Shotwhisperer75

I think most folks don't know about the level of experience of the CCH guards. 2 of the 3 are scoring over 15 with Miller scoring the other 15+. Underestimating them because I feel most aren't giving CCH the chance in this one and it will be the guard play of both teams that will decide this game.

I've been following these players for years and I think you all are underestimating the guard play of Cov Cath and their experience in tough games. Both Harney and McGillis feel zero pressure in games like these as they have both played at a high level and have beat the best teams in the country. Cov Cath will have three players score over 15 points and they will win the match up. Yamil and Johnson are tough for Cooper and I love to watch them play. And I agree, the Cooper coach has our number. But with that all said.... I think that Cov Cath takes this one by 6 in a close one. Let's go Colonels.

Yes I went to the game. Stood at ground level behind the bleachers about 20 feet from the court. Absolutely embarrassing setup. I talked to someone from Darell Peterson's camp and they were appalled and said they are never coming back.

Dumbest set up ever! Who even thought this was a good idea. Embarrassing.

Good write up. CCH is going to win the 9th region this year hands down. The Colonels are playing very tough. Hussey - Strong and steady and playing great. He's leading the team as I hoped he would. He will only get better as the season goes on. Super consistent play right now and is shooting a high percentage from the field at 64%. Miller - Played great against Newport, and his blocking ability and rebounding are a must for CCH. His offensive game needs some development, but with all of the guards who can score, he doesn't have to be a stud every night. Focus on marking his presence in the paint and disrupting offense and CCH will be golden. McGillis - He's the best shooter and offensive scorer on Cov Cath and is very disruptive on defense. His high point guard IQ makes him very effective at managing the team and also likes to push the ball fast. Like Cash, they both appear to love playing defense. He started off slow from the three, but as the season goes on, he will be the 2nd leading scorer on CCH behind Brady. Harney - He is very strong, and has a high motor. His high level AAU experience shows as his confidence level is super high when he is on the court. I love watching him get after it and push the ball and attack the basket. His finishing and shooting will improve over the next couple years and he is going to be a problem for all. Love his defensive intensity. He is fun to watch. I think we have the best trio of guards in the state this year and for years to come. The ability of McGillis and Harney managing the basketball is unmatched and I would be nervous if one of them were not on the floor at all times. Others - CCH has a deep bench Ruthsatz plays great defense and can hit the open 3. He can handle the ball better than most of the others. Plus he has his Dad's trust and that is one of the most important things. To have your Coach's trust. I feel as some of the others do not have his trust and that is why they struggle. Super Sophomores - When I think of the future, I am not sure I think of Gaiser as I had to go back and remember who he was. Donovan Bradshaw and Logan Wermuth are definitely part of that Super Sophomore group with Athens and Cash. If I am missing something with Gaiser, I may need to see him play more, but he has not stood out to me. Bradshaw is playing great and is likely to get more and more minutes as his confidence grows. He has played with McGillis and Harney for years in AAU and understands how both of them work. I saw Wermuth when he was with Beechwood last year and once he gets more comfortable with Ruthsatz, he will be fine as he works his tail off. Stewart - If he focused on playing defense and rebounding he would be fine. But his attitude is hurting him and that is very apparent when he steps on the floor. I am guessing this is part of his issue not getting playing time. I could be wrong. Kruer- He appears to be injured, and I'm not sure where he will fit in. He isn't a guard and not one of the better shooters on the team but he is tough and can rebound. I see his role being similar to Jones last year, where he gets in and bullies players and takes charges. Johnson - I still feel that he can play lock down defense. Not near the shooter as any of the starters but can play a defensive role when needed. Don't look to him to score the ball but he will hustle his butt off. Others: The other players are good players, and will need to find a niche role to get on the floor this year. They have a couple players that can shoot the ball well, and will need to take advantage of those opportunities.

