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Northern Kentucky basketball: 5 storylines heading into the final month of play

brendan connelly, cincinnati enquirer
·7 min read

It's been an exciting season so far on the Northern Kentucky hardwood. Even though the winter weather has been unpredictable, the buzz inside the gym is constant.

Across the KHSAA's Eighth, Ninth and 10th Regions, myriad teams have positioned themselves for success. Some teams are peaking at just the right time, while others are still unsure of their district and region fate.

With the calendar turning to February, there is a little less than one month in the regular season and the Sweet 16 in Lexington is just five weeks away. Here are the five biggest storylines heading into the final weeks before the postseason.

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More:Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky high school sports scores, Jan. 30- Feb. 5

1. How is each district shaping up?

Of the 12 district tournaments in Northern Kentucky, only four have their first-round matchups set.

In the boys' 33rd District, Conner will face Ryle and Cooper will face Boone County. For the girls, Cooper will play Boone County and Ryle will face Conner in the first round.

Moving to the 35th District, the Holy Cross Indians have secured the top spot in the girls tournament. They'll face Holmes in the first round, and Notre Dame will square off with Beechwood in the other half of the bracket.

Finally, the first round of the boys' 37th District tournament will see Campbell County play Calvary Christian, and Scott will play Bishop Brossart.

While the remaining eight district brackets are to be determined, the following teams have secured the top seed in their tournament: Simon Kenton (boys 33rd District), Grant County (girls 33rd District), Dixie Heights (girls 34th District), Covington Catholic (boys 35th District) and Highlands (girls 36th District).

2. Ninth Region contenders

For the girls, Cooper, Ryle and Holy Cross are the current big three in the region. The first two have been in the top 10 of the state's AP and media poll each week of the season, while the Indians made their first appearance this week.

The Cooper girls basketball team is the reigning Ninth Region champions and hope to make the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.
The Cooper girls basketball team is the reigning Ninth Region champions and hope to make the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.

The Jaguars are the reigning Ninth Region champion and made the 2022 Final Four in Lexington. Justin Holthaus' squad is 18-3 this year and had a 15-game winning streak before falling to DuPont Manual on Jan. 28. Before the postseason gets underway, Cooper has games against regional foes Notre Dame (Feb. 3), St. Henry (Feb. 7) and Newport Central Catholic (Feb. 11).

Staying in the 33rd District, the Ryle Raiders were runners-up in last year's Ninth Region tournament. They sport a record of 17-7 but have faltered against fellow top 10 teams in Sacred Heart, Mercy, George Rogers Clark and Cooper. If the Raiders want to make a run at the regional title, they could face Cooper twice.

Holy Cross is enjoying its best season since winning the state tournament in 2015. Behind junior center Julia Hunt, the Indians have won 11 of their past 12 games, unseated Notre Dame for the top seed in the 35th District tournament, and won their first All "A" state championship since 2015. Their current run of form earned them their first appearance in the state media poll at ninth.

The two schools currently atop the Ninth Region boys standings are Covington Catholic and Conner. They sport identical 8-1 records, with the Cougars holding the head-to-head tiebreaker by way of a 74-68 victory over the Colonels.

Conner senior Landen Hamilton is the Cougars' leading scorer. The Cougars last won a Ninth Region title in 1993, but are in contention this year.
Conner senior Landen Hamilton is the Cougars' leading scorer. The Cougars last won a Ninth Region title in 1993, but are in contention this year.

Both teams are senior-heavy. Daniel Campbell, Landen Hamilton, Dalton Kramer and Ayden Lohr averaged double-figure points for the Cougars and played a key role in their double overtime senior night victory. The Cougars are 14-6 this season, but only three of their losses have come to teams within the commonwealth. Conner hasn't won the regional tournament since 1993, but the 30-year anniversary of the Cougars' last trip to state would be a fitting time to return to the Sweet 16.

While Miami (OH) commit Evan Ipsaro is currently 14th in the state in scoring at 24.9 points per game, he can also distribute to fellow seniors Aiden Jones, Ayden Link and Kascyl McGillis. After the loss to Conner, the Colonels have regrouped and are currently on a seven-game winning streak. Dating back to 2017, Covington Catholic has won five of the past six Ninth Region tournaments.

