5thregionbasketball

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The last rankings as we head into post-season play tonight. I looked more this week at overall season instead of week-to-week. 1. Larue County (22-6) 2. John Hardin (20-9) 3. Taylor County (18-10) 4. Campbellsville (20-9) 5. Central Hardin (16-9) 6. Bardstown (14-11) 7. Thomas Nelson (17-11) 8. Adair County (18-11) 9. Green County (14-12) 10. Bethlehem (14-13) 11. Elizabethtown (13-12) 12. Washington County (11-15) 13. Caverna (11-16) 14. Hart County (10-16) 15. Nelson County (7-22) 16. Marion County (3-24) 17. Fort Knox (2-21) 18. North Hardin (9-16) A few things…Larue, John Hardin & Campbellsville all get to the 20-win mark to close out the regular season. Central Hardin is playing as well as anyone in the region right now. Brett Decker is a machine scoring 40 & 36 points in two of his last 3 games. Bardstown’s record won’t show how good they actually are. They’ve played the toughest schedule in the region. Finally, North Hardin…I’m not sure there is a more disappointing way for their season to end than it has. They were talked about in the pre-season as a region contender. The season has had its shares of ups and downs and at moments they looked like the team that many thought they would be. Then other moments they looked completely unmotivated and lost. The situation on Friday night was as ugly as it gets for a basketball program. If that culture is going to change, it has to be changed at the top of the program and work down. It won’t happen overnight, it’s a process but it’s a process that has to start soon. District Tournament Predictions 17th District- John Hardin/Fort Knox- Fort Knox gets to move onto the semi-finals to play John Hardin due to North Hardin having their season ended. John Hardin defeated Ft. Knox by 51 in their only regular season matchup. This should be more of the same. Central Hardin/Elizabethtown- This should be an absolute war and a great game to watch. Decker is playing great, but so is Murphy. Central is the hotter of the two teams right now. But only 5 points have separated these two teams in two games. Central won by 3 and then E-town by 2. I’ll take Central. 17th District winner-John Hardin, Runner-up-Central Hardin 18th District Larue/Caverna- Larue has beaten Caverna twice in the regular season, winning easily both games, most recently by 40 points. Larue also finally has a fully healthy team. Larue should advance to the district finals. Green/Hart- This is an interesting game. On the one hand, Green has consistently been in the top 10-12 teams in the region and Hart has been consistently toward the bottom. Hart is playing well to end the season though and they recently defeated Green. I think Green’s experience here ultimately wins this game and then they fall to Larue in the finals. 18th District Winner- Larue County, Runner-up- Green County 19th District Washington/Nelson County- Washington should win the 4/5 play-in game. Hughes has returned to the lineup for the Commanders. He doesn’t look 100% yet but he should be enough to elevate the Commanders over Nelson. Washington/Bardstown- If Washington wins, their prize will be to play Bardstown. Washington had a marquee win over Bardstown early in the season, but they haven’t played nearly as well since then. The caveat is whether Bardstown will have their full team. I haven’t heard yet if there are any suspensions, but I strongly expect Riley, Bowling & Bell to be out. If that’s the case, this game could be very close. Thomas Nelson/Bethlehem- Thomas Nelson’s shooting should be enough to catapult them to the win. They split the regular season but Thomas Nelson’s win in the second game felt like a statement win to the district that they weren’t going anywhere. I like Thomas Nelson on their home court to win this one. Thomas Nelson/Bardstown- If my predictions pan out, this is the final. If Bardstown players are suspended for more than 1 game, I like Thomas Nelson to capture their first district championship. 19th District Champion- Thomas Nelson, Runner-up- Bardstown 20th District Taylor/Marion- Marion has struggled all year. Taylor is playing well and peaking at the right time. I’ll take the Cardinals in this one to move on to the finals. Adair/Campbellsville- Campbellsville has the home court advantage here. They split the regular season series. The Eagles have won 8 of their last 9 games that includes a win over the Indians. The Indians dropped a disappointing game to Hart to end the regular season. I’ll take the Eagles. 20th District Champions- Taylor County, Runner-up- Campbellsville

If this had been an isolated incident, it would be bad enough, but the whole last 2 minutes of this game is just awful. Cofer (head coach) gets a technical foul, after North leaves their bench coming out of a timeout, North players try and get in the Bardstown huddle and teams have to be separated and then the fight that took place. I'm not sure if KHSAA has ruled on Bardstown players. I could potentially see 2, maybe 3 players being suspended. I was told that the decision to shut down the season came from Hardin County schools, not KHSAA. Not saying that the outcome would have been any different, but appears to me that HCS wasn't waiting for Lexington.

