Shotwhisperer75

Below is a full 16-region MVP efficiency board using the True Shooting % numbers. No estimates. No fluff. ? Mr. Basketball — Full Efficiency + Production Board ? Tier 1 — ELITE (65%+ TS) Spurlock (Boyd County – RPI #7) 27.8 PPG | 9.0 RPG | 67.6% TS Woodfork High-volume scorer | 67.2% TS McGillis (Cov Cath – RPI #3) 22.9 PPG | 5.2 APG | 55/40/80 splits | 66.0% TS Feldhaus (Madison Central – RPI #2) 20.5 PPG | 65.8% TS Moss 23.8 PPG | 65.5% TS ? This is the true separation tier statistically. ? Tier 2 — VERY STRONG (63–64.9% TS) Phillips — 64.4% Kirk — 63.8% Sparrow — 63.8% Jackson — 63.6% Johnson — 63.0% Davidson — 62.4% High-level Mr. Basketball seasons. Just slightly behind the elite band. ? Tier 3 — GOOD PRODUCTION (58–62% TS) Crane — ~61% Mason — ~60% Harrison — ~59% Ashford — ~59% Caudill — 56.5% Volume is there for some. Efficiency separates them from Tier 1. ? Results When You Apply RPI + Winning Context Now add team RPI to Tier 1: • Madison Central — #2 • Cov Cath — #3 • Boyd County — #7 When you combine: ✔ Elite efficiency (65%+) ✔ Real scoring volume ✔ Team strength (RPI) ✔ Role/impact The true narrowed group becomes: -Spurlock -McGillis -Feldhaus Woodfork and Moss are elite scorers — but don’t have the same RPI leverage. ? Bottom Line If the award is: • Pure scoring dominance → Spurlock • Complete offensive impact + winning → McGillis • Best player on highest RPI team → Feldhaus ? What This Really Means If the award is: • Best scorer in Kentucky → Spurlock • Best all-around offensive engine on elite team → McGillis • Best player on highest RPI team → Feldhaus That’s the clean breakdown. Now here’s the honest truth: -Spurlock has the volume edge. -Feldhaus has the RPI edge. -McGillis has the efficiency + playmaking + team strength combo. And historically? Mr. Basketball often tilts toward: Elite team + elite efficiency + deep March run. Which means.... State titles finish arguments.

Blaackar had a great year — no question. He’s a really good player, even greater young man, and put up strong numbers. That said, context matters. McGillis played roughly 2.5 quarters in the majority of games this season and still averaged 22.8, 5 APG, 3 RPG while running the point for the top team in the State. He wasn’t just scoring — he was the primary decision maker, averaging 5 assists per game and controlling tempo against high-level competition. In the two losses to Top-5 teams (Male and Madison Central), he had 35 & 6 rebounds vs Male and led the team with 20 vs Madison Central.. And that was when others struggled. Those are big-stage performances. I'm happy the award wasn’t diluted with a co-MVP. A few years back Ipsaro was a Co with Jacob Meyer, and I thought the same thing. The scehdule was tougher for CCH, stats didn't tell everything and in my opinion, Ipsaro was the clear winner and should have been the only MVP. Alot of parallels to the 2022-2023 season comparison of those two, as Meyer was the only scorer on that Holy Cross team. He had a great year but like I said, nobody was a better competitor that year than Ipsaro... Statewide! Coaches and writers voted, and there was one MVP. That doesn’t take away from anyone else’s season - but suggesting co-deserving after the vote tends to diminish the one who earned it. Numbers without context can be misleading. Role, schedule, usage, efficiency, and impact on winning all matter. Good debate though. That’s what these boards are for.

Myrick was shooting the lights out. Teaching defenses to not play Zone against him. McGillis with 20 assists in the last 2 games. 10 assists and 8 rebounds in this one. Courtney played great tonight also. If he continued to play big on the boards he could help CCH on the way to Rupp in a big way.

