[WWW]

Leslie
Perry
Knott
Owsley 
Powell 

Honeycutt 
Sparks
Brown
Smith
Baker

Maggard 
Hoskins 
Smith
Caudill 
Gayheart

[DukeBoy]

Preseason Top 5 Coaches
1. Baker - LCC
2. Honeycutt - KCC
3. Sparks - Leslie
4. Smith - Owsley
5. Mcalarnis - PCC

Top 5 Teams
1. Leslie
2. PCC
3. Knott
4. Owsley
5. LCC

Top 5 Players
1. Hoskins - Leslie
2. Maggard - Knott
3. Neace - PCC
4. Gayheart - KCC/PCC
5. Couch - LCC

[LOOKAYANNER]

Preseason Top 5 Coaches
1.  Baker - LCC
2.  Honeycutt - KCC
3.  Sparks - Leslie
4.  Smith - Owsley
5.  Mcalarnis - PCC

Top 5 Teams
1.  Leslie
2.  PCC
3.  Knott
4.  Owsley
5.  LCC

Top 5 Players
1.  Hoskins - Leslie
2.  Maggard - Knott
3.  Neace - PCC
4.  Gayheart - KCC/PCC
5.  Couch - LCC

There’s no way Owsley County junior guard Carly Smith is not rated somewhere in the region’s top 5. Strictly my opinion but I’ve seen all the players in the region and Smith is right among the elite. Definitely somewhere in the top echelon.

[DukeBoy]

She’s right there with my top 5. Just my crappy opinion which doesn’t even matter. I honestly think the Lynch girl was the kid you had to stop to beat Owsley.

[LOOKAYANNER]

She’s right there with my top 5.  Just my crappy opinion which doesn’t even matter.  I honestly think the Lynch girl was the kid you had to stop to beat Owsley.

There’s little doubt of the importance of Lexy’s scoring, rebounding and leadership on the team during her career at Owsley (2700 points). But as far as scoring average during the 2021-22 season there wasn’t much difference between her and Smith. Lexy averaged 16.5 ppg and Smith was at 15.9 ppg, per the KHSAA website. Smith led the team in shooting percentage from both 2’s and 3’s and free throws. There are few coaches in the region that don’t place high importance on concentrating on her with their defensive strategies. She is also an excellent ball handler, actually ambidextrous, and can score on drives with either hand. Plus she is an intelligent player and leader. Carly Smith is definitely one of the top players in the 14th region. I think she’s up to around 1300 career points with two more years left before she graduates. And the good news for Lady Owls fans is Carly’s younger sister Delaney, a seventh grade guard, May end up being as good or better than her older sister.

[LOOKAYANNER]

DukeBoy these summertime predictions are fun and gives us a good conversation or two during the off season. I enjoy reading your posts and thoughts.

[WWW]

My top 5 players is based on the players I feel like could go take over a game and win it. We have some very good players in this region. The incoming jr class may be the best in many many years. I think Hoskins is a shoe in for POY if we are basing it on seniors. That jr class is loaded! Smith Maggard Caudill and Gayheart. It will be fun to watch these kids grow next two years.

[DukeBoy]

Neace is a better all around player than the four JRs you mentioned. She’s does more for her team. To me that’s how you base a player on. Neace does more than just score or just jack up threes. Plays both sides of the floor. Don’t get me wrong the 4JRs you mentioned are excellent players. But I’d rather have the Neace girl from Perry. Hoskins is a good choice for POY. Girl can play.

[WWW]

Neace not in that category in my opinion. Not knocking her or any kid but in my opinion she not in that group. If she played for anyone other than PCC she wouldn’t even be mentioned

[DukeBoy]

Why do you say that for WWW? Most of the kids you mentioned are scorers mainly. Don’t rebound and do any of the dirty work. Neace gets hers and still does the dirty work inside with the bigs and she’s not very tall to boot. Stats don’t lie.

[WWW]

Like I said I like the kid. In my opinion she not in that class. For one she is mainly a shooter. How many doubles has she seen? The degree of difficulty for her is less than any of the four. We can agree to disagree. Just differences of opinion

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Also smith Gayheart and Caudill always gets the job of guarding the other teams best players. Smith Caudill and Gayheart is their teams PG aswell. Try bringing the ball up floor every possession and running your team’s offense. Neach is guard or small forward how ever you wanna look at it. She is good at what she does don’t get me wrong. Caudill has the same average of rebounds than Neach and she plays PG

[LOOKAYANNER]

Owsley County has done fairly well in summer play with double digit wins over Wolfe, Buckhorn (twice), Knott Central, Greenup, and 8 point win at Leslie. They lost in four OT at Prestonsburg, by 4 at Floyd Central and by 8 at Corbin. Bell gave them their worst defeat, 28 points at Corbin. Some of the players said Bell has a tall team and good guards. That’s a great combination.

