Prediction Time: Regional Champions
Here at Prep Hoops Kentucky, we are tasked with trying to cover all 16 regions from Paducah to Pikeville. The season tipped off on Monday night and we are rolling along on the Road to Rupp. We recently ran Twitter polls asking the fans who the favorites should be to win each region. The twitter polls offered 4 options. Fans could vote for the 3 favorites in each region or “other”. Here are those results combined with the predictions of Russ Abner (RA) and Steve Quattrocchi (SQ). Feel free to let us know how wrong we are in the comments below.
1st Region: RA – Mayfield; SQ – Paducah Tilghman; Twitter- Other (38%). The twitter poll got a lot of retweets from McCracken County students so we suspect that they were weighing in with their opinion.
2nd Region: RA – University Heights; SQ – Hopkinsville; Twitter – Hopkinsville (34%). The recent return of Jalen Johnson to Hoptown and dismissal of Shorty Cager make this region more wide open than in the past.
3rd Region: RA – Owensboro Catholic; SQ – Owensboro Catholic; Twitter – Owensboro Catholic (46%). Catholic is the heavy favorite in the 3rd by all accounts.
4th Region: RA – Barren County; SQ – Warren Central; Twitter – Bowling Green (63%). The 4th is wide open after the graduation of Terry Taylor and Zion Harmon moving to Adair County.
5th Region: RA – John Hardin; SQ – John Hardin; Twitter – Adair County (33%). The voting public likes the addition of Zion Harmon to carry the Indians to Rupp Arena.
6th Region: RA – Fern Creek; SQ – Fern Creek; Twitter – Fern Creek (57%). Fern Creek is likely the favorite to win it all in March so no surprise they’re picked to win their region.
7th Region: RA – Trinity; SQ – Trinity; Twitter – Trinity (75%). Another early contender to win it all at Rupp, Trinity is a heavy favorite to win the 7th.
8th Region: RA – Anderson County; SQ – Collins; Twitter – Collins (43%). In a truly wide open region, up to 6 different teams could realistically win it all.
9th Region: RA – Covington Catholic; SQ- Cooper; Twitter – Covington Catholic (44%). It’s a two horse race in the 9th. If anyone other than Cooper or Cov Cath wins, it will be a shocker.
10th Region: RA – George Rogers Clark; SQ – George Rogers Clark; Twitter – George Rogers Clark (49%). Another runaway favorite. Coach Cook’s Cardinals should cut the nets in March
11th Region: RA – Scott County; SQ – Scott County; Twitter – Scott County (64%). Next Thursday LCA travels to Scott County in a serious early season test for the Cardinals.
12th Region: RA – Mercer County; SQ – Boyle County; Twitter – Pulaski County (46%). Another of the more open regions in the state, the 12th could be won by any of 4-6 teams.
13th Region: RA – Corbin; SQ – Corbin; Twitter – Corbin (65%). If anyone other than the Hounds of Corbin get to Rupp from the 13th, it will be a big surprise
14th Region: RA – Perry County Central; SQ – Wolfe County; Twitter – Perry County Central (49%). Perry Central graduated a lot but the 14th is theirs to lose, seemingly every year.
15th Region: RA – Pikeville; SQ – Pikeville; Twitter – Pikeville (38%). Pikeville is the favorite but you can never count out Johnson Central.
16th Region: RA – Boyd County; SQ – Ashland Blazer; Twitter – Ashland Blazer (43%). The 16th is another region where anyone could win.