Heading into the last week of the season, things aren’t really much clearer in the 5th Region than they were when the season first began. There are about 7 or 8 teams if the regional draw is favorable, who could potentially win the region. 1. John Hardin 18-8 (LW:2) John goes 2-1 on the week and reclaims the number one spot in the rankings. They lost by 8 to Evangel early in the week but bounced back to defeat Bardstown, and then a much closer game against Caverna than I’m sure was expected. 2. Campbellsville- 19-8 (LW:3) Campbellsville moves up one spot the to the number 2 spot this week after going 3-0 and extending their winning streak to 7 games. Their wins this week over Nelson, Mercer and Warren East were won by an average of 14 points a game. The Eagles haven’t lost since their loss to Harlan in the first round of the All-A State Tournament. 3. Larue County- 19-6 (LW:1) Larue had a tough week and the Hawks dropped 2 out of 3 this week. They had a 40-point win against Caverna that locks up the number 1 seed in the 18th district for them, but that win was sandwiched in between 2 double digit losses to Elizabethtown and Taylor Co. 4. Taylor County 15-10 (LW:5) The Cardinals will be the number one seed in the 20th district. They go 2-1 on the week after a 6-point loss to Garrard County, they rebounded well with a win against Bardstown & then a 13 point when against Marion County. 5. Bardstown 13-10 (LW:4) Bardstown drops one spot this week after going 1-2 this week. While the win-loss record isn’t the most impressive, Bardstown has more than likely played the strongest schedule of any 5th Region team this season which should serve them well heading into the postseason. Playing teams like George Rogers Clark this late in the season can only help them as they prepare for the 19th district and 5th Region tournaments. 6. Thomas Nelson 15-10 (LW:6) Thomas Nelson holds at number 6, mainly due to Campbellsville and Taylor having good weeks and previously being above them in the rankings. Thomas Nelson went 3-0 with 2 wins against Cloverport & Fort Knox but also a big win against Washington County that locks up the #2 seed in the 19th district. Thomas Nelson is shooting the ball like crazy right now and if they continue this shooting into the postseason, they will be a tough out for whoever they draw. 7. Central Hardin 15-8 (LW: 9) The Bruins move up 2 spots this week and had 2 big wins against Meade & Green County. While Meade County is undermanned this season, the 29-point win against Green could have been much worse and felt like it was even more lopsided. Brett Decker set the single-game scoring record for the boys with 41 points against Green. The Bruins are peaking at just the right time. 8. Elizabethtown 13-9 (LW:8) The Panthers went 1-1 last week, playing at the time the #1 & 2 team in the region in John Hardin & Larue. The Panthers fell to John Hardin but then beat Larue by 9 in a game that they absolutely dominated. 9. Adair County 15-10 (LW: 7) Adair County drops 2 out of 3 games this week but they win the one game they needed, which was against Marion County. The win against Marion keeps them out of the #4 seed. The Indians have got to get solid play from Loy & Janes from here on out if they are going to be able to make a run in the postseason. 10. North Hardin 9-14 (LW: 12) The Trojans win 2 out of 3 and seem this week snapping a 4-game skid. The Trojans beat Marion & Adair County after losing by 19 to Spencer County. 11. Green County 12-11 (LW: 10) The Dragons drop out of the top 10 for the first time in several weeks. The Dragons had a 3-game winning streak snapped, losing to district rival Hart County and then lost 2 more to Cumberland County and an absolute beatdown by Central Hardin. The Dragons right the ship with a win against Nelson to end the week. 12. Caverna 11-14 (LW:11) Caverna drops one spot in the rankings this week. They went 1-2 on the week that included a 40-point drubbing from Larue County, but then they played John Hardin to within 12 points the next night. Caverna is young and if they are thinking about anything past the district tournament, guys are going to have to grow up quickly. 13. Bethlehem 10-13 (LW: 14) Bethlehem goes 1-1 this week, with their most notable game being a win against Washington County. That win will place them as the #3 seed in the district and keep them out of the 4/5 play-in game. 14. Washington County 9-14 (LW:13) The Commanders haven’t won since January 21st. They were 9-7 then and looking like a real threat to Bardstown’s 19th district dominance. Jakobie Hughes got hurt and they have since lost 7 in a row. Hughes returned last week but he’s not back to 100% (or at least doesn’t appear to be.) Washington County dropped 2 district games last week and will now be in the 4/5 play-in game for the 19th district tournament. 15. Hart County 7-16 (LW16) Hart goes 2-0 last week and defeats district opponent Green County. The significance of that win means that they will be the 3 seed in their district, they’ll face Green County again and they avoid having to play Larue County. Hart’s chances at making the region just got significantly better. 16. Nelson County 6-20 (LW: 15) The Cards go 1-3 on the week, winning over Whitefield Academy, but losing to region foes Campbellsville & Green County. 17. Marion County 3-21 (LW: 17) I can’t imagine that there is a team that has had a more disappointing season than the Marion County Knights. Touted as a possible region contender at the beginning of the season, this season has been nothing short of abysmal. The Knights go 0-3 on the week, losing to North Hardin, Adair & Taylor County. They start this week off against border rival Washington County. 18. Fort Knox 0-19 (LW: 18) More of the same for Fort Knox. It’s been a long season for Kip Rambo. You have to go back to Feb. 21st of 2020 for the last win by Fort Knox. (They didn’t play in the 2020/21 season. ) The Golden Eagles are now on a 21-game losing streak. They have 3 winnable games this week against Cloverport, Highland Latin, and Whitefield Academy. Logan County and Red Bird are the only other 2 teams in the state without a win.