Watched this one online and it was a tough one for the Colonels. Personally, I don't know what the strategy was from the coaches, I give them some blame as their preparation seemed very poor. In tough games it's important to motivate your players, and I see that lacking from the coaches. Although, the players could not get anything going, so they have shared responsibility. Caden Miller was dominated in the inside by the Great Crossing bigs, and offered zero inside presence for the Colonels. This was my preseason concern for Cov Cath. If Miller can't step up in a big way, this is going to be a long season. McGillis is having pre-season shooting woes and can't seem to get it going when his team needs him most. Hussey needs to take more of a vocal leadership role in order for them to be successful. My early prediction was that they lose by 20 to Great Crossing and we were at 15. On to Newport on Saturday, where we will see if they can turn it around. Having Noah Johnson, Cash Harney, and Donovan Bradshaw will be a big help but maybe not much in time for the Newport game as the boys will still be in football shape. Early season woes build strength as they move deep into the season.

Yeah, this one is going to be a tough one for the Colonels. In order to compete they are going to need to hit the three at a high rate, and so far this season that hasn't been the case versus two mediocre teams. This will be a great early season test for them and will prepare them for Newport next week. Here is the only way I see Cov Cath competing or having a chance to win: Hussey, McGillis, and Miller all must have over 20 points each or close to it. FG% has to be near 50% They MUST keep the Offensive Rebounding difference to +10. If Great Crossing out rebounds them offensively by any more than that, they are toast. Limit turnovers this game to under 8. They have had silly turnovers and this can't happen tonight. Defensive rebounding is key to get 2nd chance opportunities, Miller needs to have 15+ rebounds, and Hussey, Stewart, Wurmuth need to each have in the 4-6 range for def. rebounds. Cov Cath needs to play a pressure half court zone, must trap, and try to run as much as possible. 50% or more of their points need to be off of fast break. These are the keys to success for the Colonels. If one of these don't happen above they won't win. If 2 or more don't happen, they will lose by 20+ for the first time in a long time. My two cents!

Great picture. I watched the game online. The Colonels did struggle to get into their flow of offense. Maybe this is a rare one, but their outside shooting was atrocious. The flow of the game in the beginning was stymied because of turnovers. Miller needs to see the passes coming into him and get set before shooting. There were about 4 or 5 passes that hit his hands and he couldn't catch the ball. McGillis and Hussey were not hitting their outside shots which will be needed this season. It took the Colonels most of the first half to be on the same page offensively. It's a new group with Miller after losing a ton of Seniors, so it will take a few games. I don't think McGillis hit one 3-pointer in the game. Hoping Ruthsatz immediately puts Harney and Bradshaw (if he plays defense) in the lineup without making them wait very long. Noah Johnson will also help defensively. They should all get a full weeks of practice in before the Newport game next Saturday. This will be huge as we can add another Tier 1 ball handler to the team. Aside from McGillis, the Colonels struggle managing the basketball. Thursday is going to be a tough one for this crew versus Great Crossing.

Thanks for sharing. I talked to a friend that watched the game and they said Athens a McGillis went off for 35 points. Apparently St.X tried to stop him in the 2nd half but he was able to score 25 in the 1st half and still get 10 in the 2nd to get the win. Looks like McGillis will be the new Ipsaro for them. Cov Cath struggled with offensive rebounding even with Miller. Millet had 4 dunks in the game but not much inside presence. Three games next week for Cov Cath and I think they win two games and Great Crossing pummels them.

Did anyone get out and watch Cov Cath vs. Louisville St. X yesterday? Heard the Colonels won a close one in OT.

