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News and notes: Adair County is still rolling along as they have won 10 games in a row. Adair County is 18-1 overall, 12-0 against 5th Region teams and 4-0 in the 20th District. Bardstown is still Bardstown and they are currently 7-0 against 5th Region teams and 5-0 in the 19th District. At 13-4 overall Bardstown is still a strong threat to win the 5th Region championship this season. John Hardin has won 6 games in a row and is looking to be one of the hottest teams in the 5th Region at the moment. Huge game against North Hardin looms on the horizon for John Hardin to make a statement to the 5th Region after a shaky start to the season. Taylor County had the biggest win of the week with a 71-66 victory over North Hardin. While many people weren't sure what to expect from Taylor County this season their recent success is not surprising to anyone. North Hardin began the season as the #1 team in the 5th Region along with Bardstown. While they have stumbled recently they are still very much a strong and talented team capable of winning the 5th Region. Do not sleep on North Hardin because of their recent slip ups. Fort Knox had the second biggest win of the week with a HUGE upset over Bethlehem in the 5th Region All A Tournament. Fort Knox then defeated Caverna and if I am not mistaken they will face Campbellsville in the finals of the 5th Region All A Tournament. Salute and good luck to the kids at Fort Knox! Kel Stotts recently became the second person in the history of the state of Kentucky to score 1,000 points at two different schools. Stotts has now scored 1,000 points at Adair County and he scored over 1,000 points while at Russell County. Congrats to Kel Stotts on what has been a fantastic high school career. 5th Region Rankings: 1. Adair County 2. Bardstown 3. John Hardin 4. Taylor County 5. North Hardin 6. Elizabethtown 7. Larue County 8. Central Hardin 9. Bethlehem 10. Nelson County 11. Washington County 12. Marion County 13. Fort Knox 14. Caverna 15. Campbellsville 16. Green County 17. Thomas Nelson 18. Hart County

The dust from the King of the Bluegrass tournament has settled and Trinity emerged as the winner of the prestigious tournament held at Fairdale High School. If there was any doubt about who the best team in the 7th Region was before the King of the Bluegrass then all of that doubt has been erased. Trinity is not only the best team in the 7th Region but they currently claim the crown of best team in the state and they have proven to deserve that title. Can they be stopped? 1. Trinity (8-1) As mentioned Trinity emerged from the King of the Bluegrass unscathed as the 2016 KOB Champions. Led by Jay Scrubb (15.0 points/game), Lucas Burkman (14.1 points/game) and David Johnson (12.3 points/game) Trinity won the KOB with victories over #8 Cooper, #2 Fern Creek and #3 Covington Catholic. To get a better understanding of how Trinity is winning these games look no further than their statistics. Lucas Burkman is shooting 51.3% from the field, 47.2% from three, 81.5% from the FT line and is making almost 3 three pointers a game. Jay Scrubb is shooting 60.2% from the field, 52% from three and 88% from the FT line. When you can get this kind of efficiency from your two top scorers then the success we see Trinity having shouldn't be a surprise. Oh, and Jacob King should be back on the court in the near future. Up next for Trinity is Dobyns-Bennett(TN) in the Arby's Classic in Bristol, TN. 2. Ballard (5-2) Ballard was also at the King of the Bluegrass and they went 2-2 at the KOB. They started off by defeating Ballard, then dropped a game to Bowling Green, defeated Allatoona, GA and then lost to Fern Creek. Clivonte Patterson is Ballard's leading scorer at 19.4 points a game and Jamil Wilson follows that up with 18.4 points a game. Patterson is also pulling down 10.6 rebounds a game as well. Up next for Ballard is Paducah Tilghman at the Wes Unseld Classic at Seneca on December 27th. 3. Waggener (6-4) Waggener is sitting at 6-4 after going 2-1 at the Best in Hoops Classic with the lone loss coming from Bullitt East in the Championship game. Wins over Bryan Station and host Oldham County got Waggener into the Championship game against Bullitt East where they fell to Bullitt East by the score of 68-55. Jacquess Hobbs leads the team with his 17 points/game average and Jaago Kalakon adds 13.1 points a game. Both are shooting over 50% from the floor and Hobbs is chipping in 5 rebounds a game and Kalakon is at 6.1 rebounds per game. Up next for Waggener is the Suncoast Holiday Classic in Sarasota, FL. Enjoy the weather, good luck and safe travels!!!! 4. St. Xavier (5-3) St. X last hit the court on December 17th against John Paul College from Australia and they won that game 81-37. Pierce Kiesler leads the team with his 17 points and 7 rebounds per game averages. St. X is headed to Orlando, FL as they will be playing in the Jim Clark Hornet Holiday Classic. Their first opponent, Trinity Catholic(FL). According to their schedule it looks like they have a four game guarantee as they being play on December 28th and could play another game on the 28th and then games on the 29th and 30th before they return home. Again, enjoy the weather, good luck and safe travels!!!! 5. Central (5-4) Central was also in the Best in Hoops tournament but they didn't share the same success as Waggener did as Central went 1-2 while in the tournament. They had losses to DeSales and Lafayette but did enjoy a victory over 7th Region foe Manual. Devin Firman is leading Central with 17 points per game are looking to improve their record in the upcoming City of Middletown Holiday Classic where they will face off against the top team from the 5th Region in Bardstown. They will face off on December 27th and the City of Middletown Holiday Classic will be held at Eastern High School. 6. Christian Academy-Louisville (9-2) The last time we saw CAL they were 2-2 and the #9 team in the 7th Region. 7 games and 7 wins later they are sitting at 9-2 and are heading into the Henry County Invitational with tons of momentum after emerging as the champions of the Berea Invitational Tournament. During the 7 game winning streak they put a whipping on Kentucky Country Day and have been rolling right along. Parker Jones is now up to 21 points per game, Kenneth Purvis is at 14.5 and Michael Woodward is at 11.1. Jones is also pulling down 10 rebounds a game as Jones looks to solidify himself as one of the best players in the 7th Region. CAL will start off the Henry County Invitational against East Jessamine on December 27th. 7. Male (4-5) Male is currently marred in a three game losing streak having dropped two games at the Bardstown Holiday Classic to out of state guests Hoover (AL) and Christian Presbyterian Academy (TN) and then dropped a close one to Bardstown. Led by Hogan Brownley with his 15.3 points(60.2% from the floor) and 9.7 rebounds per game male is headed to the Meijer Holiday Classic at Bowling Green High School where they look to end their three game losing streak as they will face Greenwood on December 28th. 8. Eastern (4-5) Eastern went 2-1 last week at the Clash of Titans tournament at Mercer County. After dropping their first game to Boyle County they finished with two wins against Campbellsville and Knott County Central. Eastern is led by Caleb Williams and his 14 points and 7 rebounds a game. Eastern will be hosting the City of Middletown Holiday Classic and they will face Meade County and Beechwood on December 27th. 9. Louisville Collegiate (8-4) Louisville Collegiate rolls into the top 10 with an 8-4 record and a three game winning streak. Led by Ryan McDaniel and his 17.5 points per game and Barrett Myers and his 15.8 points a game Louisville Collegiate is enjoying a successful start to the season. Up next for Louisville Collegiate is Evangel Christian and then Bethlehem at the Beth Haven Holiday Classic beginning on December 28th. 10. Atherton (5-7) Atherton rounds out the top 10 as they have enjoyed recent success by going 3-0 at the Cecilian Bank Tournament that was held at Breckenridge County. Atherton secured wins over Frederick Fraize, Grayson County and Breckenridge County. With Flynn Calnon leading the way with his 17 points a game average Atherton will face Danville on December 27th at South Oldham in the Mitchell F Irvin Classic. 