Top Performers: Traditional Bank Classic at Lexington Catholic
It took 40 games in 5 days to determine who would leave the champions of the annual Traditional Bank Classic at Lexington Catholic. Some of the top teams across the state made the journey to Lexington to take part in one of the best tournaments you’ll find in the state. A tournament like this is a grind for sure. Ultimately, Cooper repeated as champions after defeating Rocky River out of North Carolina by a score of 57-47. Here’s a look at some of the top players we saw at the Traditional Bank Classic.
1. Adam Kunkel, Cooper: Without a doubt, Kunkel was the MVP of the event. The senior combo guard, signed to Belmont, played lights out all week and solidified his candidacy for Mr. Basketball. Kunkel is averaging 22 points and 8 rebounds per game and shooting a remarkable 48% from behind the 3 point line.
2. Jaden Springer, Rocky River (NC): The high flying sophomore from North Carolina is already highly ranked nationally and for good reason. Springer put on a show on several night with his skill and athleticism. Look for Jaden to continue climbing the national rankings over the next 3 seasons.
3. Isaiah Minter, Madison Central – Madison Central’s PG isn’t going to wow you with size or athleticism but he is extremely crafty with the ball and made winning plays all week. Against Daviess County, Minter scored 10 consecutive points. D2 and D3 schools need to get to Richmond and see Minter and teammate Dustin Geralds soon.
4. TeAndre Newcomb, Lafayette – The long guard caught my eye after multiple strong outings for the Generals. Newcomb is capable of scoring at all 3 levels for Lafayette. When we update our 2019 rankings, expect to see Newcomb ranked.
5. Dontaie Allen, Pendleton County – Much has been said and written about the junior scoring machine from Falmouth. If you remove Allen from the Pendleton roster, they would struggle to win 10 games a year. After going 2-2 at the Traditional Bank Classic, Keaton Belcher’s Wildcats are 10-3 on the season. Allen is averaging 30 points and 11 rebounds on the year and played with the flu for the last two games in Lexington.
6. Zach Clinkenbeard, Walton-Verona – The senior has great size at the wing position and is skilled with a good shot and a nifty left-right crossover that he used to get by multiple defenders. Transylvania coach Brian Lane was in attendance for Walton’s game against Doss on Saturday. The 6’5 senior would make an excellent addition to any college roster.
7. Stephon Franklin, Doss – The shifty point guard from Louisville had his full range of skills on display all week in Lexington. The Dragons posted a 3-1 record for the tournament with 3 double digit wins and their only loss was to Runner-Up Rocky River by one point. I’ve been a huge advocate for Franklin for a long time and can’t wait to see what level of college he winds up at.
8. KyKy Tandy, University Heights – Another young man who has been ranked at or near the top of the 2019 class in Kentucky for several years, Tandy is the definition of a walking bucket. KyKy is averaging 33 points per game on 61% shooting. The only question about Tandy is how high his ceiling is.