15th Region

Great work! Excellent read!

I'm glad our readers enjoy the write up. I love mountain basketball and this is gonna be one heck of a 15th region tournament throughout all the districts and beyond. Thank you all for the kind comments!

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who wins and why?

Who you got and why?

2016-2017 15th Region Season Review - District Tournament's Preview 15th Region Overview: This has been one of the most competitive and fun seasons in many years within the 15th. There have been no truly dominate teams that can compete with anyone in the state, but they have been able to have some great games amongst themselves. Johnson Central, Magoffin County, Sheldon Clark, and Pikeville have all separated themselves as favorites as it would not be shocking if any of them made the trip to RUPP Arena. South Floyd, Lawrence County, and East Ridge have established themselves as solid dark horses. This region saw two of the top ten scorers in the nation in Tim Dalton and Mason Blair as well as some of the greatest statistical seasons in KHSAA history as many records fell. If the regular season was a main course of basketball, some playoff dessert is going to be one of the sweetest of all time! Let’s look at how the final regular season’s rankings pan out to include a breakdown of each district game. 2016-2017 Preseason Rankings (Released in November): 1. Johnson Central 2. Magoffin County 3. Sheldon Clark 4. East Ridge 5. Pikeville 6. Shelby Valley 7. Lawrence County 8. Paintsville 9. Belfry 10. Pike Central 11. South Floyd 12. Allen Central 13. Prestonsburg 14. Phelps 15. Betsy Layne 16. Piarist 2016-2017 Final Regular Season Rankings (Record): 1. Johnson Central (23-6) 2. Sheldon Clark (19-11) 3. Magoffin County (17-10) 4. Pikeville (17-8) 5. Lawrence County (19-11) 6. East Ridge (19-11) 7. South Floyd (18-12) 8. Pike Central (16-14) 9. Belfry (13-16) 10. Shelby Valley (15-13) 11. Phelps (14-16) 12. Paintsville (8-19) 13. Allen Central (13-17) 14. Prestonsburg (7-23) 15. Betsy Layne (7-22) 16. Piarist (1-26) Awards (Based solely on author opinion): Player of the Year: Tim Dalton – Lawrence County Coach of the Year: Tommy McKenzie – Johnson Central All Region 1st Team (Regardless of Position): Tim Dalton – Lawrence County Mason Blair – Johnson Central Trenton Russell – Magoffin County Dylan James – Sheldon Clark Wyatt Battaile - Pikeville All Region 2nd Team (Regardless of Position): Cole Crace – Johnson Central Jaren Lovely – Magoffin County Christian Mounts – Phelps Brady Conn – South Floyd J.R. Tackett – South Floyd All Region 3rd Team (Regardless of Position): Michael Conn – East Ridge Cody Potter – Shelby Valley Blake Wallace – Pike Central Dave Cantrell – Sheldon Clark Ryan Mullins – Magoffin County Honorable Mention: Isiah Roblee (Belfry), Jared Wellman (Lawrence County), Jacob Rice (Johnson Central), Mason Moore (Paintsville), Ryan Eads (Pike Central), Matt Miller (East Ridge), Bradley Dalton (Sheldon Clark), Shawn Moore (Sheldon Clark), Austin Woolum (Belfry), Ethan Smith-Mills (Allen Central), Conner Roberts (Pikeville), Seth Conn (Pike Central), Jacob Collins (South Floyd), Dawson Clark (East Ridge), Conner Roberts (Pikeville) 57th District Preview Tournament Location: Magoffin County High School Defending Champion: Johnson Central Schedule: Johnson Central (1 seed) vs. Paintsville (4 seed) Tuesday 7:00 PM Sheldon Clark (2 seed) vs. Magoffin County (3 seed) Wednesday 7:00 PM District Championship (Friday 7:00 PM) Match-Up #1: Johnson Central [23-6: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Paintsville [9-21: 0-7 in Districts] Johnson Central finished the regular season strong, winning ten games in a row. In the last week, the Golden Eagles closed with a win at Tates Creek, seeing senior standout Mason Blair brake Chris Harrisons (Tollesboro – 1991) single season record for made 3FG in a season. The record had been 145 and Blair enters district play with 151. Blair is also 9th in the nation in scoring (maxpreps) and just 51 points away from a 1,000 point season (There have been almost twice as many 3,000 point scorers as 1,000 point seasons in KHSAA history). Paintsville closed the season 1-2 with a win vs. Prestonsburg and losses to Pikeville and Belfry (all games at home). The Tigers have lost 14 of their last 16 and are looking at only the second 20 loss season in school history. Paintsville is small and scrappy, good defensively with their guards, and can be scary when they hit shots. Johnson Central defeated Paintsville twice on the season. At home, JC won 83-68 in a game that James and Chris Allen did not play (JC led by as many as 