, had a big week, scoring 18 against Moore and 22 against Fairdale. The Panthers have three games against good teams coming up this week, playing DeSales, Oldham County, and Fern Creek. 4. Jeffersontown Chargers (11-5) The J”Town Chargers won both of the games it played this week, beating Western 81-51 and Central 64-51. Sophomore Brandon Rayzor-Moore, who is leading J’Town in scoring at 14 ppg, had 26 against Western, including hitting 6 out of 7 3-pointers. Up this week for the Chargers are games with Manual and Seneca. 5. DeSales Colts (10-6) DeSales also went 2-0 this week, but they were both only 3-point victories. The Colts beat Bullitt Central 68-65 and Doss 48-45. Junior Sekou Kalle is averaging a double-double for DeSales, with 15.5 ppg and 11.3 rpg per game, and is shooting 63.3% from the field. The Colts play PRP and Holy Cross this week. 6. Doss Dragons (11-8) After suffering a tough loss to DeSales by a 48-45 margin, Doss got a nice 58-52 win over North Bullitt. That win moved the Dragons up in the rankings above North Bullitt but the loss to DeSales kept them behind the Colts. Doss takes on Fairdale and Atherton this week. 7. North Bullitt Eagles (15-6) The Eagles, who eclipsed last season’s 9-win total long ago, went 2-2 this week. The wins were against Franklin County (83-58) and Dixie Heights (78-73), while the losses were to a very good South Oldham team (98-51) and to the Doss Dragons (58-52). The loss to Doss drops the Eagles below the Dragons in this week’s rankings. North Bullitt has two home games this week against Grayson County and Valley. 8. Holy Cross Cougars (12-6) Holy Cross lost to Metcalfe County 48-47 in the opening round of the All A Classic state tournament when Metcalfe County’s Wyatt Blythe scored with 8 seconds to go to give the Hornets the lead. It was Blythe’s only points of the game. Sam Bearden led the Cougars with 17 points. The Cougars host Christian Academy on Monday before taking on DeSales later in the week. 9. Fairdale Bulldogs (9-8) Fairdale played and lost to two of the region’s better teams this week, falling to Butler 80-59 and to PRP 82-66. Stephen Moore leads Fairdale in scoring at 19.4 ppg while Charles Ward is grabbing 8.4 rpg. The Bulldogs play Doss and Bullitt East this week. 10. Iroquois Raiders (12-9) The Raiders started the week with a disappointing 62-56 loss to Valley, bounced back to beat Western 82-72, but then fell to Christian Academy 64-59. Quintel Walter continues to light up the stat sheet, averaging 22.5 ppg. Up this week are games against Bullitt Central and Brown. 11. Bullitt East Chargers (6-13) Bullitt East had a great 3-0 week this week, starting with a 90-56 win over Whitefield Academy. In a battle of Bullitt County schools on Friday, the Chargers went back and forth with Bullitt Central before defeating the Cougars 52-45. The Chargers ended the week on Saturday with a 71-58 win over Breckinridge County. Bullitt East has a trio of games scheduled for this week, taking on Moore, Fairdale, and Kentucky Country Day. 12. Bullitt Central Cougars (6-14) The Cougars are playing well but came up short in both of the games they played this week. Desales got the best of the Cougars by a narrow 68-65 margin. The Cougars then fought tooth and nail against Bullitt East but again came up short, losing to the Chargers 52-45. The Cougars face Western and Iroquois this week. 13. Western Warriors (9-10) The Warriors went 0-2 this week, falling to Jeffersontown 81-51 and to Iroquois 82-72. Western has four players averaging in double figures, led by Neairon Finisson at 16 ppg. Western takes on Bullitt Central and Shawnee this week. 14. Moore Mustangs (7-12) Moore had a tough week, facing three of the top teams in the region. The Mustangs came up short in each game, falling to PRP (84-72), Fern Creek (89-67), and Butler (65-62). A three point loss to Butler is impressive for the Mustangs, whose schedule softens up a bit this week with a single game against Bullitt East. 15. Whitefield Academy Wildcats (8-8) The Wildcats have worked their way to a .500 record on the season, going 2-1 this week. After falling to Bullitt East 90-56, Whitefield beat Evangel Christian (77-40) and Richmond Model (71-53). Whitefield will take on Bardstown Bethlehem, St. Francis, and Southern this week. 16. Valley Vikings (3-11) The Vikings ended their 9-game losing streak with an impressive 62-56 win over Iroquois to start the week. Valley then fell to Male 78-40, but ended the week with a 50-46 win over Southern. The Vikings face Fort Knox, North Bullitt, and Manual this week. 17. Southern Trojans (3-13) Southern dropped the two games it played this week, falling to Valley (50-46) and North Hardin (57-66). The Trojans have lost six in a row. Southern has a single game on its schedule this week, a Thursday night game against Whitefield Academy. 