Sportslover32

This is a great list, you could make an argument for a couple of guys but who are you going to take off. Also everyone of these players teams had very good years that has to go into it.

It is interesting to me why Scott County always turns it down. It is great prep for the State tournament if you are a elite team.

Heck of a High School player going to be interesting to see how he translates at the college level. When it comes to strictly High School the kid is unstoppable.

I feel like individual talent in Kentucky is as strong as it has been in a long time.

Great list of great players

John was Up by 3 in regulation with pikeville inbounding with 3.8, up 3 first overtime pikeville inbounding 6 secs left, and up by 3 in second overtime with 20 secs left with pikeville ball and they ended up losing the game in triple overtime. What a crazy crazy game

Coach Justice did his part and his kids played super hard and never gave up.

Great effort for pikeville to pull the upset but boy John Hardin that was something.

Season Recap The Bulldogs of John Hardin are going back to Rupp. This is their first appearance since winning the 5th Region in 2013. John Hardin ended the season with a 28-7 record. Out of the 7 losses 5 of those teams have been ranked top 20 in the state sometime this year. The Bulldogs are a high scoring team as they average 75 points per game. They only give up 61 points per game. John Hardin had a region record of 15 and 2 this year. To get to state they beat a very good Larue County team 48-46. Larue County had 3 losses on the year and 2 of them were against John Hardin. John Hardin was preseason favorites to most and they showed people they were right as they were the best team all year. The Bulldogs will play Pikeville in the State Tourney. Pikeville is the winner of the 16th Region and has a record of 24-9. Starting 5 Mickey Pearson 6’8 G Senior- Pearson averages 25.7 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game. He was voted 5th Region player of the year. A Saint Louis commit, his shooting ability at his size makes him a nightmare for opponents and his length is something you just don’t see in high school. Malik Wright 6’4 G Senior- Wright averages 15.1 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. He has been a legitimate second option for the Bulldogs. Wright was probably the best athlete in the 5th region, and defensively he can really guard when he’s locked in. Alex Matthews 6’4 F Sophomore- Matthews averages 10.0 points per game and 10.1 rebound per game. Matthews is a force inside as he is a great rebounder. You don’t hear his name mentioned much but he does all the dirty work for John Hardin. Aaron Scott 6’0 G Junior- Scott averages 8.1 points per game and leads the team by shooting 76.4 percent from the free throw line. Scott is another good athlete for the Bulldogs. He is capable of getting hot from 3 and when he does watch out. Jachai Walker 6’0 G Junior- Walker averages 7.5 points per game and shoots an amazing 58.5 percent from 3 on the year. Walker runs the point for John and leads them in assists this year. He isn’t a flashy player but just gets the job done.

This is a great list, I would put Cooper Robb on this list instead of Walter personally.

Another thing Mark Goode is a really good basketball player.

Adair probably should have pressed more but Adair was much better on defense. The 1- 3 -1 for Larue was great last night.

Final: John Hardin 68 Campbellsville 46

With 5:20 to play John Hardin 53 Campbellsville 42

After 3 John Hardin 49 Campbellsville 37

At half time. John has came back and has a 31 to 28 lead

In Shocking fashion after 1 Campbellsville is up 23 to 12.

The year started out with 18 teams and now we are down to only 4 teams left in the 5th Region. 3 of the 4 teams left was in the same spot as they were last year. The Semi Finals are set with Campbellsville, John Hardin, Larue County, and Adair County being the 4 teams left standing. I picked 3 of the 4 to make it here but Campbellsville like all year has proven me wrong again and again. We should have a great Semi Finals and Finals this week to see who will represent the 5th Region at Rupp Arena. I will be previewing the Semi Final games and predicting the winner of the 5th Region. The Semi Finals and Regional Final will be at Marion County. Campbellsville vs John Hardin (Mar 5th) These two teams did not meet earlier in the year. Campbellsville got here by beating Bardstown on a last second layup 57-55. John Hardin got here with a blowout win over Caverna 88-53. Both teams have had great years and Campbellsville making it this far has been a surprise. John Hardin making it this far isn’t a surprise at all so it should be make an interesting game. Campbellsville is balanced but led by all region point guard Malachi Corley. John Hardin is led by 5th Region player of the year Mickey Pearson who is also a Mr. Basketball candidate. The Eagles of Campbellsville have had a great year but it comes to an end versus John Hardin who has been the favorite to win the region all year. John Hardin 78 Campbellsville 53. Adair County vs Larue County (Mar 5th) These two teams played earlier with Larue County winning at Larue by the score of 79-62. It was a crazy game as Larue led by as much as 34 but Adair came back and cut it to 4 in the 4th before falling by 17. Adair got here by beating Central Hardin 64-52. Larue County got here by blowing out Bethlehem 66-32. Both teams were expected to be here but Larue has exceeded expectations by having the best record in the 5th Region. Adair is led by Freshman standout Zion Harmon who leads the state in scoring. Larue is led by a big 3 of Adkins, Goode, and King who all three made all region. This should be a great game, and I am expecting a much closer game than the first game but the winner is the same. Larue County 73 Adair County 70 John Hardin vs Larue County (Predicted Finals) These two teams met early in the year at John Hardin and John won in a convincing fashion 76-56. Both teams are very different since than so I wouldn’t take a lot out of that game. These two teams have consistently been the best two teams in the 5th region. I see this game being a classic if it happens but the difference is John Hardin has Mickey Pearson and Larue doesn’t. John Hardin 68 Larue County 67

