The Double Deuce

Final from the Lady Invitational of the South.

Russell is a fringe Top 10 team in KY, so you knew this would be a tough match-up for the Birds to kick off this tourney at Allen County-Scottsville, and that is exactly how it turned out.

Big Red plays HARD.  

I'd rather eat at a Zaxby's than watch a game like this.  

Wait, I'd rather eat at a Zaxby's than do most things.  

Sounds like a great game, assumed it would be.  Boyd has some ballers.  

1 hour ago, RedHawk said:

Cove Cath loses alot with Rodriguez, Pitzer, Reeves, Leen, Flood, Miller and crew all graduating. 

The upside is they have a stong underclass, ready to play kids, next man up regime and return Kruer, Sanning, Harney and Link among others.

Is the kid from Edgewood who spent his freshmen year at Elder going to move to CovCath?  I've heard he could be there as early as the first day of the 2nd semester, not sure if he didn't like Elder, or because he has an 8th grade brother (at Pius, maybe) who will be at CovCath so they want both boys together, but he has a TON of potential...or so I've heard.

#19 Butler gets #5 Ryle and #18 Covington Holy Cross this week up in NKY, will be an interesting couple of games.  Butler has the big post player heading to UK that will present some interesting challenges for Sarah Baker and Julia Hunt.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and were able to enjoy some time with friends and family over this past weekend.  

Last week saw action in several Holiday tournaments around the region, highlighted for NKY folks by Cooper winning the prestigious Queen of the Commonwealth Cup at Bullitt East over a loaded field of KY Top 25 opponents.  A truly impressive run of basketball by Coach Holthaus and his Lady Jags, and their impressive play, combined with the Pandas dropping one they likely shouldn't have, means we'll again have a new #1.  Ryle had a solid run in Lexington with 3 wins, and Holy Cross beat the teams they should have, and lost to the ones they likely should have, down at the Queen of the Commonwealth.  Simon Kenton dropped a game to a solid Owensboro Catholic team where they had a double-digit lead, but the Lady Neers also pulled two wins out of that great event at Bullitt East, so all wasn't lost.

This week we see most of the rest of our Top 10 head to Holiday tournaments around the region (+ Charleston, SC...I'm jealous), plus we see Top 15 teams Boyd County and Louisville Butler come to NKY for some games, along with the always tough Ashland Blazer team, so there is no excuse for NKY fans not to get out and see some great games this week out in Union.  

To those many teams, fans, parents, and supporters traveling to various tournaments this week, be safe, play well, stay healthy, and enjoy the time with friends and family around basketball.  To everyone else, enjoy the hoops this week and Happy New Year!  Here is this week's NKY Top 10 (and others):

1.  Cooper 9-3 (last week 4-0)  This week:  vs Ashland Blazer, vs Boyd County, and Dixie.

2.  Notre Dame 8-1 (1-1)  This week:  vs Siegel (TN) at the Zaxby's Christmas Classic in Nasville, plus 2 other games.

3.  Ryle 7-3 (3-1)  This week:  vs Boyd County, vs Ashland Blazer, and vs Butler

4.  Holy Cross 7-4 (2-2) This week:  vs Butler

5.  Simon Kenton 9-3 (2-2)  This week:  OFF

6.  Campbell County 7-1 (2-0) This week:  vs Bryan Station at Giovanni's Pizza Holiday Classic at Berea, plus 2 other games

7.  Highlands 4-4 (1-0)  This week:  vs Russell at Lady Invitational of the South at Allen County-Scottsville, plus 3 other games

8.  Bishop Brossart 7-2 (1-1)  This week:  vs Raceland at Ryan Keaton ExP Realty Ohio River Classic at Raceland, plus 2 other games

9.  Dixie 5-5 (1-2)  This week:  vs Cooper

10. Grant County 6-3 (1-0)  This week:  vs Ashley Ridge at Carolina Invitational in Charleston, SC, plus two other games

==================================================

8th:  Walton Verona 4-6

9th:  NewCath 4-3, St. Henry 5-3, Conner 2-8, and Beechwood 4-4

10th:  Scott 7-2

Hope 2024 is a great year for all of our teams, their families, and all of our BGP readers who follow along!!

Margin is a little surprising, have to be honest.  Still, a good a holiday tourney for the Lady Raiders. 

After giving up a double digit lead to Owensboro Catholic in the 3rd game, this is a great result for the Lady Neers.   

Absolutely SHOCKING.  

Meade County is a very good team, but they are going to have to cash a check that was written at the Nike Tourney of Champions.  Bad timing for Mean Green.

Boyd County way too low and Barren County way too high.  We'll know more about Corbin after the next two games.  Probably the same with BG.

22 minutes ago, Runcible Owl said:

And as a realist, believe #1 in the 9th is a stretch as well.

You know I can see this, right?  😜

It was 48-40 Boyd County.

Cooper vs McCracken County tonight will be a WAR.  Two top 5 teams in the state.

Manual suffers their first Kentucky loss to a team not named Sacred Heart in nearly 2 years.  Impressive run!!!

Bowling Green will likely get the winner of Cooper and McCracken County, which will be another really good game.

Meade County getting Corbin was an impressive win.

Great tourney!

