[Keystone12]

Not much has changed with the 13th Region rankings up to this point. Below is how I see it so far.

1) South Laurel - Jordan Mabe continues to show why he is a top 3 player. Jordan Steele came along some in the King of the Bluegrass. Rawlings needs to take more pressure off Mabe with his scoring. He is very capable. Mabe will continue to get 20 and 10 and play great defense. Someone else needs to emerge in order for them to win the 13th. For now I think they have clearly established themselves as number 1.

2) Harlan County - Not surprise at number 2. Maddox Huff is a dominant scorer but I didn't see him averaging 10 RPG. He had 15 in their last game. Trent Cole is a solid ball handler and doesn't turn it over. Reggie Cottrell is the energy that drives the team. Napier and Jaycee Carter round out this solid contender for the 13th.

3) North Laurel - Reece Davidson is the everything for their team. As he goes so do they. Outside of maybe Rawlings, there is no one else who can go get you a bucket for them. Jordan Rawlings has been shooting the ball well lately. Although no one really jumps out, I think they do enough around Davidson to make them a contender. Jervis has a deceiving game. Maximizes his ability, doesn't turn the ball over and is a reliable shooter. 

4) Corbin - Ryder Akins is a budding star for Corbin. He is an athletic guard with good size at 6'3" and posts up well for a guard. He is rebounding well this year but his biggest contribution to the Redhounds is his unselfishness. He has struggled so far from 3 but he did shoot around 40% from there last year. Eli Pietrowski has started to come along strong averaging 15ppg and around 8-9 rebounds. Also Farmer will only get better. If the young Hounds develop some toughness they will be there in the end. 

5) Bell County - Blake Burnett being healthy is everything for the Bobcats. He is the straw that stirs the Bell County drink. They are a real contender with him healthy. Every position can step out and shoot threes. Cameron Hall is very underrated and Buell is a matchup problem at 6'5". I was impressed how they competed against GRC. If they show continued toughness they could win it all. 


Top Players:

1) Jordan Mabe - SL
2) Maddox Huff - HC
3) Reece Davidson - NL
4) Sawyer Thompson - Pineville
5) Ryder Akins - Corbin
6) Grayson Burton - KC
7) Blake Burnett - BC
8) Reggie Cottrell - HC
9) Ashton Moser - Pineville
10) Eli Pietrowski - Corbin
11) Colton Rawlings - SL
12) Cameron Hall - BC
13) Ethan Buell - BC
14) Aiden Wagers - CC
15) Ethan Jackson - CC

[shottaker23]

Not much to argue with there other than I put NL over HC. Good list

[TheTruth!]

Not much has changed with the 13th Region rankings up to this point. Below is how I see it so far.

1) South Laurel - Jordan Mabe continues to show why he is a top 3 player. Jordan Steele came along some in the King of the Bluegrass. Rawlings needs to take more pressure off Mabe with his scoring. He is very capable. Mabe will continue to get 20 and 10 and play great defense. Someone else needs to emerge in order for them to win the 13th. For now I think they have clearly established themselves as number 1.

2) Harlan County - Not surprise at number 2. Maddox Huff is a dominant scorer but I didn't see him averaging 10 RPG. He had 15 in their last game. Trent Cole is a solid ball handler and doesn't turn it over. Reggie Cottrell is the energy that drives the team. Napier and Jaycee Carter round out this solid contender for the 13th.

3) North Laurel - Reece Davidson is the everything for their team. As he goes so do they. Outside of maybe Rawlings, there is no one else who can go get you a bucket for them. Jordan Rawlings has been shooting the ball well lately. Although no one really jumps out, I think they do enough around Davidson to make them a contender. Jervis has a deceiving game. Maximizes his ability, doesn't turn the ball over and is a reliable shooter. 

4) Corbin - Ryder Akins is a budding star for Corbin. He is an athletic guard with good size at 6'3" and posts up well for a guard. He is rebounding well this year but his biggest contribution to the Redhounds is his unselfishness. He has struggled so far from 3 but he did shoot around 40% from there last year. Eli Pietrowski has started to come along strong averaging 15ppg and around 8-9 rebounds. Also Farmer will only get better. If the young Hounds develop some toughness they will be there in the end. 

5) Bell County - Blake Burnett being healthy is everything for the Bobcats. He is the straw that stirs the Bell County drink. They are a real contender with him healthy. Every position can step out and shoot threes. Cameron Hall is very underrated and Buell is a matchup problem at 6'5". I was impressed how they competed against GRC. If they show continued toughness they could win it all. 


Top Players:

1) Jordan Mabe - SL
2) Maddox Huff - HC
3) Reece Davidson - NL
4) Sawyer Thompson - Pineville
5) Ryder Akins - Corbin
6) Grayson Burton - KC
7) Blake Burnett - BC
8) Reggie Cottrell - HC
9) Ashton Moser - Pineville
10) Eli Pietrowski - Corbin
11) Colton Rawlings - SL
12) Cameron Hall - BC
13) Ethan Buell - BC
14) Aiden Wagers - CC
15) Ethan Jackson - CC

Good list.

[Old School Hound]

Good job, Keystone.Do you have a rooting interest in a 13th region team or are you strictly an impartial observer. You do a nice job assessing the region's best.

[Keystone12]

I appreciate that. Not really rooting for a specific team. I have different reasons to pull for 4 or 5 teams in the 13th. Many family members and close friends have played in the 13th through the years. I am a big HS basketball fan in general. I try to follow the most of the state but not as closely as the 13th.