The 5th region has been fun to cover this year and will only get better as the region tourney is about here. There will be a new champion as Taylor County lost in district play. The top 2 teams all year, Larue and John Hardin are in it and are in opposite sides of the bracket. There should be some very good games in the region tourney. The region will be held at the Roby Dome in Marion County. First Round Matchups Campbellsville vs. Bardstown (Feb 28th) These two teams have played twice earlier in the season with Bardstown winning by one point both times. Campbellsville is enjoying their first region appearance since 2010 and Bardstown won their district for the fifth straight time. Both teams are playing well and look for this game to be another thriller. Campbellsville was the runner up in the 20th district and Bardstown won the 19th district. I’ve got Bardstown beating Campbellsville for the third time this year by the score of 62-56. Caverna vs. John Hardin (Feb 28th) These teams didn’t meet in the regular season. Both teams are playing well and both have great individual players. Jobby Howard for Caverna and Mickey Pearson for John Hardin are some of the best scorers in the state. Caverna has had a good year and John Hardin has remained the favorite all season long. Caverna was the runner up in the 18th district and John Hardin won the 17th district. Caverna and Jobby Howard have had a great year but John Hardin will be too much this game, I’ve got John Hardin winning 85-57. Bethlehem vs. Larue County (Mar 1st) These two teams did not play each other in the regular season. Larue County has the most wins of any team in the region and Bethlehem upset Washington County to get to the regional tourney. For Bethlehem to have a new coach and make region is impressive, where Larue County has been outstanding all year and could easily win the region. Bethlehem was the runner up in the 19th district and Larue County won the 18th district. Larue has too much firepower for Bethlehem, I have Larue winning 76-53. Central Hardin vs. Adair County (Mar 1st) These two teams didn’t play in the regular season. Adair has the leading scorer in the state in freshmen phenom Zion Harmon, and Central Hardin has been a pleasant surprise all year getting out of the toughest district in the region. Both teams could make a run in this region tourney as they have been ranked 4th or 5th in the region all year. Central Hardin was runner up in 17th district where Adair County was the winner in the 20th district. This should be one of the better games but I have to take Zion Harmon and Adair County by the score of 75-68.

If he was 6 foot tall it wouldn't be fair.

