The Double Deuce

Simon Kenton remains undefeated vs KY teams this year. Wow!

3 days after Freddy D beat SHA by 20, SKLP travels down 75 and grabs the 6 point win in Lexington. SKLP is going to be a very tough out this year!!!

Final from up on the Hill.

Final from Dry Ridge.

Some noise around Campbell County vs Cooper, and rightfully so, as I flipped them this week. Mother Nature has prevented us from getting that game, so we are left with eye-ball test, common opponents, and best wins. These two could absolutely flip back the other way, and I think we are splitting hairs either way as they are both terrific and in different regions, but here is some of what went into that decision. * Common Opponents will change when Cooper plays Holy Cross, but for now, versus common opponents, they are both 4-1 (with a loss to Simon Kenton). * RPI Data, while flawed, has Campbell Co. #4 and Cooper #13. Just mentioning it as a data point. * Best wins per the RPI (again, flawed, but the state produces it, so I'm just referencing it): Campbell County has beaten #3 Holy Cross twice, plus #7 Ashland and #8 Brossart. Cooper has beaten #10 Sacred Heart (yes, we know, that is comically low for them). * Best wins vs this week's "Elite 16" from the Media: Campbell County has beaten #9 Ashland, #13 North Laurel, #14 Holy Cross twice, and #16 Brossart. So 5 wins versus the other 15 teams in the Elite 16. Cooper has wins vs #1 Sacred Heart and #11 South Laurel. Again, they play Holy Cross this week so that will be another data point. I don't think it is decisive either way, but I leaned Camels this week, and may well go the other way next week after this week's games.

We have reached the penultimate week in the regular season, which in and of itself, is hard to believe. Mother Nature has been a challenge for us on a couple of different occasions, but that doesn't look like it will be the case this week. We have UNREAL games this week for our top teams, and again next week, so these teams will certainly be battle-tested before heading into the post-season. While all of this week's games are listed below, I wanted to throw out some great ones you can get out and see this week. Simon Kenton travels to Freddy D tonight, as well as Holy Cross visiting Ryle. On the 11th, Cooper hosts Holy Cross. On the 12th you get Ryle at Brossart. On the 13th you can get Simon Kenton at Sacred Heart. Then, on Valentine's Day, Notre Dame travels to GRC. I love that our area coaches are willing to test themselves, especially heading into the post-season. Our Top 10 is actually pretty clear as teams have sorted themselves out on the court to this point. We have movement near the top, a little in the middle of the top 10, and then a fair amount in the others to watch. I'm looking forward to seeing how our top teams do this week in some huge tests -- hope they get the support they deserve! Thanks for following along this year, not sure I'll do this again next year, but I've enjoyed the conversations and thoughts from many of you throughout the year. 1. Simon Kenton (23-2 / 1-1 last week / 9-1 in the last 10): at Frederick Douglass (2/9) and at Sacred Heart (2/13) 2. Campbell County (17-4 / 2-1 / 8-2): vs Dixie and vs Montgomery County. 3. Cooper (15-6 / 0-2 / 7-3 [3 straight losses]): vs #4 Holy Cross (2/11), at Dixie, and at #9 NewCath. 4. Holy Cross (20-3 / 1-1 / 9-1): at #5 Ryle (2/9), at #3 Cooper (2/11), and vs Walton-Verona. 5. Ryle (16-7 / 3-0 / 8-2 [7 straight wins]): vs #4 Holy Cross, and at #7 Brossart (2/12). 6. Notre Dame (15-6 / 2-1 / 6-4): vs Beechwood, at Holmes, vs #10 St. Henry, and at GRC (2/14). 7. Bishop Brossart (22-3 / 1-1 / 8-2): at #9 NewCath, vs #5 Ryle, and at Bracken County. 8. Highlands (13-9 / 1-2 / 4-6): at Scott, and at Conner. 9. NewCath (17-7 / 3-1 / 8-2): vs #7 Brossart, at Grant County, and vs #3 Cooper. 10. St. Henry (13-8 / 1-2 / 5-5): vs Lloyd, at #6 Notre Dame. ====================================== * Walton-Verona (13-10 / 3-1 / 3-7): at Nicholas Co., at #4 Holy Cross, and vs Oldham Co. * Dixie (9-13 / 3-0 / 6-4): at #2 Campbell Co., and vs #3 Cooper (brutal week). * Scott (8-15 / 1-2 / 3-7): vs #8 Highlands, and vs Conner. * Grant Co. (12-9 / 1-1 / 7-3): vs Beechwood, vs #9 NewCath, and at Anderson Co. * Conner (4-17 / 1-1 / 3-7): at Colerain (OH), at Scott, and vs #8 Highlands. * Beechwood (11-11 / 1-1 / 5-5): at Grant Co., and at #6 Notre Dame. * Lloyd (10-12 / 0-2 / 4-6): at #10 St. Henry, vs Trailblazers (OH), and at Trimble Co.

Final in the nightcap from the Camel Classic.

The Camels, playing their 2nd game of the day (admirably filling in for Huntington Prep vs Holy Cross earlier), drop this one to a very talented team from Cincinnati.

Calloway County's 26 game winning streak comes to an end!! Lyon County, who lost to Covington Holy Cross by 12 at the All A Classic, gives CC their first loss of the season.

Have been an epidemic of mis-posted scores today, but assuming this is accurate, a solid win for Conner. Like Dixie, the Cougars are playing their best ball of the season, although the 33rd is not the 34th when it comes to sliding into the 9th Region Tourney.

My Lord, can people not post scores onto the official KHSAA scoreboard correctly, it has been awful this year with mis-posts. Thanks JOAT. @theguru, sorry, another one that was posted incorrectly to the scoreboard and has now been reversed.

Thanks, it was posted the other way earlier. @theguru, can you please reverse the title please?

Nice win for the Birds!!! South Laurel falls to 16-6. This was in the Camel Classic.

Final from the Camel Classic. SKLP has their 12 game winning streak snapped.

The Lady Flyers have now lost to NewCath, Highlands, Campbell County, and Dixie. Credit to Joel and his Colonels, the winter has been tough for them, but they haven't quit one iota and are playing their best basketball in February. Absolutely still could end up winning the 34th in a couple of weeks!

Props to the Camels who filled in when Huntington Prep had to cancel the trip due to weather / road conditions. Huge congrats to Holy Cross, avenging an earlier loss to the Camels, with the win in the Camel Classis. Camels will play again tonight vs Purcell Marian (OH). I assume these two will cancel their scheduled games in a week, versus playing a 3rd time this year. But that isn't confirmed.

Apparently Huntington Prep had travel issues this morning due to conditions near them, so it wasn't safe to continue. No word yet on who, if anyone, Holy Cross will play at 1:00.

Simon Kenton plays Spire Institute (OH), who has a nationally ranked player.

Looks like Holy Cross will not play Huntington Prep at Campbell County today, their opponent has switched to TBA.

Campbell County hosts a solid Purcell Marian (OH) team today.

Notre Dame v Brossart at Campbell County today!

Cooper gets a very good Taylor County team today in Louisville.

Brossart still has Notre Dame, Ryle, and Holy Cross on their schedule this year, so we will learn a lot more before the post-season.

Closer than I'd have expected, but the Lady Stangs get the road win.

Great win for Ryle, while not a huge shock, a little bit of a mild surprise. Happy for Coach Haitz and the Lady Raiders!!!