Bballjunkie

Week 8 I can admit when I eat my words. I made a statement in last weeks right up that North had gotten destroyed by Jtown which shows how much further Region 6 and 7 is ahead of Region 8..,.. Well, I was wrong. North Oldham goes to Louisville and beats the number 1 team in the state. I was shocked by the Mustangs beating St X but I sure did love it. When I saw the stats on KHSAA it made since. They absolutely shot the lights out in the game. Then they didn’t have a let down a few nights later vs Oldham County. In that game they shot 75% from the field. You read that right…. 75%!!!!!! That is unbelievable. We all know they can't do that every game but North Oldham has proven on any given night they can beat anyone in the state. It will be interesting to see how far they can advance in post season play. The biggest upset for me of the week was Spencer beating South by double figures. That has made the rankings even harder to do this week. Woodford seems to be a lock at number 2 still but 3 through 10 is a toss up. The snow will probably cause a lot of rescheduling so I am not expecting a lot of basketball over the next 3-4 days. Region of the Year Frontrunners (in no order) 1. Omari Jointer 2. Tommy Gregg 3. Baylor Nolin Anyone else deserve to be on this list? This weeks rankings: 1. North Oldham (13-5) Monster week for Mustangs. Beating one of the best team in the state and then blowing your county rival out by almost 40 points. I had my concerns about North Oldham offense at the first of the year but they seem to be clicking on all cylinders. One of the key factors lately has been the shooting of Eli Green. He has had a slow start to the season but the last two games he has been shooting lights out. One of the biggest game of the Region 8 will be Friday night when South Oldham comes to town. I think it will be a great game. 2. Woodford County (10-5) The Yellowjackets made a huge statement last week vs Collins. The Titans were playing some pretty good basketball then Woodford comes to town and beats them by 34. They were led by Omari Jointer who absolutely dominated the game with 32pts and 11reb. Should he be one of the front runners for Region Player of the Year? He probably should but Woodford historically doesn’t play Region games outside their district so coaches don’t see him live much like they should. Omair is a baller and should get considered for Region Player of the Year in my opinion. 3. Spencer County (12-7) The Bearcats have had some tough losses this season but ever since the Collins game where they laid an egg, they have beaten Grant, South Oldham and Anderson. They won those game by an avg of 15pt. So as of today I am comfortable putting them at the 3 spot. Beating South Oldham by 14 points was by far their biggest win of the season. Samuel Seawright was great with 21 pts and Chris Armstrong and Brady Smith did their part as well pitching in 16 and 15 points respectively. Spencer is a really good team that is clicking on both ends of the court. 4. South Oldham (13-8) The Dragons took a tough loss to Spencer but they turned around a few nights later and beat a good Simon Kenton team by 20pt. That is an impressive win. South Oldham is a scary team to get matched up with in the post season. Steve Simpson has his typical team shooting a lot of threes but this team could be one of his best defensive teams. They will get after your tail and make you cough up the ball which leads to fast break layups and open threes. Nico Ballard continues to shoot the ball at a high level. He is currently 85 for 176 (48%) . That percentage is crazy good. Joaquin Siakam is continuing to play at a high level giving the Dragons some athleticism in the Forward position. Can the Dragons give the Mustangs a game on Friday? I can't wait to see that game. 5. Simon Kenton (11-7) The Pioneers 6 game winning streak was snapped by South Oldham. It was a tough loss on the road but South is good and they are really good in their gym. The boys need to shake it off and get back to work. They have Ryle and Walton Verona this week which are two really solid teams. Coach Steiner will have his group ready for post season. Want to give Will Scobee a shout out. The young man hit 7 threes vs Holy Cross . That was a big time game for him and a big time win for Simon. 6. Henry County (11-9) The Wildcats have won 6 of their last 7 games. This group is having a lot of fun because they know they have a chance at a district championship and if they get the right draw they could go further in the regions than any Henry County team has gone this century. They should win the rest of their game on their schedule minus the Spencer County game. That game will be a toss up but I will give it to Spencer as of today. Nolin Baylor is continuing to have a big season avg 24ppg. I heard he recently scored his 2,000pt as well. That is pretty impressive especially since he is a Junior. 