1. John Hardin (23-7): The Bulldogs won both games this week on the road. They beat Bullitt East at Bullitt East 76-62 and beat Daviess County at Daviess County 83-79. This is two very good road wins as the Daviess County win was against the favorite in the 3rd region. Their resume all year has been the best in the 5th Region. Mickey Pearson who was named 5th region player of the year had an insane 47 and 15 night in the win over Daviess County. In the 17th District they will play the winner of North Hardin and Fort Knox at Central Hardin. 2. Larue County (25-2): The Hawks have done nothing but win this year and got two impressive wins this week. They beat Elizabethtown at Elizabethtown 82-62 and beat Warren Central 59-57. They not only got a win over a 5th region contender in Etown, they beat the 4th region favorite this week. They have the best record in the 5th region, as their only losses this year have been against Scott County and John Hardin. Shane King had a heck of a stat line when he had 33 points 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the win over Elizabethtown. In the 18th District they will play Hart County at Caverna. 3. Elizabethtown (17-9): The Panthers went 2 and 1 this week as they had towards district tourney. They beat Meade County 69-52, lost to Larue County 82-62, and beat Bullitt East 77-45. They took a lopsided loss versus Larue but played well the other two games this week. They have shown all year that they can compete with anyone in the 5th region, but they have also shown they could upset on any given night. Darius Harding had 29 points in the loss versus Larue County at home. In the 17th district they will be playing Central Hardin at Central Hardin. 4. Adair County (17-11): The Indians lost the game they were supposed to lose this week and won the game they were supposed to win this week. They lost to Scott County at Scott County 107-66 and beat Hart County at Hart County 80-61. The Indians are 3rd in the state in scoring so offense hasn’t been a problem all year, to have a good tournament Adair will have to get stops which they have struggled doing at times this year. Freshman sensation Zion Harmon had 33 points in the win over Hart County. In the 20th district they will be playing Marion County at Cambellsville. 5. Central Hardin (18-9): The Bruins went 1 and 1 this week before playing in the district tourney. They beat Breckinridge County 81-72 and lost to Meade County at Meade County 58-41. Central Hardin has been a pleasant surprise all year. They have had a lot of quality wins throughout the year and could make some noise in tourney play coming up. Gavin George had 29 points in the win over Breckinridge County. In the 17th district they will be playing Elizabethtown at their place. 6. Washington County (17-12): The Commanders played one game this week and got a nice road win over a 5th region opponent. They beat Hart County 59-56 at Hart County. Washington has had back to back very good seasons. They will be trying to get their first district title since 2005. Jake Yates had 19 and 10 in their win over Hart County. In the 19th District the Commanders will take on Bethlehem where the game will be at home. 7. Marion County (18-10): The Knights played two games in the last week of the regular season and steamrolled both. They beat Caverna 98-81 and beat Beth Haven 83-31. The Knights have had a great year and proved a lot of people wrong this year with their level of play. They are a threat to win the 20th district tourney. Senior Lez Means had 25 points in the win over Caverna. In the 20th District Marion will play Adair County at Campbellsville. 8. Bardstown (15-11): The Tigers split the two games this week. They lost to Oldham County at Oldham County 86-69 and they beat North Hardin 62-55. The Tigers have had a down year compared to the last couple of years. However, Bardstown is a serious threat to win the 19th district and get their 5th straight district title. Jayden Traynor had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the loss versus a good Oldham County team. In the 19th district they play the winner of Nelson County and Thomas Nelson at Washington County. 9. Hart County (15-12): The Raiders lost both their games this week but was expected to lose both. They lost to Washington County 59-56 and lost to Adair County 80-61. The Raiders started off bad, but started playing better after Christmas. This is a young team who should be even better next year. John Shoulder had 13 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Washington County. In the 18th district there was a three-way tie for second and they drew Larue County where they will play at Caverna. 10. Campbellsville (14-14): The Eagles played two games this week and came away with two wins. They beat Green County at Green County 50-45 and ended the week by beating Nelson County 70 to 68. The Eagles have had a good year as they have struggled the past couple of years. The Eagles will be looking to make the region tourney for the first time in 8 years. They have been led in scoring by Nataj Sanders this year. In the 20th District they will play Taylor County at home. 11. North Hardin (10-17): They played one game and lost that game this week. The Trojans have had a down year for North Hardin, but they still have competed very well this year. They upset Elizabethtown one game and have been in close games with a lot of highly ranked teams. They could be a scary team to play in tourney. In the 17th district they play Fort Knox where the winner plays John Hardin, it will be played at Central Hardin. 