11. Kentucky Country Day (3-4) Kentucky Country Day has found themselves on the outside looking in for the top 10 in the 7th Region after dropping games to CAL and then Atherton. Anthony Mathis leads the team in scoring at 24.7 points a game and Solomon Mathis is scoring 15 points a game. Next up for KCD is Fern Creek in the Mitchell F Irvin Classic at South Oldham on December 27th. 12. Seneca (1-8) Seneca has been struggling this season but they aren't as bad as their record looks. Keyontez Leach leads the team with 16 points per game as Seneca looks to gain some positive momentum as they host the Wes Unseld Classic this week. They will face Grant County first on December 27th. 13. Manual (1-8) Manual like Seneca isn't as bad as their record looks. Having now lost their last 7 games after losing to Lafayette tonight Manual is in the unfamiliar position of being in the bottom half of the 7th Region. Currently playing in the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic will likely get Manual prepared for the gauntlet that is the 7th Region. Noah Hawkins is Manual's leading scorer at 10 points per game. 14. St. Francis (4-5) St. Francis recently went 1-2 at the KME Christmas Classic at Trigg County as they secured a victory over Clarksburg(TN) and dropped games to Trigg County and St. Mary. They will next face Portland Christian on January 3rd. 15. Brown (4-7) Brown had dropped 6 straight games until grabbing a 60-59 victory over Evangel Christian on December 20th. Jared Fife leads the team in scoring at 15 points a game and Collin Bynum is adding 13 points a game. Frederick Fraize is next up for Brown on January 2nd. 16. Shawnee (0-9) Shawnee is still searching for their first win of the season. Led by Amontay Mitchell and his 13 points per game Shawnee closest final margin has been 9 point losses and they look and hope to secure their first victory at the Mitchell F Irvin Classic at South Oldham. They will face host South Oldham on December 27th. 17. Portland Christian (3-5) Portland Christian took a loss to Beth Haven last time they were on the court. Led in scoring by Quincy Dye's 26 points per game portland Christian is headed to the Beth Haven Holiday Classic where they look to exact some revenge on Beth Haven when they face them on December 28th.

There has been a surprise or two to start the season in the 5th Region. North Hardin stumbled out of the gate as did Taylor County and both appear to be righting the ship. Bardstown has gotten off to the start we expected from them and Adair County only has one loss at the moment. Bethlehem and Larue County are still undefeated. John Hardin was undefeated until they faced Central Hardin along with a couple of games immediately after that but have turned things around. Lots of season left for what looks to be a very competitive chase for the crown of 5th Region champion! 1. Bardstown (5-3) Bardstown has gotten off to a good start. They have defeated Marion County, North Oldham and West Jessamine. Their best wins so far are most likely against West Jessamine and Male but being led by Kel Livers and Santrel Farmer is something most schools in this state covet. Bardstown has four players scoring in double figures with Santrel Farmer leading team with his 18.6 points a game average. Kel Livers is adding 15.1, TraJan Walls is at 13.1 and Daydrian Allen is at 10.5 points but Daydrian has only played two games so far according to their stats. Kel Livers is hitting three pointers at a clip of 59% and is proving to be dangerous from behind the arc so far this season. Next up for Bardstown is the City of Middletown Classic a Eastern High School. They are slated to face Central and Mayfield in this tournament. After the tournament they will begin district and region play and we will see if they are truly the #1 team in the 5th Region. 2. Adair County (10-1) Adair County is searching for that one signature win to announce to the state and region that they are legit and with the bona fide scorers that they put on the court it would be foolish to dismiss their talent. Kel Stotts is scoring 23.5 points a game. Corey Melton is scoring 17.s points a game, Chance Melton is scoring 14.3 points a game and Cameron Lashley is at 10 points a game after scoring 17 points per game last year. The scoring ability of Adair County from four different players is one of the aspects that makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the region as well as the state. Their only loss came from the hands of Collins and while that isn't a bad loss fellow 5th Region team John Hardin has defeated Collins this year. Up next for Adair County is Mercer County at the Campbellsville High School Holiday Classic on December 28th. 3. North Hardin (6-4) North Hardin began the season as the top team in the 5th Region along with Bardstown. Tony Jackson is worth the price of admission and freshman Roger Mcfarlane is proving to be as good as advertised. Once they put Trace Young into the mix and throw in James Pitre's contributions this will be one of the teams to beat in the 5th Region. When looking at North Hardin's record of 6-4 it must be noted that three of their losses came from the hands of three of the top 10 teams in the state in Covington Catholic, Bowling Green and Christian County. As mentioned Trace Young is now eligible and I imagine we will see a much different North Hardin team going forward. Up next for North Hardin is the Wes Unseld Classic at Seneca where they will face Bryan Station on December 27th. 4. Central Hardin (6-3) Central Hardin started off the season in a rough fashion dropping games to Nelson County and Southwestern but they have rebounded nicely by finding their bearings in having wins over Elizabethtown, Butler and John Hardin. Mason Rothrock is scoring 12.5 points a game, Trent Woods is at 12.2 and Jacob Hobbs is chipping in 11. They recently went 2-1 at the Simon Kenton Invitational with wins over Scott and Gallatin County. Up next is Newport Central Catholic at the Apollo Holiday Classic at Apollo High School in Owensboro on December 27th. 5. Taylor County (3-3) Taylor County has had a challenging schedule to start the season as they got off to a 2-3 start. They then reeled off four straight victories including a victory over John Hardin and are now sitting on a 6-3 record. TreVon Smith leads the team in scoring at 18.9 points a game. Dylan Gaines is chipping in 13.8 and Ezra Oliver is adding 13.2 points a game. Elizabethtown is up next for Taylor County on January 3rd. 6. John Hardin (3-2) John Hardin got off to a good start and then dropped two games in which they expected to win. Sitting at #6 now they began the season as the #3 team in the 5th Region. Mickey Pearson and Devonte Guillory lead this John Hardin team that recently went 3-1 at the Farmers Bank of Jessamine County Tournament with their only loss coming from a strong Harlan County team. Things appear to be turning around for John Hardin and I wouldn't be surprised to see them shoot their way back up to the top of the rankings in the 5th Region. Logan County is up next for John Hardin on December 28th. 7. Larue County(8-0) Larue County is one of two undefeated teams left in the 5th Region and a lot of that is due to their schedule to date. Larue County is proving to be a good team but without a true signature win it is hard to get a good gauge of where they sit amongst the best of the 5th Region. Led by MJ Embree and his 14.8 points a game, Derek Goode at 13.1 points and Mark Goode at 11.6 points Larue County has enjoyed a great showing at the Smoky Mountain Classic. Next up for Larue County is the Magnolia Bank Holiday Classic where they will play host to an 8 team tournament beginning December 28th. 8. Bethlehem (8-0) Much like Larue County, Bethlehem is sitting on an 8-0 record and are still searching for that signature win to vault them to the top 5 of the 5th Region. Recent wins over Marion County, Washington County and Glasgow are helping to prove Bethlehem's mettle as probably not many people besides themselves expected them to be undefeated at Christmas. Matthew hagan is dropping 20.6 points a game and Jacob Taylor is pouring in 16.4 points. John Prescott is adding 7 points a game and 9 rebounds. Up next for Bethlehem is the Beth Haven Holiday Classic beginning December 28th where they will face Louisville Collegiate and Evangel Christian. 