[Old School Hound]

I appreciate that. Not really rooting for a specific team. I have different reasons to pull for 4 or 5 teams in the 13th. Many family members and close friends have played in the 13th through the years. I am a big HS basketball fan in general. I try to follow the most of the state but not as closely as the 13th.

Well, keep up the good work. I don't get to watch a lot of games so I rely on your keen analysis to keep up to date. From what you've seen of my Hounds this season, what do you like most about Tony's team, and what needs to happen to get them to the next level, where they can win a region title?

[Keystone12]

Thanks again OSH. I like the way Corbin shares the ball. They are also gang rebounding so Pietrowski isnt stuck battling alone. They are lacking in depth. Britain is a good defender and shot better last year than he has so far this year. He will come around. Zack Reynolds is such an important part of the toughness they need. Corbin’s elite fball program has helped basketball so much. Those kids are usually bruisers like zander curry and pietrowski. The threes haven’t fallen like i thought they would. I think that will get better. Actually Eli pietrowski has shot well from there last couple of games. If they can keep Akins dialed in (im told he is 15 years old) they will go very far. Ive watched this region for forty years and i believe that kid is elite. I think he can be part of the small handful of really big time players from the 13th. They lost a lot of toughness in curry and barton. No guard rebounds a ball like zander curry! They have more skill and better shooting overall but they lost so much toughness. Ive seen tony’s teams look bad early but it never fails that everyone seems bought in by the end. Thats why i have them so high. Until bell can show more toughness and pineville can get past the names on the chests of the other good region teams, i will take the Hounds to have a chance in the end.

[da_dime]

I would take Grubb over Wagers for Clay. More versatile player. Only player on the team who could get to the rim against SL earlier in the season.

[Keystone12]

I saw that game and I totally agree with you. He is definitely the most athletic player on that team. I was very impressed with him that game. He was the only one from clay co that didn't look overwhelmed that night. He hasn't been that consistent offensively although he seems to bring it rebounding and defense every night. Wagers is a pit bull down low. Not tall or a high jumper but has that ability to just score the ball. Reminds me of a kid from Corbin years ago named Kerry Sipple. I know that's a blast from the past. They don't seem to get grub involved with may looks. I do think he is hands down their most talented player but not their most productive up to this point. One problem for Grubb and Clay as a whole is their dreadful FT shooting. Outside of Dezarn they're all in the 40's or 50's. That will come back to bite them. The primary ball handler is a liability at the end of the game because he shoots in the 30's from the line. I think Adon Grub will be a stud for Clay next year. Top 10 type player.

[mountainball]

Good stuff

[HCS]

Huff
Mabe
Burnett
Davidson
Thompson
Akins
Burton
Cottrell
Pietrowski
Rawlings

[Old School Hound]

I saw that game and I totally agree with you. He is definitely the most athletic player on that team. I was very impressed with him that game. He was the only one from clay co that didn't look overwhelmed that night. He hasn't been that consistent offensively although he seems to bring it rebounding and defense every night. Wagers is a pit bull down low. Not tall or a high jumper but has that ability to just score the ball. Reminds me of a kid from Corbin years ago named Kerry Sipple. I know that's a blast from the past. They don't seem to get grub involved with may looks. I do think he is hands down their most talented player but not their most productive up to this point. One problem for Grubb and Clay as a whole is their dreadful FT shooting. Outside of Dezarn they're all in the 40's or 50's. That will come back to bite them. The primary ball handler is a liability at the end of the game because he shoots in the 30's from the line.  I think Adon Grub will be a stud for Clay next year. Top 10 type player.

A Kerry Sipple reference. Now that's a deep dive. I remember Kerry well. You must be old like me. LOL

[Old School Hound]

I saw that game and I totally agree with you. He is definitely the most athletic player on that team. I was very impressed with him that game. He was the only one from clay co that didn't look overwhelmed that night. He hasn't been that consistent offensively although he seems to bring it rebounding and defense every night. Wagers is a pit bull down low. Not tall or a high jumper but has that ability to just score the ball. Reminds me of a kid from Corbin years ago named Kerry Sipple. I know that's a blast from the past. They don't seem to get grub involved with may looks. I do think he is hands down their most talented player but not their most productive up to this point. One problem for Grubb and Clay as a whole is their dreadful FT shooting. Outside of Dezarn they're all in the 40's or 50's. That will come back to bite them. The primary ball handler is a liability at the end of the game because he shoots in the 30's from the line.  I think Adon Grub will be a stud for Clay next year. Top 10 type player.

WOW! That's grotesque shooting from the line.  How do kids show that poorly from the charity dstripe? There's simply no way you can advance very far in the postseason shooting FTs at that low of a percentage. There are gonna be close games and you simply can close them out shooting in the 30's-50's range.

[HCS]

Sipple wasn't that big or athletic, but he was unreal around the basket. One of the best players in the region his last couple of years.

[Keystone12]

That's a strong list HCS. I feel like I short Cameron Hall and Moser sometimes. Those guys can play. You and I are pretty close on our top 10.

[Old School Hound]

Sipple wasn't that big or athletic, but he was unreal around the basket. One of the best players in the region his last couple of years.

You're old, too.     Sipple got more out of his abilities than others who were more physically and athletically gifted than he was. I like those kind of guys.