12th REGION MADNESS: Boys' 12th Region Basketball Tournament Preview

Despite the boys' state tournament being pushed back to the tail end of March, the 12th Region Tournament will go as per usually scheduled this week. The Pulaski County Maroons have captured the previous two region titles, but the field is wide open this time around, with Lincoln County High School being hosts to a jam-packed eight team field where truly any team could earn a trip to Rupp if playing at their best.

Danville Christian

The Warriors are one of the favorites to hoist this year's trophy after being shockingly eliminated last year in the semi-finals. It's no mystery why either, as Danville Christian sports two big men in junior Geu Leek Ateny and senior Lual Ayiei that are double-double threats on any given night. Throw that in with senior point guard Titus Boyd, who averages about 14 points per night, and the Warriors can hang with just about any team in the state on any given night, as evidenced by their ranking (according to KSR) in the top 10 for a majority of the season and their 26-3 record for the year. They won the boys' All "A" state title this season and have solid wins over North Hardin, West Jessamine, Somerset, Pulaski County, Hazard, Lyon County, Lincoln County (three times) and Bryan Station this season.

Lincoln County

After missing the madness last season, the Patriots are back with a 18-12 record and as the runners-up in the 45th District. The hosting team for this year's tournament have three players that average over 10 points per game, but none may be more important than sophomore Cash Baird, who averages 14.4 points per game to lead the team but also shoots 37% from three on 53 makes this season. Lincoln has solid wins over West Jessamine and Pulaski County this year.

Mercer County

The Titans won the 46th District once again with a record of 21-10 and have lost just twice against teams from within the 12th Region. A large part of their success is senior big man Trevor Ellis, a rebounding machine who is averaging 15.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this year. When Ellis is flourishing in the paint, this is a tough team to beat. His senior teammate Hagan Preston also averages double digit points per game. Mercer has good wins over Pulaski County, Somerset, West Jessamine (twice), Lexington Catholic, Madison Central and Ballard this season.

West Jessamine

The Colts had a 10-game winning streak snapped in their district championship game against Mercer, but finished with a solid 17-9 record heading into the region tournament. West Jess is built to perform in the paint, as they are led by sophomore big man Luk Tut and his 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, along with several other scorers that average at least eight points per game. The Colts have wins over Pulaski County, Somerset and Mercer County this year.

Pulaski County

The two-time defending 12th Region champions, Pulaski County are riding a three-game winning streak heading into the tournament and have a record of 18-10. Pulaski has an extremely balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging at least five points per game in seniors Gavin Cook & Ethan Idlewine, juniors Seth Farmer, Zak Anderson and Carson Fraley and sophomore Kade Hargis. Cook is one of the best three-point shooters in the region, shooting 39% on 72 makes this season. Junior point guard Carson Fraley, when healthy, is a top playmaker in the region as well. There are also a trio of underclassmen guards in Kade Hargis, Blake Fraley and Kam Measel that all have received consistent playing time this year. The Maroons have strong wins over South Laurel, Southwestern, Somerset (three times) and Russell County this year.

Somerset

The Briar Jumpers came oh so close to claiming another 47th District title, but still have made it to the regional tournament with a record of 15-13 after making it all the way to the championship game last year in a miraculous run. Junior guard Aedyn Absher is the key that makes the Somerset machine run, as he is averaging 16.8 points per game and has made 41 three-pointers. There are a lot of quality players on this roster, such as juniors Kole Grundy and Jake Bartley, sophomore Josh Lewis and freshman Brock Stevens, but one of their biggest strengths is senior reserve Landen Lonesky, who is third on the team in scoring with 7.7 points per game, first in rebounds with 5.1 per game, and hustles and dives for every loose ball. Somerset has quality wins over Cumberland County and Southwestern this season.

Southwestern

The Warriors, once on a seven-game skid earlier in the season, won their first 48th District title under head coach Jeron Dunbar and come into the regional tournament as one of the hottest teams with a record of 17-13. Junior Zach Hutchinson leads the way with 15.7 points per game, while junior Jarrett Simpson and senior Antajuan Dumphord are both double-double threats every single night. They also have a quality stable of guards, led by sophomore point guard Aiden Webb, who has flourished since being inserted into the starting lineup. Southwestern has wins over Wayne County (twice), Lincoln County, Mercer County, Somerset and Pulaski County this season.

Wayne County

Despite the Cardinals losing long time head coach Rodney Woods, they will be back in the 12th Region tournament as the runners-up of the 48th District with a record of 13-13. A main reason for that is junior Kendall Phillips, who averages a near double-double as one of the top scorers in the region with 21 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to go along with his 69 three-pointers and a strong 88% conversion rate from the charity stripe. Wayne has wins over Southwestern, Knox Central, Clay County and West Jessamine this season.

The brackets were draw on Saturday morning and here are the matchups!

Game 1: Pulaski County vs Lincoln County (Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.)

The last two times these two teams have squared off in the region tournament have both been in the regional championship game, but they get to kick off the tournament this time around. When they played earlier in the season at Lincoln, the Patriots won 64-62 in double overtime. Dating back to 2000, per the KHSAA, Lincoln is 20-14 against the Maroons.

Game 2: Mercer County vs Wayne County (Wednesday at 8:15 p.m.)

These two teams did not play during the regular season, but the Titans have a 7-8 record against the Cardinals dating back to 2000, per the KHSAA.

Game 3: Danville Christian vs Somerset (Thursday at 6:30 p.m.)

These two teams played in the regional All "A" Tournament earlier in the season, with the Warriors prevailing 49-36. Dating back to 2022, per the KHSAA, the Jumpers are 1-4 against the Warriors, but did beat them in last year's 12th Region Semifinals in a triple overtime classic.

Game 4: Southwestern vs West Jessamine (Thursday at 8:15 p.m.)

The Warriors defeated the Colts 60-44 in early January. Dating back to 2006, per the KHSAA, Southwestern is 11-10 against West Jessamine.

Games 5 & 6 (Semifinals): Monday, March 10 at 6:30 & 8:15 p.m.

Game 7 (Finals): Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

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