cardfan01

Thanks dognation2! I saw your post over on the 3rd Region. I don't disagree with your thoughts over there. JH clearly dominated the game. The good news for Meade is that the 3rd Region doesn't have a John Hardin caliber team. Clearly the best team Meade has played so far. Good luck going forward!

I don't disagree that the game was never in doubt. They could tip it up 10 times with JH and JH would probably win them all. There was too much pushing allowed by JH's bigs under the basket. Moving picks/screens that were obvious on some of the dunks (designed moving screens). Wouldn't make a hug difference but the score should not have been that lopsided (that's all I'm saying). JH doesn't have a deep bench (just not many players), but it should have gone to some of the younger kids as early as Meade did. Pearson did not need to be on the floor that late in the game. But it was sure fun to watch him and Matthews go at each other!!!

I was at the game. JH had too much length and athleticism. Meade hung in there for a short while, but it got away from them before halftime. dognation2 - I would love for you to tell the folks in the 3rd Region forum what you saw in Matthews. Relatively unknown last year, then he busted out during the AAU season and varsity summer league. He is actually a bit under the weather as you saw him deal with exhausting right at the end of the first quarter. He had a monster game against Louisville Doss (a very good team who had no answer for him either). He was just a few assists away from a triple double Tuesday night as well.

ApolloFan98 - I hope you are able to see this message soon. Matthews just put the entire 3rd Region on notice tonight. He dropped 38 Pts on John Hardin. He was electric. Outside of Louisville Trinity, John Hardin has to be one of the longest and most athletic teams in the state. Matthews was absolutely dominant while hitting shots from everywhere on the floor. They simply could not stop him. It would take a lot to convince me that there is a better player in the region at this time. Meade hung with them early, but the game got away from them just before half. The officiating surely did not change the outcome of the game, but it certainly didn't help any either. Made the score look a little more lopsided. Let me say this, what Meade showed today in the losing effort was enough to convince me that they can win this region.

Meade got another decent win last night. Though it struggled once again with some sloppiness and not being able to put away Bullitt Central down the stretch. Lots of missed free throws and a few turnovers at the end made the game look closer than it really was. Matthews ended up with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Heard he's been ill a bit lately and it wasn't one of his better games, but he still put up those numbers. He has become a tremendous passer and it is fun to watch. Who is a better "all around" player in the region right now? I think it is a valid question and would be a great debate. Weick also had a decent game. He's not a very skilled player but he's a physical kid that can impact the game (As we saw a few times last year and a couple of times this year). He and Matthews are doing a great job of passing to each other around the rim. Those two kids are critical to the team.

Good info on how things are shaping up in this crazy region. I think that's what makes the region so much fun to watch. Also, I see that more stats for some of the teams in the 3rd have posted online since you listed the top 5 scorers in the region early this morning. My guess is that Matthews might sneak into the top 5 based on the updated stats. If Meade Co. can continue to find ways to win games and make a run this year, I wonder if there is a chance that he could go from not being on anyone's radar to Region POY??? There is a lot of basketball left to be played, but there may not have been a more underrated player coming into the season.

Awesome breakdown this week. Now that we've had quite a few games to get a gauge of where teams are at, I think this is the most accurate ranking I've seen so far. Meade had a decent showing last week in the Henry Clay tournament. Aidan Matthews made the all-tournament team and was one of the best players in the tournament, if not the best that I saw. Louisville Doss couldn't guard him in a fast paced game. He scored 29 with 9 rebounds against Garrard Co. Double/double against Whitley Co. I think the big question is how does Meade Co. utilize him. At 6'4", he handles the ball really well and is a pretty good passer. At this point, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone in the 3rd region with his ability to score, rebound, pass and handle the ball as well as he does (as a whole package). If we had all that information available for the top players in the region, I'd like to see how he compares. Chezney Weick and Noah Schwartz also played well at times last week. Schwartz has been showing why he was a big absence from the Ohio County game in the season opener. Overall, not a bad start to the season for a team adjusting to life without James Baker. There are enough pieces that the team can win games if one or two of its best players are not having a great night (as it showed against Breck Co.) However, they do need to close out games a little better when they have a lead (an issue last week). They also need to respond better when teams come out on fire like Owensboro Catholic and Doss did at the beginning of games .