3. Eighth and 10th regions at a glance

Led by junior guard Travis Krohman and 7-footer Gabe Dynes, the Simon Kenton Pioneers secured the top seed in the 32nd District tournament and will face Williamstown in the first round. Martha Layne Collins, whom the Pioneers have lost to twice this season, leads the Eighth Region with an 18-3 record.

Simon Kenton guard Travis Krohman helped the Pioneers secure the top spot in the boys 32nd District tournament.
Simon Kenton guard Travis Krohman helped the Pioneers secure the top spot in the boys 32nd District tournament.

The Lady Pioneers, featuring Emilee Eggleston, Anna Kelch and Brynli Pernell, will face Walton-Verona in the two-versus-three matchup in the first round of their district tournament. Anderson County is currently atop the Eighth Region standings with a 19-4 record (10-1 in the region).

Moving to the 10th Region, the boys standings in the 37th District are set for the tournament. Campbell County locked up the top seed and will face Calvary Christian in the first round. Scott will face Bishop Brossart on the other side of the bracket. The winners of those games will be guaranteed a trip to the 10th Region tournament, but the goal is to win the district tournament to get a preferred seed in the region. Mason County (22-2) and George Rogers Clark (16-4) currently lead the 10th Region standings.

The girls bracket is still to be determined. Scott, Campbell County and Bishop Brossart are all within a game of each other in the standings, and the winner of the Feb. 7 contest between the Eagles and Lady Mustangs will determine the top seed. George Rogers Clark (15-6) is the only undefeated team in region play, sporting a 6-0 record.

4. Points, points and more points

A few of the best basketball players in Northern Kentucky have recently added significant scoring milestones to their resumes.

Cooper senior Whitney Lind scored her 2,000th point on Jan. 21 against Bowling Green, becoming the second Cooper girls basketball player to eclipse the milestone. Lind is currently at 2,068 career points, and if the Jaguars can make a deep postseason run similar to last year, she has a chance to pass all-time leading scorer Lexi Held, who finished her career with 2,430 points.

Cooper forward Whitney Lind is the second girls player in school history to reach 2,000 career points.
Cooper forward Whitney Lind is the second girls player in school history to reach 2,000 career points.

Evan Ipsaro surpassed 2,000 points for his high school career on Jan. 24. The Covington Catholic senior has 1,710 points in his career in Park Hills after spending his freshman year at New Richmond. He is currently fourth on the Colonels' all-time scoring list and can pass Andy Listerman (1,730 points) as early as Feb. 3. Should Cov Cath make a Ninth Region and state tournament run, he has a chance to pass Nick Ruthsatz (1,980 points) for second and score his 2,000th point as a Colonel.

Holy Cross senior Jacob Meyer is the state's leading scorer for a second straight season. He can break the Ninth Region scoring record later this season.
Holy Cross senior Jacob Meyer is the state's leading scorer for a second straight season. He can break the Ninth Region scoring record later this season.

A lay-up in Sunday's All "A" boys basketball state tournament championship game delivered two milestones for Holy Cross point guard Jacob Meyer. It was not only his 3,000th career point, but it broke the record for most points in a single tournament. In the same game, he broke the single-game scoring record for the All "A" state tournament with 49 points. Meyer currently sits at 3,041 points and should pass Brandon Hatton (3,045 points) for second on the Ninth Region all-time scoring list in the Indians' next game. If Meyer continues his average of 34 points per game, he will pass Beechwood's Scotty Draud (3,128 points) for the Ninth Region scoring title on Feb. 8 against Newport Central Catholic.

Campbell County senior Aydan Hamilton scored his 2,000th point on Jan. 31 against Covington Catholic. He joins Kevin Reinhardt as the only Camels players to reach that mark.

5. Add these games to your schedule

While multiple top seeds have been secured in district tournaments, there are still several games in the final three weeks that could have an impact on the district and region tournaments.

  • Lloyd at St. Henry (Feb. 2): The winner of this game will get the top seed in the boys 34th District.

  • Bellevue at Highlands (Feb. 3): A Bluebirds win would secure a top-two seed in the boys 36th District.

  • Ludlow at St. Henry (Feb. 3): A crucial district seeding game in the girls 34th District.

  • Scott at Bishop Brossart (Feb. 7): A Scott win would give them the top seed in the girls 37th District. If the Mustangs win, the top seed would be determined via tie-breakers.

  • Newport at Dayton (Feb. 10): The last district game for both teams, and a chance for Newport to grab the top seed in the boys 36th District.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: KHSAA basketball: five storylines in the final month of the season