Basketball Jones

Just speculating, guys. That is all. Thanks for setting me straight, especially those who did so politely without telling me what to do. Although I did notice all the people who liked the fact he went after me.

Here is my take: This is the second time in five years Ashland Blazer pays Third Region champion Owensboro in the first round of the tournament. Ashland lost to Covington Catholic 76-65 in last year's first round. The Tomcats advanced to the quarterfinals the year prior, losing to eventual champion Highlands. They were 33-0 the season before that when the 2020 Sweet 16 was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. They beat Owensboro 59-50 in the first round of the 2019 tournament before getting bounced by Trinity in the quarterfinals. The Tomcats feature a pair of double-digit scorers: junior Zander Carter (22.3 ppg, 6 rpg) and senior Rheyce Deboard (17.3). They represent 53.5 percent of the offense. Senior Tucker Conway is a dangerous deep shooting threat, connecting on 45.9 percent from 3-point range (72-for-157). They helped the Tomcats persevere through a head coaching change made just before the start of the season that resulted in assistant Ryan Bonner taking over the team as acting head coach on short notice. They were 7-6 after the first 13 games and 15-5 after that. Owensboro was an uninspiring 10-6 on Jan. 13 because of injuries and player absences and an underwhelming 14-10 entering postseason play with a pair of losses to city rival Owensboro Catholic. The team was boosted by the addition of 6-foot-5 post player Ji Webb, who made his season debut Jan. 24. Since then, the Red Devils are 8-3 with victories over Owensboro Catholic in the district and regional finals for a 45th regional crown. Webb (10.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) ranks third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding since his addition. Kenyatta Carbon leads the team with 22.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg. He's the school's second all-time leading scorer and is within spitting distance of the leader. Owensboro shoots decently from the field (48 percent) but does not hit its free throws enough (59.1 percent)

Here is my take: Frederick Douglass is in the Sweet 16 for the first time. Martin County is in for the second time but will be playing its first games. Martin County's first Sweet 16 appearance was wiped out in 2020 by the Covid pandemic, which caused the tournament to be cancelled that year. The Broncos are the hottest team still standing with 28 wins in a row. They were unstoppable after putting together a full squad following the addition of players from the state championship football team. Their two losses were to Lexington Catholic Nov. 30 and Great Crossing Dec. 10. Martin County, the surprise champion from the 15th Region, is probably the streakiest team still left. The Cardinals are on a five-game winning streak, which followed an eight-game losing streak, which came after a 17-game winning streak. Kai Simpson averages 16.7 ppg, Melo Boone 16 ppg for the Broncos. They also are 1-2 in rebounding. Aveion Chenualt (13.2 ppg) and Tylor Webb (11.4 ppg) also are regular double-digit scorers. Luke Hale leads Martin County with 20.7 ppg. Brayden McKenzie is next at 15.3, but there is a big drop-off to the next player, Jacob Sturgell, at 8.5. Sturgell leads the team with 6.1 rpg. The teams have similar shooting efficiencies, with Frederick Douglass holding a slim edge from the field and Martin County hitting slightly better from long range and the free throw line. Shooting percentages for Frederick Douglass....48.5% FG, 32.6% 3FG, 64.8% FT. Shooting percentages for Martin County.............46.2% FG, 34.6% 3FG, 68.5% FT The winner plays either Male or Breathitt County in Friday's quarterfinals.

Here is my take: Surprise, surprise. On both sides. Despite being the returning regional tournament champion, Jeffersontown entered the season in rebuilding mode while returning a pair of starters and looked to be behind several talented teams in the Sixth Region. The Chargers held an underwhelming spot at 10th in the final regional rankings. They had a record of 11-12 on Feb. 14 and were a .500 team at regular-season's end with a team scoring average of 51.6 ppg. They have not lost since Valentine's Day, going 6-0 and averaging 64.6 ppg, a scoring increase of 25 percent. Jeffersontown is balanced and unselfish on offense and inconsistent with flashes of brilliance on defense. Camron McDaniels (12.1 ppg) and Lukas McDaniels (10.5 ppg) lead six players who average 9 ppg or more. Brandon Gatewood (9.7 ppg), Genesis Nimely (9.4 ppg) and Rhys Taylor (9.1) are right behind them. Brenton Moore, averaging 9 ppg, has led the Chargers in scoring each of the last two times out while averaging 16 points, nearly double his season average. The McDaniels, Lukas (5.4 rpg) and Camron (5.3 rpg), are 1-2 in rebounding. Seven players shoot 50 percent or better from the field, helping the team shoot 52.3 percent overall. Upset-minded Woodford County outlasted a rugged Eighth Region field and won its first regional title since 1986 when the school was in the 11th Region. The Yellow Jackets started the season 5-9 with a five-game losing streak, but they have now won seven games in a row with this late-season push. Like Jeffersontown, they were lightly regarded coming into the postseason. But they shoot well, hitting 53.5 percent from the field, and feature the scoring of Jasper Johnson (20.9 ppg) who accounted for a whopping 25.8 percent of the team's point production. Now, one of these surprising teams is poised to punch an improbable ticket to the quarterfinals where either Elizabethtown or McCracken County will await the winner.