Love Blaackar’s game — he’s talented and fun to watch. But if we’re being honest and looking at real numbers + real competition + real defensive attention, the Region 9 MVP debate isn’t close. SEASON AVERAGES (Last Year): Athens McGillis: ~20 PPG Blaackar: ~15 PPG And Athens put those numbers up while being the defensive focal point for every team — face-guarded, doubled, boxed-and-one, full scouting reports built just to slow him down. Last year at Lloyd, the focal point was EJ, not Blaackar. Completely different defensive treatment. Now look at the games that actually matter — the ones that decide seeding, reputation, and who steps up under pressure: HEAD-TO-HEAD vs Cov Cath (Last 2 years): Athens: 23 last year, 32 the year before Blaackar: 4 points vs Cov Cath last year VS GREAT CROSSING: Athens: 28 and 21 Blaackar: 4 points VS COOPER (9th Region postseason): Athens: 29 Blaackar: 6 These aren’t opinions — these are region-defining games. Athens dominated every single one. STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Cov Cath plays one of the toughest schedules in Kentucky. Lloyd absolutely does not see that level of competition. Stats only matter when they’re earned against real competition. DEFENSIVE ATTENTION: Here’s where the comparison really breaks: If Blaackar gets the same defensive attention Athens has gotten his whole life, he’s not responding the way people think he will. Athens has been game-planned for since middle school — and still averaged 20 a night. That’s impact that translates everywhere. So when you compare: Season averages Strength of schedule Defensive attention Production in big games Head-to-head matchups Postseason performance AAU résumé Leadership & intangibles It’s not close. This isn’t about emotion — it’s about basketball.If Region 9 MVP is based on facts, the answer is: Athens McGillis. Is 9th MVP

Do you have the Stat line? Who played well for Cov Cath?

I had the opportunity to watch this one online. The disparity in foul calls was huge in this one for Cooper and when you can stop and pause the video you can easily see the poor reffing of the game. At the end of the day, you can't blame the refs for the loss as Cov Cath had plenty of opportunities to pull this one out. What was clear to me was watching Cov Cath's Big 3 really struggle. Bradshaw couldn't buy an open bucket, and McGillis and Harney were being aggressive but didn't shoot very well from the field. Between the 3 of them, they were 21 for 54. It appeared Harney was given 5 or more points that Stava hit, and he ended up with 22 points and not 29 as they have posted. Sorry Stava. What is more concerning for me and Cov Cath is their lack of running an offense that helps their Big 3. It was high ball screens and one on one over and over. Any coach watching Cov Cath, can develop a game plan to make it tough for Cov Cath to win. In OT Harney had several pull up 3's in transition without zero passes, and McGillis had a couple that he typically hits, but still nothing was being ran on Offense to put them in a position to win. They had 5 players who scored, and zero points from their bench. Huge problem. I enjoy watching the Colonels run and gun but this will not get them deep in the Regionals IMO. I'm hoping Thelen figures this out and gets these boys more disciplined, because as of late it's looking like a free for all. One guard shoots, the next guard goes down and shoots, and repeat. Cov Cath is the better team, although they didn't shoot the ball well and are struggling as a "team" right now. Hopefully they figure it out.

Great analysis. I have waited for EJ to play like that for the last 4 years. He finally used his body and frame to score and if they would have given it to him more in the post I am not sure Cov Cath would have had an answer to it. He was fatigued and he will need to remedy that before going to South Carolina. The Colonels definitely have the best back court in NKY Greater Cincinnati. Although they drop off a lot after the Big 3 pretty significantly outside of the grittiness and hustle of Ruthsatz. Their guards, the rest of the roster struggle to manage the ball under pressure. Against Lloyd their bench did come up big and quite honestly that was the first time all year IMO. I hope they could do it more. I did notice that McGillis only touched and shot the ball 3 times in the 4th quarter. I'm not sure if this was by design and I think they are lucky it worked. He was on fire in the 3rd and then he scored early in the 4th and never got the ball back. Harney had 4 pts going into the 4th and helped win it at the charity stripe but I'm not sure I would allow my top scorer to cool off and stand away from the ball. I agree McGillis is a walking bucket and the most talented player on the team and he appeared frustrated. It appears sometimes that the ball seems to stick sometimes in the other guards hands. In order to continue to be successful Coach Thelen must make the boys aware of the pecking order. Basketball and sports in general is not an equal opportunity sport. Both Harney and McGillis have played high level AAU their whole life. They have experience with pressure moments and big time basketball. They need to have the ball and the other players must always be looking for them. My two cents. A couple of strong wins for the Colonels this weekend. Congrats.