Not much surrounding him, and probably believing too much of their own hype. Although I will say they are the best 2 or 3 win team that I think I've ever seen.

Team Last Week Rankings Last Week Games Games This Week 1. Larue County (18-4) 1 3-0 Wins: at Hart, at Bullitt Central, Washington Co. 2/8- at Elizabethtown 2/10- Caverna 2/11- Taylor Co. 2. John Hardin (16-7) 2 1-1 Wins: Elizabethtown Loss: at George Rogers Clark 2/8- Evangel Christian 2/10-Bardstown 2/11-at Caverna 3. Campbellsville (16-8) 4 3-0 Wins: at Marion, at Adair, North Bullitt (at Larue) 2/8- Mercer Co. 2/11- Nelson Co. 2/12- Warren East 4. Bardstown (12-8) 3 0-1 Loss- at Warren Central 2/7-Elizabethtown 2/10- at John Hardin 2/12- at George Rogers Clark 5. Taylor County (13-9) 5 2-0 Wins: Adair, at East Jessamine 2/8- at Garrad 2/11- at Larue 2/12- Marion 6. Thomas Nelson (12-8) 6 0-2 Losses: at Scott, Owensboro Cath. (at Warren Central) 2/9- Fort Knox 2/10- Washington Co. 2/11-at Cloverport 7. Adair County (13-8) 7 1-2 Wins: at Berea Losses: at Taylor, Campbellsville 2/7- at Southwestern 2/8- Marion Co. 2/11- at Russell Co. 2/12- North Hardin 8. Elizabethtown (12-8) 8 0-1 Loss: at John Hardin 2/7- at Bardstown 2/8- Larue Co. 9. Central Hardin (13-7) 9 1-0 Wins: Fort Knox 2/8- Meade Co. 2/10- Woodford Co. 2/11- Green Co. 10. Green County (11-8) 10 1-0 Wins: Casey Co. 2/8- at Hart Co. 2/10- Cumberland Co. 2/11- at Central Hardin 2/12- Nelson Co. 11. Caverna (10-12) 13 1-0 Wins: Washington Co. 2/8- Somerset Christian 2/10- at Larue Co. 2/11- at John Hardin 12. North Hardin (7-13) 12 0-1 Loss: Evangel Christian 2/8- Spencer Co. 2/11- Marion Co. 2/12- at Adair Co. 13. Washington County (9-12) 11 0-3 Losses: Caverna, Bethlehem, at Larue Co. 2/8- at Bethlehem 2/10 at Thomas Nelson 2/12- at Mercer Co. 14. Bethlehem (9-12) 14 1-1 Wins: at Washington Co. Loss: at Daviess Co. 2/8- Washington Co. 2/12- Trinity (Whitesville) 15. Nelson County (5-17) 15 1-1 Win: at Hart Co. Loss: Marion Co. 2/7- Whitefield Academy 2/11-at Campbellsville 2/12- at Green Co. 16. Hart County (5-16) 16 0-2 Losses: at Larue, at Nelson 2/7- Fort Knox 2/8- Green Co. 17. Marion County (3-18) 17 1-1 Win: at Nelson Loss: Campbellsville 2/8- at Adair Co. 2/11- at North Hardin 2/12- at Taylor Co. 18. Fort Knox (0-15) 18 0-1 Loss: at Central Hardin 2/7- at Hart Co. 2/9- at Thomas Nelson 2/11- at Valley 2/12- at Beth Haven -Larue keeps winning. Almost to that coveted 20-win mark. Games against Etown & Taylor County should define where all 3 of those teams stand. -Bardstown drops a spot this week with a tough loss against 4th region powerhouse Warren Central. They have a tough schedule this week, but with that comes the opportunity to prove that there record is more of an indication of a tough schedule. -Elizabethtown loses a tough game last week against John Hardin. 2 more tough games this week against Bardstown and Larue Co. Etown is going to make the 17th district tournament interesting. -Washington County continues to slide without Kobie Hughes. Hughes is proving to be the difference maker for Washington County and without him, winning games is proving to be very difficult.