9. Elizabethtown (4-4) Elizabethtown is sitting on a 4-4 record and they land into the top 10 on the strength of a victory over Marion County. They don't have any bad losses right now as they have lost to teams most would expect them to lose to. Up next for Elizabethtown is the South Central Bank-Halton Classic at Allen County-Scottsville where they will face Allen County-Scottsville on December 28th. 10. Marion County (5-5) Marion County rounds out the top 10. Led by Lez Means and his 15.5 points a game and Luke Thomas and his 10.8 points a game Marion County is looking to improve their record at the Campbellsville High School Holiday Classic where they will face Monroe County on December 28th. 11. Nelson County (4-5) Nelson County has enjoyed wins over Central Hardin and Washington County. Led in scoring by Max Ryan at 17.8 points a game they are looking to crack the top 10 as the season goes forward. The Nelson County Classic is up next for them as they look to snap a four game losing streak. 12. Green County (7-3) At 7-3 Green County has one of the better records in the 5th Region. Unfortunately for them all of their wins have come against teams ranked lower than them so it is hard to see just how good this team is. We will find out going forward as district and region play intensifies. Up next for Green County is district opponent Hart County who Green County has already defeated once this season. Isaac Landis leads Green County with his 12 points per game average. Green County will next face Hart County on January 3rd. 13. Washington County (6-5) Washington County is led by DT Yocum and his 23 points per game average. They recently went 2-2 at the Arby's/KFC Classic with wins over Whitley County and Lynn Camp. Up next for Washington County is a district matchup with Bardstown on January 3rd. 14. Caverna (3-7) Caverna is in the midst of a four game losing streak. Jobby Howard is pouring in 24.8 points a game, Devon Paul is putting up 17.2 points a game and Travis Henley is putting up 12 points a game. Up next for Caverna is the Wes Unseld Classic at Seneca where they will face Calloway County on December 27th. 15. Campbellsville (1-10) Tyrion Taylor leads Campbellsville at 23.8 points a game. Campbellsville is currently in a 7 game losing streak but they have faced some tough opponents this season. They look to get in to some winning ways as they host the Campbellsville High School Holiday Classic and will face Betsy Layne on December 28th. 16. Hart County (1-6) John Shoulders is putting up 25.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a game for Hart County. While they only have one win thus far under new coach Josh Henderson they look to get things going in a positive direction at the Magnolia Bank Holiday Classic at Larue County where they will face North Bullitt on December 28th. 17. Fort Knox (2-7) Led by Camron Gore's 15.1 points per game Fort Knox has secured 2 wins this season. Up next for Fort Knox is a tough matchup with North Hardin on January 6th. 18. Thomas Nelson (0-11) Thomas Nelson has yet to win a game this season. Things have been tough for Thomas Nelson and leading scorer Jerry Wimsett and hopefully they will be able to get on track and secure that first victory of the season. Up next for Thomas Nelson is Grayson County at the Magnolia Bank Classic at Larue County. on December 28th.

Bluegrasspreps.com is giving you a chance to demonstrate your basketball expertise statewide! All you have to do is pick the correct winner of each of the 16 regions. Whoever chooses the most regions correctly will be the winner. That is all you need to do. The first tiebreaker will be whoever picked the 10th Region winner correctly. The second tiebreaker is time. Early bird gets the worm if the contest comes down to the second tiebreaker. This contest will be locked at 5:00pm on Monday, February 22. Please note that Free Members are not eligible for this contest. Posts from Free Members will be deleted. If you win the contest, you will receive a quality prize. Check here for a reference. Use this format to submit your entries: 1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th: 6th: 7th: 8th: 9th: 10th: 11th: 12th: 13th: 14th: 15th: 16th: First tiebreaker: Correctly choosing the winner of the 10th Region. Second tiebreaker: Time of post. Good luck and thanks for playing!!!!

And then there were 8. All of the hard work that each team has put in to this point finally culminates in a win or go home three game tournament with the prize being a trip to Rupp Arena for a shot a state championship. The Match Ups Wednesday March 2nd 6:30 Conner v St Henry 8:00 Covington Catholic v Newport Friday March 4th 6:30 Newport Central Catholic v Cooper 8:00 Dixie Heights v Holy Cross Sunday March 6th 1:00 Semi Final #1 2:30 Semi Final #2 Monday March 7th 7:00 9th Region Finals Ranking the Field 1. Covington Catholic (26-6) The hype is real as the Blueboys look to three peat as 9th region champions and reach their 4th consecutive title game. The Colonels enter the region tournament having won 15 consecutive games after losing to Holy Cross in a 35th district seeding match up on the road. Scott Ruthsatz team ran through the 35th district with a 63-36 win over Holmes and a 62-41 win over Holy Cross as tournament MVP Cole Vonhandorf finished with 25 and 29 points on 21 of 29 shooting. I suppose those are decent numbers. If the junior leader plays like that during the region tournament, I don't see anyone in the field that can slow the Colonels down. While the Colonels have experience at BB&T Arena, having already won twice there during the regular season, the biggest question is how will the young Colonels respond if they face adversity or have to play from behind? Other Players to Watch: Sophomore CJ Fredrick (10.9 ppg) Senior Andy Flood (10.4 ppg) Sophomore AJ Mayer (9.1 ppg, 7 rpg) Sophomore Aiden Ruthsatz (7.4 ppg) 2. Newport Central Catholic (25-4) The 36th district tournament was supposed to be a warm up for the Breds but after beating Highlands by 42 points in the semi finals, Ron Dawn's team struggled to get past Newport, escaping with an 85-79 overtime victory over Rod Snapp's Newport Wildcats. Still, the team from the Hill enters the region tournament on a 7 game win streak and having won 13 of their previous 14. So why is this the year the Breds just might get over the hump? Two words. Ben. Weyer. The 6'7 Bellarmine commit and 9th region Player of the Year enters the tournament averaging 21.4 ppg and 11 rpg and earned 36th district tournament MVP after posting 26 points in the semi finals and 28 in the finals. Weyer is the most dominant player in the region and one of the most dominant players in the state. He will need help from his supporting cast, but if he plays like he did in the district tournament, the Breds could finally get to Rupp Arena. Other Player to Watch: Junior Luke Moeves (12.1 ppg) Sophomore Brennan Hall (11.6 ppg) 3. Holy Cross (22-8) After starting the season 16-4 and climbing all the way to #1 in Walter's weekly 9th region rankings, the Indians went just 6-4 over their final 10, including a 21 point loss in the 35th district championship. An injury to senior leader Tyler Bezold (16.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) played a role in that finish to an extent, but Ryan Schrand's team simply hasn't been the same since. Bezold will have to play better than he did in the district championship ( 6 pts, 4 rbs) for Holy Cross to have a chance at making an appearance in the 9th region finals. Luckily for Bezold, he has plenty of help in fellow senior Leighton Schrand (15.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) as well as Erich Jakubowski (9.8 ppg). That trio is one of the better trios in the region and one of the big reasons Holy Cross is back in the region tournament for the first time since 2004. With this being Holy Cross first appearance at BB&T Arena, it's hard not to wonder how they will perform on the bigger floor. Holy Cross was really good at home this season with wins over Covcath, Newcath,and Cooper, but they lost to two of those three on a neutral floor. 4. Cooper (24-4) Despite playing the final 11 games without what will likely be arguably the best player in the region next year in Sean McNeil (16.