Great writeup...thoughts of my own...I also agree with @throwback32 tier rankings. Spot on. Newport: 100% agree with only ONE BALL. I personally don't think the coach will be able to manage everyone's personalities. They are super talented and are very fun to watch. They have definitely brought their AAU mentality and style of play to the HS stage, which is what I love to see. They have a super tough schedule and a lot of traveling to prepare them for going to state. They may have the toughest schedule all around followed by Cov Cath. The goal is to prepare for state. They are gritty and tough. Kinney will have a good year, but is not my pick for MVP of the region. It's great that Newport is adding to the attention and excitement for NKY Basketball! CovCath: This program has been playing tough teams for years like it's their job. Newport is getting all of the hype but CovCath is the consummate professional and has the coaching experience, and they always have kids who are steady and can flat out compete and stay composed. The edge here is Ruthsatz and Fredrick, and they know how to win and coach and get the most out of their kids. CovCath will definitely need to integrate Miller in quickly, but let's not forget, CovCath has two high level guards in McGillis and Harney who have played on the biggest national AAU stages since they started walking and have comparable experience to Kinney. Hussey will be solid just as he has been for the last 3 years and if Miller stays healthy, CovCath will win the 9th Region. I think McGillis ends the year the MVP for CovCath and CovCath wins the region due to coaching experience. Cooper: Yamil will run the show their and Cooper will have some big wins but I don't think they have the team package to take it very far. The coach definitely has CovCath's number which will make that gave a fun one to watch. Yamil is another player with a ton of AAU experience, although all you have to do is get the ball out of Yamil's hands and the team will begin to crumble. They do play hard and will be fun to watch. Yamil will have a great year. Lloyd: I would like to see Lloyd compete as it appears they ramped up their schedule to play some tough teams. EJ Walker has a ton of offers, but I feel as though his interest is "projection" versus actual showing up on the court. I would love to see him dominate and kill it, although I have seen a lot of inconsistency with him over the years, and given his height and shooting ability, he needs to be an in and out players, and I from what I see, he want's to be a stretch player instead. That's great but it's a game of matchups and he has to be able to stake his presence in the middle. I'm not sure Lloyd has enough talent around them and I agree that they are not a threat. If EJ Walker can commit to defense and filling in the Big Man gaps where required, I think he has the best chance of being the MVP. Highlands: I enjoy watching Highlands and their style of play. The 3 point game is transferrable to the next level, similar to Newport and CovCath's style of play. When the 3's aren't falling they will struggle. When you play the likes of Newport and CovCath who can play tough man to man defense, this is where Highlands needs to get better. Also going to be a fun team to watch. @throwback32 analysis is spot on. I think the 9th region this year is going to be a basketball fan's dream and all of the big tournaments in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky will be bringing a lot of well deserved attention and scouts to the region.

Cov Cath hasn't lost by 20+ in the last 5 years that I can remember. They have played some tough teams in KY, IN, and Florida. It's going to be a tough game and you would think by looking at their roster we lose by 20, but we have some seasoned players and the Colonels are gritty as heck and well coached. I'm sticking to 6+.

Curious to what everyone thinks about the top Prep School Teams coming to NKY and playing teams in our region? I'm not sure everyone realizes who is going to be at this tournament and who plays for these prep school teams. A couple notable players that you should all be aware of from our regions: Huntington Prep Darryn Peterson - 6' -5" from Cuyahoga Falls, OH- Ranked No.3 IMG Academy Darius Acuff - IMG Academy- 6'-2" from Detroit, Michigan -24/7 Sports Ranked No. 1 PG Nationally/No. 8 Overall in 2025 Class/ NO. 15 ESPN Kahani Rooths - No. 23 - 6'-8" -ESPN No. 23 - 2024 Class Donovan Freeman - ESPN No. 38 6'7" - 2024 Class La Lumiere Jerry Easter - 6'3" - from Toledo, Ohio - ESPN No. 25 These are the players I am aware of. I had the pleasure of seeing Darius Acuff play, and of the group listed his is the most talented and ferocious player of the group. He's gritty and tough and he is going to give Lloyd a nightmare. Curious to see how EJ Walker steps up in this game. For Huntington Prep vs. Newport, I am not sure who they have that can stop Peterson. They don't have the size to match up against him, so I am assuming they will be doubling him most of the game. This will be a fun one to watch. Cov Cath vs. La Lumiere will also be fun one to watch. They have a big line up at 6'-11", 6'-7", 6'-6", 6'-5", and so on. Caleb Miller is going to have his work cut out for him, and given Cov Cath's size I am not sure how they will figure out ways to match up against them. The colonels are definitely playing a zone. Here are my predictions below: IMG Academy vs. Elder HS - 12/15 - 7pm - IMG Academy by 20+ Newport HS vs. Huntington Prep - 12/15 - 9pm - Huntington Prep by 10+ - Will be a good game Harlan Co. HS vs. DeSales HS - 12/16 - 5pm - DeSales HS by 5+ IMG Academy vs. Lloyd Mem. HS - 12/16 - 7:30pm - IMG Academy by 20+ Kings HS vs. DeSales HS - 12/17 - 12pm - Kings HS in a close one by 3+ Cooper HS vs. Legacy Charter - 12/17 - 2:30pm - Cooper HS by 5+ Centerville HS vs. Moravian Prep - 12/17 - 5pm - Moravian Prep went 31-4 against good teams - Moravian Prep by 15+ Cov Cath HS vs. La Lumiere - 12/17 - 7:30pm - La Lumiere in a good game by 6+ - If Cov Cath has a chance Caden Miller would need to be lights out.

