Four Northern Kentucky basketball players named region Players of the Year

Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

The Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches, in partnership with the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, announced the 16 region players of the year and candidates for Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball on Friday morning. The awards are considered one of the highest honors a high school basketball player can receive, and only seniors can be nominated.

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The Miss Kentucky Basketball candidates from Northern Kentucky are Eighth Region Player of the Year Grace Brewer from Walton-Verona, and Ninth Region Player of the Year Whitney Lind from Cooper. Brewer leads her team in scoring and rebounding this year with 19 points per game and 12 rebounds per game. Lind leads the Jaguars in the same categories, averaging 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 75% from the free throw line.

Cooper senior Whitney Lind could become the second player in four years from the 33rd District to win Miss Kentucky basketball.
Cooper senior Whitney Lind could become the second player in four years from the 33rd District to win Miss Kentucky basketball.

Previous winners of the Miss Kentucky Basketball award from Northern Kentucky include Maddie Scherr (Ryle, 2020), Sydney Moss (Boone County, 2012), Erica Hallman (Holmes, 2002), Katie Schwegmann (Brossart, 2001), Jamie Walz (Highlands, 1996) and Donna Murphy (Newport, 1976). Murphy was the inaugural winner of the award.

Covington Catholic guard Evan Ipsaro could be the first Mr. Kentucky Basketball winner from Northern Kentucky in 20 years.
Covington Catholic guard Evan Ipsaro could be the first Mr. Kentucky Basketball winner from Northern Kentucky in 20 years.

For the boys, Covington Catholic's Evan Ipsaro and Holy Cross' Jacob Meyer were named Co-Ninth Region Players of the Year. Ipsaro is currently 14th in the state in scoring, averaging 25.4 points per game. He is also shooting 57% from the floor, 86% from the free throw line, and is third on the Colonels' all-time scoring list. Meyer is on his way to leading the state in scoring for the second straight year, averaging 36.8 points. On February 11, he broke the Ninth Region all-time scoring record and has scored over 3,200 career points.

Ipsaro or Meyer would be the first winner of Mr. Kentucky Basketball from Northern Kentucky since Highlands' Ross Neltner in 2003. Holmes' Doug Schloemer also won the award in 1978.

The winner of each award will be named at an awards ceremony in Lexington on March 19.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky basketball: KABC names Mr. and Miss Basketball finalists