7. Grant County (13-8) Two big wins last week vs Boone and Shelby County. Grant is an up and down team that is capable of beating most teams on any given night. Coach Jones has done a great job with this group. Nathanael Hamm is having a great all around season. He is avg 16ppg but he does more than just score. He is a strong guard that can do it all on both ends of the court. They have a big District game coming up next week vs Walton Verona. That will be a battle. 8. Anderson County (17-4) Even though they lost to Collins two weeks ago I am putting them at the 8 spot because I think they are play really good basketball right now. They did suffer a lost to Spencer but Spencer is beating everyone. This is a huge week for the Bearcats. Can they prove they are for real when they take on the Yellowjackets? Woodford is coming town. I am expecting this game to be in the 40s if Anderson has any chance of winning.. It will fun to watch the different styles of basketball and which style wins. 9. Walton Verona (13-7) This group could easily be in the top 6 by the end of the season. I think they are a solid group and when they are shooting the ball well they can sneak up and beat anyone. They have won 2 games so far in the Class A and is representing the 8th region great. We are rooting for them to go all the way. However they play a really good Caverna team on Feb 1. Before their next game in the ALL A they have a huge district game vs Simon Kenton. I will be interested to see this game and if they can hang with the District favorite. 10. Collins (6-12) The Titans have only 6 wins this season and is on a 3 game losing streak but I am keeping them in the top 10 because they have proven they can beat some good team. It will be really interesting to see how they play vs Shelby County on Friday. This is a great rivalry game but Shelby has been down as of late. However, the Rockets have been playing some great basketball and they are excited for this game. It will definitely be a battle. 11. Oldham County (8-11) The young colonels are also on a 3 game losing streak. I know those boys didn’t like getting embarrassed by North Oldham on Friday night. The freshman , Ty Bryant, had 24pt but was the only bright spot of the night. It looks like the Colonels will have a few non-region games that they might be favored to win vs Southern and Fern Creek coming up. This group just needs to focus on getting better each game. 12. Owen County (8-8) Coach Duvall’s group is holding steady at the 12 spot. They beat Augusta last week and had good , competitive game vs Grant County that they ended up losing by 11pt. They are back at this week vs Gallatin on Thursday. This will be a great district battle. 13. Shelby County (8-12) Coach Leslies group is continuing to improve. They lost by 10pts to a good Grant team and scored 78 points vs them. That is a game they should be proud of as a team. They are licking their chops to play Friday night vs the Titans. This will be a great game and played with a lot of passion. Soph Xadrian Johnson is playing some high level ball and shooting it well. He is avg 18ppg . 14. Eminence (13-7) The Warriors are enjoying a great season. They are like Shelby in that they have a big rivalry game coming up. Can they compete with Henry County? If they keep it somewhat close it will be a confidence booster. I just don’t think they have the talent to beat them but who knows. 15. Gallatin County (5-13) Even though the Wildcats have had some highlights this season they have struggled over the past couple of weeks with losses to Anderson, Bishop Brossart, Shelby County, Eminence and Henry County. They are back in the gym and working to improve. The team has a big game vs Owen this week and they would love to get a win in that one. 16. Carroll County (10-9) The Panthers enjoyed getting back into the winning circle last week vs Williamstown in a 9pt win. This week they have another chance at a win when they take on Trimble County. 17. Trimble County (4-15) Even though the Raiders only have 4 wins this season they are fired up for this week. They have two chances at a win vs Carroll and Shawe Memorial. 18. Cornerstown Chr (3-11) The boys from Cornerstone gave Eminence a good game only losing by 12. This a big step for this program to start to compete vs Region opponents. They have a game Saturday vs Jackson City at the Jet 2 Sports Classic. 19. Williamstown (0-18) The entire region is rooting for this group. I really hope they can enjoy a win by the end of the season.