Very few changes in rankings this week. 1-8 remain the same, Central Hardin and Green County swap spots to round out the top 10. If the weather cooperates, this week should nail down district seedings for everyone. Ranki-ng Team Last Week Ranking & Records Last Week Games Upcoming Games This Week 1. Larue County (15-4) 1 (2-0) Wins: Thomas Nelson, Grayson Co. Hart Co. Caverna, Bullitt Central, Washington Co. 2. John Hardin (15-6) 2 (1-0) Wins: Fort Knox Etown, CAL, George Rogers Clark 3. Bardstown (12-7) 3 (2-1) Wins: Bethlehem, Nelson. Co. Losses: St. X Etown, Bullitt East 4. Campbellsville (13-8) 4 (1-1) Wins: Taylor Losses: Harlan Marion Co. Adair Co., North Bullitt 5. Taylor County (11-8) 5 (1-1) Wins: Hart Co. Loss: Campbellsville Adair Co. Marion Co. East Jessamine 6. Thomas Nelson (12-6) 6 (No Games) Scott Washington Co. Red Bird 7, Adair County (12-6) 7 (1-0) Wins: Casey County Taylor Co. Campbellsville Berea 8. Elizabethtown (12-7) 8 (2-0) Wins: North Hardin, Ft. Knox John Hardin Bardstown Grayson Co. 9. Central Hardin (12-8) 10 (2-0) Wins: Edmonson Co. North Hardin Fort Knox 10. Green County (10-8) 9 (1-0) Wins: Glasgow Casey Co. Hart Co. 11. Washington County (9-9) 11 (0-1) Loss: Spencer County Caverna Bethlehem Thomas Nelson Larue Co. 12. North Hardin (7-12) 12 (0-2) Losses: Central Hardin, Etown Evangel Christian Eastern 13. Caverna (9-12) 14 (2-1) Wins: Hart Co. Christian Ed. Consortium. Losses: Nelson Co. Washington Co. Larue Co. 14. Bethlehem (8-11) 13 (0-2) Losses: Bardstown, Marion Co. Washington Co. Daviess Co. 15. Nelson Co. (4-17) 16 (1-1) Win: Caverna Loss: Bardstown Hart Co. Whitefield Acad. 16. Hart Co. (5-14) 15 (0-2) Losses: Caverna, Taylor Co. Larue Co. Nelson Co. Green Co. 17. Marion Co. (1-0) 17 (1-0) Wins: Bethlehem Campbellsville, Taylor Co. Male 18. Fort Knox (0-14) 18 (0-2) Losses: Etown, John Hardin Central Hardin, KCD,

Team Games This Week 1, Larue County 14-4 Grayson County, Green County 2. John Hardin 14-6 Ft. Knox, Elizabethtown 3. Bardstown 10-6 Bethlehem, Nelson Co., St. X 4. Campbellsville 12-7 Harlan Co. (All A) Taylor? 5. Taylor County 10-8 Hart Co. Campbellsville? 6. Thomas Nelson 12-6 Washington County 7. Adair County 11-6 Casey Co. Marion Co. Somerset 8. Elizabethtown 10-7 North Hardin, John Hardin, Ft. Knox 9. Green County 9-8 Glasgow, Larue Co. Nelson Co. 10. Central Hardin 10-7 Edmonson Co. North Hardin, Bullitt Central 11. Washington County 9-8 Spencer Co. Thomas Nelson 12. North Hardin 7-10 Elizabethtown Central Hardin 13. Bethlehem 8-9 Bardstown, Caverna 14. Caverna 7-11 Hart Co. Nelson Co. Bethlehem, Christian Ed. Consortium. 15. Hart County 5-12 Caverna, Taylor Co. North Bullitt 16. Nelson County 3-15 Shawnee, Caverna, Bardstown, Green Co. 17. Marion County 1-17 Edmonson Co. Adair Co. 18. Fort Knox 0-12 Portland Christian, John Hardin, Elizabethtown Big week for district matchups this week. The 17th district could pretty well be decided by the end of the week. John Hardin has a chance to lock-up the #1 seed. Etown has a chance to improve it’s seeding if they could win all three of their games and the Central/North game could go either way and will either help Central to the two seed or drop them to the three and possibly the fourth seed. 18th District sees what should be the 1 & 2 seed face off in Larue and Green. The Hart/Caverna game will determine who plays Larue in the first round. Hart has an early season win over Caverna at Hart County. 19th District- Bardstown should lock up the #1 seed this week. The Thomas Nelson/Washington County game should be a fun one. It will determine who should be the 2 and 3 seeds. Thomas Nelson defeated Washington County a few weeks ago in overtime at Washington. 20th District- Somethings could be settled this week but will really depend on how well Campbellsville does at the All A State Tournament. They are scheduled to play Taylor County on Friday. If that game happens and Taylor wins, they should lock up the #1 seed. The Adair/Marion game could also be a fun game. Marion may be the best 1-win team ever. They seem to be in a lot of games, they just have to get some more help for James Jewell.

The reliable game day staff and the cost is the biggest issue for me. Some schools are barely covering expenses for sports as is. I understand the cost is probably a one-time up front cost and then just replacing after however many years but that could be a significant cost that some schools, especially those smaller and in rural areas just couldn't handle. And game day staff is a biggie. I almost think you'd need to certify clock keepers so that they at least have an understanding of the rules for the shot clock. If you have to certify them, does that just become another game official that is assigned and paid?