31 in the game). On the road, JC won 106-77 (Mason Blair – 47 points in 24 minutes of play). In this game it is unknown if Chris Allen will play (shoulder injury) as he sat out the Pikeville game to close the regular season. Paintsville has the ability to slow down Johnson Central with their defense, but the question is can they keep up the scoring as possessions get lower in the post seasons. Notes: (1) Paintsville currently has the longest drought in the 15th Region for regional tournament appearances (outside Piarist who has never defeated a 15th Region opponents). They last appeared in the regional in 2008 when current Head Coach Landon Slone led them to Rupp Arena. (2) Tommy McKenzie has won 20 games for seven straight years (8 of his 10 as a Head Coach) and been in the regional tournament for seven straight years. (3) Johnson Central and Paintsville last met in the post season in 2013 (District play) at Magoffin County. JC won the game 48-43 as Golden Eagle point guard Braxton Blair held the ball under his arm for 6:30 of the fourth quarter with the lead while Paintsville remained in a 2-3 zone. Needless to say it was an intense atmosphere. Prediction: Johnson Central 81 Paintsville 62 Match-Up #2: Sheldon Clark [19-11: 5-2 in Districts] vs. Magoffin County [17-10: 4-2 in Districts] The Sheldon Clark Cardinals closed their regular season strong, winning six of their last seven games. In the final week of the season, SC blew out Lawrence County, Shelby Valley, and Prestonsburg (all at home) and seem to be peaking at just the right time. This is the most complete team in the region as they can score in multiple ways and play multiple styles. The Magoffin County Hornets also closed strong, avenging a mid-season loss to Pikeville with a win at home 63-62. The Hornets have only been defeated once in their new gym (Knott Central) and in that game they lead by 5 with 90s to play. During the regular season Sheldon Clark and Magoffin County split. In the first game on December 22, Sheldon Clark won 70-58 at home. Magoffin County was never really in the game as the Cardinals jump trapped Jaren Lovely and played Trenton Russell with zero help. They elected to not guard a few of Magoffin County’s players and they did not make the Cardinals pay. The second game (played January 14th – at Magoffin) was much different. Magoffin County dominated the game for three quarters, building a 20 point lead into the 4th. Then Dylan James got crazy hot and brought Sheldon Clark all the way back to force overtime. In the first extra frame, the teams tied, hitting key FT’s both ways and forcing a second overtime. In the final frame, the Cardinals were up 1 and shooting two FT’s late in the period. They missed both and Jaren Lovely went to the basket for the game winning lay-up as time expired. It was electric in the building that night and should be once again on Wednesday. One very good team is not going to advance to regional tournament. Notes: (1) Sheldon Clark and Magoffin County have not met in the first round of the district tournament since 2000 when Magoffin County defeated the Cardinals 50-35 (played at Magoffin County). (2) During the last meeting between the two at Magoffin, the handshake line with the cheerleaders resulted in more than a few words being said. Don’t expect the teams to shake hands at the close of this contest. Prediction: Sheldon Clark 75 Magoffin County 71 58th District Preview Tournament Location: Betsy Layne High School Defending Champion: South Floyd Schedule: Allen Central (1 seed) vs. Betsy Layne (4 seed) Monday 7:30 PM South Floyd (2 seed) vs. Prestonsburg (3 seed) Tuesday 7:30 PM District Championship (Friday 7:30 PM) Match-Up #1: Allen Central [13-17: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Betsy Layne [7-22: 1-6 in Districts] Allen Central closed the final week of the regular season 1-2 with a win against Piarist in their final home game before consolidation into Floyd Central and two losses at the hands of Belfry and Phelps (last two games on the road). Allen Central is more physical than people might realize and very young with their skill players. Betsy Layne has had a tough year, but showed steady improvement down the stretch by winning four of their last five games. The final week of the regular season saw the Bobcats go 2-1 with blow out wins at home versus both Jenkins and Lee County and an overtime loss by one on the road to June Buchanan. Grant Orsborn has been carrying the team for Coach Keathley as their turnovers have dropped to close out the season. Allen Central defeated Betsy Layne twice during the regular season. The first meeting was at Betsy Layne