All decent points but the optics aren't great. You can ask a few questions. 1. Is he the 6th man on the team? No he is the top 2 or 3 players on the team. So no question he is on the floor. 2. Is he at position that is critical for success of the team. Yes, he is the only Forward on the entire team. And leading the team in Rebounds. 3. Is he a star leader? Yes he is leading the team in Rebounds and top 3 in ppg. Also leading in FG%. Maybe he isn't working hard in practice? Grades? Not a great teammate? Sure there are other intangibles but I would say he probably checks the boxes in these areas. Hands down he should be a starter and in at the end of the games.

The tireless trio for Cov Cath continue to do their thing! From the highlights it looked like a fun one to watch. I heard from a friend at the game that Donovan Bradshaw is still not in the starting lineup? Is there any reason for that as it looks like he is the top 2 or 3 players on the team and their only height on the team? Curious what the strategy is or if anyone knows.

In the couple scrimmages and game I watched versus Lex Cath, Thelen runs a similar type of offense but I haven't seen him run as many sets that Ruthsatz has ran in the past. Harney and McGillis can get points on their own but against strong teams who are big, physical, and can play defense, the ISO play will only go so far and effective sets will be needed. I have also seen a huge drop off like last year in Guards able to handle pressure outside of Harney and McGillis. The other guards struggle to manage the basketball under pressure and their IQ isn't there which will create an issue later in the season due to minute load management for those two. I believe both Harney and McGillis play the majority of the game at a high intensity. Personally I'm not sure they can sustain those amount of minutes over the long hall but we will see. When the pressure turns up McGillis is the only true PG able to handle it just like last year. I have also seen many players have the green light to shoot the three or other shots without discipline. Thelen is new, and I would say under Ruthsatz if you didn't hit 3s consistently in practice you were definitely not shooting them in games. I think this will also change over the course of the season. Harney and McGillis are creating a lot of shots for themselves and the team needs to understand the hierarchy and get them the ball when they are open. I felt like this was a must in the Ruthsatz System and isn't happening with Thelen yet. Lastly, Bradshaw has experience playing with Harney and McGillis and Cov Cath needs to quickly maximize this chemistry and start Bradshaw. They all play so well together and this will be the big 3 that will help them win Regionals. Plus he is the only true size on the team and he is averaging 8 RPG only playing 60% of the game. In short, Thelen isn't as meticulous yet as Ruthsatz was but has a different approach and rapport with his players that hypes his players up and gives them confidence. Thelen will only continue to get better as the season goes on and I think the Colonels will only get better and better as the season ticks along. Although small, they are scrappy and will cause a lot of team's problems.

Would have to disagree as Jeremiah being the best on the court as McGillis for Cov Cath ended up with 33 and didn't have any supporting cast like Jeremiah did. 5 of Cov Cathy's top 8 players are still playing football which made it tough. McGillis was guarded full court and was double and triple teamed the entire game. Although I will say Jeremiah played great and shot the ball well. He is definitely going to be a force in the state this year. I was very impressed with how well he shot the 3.

Looking forward to the scrimmages at Simon Kenton this weekend. I have the Colonels winning the Region this year. Newport losing Kinney sealed their fate. I think the Cov Cath guards in McGillis, Harney, and Ruthsatz is going to be too hard to deal with. Lots of fire power coming from this trio! Who are the other players not on this Top 10 list that we should be watching for this year? What team on this list will surprise everyone the most?

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.