2 hours ago, The Double Deuce said:

My prediction for a Final Four here, sure to be wrong:

*  McCracken County vs Cooper in the top-half

*  Corbin vs Manual in the bottom-half  

 

Ooops, Cooper and McCracken will meet in the quarters, I forgot that they aren't playing the games tomorrow in the actual order of the bracket.  Cooper vs McCracken Co on Wednesday night will be OUTSTANDING.  Hopefully some of our members are down there this week and can provide updates.   I will be at the games in Cincy, I think, being held at McNick.

I guess I'll go with Cooper vs Bowling Green on the top half, but that quadrant with BG, SK, BE, and Madisonville is a bit of a wild-card.

My prediction for a Final Four here, sure to be wrong:

*  McCracken County vs Cooper in the top-half

*  Corbin vs Manual in the bottom-half  

57 minutes ago, 1992Rebel said:

I think NDA will sweep in two tight games. They don’t seem to like to run away with games….

 

I am picking a final between Cooper and Bethlehem.  Bethlehem is champ. (McCracken might bust my bracket here)
 

I’ll also pick a final between Ryle and GRC. GRC dominates final. 
 

Good luck ladies!

I know I sound like a broken record, but don't sleep on Manual in that bottom-half.  If it is them and Bethlehem on Wednesday night, that will be a very interesting contrast of styles, and one that could likely go either way.

One thing is for sure, while there is no movement at the top of the Top 10 this week, the middle and bottom (and others) is a bit of a jumbled puzzle to try and put together and decipher.  NewCath had the Charles Dickens' week, the best of times (nice win over Dixie), and the worst of times (losing by 22 to Grant County). Grant County is looking more like the team we had in our Top 10 to start the season, and less like the team that struggled to find their way in the first couple of weeks.  Campbell Co had a great win over district rival Bishop Brossart, and the Camels are off to a great start.  

Additionally, this is a week where most of our top teams are going to be down in the state playing in either the Queen of the Commonwealth (amazing field!!) or the White, Green, Maggard Holiday Classic in Lexington.  The exception being Notre Dame (and Brossart) who are playing in an inter-state event at McNicholas H.S. in Cincinnati with Ursuline.  We will know a lot about our Top 5 teams as they will certainly be battle-tested this week, especially those 3 that earned the invite to the Queen of the Commonwealth (the girls' version of the King of the Bluegrass).  I hope everyone stays healthy, learns a great deal about themselves and their team, and their families stay safe traveling the highways of the Bluegrass.  Should be a fun week heading into Christmas!  Here we go....

1.  Notre Dame  7-0 [1-0 last week]  This week:  vs Ursuline (OH) at McNick, at McNicholas (OH)

2.  Cooper  5-3 [2-1]  This week:  vs Owensboro Catholic at Queen of the Commonwealth + 3 subsequent games based on results

3.  Ryle  4-2 [1-1]  This week:  vs Male at White, Greer, & Maggard Holiday Classic + 2 subsequent games based on results

4.  Holy Cross 5-2 [1-0]  This week:  vs Bethlehem at Queen of the Commonwealth + 3 subsequent games based on results

5.  Simon Kenton 7-1 [2-0]  This week:  vs Bowling Green at Queen of the Commonwealth + 3 subsequent games based on results

6.  Campbell County 5-1 [2-0]  This week:  at Bourbon County and vs Boone County

7.  Dixie  4-3  [1-2]  This week:  vs Anderson County at White, Greer, & Maggard Holiday Classic + 2 subsequent games based on results

8.  Highlands  3-4 [1-0]  This week:  at Bellevue

9.  Bishop Brossart  6-1 [1-1]  This week:  at McNicholas (OH), vs Ursuline (OH) at McNick

10.  Grant County  5-3 [3-0]  This week:  at Oldham County

=======================================================================

8th:  Walton Verona 3-5

9th:  Conner 2-5, St. Henry 5-2, and NewCath 3-3

10th:  Scott 4-1

Have a great week!!!  Next week's Top 10 will likely not come out until the 26th.

13 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

I’d have to check these guys out. CovCath seemingly in a respectable game against the Indiana #1 should give them a confidence booster. If they played 10 times what’s the record?

They are a legit top 10 prep school / team in America, if CovCath would win one they should get ladders out and cut down the nets.  They have several guys with POWER D1 offers.  

This was a very solid result for CovCath. 

15 hours ago, rjal said:

This is going to be a tough week for sure especially since it is midterm week for the girls so they will be traveling back and forth.  Injuries sure took their toll this year losing two of the top 8.  Hopefully Williams will make it back at some point but we shall see.  The other injury was a season ender, so at best they will be playing with seven.

Got ya.  💢

1 hour ago, rhaggard said:

What is CCC gym?

 

Their alternate gym, down about 4 hallways from the main gym.  Same building.  About 6 rows of bleachers on one side of GYM.  

Good win for the young Indians.  

Same thing I brought up weeks ago, the set up at Griffin has no good way to have a crowd.  Such a shame, you could have sold thousands of tickets to each pair of games or evenings' slate and had an awesome event.  If the goal was to showcase the facility, that clearly back-fired.

We will know everything there is to know about HC after their next 5 games:  4 in 4 days at Queen of the Commonwealth, and they are really only playing 6 players, so between fatigue and foul trouble, something may have to give.  Then they follow that up with Butler, who hasn't lost since dropping the opener to Cooper -- Holy Cross certainly doesn't back away from a challenge.