on December 2nd and resulted in a 49-34 Rebel win. The second meeting was at Betsy Layne and resulted in a 68-54 Rebel win. Both games were close in the first half, with Allen Central steadily pulling away in third and fourth quarters for comfortable wins. Could the Bobcats use their new found momentum to pull the upset at home? Notes: (1) Allen Central has eliminated Betsy Layne in the first round of the last two district tournaments. This is the third consecutive year the two have met in the opening round. (2) This will be the last season for Allen Central as they will be consolidated into Floyd Central with South Floyd next season. (3) The 58th District will welcome Lawrence County next season and should have a whole new look with Floyd Central. Prediction: Allen Central 68 Betsy Layne 62 Match-Up #2: South Floyd [18-12: 5-2 in Districts] vs. Prestonsburg [7-23: 3-3 in Districts] South Floyd closed out the regular season going 2-1 in the final week. Their loss came to Pike Central on the road 65-67 and their wins both came at home versus Piarist and June Buchanan in blow out fashion. Like Allen Central, South Floyd defeated Piarist in their last ever home game before consolidating into Floyd Central. The Raiders have won four of their last five and have the talent to make some noise in the regional tournament. Prestonsburg has lost six of their last seven to close the season to include 0-3 in the final week of the season. The Blackcats play hard, but often run out of gas and experience long scoring droughts. If they shoot the ball well, they can stay in games. During the regular season the two teams split. In the first game, South Floyd defeated Prestonsburg on the road by a final of 90-60. In the second game, Prestonsburg traveled to Hi Hat and knocked off South Floyd on a buzzer beat from the volleyball line 52-50. South Floyd is an enigma as they have very good guards and one of the best rebounders in the state in Conn. With the huge talent disparity, Prestonsburg will have a huge hill to climb, but if South Floyd is unmotivated it could be a game. Notes: (1) South Floyd has eliminated Prestonsburg from the district tournament the last two seasons in blowout fashion. (2) This will be the last run for South Floyd as they consolidate with Allen Central to become Floyd Central next season. Prediction: South Floyd 80 Prestonsburg 65 59th District Preview Tournament Location: Pikeville High School Defending Champion: East Ridge Schedule: Pikeville (1 seed) vs. Piarist (4 seed) Wednesday 6:30 PM Shelby Valley (2 seed) vs. East Ridge (3 seed) Wednesday 8:00 PM District Championship (Friday 8:30 PM) Match-Up #1: Pikeville [18-8: 7-1 in Districts] vs. Piarist [1-26: 0-7 in Districts] Pikeville stumbled a bit to close the regular season by losing at Magoffin County by one and then pulling away late at Paintsville to win by eight. In the Magoffin County game, the Panthers had multiple chances to hit the game winning shot but failed to convert on a Wyatt Battaile jumper and follow up rebounds. The Piarist Knights finished the regular season with losses to South Floyd and Allen Central in games that were not very competitive. During the regular season Pikeville defeated Piarist 93-11, 75-13, and 100-20. The District opener was going to be much of the same, but the Knights elected to go on a skiing trip and forfeited 0-2 when the game could not be move to another date. Pikeville will await the winner of Shelby Valley and East Ridge in the 59th District Championship. Notes: (1) Piarist will be relocated to the 60th district next season as Jenkins will take their place in the 59th. (2) Pikeville is looking to make their first trip to Rupp Arena since 1999. Prediction: Pikeville 2 Piarist 0 Match-Up #2: Shelby Valley [15-13: 3-3 in Districts] vs. East Ridge [19-10: 4-3 in Districts] Shelby Valley is 2-7 in the last nine games to close the regular season with their only wins coming over Jenkins and Phelps. The team is very young and with a long season has likely been scouted for weaknesses coming down the stretch. The Competition has also picked up compared to earlier in the year. East Ridge closed the season by winning six of their last eight with losses to Pikeville and Lawrence County (although the last three wins are against very weak competition). Head Coach Randy McCoy returned to the sidelines in the Lawrence County game after some medical concerns and seemed to not miss a beat. If you let them get the lead on you in the second half, East Ridge will spread you out and run clock with Conn and Miller attacking the basket. This team should be considered a top dark horse to win the region. During the