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Tim Sullivan's team rallied to go 9-2 over their final 11. The problem is one of those losses came in the district finals to Conner while playing without McNeil and Adam Kunkel (15.7 ppg) which puts them in a tough first round match up with Newcath. To make matters worse, the Jags also lost one of the best defenders in the region in junior Dante Hendrix to a hand/wrist injury during that 54-53 district final loss. Cooper will be without Hendrix and Kunkel in the region tournament. The Jags might be down, but they aren't out as Sean McNeil should be back for the region tournament opener and with the elevated play of sophomores Chris McNeil (8.3 ppg) and Brayden Runion (14 pts, 13 rbs v Boone County in 33rd district semi's) , as well as senior Trevor Rohlman to go along with how well Cooper defends, anything seems possible at this point. 5. Newport (17-14) It has been a long season for Rod Snapp as his team entered the season having arguably the most talented starting 5 in the region but lost 7 straight games and 8 of their final 10 after deciding to part ways with three of those talented starting 5. Without those three, the Wildcats seem to be rejuvenated as Kedan Davis and Ethan Snapp have elevated their play and sophomoe Mekell Burries and junior Anthony Harmon have stepped right in and replaced the production by the departed 3. Burries had 13 points in the district championship loss to Newcath, while Harmon had 18 pts, 13 rbs which has become the norm for him since he started playing regular minutes. At the end of the day, this team will go as far as Ethan Snapp and Kedan Davis carry them. Snapp had 29 pts, 9 rbs in the district finals while Davis had 18 pts, 12 rbs. Both will have to play like that in the opening round of the region tournament if the Wildcats are going to avenge last season's first round loss to the same Covington Catholic Colonels. 6. Conner Cougars (17-10) It was a grind but the Cougars enter the region tournament as 33rd district champions after defeating Ryle 56-51 and Cooper 54-53. Conner senior Michael Scott (16.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) earned 33rd district MVP after posting 18 points in the championship and 29 in the semi finals. Jim Hicks team enters the tournament 3-7 against the field and looking for the program's first region tournament win since the Cougars advanceD to the region finals during the 2004-2005 season. Conner did upset region #1 Covington Catholic in the semi finals that year and that is who this year's Conner squad could potentially see again in this year's semi finals. Spencer Hemmerich (15.2 ppg , 4.5 rpg) with Michael Scott forms one of the better duos that you will see in this tournament but Travis Connelly (8.5 ppg), Alec Garnett (7.9 ppg), and Kyler Padgett (5.3 ppg) will all have to elevate their games to another level for the Cougars to make a run at the finals. 7. Dixie Heights (19-10) I don't know if there is a team in this region that has exceeded expectations more than Ken Chevalier's Dixie Colonels. With little to no expectations coming in to this season with an inexperienced squad, all the Colonels did was win 19 games and yet another district championship with a 77-62 win over St Henry. Leading the Red Colonels will be juniors Reed Bradfield (11.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Hunter Meyer (11.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) along with senior Ian Brolley (8.8 ppg). One of the big reasons for Dixie's success has been the help and production that sophomore AJ Plitzuweit has provided at 7.5 ppg. The Colonels don't always play or win pretty but they defend and rebound very well which can carry you a long way in a win or go home scenario. 8. St Henry (14-16) It's hard to believe a team with a losing record made it in to the region tournament, especially in the 9th region, but that record is a little mis leading as St Henry started the season 3-11 but finished 11-5 to get back to BB&T Arena. Adam Goetz (18.6 ppg) has been very good for the Crusaders this season having scored 25 or more points maybe more than any other player in the region, not named Ben Weyer. Paul Wallenhorst (11.7 ppg) and Stephen Maley (10.9 ppg) provide just enough production to keep teams from totally selling out on stopping Goetz, but at the end of the day it will be the 4th and 5th players on the floor with those three that will need to give solid production for St Henry to make any type of run in the tournament. As always, as long as Dave Faust is on the sidelines anything can happen. Region Tournament Predictions Conner v St Henry This is one of the more difficult games to predict when looking at the first round match ups. Conner picked up a 60-56 win over St Henry during the regular season but that game was all the way back on December 3rd. Looking at both team's top 3 players it is very even with St Henry probably having the best all around player in Adam Goetz. Still, Michael Scott has shown he can put up serious numbers this season and it could end up being a case of which team's star performs at a higher level as to who wins. Cooper was a big favorite over St Henry last year in the first round and the Cru pulled the upset. I think Adam Goetz has a big night in this one but Jim Hicks and Conner get the win. Conner over St Henry Covcath v Newport It's hard to think this will even be a game after the Colonels handled Newport by 31 points three weeks ago but with the distractions gone, I think the Wildcats can make this game. Covcath will no doubt use some sort of triangle and 2 or box and 1 defense to try to force the others to beat them but with Newport playing team ball that could actually benefit the Rod Snapp's team. Still, the Colonels are absolutely rolling right now and I don't see Newport slowing them down. Covcath over Newport by 10-15. Newcath v Cooper If Cooper were fully healthy, I don't know that this would even be a 1st round match up. Sean McNeil should be back for this game but Cooper is still without 2 of their top 3. With Cooper having all of their players in the regular season match up, Newcath still rolled to a 60-46 win on the hill. With Hendrix and Kunkel out in this one, I think we see a repeat outcome. Newcath over Cooper. Dixie Heights v Holy Cross Dixie wins their district and get the unfortunate task of facing the 35th district runner up, which has advanced to the region finals the past 3 years. Holy Cross won the regular season match up February 10th 67-56. My guess is Dixie gives another valiant effort but we see a similar outcome as Bezold, Schrand, and Jakubowski lead the Indians in to the region semi finals. Holy Cross over Dixie Region Semi Finals Covcath v Conner This was a 30 point blow out during the regular season and with the Colonels playing even better basketball now, I don't see the Cougars keeping Scott Ruthsatz' team from advancing to the region finals for a fourth consecutive year. Newcath v Holy Cross These two split during the regular season with Holy Cross winning the December match up 65-60 but Newcath winning the late January match up in the All A Finals by a score of 70-52. Tyler Bezold only played one quarter in that second game so it's tough to really say what happens in that game if he plays all four quarters. However, I think Newcath wins that one regardless. With round 3 coming on another neutral floor, I think the Breds get back to the region finals to set up a re match with the Colonels. Newcath over Holy Cross. 9th Region Finals Covcath v Newcath This has become maybe the best rivalry in NKY, despite Covcath owning the Breds and not losing to Newcath since a season sweep during Scott Ruthsatz first year in Park Hills. I could go on and on about this match up and that match up and refer back to Covcath's 58-43 win over Newcath on January 15th but the bottom line is, despite what either team's players or coaches say, neither team likes one another and it would be an absolute battle if they met with a trip to Rupp Arena on the line. Newcath has struggled to win big games over the years, while Covcath has done nothing but win and win big. I could make a prediction, but where is the fun in that? I'll leave it to the rest of BGP to predict who would win. Now for a little end of the season fun.... Walter's All 9th Region and Final Top 10 Players 1. Ben Weyer- Newcath (21 ppg, 11 rpg) Simply Put...dominant. Everyone in the gym knew he was the best player on the court and getting the ball and he still scored at will. One of the most versatile big men to come through the region in a while. 2. Markel McClendon- Holmes (19.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Despite seeing virtually every defensive game plan a coach can think of to stop him and force others to beat them. McClendon still produced at a high level. This might not be a popular pick but there might not be a tougher guard to defend in the region one on one. Can hit the outside shot or blow by a defender. 