Elite 8: 13th 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 13th region starts play on Wednesday night. All regional games take place at the Corbin Arena. Here’s a breakdown of the 13th region tournament and the top individual players still playing.
Elite 8 Players (in no order):
Markelle Turner, Knox Central – Averaging nearly 22 points per game in his senior year, Turner is the go to scorer for Knox Central and one of the top players in the region.
Nick Martin, Knox Central – The glue guy for Knox, Martin averages 13 points and 7 rebounds per game. Martin is a hard nosed player who does all the little things to make his team successful.
Andrew Taylor, Corbin – One of the few in Kentucky history to score 3,000 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. The only thing he hasn’t accomplished is getting to Rupp Arena.
Chandler Stewart, Corbin – A lights out shooter playing alongside Taylor, Stewart averaged 17 points per game this season with impressive 51/44/77 shooting splits.
JJ Ramey, South Laurel – One of the best athletes in the region, Ramey averages 20 points per game for a South Laurel team that could advance to the regional title game.
Matt Cromer, South Laurel – Just a sophomore, Cromer averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds this season as the second or third option for the Cardinals.
Adam Sizemore, North Laurel – Sizemore is underappreciated but is one of the most valuable players in the region. A pure point guard, Adam will be a big reason for any games that the Jaguars win in the regional.
Brian Gray – North Laurel – One of the best scorers in the 13th, Gray averages a little over 20 points per game and has remarkable shooting splits of 56/42/81.
Power Rankings:
1. Knox Central –Deep and able to score the ball at will, Knox will be hard to stop.
2. Corbin – The Hounds have sputtered down the stretch. A semifinal matchup with Knox looms if both teams advance past their first opponent.
3. North Laurel – Sitting at 28-4, the Jags won their district for the first time in 15 years last week. Riding a wave of momentum, they could find their way into the finals.
4. South Laurel – Unable to beat Corbin in the district tournament, they may not have to worry about Corbin if the Cards can reach the regional final.
5. Lynn Camp – They’ve racked up 23 wins against a fairly easy schedule. In order to win the region, they will need to knock off several top teams.
6. Harlan County – Last year’s regional champion, the Black Bears have a tough road to get back to Rupp Arena.
7. Jackson County – If they were able to knock off Corbin, they would be a true Cinderella story.
8. Harlan – Only 6-19 on the season, if Harlan beats Knox Central it would be the upset of the year in the 13th.