Preview – 11th Region Tournament Final
It all comes down to this. Scott County – the favorite, against the only team from Kentucky they’ve lost to all season – Lexington Catholic. Tip-off to see who earns a bid to Rupp Arena and the Sweet Sixteen is set at 7:30 pm ET, at Eastern Kentucky University’s McBrayer Arena tomorrow night (Monday, March 5th).
Scott County, (who is ranked #1 in Kentucky according to the Dave Cantrall rankings), is 29-5 on the year. Four of their loses were to teams out of state. Their only in-state loss, ironically to Lexington Catholic, came during a December 13th battle at Catholic in which the Cardinals lost 55-59. Scott County is currently riding a 17 game winning streak and is cruising through the 11th Region tournament up to this point. In the region quarterfinals, Scott County defeated Frankfort 91-35. Facing Madison Central in the semifinal, the Cardinals won out 67-39.
Lexington Catholic is 24-8 overall and 11-3 in the region. Their loss to Lexington Christian in district play denied them a 43rd District crown, however their play in the regional tournament could be cause for concern to the Scott County faithful. Sure the win against the Cardinals came three months ago – but, Catholic cruised in their wins against Franklin County and Sayre and have won 16 of their last 18 games. If the Knights bring the proper game plan to stop sophomore phenom Michael Moreno, Catholic may have an opportunity here.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
- Michael Moreno, Scott County – Moreno is averaging 22.3 points and 10 rebounds on the year. One of Kentucky’s top 2019 prospects, Moreno has already visited Purdue, Louisville, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
- Bryce Long, Scott County – Averaging 12 points and shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc, Long leads the Cardinals in made 3’s on the season. Bad news for opponents? Both he and Moreno are both sophomores.
- Cooper Watts, Scott County – If I’m a small college basketball program looking for consistent intangibles from a post player, I’m looking at Cooper Watts. The senior does all the little things that coaches love. Averaging 7 rebounds a game, Watts helps the Cardinals control the paint.
- Luke Johnson, Lexington Catholic – The Loyola Maryland commit is leading Lexington Catholic in points, averaging 21.5 per game, shooting nearly 50% from the field.
- Zan Payne, Lexington Catholic – The son of Kentucky Wildcats assistant coach Kenny Payne, Zan is making a name for his own self. The junior is averaging 15.1 points per game and pulling down an average of 9.1 rebounds.