Huge win for Meade Co. on the road last night at Breck Co. Meade got contributions from its entire starting five. Poole, as usual, was tremendous in the loss for Breck. Poole may not be very big, but man that kids knows how to score around the basket. It was nice to see some of Meade's guards play the way they are capable and they knocked down shots all night. Matthews did not have his best shooting game as he's battling an illness and was laboring for most of the night, but he did a great job of handling the ball and passing to help his team. He also hit some clutch shots down the stretch. Schwartz and Collard were the big stars last night. Schwartz is crafty and scores in many different ways (which he has shown he is capable of in the past) and Collard shot the ball confidently last night. This team looks like it is starting to put some things together.

I was at the Meade Co. game at Ohio Co. (Meade lost by 2 on a foul call with 3 seconds to go). A few takeaways are that Ohio Co. must have hit 70% of its 3 point shots. Haven't seen their stats for that game yet, but it felt like they hit everything. I think they also went 26 of 29 from the line (something close to that based on what I heard). They may not shoot that well again all season. Meade led for most of the game and even had an 8 to 10 point lead midway through the 4th. A few late turnovers, a couple of questionable foul calls and some late 3's were the difference. Again, that game was played at Ohio Co. Aiden Matthews is a different player this year. He can hit shots from all over the floor as he did against Ohio Co. He put up 21 points while only taking 12 shots from the floor (also dealt with some early fouls). Although Ohio Co. appears to have improved since last year, I give Meade Co. the edge between those two teams. On Meade's game against Owensboro Catholic, they simply were not ready to handle the press. Catholic came in with a great game plan. Many of those baskets were steals on the press right underneath Meade's basket for easy buckets. Their execution was flawless. Meade's coach shut everything down in that one pretty early and cleared out his bench to make a point. Meade definitely has a long way to go if they will have any chance at playing with Catholic. Meade did show some grit last night in a comeback win against Providence, Indiana. Matthews and Schwartz led the way in the win.

I agree with you. The 3rd Region is fun to watch as you really don't know what to expect. Thanks for taking the time to put this article together. Really enjoyed it. Hope to see more from you throughout the season!

I've said this in replies to other posts on this forum, but it looks like Aiden Matthews is flying under the radar here. He is the top returning player for Meade and led the team in total points and rebounds for the season. He went from coming off the bench to becoming the leading scorer and rebounder during the postseason. Averages are misleading. One list has him as a top 6 player in the region and gauging how he compares to some of the players on your list, I think they got it right. His game has gone to a new level after a solid AAU season and varsity Summer league. With his size and versatility, he will present matchup problems. Apollo saw this in the Summer league when he scored 26 while hitting shots from everywhere on the floor. He will look like a totally different player this year. Don't count Meade out. Might be a surprise.

One player that flew under the radar last year is Aidan Matthews of Meade County. He is a 6'4" senior forward and was the most consistent player on the team down the stretch last year. He had a great AAU season and varsity summer league. He played alongside some of the kids on this list in camps this past summer and will be a big key for Meade this year. No doubt he belongs on this list somewhere, but I understand why nobody knew about him (he went from 4th string JV as a Sophomore to an all 3rd region tournament team player last year).