regular season Shelby Valley and East Ridge split their contest. In the first meeting (played at Shelby Valley) the Wildcats prevailed 63-53, icing the game late with free throws. The second contest would see East Ridge get even at home with a narrow 61-60 victory. This game will come down to matchups and pace of play. Don’t expect either team to press unless they have to and don’t expect to see a lot of fast break points. If Shelby Valley is able to knock down some shots from the outside it will be tough on East Ridge. If the Warriors are able to take a lead into the fourth, it will be tough on Shelby Valley. This should be a great game! Notes: (1) East Ridge Head Coach Randy McCoy is going into the KHSAA ring of honor at the state tournament this year. (2) East Ridge defeated Shelby Valley last season in the district tournament 53-50. Prediction: East Ridge 59 Shelby Valley 56 60th District Preview Tournament Location: Lawrence County High School Defending Champion: Lawrence County Schedule: Lawrence County (1 seed) vs. Phelps (4 seed) Monday 8:15 PM Belfry (2 seed) vs. Pike Central (3 seed) Wednesday 8:15 PM District Championship (Friday 8:15 PM) Match-Up #1: Lawrence County [19-11: 5-1 in Districts] vs. Phelps [14-16: 1-5 in Districts] Lawrence County has overachieved this season after losing four starters and four 1,000 plus scorers. The reason is Mr. Tim Dalton. He is leading the nation is scoring at over 38 ppg (maxpreps) and also averaging double digit rebounds. The one wrecking crew has not slipped up much this season but did see his team stumble to 1-2 regular season finish as they lost to Boyd County and Sheldon Clark in blowout fashion. The Bulldogs were able to close out the regular season with a win versus East Ridge at home. Phelps has been a pleasant surprise this year behind the play of junior SG Christian Mounts. Phelps closed the season with four straight wins as Mounts continued to wow crowds with his dunks and deep fade-aways. Lawrence County and Phelps met twice during the regular season with the Bulldogs winning 82-50 at Lawrence and 77-63 at Phelps. Tim Dalton is just too much for the Hornets to handle as he is able to get to the rim on them at any time and guard Mounts on the other end. If Dalton was to get in foul trouble early, the Hornets could pull the upset, but its going to be a very difficult setting for them. Look for Phelps to stay close for a quarter or two. Notes: (1) This is the third year in the 60th District for Lawrence County. They have won the previous two district championships since being moved from the 57th. (2) Next season the 60th District will welcome in Piarist and Lawrence County will go the 58th. (3) Lawrence County defeated Phelps in the opening round of districts by ten points. Prediction: Lawrence County 75 Phelps 63 Match-Up #2: Belfry [13-16: 4-2 in Districts] vs. Pike Central [16-14: 2-4 in Districts] Belfry went undefeated (3-0) in the final week of the regular season but are only 4-4 in the month of February. The Pirates seem to be peaking at right time with wins against Paintsville, Allen Central, and Prestonsburg. Their guard play is strong and outside shooting can be very good. Isiah Roblee broke the made 3FG school record of 85 in a season this past week as proof. Pike Central went 2-1 in the final week of the regular season as their up and down year continues. The Hawks have not had more than a two game losing streak or two game winning streak all season. Wins against Shelby Valley and South Floyd, followed by a 20 point loss to Letcher Central is how Pike Central closed the season. They have size and athleticism down low. If their guards can make a few baskets and handle pressure, they will be very tough in the half court. Belfry and Pike Central split during the regular season. In the first meeting Belfry went to Pike Central and came out with a 64-56 win. Two weeks later the Hawks avenged that loss by going to Belfry and getting the 63-52 win. This game should be an absolute war. Both teams do not like each other and both teams are don’t mind physical play. This game will come down to rebounding and FT shooting. Notes: (1) Belfry knocked Pike Central out of the district tournament last season in triple overtime 80-78. (2) Pike Central has Levard Missick eligible to play (played last few games of season) and he should make a difference in this game. Prediction: Pike Central 64 Belfry 63 District Championship Predictions: 57th - Johnson Central 79 Sheldon Clark 76 58th – South Floyd 70 Allen Central 58 59th - Pikeville 69 East Ridge 64 60th – Lawrence County 75 Pike Central 68 Agree or Disagree on anything? Feel free to respond!

