2021-2022 Basketball Preview |Top 25 players| Football playoffs turn to state semis
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
The holidays? Yeah, I guess. But what I was really talking about was basketball season. Teams around the state are getting ready for the year so why shouldn't you? Well, now you can!
Everything you could need to get ready for the 2021-2022 basketball season is here.
Preseason rankings? We've got them. Top players to look out for? You betcha. If you want to know what's going on with your team heading into the season, don't worry because your high school sports newsletter has got you covered on all the preseason Kentucky High School Basketball content.
And don't worry, we didn't forget about football.
KHSAA Seventh Region boys basketball: Meet top teams, players for 2021-22 season
Here's what to know about Kentucky's Seventh Region boys basketball teams for the 2021-22 season:
25th District
Central
Coach: Doug Bibby (18th year)
Last season: 6-10, lost to Ballard 80-47 in Seventh Region quarterfinal
Player to watch: Joshua Bivens, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, led the Yellow Jackets in scoring (12.2 ppg) last season and shot 40% from 3-point range (26 of 65). “He’s a baller,” Bibby said. “He’s a flat-out athlete, but there’s more to the game than athleticism. We’re looking for him to be a little more mature this season. We want him to be the total package.”
Other top players: Kam Jones (6-2, Sr.); Keith Young (5-10, Sr.); Montez Davis (5-9, Sr.)
KHSAA Seventh Region girls basketball: Meet top teams, players for 2021-22 season
Here's what to know about Kentucky's Seventh Region girls basketball teams for the 2021-22 season:
Central
Coach: Deshawn Pendleton
Last year: 14-1 Lost to Sacred Heart 54-51 in Seventh Region Championship
Player to watch: Amaya Asher reclassified to the class of 2023, and that's awful news for the ankles she's bound to snatch this season on the court. Averaging 14 ppg, five assists and four rebounds a game last year, Asher was a vital part to the Yellow Jackets' (14-1) dominance.
Other top players: Briontanay Marshall (6 ppg, 6 reb, 2 blocks); Jala Douglass (8 ppg,5 reb,); Destiny Jones (7ppg, 4 reb)
Outlook: Central has a huge chip on its shoulder after falling short of the state tournament last year. A lot of the pieces from that team, including star combo guard Amaya Asher, is back. Asher's backcourt mate this season will be sophomore JaKyrra Bartlett who has shown elite range and scrappy defense in practice. The Yellow Jackets' starting five is filled in by strong interior pieces like Briontanay Marshall, Jala Douglass and Destiny Jones.
Sacred Heart No. 1 in Top 25 Kentucky high school girls basketball preseason rankings
Here is The Courier Journal’s preseason girls basketball Top 25, as voted by the state’s coaches. A total of 65 coaches participated. First-place votes in parentheses:
1. Sacred Heart (57) Seventh 25-7
Defending champs added talented freshman ZaKiyah Johnson
2. Anderson County (4) Eighth 28-3
Kentucky signee Amiya Jenkins is Miss Basketball front-runner
3. Bullitt East (1) Sixth 22-3
Bellarmine signee Gracie Merkle, 6-6 center, is a force
4. Bardstown Fifth 20-7
Addition of freshman Leah Macy makes Tigers contenders
5. Bowling Green Fourth 19-11
Meadow Tisdale, LynKaylah James give strong 1-2 punch
KHSAA Sixth Region boys basketball: Meet top teams, players for 2021-22 season
Beth Haven Christian
Coach: Michael Stinnett (second year)
Last season: 19-7, lost 54-43 to DeSales in the first round of the Sixth Region tournament
Player to watch: Luka Mateski (21.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg)
Other top players: Sr. Eli Watkins (10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Soph. Jordan Harris (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Soph. Jeremy Gibson (4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Outlook: Beth Haven made its first-ever trip to the Sixth Region tournament last year, and head coach Michael Stinnett wants to build on that for the 2021-22 season. He’ll bring back last season’s leading scorer and rebounder Luka Mateski, who Stinnett describes as a versatile wing player that’s one of the best players he’s ever coached. Eli Watkins and Jordan Harris are also projected to be starters for the Bearcats, while the last two spots on the floor are still open for competition. "I am excited about this group as much as any I have coached,” said Stinnett. “We had a good summer and a great pre-season. I think we can build on our success from last season."
Ranking the top 25 boys basketball players in Kentucky, from No. 1 to No. 25
Here is The Courier Journal’s ranking of the top 25 high school boys basketball players in Kentucky, based on a statewide vote of coaches. A total of 101 coaches returned ballots. First-place votes are in parentheses.
1. Reed Sheppard (45)
School: North Laurel
Height, class: 6-3, junior
PPG: 30.1
College: Kentucky
2. Kaleb Glenn (42)
School: Male
Height, class: 6-7, junior
PPG: 20.5
College: Louisville
3. George Washington III (4)
School: Christian Academy
Height, class: 6-2, junior
PPG: 23.9
College: Ohio State
How Amaya Asher hopes to lead Central to the state tournament
Whether it's chatting it up with a teammate, or joking around with her coaches, Central junior point guard Amaya Asher has a knack for getting people to follow her lead.