I have had the opportunity to watch Harney over the years and he is a smart player, athletic, experienced, and hustles his tail off on every play. He can get to the lane easy but will need to improve his finishing abilities and will over the next 3 years. He can hit the pull up 15 footer effectively but is not the shooter McGillis is but can hit the 3 if he's left open. He loves the drive and kick and his ability to get to the lane and kick to shooters will be huge this year with McGillis and Hussey on the wings. Lastly, because he is strong and athletic he can play strong full court defense and disrupt the best players on other teams. McGillis and Harney will be the best guard duo in the state beginning this year, and for the next three years. As for the starters, I'm not sure Bradshaw is a lock for starter. 7th or 8th man at best. When he starts to focus on playing defense and rebounding first and figures that's how he stays on the floor, he will be on the right track. I would say Stewart, Ruthsatz, or Noah Johnson has a better chance to start due to their ability to play defense, hustle, and rebound. The no. 5 starter will likely change a few times over the first quarter of the season is my guess. Early season prediction, Cov Cath will win the region and will compete for state this year hands down.

Great response! Makes sense to me!

Naah..just wanted to see if y'all were going to give a top 3 with some logical basis for why. It was apparent that isn't the case. That's OK, I like the scientific method of selection, view stats, head to head, competition, similar to the NBA Player Efficiency Rating (PER). If that were the case, the advertisement for "my guy" would be pretty compelling. There will be a head to head with Ipsaro vs. Sheppard in a couple weeks. We can all come back and do it again after that game. 💪💯

It's over but this is likely representative example of what will happen with the acyual media and coaches voting. You hope it will be more organized. They will vote with their heart, which is fine, using some non-transparent or undocumented criteria to make their selection, ultimately ignoring facts and quantatative statistics. Either way it is for the kids but sports are competitive and so are debates. So it's all good! Good luck to all.

I definitely agree. Reed had a great AAU career but also had top 4 and 5 star players on his team with arguably the best HS coach in Ohio. I think AAU should not be considered. If you look at the matchups Ipsaro has and ho w well he responds against the top teams in the state and in nationally as Cov Cath plays the top teams nationly in Florida every year, Ipsaro hands down. Sheppard is deserving of it and is Kentucky's Favorite Son, but Evan Ipsaro should be Kentucky's Mr. Basketball. 💯💪

The list was in the PrepHoops article that I was referring to. If there are others not on the list add to it.

So I was having a conversation last night with a die hard long time KY HS Basketball fan from Central Kentucky. We started chatting about finalists for 2023 Mr. Basketballl. He is a Sheppard fan like the rest of KY and I was telling him how Cov Cath held him to 1 point outside of a 3 pointer with under a minute left last week and that Ipsaro outshined him in a major way. I proceeded to tell him that Evan Ipsaro is the best player in the state on one of the top teams in the state. After giving him about a 100 examples of why Ipsaro is the best in the State, including getting robbed the MVP of the King of the Bluegrass in 2022, he rebutted with Jacob Meyer and that Reed Sheppard was the only McDonald All American from KY. Crazy enough I came across an article that basically said the same thing (maybe he was quoting the article). Either way, of all the candidates who are the top 3 candidates in everyone's opinion and why? And second, the fact that Reed is a McDonald's All American, mostly due to his performance on a national stage in AAU, is he the best Senior in KY this year? And should it be a foregone conclusion that Reed Sheppard will be 2023 Kentucky Mr Basketball? Is it fair? In my opinion Evan Ipsaro is the top player in the state and is most deserving of it hands down. Thoughts? Here are other considerations from each Region : • First Region • Jack McCune , McCracken County • Second Region: • Gerard Thomas , Henderson County – • Third Region • Brian Griffith , Owensboro Catholic • Fourth Region: • Chappelle Whitney , Warren Central • Fifth Region: • Casey Steadmon , Bethlehem • Sixth Region: • Keith Robinson , PRP • Seventh Region: • Gabe Sisk , Ballard • Eighth Region: • Teagan Moore , Owen County • Ninth Region: • Evan Ipsaro, Covington Catholic • Tenth Region: • Jerone Morton , GRC • Eleventh Region: • Reece Potter , Lexington Catholic – • Twelfth Region: • Cayden Lancaster , Pulaski County • Thirteenth Region: • Reed Sheppard , North Laurel – • Fourteenth Region: • Christian Collins , Breathitt County • Fifteenth Region: • Rylee Samons , Pikeville • Sixteenth Region: • Zack Otis , Bath County