Glad to see some thoughts being posted about the 3rd Region. I wouldn't count out Meade County. Yes, everyone thought that Baker was all that Meade Co. had last year (and I understand why with the losing streak, etc....). Baker's biggest help was by reducing turnovers at the point guard spot. The team was so centered around him that it had no answer until he came back from the injury. The most consistent player for Meade Co down the stretch was Aidan Matthews, a 6'4" wing player. He returns this year (Senior) and had a huge AAU season (about 20 PPG) and varsity summer league (about 25 PPG). He was the team's leader last year for total points and total rebounds (and he didn't become a starter until halfway through the season). I suspect he might have something to say about POY. He went from 4th string JV as a Sophomore to not coming off the floor in varsity games last year. Obviously, nobody knew about him last year, now he has schools looking at him. Also watch out for Chezney Weick (Junior), another 6'4" forward. He has massive potential and showed it at the end of the year. Those two kids carrier this team down the stretch with Baker handling the guard spot. With some senior guards, a very nice junior transfer, and some good young talent, I would not count out Meade Co.

Mr. Sixer - Thanks for offering to help on what the ref was referring to on the over and back loose ball. I wasn't able to help him at all when he described what the ref told him and I just assumed that maybe I missed something. Thanks for trying to help.

Congrats to Cooper last night. I'll be rooting for you for the rest of the tournament. Both teams struggled offensively for a while, but Cooper showed how well rounded the team is. Meade County has some length on the front line with 6'7" Baker to two 6'4" forwards. Those guys are long and can make it difficult to shoot over (blocked quite a few shots). At the end of the day, Meade County committed 19 turnovers and Cooper took full advantage of them. For Meade County to stay in this game when Baker had as many turnovers as points (seven) speaks to the toughness of the team. Chesney Weick (a Sophomore) had a really good game and started to come alive late in the season. I think one of the keys was Kunkel shutting down Aiden Matthews (the other 6'4" forward). He is a solid player who has been averaging around 15 points and 8 rebounds for the later part of the season. He will be back next year as well. I have a question for those of you who were at the game - If you remember the over and back call in the second half when a high pass sailed over a Cooper player toward their own basket. Aiden Matthews of Meade County took off after the ball since nobody else did. He was hoping to get the ball before it went out of bounds and take the ball to the basket for a layup. The ball ended up going out of bounds before he could get it. After the game, Aiden said the official warned him after that play and said "Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do". Then the official told him "You better watch yourself". Aiden was confused and told him that he was just going after the ball. Isn't he allowed to pick it up before a Cooper player touches it and control the ball? Can anyone tell me what the official could have thought he was trying to do that would warrant a response like that???? Maybe I'm missing something. Good luck going forward Jags!!!

Meade County also played Oldham County (a current top 20 team), John Hardin twice and Larue County (in addition to Valley, Bullitt East and N. Hardin). Some of those teams might have been in the top 20 at some point during the season or may be sitting just outside the top 20 right now. While the 3rd Region might not have had as much overall talent this year, Meade County did schedule aggressively. Anyone who thinks that Meade County does not have other players is not doing their research (plenty out there). I would bet that Cooper's head coach is not solely focused on stopping Baker (especially after seeing some recent game film). Ask Daviess County's head coach who did most of the damage in the region championship game. I realize that losing so many games while Baker was out looks pretty bad, but they really should not have lost a bunch of those games (in my opinion). I see where someone mentioned that Baker is not a dominant scorer. Not sure I understand that one. James Baker will be the most equipped player to dominate the game on the floor Thursday night, including scoring (feel free to make a case otherwise). Nobody can shoot from the distance he shoots, is as fast off the dribble as he is, or can rebound above the rim like he can. There may be more "skilled" players on the floor, but nobody will bring the type of athletic ability that he will bring. Lastly, do I think that Meade County is a significant underdog in this game? Absolutely I do. Cooper obviously has a fantastic team that is capable of winning the whole thing. And if they do win Thursday night, I'll be pulling for them the rest of the tournament. I just want to make sure that I try to help paint a more appropriate picture of Meade County because some folks are much too focused on the team's record. This is a team that was in some top 20 polls at one point in the season. If Baker had not missed so many games and the team looked more stable throughout the year, I'm guessing that most would not be so dismissive. But here we are and it is a brand new season!

