Contender/Pretender: Regions 1-4
The state of Kentucky is 2 weeks away from the start of postseason play so I thought it was time to start separating the contenders for regional crowns from the pretenders. Let’s break it down: First Region: Contenders: McCracken County…
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Continue ReadingThe state of Kentucky is 2 weeks away from the start of postseason play so I thought it was time to start separating the contenders for regional crowns from the pretenders. Let’s break it down:
First Region:
- Contenders:
- McCracken County – The reigning regional champs are in the drivers’ seat to get back to Rupp Arena with a 12-1 record against regional competition. Jackson Sivills and Noah Dumas may be the best backcourt duo in the region.
- Graves County – The Eagles are the only 1st region team to beat McCracken but the Mustangs won their second meeting just two weeks ago.
- Mayfield – The most veteran group in the region, Mayfield has a 13-2 record against 1st region foes and lost to McCracken by a point but beat Graves and will play them again tomorrow. The Guthrie twins are gunning for one trip to Rupp before graduation.
- Pretenders:
- Carlisle County – Their 15-11 record is a result of creative scheduling but when you dig deeper, they’ve gotten blown out by every good team they’ve played.
- Paducah Tilghman – They are capable of beating anyone but they’ve also taken double digits losses to Graves and McCracken but did beat Mayfield back in December.
Second Region:
- Contenders:
- University Heights – Perfect against second region foes and one of the best teams in the state, UHA is the heavy, heavy favorite to return to Rupp this season. KyKy Tandy, Drew McGowan and TaQuan Hollowell are a formidable trio.
- Madisonville-North Hopkins – Their lone loss in the region is to UHA by one point at UHA. They have the firepower to compete with UHA but a better defensive game plan could make all the difference in round 2. Kenny White and Ksuan Casey are a match-up nightmare for opponents.
- Hopkinsville – The Tigers have several losses this year but they have been competitive with UHA and Madisonville when they met already. They’ll play at UHA on Saturday. Seniors James Nicholas and Jamarion Sharp are battle tested.
- Pretenders:
- Everyone Else – The 2nd region has a lot of talent but this is a three horse race to get to Rupp Arena and may be a two horse race in reality. We’ll know more about Hopkinsville after their second UHA game Saturday.
Third Region:
- Contenders:
- Owensboro – The Red Devils have a good shot to get back to Rupp Arena with their 11-0 record against third region foes. They have battle tested guards. Anything is possible in the 9th district tournament but Owensboro should be the favorites to win.
- Breckinridge County – Kobe Poole is the best player in the region. Having said that, they just lost by two to Owensboro and lost earlier this season to Owensboro Catholic. Depending on the 9th district results, they could have to beat both to get to Rupp.
- Owensboro Catholic – The Aces are hard to figure out. They have quality wins but weird losses. They could win the region or lose to Daviess County in the first round of the district.
- Pretenders:
- Daviess County – Their record of 9-12 says they are underwhelming this season. Half of their losses are by single digits. Senior Dakota Walden could carry the team to a district championship. They’re young but dangerous.
Fourth Region:
- Contenders:
- Bowling Green – The Purples are the best team in the region and may be a little ahead of schedule as they are so young. Their only regional loss was to Warren Central and they’ll likely play the Dragons again for the district title.
- Warren Central – They’ve won 7 out of 8 after a rocky start and with so many new players, it took a while for their roster to gel. Kobe Brents and Dre Boyd are a tough 1-2 punch and Coach Unseld has a lot of depth.
- Pretenders:
- Clinton County – You see the 19-6 record and are impressed then realize their schedule is predominantly Class A teams. A 25 point loss to Greenwood is misleading because Jackson Harlan didn’t play.
- Allen County-Scottsville – The Patriots have had a great year but are hard to figure out. They’ve lost 4 of their last 8 including a 21 point loss this week to Glasgow.
- Logan County – They should make the regional tournament and could win a game depending on the draw but the Cougars have lost 3 out of 4 and have struggled against good teams.