LYON COUNTY VS. NEWPORT SWEET 16 PREVIEW Lyon County (30-5) vs. Newport (28-6), 1:30 pm Thursday first round at Rupp Arena All eyes on Lyon County junior guard Travis Perry, who needs 21 points to become Kentucky's all-time leading scorer. Perry, who has scored fewer than 21 points just once this season, is averaging 32.2 ppg, second in the state. He has 4,317 career points. Leader Kelly Coleman scored 4,337 at Wayland from 1953-56. The high-scoring Lyons are much more than Perry, although he's clearly the engine that makes them go. Fellow juniors Brady Shoulders (18.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and Jack Reddick (19 ppg) have had some big games for the Lyons and practically everybody is efficient when they shoot. The Lyons are hitting 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and 71 percent from the free throw line. Bradin Nelson has averaged 6 ppg and 5.2 rpg and missed one free throw in 10 attempts since being ruled eligible four games ago, adding tough leadership as the only high-performing senior on the roster. The Lyons lead Kentucky in team scoring (83.9 ppg) and rank third in scoring margin (20.6 ppg). They rank 42nd in field goal shooting percentage (49.2). Comparatively, surprise Ninth Region champion Newport is 13th in scoring defense (50.6 ppg), 14th in scoring margin (13.5 ppg) and 15th in field goal percentage (51.3). The Wildcats are led by Marquez Miller (15.8 pg), Taylen Kinney (14 ppg), Jabari Covington (12.2 ppg) and top board man James Turner (6.6 rpg), all of whom rank in the top four in scoring and rebounding. Lyon County has won 16 consecutive games. Newport, making its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2010, has won 12 games in a row. That's two hot teams with a lot at stake. The winner plays the George Rogers Clark-North Laurel winner in Friday's quarterfinals. Lyon County beat John Hardin 82-65 in last year's first round before getting eliminated by Covington Catholic 59-57 in the quarters. Lyon County and Newport have two common opponents this season: Covington Holy Cross and Harlan County. Lyon County beat Holy Cross by 16 (95-79) and Harlan County by three (76-73). Newport lost to Holy Cross by two (74-72) and beat Harlan County by 15 (73-58).

So, are you gonna congratulate him, too? Or do you only confess other people's sins and not you're own.

Congratulations Aric on a great coaching career.

He said he has officially retired from coaching basketball at Campbell County but didn't straight out say he is officially retiring from coaching basketball. The reference to the bible verse is rather cryptic, I think. Matthew 6:33 is part of the Sermon on the Mount and continues a discussion of worry about material things: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." If I didn't know better, it sounds to me like something is going on with Russell, either personally or with Campbell County, and we don't yet know the whole story.

I have this irrational fascination with streaks. With Frederick Douglass being in my coverage area, I was interested in knowing who else was really hot coming into the tournament. So I started making a list on paper and just decided to go ahead and finish it up here. It's practically useless but I also have this irrational fascination with high school basketball.

