2017-2018 Season Preview: 9th Region
October 15th is a holiday in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. High school basketball season is officially underway in the Bluegrass state. The excitement that comes with a new season will soon be replaced by the grind of the season but every school in the state starts the season with the same goal. Everyone wants to get to Rupp Arena in March. In our season preview series, we break down the favorites to make it to the KHSAA state tournament out of each region. Our previews continue with the 9th Region, where Covington Catholic and Cooper are the likely favorites.
THE CONTENDERS:
SCHOOL NAME (LAST SEASON’S RECORD)
Covington Catholic (29-6 overall, 15-1 region)
The Colonels return sharpshooting 6’4 senior guard and Iowa commit CJ Fredrick, 6’11 senior big man and Xavier commit Jake Walter, a senior point guard and Christian Brothers commit in Aiden Ruthsatz, and senior forward AJ Mayer, who is a stand-out quarterback and Miami (OH) football commit. Needless to say, Covington Catholic has the talent and athletes to not only take back the 9th Region championship, but contend for the state championship trophy as well. The Colonels lost int he 9th region tournament championship to Cooper last season.
Cooper (31-5 overall, 18-1 region)
The defending regional champions and state tournament runner-up. The Jaguars graduated their leading scorer from last season in Sean McNeil, a Bellarmine University freshman now. But, don’t count them out of the picture just yet. Returning star and Belmont commit Adam Kunkel is a player, and averaged 16 points per game as a junior last season. Cooper returns a host of players who know how to play and earned valuable experience when McNeil was sideline for a number of games last season. Senior guard Braydon Runion averaged 10.1 points last season and could be looked upon to pick up some of the loadnleft by McNeil’s graduation.
Cooper’s Adam Kunkel
Newport Catholic Central (21-13 overall, 14-7 region)
Newport Central Catholic will field a team that returns three starters from last year’s 9th Region All “A” championship run, including small college prospect Brennan Hall. Hall averaged 15 points per game and shot 40% from the field as a junior last season. He has been offered by Our Lady of the Lakes in Texas. Jalen McDaniel and Stephen Pangallo also return for the Thoroughbreds.
Newport (16-17 overall, 10-11 region)
Note to the 9th Region, senior MeKell Burries keeps getting better and better, and if his progression continues he can make Newport a contender this season. Burries has only been playing basketball for a handful of years now. He holds offers from UPike and Christian Brothers currently, and averaged 18 points per game as a junior. Newport was a participant in the regional semi-final last season. They also return Donnie Miller and Tahj Harding, both averaged double-digits in scoring last year.