Bluegrass Preps Week 6, 5th Region Review & Rankings Lots of games changed due to the inclement weather but every team but one played at least one game. Spots 12-18 saw no change in the rankings from last week, although Bethlehem came up with a nice district win against Nelson County and North Hardin is playing better basketball and hopefully trending in the right direction. However, there is lots of change in the top eleven spots of the region, including the number 1 spot. 1. John Hardin 9-5 (LW: 2) The Bulldogs recapture the number one spot in the region as they go 2-0 last week with an 11-point overtime win against Central Hardin which should make it easier for them to be the number 1 seed in the district, and then a 10-point win against Taylor County in the 2A Sectional. They go head-to-head with #2 Larue County tonight (Monday, 1/10) in the 2A Sectional Championship game. 2. Larue County 10-3 (LW:1) Larue loses their top spot but will have a chance to reclaim that spot as they face off against number 1 John Hardin on Monday 1/10. The Hawks went 1-1 on the week with a loss to Iroquois and then a win over #17 Marion County. Cutter Boley had 13 and 20 points respectively in those two games. 3. Adair County 9-4 (LW: 6) The Indians move back into the top five this week, thanks in part to some losing by other teams but also by going 2-0 in their own games. Adair punched their ticket to the 2A State Tournament by beating Warren East by twenty-four and then a 5-point win over Franklin-Simpson. Connor Loy and Luke Janes were in double digits in both games. Lucas Pooler added 18 in the game against Franklin-Simpson 4. Bardstown 6-5 (LW: 3) Bardstown drops one spot this week. They played one game, a 2-point loss to Christian Academy of Louisville. Andrew Mason had an impressive performance with 33 points. The Tigers are on a 4-game losing streak. They travel to Collins and then host East Jessamine this week. 5. Taylor County 8-7 (LW: 4) Taylor County also drops one spot this week and rounds out the top five. They dropped two games this week. A one-point loss to Glasgow and then a 10-point loss to John Hardin. Taylor County hosts Thomas Nelson and then travels to Allen County-Scottsville. 6. Campbellsville 8-6 (LW: 😎 Campbellsville moves up two spots this week after winning their lone game of the week against Caverna. The Eagles will be playing in the Class A this week. They meet Bethlehem tonight in the first round. The winner will move onto the semi-finals against Green County on Wednesday night. 7. Elizabethtown 8-6 (LW: 11) The Panthers have been moving in the right direction since starting off 0-5. Now 8-6, they crack the top ten for the first time this season. Etown had an 18-point win over Marion and a 24-point win over Meade County last week. This is an important week for the Panthers to show that they belong in the top ten, as well as determining their post-season seed in the 17th district as they face off against North Hardin and Central Hardin. 8. Green County 8-7 (LW: 5) Green County falls out of the top five after a 7-point loss to Metcalfe County last week. The Dragons await the winner of Campbellsville/Bethlehem in the semi-finals of the All A Classic. 9. Thomas Nelson 9-4 (LW: 10) The Generals go 2-1 this week and move up one spot in the top ten. They got thumped early in the week by a particularly good Franklin County team. They picked up a COVID win against North Hardin Christian and then won an overtime thriller against district rival Washington County. Braden Smith had fifteen points in the win against Washington County. 10. Central Hardin 8-5 (LW: 9) Central goes 1-1 this past week and drops one spot in the rankings. This Bruins ballclub seems to be just one or two big plays away from really getting things going in the right direction. But they seem to have a tough time putting 4 quarters together in games that matter. They’ll get a chance to right that this week. They travel to South Oldham for what should be a winnable game, then they host district rival Etown and then travel on Saturday to play highly ranked Pulaski County. 11. Washington County 6-5 (LW:7) The Commanders fall just outside the top ten this week after losing in overtime to Thomas Nelson. Washington County seems to be similar to Central Hardin in terms of consistency and momentum. They play Fort Knox in the first round of the All A Classic and should move on to play Caverna on Wednesday night. Those are two winnable games that should have the Commanders playing for an All A Regional Championship. 12. Bethlehem 6-6 (LW: 12) Games Last Week: Nelson County (W) Upcoming Games: Campbellsville 1/10, Adair 1/14 13. Caverna 7-8 (LW: 13) Games Last Week: Campbellsville (L) Upcoming Games: Washington County or Ft. Knox 1/11, Eminence 1/15 14. North Hardin 5-7 (LW: 14) Games Last Week: Hart County (W) Upcoming Games: Etown 1/11, Breckinridge County 1/14 15. Hart County 3-10 (LW: 15) Games Last week: Franklin Simpson (L), North Hardin (L) Upcoming Games: Edmonson County 1/10, Marion County 1/11, Larue County 1/14 16. Nelson County 2-12 (LW: 16) Games Last Week: CAL (L) Breckinridge County (L) Bethlehem (L) Upcoming Games: Nicholas County 1/12, Thomas Nelson 1/14 17. Marion County 1-15 (LW: 17) Games Last Week: Etown (L), Larue County (L) Upcoming Games: Hart County, 1/11, North Bullitt 1/13 18. Fort Knox 0-7 (LW: 18) No Games Last Week (Haven’t played since Dec. 21st) Upcoming Games: Washington County 1/10, Louisville Collegiate 1/15

For the All A tournament coaches submit who they would like to have as officials. They submit 3 names. From the list of names that are submitted to the assignor, names are submitted to the All A organizers. The All A organizers select the officials. They usually take the name that the assignor submits. The KHSAA has no input in the selection of officials for the All A tournament since it's not a recognized KHSAA event.