SWEET 16 RANKED BY CURRENT WINNING STREAK 28 Frederick Douglass 23 Warren Central 16 Lyon County 14 Male 12 Newport 9 George Rogers Clark 9 North Laurel 7 Elizabethtown 7 Woodford County 6 Breathitt County 6 Jeffersontown 5 Martin County 5 McCracken County 5 Owensboro 5 Pulaski County 3 Ashland Blazer FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS 7 Elizabethtown vs. 5 McCracken County 7 Woodford County vs. 6 Jeffersontown 23 Warren Central vs. 5 Pulaski County 5 Owensboro vs. 3 Ashland Blazer 28 Frederick Douglass vs. 5 Martin County 14 Male vs. 6 Breathitt County 16 Lyon County vs. 12 Newport 9 George Rogers Clark vs. 9 North Laurel HIGHLIGHTS --Lyon County vs. Newport is the only first-round game featuring both teams with winning streaks in double figures (16 vs. 12) --George Rogers Clark vs. North Laurel is the only game featuring teams with winning streaks of equal length (9 vs. 9) --Frederick Douglass vs. Martin County has the greatest disparity in length of streak (28 vs. 5) --Owensboro vs. Ashland Blazer offers the least streaky matchup (5 vs. 3) --Six of the longest current winning streaks in the tournament reside with teams in the lower bracket (28 Frederick Douglass, 16 Lyon County, 14 Male, 12 Newport, 9 George Rogers Clark, 9 North Laurel --All four teams in the bottom quadrant have winning streaks of at least nine games (16 Lyon County, 12 Newport, 9 George Rogers Clark, 9 North Laurel) STREAKIEST POTENTIAL QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS Frederick Douglas vs. Male (28 vs. 14) Lyon County vs. George Rogers Clark or North Laurel (16 vs. 9)

The All-2nd Region tournament team announced Tuesday: Travis Perry, Bradin Nelson, Jack Reddick, Brady Shoulders (Lyon County) KeiMarion Smith, Antonio Williams, Bubba Leavell (Hopkinsville) Gerard Thomas, Cooper Davenport (Henderson County) Jordan Miles, Derrell Bateman (Christian County) DeShawn Murphy (Webster County) Jhaden Vaughn (Trigg County) Marcus Eaves (Madisonville-North Hopkins) Drake Skeen (Hopkins County Central)

Not only that, this is Woodford County's first-ever Eighth Region championship. Last won a region title in 1986 in the 11th Region. BBKRecordBook_Regional champions.indd (khsaa.org)

UPDATE: Travis Perry scored 33 points in Lyon County's 2nd Region tournament championship game victory over Hopkinsville on Tuesday. He needs 21 points to become Kentucky's all-time leading scorer, and will get that chance on Kentucky's biggest stage, Rupp Arena, at next week's Sweet 16 Tournament in Lexington. Perry has scored fewer than 21 points just once this season. He's averaging 32.2 ppg. Lyon County's next game is against Newport in the first round March 16. KENTUCKY'S ALL-TIME SCORING LIST 1. 4,337 Kelly Coleman (Wayland) 1953-56 2. 4,317 Travis Perry (Lyon County) 2018-present PERRY'S 2022-23 GAME-BY-GAME POINT TOTALS Game total/Opponent/Career total 24 Ohio County........................3,213 36 South Warren......................3,249 28 Mason County.....................3,277 24 Livingston Central..............3,301 27 Crittenden County.............3,328 41 Christian County.................3,369 38 Trigg County.......................3,407 26 Hopkins County Central....3,433 29 Harlan County....................3,462 34 Larue County......................3,496 25 Great Crossing...................3,521 28 North Oldham.....................3,549 25 Cov. Holy Cross..................3,574 passed Harry Todd for 4th all-time 37 Ballard..................................3,611 passed Cameron Justice for 3rd all-time 27 Lexington Catholic..............3,638 31 Mason County.....................3,669 passed Charlie Osborne for 2nd all-time 30 Livingston Central 45 North Laurel 21 University Heights 33 Webster County 31 Trigg County 30 Hopkinsville 29 Crittenden County 37 Caldwell County 33 Madisonville-North Hopkins 32 John Hardin 32 Bracken County....................reached 4,000 in his career (4,022) 34 University Heights 43 Trinity (Whitesville) 61 Dawson Springs.....................971 season total 31 Crittenden County.................1,002 season, 4,191 career 20 Trigg County..........................1,022 season, 4,211 career 32 Hopkins County Central.......1,054 season, 4,243 career 41 Christian County....................1,095 season, 4,284 career 33 Hopkinsville............................1,128 season, 4,317 career, needs 21 for new record --- vs. Newport, state tournament first round March 16

Seems like another good place to plug Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics: The science of the good for human life, which is the goal or end at which all our actions aim. Every coach should read this.

Got a great book to recommend to everybody: coaches, players, fans, fighters, writers, readers and the curious: Nicomachean Ethics by someone you may have heard of: Aristotle. It's his best-known work, the science of the good for human life, which is the goal or end at which all our actions aim. It's an easy read and you can't read it and not become a better person. That book changed my life, and I was already kind of OK. If just one person here reads that book and it works, get back to me. Thanks. --Jonesy

Well put, coach. Thanks.

