[nekysportsfan]

Here is an early preview of the 16th region this year:

Top 8 teams:
1. Boyd County - Pete Fraley's Lady Lions return the top player in the region, junior Marshall commit Savannah Wheeler, along with twin seniors Charity and Payton Shears. East Carter freshman transfer Harley Paynter will help as well. With her addition, Boyd has 4 potential D1 players in their starting lineup. The defending champs will be tough to beat.
2. Russell - Senior Madison Darnell is one of the top players in the region. No team in the region has a player to match her size and skill. Fellow seniors Ty Mitchell and 3 point specialist Rachel Michael make the Lady Devils a tough out. Russell has significantly more size than any team in the region with junior Lakie Sanders and freshman Aubrey Hill. They also have the experience of winning 2 years ago.
3. West Carter - The return of junior Morgan Berry and sophomore Becca Nolen boost the Lady Comets significantly. They join a host of players like junior Hannah Bear, sophomores Kallie Burchett and Ragan Adkins, and 8th grader Allie Stone, all who got significant experience last season in winning the 16th All A. West is close to being the force they used to be.
4. Ashland - The return of Louisville commit Mykasa Robinson gives Bill Bradley's Kittens a chance in any game. Sophomore Julia Parker may be one of best shooters in the region to go along with her. Contributions from senior rebounder Sarah Rymer and juniors Miranda Martin and Emma Fulton will be key for Ashland.
5. Menifee County - Junior Emma Hacker returns to lead the Lady Cats along with Senior Mara Walker. Menifee is a team on the rise and could knock off one of the top teams on any given night.
6. Lewis County - Experience is abundant for Lewis County as they come into the season with a senior led team. Abby Pick, Gracie Yates, Jalyssa Cortez, and Allison Voyles lead the Lady Lions. This is most definitely a well coached team that could win their district this season and make noise in the region.
7. East Carter - The Lady Raiders graduated 4 of their 5 starters. The lone returning starter transferred to Boyd County leaving behind a ton of inexperience. Senior Taylor Jackson and junior Taylor Hall lead a talented bunch of sophomores and freshman into the season. The growth of the young players will be important for East.
8. Greenup County - The Lady Musketeers enter the season with a new coach, Keith Roark, at the helm. A very talented junior class including Maggie Miller, Gracie Haywood, and Holly Bryant make Greenup a tough matchup. Sophomore Grace Jackson should contribute as well. The 63rd district is likely the toughest district in the region.

The bottom 8 teams:
9. Rowan County
10. Raceland
11. Fleming County
12. Bath County
13. Morgan County
14. Elliott County
15. Fairview
16. Rose Hill

Top 10 Players:
1. Savannah Wheeler (JR - Boyd County)
2. Mykasa Robinson (SR - Ashland)
3. Madison Darnell (SR - Russell)
4. Abby Pick (SR - Lewis County)
5. Morgan Berry (JR - West Carter)
6. Charity Shears (SR - Boyd County)
7. Payton Shears (SR - Boyd County)
8. Ty Mitchell (SR - Russell)
9. Emma Hacker (JR - Menifee County)
10. Julia Parker (SO - Ashland)

Best of the rest: Becca Nolen (SO - West Carter), Harley Paynter (FR - Boyd County), Hannah Bear (JR - West Carter), Maggie Miller (JR - Greenup County), Mara Walker (SR - Menifee County), Lauren Runyon (SR - Raceland), McKenna Moore (JR - Bath County), Abby Ross (SR - Morgan County), Rachel Michael (SR - Russell)

Looking forward to the season. If there are any other 16th region fans in here...would love to hear your opinions as these are just my initial thoughts on the upcoming season.