A few changes in the rankings this week, including the top spot. 1. Larue County (9-2) (LW-2) The Hawks move into the top spot this week after capturing the crown in the Magnolia Bank Holiday Classic that they hosted. They went 3-0 through the week and have won 4-straight. 2. John Hardin (8-5) (LW-5) The Bulldogs move back up into the number 2 spot after a nice week, going 3-0, dropping Louisville Moore and an impressive win against Boyle County. Their 3rd win was a COVID RPI win. 3. Bardstown (6-4) (LW-1) Bardstown drops to its lowest spot in the rankings this season. They lost 3 in a row while visiting Lexington Catholic. Bryce Riley averaged just over 15 points a game in the 3 losses. 4. Taylor County (8-5) (LW-3) Taylor also drops one spot as it goes 1-2 this past week. A loss to Marshall County opened their post-Christmas tournament, followed by an overtime loss to Washington County and then an overtime win against Scott County. Taylor travels to Glasgow and then hosts John Hardin on Friday. 5. Green County (8-6) (LW-7) Green moves up the rankings this week after a nice 2-1 week. Their lone loss this week was to Todd County Central by 10, the Dragons followed that with a 30-point win against Montgomery Central of Cunningham TN. 6. Adair County (7-4) (LW-4) The Indians go 1-2 over the last week after having a week off. The lowlight of the week was a 23-point loss to Danville. The Indians rebounded nicely with a 5-point win against Monroe County. 7. Washington County (6-4) (LW-6) Stevie Woodson’s Commanders drop one spot this week with a 1-2 week. They dropped their first game of the week to Madison Southern, came back for an overtime win against Taylor County and then dropped an 8-point decision to Campbellsville. 8. Campbellsville (7-6) (LW-8) The Eagles hold steady at number 8 but are building momentum and could easily jump up a few spots over the next few weeks. Their 8-point win against Washington County was highlighted by Jay Milburn who had 23 points and 11 rebounds. 9. Central Hardin (7-4) (LW-9) The Bruins hold onto a top 10 spot going 2-1 in Gatlinburg after being off the week before. The Bruins have a full week, playing Barren County, John Hardin, North Hardin & Washington County this week. 10. Thomas Nelson (7-3) (LW-10) The Generals round out the top 10 again this week, after going 2-0 in the last week. With double digit wins in both of their games, they’ll look to keep that momentum rolling as they hit the hardwood 3 times next week. 11. Elizabethtown (6-6) (LW-11) The Panthers are just barely on the outside looking in on the top 10. After dropping the first 5 games of the year, they are winners of 6 of their last 7 games and will get to test how much they’ve improved when they face Warren Central on Saturday. 12. Bethlehem (5-6) (LW-12) The Eagles will look to come out well rested as they haven’t played a game since Dec. 22 and won’t play until January 7th. Will they have plenty of energy or play a little rusty? 13. Caverna (7-7) (LW-15) The Colonels move up 2 spots after going 3-0 this week. They’ll have a chance to improve on that as they play Campbellsville and district rival Hart County this week. 14. North Hardin (4-7) (LW-13) The Trojans have been off since the 22nd of December. They’ll jump back into action on Tuesday night as they travel to Hart County. The Trojans need to get momentum going in January early, and hopefully they’ll be able to live up to the pre-season hype. 15. Hart County (3-8) (LW- 14) The Raiders move down one spot after a 1-2 showing at the Henry County Invitational. Hart faces off against Franklin Simpson in the 2A sectional on Sunday, and then host North Hardin on Tuesday. These are games that the Raiders need to be competitive in. 16. Nelson County (2-9) (LW-16) Nelson County goes 1-2 at Larue County this past week, with their 2nd win of the year coming against winless Logan County. Their big game of the week will come on Friday night when they play district rival Bethlehem. 17. Marion County (1-13) (LW-17) Marion finally gets its first win of the year against Hancock County by 5. They had a 9-point loss to Boyle earlier in the week that seemed much closer than 9 points. Hopefully the Knights can start putting some W’s together and maybe we will catch a glimpse of how good James Jewell can be. 18. Fort Knox (0-7) (LW-18) The Golden Eagles didn’t play any games this week. They aren’t scheduled to return to the court until next Saturday. Hopefully the 18-day layoff will bring the Eagles back to the court well-rested and healthy and a bit more competitive.

Very little change in the rankings this week with Christmas tournaments taking place and most teams playing out of region. All-in-all not a great week for 5th Region teams as they went 12-24 through the first week of the break. 1. Bardstown (6-2) 1-1 this week. 2. Larue County (6-2) 1-2 this week. 3. Taylor County (7-3) 2-2 this week. 4. Adair County (6-2) No games this week. 5. John Hardin (5-5) 1-2 this week. 6. Washington County (5-2) 1-0 this week. 7. Green County (6-5) 0-3 this week. 8. Campbellsville (5-5) 0-1 this week. 9. Central Hardin (5-3) No games this week. 10. Thomas Nelson (5-3) 1-0 this week 11. Elizabethtown (3-6) 1-1 this week 12. Bethlehem (5-6) 2-1 this week 13. North Hardin (4-7) 1-2 this week 14. Hart County (2-6) No games 15. Caverna (4-7) 1-3 this week 16. Nelson County (1-7) 0-2 this week 17. Marion County (0-11) 0-2 this week 18. Fort Knox (0-7) 0-2 this week

Prayers to you and your family, best wishes.