18. Beth Haven Bearcats (6-10) Beth Haven had a really good week, going 2-1, with the loss being by a single point. The two wins came against Frederick Fraize (80-67) and St. Francis (77-65). The loss was to Walden by a 89-88 score, a game in which five Bearcats each scored 16 points or more. The Bearcats’ schedule this week shows games against Heritage Academy, Kentucky Country Day, and Fort Knox. 19. Evangel Christian Eagles (2-11) What a difference a week makes. After losing to Portland Christian by 24 points on January 13 (73-49), Evangel Christian this week bounced back to beat Portland Christian 77-72 in overtime. The Eagles did not fare as well against Whitefield Academy, falling to the Wildcats 77-40. Evangel Christian plays Shawnee and Covington Latin this week.

It is hard to escape the thought that Ballard and Male are the top two teams in the Seventh Region. But who is the better of the two? They played each other in the semi-finals of the LIT, with Ballard winning 71-58. That game had lots of people looking forward to the two playing each other again, which happens this coming Friday night at Male. And to make things even more exciting, if anything else is needed, it appears that Male's Howard Fleming will be back for the game. That one has the potential to be a classic. TEAM RANKINGS 1. Ballard Bruins (18-2) Rashad Bishop has returned for the Bruins and showed what a difference maker he can be, going 8 for 8 from the field while scoring 19 points to lead the Bruins past Waggener 89-73. The Bruins then easily dispatched the St. X Tigers 85-42, although that game may be a little deceiving since St. X was playing without two starters. Still, there is no doubt the Bruins are playing well and deserve to be ranked no. 1. Ballard plays KCD on Tuesday before again facing Male in a rematch of their LIT semi-final game which Ballard won 71-58. 2. Male Bulldogs (17-4) The Bulldogs bounced back from their loss to Ballard in the LIT with two wins this week, beating Eastern 61-55 and Valley 78-40. The biggest news of the week for the Bulldogs perhaps was the tweet from Howard Fleming indicating he was one week away from his return to the court. That would suggest that he will be back for Male’s much anticipated rematch with Ballard Friday night. That could be a classic. Before then, the Bulldogs will take on the tough Collins Titans on Tuesday. 3. St. Xavier Tigers (13-5) Playing without leading scorer Nick Mosley and fellow starter Kyle Bansbach against top-ranked Ballard, things did not go well and the Tigers fell to the Bruins 85-42. With Mosley and Bansbach back in the lineup on Saturday against Spencer County, St. X got out to a big lead against the Bears but had to withstand a big comeback effort from Spencer County to beat the Bears 82-75 and end the Tigers’ 3-game losing streak. This week St. X plays Eastern and Brown before playing Paul Lawrence Dunbar on Saturday in the Gary Moore Classic at Franklin County. 4. Seneca Redhawks (15-6) Seneca confirmed that it should be ranked ahead of Eastern with a 70-59 win over the Eagles early in the week. Later in the week Seneca lost to Fern Creek, the top-ranked team from the Sixth Region, by a 53-45 margin. The Redhawks take on the Brown Bears and the Jeffersontown Chargers this week. 5. Eastern Eagles (13-8) Eastern fell to a couple of the higher ranked teams in the region this week, losing to Male 61-55 and to Seneca 70-59. Those games are indicative of where the Eagles are right now – not quite at the top of the region, but not far behind. And the Eagles are young, so they will continue to improve over the rest of the season. The Eagles face St. X and Dixie Heights this week. 6. Trinity Shamrocks (10-10) Trinity went 1-1 in the two games it played this week, both against teams from Lexington. The Rocks beat Bryan Station 66-51 on Wednesday but fell to Henry Clay 61-51 on Friday. Trinity plays Atherton early in the week and then travels to Madison Central for a game on Friday before returning to Louisville to play Woodford County on Saturday. 