Elite 8: 11th Region
We are only 2 and a half weeks from the start of the KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. Half the schools in Kentucky have been eliminated from the postseason and by Thursday night, that number will dip to 64 teams remaining. The games get started on Tuesday night in the 6th and 7th regions before the rest of the state starts regional play on Wednesday night. We’re going to take a look at the 8 top players remaining in each region and take a shot at power ranking the remaining teams. The 11th region starts play on Wednesday night. All regional games take place at the Eastern Kentucky University. Here’s a breakdown of the 11th region tournament and the top individual players still playing.
Elite 8 Players (in no order):
Kyle Rode, Lexington Christian – The 6’8 point forward holds several Division 1 offers as a junior. The Eagles will go as far as Rode takes them.
Carter Hendricksen, Lexington Christian – 6’9 and signed with D1 North Florida, Hendricksen is a matchup problem with his size and shooting ability.
Isaiah Cozart, Madison Central – The top shot blocker in the state, Cozart protects the rim for the Indians. His body control keeps him out of foul trouble. If he can stay on the floor for Central, they have a chance to beat anyone.
Eric Boone, Bryan Station – A nominee for Mr. Basketball, Boone is an electric athlete who can lockdown his man on defense and get to the rim on offense.
Terrance Clayton-Murphy, Bryan Station – The Robin to Boone’s Batman, Terrance is a capable second option on offense and is strong enough to bully his way to the rim if necessary.
Michael Moreno, Scott County – Mr. Double-Double and one of the top juniors in Kentucky, Moreno is the most consistent member of the Cardinals team. You can count on Michael for 20 and 12 almost every night.
Cooper Robb, Scott County – Not as consistent as Moreno is for Scott, Robb is the X factor. If Cooper gets hot in a game, he can put up buckets in a hurry. He is prone to foul trouble and has shown a lack of hustle at times. If Robb is playing well, no one is beating Scott.
Eric Powell, Lafayette – Simply put, if Powell doesn’t show up and play well for Lafayette, they may lose to Woodford in the quarterfinals. But, if Powell plays his best basketball, the Generals could upset Scott County in the semifinals.
Power Rankings:
1. Scott County – Depending on who you ask, they are the likely favorites to win the 2018 State Championship.
2. Lexington Christian- There may not be a hotter team right now than LCA. They present the biggest challenge to Scott.
3. Madison Central – Their opening round matchup with Bryan Station should be the best quarterfinal.
4. Bryan Station – What was once the hottest team in the state has cooled considerably in the last month.
5. Lafayette – When their press is effective and they’re hitting 3s, the Generals are a tough out.
6. Woodford County – Their game with Lafayette should be a good one with potential for it to go down to the wire.
7. Madison Southern – They drew Scott County in the opener and they will be massive underdogs.
8. Frankfort – Like Madison Southern, they will be huge underdogs. They go up against LCA in the opener Wednesday night.