Considering they have the entire 15th Region misaligned by district (meaning the wrong teams are in the wrong districts) I dont know how serious to take their overall rankings. Their alignment is nearly three years old when the 57th had 5 teams, the 58th had five teams, and the 59th and 60th had 3 teams each. You would think some quality control would have been done prior to release.

15th Region honors all coaches and ref passes for all regular season games but not for post season play.

Have you seen them? Teams have to play them and try their best to not score. Pikeville could have honestly beat then 200-0. Again they have never ever ever beat a 15th region opponent.

If you have never defeated a 15th region opponent and don't want to participate in the post season and would rather do a ski trip then why be in the association? Christian leagues sound like a better option to me. Would be more competitive. In my opinion its about the profit sharing with the khsaa. I would venture to bet they would have played if no district money or regional money would be there if they had not.

Perhaps. I guess a sking trip was more important than the commitment of playing in the post season. Other teams had to play them and not get better during regular season.

Hearing piarist planned a trip and chose to go on it rather than play. Rumor that I cannot confirm or deny 100% but the source is solid.

The district is seeded. They lost all their district games handily. I have heard no explanation for the forfeit, but there are several unsubstantiated rumors out there.

So you feel its ok for them to get an equal share of the money that the fans of East Ridge, Pikeville, and Shelby Valley contributed. I may be wrong, but it does not seem fair to me.

They will also get an even 1/16 of the 15th Region boys and girls tournament proceeds as well.

Piarist has forfeited. The real question is should they now get a cut of the 59th District proceeds as their fans will buy no tickets and no concessions (although it would have been few)? Thoughts?

Bart is one heck of a coach. The 15th region lost a great one. He will do great things at Bath.

