‘Nothing’s changed.’ George Rogers Clark intent on making another run to Rupp Arena.

If it’s possible to quietly go 23-1 by early February, George Rogers Clark has managed to do so.

The Cardinals rank No. 24 in the Herald-Leader’s Dave Cantrall Ratings and slightly better at No. 9 in this week’s boys basketball media poll. That’s oddly low for a team that won the 2022 Boys Sweet 16 and was runner-up last season.

But with only one returning starter on the Cards’ roster from those back-to-back state finalists and a schedule that GRC coach Josh Cook admits hasn’t been as loaded with powerhouse opponents as past years, Clark has found ways to prepare itself for another run at what could be its fifth straight 10th Region championship. Cook’s not worried about where they rank.

“We’re just trying to focus on defense and just focus on continuing to get better,” Cook said. “We’ve got a lot of guys stepping up in a lot of spots. … We’re getting better and our guys are learning to play tough and play together.”

Cook’s quiet team made some noise Tuesday by beating Cantrall No. 8 Frederick Douglass 56-50 in GRC Arena. Even though the defending 11th Region champions played without leading scorer Armelo Boone due to a scheduled wisdom tooth extraction, GRC’s defensive performance was impressive.

“We’ve got guys that are pretty good at what they do,” Cook said. “We’ve got guys that can shoot it. We’ve got guys that can make plays and some role players who really set out to do a job. And we’ve got some young guys that are going to be special players.”

Reshaun Hampton, the Cards’ lone returning starter who leads the team with an average of 19 points per game, scored 12 against the Broncos, including a pair of third-quarter 3-pointers that helped break the game open. Hampton’s alley-oop to Montez Gay for a dunk midway through the third gave Clark a 32-18 lead, its largest margin.

Hampton acknowledged his role as a senior leader is different from past years, but “It’s good. It’s fun to lead the team,” he said. “Coach has been talking to me a lot.”

Hampton had the same expectations coming into this season that he’s always had in a Cardinals uniform.

“Nothing’s changed,” he said. “It’s the same goal: winning region and going back to Rupp.”

Breland Morrison, a senior transfer from Christian County, has picked up his production in recent games and scored 20 against Douglass, six points above his average. Gay, a freshman, finished with 10 points. The Broncos (16-7) were led by Aveion Chenault’s 18 points and Dakari Talbert’s 11.

Clark has gone 6-0 in its district and 11-0 in 10th Region play with Bracken County (7-17) the lone remaining region opponent left on a schedule that’s fixing to see a dramatic increase in difficulty.

The Cardinals take on another 11th Region contender in Madison Southern (15-7) on Thursday and head to No. 1 Great Crossing (24-1) on Saturday.

“It’s time to see how tough we are,” Cook said. “We know at the end of the day we know where we want the ship to sail to and that’s to play in Rupp Arena. That’s something we’ve got to believe in. The next few weeks are to prepare us to get there.”