Interesting . I didn’t know some the info you shared .

I am so curious to know the process of getting one eligible. Is it just at the mercy of some KHSAA folks? Or do the schools hold most of the power? I have heard that North was fighting it but have always heard that they are not. Just out of curiosity it would be cool to know the guidelines by which these decisions are made. Cole E played games at a prep school this fall and is eligible now. Gaither kid from Collins got eligible in 2 days with Grayson county. Boogie cook left CAL went to Ballard then went back to CAL and he is eligible. So the Sears situation is so confusing. There has to be more to it than I know. I assume the Khsaa is looking into the relationship of Montgomery County former coach and the Sears. That is the only thing I can figure out.

Since we are all stuck at home I thought I would rank the top 10 and see what everyone thought. There is a clear number 1 but 2-10 there would be a lot of different of opinions. Here is who I got: Simon Kenton- they are heads and shoulders about anyone else in the region and it’s not even close. They are a top 5 team in the state. The Pioneers are led by Brynli Pernall and Haylie Webb who are avg 17ppg and 14ppg. But they have girls behind them that can flat out ball too. Excited to see how far their post season run will be. Woodford County- I have the Yellowjackets in the 2 spot. They have only played 2 region games so it’s hard to compare with other teams but I know they are a really good athletic team. They have some upcoming games vs Anderson County , Walton Verona, Spencer County and Owen County so that will give us a better idea of how good they really are. Hallee Gordon is having a great year avg 19ppg. South Oldham - the Dragons are 4-1 and their only loss was vs Simon Kenton . They have had impressive wins over Gallatin, Spencer, and Anderson who are all really good teams. South has a two headed monsters that are dominating this year in Madison Young and Brynn Brickley. Madison is a D1 athlete and Brynn can shoot from anywhere on the court. Madison is avg 19ppg and Brynn is avg 18ppg. Spencer County - they have 2 region losses to South Oldham and Gallatin County. I put them at 4th based because of the way they are playing now. They just beat a historically dominated Anderson County team. The Bearcats are very well coached. They do not score alot of points each game but they find a way to win. Lily Hughes and the Keefe girls lead the way. Anderson County - Very weird having Anderson County at the 5 spot. This is a young group that will be really good eventually. They have already lost 3 region games which never happens to this team but losses to South , Simon and Spencer has shown they are not a typically Anderson team. It will be interesting to see how much they improve in the next month and to see if they can get to the region. I would love to know the last time they didn’t make it to the regional tournament. It has probably been over 20 years. Emily Jarrod is avg 17ppg and Ellie Shouse is avg 14ppg. Owen County- I am putting the girls from Owenton over Gallatin and Walton because of their recent showing in the All A. The coaching job that Coach Wesselman has done this season is unbelievable after losing some key players off last years team. Kylee Steffen is leading the team in scoring with 11ppg. Walton Verona- the Bearcats are in a middle of a losing streak so that is why I have them at the 7th spot. I think by the end of the season they could get as high as third but losses to Owen, Anderson and Simon puts them lower than they probably deserve. They are a really good team that I would not be surprised if they make it all the way to the championship game of the region. Grant County - The Lady Braves are 4-1 in the region with their only loss to powerhouse Simon Kenton. They will be battling it out with Walton to see who gets to go to regions. They have some big games coming up vs Owen and Walton. Olivia Ginn is a baller who is avg just under 20ppg. Gallatin County- the Wildcats are a really good team . They have beaten the number 4 team in Spencer County but have also loss 5 other games in the region. They are a solid basketball team that will compete for a District Championship. Audrina Doolin and Lucy McVey are both averaging in double figures. (Tied) Trimble County- even though the Lady Raiders has a losing record they have had some big wins this season. Beating Oldham, North Oldham and Gallatin County shows they deserve to be in the top 10. They are a scrappy bunch that plays hard so on any given night they could beat a lot of people. Kendra Mahoney is having a great season avg 16ppg. Ainslie Stark is avg 11ppg (Tied) Eminence- the Warriors are tied for 10th with Trimble. They recently beat them but I thought they both deserved to be in the top 10. The Warriors have won a lot of games and have lost some really close games vs good teams this season. Victoria Spiegl is one of the best scorers in the region avg 20ppg. She is a baller. It will be fun to see who advances to the region because it’s a pretty even district. Next 3 out: North Oldham, Collins, Oldham County