12. Green County (12-15): The Dragons played two games this week and split the matchups. They have had a solid year as Green always plays very hard. They are very well coached, and you know they will not beat themselves. In the 18th District they will be playing Caverna at Caverna. 13. Caverna (12-15): The Colonels won one game this week and they lost one game this week. They have been an exciting team this year as they have scored a lot of points. The negative side is that they have also gave up a lot of points this year but, they have been enjoyable to watch. In the 18th District they will be playing Green County at home. 14. Taylor County (5-22): The Cardinals played three games this week and ended up winning one of those games. Taylor has played a tough schedule but it has been a very disappointing year so far. Their starting point guard has been out all year, but a team who won region the last 3 years to have 5 regular season wins has been shocking. In the 20th District they play Campbellsville at Campbellsville. 15. Bethlehem (9-16): The Eagles played two games and lost both this week. They have had a down year this year, but they have played their district opponents well. They must feel confident going into district for that reason. In the 19th District they will play Washington County at Washington County. 16. Nelson County (9-20): The Cardinals lost both of their games this week. It has been a rough year but with a new coach implementing his system that is understandable. Nelson has played a lot better after Christmas so there has been improvement with them. In the 19th District they play Thomas Nelson where the winner plays Bardstown at Washington County. 17. Fort Knox (6-18): The Eagles had a great last week of the regular season winning three of the four games this week. They started off really struggling early in the year. The last month of the season though Fort Knox has been a total different team and has improved as much as anyone in the region. In the 17th District they play North Hardin where the winner will play John Hardin at Central Hardin. 18. Thomas Nelson (2-27): The Generals played two games this week and they lost both. It’s been a tough year as they ended the regular season with just two wins. They will head to tourney play with an 18-game losing streak. In the 19th District they will play Nelson County where the winner plays Bardstown at Washington County. Top 10 players 1. Zion Harmon (FR Adair County): The State’s leading scorer at 33.6 points per game and free throw percentage at 91.2. He has been sensational all year. His ballhandling is a sight to see. He is a once in a lifetime player in the state of Kentucky. 2. Mickey Pearson (SR John Hardin): Pearson has been great as he was voted 5th region player of the year. He has averaged 26.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. His ability to shoot with his size is so rare for Highschool. He has arguably been the best Bulldog ever. 3. Darius Harding (SR Elizabethtown): Harding has been the guy as he has averaged 22.4 points per game this year and led them in rebounds at 7.8 per game. He has been great all year and has improved his jumper this year to make him an even better player. 4. Trevon Smith (JR Taylor County): Even though his team has struggled Smith has been very good as he has had to do everything. Smith leads them with 19.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. He is a great driver and can get to the line a lot. 5. Malik Wright (SR John Hardin): Wright has been a great second option for John Hardin. He is averaging 15.8 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. He is a great athlete and he is one that can contribute both ways as he is a very good defender. 6. Anthony Adkins (JR Larue County): He has been the leading scorer for the Hawks averaging 13.4 points per game. He has been a great surprise as he has shot a very efficient 56.5 percent from the field. Adkins strength, gives teams a lot of problems on the glass and him driving the ball. 7. Mark Goode (SO Larue County): The big man has been super-efficient shooting 59.7 percent from the field. His size gives a lot of team’s problems being 6 foot 6 and stout. His skill is what is underrated as he has a lot of good post moves. 8. Jobby Howard (SR Caverna): Howard has put on a show most games this year. He is top 5 in the state in scoring as he is averaging 30.1 points per game. Howard can make threes, or drive, the man just gets buckets. 9. Tyler Durbin (SR Elizabethtown): Durbin has had a great senior year of basketball, as he is one of the most underrated players in the region. He is averaging 17.8 points per game. He’s a guy who can shoot but is a lot more athletic than people realize. 10. Shane King (SR Larue County): The Senior point guard has led Larue to the best record in the region. The last two months he has played as well as any guard in the region as he is averaging 12.5 points per game. He’s a do it all guard who can shoot, is a great athlete, and is very good on