3. Sean McNeil- Cooper (16 ppg, 7.5 rpg) Was injured the final 11 games of the season, but there's not a better all around player in the region. Can Defend and play all 5 positions and is likely my pick for #2 in the region if not for the injury. 4. Cole VonHandorf- Covcath (16.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) Some might question why CVH is at #4 but I think even he would agree that he didn't play up to his expectations this season and his ppg and fg% reflected that. Still the kid is a winner and if he plays like he did in the district tournament all season, he is probably your player of the year. One of the best defensive guards in the region. 5. Adam Goetz- St Henry (18.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) Goetz kind of got over shadowed by the fact that St Henry struggled for the majority of the season. Still, at 48% from the field and 38% from outside, the senior point guard was very efficient and one of the best at also getting his teammates involved. 6. Ethan Snapp- Newport (17.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Snapp's numbers could have been better if not dealing with some of the off the court and locker room issues that went on throughout Newport's season. It should come as no surprise to anyone that when Newport started making "changes" to their personnel, we finally started seeing the player that many of us expected to see. 7. Tyler Bezold- Holy Cross (16.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) Bezold doesn't look like the type of player that is going to be effective at first glance but the kid flat out gets it done at both ends. Can score from anywhere on the floor with unlimited range and defensively makes up for a lack of athleticism with positioning and moving his feet in space to beat the offensive player to spots on the floor. 8. Michael Scott- Conner (16.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) Much like McNeil at Cooper, Scott is another player that can play and defend all 5 positions. Struggled with his shot from outside but tough going to the rim and scores with efficiency. 9. Adam Kunkel- Cooper (15.7 ppg, 4 rpg) Kunkel really blossomed in to a future star during his sophomore campaign. With McNeil out due to injury he showed that he is a capable rebounder by posting a double double and his offensive game speaks for itself. Smooth. Finished the year 50 percent from outside and 51.5 percent from the floor. 10. CJ Fredrick- Covcath (10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) 44 percent from outside, 53 percent from the field. Not too many sophomores play the minutes that Fredrick did at Covcath this year and make the type of impact that he did. The most underrated part of his game is his defense and much like Kunkel, he blossomed in to a future star with the way he has played this year. Honorable Mention: Andy Flood- Covcath AJ Mayer- Covcath Leighton Schrand- Holy Cross Spencer Hemmerich- Conner Reed Bradfield- Dixie Heights Hunter Meyer- Dixie Heights Paul Wallenhorst- St Henry Kedan Davis- Newport Now that all that is out of the way, I guess the only thing to do is get ready for what should be an exciting 9th region tournament at NKU's BB&T Arena. Let the fun begin.

Final from Lincoln County.

I looked at the girls basketball 9th Region drawing and one of the posters said the fans are not allowed to bring signs to the game. Is this correct for the boys as well? If so, why? I never heard of this in the 8th Region.

Conventional wisdom coming into the 13th Region Tournament draw on Saturday was tournament favorites South Laurel (24-6 overall, 13-2 vs. 13th Region opponents) and Clay County (23-7, 15-3) both wanted to draw away from each other, and that’s what happened. The Cardinals and the Tigers are in opposite brackets, and the hands on picks to reach the region title game Monday, March 7. With that said, South Laurel coach Jeff Davis said that any team could catch fire and win the region championship. “I like my team,” he said. “But I also know they’re seven other teams that are very good, too. I like our chances, but we are focused on Bell County right now. We want to take things one game at a time. "Once you get to this point, you know every team that is here is good,” he added. “Like I said, our focus is on Bell County right now.” Davis might not grab the favorite role by the horns, but Clay County coach Robert Marcum was quick to point out that he felt like the Cardinals were the favorites. South Laurel is 2-0 against Marcum’s squad this season, which included wins of 18 and 19 points, respectively. “They’re a lot of good teams in this tournament,” Marcum said. “But I think you’d have to say South Laurel is the team to beat. They have a lot of talent and are playing really good right now. I think we are one of those teams that are right up there, too, along with North Laurel, Harlan County, Corbin and Knox Central, but you’ve got to give the edge to South Laurel.” Barbourville coach Derrick Collins agreed with Marcum’s assessment. “It’s been South Laurel since the season began,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, Clay County is right there, and so is Harlan County and North Laurel, but South Laurel is the favorite.” Corbin coach Tony Pietrowski is only one of two 13th Region teams to beat the Cardinals this season despite —dropping the 50th District title game to South Laurel this past Friday, 77-58. Many believe his Redhounds can surprise, but they’ll have to figure out how to beat the Black Bears for the second time this season first. “They’re a lot of good teams in this tournament,” Pietrowski said. “I believe all four games are going to be competitive. I like the way we are playing, obviously we didn't play well against South Laurel, but I believe we can do some things. “I think you’ve got to go with South Laurel as the favorite, but Clay County, North Laurel and Harlan County are right there, too,” he added. “Knox Central is playing good, too.” Mike Jones’ Black Bears are the hottest team in the 13th Region. Harlan County (23-4, 12-1) is riding a nine-game win streak and hasn’t lost a game since its 57-55 loss to Corbin on Jan. 11. “I do like the way we’re playing,” Jones said. “I believe we’ve been under the radar, but now we’ve got to be ready to play. This is going to be a very good tournament with eight good teams in it.” North Laurel coach Brad Sizemore has high hopes that his team can erase Friday’s 49th District title game loss to Clay County, and bounce back and win the school’s 13th Region title. “It was a tough loss and a game we thought we should have won,” Sizemore said. “But we’ve got to put that behind us, and get ready for the games ahead. This should be a very good tournament.” Knox Central is another team that has high hopes of surprising in the region. The Panthers (16-10, 10-4) have been inconsistent at times, but seem to be peaking up steam at the right time. “We just want to take things one game at a time,” Knox Central coach Tony Patterson said. “I believe we are playing some of our best basketball right now, but we’ve got to keep it going.” Other than Barbourville, Bell County might face the toughest uphill battle in the tournament with a first round matchup with region favorite South Laurel. “It’s going to be tough,” Bobcat coach Lewis Morris said. “We’re going up against the best team in the region, and it’s not going to be easy. We’re just going to have to go out there and try our best.” Knox Central and North Laurel will tip the tournament off Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The two teams played on Feb. 18 at North Laurel with the Jaguars coming away with an 81-68 win. Peyton Broughton led North Laurel with 28 points int he win while Bryson Asher had 15 and Brian Gray added 14. South Laurel and Bell County will follow at 8 p.m. The Cardinals pulled out a low-scoring 41-34 win at home on Jan. 12 against the Bobcats, as Caleb Taylor scored 12 points and Jared Grubb added nine. In Thursday’s first round match-ups, Harlan County and Corbin will play each other for the second time at 6:30 p.m. The Redhounds won the only meeting between the two teams earlier this season. Clay County and Barbourville will face-off against each other in the nightcap at 8 p.m. The two teams didn’t play each other this season.