Yes I would add Woodford to the list of teams that could beat North if they have an off night.

Seems like North Oldham has a good young coach in place and is ready to build something special there.

The short answer is NO . However , basketball is a tournament sport so it is possible they have a terrible shooting night and someone like South Oldham or Simon Kenton or Spencer has their best game of the year and upsets them. It could happen but very unlikely. North has a stud PG, elite shooters, the best player in the region and a huge post player. They are just really good !

Way to go Walton.

A little birdie told me Austin Sears is now eligible to play. Is there any truth to that?

I hate this news so much. Seeing kids get hurt is never fun. Hope he recovers and comes back stronger.

Yes. On any given night I could see of those 3 teams giving North a game. However, the Mustangs are really good and will go into each region game this rest of this season as the favorites.

Henry County is rolling.

North Oldham has been heavy favorites to win the 8th all year. I did think the gap closed a lot between them and the field when Austin Sears left but then I saw score and WOW!!!!

Great win for Simon Kenton.

Great region 8 game and huge win by the Bearcats.

Huge win for the Mustangs !!!

Yea I am not sure how that happened with Cornerstone Chr entering the 29th. Not sure who decides and/or who voted on it. You would think there could be a way they could have been with Eminence and another small school so they might could compete someday with a district opponent. Unless they turn into St X or CAL they will never win a district game being in the 29th.

I wouldn’t call those 5 teams bad teams though. South Oldham made it to the Final 4 last year they lost a couple key pieces but added 2 really good players too Loyld Mem is very physical and athletic Highlands can spread you out and score a ton of points Great crossings - they have a losing record so I get not putting them in but they did miss a 5 ft shot at the buzzer that would have beat Madison Central so obviously they are a good team Holy cross - haven’t seen them play

you are 100% correct... Not sure how I missed that. Thanks for info... I will correct.

Which of those top 25 "are not very good basketball teams"?

Rankings are hard ... It will all shake out and especially Feb 3 when they play each other. This is why I have Walton ranked where they are as of today. Grant County beat Anderson by 10 and Anderson beat Walton... Grant also beat Oldham who beat Spencer and Henry. Grant beat Collins by 20pts who just beat Spencer and Anderson and gave Simon a great game. Walton Verona lost to Collins and Spencer and Anderson. So not sure how you can't see Grant in front of Walton... With that said, I watched them both play on Saturday and I could easily see Walton beating Grant in a couple weeks but based on their resume from the start of the season til now, I feel I have them in the right spot.