Heck of a win considering didn't have Wright or Scott after 1st qtr.

I’m not sure what’s going on with him. Was suspended most of year,came back now out again.

Larue County is playing great basketball. They was without big man Goode as well and did this.

1. John Hardin (21-7): The Bulldogs went 2 and 1 this week, and the one loss was to a top 5 team in the state. They beat Bardstown 93-65, beat Grayson County 85-55, and lost to Butler at Warren Central 56-50. John has continued to play very good ball lately, and how competitive the Butler game was shows that. Senior Malik Wright led them with 17 points versus Bardstown. They will play the winner of North Hardin and Fort Knox in the district tourney. 2. Larue County (23-2): Larue has continued to do nothing but win games, as they won both games this week. They beat Nelson County at Nelson 84-44, and beat Taylor County 63-42. The Hawks are playing their best basketball at the end, which is what you want. Their size can cause trouble for a lot of teams. Shane King led them with 15 points versus Nelson County. They will be playing Hart County in their district tourney. 3. Elizabethtown (15-8): The Panthers won both games this week. They beat North Bullitt 82-77 and beat Bardstown at Bardstown 79-70. They have shown all year that they can beat anybody in the 5th Region. They have also had some surprising losses in their district, but they will be a tough out tournament time. Darius Harding had 27 points in the win over North Bullitt. They will be playing Central Hardin in the district tourney. 4. Central Hardin (17-8): The Bruins had a great week, going 3 and 0 and getting an impressive road win. They beat Fort Knox 60-49, beat South Oldham at South Oldham 70-68, and beat Green County 64-52. They have won 8 out of their last 9 games, and have looked to only get better so far, this year. Chase Elmore had 17 points in the win versus South Oldham, which included 5 threes. They play Elizabethtown in the district tourney. 5. Adair County (16-10): The Indians went 2 and 1 this week, as all three games were shootouts. They beat Green County 76-66, beat Russell County at Russell 95-80, and lost to Seneca at Seneca 81-77. The offense hasn’t been a problem all year, as they score with anybody, but they also give up a lot of points to about anybody. Zion Harmon had 45 versus rival Russell County as he continues his fantastic year. They play Marion County in the district tourney. 6. Washington County (16-12): Washington had a great week as they won all 3 games this week. They beat Marion County at Marion 65-61, beat Campbellsville at Campbellsville 69-65, and beat Whitefield Academy 89-58. They got two good road wins this week. Devin Hurst led Washington with 20 points in the win over Marion County. They will be playing Bethlehem in their district tourney. 7. Marion County (16-10): The Knights went 2 and 1 this week with the loss being a close loss. They beat Metcalfe County 70-36, lost to Washington County 65-61, and beat Bethlehem at Bethlehem 63-54. Their last three losses have all been by less than 5 points, so they have been in every game lately. Lez Means led Marion with 17 points in the loss versus Washington County. They will be playing Adair County in their district tourney. 8. Bardstown (14-10): The Tigers went 0 and 3 this week, but they did face 3 good basketball teams. They lost to John Hardin at John Hardin 93-65, lost to Elizabethtown 79-70, and lost to Valley 85-59. The Tigers won 3 straight before these three losses, so I wouldn’t take much away from the 3 losses. Trey Riney had 16 points in the loss to John Hardin. They will play the winner of Thomas Nelson and Nelson County in the district tourney. 9. Hart County (15-10): They won both games this week versus 5th region opponents. They beat Thomas Nelson at Thomas Nelson 62-52, and beat Fort Knox at Fort Knox 57-56. Hart has won 11 out of their last 13 games after struggling. John Shoulders led Hart with 24 in the win over Thomas Nelson. Hart County will be playing Larue County in their district tourney. 10. Campbellsville (12-14): The Eagles went 1 and 2 this week. They beat Caverna at Caverna 84-62, lost to Washington County 69-65, and lost to Bethlehem at Bethlehem 82-74. Eagles got a win beating Caverna big on the road, but struggled the rest of the week. Nataj Sanders had 21 points in their win over Caverna. They will be playing Taylor County in their district tourney. 11. North Hardin (10-16): The Trojans only had one game this week, and they won that game by a good margin. Their record isn’t great, but they have played competitively with good teams. They play Fort Knox in the district, and the winner plays John Hardin. 12. Caverna (11-14): They won 2 of 3 and ended the week with a big win versus a 4th region opponent. They can really score, but getting stops tends to be a problem. They will be playing Green County in their district tourney. 13. Green County (11-14): They lost both of their games this week. The Dragons have been competitive with the teams that they have faced. They will be playing Caverna in their district tourney. 14. Taylor County (4-20): The Cardinals lost all three games this week. It’s been a disappointing year for Taylor after winning 3 straight region titles, so it will be interesting to see what they do. They play Campbellsville in their district tourney. 15. Bethlehem (9-14): They won one and lost one this week. They have played all the middle of the pack teams very even this year. They will be playing Washington County in their district tourney. 16. Nelson County (9-18): They did win 2 out of 3 this week. They started off slow, but have been trending up since then. They will play Thomas Nelson in the district tourney, where the winner will move on to play Bardstown. 17. Fort Knox (3-17): They went 1 and 2 this week, but showed how much they have improved this year. They were competitive in both losses, and destroyed Thomas Nelson. They will play North Hardin in the first round of the district tourney. 18. Thomas Nelson (2-25): They played 4 games and lost all of them. Things aren’t going well, as they have a 16 game losing streak. They will play Nelson County in the district tourney, and the winner will move on to play Bardstown.