The Professor

Sacred Heart looks like a college team. I don’t see anyone in this tournament giving them any problems. 

Thank you ASB! Yes, it means a lot to our county. There was a long possession of vehicles with police and emergency vehicles escorting the Lady Owls into Booneville last night. I saw a lot of tears and celebrations. 

Well, this loss and the 3rd region loss by Daviess County has pretty much sunk my Sweet 16 picks in a contest I entered.

Owsley County (25-9) advances to the championship game for the second time in three years. They will play regional tournament host Estill County (16-18) Saturday at 7:00. 
 

The all-56th championship will be the first trip to the Sweet 16 in history for a 56th District team. 

Owsley County used a 22-13 scoring advantage over Knott Central in the second quarter of the first quarterfinal game of the 14th region tournament and never trailed thereafter. The Lady Owls (24-9) led by double digits the rest of the game and went on to defeat Knott Central (20-13) by a score of 59-43. 
 

14th Region (boys and girls) will be carried on Bluegrass Sports Nation (BSN). 

The Lady Owls got a tough draw. They will have to run the gauntlet of Knott Central, Perry Central and Letcher Central to earn a trip to play in Rupp. 
Similar scenario in 2022. Drew Knott Central and had to play Leslie Co in the semis. Made it to the championship and lost a heartbreaker by 1 point to Letcher Central on a buzzer beater in overtime. 

Boyd’s loss of their PG Taylor Bartrum midway through the season to injury was a big blow to the Lady Lions. They were never the same as they were earlier. I saw them at the PRTC Classic in McKee in early December and they were really clicking on all cylinders. And at the time were rated in the top 20. 

Owsley County won their 5th consecutive 56th District title at Powell County Wednesday with a 42-32 victory over Estill County. 
Estill’s strategy to force a slow pace game was very effective. Owsley averages almost 70 points per game and after two double digit losses to the Lady Owls during the season the Lady Engineers utilized a sticky man-man defense with a few wrinkles in it and it nearly worked. They were within 2 points of Owsley with 4 minutes left in the game. That’s when senior guard and the regions 2024 Player of the Year Carly Smith stepped up her game with some big baskets to secure the win. She scored 10 of Owsley’s 11 fourth quarter points starting with a difficult elbow make off a screen and also a step back 3. In addition she made important free throws late in the game after Estill was forced to foul. She was named the tournament’s MVP for the second straight year. Estill’s senior forward Sarah Baker was named Best Defensive Player. Owsley’s freshman guard Kenzie Grubb was chosen Best Sixth Player award. 
The Lady Owls will take a 23-9 record into regional tournament play next week. Estill’s record is now 14-18. Regional drawings for pairings will be held Friday afternoon. The region this year will be held at Estill County. 

I certainly hope so Double Deuce. They came so close in 2022 losing on a last second shot by 1 point in overtime to Letcher Central. The Lady Owls have been runner up twice, in 1988 and ‘22. With a high school enrollment of 188, which is small for a public school, to win Owsley’s first ever basketball region (boys have been twice runner up too…1983 and ‘85) would be simply awesome. Our little county would lose its mind, lol. The regional tournament is in 56th district territory this year in Irvine and that will cut down on bus time travel. When it’s in Hazard, Hindman Whitesburg and Hyden it’s a long drive to the venues. 

Great Crossing is on a mission to be hosting the big trophy in Rupp Arena on a Saturday night in March. 

Montgomery was leading by 5 points a couple minutes before the half and their big 6’6 player Luke Fawns was injured and didn’t play anymore. I think it was an ankle injury. Not saying they wouldn’t have still lost but he is a key player for the Tribe.

This game was actually 101-68, not that it makes a difference in the outcome but for official outcome that is the score.

The top seeded Lady Owls defeated Lee County 81-45 in the 56th district’s opening round at Powell County. They advance to Wednesday’s championship game vs Estill County, who defeated Powell County 42-28 in the second game. 

Region 1 McCracken County

Region 2 Lyon County

Region 3 Daviess County

Region 4 Bowling Green

Region 5 North Hardin

Region 6 Evangel Christian

Region 7 Trinity

Region 8 North Oldham

Region 9 Newport

Region 10 Clark County

Region 11 Great Crossing

Region 12 Danville Christian 

Region 13 North Laurel

Region 14 Hazard

Region 15 Pikeville

Region 16 Boyd County

I’m going to predict a Boyd County-Ashland regional championship game. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb doing that. The title game could go either way. Boyd has clipped Ashland twice by 6 points this season. So the finals will be close. Ashland has won five straight regional championships. Boyd has a slim edge but the Tomcats will not go down easily. Don’t be surprised if they aren’t playing in Rupp for the sixth consecutive time. 

Do they still use the cowbells? If so that is worth 12-15 points, lol.

I’ll just be glad when Kentucky will have their entire roster available for a game. I don’t think that has been the case so far this season. Mitchell has been out for a few games. Before that Theiro was out for a couple weeks. Wagner has also missed time due to injuries. And of course all three bigs were out for much of the season. 

I remember when he proclaimed that he was going to build Maryland into the “UCLA of the East.” He had some very talented teams during his career but I don’t think he ever won an NCAA title.

Will Conner Miller be back for McCracken for the district tournament?

How is Lyon’s starter that has been injured? I think his name is Reddick?

Will Trinity’s player be back for the district tournament?

The year Dirk Minniefield and Lafayette won the state title under coach Jock Sutherland was my first time to stay for every session. 1979. 
I had gone to certain sessions over the years for one day when it was in Louisville but when it moved to Rupp me and a bunch of friends went every year. And I want to add that back in the early ‘80’s Rupp was rocking!! Crowds commonly were in the range of 15,000 to 18,000. A Mason County game had 20,000. Those times have changed, much of it due to the crack down on school spending for room and tickets with the Red Book policies. Crowds are much smaller nowadays.

I ordered tickets and went every year the tournament was in Lexington from 1979 until Covid disrupted everything in 2020. Since then I have only gone to selected sessions here and there. I now watch most of it on the streaming services. 

The Lady Owls notched their 20th win of the season (20-6) with a 71-39 victory over Hazard in Booneville. The win marked the fifth consecutive year the Lady Owls have won 20 or more games. It was the second win over Hazard this season, as they had an 85-43 victory in the regional All A at Wolfe County in early January. 
Senior guards Carly Smith and Laya Lynch each made four 3 pointers, and freshman guard Kenzie Grubb had two. Grubb was starting in the place of sophomore guard Addie Terry (14 ppg and 8.7 rebounds) who was out with a stomach virus. Owsley had 10 treys for the game and now have 202 accumulated through 26 games.
Smith led Owsley with 20 points. 6’2 freshman center Macey Brown had 19, Lynch 15, Grubb 10, and Shelby Murray 5. Hazard was led by freshman Laura Everidge with 10 and 8th grader Maddi Frohnaphel with 10.