Just wondering what you guys think about the 8th region. I think it should be a pretty fun an competitive year. Here is my two cents for what it is worth. 29th - I think this is probably the toughest district in the region this year. Oldham and South both return a lot of talent from last year. South also returns some key guys from injury. I think the winner of the region could come from those two. I know North Returns talent and is always solid. I just think they lost too much pitching off last years team. 30th - Another tough district that I think is wide open this year. All 4 teams are capable of winning that district. I think Anderson and Collins are a little down from the past few year but will still be very solid. Collins probably has the best number 1 in the district with McDonald. I think Shelby maybe the team to beat in the district this year. They have a lot of talent returning off of a very solid team last year. Spencer also returns a lot of talent and could be a tough out in the first round with Lambdin on the heel. 31st - This district is interesting to me. They are typically the weakest in the region but have some good players and teams returning. Owen is probably the favorite this year with the addition of Dunaway from Trimble which gives them another good arm to add to everyone returning. Henry has pretty much their whole team back from a team that nearly shocked South in the first round of the region last year. Carroll has been the best in the district the last couple of years. They lost one of their big pitchers but returns the other one a long with a lot of talent. Gallatin has a new coach and pretty much returns their whole team. 32nd - I think this is Simon's to lose. They lost talent to graduation but do return some pitching and have a lot of young talent to choose from. They also have experience from two previous deep regions runs. Grant lost their stud from last year. Walton Verona has some returners back but I am not sure there pitching is there to be a legit region contender. Williamstown had their best season in a while last year and were fairly young. Your thoughts?

Well all the marbles are on the table, lines have been drawn, hay is in the barn, you name it whatever your favorite slogan is this time of year, expect some great games this week across the Bluegrass. You don't have to go very far to New Castle Ky, this week for some great basketball action and coaching. Whoever wins this region will definitely have earned it. Instead of breaking down teams, I am going to look at each match-up and bracket, giving a preview of what we can expect. But only doing the first round games. It will give us a chance to catch our breath this weekend, and I will do a Final 4 preview next week. Wednesday March 2nd GAME #2 7:45 Owen County vs. South Oldham This game has the makings of a classic, great players and coaches will be on the floor and on the sideline. Lets start with Owen County. We all know about the mayor of Owenton, Carson Williams, a Mr. Basketball candidate and just a pleasure to have watched over his 5 year career. But don't overlook his teammates, they have another all region type post player in Dunaway. The Rebel guards in Toftness, and McDonald most overlooked kids in the region pre-season, ask coaches now if they can play? They both can stretch the floor, and that just opens up the post play so picking what you are willing to give up is tough. I really believe that the Rebels like an uptempo game, I don't blame them, it gives people less time to double and worry about Carson. I was told by an old coach once that if you are better you want the game faster, totally believe that statement about the Rebels. The (3) lowest scoring output came in the 3 losses, averaged 50 ppg in those games. Mind you it came against teams that could be at Rupp Arena 2 weeks from now. Then there is the opponent the district runner up the South Oldham Dragons. All they have is a coach that has been coach of the year 2 of the last 3 seasons, and 2 regional titles in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Not to shabby I would say. But coaching only takes you so far and the Dragons have players that are very unselfish, pass the ball as good as anyone around and lot of ball handlers on the floor. Not to mention they like this 3 point shot thing. The Dragons have won 25 games, by shooting the 3 and making the extra pass. It is the (4) losses that concern me, in those 4 losses they gave up 75ppg, and as I mentioned earlier I think uptempo favors the Rebels in this match up. Talk about unselfish players, check this out Bray, Bouvet, Williams, Isaac, Griffin, Young, all average 9-12 points per contest, so you never know who is going to hurt you. The Dragons have made (328) 3 pointers, just incredible. They will need to make a bunch in order to have a chance. Prediction Owen 78 South 74 One of the best games a fan wants to see. There will be tons of lead changes, and up tempo basketball. I think the size is to much for the Dragons in this one. Dragons were out rebounded the first match up by about 25 BUT it was a 1 possession game with (20) seconds left because of the 3 point shot. If the Dragons make (12) 3 pointers in this one then you can flip flop that score. Game #2 Start Time 6:00 pm. Match up Simon Kenton vs. Collins The Pioneers come into the regional tournament after winning the 32nd District, and playing alot better defense lately. Something we are accustomed to seeing from a Trent Steiner coached team. As I said all year in my reviews, this team is dangerous. Post season everyone is 0-0 and regular season is a wash. Now everyone is 0-0 again and districts are over. After all Owensboro lost their district tourney and won the big prize a couple weeks later last season. Simon is led by Fries, Hawkins and Cantrell, all capable of double digits. What impresses me about them is their length, and size. They can step out and shoot 3's and if they can grind you in a half court they can beat you. They only gave up 43ppg in the district tourney and is completely opposite of the two teams in their bracket. Their opponent the Collins Titans are playing better and Coach Gatiher has them back into the regional tourney. Last years Regional champion is capable of winning 3 in a row and getting back to Rupp I believe. Beating Shelby to get to where they are was a trait of this team, down early found away to hang around and win it in the 4th quarter. The Titans beat Simon in December at the HCIT, also played at Roy Winchester Gym. They held the Pioneers to 41 points, even though Fries went for 14 points and 10 rebounds. Clarkson is back for the Titans, and they seem to be improving because of it. Clarkson, Test, and Turner all average 10-11ppg, so it give the Titans 3 guys that can hurt you. I believe the people in attendance will love how Turner plays and will be in consideration for a POY next season as he is a junior. Prediction Collins 50 Simon 48 This game will put you to sleep in comparison to the South and Owen game, however great match up with similar styles. Both want the game in the 50's. I think Simon playing man to man will benefit the Titans. The Titans have a ton of man to man sets that they execute well. However if Simon can make some (3)'s and get Collins out of that match up zone they will be there at the end. I see a close game with it being decided late. Can the Pioneers get to the offensive glass? Can the Titans make (3)'s on the horse shoe end of the gym? Those 2 questions are huge in this matchup. Thursday March 3rd Game #1 Oldham County vs. Henry County The other bracket features the 29th District Champions the Oldham County Colonels. Coy Zerhusen has his team poised to win this region. They are getting after people on defense and its jump starting their offense. After the loss to Owen County they seem to have a different look to them. They are led by (4) seniors in Jacob Bates, Griffin McLarty , Brandon Johnson, and Clayton Wirth, all capable of 15-20 point games. Don't forget the junior's Ishmael Jones, and Ryan Heelen, coupled with some talented sophomores and the Colonels can come at you in waves. A lot of talk about their rotation and allowing to many kids to play. I do not but into it as much, who Coy puts on the floor with 4:00 minutes left mark however is important. The region can be won or lost with (1) possession. They are playing the host school the Henry County Wildcats, who made a come back against the Rebels to fall short Saturday but showed a lot of grit and toughness, cutting a 25 point deficit to 6 late. The Wildcats are led by Gavin Jamison, who I had on my preseason all region team, committed to Thomas More. He is super athletic and is a double/double machine. Dont forget about an old Colonel in Trey Wills, who transfered from Oldham his sophomore year he is averaging 11 ppg. He can stretch you and hit the 3. Hinkle whose brother Cody Hinkle led Henry to the regional semi's against the winner of the 29th that season vs. South Oldham, is right around 10ppg game as well. The Wildcats are hoping that match up zone can mess with the Colonels and make them into jump shooters. My concern is handling the pressure the Colonels can dish out defensively. If the Colonels get easy points off T/O it will be a long night. Prediction Colonels 70 Wildcats 52 This game will be interesting for a little while, but if the Wildcats have to dip into their bench it will benefit the Colonels. Being at home will help the Wildcats but the Colonels depth and pressure will be too much. Colonels ease into the semi-finals, if the Wildcats do not handle pressure. If the Wildcats can turn it over 10 or less times they could make this game interesting. Game #2 7:45 Anderson vs. Walton Verona Bearcats vs. Bearcats The Bearcats won the 30th District, in 2 close contests. The first round game vs. Spencer was as good a high school game that you want to watch. With Garmon making a shot at the buzzer in OT. The Bearcats have grown, over the last couple weeks. Drury has been there done that, winning a couple regions along the way in doing so. His teams will compete for 32 minutes and get after the opposition. The Bearcats are led by Sophomre Cobe Penny (20)ppg, POY candidate next season. He is capable of a 30 point game and keeping the Bearcats in any game. A win over South Oldham in convincing manner makes me think this team can win this region as my dark horse. Throw in Harper, Gillis, and Garmon who all can score 12-15 points on a given night and you have a dangerous team for sure. Three of these Bearcats are under class men, making them maybe the preseason #1 team for next season. Their opponent is the Walton Verona Bearcats, runner up in the 32nd district. They are back into the regional tournament after about a 4 year lay off. They lost to North Oldham that season by 1 point in a great game. This team and coaching staff are different since then. The Bearcats are coached by Grant Brannen. He has worked hard at turning this program around. The Bearcats are thinking what could of been, after losing 2-3 kids on transfers, all which have turned out really good players, but lets not take away from these kids who have busted their butt to get to Henry County. They are led by Clinkenbeard, Kinmon, and Sullivan. Those 3 seniors have re-energized the program and have them poised for a regional run. all of these kids parents are coaches so they know they game and will compete to the end. Prediction Anderson County 62 Walton Verona 55 This game will be close throughout in my opinion with Anderson making plays down the stretch to win. This game is one of the most intriguing games of the region, these 2 teams did not meet in the regular season. You have 1 coach that has been to the 8th region tourney countless times vs a coach that is going for the first of many in my opinion.