Meade County's record might be the most misleading statistic in the Sweet 16. They have the 3rd Region's top player in James Baker. Baker missed around 20 games due to a thumb injury and the team played one of the toughest schedules in the 3rd Region. The team struggled to adjust without Baker since everything was run through him. The team DOES have other very capable players regardless of what you might read out there. Baker returned from the injury two days before the District Tournament and the team is headed in the right direction. We will see if they can continue to make progress Thursday night.

If I recall correctly, Baker's initial injury occurred in the Beechwood game. Also, the head coach pulled some starters early in that game (somewhat due to Baker's injury and some due to a lack of execution). I believe he was trying to make a point to the team. I doubt Baker played more than a quarter of that game. Baker suffered a more severe injury to the same hand the following day. I don't think the Beechwood game is a good measure at all. Also, I've seen Hudl video of the two star guards at Cooper. Very, very impressive indeed. However, I do not believe that either of those kids have the potential to impact a game the way that Baker can when his game is on. Sure there have been opposing star players who have outplayed Baker on occassion, but I haven't seen anyone who has the "potential" to take control of a game the way Baker can.

Just wanted to give you some additional information on Meade county. The team is coming into the tournament fully healthy and with the top player in the 3rd Region in James Baker. Baker missed a huge chunk of the season with a thumb injury and returned just in time for district tournament play. The team has other capable players but struggled to adjust without him. So I would argue that Meade is not coming into the game struggling bad. The team's record might be the most misleading stat in the entire Sweet 16. They are actually getting it together at the right time. Only loss since Baker returned was in the district championship on a last second shot to a decent Hancock County team (Baker's second game back).

I believe that Baker had 11 points last night and never really got on track offensively. Last night, Aiden Matthews and Chezney Weick (two 6'4" forwards) carried the team to the win. Those two kids are very talented and showed that there is much more to this team than just Baker. I totally agree that MC doesn't make it this far without Baker, but they do have other very capable players. I realize that they lost a bunch of games without Baker, but they played a brutal schedule and the coaches had a tough time figuring out how to rework the game plan when so much was geared around Baker. To fill out the starting five, Dakota Clayton is a steady senior guard who never gets rattled and Noah Schwartz is a streaky offensive player who can put a lot of points on the board in a short period of time. Long story short, MC does have some pieces. With Baker in the lineup, you have another steady ball handler and opposing teams can't focus all of their attention on him (that's one of the biggest things he brings to the table). Congrats to Meade County!

Great game last night. Meade County seems to be adjusting to Baker's return. They still need to cut down on "unforced" turnovers. Haven't put it all together yet, but the potential is there.

Congrats to my alma mater. By the way, the Manual Crimsons are commonly incorrectly referred to as "The Crimson" or "The Manual Crimson". Even our own fans or PA announcer will get this wrong at times. Sorry, but wearing the jersey will do this to you!

Congrats to Hancock Co. They played an amazing first half and hit shot after shot (don't think they could've played any better in the half). The box and one on Baker seemed to work as well. Meade County survived the barrage on HC's home floor and found a way to fight back, but had a few unforced turnovers down the stretch. I think MC will be a tough out in the regionals if they can find just a little more consistency. The loss might have been what they needed to regroup. Not that they haven't taken any losses this year because they have taken quite a few. But it really is a different team with Baker and other players stepping up. MC showed that it can compete even when its star player was limited offensively. Should be a fun 3rd Region Tournament. Thanks to Hancock County for hosting a great district tournament!

ApolloFan98, I really enjoy your articles. I noticed that you mention Meade County being without its top 2 scorers for the past couple of weeks. I actually want to point out that while James Baker is sorely missed, the team has not been without its top 2 scorers. Aiden Matthews is the team's second leading scorer and has been for most of the season. Noah Schwartz is the team's third leading scorer and is rising. Neither of those kids have missed significant time due to injury. I've seen and heard what you mention above in other places, but it is not accurate. Having said that, Meade County is as good as anyone in the Region when it is healthy. Look forward to future posts from you! Thanks!