16th Region Week 14 Review and Tournament Semifinals Preview REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY FIRST ROUND Ashland Blazer def. Morgan County, 77-54 Russell def. Fleming County, 71-60 Lewis County def. Bath County, 56-44 Boyd County def. East Carter, 60-51 HIGHLIGHTS: Lewis Co. upset Bath Co. with 21 points from Trey Gerike and 12 from Xavier Prater. Bath Co. had just 24 points as a team after three quarters. The Lions took an 11-2 lead and never looked back although neither team shot very well in the opening half. That changed for the Lions, who shot 70 percent from the field in the third quarter to take a 14-point lead heading into the fourth and 67 percent in the second half. Bath Co. shot 30 percent in the third but eventually got the lead under 10 for the first time since the start of the second half before Lewis Co. sealed it with free throws in the fourth. Zack Otis led Bath County with 20 points in his final game. Otis, the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches' 16th Region Player of the Year, finishes as the school's all-time leading scorer with more than 2,500 points. Elsewhere in the quarterfinals, Zander Carter led Ashland Blazer over Morgan Co. with 30 points and teammate Rheyce Deboard added 16. Russell beat Fleming Co. with 25 points from Caleb Rimmer and 13 points and 15 rebounds from Damon Charles. Boyd County advanced past East Carter with 19 points from Jacob Spurlock and 17 from Cole Hicks. Jason Ellis added seven points and 17 rebounds, but it was the Lions' second-lowest scoring game of the season. MONDAY SEMIFINALS Ashland Blazer (20-11) vs. Russell (26-6), 6:30 pm Boyd County (26-5) vs. Lewis County (12-18), 8 pm TUESDAY FINAL Ashland Blazer-Russell winner vs. Boyd County-Lewis County winner, 7 pm OUTLOOK: Four-time defending regional champion Ashland Blazer and Russell did not meet this season. Russell, ranked fourth in the region, beat top-ranked Ashland Blazer in the last meeting in 2022. Surprisingly, it's been more than two years since Ashland beat Russell, which ended Fleming County's 10-game winning streak in the regional quarterfinals. Russell is now 5-3 since its 16-game winning streak. Rankings co-leader Boyd Co. cannot peek past No. 13 Lewis Co. and look ahead to a possible rematch with Ashland. Boyd has emerged victorious the last two times out against Ashland after losing the season's first meeting. Boyd has won 15 of its last 16 games but it won't matter if Boyd falls prey to an upset or Ashland falls to Russell. Lewis County upset No. 4 Russell in the 63rd District championship game with a 16-point waxing so Boyd best be ready. Ashland won last year's final over Boyd and also beat Boyd in the 2019 championship. The Tomcats defeated Lewis Co. in the 2020 final and downed Rowan Co. in 2021. Boyd last won the region in 2018. Russell hasn't won since 2006. I couldn't find any record of Lewis Co. winning the regional tournament. https://khsaa.org/records/basketball/bbk-recordbook_regionalchampions.pdf FINAL REGULAR SEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS (unchanged) 1. Ashland Blazer 1. Boyd County 3. Fleming County 4. Russell 5. Morgan County 6. Rowan County 7. Bath County 8. East Carter 9. Greenup County 10. Raceland 11. Menifee County 12. Fairview 13. Lewis County 14. West Carter 15. Elliott County 16. Rose Hill Christian

Some recent Travis Perry news, posted Sunday about the Lyon County standout: Basketball Recruiting - Five juniors whose stock should rise this spring (rivals.com) "With the Rivals150 updating here in the coming days, Rivals.com’s Travis Graf examines five prospects that should see their stock continue to rise during the upcoming grassroots season. "Perry is one of the more gifted scorers in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, and will likely hang up his jersey as the all-time leading scorer in the state. He’s put up big numbers yet again this season, and the key for him and his ranking moving forward will be seeing how that translates to the 3SSB Circuit this spring and summer. The four-star guard can score very efficiently from the mid-range and from the outside, and can run the offense or play off the ball depending on personnel." --Rivals/Basketball Recruiting No. 87 national prospect.

I appreciate your awesomeness. You did a great job this season, too, chiming in with some pretty good reporting along the way.

