Players to Watch: Lexington Catholic Traditional Bank Holiday Classic
The annual Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic is once again loaded with quality teams. The tournament features 40 games over 5 days and several of the top players in Kentucky’s 2018 and 2019 classes. Twelve different regions are represented and there are also two out of state teams. Here’s a quick look at the players to watch.
Deven Stone, Wolfe County – The senior is on of the top scorers in the state at 28.6 points per game. He also leads Wolfe in rebounding at nearly 7 per game. Stone shoots an impressive 42% from beyond the 3 point line and 52% overall. Wolfe County starts play with Daviess County on Tuesday at 2:30.
Stephon Franklin, Doss – The Dragons are 8-2 as of this article but are playing as I type. Franklin is a big reason why. The senior is a heady floor general who leads his team. Doss takes the floor at 4 on Tuesday against Pikeville.
Wyatt Battaile, Pikevile – The senior leader of the Panthers, Wyatt just returned from a long layoff due to injury. In two games, he is averaging 25 points per game on 70% shooting. The opening game between Battaile and the Doss duo of Franklin and Taye Calloway should be a fun one.
Dustin Geralds, Madison Central – The senior leader of the Indians is averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds per game. Junior Isaiah Cozart gets most of the notoriety but Geralds should be seeing love from some small colleges. The Indians take on the winners of the Henderson County/Knott County Central game on the 27th at 430.
Adam Kunkel, Cooper – The Belmont signee is averaging 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the 7-1 Jaguars. Kunkel should be a contender for Mr. Basketball when the dust settles this season.
Tre’Von Smith, Taylor County – The Junior combo guard is averaging 23 points and 7 rebounds per game for the Cardinals and has had two games of 40+ points already. Taylor County has struggled to start the year but will be coming off a 10 day break when the tournament starts. All that rest and preparation may help them upset Lafayette.
Dieonte Miles, Walton-Verona – It’s still to be determined if Miles will be playing after a serious shoulder injury earlier in the month. The 6’10 Center is long and athletic and causes all sorts of issues for anyone trying to score at the rim. With a healthy Miles, Walton-Verona could sneak into the semifinals or better.
Dontaie Allen, Pendleton County– Much has been written about our reigning Player of the Week. Allen is scoring 28.4 points per game on a remarkable 67% from the field. Dontaie is also pulling down nearly 9 rebounds per game. Dontaie and the Wildcats will play Tuesday against the winner of Daviess County/Wolfe County.
Zan Payne, Lexington Catholic – The senior captain of the host Knights is leading his team in points (18.7) and rebounds (8.3). The Knights have struggled a little out of the gate but that’s more attributable to the supporting cast’s lack of production and not the efforts of Payne.
KyKy Tandy, University Heights – The junior combo guard from Hopkinsville is a walking bucket. Tandy is among the state’s leading scorers and has offers from several of the top schools in America. Their opening game against Bryan Station should be a dandy.
Eric Boone, Bryan Station – The Defenders have made it through a third of their regular season with an impressive 10-0 record and Boone is a large reason why. The senior is averaging 19 points and 9.8 rebounds to lead the team in both categories. Boone should have an opportunity to improve his outside shooting percentages at the tournament as they are likely to see a lot of zone defense.