I want to this week my sending my condolences to the family in Grant County that last week lost a mom, daughter, and friend. I was informed by a Grant County fan that a senior on last years team mom died on the same day they played Ryle. Obviously, this affected the boys. I was raised in a small town so I know when something like this happens it affects the community, school and the team. My prayers are with all who are connected to the family. Week 7 was nuts when it came to big time games. I have no idea how to do the rankings this week. I think Spencer is a top 5 team in the region but they were beaten by a struggling Collins team. Grant had a bad week and who would blame the boys for what they were dealing with outside of basketball. Really really tough to decide who goes where. North Oldham and South Oldham both won their first round game in the LIT. However, both were destroyed in their second round game. Goes to show you the difference in the top teams in 6th/7th region compared to the top teams in the 8th. Henry County hosted 4 games yesterday which showcased 8 teams from the region. Oldham County beat Owen easily Anderson County beat Walton Verona in the best game of the day. Walton was in control most of the 4th quarter but a timely turnover and a big bucket allowed Anderson to steal the game away. Spencer County beat Grant County easily Simon Kenton beat Collins in a game that was much closer than I thought it would be. Rankings: 1. North Oldham (11-5) The Mustangs are still the team to beat. They got beat by 25 to a really physically, athletic Jeffersontown team. No one in the 8th region plays that style so it will not effective North Oldham at all but it will probably make them better. They have another huge test on Tuesday when they take on arguably the best team in the state --St Xavier. I hope North competes with them and makes it a great game. (Highlight performance- Tommy Gregg’s 27pt vs Oldham County ) 2. Woodford County (9-4) The Yellowjackets picked up a 1 point win vs Clay County. They have two games this week that will be fun to see the results. They host Bryan Station on Tuesday and travel to the district rival Collins High School on Friday. They are more talented than Collins but the Titans have played some good ball lately. Woodford is a good team but when your best player and most athletic player can’t shoot very well from the outside that worries me for tournament time. Can the Yellowjackets score against a zone during tournament time is the big question? (Highlight performance: Omari Jointer’s 26pt vs Clay County) 3. South Oldham (12-5) Part of me really wants to put the Dragons at the 2 spot but I am going to let it play out a few more weeks. The boys from Crestwood are a really good ball club. They got beat by Male but who cares, Male has a chance to win the whole thing this year. South also has a huge week coming up . They travel to Spencer County to play in a tough environment on Tuesday and then host #4 Simon Kenton on Friday night. The student section at South will be rocking , I can guarantee you that.( Highlight Performance: Joaquin Siakam and Koton Wuchterl’s 22pt vs Atheron) 4. Simon Kenton (10-6) The Pioneers from North KY are enjoying a 4 game winning streak. They beat two good teams in back to back days this weekend. Going on the road to take down Grant by 8pt and beating Collins 20 hours later by 6pt. This week they have a non-region game vs Mason County on Tuesday and probably the best region game of the year when they travel to Crestwood to take on South Oldham. I can't wait to see the outcome of that game. Going to be a battle. (stats not updated) 5. Henry County (9-9) This will not be a popular decision by the majority of fans in the 8thregion but I really think the Wildcats are the 5th best team in the region. For the first time all season, everyone is healthy and they are playing great basketball. They represented the 8th region very well at the Class 2A Championships. They got eliminated by one of the best teams in the state-Boyd County. Tuesday night will give us a good idea how good Henry County really is. Collins is coming to town and they are playing great basketball. It will be a great regional matchup that I can't wait to see the outcome. (stats not updated) 6. Collins (6-10) I can't believe I am doing this but I am putting the Titans in the 6th spot. They beat a really really good and well coached Spencer County team on the road on Friday night. Of all the games this year that score surprises me the most. To go to Taylorsville and pick up a win is not easy. Also, Collins only lost to Simon by 6pt on Saturday. In a couple of weeks do I think Collins will stay in the top 6 of the region? NO! But that is where I have them now based on the last weeks performances. (Highlight Performance: Jonathon Stover 18pt) 7. Spencer County (10-7) I really think Spencer is a top 5 team but a slip up here and there has dropped them. That is basketball and it happens. You could tell they were mad about the loss to Collins because they came