Week 3 Rankings 1. Bardstown (5-1) (LW:1) Bardstown holds onto the top spot despite losing it’s first game of the year to district rival Washington County. If they want to continue to hold that spot, they must shoot better than they did against Washington County. 2. Larue County (5-0) (LW: 4) Larue jumps two spots this week as it continues its dominance in the 18th district with wins over Green and Caverna this past week. 3. Taylor County (5-1) (LW: 5) Taylor moves up a couple of spots as well this week. They picked up a nice 60-57 win against Adair County last week. 4. John Hardin (4-3) (LW: 2) John drops a couple of spots this week after losing to district foe Elizabethtown in overtime. The Bulldogs should rebound just fine. Don’t look for them to drop much lower than the top 5. 5. Green County (6-2) (LW: 7) Green earns a win against Hart County but drops one to Larue County. Right now, Green looks to be the clear #2 in the 18th district 6. Adair County (6-2) (LW: 3) Adair drops their first 2 games of the season this past week but ended the week with a win against Russellville. 7. Washington County (4-2) (LW: 14) The Commanders make the biggest jump of the season in the rankings this week, going from 14 to 7. They picked up two important district wins this week including knocking off #1 Bardstown. 8. Campbellsville (5-4) (LW: 😎 The Eagles hold steady at #8 this week but they ride a 3-game winning streak into this week. They’ll look to stretch that to 4 as they plan Danville and then after Christmas play host to the Campbellsville High School Holiday Classic. 9. Central Hardin (5-3) (LW: 6) Central drops a few spots this week after going 1-1 at the Beth Haven Classic. They’ll take this week off and then head to Gatlinburg for the Smoky Mountain Classic. 10. Thomas Nelson (4-3) (LW: 10) The Generals remain in the 10 spot. They went 2-1 last week but had a really disappointing 18-point loss to Bardstown. They’ll look to get back on track with a game against Ft. Knox on Tuesday 11. Elizabethtown (2-5) (LW: 16) The Panthers weren’t going to stay down in the rankings for much longer and they picked up their first 2 wins of the season, defeating Hart County and then picking up a big district win against #2 John Hardin. They’ll match up against big riser Washington County on Tuesday. 12. Bethlehem (3-4) (LW: 9) Bethlehem goes 1-2 last week dropping games to Anderson County and Campbellsville. They’ll host Bardstown on Monday before heading to the Agringold Christmas Tournament in Western Kentucky. 13. North Hardin (3-5) (LW: 12) North drops one spot this week after a 1-1 week. Their one loss came to John Hardin, who they played well. The Trojans will play 3 games this week and then nothing until after the first of the year. 14. Hart County (2-6) (LW: 11) The Raiders had a tough week dropping 2 more to Russellville and district opponent Green County. The Raiders will take the week off before heading to Henry County for the Henry County Invitational. They’ll look to snap their 4-game losing streak. 15. Caverna (3-4) (LW: 13) Caverna drops both of their games this week by 20 plus points. They head to Clinton County for the Twin Lakes Christmas Classic. They need to get some momentum going and soon if they are going to have a shot in their district. 16. Nelson County (1-5) (LW:15) A double-digit loss to Thomas Nelson and a 9-point loss to Washington County this past week, left the Cardinals 0-2 for the week and down one spot in the rankings. They’re similar to Caverna in that they need to get something going and soon. 17. Marion County (0-9) (LW: 17) No rest for the weary, the Knights are still winless after an absolute beatdown by Fairdale at the King of the Bluegrass. It won’t get any easier for the Knights this week with a couple of more games at the KOB. 18. Fort Knox (0-5) Things don’t look much better for Ft. Knox either. They played only one game last week and it was a 41-point loss to Southern. They’ll get a shot at district opponent Etown and then Thomas Nelson, this week before they take off until after the new year.