Graves County vs Marshall County These two teams met twice during the regular season. In the first game the Marshalls kept it close but still fell 53-48. The second meeting was all Graves as they soundly defeated Marshall 60-35. This game should probably be more like the fist than the second. Graves is definitely the favorite in this game and should win, but Marshall County is a scrappy team that plays very hard. They have been in most of their games this season and if they can stick around they can pull the upset. Graves has been prone to an upset as was proved earlier this year when Mayfield defeated them. Chris Vogt is the player to watch in this game. He is 6’10” and his game has improved throughout the season. Marshall does not have the height to challenge him so they will have to figure out a different scheme to overcome his dominance inside. Ryan Mathis is who runs this team. He can hit from three, drive and dish, or drive and score. He is difficult to stop when he is on his game. The key for the Eagles will be to make sure to limit turnovers and control the paint. If they can do those two things, they will be very difficult to beat. Marshall will rely on DJ Pigg and Dylan Walters to lead their charge. Both are guards but they play different styles. Pigg will try and beat you from deep, while Walters will play closer to the basket. Both play very hard and under control. They key for the Marshalls will be to be able to hit from long and mid range. They won’t have much of a chance driving to the bucket in the half court, so they will need to capitalize on turnovers and try to create a lot of them. Prediction: Graves County by 6-10 points Carlisle County vs McCracken County These two teams only met one time this season at McCracken. The Mustangs were in control for most of the game as they won 78-67. At the beginning of the year Carlisle would have been the pick in this game, but they have not lived up to their potential despite their gawdy record. McCracken on the other hand has exceeded expectations and proved they can play with any of the teams in Region 1. McCracken hit 11 three pointers in their first game which fueled their victory McCracken County will rely on a balanced attack on both sides of the ball. They have 5 players who average close to 10 ppg and any one of them could step up and have a big game. William Sivls had a big game against Carlisle during the regular season. Evan Hayden and Jacob Zakutney also had very nice games. The Mustangs key to the win is to control the basketball on the offensive end and set the pace. They have a very good half court offense and they will need to move the ball quickly and hit the open three when they have it. They need to crash the boards and utilize on second chance opportunities. Carlisle County has yet to beat any team ranked in the top 4 in the region standings. This would be a great time to start, but they will have to play much better than they have been. They also have a good balance of scoring between 4 players averaging about 12 ppg. The Comets keys to winning this game are they must control the boards and not allow second and third chances. They must defend the 3 better than they have, and they must stay under control as turnovers have hurt them when playing better teams. Prediction: McCracken County by 3-6 points Murray vs Hickman County Murray and Hickman County did not play during the regular season. This maybe the most lopsided game in the region. Murray has too many weapons and they are playing very, very well at this point in the season. This game may be over before halftime. Murray is led by Region 1 POY James Boone, who has led this team the entire year. He has the ability to take the game over and carry this team on his shoulders. He has some great help from Duane Curtis and Preston English who both can take pressure off of Boone and both have stepped up this year. Tre Hornbuckle is a player that may not put up the numbers as the others, but he works hard on both sides of the ball and can keep teams in check. Murray’s key to the game is to control the game and not to overlook this game. Hickman County has played some very good games this year, and some very bad games. The Falcons will rely heavily on Zeke Prince and Alec Spillman, both shoot the ball at about 50%. The Falcons will have to play a tremendous game to win this matchup. They will need to pressure the ball fiercely in the half court and move the ball well and in control while on offense. They need to drive and try to get the Tigers in foul trouble and get to the free throw line and try to win the game from there. Prediction: Murray by 15-20 points. Paducah Tilghman vs Mayfield The Tornadoes did not lose a region 1 game this season, but Mayfield is probably the most improved team over the last half the season. PT won both matchups during the regular season by 20 points. Not sure if playing on the big court at Murray State will change anything, but the Cardinals have proved they can play with some of the top competition in Region 1. Paducah Tilghman is led by Sayveon McEwen and Devon Hart. These two combine for 30 ppg for the Tornadoes and have a huge presence when they are on the court. PT also has some great young talent who have contributed in big ways this season in Jerome Reed and Thomas Rodriguez. Both of these guys have improved throughout the season. The key to the Tornadoes win is to play pressure defense, dominate the boards, and finish when in the paint. Mayfield was one of the best region 1 teams since the end of January. They have played very well as a team and their defense has been a big part of that. The Cardinals are led by a trio of Carson Guthrie, Anton Lumson, and Lane Kennemore. The key to a Cardinal win will be to have a similar gameplan they played when they defeated Graves County. They need to control the pace, control the ball, and not allow PT to score easy in the paint. Prediction: Paducah Tilghman wins by 15. Top Players to watch Chris Vogt, Graves County – Vogt is probably the best player in Region 1 and no doubt the hardest player to game plan for. At 6’10”, he dominates the paint averaging 17 ppg and 9.5 rpg. He play has improved throughout the year and he can make some big noise in this tournament. James Boone, Murray – Boone is the player of year in Region 1 and showed in the All “A” Classic that he can step up to win the game for the Tigers. He is averaging 13.4 ppg and 5 rpg, but it is his leadership and ball control that is his biggest strength. Ryan Mathis, Graves County – Ryan is a great complement to Vogt. He is a good outside shooter and a great penetrator. He is one of the best three point shooters in the region and is called on to handle the ball responsibly. Sayveon McEwen, Paducah Tilghman – He is what makes the Tilghman machine go. His leadership is extremely important on both sides of the ball. He averages 14 ppg and has a good outside shot and plays hard. Devon Hart, Paducah Tilghman – Hart is the leading scorer for the Tornadoes at 14.6 ppg. He is very good close to the basket but doesn’t have a huge range. He is a good defensive player and rebounds well for his size. DJ Pigg, Marshall County – Pigg is the three point specialist in Region 1 hitting more threes than free throws this year. He can hit almost anywhere outside the arc and is not afraid to shoot the ball either throwing up 244 of them this season. Probably should go to the basket more because he is an excellent free throw shooter (85%). Dylan Walters, Marshall County – Walters is the opposite of Pigg. He scores most of his points in the pain and from the free throw line. He lead the Marshalls in rebounds, free throws, and fg%. Daniel Tyce, McCracken County – Tyce is the “big man” for the Mustangs having numerous double/doubles on the year and averaging close to one too (9.2 ppg/8.1 rpg). He is one of the hardest players in the region and fun to watch. Preston English, Murray – English is Murray’s other scorer averaging 12.5 ppg and he is the teams best three point shooter. If he is on, watch out, he can change the momentum in a game quickly Noah Norsworthy, Carlisle County – Norsworthy is a good shooting guard and leads the Comets in scoring and three pointers made. He is a good ball handler and makes good decisions on the court. Honorable Mention: Jerome Reed, Thomas Rodriguez, Jacob Zakutney, Ethan Weatherspoon. I will visit the semifinal games after round 1.