It was apparent that Conner did their homework and watched tape on Cov Cath. Congrats to them and good work on a good win. Their defense was on point and they focused on the key areas that would beat of Cov Cath, which are: Slowing down Ipsaro because you aren't going to stop him. Move the ball quickly to expose Cov Caths often times unorganized Zone matchup defense. Hit shots. Conner did this. Assume that in game adjustments defensively by Cov Cath are few and far between. Ruthsatz sticks with his plan and doesn't really deviate or adjust well always. Make others score aside from Ipsaro Focus on the interior if you have a height advantage. Conner did this well. Hope Cov Cath is missing. This happened. The 9th region is competitive and super fun to watch this year. Although, I do believe Cov Cath will be the victor emerging from the region pretty easy. Why? Experience, the best coaching, and player buy in and believing what it takes to win. Not making excuses but the foul discrepancy was major and it was lopsided against the Colonels. I would much rather lose now versus later in the season. Losses expose weaknesses, which creates an opportunity for Cov Cath to improve. Count on this happening. Great game to Conner.

Cov Cath 32 Olympia 39 Halftime

CovCath will win this win by 10+ if Mr. Everything for CCH get's his open shooters the ball instead of taking contested shots. If not I agree with both assessments that CCH loses a close one. With that said, Ipsaro shoots a very high FG% and hits contested shots at a high rate but let's remember that he doesn't have the luxury of those offensive rebounders that he had last year, to get any 2nd shot opportunities for him and other teammates. The biggest challenge for CCH this year will be exactly that, Ipsaro's ability to get his team involved proactively versus passing when he is in trouble or not hitting his shooters early on the wing. If Ruthsatz can manage this over the course of the year CCH will have a very successful season. With Hussey and the McGillis boys who can all shoot at a high rate and were 9 for 13 collectively last game and 6 for 9 from the 3 versus Simon Kenton, getting them the ball will be the key to success. I heard Ipsaro started out super hot versus Simon Kenton but missed his last 7 or 8 shots when he had other players open. That may be the achilles heal for them. He ended up going 8 for 17, which is almost 50% and pretty good, before being taken out with the rest of the starters in the 3rd because of the blow out. The other concern is Aiden Jones ability to stay out of foul trouble. Given his brute strength, Cov Cath needs him in the game as he makes it very difficult for centers to move him on the block. This game will be a test for CCH early which is a good thing.

Strong list. It appears your list is influenced by some hype. I have watched several of the boys on this list play for the last 6 years and there are a few that you have missed, but I like to see how the cards fall this year and see who will be making some noise. Jayden Johnson is definitely a special talent and the top player on this list, and Cole Edelen is the best lights out scorer on the list. You are missing arguably the best point guard in the state who attends school in Northern Kentucky, and is a transfer from Cincinnati, in Athens McGillis. There are some others on this list such as Cash Harney and Donovan Bradshaw who are both Freshman studs and will be making noise. Several of the boys on your list had the luxury of having some top national players on their AAU team to provide some shade for them, but when it gets back to high school that cover won't be there and we will see what players from this group rises to the top. This is definitely a strong list and looking forward to watching several of these boys this year!

I concur with Kascyl having the name of the year. His brother Athens McGillis who is a Freshman for Cov Cath and should be a major contributor for them this year, might be the name of the year runner up.