"She's kind of like the pied piper of the team," Central head coach DeShawn Pendleton said. "Whatever she does, the kids want to do."
One of Asher's favorite activities is winning, and when it comes to Central basketball, Asher wants all her teammates to get in on the fun. Last year, Asher's 14.9 points per game led the Yellow Jackets (14-1) to an undefeated regular season before Central was beaten by eventual state champion Sacred Heart in the Seventh Region final.
Ballard is No. 1 in 2021-22 Top 25 Kentucky high school boys basketball preseason rankings
Here is The Courier Journal’s preseason boys basketball Top 25, as voted by the state’s coaches. A total of 105 coaches participated. First-place votes in parentheses:
Top 25 Kentucky high school boys basketball preseason rankings
Team Region 2020-21 record
1. Ballard (56) Seventh 21-3
Can Bruins win it all in Chris Renner’s last season as coach?
2. Male (27) Seventh 8-3
Bulldogs led by top junior Kaleb Glenn, a U of L commit
3. Covington Catholic (12) Ninth 24-4
6-8 senior center Mitchell Rylee signed with Miami (Ohio)
4. George Rogers Clark (2) 10th 20-5
Sweet 16 quarterfinalist led by talented junior Jerone Morton
5. Ashland Blazer (5) 16th 22-5
Tomcats have talented guards in Cole Villers, Colin Porter
In Chris Renner's final season as coach, can No. 1 Ballard bring home a Sweet 16 title?
Chris Renner has called it quits before, including last April after his Ballard High School boys basketball team lost to Elizabethtown in the semifinals of the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
The mind certainly can wander during that 70-mile drive from Lexington to Louisville after your season has come to a crashing halt.
“I felt that was the last game I was going to coach,” Renner said. “I was done. … But Interstate 64, driving back from Lexington after losing in the state tournament, isn’t the time to make that decision.”
Renner talked it over with his wife, Jill, and prayed. He ultimately decided to give it a 24th and final go-round with the Bruins this season. Yes, Renner officially is calling it quits when the 2021-22 season comes to an end.
South Sudan immigrant Isaac Duop leading Fern Creek basketball with his family in mind
Everyone that gets into sports has their respective motivations for why they started. Some just picked up the ball because it was fun or good exercise, while others see their sport as a way to achieve things like academic opportunities or financial success.
All of those reasons apply to Fern Creek senior Isaac Duop, but there’s the added fact that basketball also brought him across the ocean as he looked for better opportunities away from his birth country.
Duop was born in South Sudan to a family of farmers, but war and poverty provided few opportunities for any educational or economic advancement. So in 2013 his family made the decision to send him to Kenya live with relatives and enroll in boarding school.
“They taught me well,” said Duop. “My mom (and) dad taught me well when I was a kid. They (felt) this the right decision. There’s no good education in South Sudan, and there was war. So there was no way I could go to school at that time.”
While in boarding school, Duop noticed a group of kids playing some pickup basketball. Duop had always been a soccer player growing up, but he was intrigued with the sport of basketball at first sight, though it would take a few years and a growth spurt before he decided to step on the court. Duop and the game clicked immediately.
“When I see those friends of mine going outside, I tell myself, ‘Why don’t I try this? Let me try basketball,'” said Duop. “At that time, it’s just for fun.”
How Trinity's defense ruled Ryle and earned rematch with Male in Class 6A semifinals
UNION, Ky. – It may not match the record-setting unit of last season, but Trinity High School’s defense has been just as effective when it’s mattered most.
The Shamrocks forced five turnovers and got a pick-6 from sophomore safety Gabe Mingus on their way to a 38-18 victory at Ryle on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs.
Trinity (6-7) posted shutouts of Marshall County and Ballard in its first two playoff games and was nearly as impressive Friday – at least in taking a 24-3 halftime lead.
“We lost our focus in the second half,” coach Jay Cobb said. “What you saw was the old, ugly first half of the year. Just things we should not do. … But I want the kids to enjoy the fact that they’ve won a regional title. It’s a Trinity tradition that we practice on Thanksgiving, so they’ll get to experience that.”
One step closer: Three takeaways from St. Xavier's blowout win over Daviess County
It was supposed to be a battle but instead it was a blowout.
St. Xavier easily dispatched Daviess County 42-6 Friday night at Brother Thomas More Page Stadium behind four touchdowns from Jack Sivori and a superior night from the Tigers' defense.
With the win, St. Xavier advances back to the Class 6A state semifinal for the second consecutive year and will face Madison Central for the right to play in the state championship game.
There was a lot to take away from St. X's blowout win over the Panthers. Some good, some bad and some downright ugly. Here were three takeaways from the Tigers' win on Friday.
Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 2021-2022 Basketball Preview |Top 25 players| Football playoffs turn to state semis