12th Region Tournament Preview The 12th Region tournament is set to begin tomorrow night at Pulaski County. Lincoln County and Southwestern kickoff the tournament and Mercer County takes on Rockcastle in the 7:45 game. Thursday brings two more good games with Wayne County versus Boyle County and Casey County versus West Jessamine. Eight teams remain with all vying for the 12th Region crown and the opportunity to play in Rupp Arena. Which teams will survive to play another game? Who has what it takes to win 3 games and cut down the nets next Tuesday? Let’s all enjoy this week of basketball because we will be seeing seven good teams play for the last time as their season will come to an end. Good luck to all teams. Lincoln County Patriots (19-11) vs Southwestern Warriors (23-6) Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 6:00 Lincoln County 2016 45th District Champions Southwestern 2016 48th District runner-up Last Played: February 1, 2016, Southwestern 67 Lincoln County 59 (at SWHS) Last playoff meeting: 2014 12th Region semifinals Southwestern 66 Lincoln Co. 60 The Warriors and Patriots have played each other four times in past region tournaments with Southwestern leading the series 3-1. Even though the Patriots are the district champions this year they will be considered the underdog in this first round game with Southwestern. The Warriors better not be looking ahead to the potential semifinal matchup or they will find themselves ending their season early. Mercer County Titans (30-1) vs Rockcastle County Rockets (19-12) Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 7:45 Mercer County 2016 46th District Champions Rockcastle County 2016 47th District Runner-up Last Played: December 8, 2016, Mercer Co. 85 Rockcastle Co. 51 (at RCHS) Last Playoff meeting: Have never played each other in the postseason. Mercer County is the top team in the 12th region and will be heavily favored in the game versus Rockcastle County. The Rockets will need a lot of things to go their way if they plan on making this a game. Win or lose, the Rockets have had a great season. But, anything can happen in a game where someone’s season will come to an end. That’s why they play the game. Casey County Rebels (14-17) vs West Jessamine Colts (18-13) Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 7:45 Casey County 2016 47th District Champions West Jessamine 2016 46th District Runner-up Last Played: January 16, 2016, West Jessamine 81 Casey Co. 74 (at West) Last Playoff meeting: Have never played each other in the postseason. The Casey County Rebels are riding a wave of momentum coming into the 12th Region tournament. They won the district tournament for the first time since 1994 and are looking to win their first 12th Region game since 1994 also. West Jessamine has been in the 12th Region tournament every year since they joined the region except 2011. They won the region in 2009 and 2010 and the Colts feel like the path is there for them to make it to the championship game this year. This could be the best first round game in the region. Wayne County Cardinals (18-10) vs Boyle County Rebels (14-11) Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 6:00 Wayne county 2016 48th District Champions Boyle County 2016 45th District Runner-up Last Played: Last year in the 12th Region semifinals, Boyle Co. 63 Wayne Co. 56 In 1966 the Cardinals and Rebels met for the first time in the 12th Region tournament and fifty years later they meet once again. This is actually a fairly common occurrence as they have met nine other times in the postseason with Wayne County leading in region meetings 6-4. Boyle beat Wayne last year in the semifinals and went on to take the 12th Region crown. This ended the Cardinals chance for a three-peat as they had won the region in 2013 and 2014. The Cardinals have not forgotten and are seeking to avenge last year’s loss. This has the potential to be a great first round game Thursday night.

Bluegrasspreps.com is giving you a chance to demonstrate your basketball expertise statewide! The Bluegrasspreps Regional Pick 'em contests give you opportunities to pick games in different parts of the state for prizes EACH WEEK. There will be five regional contests every week. You will have a chance to pick the winners in each region -- NKY, EKY, Bluegrass, Louisville, and WKY. This is the Bluegrass contest. Each region will have five games to pick from each week. We pick the games, and you will pick the winner of each game, assigning your picks a point value of 7-5-3-2-1. The first tiebreaker is picking the team (of the ten teams in the contest) that scores the most points. You don't have to pick the highest scoring team, you just have to pick a team that scores more points than the team(s) picked by the member(s) you are tied with. The second tiebreaker is time. Early bird gets the worm if the contest comes down to the second tiebreaker. This is a season long contest and you can enter in any or all regions that you wish. Please note that Free Members are not eligible for this contest. Posts from Free Members will be deleted. At the end of the regular season, the top two contestants will compete during the special Sweet 16 Contest for statewide bragging rights on Bluegrasspreps and a grand prize. If you win more than one position in the postseason playoff, then your second slot will go to the next contestant in order.. The more contests you enter, the better your chances of qualifying for the Sweet 16 Contest. If you win a weekly contest, you will receive a quality prize. Check here for a reference. The deadline for all entries is 5 p.m. (ET) Friday. Make sure you post your winners and assign each of them one of the following point values (7-5-3-2-1) based on how strongly you feel that that team will win. (Please note that if your selections are NOT in the specified format, your ENTIRE set of picks will be voided) 7 5 3 2 1 1st Tiebreaker: Team scoring the most points. 2nd Tiebreaker: Time of post. The Week 2 games are: Henry Clay at Eastern South Laurel at North Laurel Southwestern at Wayne County Cooper vs West Jessamine(at Asbury) Ballard at Clay County Good luck and thanks for playing this year!!!!

1. Elliott County 2. West Carter 3. Greenup County 4. Boyd County 5. Ashland 6. Rowan County 7. Russell 8. Fairview 9. East Carter 10. Lewis County 1. Korbin Spencer - Elliott County 2. Chase Porter - Elliott County 3. Gage Hughes - Greenup County 4. Ben Jordan - West Carter 5. Haydn Roe - West Carter 6. Hunter Kenser - Boyd County 7. Bobby Hale - Russell 8. Mike Hubbert - Greenup County 9. Dalton Brown - West Carter 10. Dylan Romine - Fairview