This is the first entry of the year for rankings in the 5th Region. These will likely change quite a bit as the season progresses. 1. Bardstown (4-0) They’ve been the clear favorite of the region thru the first 2 weeks. Led by region player of the year candidate Andrew Mason and a strong supporting cast, the Tigers have been dominant after a close opening game. This week they have 2 district opponents in Washington County and Thomas Nelson. Bardstown should have the chance to separate themselves in the district this week. 2. John Hardin (2-2) John Hardin rebounded nicely after 2 straight losses to Doss & DeSales to pick up an important district win against Central Hardin. Seniors Jalen Tyus & Corey Brown are the heartbeat of the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have a busy schedule this week with games against St. X, and district matchups against North Hardin & Elizabethtown. 3. Adair County (5-0) Adair County has gotten off to a great start this season which is what causes them to land in the top 5 of the regional rankings. District wins over Marion County & Campbellsville in week 2, have the Indians looking to control their own destiny in the district. The Indians face off against district foe Taylor County on Tuesday, and then go outside of the region with games against Glasgow and Russellville. 4. Larue County (3-0) Larue County has been dominant so far in their early season games with an average win margin of 25 points. They are getting plenty of scoring from seemingly everyone on their roster so far. In their district win against Hart County, 5 players reached double digits. Larue squares off against district rivals Green County, and Caverna this week. 5. Taylor County (4-1) Montrelle Irvin’s squad rounds out the top 5 this week. Taylor has been impressive so far losing only to #6 Central Hardin. Taylor will depend on Junior Mason Guffey to lead them. Guffey had 23 points against district opponent Marion County. The Cardinals play fellow 20th district team Adair County at Adair on Tuesday and then travel to face off against Bethlehem on Friday. 6. Central Hardin (4-2) Central could have easily been in the top 5 this week but losses to John Hardin and St. X keep them just on the outside. Sandwiched in between those losses was a win against Etown by 3 that was nearly a loss as the Bruins blew a 20-point lead in the second half. They will need continued strong play from Sophomore Brett Decker while they wait for the return of injured Senior Hayden Ash. Central is off until Saturday when they travel to Louisville for the Beth Haven Holiday Classic. 7. Green County (5-1) Keith Young’s Dragons are off to an impressive 5-1 start with their only blemish coming from #3 Adair County. The Dragons had a nice 14-point win against district foe Caverna. Green County will be tested on Tuesday when they travel to Larue for a big 18th district matchup, followed by a Friday night home game against Hart County. 8. Campbellsville (2-4) This is where the rankings start to get a little harder to put into order. As none of the 8-18 teams except for Caverna have a winning record. Campbellsville has dropped 3 straight after winning 2 of their first 3, including 2 district losses to Taylor and Adair Counties. Keith Adkins’ Eagles will have plenty of opportunities to right the ship this week with home games against Marion County (district) Metcalfe County & Bethlehem. 9. Bethlehem (2-2) The Eagles head into week 3 with a 2-2 record. Other than a 33-point beatdown by Butler County, the Eagles have been in very competitive games, winning 2 of them, including a win over district rival Thomas Nelson. In the game against Thomas Nelson, juniors, Hayden Osborne, and Casey Steadman each contributed 22 points. If Bethlehem wants to stake their claim as the number 2 team in the 19th district, they will need that kind of contribution to be consistent. Bethlehem hosts Brown and then hits the road to Anderson County and Campbellsville this week. 10. Thomas Nelson (2-2) The Generals find themselves one spot below Bethlehem thanks to their loss to the Eagles on Friday night. Thomas Nelson’s 3-point shooting will be their hallmark throughout the season. The Generals will compete for the 2 seed in the 19th district. This week they will get an opportunity against district opponents Nelson County and host #1 Bardstown. 11. Hart County (2-3) Hart County enters week 3 on the heels of a 23-point loss to #4 Larue County. So far, Sophomore Jaxson Shoulders has been carrying most of the load and that will have to continue for them as the season progresses. Hart County will hit the hardwood this week against Elizabethtown, Russellville, and district rival Green County this week. 12. North Hardin (2-4) It’s been a disappointing start for the Trojans. The Trojans were talked about as a team that should be at the top of the region to begin the season but so far it seems to have been either all feast or all famine. North secured a 66-point win against Ft. Knox on Friday night, but so far that’s been one of only a few bright spots. North will get a chance to build off their district win on Friday as they play Meade County and then host #2 John Hardin. 13. Caverna (3-2) One could probably argue that with a 3-2 record the Colonels should be higher in the rankings. But Caverna’s 3 wins haven’t exactly come against stiff competition and their 2 losses come against district opponents Hart and Green County. For Caverna to compete in the 18th district, they will need steady play from point guard Tayden Logsdon, and more consistent play from big man Meek Ater. Caverna travels to Barren County and host Larue County this week. 14. Washington County (2-2) The Commanders find themselves at 2-2 after 2 weeks. The Commanders are going to be asking a lot from their sophomore duo of Beau Baker and Noah Reynolds. This week will show us where the Commanders really are in terms of the 19th district as they meet #1 Bardstown and then Nelson County. 15. Nelson County (1-3) If the Cardinals don’t like being ranked 15, they’ll get a chance to move up the rankings this week. They hold a 1-point win over #9 Bethlehem which will help them in the district standings but having lost 3 out of the first 4 makes it tough to rank them any higher. They’ll face off this week against district rivals Thomas Nelson and Washington County this week. 16. Elizabethtown (0-5) You would probably have to go back quite a way to find an Etown team that has gotten off to as bad a start as this year’s Panthers. Graduating 8 Seniors certainly doesn’t help. Their may not be a bigger ask of a player this year than Alandre Murphy, who so far has shown that he has Regional Player of the Year potential. Once Etown logs a few wins expect them to head north in the rankings. They’ll face off this week against Hart County and #2 John Hardin. 17. Marion County (0-7) Marion County is similar to Etown. They’ve played a tough schedule in the first 2 weeks and outside of 2 games, every loss has been single digits. James Jewell is going to be called on repeatedly for the Knights. Unfortunately, things don’t get any easier for the Knights. They travel to district opponent Campbellsville on Tuesday and then head to the King of the Bluegrass for the weekend. 18. Fort Knox (0-4) The Golden Eagles fall into an unfortunate familiar spot in the rankings. Led by Senior Xion Reynolds, the Eagles have just not had much go right for them so far, playing their closest game with Caverna that ended in a 20-point defeat. Fort Knox faces off against Southern in a road game this week, hoping to have better luck than they did against North Hardin on Friday night. A game that ended in a 66-point blowout.