Four from Louisville area among finalists for Kentucky's 2023 Mr. and Miss Basketball awards

Twenty boys and 18 girls were named finalists Friday for Kentucky’s 2023 Mr. and Miss Basketball awards by the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony scheduled for March 19 in Lexington. Only seniors are eligible.

Two players from Louisville were named Mr. Basketball finalists — Pleasure Ridge Park’s Keith Robinson and Ballard’s Gabe Sisk.

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Robinson, a 6-foot-4 forward, was named Sixth Region Player of the Year. He’s averaging 18.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. Sisk, a 6-6 guard, was named Seventh Region Player of the Year and is averaging 23.4 points and 9.3 rebounds.

North Laurel’s Reed Sheppard was named 13^th Region Player of the Year and is considered the front-runner to be named Mr. Basketball. The University of Kentucky signee is averaging 21.8 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Bullitt Central’s Haley Dillman and Manual’s JaKayla Thompson were named Miss Basketball finalists from the Louisville area.

Dillman, a 5-10 guard/forward, was named Sixth Region Player of the Year and is averaging 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. She recently scored the 2,000^th point of her career. Thompson, a 5-8 guard/forward who has signed with the University of Buffalo, was named Seventh Region Player of the Year and is averaging 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Coaches and media members from around the state will participate in voting for the Mr. and Miss Basketball winners.

The KABC also named its Coaches of the Year for each region. Girls honors from the Louisville area went to Bullitt Central’s Jessie Curry (Sixth Region), Manual’s Ashley Franklin (Seventh Region) and Spencer County’s John Howie (Eighth Region). Boys Coach of the Year winners from the Louisville area were Evangel Christian’s Larry Miller (Sixth Region), Ballard’s Greg Willis (Seventh Region) and Collins’ Chris Gaither (co-Eighth Region).

Here are all of the finalists:

Girls Players of the Year

First Region – Destiny Thomas, McCracken County

Second Region – Taylor Guess, Crittenden County

Third Region – Adylan Ayer, Daviess County

Fourth Region – Meadow Tisdale, Bowling Green

Fifth Region – Emma Filiatreau, Bethlehem

Sixth Region – Haley Dillman, Bullitt Central

Seventh Region – JaKayla Thompson, Manual

Eighth Region – Grace Brewer, Walton-Verona

Ninth Region – Whitney Lind, Cooper

10^th Region – Brianna Byars, George Rogers Clark

11^th Region – Kylee Dennis, Sayre

12^th Region – Ayden Smiddy, Southwestern; Timberlynn Yeast, Mercer County

13^th Region – Emily Sizemore, North Laurel

14^th Region – Courtney Hoskins, Leslie County; Abby Maggard, Hazard

15^th Region – Kensley Feltner, Lawrence County

16^th Region – Haven Ford, Rowan County

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Boys Players of the Year

First Region – Jack McCune, McCracken County

Second Region – Marcus Eaves, Madisonville-North Hopkins; Gerard Thomas, Henderson County

Third Region – Brian Griffith, Owensboro Catholic

Fourth Region – Chappelle Whitney, Warren Central

Fifth Region – Carson Childress, LaRue County

Sixth Region – Keith Robinson, Pleasure Ridge Park

Seventh Region – Gabe Sisk, Ballard

Eighth Region – Teagan Moore, Owen County

Ninth Region – Evan Ipsaro, Covington Catholic; Jacob Meyer, Covington Holy Cross

10^th Region – Terrell Henry, Mason County; Jerone Morton, George Rogers Clark

11^th Region – Jaylen Davis, Madison Central; Reece Potter, Lexington Catholic

12^th Region – Kyle Stephens, McCreary Central

13^th Region – Reed Sheppard, North Laurel

14^th Region – Sawyer Thompson, Wolfe County

15^th Region – Rylee Samons, Pikeville

16^th Region – Zachary Otis, Bath County

Girls Coaches of the Year

First Region – Scott Sivills, McCracken County

Second Region – Cory Coble, Union County

Third Region – Jansen Locher, Owensboro

Fourth Region – Kristen Anderson, Cumberland County

Fifth Region – Jason Clark, Bethlehem

Sixth Region – Jessie Curry, Bullitt Central

Seventh Region – Ashley Franklin, Manual

Eighth Region – John Howie, Spencer County

Ninth Region – Ted Arlinghaus, Covington Holy Cross

10^th Region – Steve Brown, Bishop Brossart

11^th Region – Scott True, Madison Central

12^th Region – Junior Molden, Southwestern

13^th Region – Elgie Green, Pineville

14^th Region – Larry Sparks, Leslie County

15^th Region – Melinda Feltner, Lawrence County

16^th Region – Jay Fite, Lewis County

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Boys Coaches of the Year

First Region – Sawyer Donohoo, Marshall County

Second Region – Melvin Brown, University Heights

Third Region – Tim Riley, Owensboro Catholic

Fourth Region – William Unseld, Warren Central

Fifth Region – Montrelle Irvin, Taylor County

Sixth Region – Larry Miller, Evangel Christian

Seventh Region – Greg Willis, Ballard

Eighth Region – Chris Gaither, Collins; Joseph Utter, Grant County

Ninth Region – Matt Otte, Conner

10^th Region – Brian Kirk, Mason County

11^th Region – Wes Scarberry, Frederick Douglass

12^th Region – Wade Davis, McCreary Central

13^th Region – Derek Akal, Harlan

14^th Region – Matthew Taylor, Letcher County Central; Al Holland, Hazard

15^th Region – Jason James, Martin County

16^th Region – Derek Cooksey, Russell

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky 2023 player of the year honors: Mr. and Miss basketball awards