Overview: District Tournaments are set in the 15th as we quickly approach post season play. Tim Dalton and Mason Blair continue their assault on the record books. Pikeville, Sheldon Clark, Magoffin County, and Johnson Central have separated themselves as the teams to beat as we enter the final week of the regular season. Let’s see how the rankings have changed after eleven weeks of play. 1. Johnson Central (22-6) – Winning nine games in a row (last loss on January 19th), the Golden Eagles are peaking at the right time. Week eleven saw them go 3-0 with wins against Pike Central, Paintsville and Ashland all on the road. The Paintsville win (Mason Blair dropped 47 in 3 quarters) gave Johnson Central at tie for the 57th District regular season title and put them into a draw for the top overall seed. Head Coach Tommy McKenzie then used his wizardry to pull out the top overall seed (Monday afternoon). JC will play Paintsville in the opening round of 57th district play after just defeating them on their home floor 106-77 in a game that could have been much worse. In the Ashland game, senior standout Mason Blair hit five 3FG to tie the state record for the most made in a season (145). One of the top scorers in the nation will look to break that record in week twelve as the Golden Eagles travel to Tates Creek Friday night for their last regular season game. 2. Sheldon Clark (17-11) – The Cardinals only had one game in week eleven as they hosted Prestonsburg (winning in dominating fashion). Sheldon Clark is possibly the most complete team in the region and with their size and physical play will be tough for anyone to beat in the post-season. After finishing in a tie for the 57th District regular season crown, the Cardinals drew the two seed and will face District Tournament host Magoffin County in the opening round. Sheldon Clark finishes the regular season with Lawrence County and Shelby Valley at home. The Lawrence County game will be interesting as Cardinal PG Shawn Moore will see this old teammates for the first time (Moore transferred from Lawrence County over the summer). 3. Pikeville (17-7) – Like Johnson Central, Pikeville is hot right now. They have won nine of their last ten with assistant coaches Greg Newsom and Jason Booher providing key leadership for the team. The Panthers have blown out East Ridge, Shelby Valley and Pike Central in the past week of play and will close out the regular season with Magoffin County and Paintsville on the road. Panther faithful have a real shot to win the region and many think they should be ranked higher, but they have not played Sheldon Clark or Johnson Central. Week twelve will show where they are as they travel to Magoffin County. A venue where the Hornets knocked off both Johnson Central and Sheldon Clark. Pikeville defeated Magoffin at home handily, but the Hornets are a different animal in Salyersville. Pikeville will host Piarist in the 60th District opener. 4. Lawrence County (18-10) – The Bulldogs impressive season continues as Tim Dalton continues to make his Mr. Basketball push. In a 106-103 regulation win against Greenup County, Dalton put up 60 points in a triple double. He continues to lead the nation is scoring per max preps as over 38 ppg and recently crossed the 1,000 rebound mark making him the first person in the 15th since former Paintsville great and currently Johnson Central assistant J. R. VanHoose to have 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Lawrence did drop their second game in week eleven as Boyd County beat them by nearly 30. When Tim is off, this team will struggle, but when he is on, they can beat anyone in the region. Lawrence County will host Phelps in the 60th District opener. 5. Magoffin County (16-10) – The Hornets went 1-2 in week eleven with losses to South Floyd on the road and Knott Central at home. In the Knott Central game, Magoffin had a 5 point lead and the ball with 90s to play, but were defeated by seven. Missed FT’s, rushed shots, and careless turnovers are to blame. It was their first loss of the season in the new gym. The Hornets were able to bounce back with a blowout win versus Prestonsburg. Week twelve will see Magoffin host Pikeville (lost by 17 earlier in the season) then travel to Pike Central to close. Magoffin drew the three seed in the 57th District Tournament and will host Sheldon Clark in the first round. Make no mistake that the Hornets are gonna be tough to beat at home. 6. South Floyd (16-11) – The Raiders are hard to figure out. One night they get beat at home by Prestonsburg at the buzzer, the next night they knock off Magoffin County on the same floor. South Floyd has plenty of talent and one of the best rebounders in the state in Brady Conn. This showed as they went 2-1 in week eleven with wins over Magoffin County and June Buchanan and a loss on the road to Hazard. The Raiders will close the regular season with Pike Central, June Buchanan and Piarist before facing Prestonsburg in the 58th District Tournament on the road. 7. East Ridge (17-9) – The Warriors went 2-1 in week eleven with wins over Mountain Mission, VA and Piarist and a blowout loss to Pikeville. Piarist, Ambassador Christian, WV and Lawrence County will finish out the regular season for East Ridge as they prepare to face Shelby Valley in the district tournament. 