QueenoftheSouth

They’re playing a very methodical style this year. That explains a lot of that number. Up tempo teams are going to give up more points and vice versa. I’m not saying they’re not good defensively, but that stat alone isn’t a very good indicator of a team’s quality of defense.

Theyll always be better than you think, but they don’t have enough to win it. Given how Boyle looks, they could be the other team in the 45th to make region. But that’s about all they can realistically be expected to do.

I think the top 6 is the top 6, but I’m not sure how Pulaski is at #2 with a loss this past week to a not very good Montgomery County team. That’s the same Montgomery team that lost to Lincoln by 20 a few days later. Pulaski did beat Wayne by double figures a few weeks ago but, outside of that, I just don’t see a reason to put them that high. At least until they get Fraley back. Right now, I think Somerset and Wayne are a little above the rest of the field. Then I’d put Mercer, DCA & Rock, then Pulaski. And I say that knowing that Mercer and Rock didn’t fare well the week before Christmas. There’s just not much daylight between any of these teams. Once Fraley gets back for Pulaski, I think any of those 6 could win the 12th this year. Teams 7-12 are a level above those 13 and lower, but I don’t think any have a legitimate shot to make a run in the postseason. Not to say they couldn’t pull off an upset, but I don’t think they could win back to back games in the regional tournament.

The majority of the time Brock Driver, with Maddox Hager & Lyndon Smith playing some minutes as well. But all 3 of those guys were sitting on the block most of the time on offense so there was rarely a reason for him to be away from the basket on D anyway, no matter who he was guarding. But I guess kind of to LethalPG’s point, if you don’t give him a reason to leave the paint, you’re going to have a more difficult time.

I understand where you’re coming from but DCA played them man the majority of the time. Given the athleticism you know that Boyle has, that should work in Boyle’s favor. Yes, DCA’s big is a difference maker in the lane but again, when you use your athleticism to get into the lane and he comes over to help, you’ve broken down their D. And he’s no longer weak side for any rebound. That should result in the potential for an assist, not a forced shot into the hands of a 7 footer.

1 DCA’s offense got them open a lot more for better quality looks. Boyle’s shots were most always contested. 2. He was a difference maker, for sure. But Boyle made it easy for him on several of those blocks. When he slid over to help, Boyle usually didn’t dump or kick it but instead tried to shoot a layup on him. That’s not going to work on that guy!

This roster struggling to score like they have, and only putting up 33 tonight, is truly amazing.

Can’t argue with these at all. There are 6 teams that have shown they can beat each other any given night. More parity than I can recall seeing in the past.

Neither Boyle nor any other team can count on generating offense by turning over teams that have good backcourts. Rock is a good team in many ways but ball handling is not their strength. I didn’t see these games but do know that Rock is very different than Central Hardin and Larue, both of who have strong guard play. Point being the same pressure D can get you very different results depending on who you’re playing. What’s effective defensively depends at least in part on the other team’s personnel.

So this game was at PC? Given their recent win over Wayne, this road win is a really good win for Somerset. They are proving themselves to be in the mix of the top tier of teams that could win it this year.

Maybe they weren’t playing a great team but they did what they should have done against them. I think they’re better, earlier, than anyone expected.

That’s what I was wondering. Weren’t they expected to be much better than this?

Rockcastle scoring 40 doesn’t indicate a slow paced game. Doesn’t sound like anyone intentionally slowed it down or Rockcastle wouldn’t have put up that many points in a half!

Their press last year had Tarter up front. They put a guard in the back.

Boyle tried to slow it down against Rockcastle? why would anyone do that against a big team that can shoot threes?

With them not having Fraley and the fact they hadn’t really had a great win to date, I didn’t see a reason to. But with the win tonight, and especially doing so without Fraley, I would agree.

I still like Wayne at this point then maybe Mercer. Rock & Somerset could be right there as well. DCA & Boyle are the wild cards. On paper, I think those two teams have the most talent but I’ll need to see consistency from them before I’d put them at the top.

Regarding Wayne, I think Kendall Phillips only took 4 shots in that game. Did he get hurt or get in foul trouble? Can’t imagine a scenario where he only takes 5 shots under normal circumstances.

A little surprised in this result for game 1, especially being at Somerset. Seems like Mercer is getting it together sooner than I expected. Did Somerset have their football players?

Extracting a few things that @BasketballFan24 pointed out: DCA’s depth issue is real and they’ve struggled with chemistry and roles. Can they stay out of foul trouble and play together? If so, look out. Dut is legit and there’s no other presence in the middle like Ayiel. Both are potential top 10 in the region players. And the addition of Fugate will prove to be huge for them. Somerset’s backcourt play alone makes them legit. Whitaker and Godbey are legit top 10 in the region caliber players. When they’re shooting well, they’re going to be tough to beat. Rock’s size across the board is imposing, and they have a kid ranked in the top 10 in the state (class of 2026) in Craig. He can fill it up and is a difficult matchup. But do they have enough scoring otherwise? I’m not sure. I agree on Boyle. They should have 5 guys on the floor at all times that are athletic for their position. Quisenberry has the potential to be a top 5 player in the region & Brown is a huge addition. They have 2 kids ranked in the top 10 in the state for the class of 2027 in Hager & Turner, with Turner already having significant varsity experience. Similar to DCA, I think the key to their success will be chemistry, but they do have more depth. Wayne has a top 2-3 player in the region (and top 30 in the state for 2026) in Phillips and it sounds like Dumphord will make a big difference. I don’t see them as the favorite but think they are a top 5. I’m sticking with what I’ve said about Mercer. With 2 top 10 in the region players in Ellis and Barnes plus a lot of size and depth, I expect their new coach to have them in the hunt by mid-season.

That’s a great analysis!

I think their level of success will be determined by how well they control tempo. In a half court set, they will be a very difficult matchup. Phillips is such a smart player and can fill it up. But losing Burchett will affect their offense more than just the loss of his 14 PPG. He was that athletic perimeter kid that they don’t really have this year. I understand that Dumpford adds that to the interior, which is important, but that’s not the same as an athletic guard. If teams can push the tempo and force them to play a faster pace, by applying defensive pressure on the perimeter, I think they could struggle.

Wow, that’s interesting. I was told they were very competitive in their last scrimmage at GRC and I know GRC is way better than Hazard. They have a new coach that’s changing pretty much everything, but he has a great resume. Barnes and Ellis should combine for 45 + per game once they get going. I think they’ll be fine by mid-season and still think they have some shot at winning the 12th. Not the favorite by any means but could be in the mix if they can find solid PG play. Each of the top 5-6 teams have significant weaknesses. I think Mercer has the talent to beat any of them.

I don’t see that happening in the 46th for the next 3 years, assuming Mercer holds on to their current coach. Mercer is deep and should be the best team in the district this year as well as the next 2.

Your thoughts on the top 5-10 players? And on any that might surprise us this year?