7. Waggener Wildcats (11-8) Waggener split the two games it played this week. After losing to the top-ranked Ballard Bruins by a 89-73 margin, the Wildcats bounced back to beat the Manual Crimsons 64-47. The Wildcats host North Oldham on Tuesday before playing at Central on Friday. 8. Dupont Manual Crimsons (10-7) The Crimsons took care of business against Brown this week, beating the Bears 76-37, but lost to the Waggener Wildcats by a 64-47 count. The Crimsons face Jeffersontown and Valley this week. 9. Louisville Collegiate Titans (12-5) Collegiate’s participation in the All A Classic state tournament was short-lived, but not because the Titans did not play well. The Titans went back and forth with Hazard and the game was tied 39-39 when Hazard hit a last-second 3-pointer to win 42-39. Chez Moore led the Titans with 18 points. A disappointing loss, but Collegiate is having one of its best years ever and still has the goal of making it to the Seventh Region tournament. The Titans have games this week with Bardstown Bethlehem, Shawnee, and St. Francis. 10. Central Yellowjackets (7-12) Central started the week with a 65-56 win over the Atherton Rebels. Shane Bibby and Dejuan Parks each scored 19 points in that one. On Friday, the Yellowjackets lost to Jeffersontown 64-51. The Yellowjackets take on Butler and Waggener this week. 11. Christian Academy of Louisville Centurions (8-7) CAL grabbed a good win early in the week when it beat Spencer County by a 78-73 margin. The Centurions did not fare as well against South Oldham, falling to the Titans 95-71, but bounced back to beat Iroquois 64-59. CAL has a busy week ahead of it, with games against Holy Cross, Breckinridge County, Elizabethtown, and Bardstown. 12. Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (8-7) The Bearcats won the only game they played this week, besting Shawnee by a 73-64 margin. The Bearcats have a challenging game this week against Ballard before facing Walden and Beth Haven. 13. Atherton Rebels (7-10) The Rebels went 1-1 this week, easily beating Portland Christian 66-34 but falling to the Central Yellowjackets 65-56. The Rebels face Trinity and Doss this week. 14. Shawnee Golden Eagles (11-7) It was a good week for Shawnee, falling to KCD 73-64 to start the week but then beating Walden (66-63) and Eminence (51-25). The Golden Eagles have three away games on their schedule this week against Evangel Christian, Collegiate, and Western. 15. Walden Wolverines (12-6) Walden played three close games this week, going 1-2 in those games. The win was a 89-88 victory over Beth Haven. The losses were to Shawnee (66-63) and Jackson City (81-78). The Wolverines hit the road this week with games at Kentucky Country Day and Maysville St. Patrick. 16. St. Francis Wyverns (2-12) The Wyverns had a tough week, losing to Rock Creek Academy of Sellersburg, IN 70-30 and to Beth Haven 77-65. After an away game against Whitefield Academy on Tuesday night, St. Francis has home games against Burgin and Collegiate later in the week. 17. Portland Christian Eagles (5-12) Portland Christian lost to Evangel Christian 77-72 in overtime and to Atherton 66-34 but got a win over Covington Latin by a 71-24 score. The Eagles have three games on their schedule this week, playing Highlands Latin, the Louisville Tigers (a home school team), and the Brown Bears. 18. Brown Bears (2-12) Brown played once this week, losing to Manual 76-37. The Bears have an extremely busy week ahead, with games scheduled on every day from Tuesday through Saturday. A games against Portland Christian on Friday appears to be the best chance for victory.

Pretty convincing win for the Butler Bears over the previously unbeaten Elizabethtown Panthers.

Final per the KHSAA scoreboard.

A very talented 6'9" sophomore for Ballard. Most Valuable Player of the Louisville Invitational Tournament.