[DukeBoy]

Mainly a shooter?? Neace is more physically stronger than any the kids mentioned. Can take a bump better than any mentioned. She has a man’s jumper as well. The others don’t.

[WWW]

She’s a good solid player. Not The same caliber as the girls I have mentioned.

[DukeBoy]

Your opinion I guess by not a very basketball educated one.

[DukeBoy]

But not a very basketball educated one I meant to say. Not trying to sound mean. Neace is just better all around than the other 4. Caudill is a bullet, fast and great getting to the rim. Maggard is a 3pt machine. Gayheart is a true PG who can drive pretty well and shoot well to. Smith is good shooter and driver. Watched them all. Neace may not be the absolute best at all aspects of the game compared to some of them but when you look at all aspects together, she’d have the higher score. Just simply a better basketball player to me.

---

Where is Courtney Hoskins looking at going to College after her Sr year of HS?

[WWW]

She is good solid player thats kinda what your saying. I totally agree! Maggard Smith Caudill and Gayheart is tops in the class of 2024. I’m not even sure if Neace will be a jr? If so she has probably been held back. I like the Neace kid. She is definitely somewhere in top 10-15 in region but our options don’t amount to much

[WWW]

She is good solid player thats kinda what your saying. I totally agree! Maggard Smith Caudill and Gayheart is tops in the class of 2024. I’m not even sure if Neace will be a jr? If so she has probably been held back. I like the Neace kid. She is definitely somewhere in top 10-15 in region but our opinions don’t amount to much

[DukeBoy]

Maybe you should of stayed back to WWW. None of that matters. Neace is better. Ask any coach or anyone with a cent of basketball knowledge in the region and they will tell ya the same thing I am.

[WWW]

I believe if you ask around the region you would probably get your feelings hurt but I respect your opinion. Growing up that was a lesson my parents taught me. Respect other people opinion bc not everyone looks threw your eyes.

[DukeBoy]

Amen to that. I’d ask the coaches and people that knows the game before I asked fans and people that’s played very little. More to scoring 30 a game when half them are from goal sucking and beating up on Weak competition. Look at KHSAA and compare the stats vs top competition.

[WWW]

Lol

[Turnover]

Gary Browns lady wolves will be a surprise

[Reds#1Fan]

I also think Wolfe County will be a strong team that teams can’t overlook. With the addition of the Noble twins Wolfe now has size to match up with any post player in the region. Coach Brown will have to replace Colwell but returns 4 starters that played every minute last season.

[WWW]

Lady Wolves will always be in the mix as long as Brown is there. One of top coaches in region

[DukeBoy]

Coach Brown works hard and is a great coach. Lady Wolves will be a hard out for anyone this season.

[Tailback44]

Coach brown had an excellent game plan against Perry last season in regional tournament should have won that game honestly. Now that Honeycutt is gone. Brown and Baker are the easily best two coaches in the 14th.

[LOOKAYANNER]

Coach brown had an excellent game plan against Perry last season in regional tournament should have won that game honestly. Now that Honeycutt is gone. Brown and Baker are the easily best two coaches in the 14th.

I think Owsley County coach Travis Smith has to be listed as one of the best coaches in the region, too. His teams have gone 23-9, 20-4, and 20-11 the past three seasons for a total W-L record of 63-24. They have won an All A region and made it to the quarterfinals of state, have been to three straight 14th KHSAA region semifinals and in the last one lost the championship game in overtime on a last second shot. 
He has four returning starters this year so it would be a pretty good calculation that his team will be right back in the mix again this season. The two coaches you mentioned are great coaches but Coach Smith is right there with them.

[DukeBoy]

How many of them have wins at the State Tournament?

[LOOKAYANNER]

How many of them have wins at the State Tournament?

Tailback’s comment was about “best coaches in the 14th”…not the state. 
 As far as winning at the state tournament the 14th teams haven’t had much success in the last two decades. Perry won their first game in 2002 and lost the next. Letcher won their opening round game in 2006 and lost in the next round. And Breathitt  won their first game in 2008 but lost in the second round.The region hasn’t won a game at state since. It’s been 15 years without a win. 
The 14th is usually the weakest of the 16 regions in most years. But that doesn’t mean their coaches are not as good at their job as coaches out in the state. Talented teams will usually lose to more talented teams. The 14th schools have more All A size schools than any other region, meaning that most schools in the state tournament are going to have larger enrollment and a bigger pool of players for development. That’s a huge factor. It is what it is.