out vs Grant and absolutely dominated them winning by 15pt but it was never close. This week is a monster week for the Bearcats as they host South Oldham and travel to Anderson County. Both will be tough games in different ways. Anderson is super physical that is patient with the ball as they try to get it down low and South will run up and down the court as fast as they can shooting threes. (Highlight performance: Samual Seawright 18pt vs Grant County) 8. Grant County (10-8) Like I said in my opening statements, my heart goes out to these boys. Dealing with a friends mom passing is a lot to process. To keep that out of your mind and go play basketball is not easy. They were playing better than anyone in the region before the tragedy hit this community. The Braves are now on a 3 game losing streak, however the three loses have came against really good teams- Ryle, Simon and Spencer. The boys will put those games behind them and go get 3 wins this week vs Owen, Boone and Shelby. ( Highlight performance: Cade Wagner 19pts vs Simon Kenton) 9. Anderson County (16-3) I know there has been a lot of talk about Anderson’s weak schedule. However, I watched them on Saturday and they are a solid team. When you have a post that is really good then teams have to help a lot which leaves others wide open. They are a typical Anderson team. They play slow and will pass it 15 times until they get the shot they want. They played really good against Walton and beat them in a comeback fashion in the last few seconds. This week they have Gallatin, and Spencer. Another team with a big week. (Highlight performance: (Andrew Sparrow 16pt vs Bullitt Central) 10. Walton Verona (11-7) I was impressed watching Walton play live for the first time on Saturday. They didn’t back down to a really physical Anderson game. They had the game won but a late turnover did them in. Grant , Simon and Walton will make for a good district tourney. We all wish them luck has they advance in the Class A tourney this week vs Somerset. (Highlight performance: Noah Wells 3 for 4 in threes vs Dixie Heights) 11. Oldham County (8-8) Being .500 is not a bad record when your best 3 players are 2 freshman and 1 sophomore. The Colonels picked up 2 wins last week vs Central and Owen. This week their schedule looks brutal as they play Ryle, Ballard and North Oldham ..WOW… That could be 3 double digit loses. (Highlighted performance: Malakye Brown 20pt vs Central) 12. Owen County (7-7) Based on Saturdays score there is a HUGE cap between the top 11 and the bottom 8. Typically teams ranked right next to each other have competitive close games but Owen lost to Oldham by 35pt . But the boys from Owenton need to shake that game off and get ready for Grant County today. (Highlight performance: Michael Smith 29pt vs Carroll County) 13. Shelby County (8-10) Talk about a much improved them , the Rockets didn’t even sniff the top 13 spots last year. They had a huge region win last week vs Gallatin in convincing manner beating the Wildcats by 24pt. Coach Leslie has this team play solid basketball. They have a tough week ahead of them playing DeSales and Grant. (Highlight performance: Xadrian Johnson 25pt vs Meade County) 14. Eminence (12-6) The boys from Eminence played some great ball last week beating Trimble, Gallatin and Villa Madonna. The Gallatin win was in overtime and a great win. They are at 12 wins with a month left in the season. That is impressive for this group. (Highlight performance: Tavion Chambers 22pt vs Trimble) 15. Gallatin County (5-11) Rough week for the Wildcats as they lost to Henry, Eminence and Shelby. Time for the boys to regroup and get back to work. They will face a non region opponent in Bishop Brossat today before playing region foe Anderson to finish their games this week. (Highlight performance: Nick Skidmore 25pt vs Henry County) 16. Carroll County (9-8) Rough week last week going 0-2 but this week is a new week. They will travel to Williamstown for a big region game on Wednesday before having a tough game vs Henry County. (Highlight performance: Jordan Raisor 17pt vs Owen County) 17. Trimble County (4-13) Went 0-2 last week but have a chance to get some wins this week vs Brown and Frankfort Chr. (Highlight performance: Liam Taylor 12pt vs Trimble) 18. Cornerstown Chr (3-10) The KHSAA announced this week that they will be in District 29 next year aka the Oldham District. That will not be easy for this group but it will be some fun atmosphere for them to play in. (stats not updated) 19. Williamstown (0-15) Still looking for their first win this week as they take on Calvary Chr, Carroll County and Holmes. (stats not updated)

Assumption was out coached. Assumption had better athletes who were quicker and longer. Offensively they didn’t run any quality sets, it looked more like free lance offense. They could have done some many things defensively to force turnovers. With that said , basketball is a tournament sport. Maybe Assumption coaching staff is saving some stuff for tournament time.

Who won?

That is terrible