11th Region Week 14 Review and Tournament Final Preview REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT VARIOUS SITES AND EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY FIRST ROUND Madison Central def. Western Hills, 87-51 at Madison Central Frederick Douglass def. Lexington Christian, 67-50 at Frederick Douglass Great Crossing def. Scott County, 53-42, at Great Crossing Lexington Catholic def. Madison Southern, 69-50, at Lexington Catholic SEMIFINALS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Frederick Douglass def. Madison Central, 74-55 Lexington Catholic def. Great Crossing, 48-42 HIGHLIGHTS: Madison Central eliminated Western Hills with 31 points from Jaylen Davis, 24 points from Jayden West and 18 points and 16 rebounds from Robby Todd. Melo Boone paced Frederick Douglass with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Lexington Christian. Great Crossing defeated Scott County behind Vince Dawson's 19 points and Malachi Moreno's 12 points and 12 rebounds. Reece Potter had 26 points and eight rebounds in Lexington Catholic's defeat of Madison Southern. Frederick Douglass beat Madison Central for the second time this season in the semifinals, winning by 19 after winning by just two in the regular season meeting. The Broncos have won 27 straight games. In the other semi, LexCath beat Great Crossing for the second time this season, clearly showing that it was the better team. The Knights have won 13 straight games. MONDAY FINAL AT EKU Frederick Douglass (30-2) vs. Lexington Catholic (32-2), 7 pm OUTLOOK: The previously upset-prone Knights made it out of the early round unscathed. The region's top-ranked team had a recent history of surprising regional ousters, losing early each of the past two years to the eventual tournament champion. As a reward for their advancement, the Knights are in the final for the first time since 2020. A bigger payoff would be a crown. LexCath's last regional title was in 2015. The Broncos, ranked No. 3 in the region, haven't lost a game since Dec. 10 vs. Great Crossing. Their only other loss was to LexCath in the season opener. That was more than three months ago. LexCath also lost its season opener, to North Laurel. The Knights are 32-1 since then. Their only other loss was to Mason County on Jan. 15. Together, the Broncos and Knights have combined to go 107 consecutive days without a loss. LexCath won the first meeting 71-59 with 21 points and 11 rebounds from Reece Potter, who seems certain to do some damage Monday. Potter averages 18.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg. Hudson Sparks added 16 points and 10 rebounds the first meeting. He averages 12.6 ppg. The Knights outshot the Broncos from the floor, 56 percent to 36 percent, and won the rebounding battle 34-24. Kai Simpson (26) and Melo Boone (22) combined for 48 points the first go-around. The rest of the team scored 11. Simpson averages 16.6 ppg, Boone 16.1 ppg. They also are 1-2 in rebounding, averaging around 5 and a half per game. Both teams would love to get some help for the Big Twos. LexCath's Tyler Doyle (10.3 ppg) and John Reinhart (8.9 ppg) both have had some big games this season. Same for Aveion Chenualt (13.2 ppg) and Tylor Webb (11.7 ppg) for the Broncos. LexCath is the better shooting team: Shooting percentages for LexCath on the season: 50.6% FG, 38.7%, 3FG,72.8% FT. Shooting percentages for hot Frederick Douglass: 48.7% FG, 31.9% 3FG, 64.7% FT. LexCath also has the best player on the floor in the 7-foot Potter, the Miami University recruit. As such, the Knights are favored. But Frederick Douglass, which opened its doors in 2017, has certainly learned something about the Knights since that Nov. 30 season-opening loss. Plus, this. The Broncos were in the final last season, losing to Henry Clay by just five. In fact, they are in their third straight final. They shouldn't be too wide-eyed after those experiences and with a game this season under their belts vs. the Knights. There's a chance we see the best version of the Broncos as they seek their first-ever region title. There's also a chance that it won't matter if the more battle-tested Knights play as well as they are capable. FINAL REGULAR SEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS (unchanged): 1. Lexington Catholic 2. Great Crossing 3. Frederick Douglass 4. Lexington Christian 5. Madison Central 6. Madison Southern 7. Sayre 8. Henry Clay 9. Western Hills 10. Scott County 11. Paul Laurence Dunbar 12. Tates Creek 13. Bryan Station 14. Lafayette 15. Franklin County 16. Frankfort 17. Model 18. Frankfort Christian 19. Berea

Wow. Cooper missed the second of two free throws, keeping it a one possession game. CovCath got the rebound with time winding out. Hussey was a little long on the last-second 3 for CovCath. Bam. Cooper vs. Newport for all the marbles. Whodathunkit.

and one...

4-point game!!

Total avatar possibilities. I've been writing so much today, I could use a pill and a berry about now. D'oh!

Thank YOU. I think I am feeling a little loopy after 50-some weekly reviews though. Not drowning, just waving. It's nice to be appreciated, and you are a great basketball fan, my man.