8. Pike Central (13-11) – The Hawks went 1-2 in week eleven with losses to Pikeville and Johnson Central and a win at Menifee County. The addition of Levard Missick (6’4’’ swing player – transfer) will help, but only time will tell if the addition can gel with the current chemistry. Pike Central has size and physical play and when their guards are on can be scary. They will face Belfry in the opening round of the 60th District Tournament. 9. Belfry (10-16) – The Pirates have lost three in a row and five of their last six. Week eleven saw them drop a close one at East Ridge, then get blown out by Perry Central. Belfry will have Paintsville, Allen Central, and Prestonsburg to close out the regular season before heading into post season play versus Pike Central. They have good, quick, guards and that will keep you in most games. 10. Shelby Valley (15-11) – The young Wildcats seem to have hit a wall but did go 1-1 in week eleven with a win versus Jenkins and a loss to Pikeville. They will close out the season with Pike Central and Sheldon Clark before meeting East Ridge in the 59th District Tournament. If they are hitting from deep they will be tough to beat. Their defense has been where improvement is needed the most however. 11. Paintsville (7-17) – First year coach Landon Slone is getting trial by fire as his Tigers went 0-3 in week eleven to include blow-out losses to Johnson Central and Knox Central both at home. Paintsville has lost 12 of their last 13 and will close out the regular season with Belfry, Prestonsburg, and Pikeville. Having drawn Johnson Central in the 57th District Tournament, Paintsville could very well be looking at their first 20 loss season since the 2009-2010 campaign. 12. Phelps (12-16) – The Hornets got back on the win train in week eleven, going 2-0 versus Piarist and Ridgeview, VA. Phelps will have Allen Central and Riverside Christian to close out the regular season then face Lawrence County on the road in the 60th District Tournament opener. Phelps always has a chance with Christian Mounts (best kept secret in the state). The sneaky athletic guard is one of the states top scorers and wows crowds with big time in game dunks that no one expects him to be able to do (check out his twitter and youtube). 13. Allen Central (12-15) – The Rebels went 2-0 in week eleven and have won five of their last six overall. Allen Central finished tied for the 58th District regular season title with South Floyd and won the coin flip for the top overall seed. They will face Betsy Layne in the opening round of the tournament. Before then they face Belfry, Phelps, and Piarist to close out the regular season. 14. Prestonsburg (7-20) – The Blackcats met the 57th District in week eleven and it was not pretty. Blow out losses to both Sheldon Clark and Magoffin County. They did pick up a win versus Piarist for what its worth. Prestonsburg finished as the three seed in the 58th District Tournament and will host South Floyd in the opening round of the playoffs. 15. Betsy Layne (5-22) – The Bobcats went 2-1 in week eleven and have shown slow but steady improvement over the season. They could pick up a few more wins this week as they host Lee County and Jenkins. Betsy Layne will play Allen Central in the 58th District Tournament. 16. Piarist (1-24) – Week eleven saw the Knights go 0-4. There are no more winnable games on the season as it will end when they play Pikeville in the 59th District Tournament. Agree or Disagree?

Mason Blair tied state record for made 3FG in a season per KHSAA record book (145). Blair had 5 triples in the game on route to 28 points. He outscored Ashland 18-15 in the 4th as JC outscored Ashland 29-15 total. Cole Crace had 21 points for JC. Ashland outplayed the Golden Eagles for 3 quarters but poor free throw shooting and turnovers allowed the comeback to happen. If they play like that, the Tomcats will be tough to deal with in the tournament. They did well against the pressure and attacked the glass on both ends.

Good points. I don't think Mason and Cole are the best backcourt in the state but agree they are in the top 5. With different talent that around them I think their numbers would be much different and look more complete. Two very good very athletic guards.

Kelly Coleman 1956 Wayland Ervin Stepp 1980 Phelps Todd May 1982 Virgie John Pelphrey 1987 Paintsville J.R.VanHoose 1998 Paintsville Elisha Justice 2010 Shelby Valley

Kelly Coleman from Wayland is the other. Kudos on the answer. Can anyone name the region with the most Mr. Basketball winners?