The Week Ahead: Week 1 (FREE)

The 2021-22 season tips off on Monday night across the state. Here’s a look at some of the best games in the week ahead. This is not a list of the only good games around the state but rather a list of top matchups. Not all the best games will make the list each week.

Monday:

A new look DeSales roster will travel to Male to get the season rolling. Crew Gibson Crew Gibson 6'8" | PF DeSales | 2023 State KY and Will Gibson Will Gibson 6'6" | C DeSales | 2024 State KY will have the unenviable task of slowing down Kaleb Glenn Kaleb Glenn 6'7" | SF La Lumiere | 2023 #64 Nation IN while Jack Edelen Jack Edelen 5'9" | PG Male | 2023 State KY and Meechie White Meechie White 6'3" | CG Male | 2023 State KY tangle with Carter Bischoff Carter Bischoff 6'0" | SG DeSales | 2022 State KY and Rico Carr-Cole Rico Carr-Cole 5'10" | SG DeSales | 2022 State KY on the perimeter.

Two of the best point guards in the state battle as Dallas Roberts Dallas Roberts 6'1" | PG North Oldham | 2023 State KY and North Oldham host Damone King Damone King 6'0" | PG DeSales | 2024 State KY and Manual. Ian Higdon Ian Higdon 6'6" | PF North Oldham | 2023 State KY should be a difference maker for the Mustangs while Owen Walsh Owen Walsh 6'3" | SF Manual | 2022 State KY is an X factor for the Crimson.

Tuesday:

Two of the best small school players in the state battle as Kason Hinson Kason Hinson 6'2" | SG Augusta | 2022 State KY and Augusta take on Justin Becker Justin Becker 6'6" | SF Robertson County | 2022 State KY and Robertson County.

AAU teammates go head to head as Turner Buttry Turner Buttry 5'11" | PG Bowling Green | 2022 State KY and Bowling Green host Christian Spalding Christian Spalding 6'4" | PG Evangel Christian | 2022 State KY and Evangel Christian.

Two of the best teams in Western Ky open against each other as Cade Stinnett Cade Stinnett 6'3" | SG Greenwood | 2022 State KY and Greenwood take on JiAirius Webb JiAirius Webb 6'7" | PF Owensboro | 2023 State KY and Owensboro Catholic.

5th region foes square off as James Jewell James Jewell 6'6" | PF Marion County | 2022 State KY and Marion County take on Bryce Riley Bryce Riley 6'5" | SF Bardstown | 2022 State KY , Andrew Mason Andrew Mason 6'4" | SF Bardstown | 2022 State KY and Bardstown.

Wednesday:

Reece Potter Reece Potter 6'11" | C Lexington Catholic | 2023 State #212 Nation KY and Lexington Catholic take on Max Mulder Max Mulder 6'8" | PF Franklin County | 2022 State KY and Franklin County in a battle of 11th region bigs.

Stacey Anderson and Eastern travel to Northern Kentucky to play Hudson Blank Hudson Blank 6'2" | SF Dixie Heights | 2024 State KY and Dixie Heights.

Thursday:

A good 8th region game as Jackson Twombly Jackson Twombly 6'7" | PF Woodford County | 2022 State KY , John Mccrear John Mccrear 6'8" | PF Woodfard | 2023 State #219 Nation KY and Woodford County travel to Grant County to take on Micah Wills Micah Wills 6'9" | C Grant County | 2023 State KY and Dylan Hammonds Dylan Hammonds 6'5" | SF Grant County | 2023 State KY .

Laithan Hall Laithan Hall 6'0" | PG Pikeville | 2022 State KY and Pikeville go down to Harlan to face Jordan Akal Jordan Akal 6'1" | PG Harlan | 2022 State KY and the Dragons.

Friday:

There are several good games at both the Marshall County HoopFest and the Legacy Nissan Classic in London.

It’s a battle of Adens as Aden Nyekan Aden Nyekan 6'5" | SF Barren County | 2022 State KY and Barren County make the trip to Elizabethtown to face Ayden Evans Ayden Evans 6'9" | C Elizabethtown | 2024 State KY .

Jaden Biggers Jaden Biggers 6'6" | PF Bryan Station | 2023 State KY and Bryan Station make the short drive to take on Tyson Barrett Tyson Barrett 6'8" | PF Frederick Douglass | 2023 FL and Douglass.

Saturday:

There are a ton of one day classics taking place across the state. 

At Marshall County, Gabe Sisk Gabe Sisk 6'5" | SG Ballard | 2023 #232 Nation CA-N and Ballard play Colin Porter Colin Porter 5'11" | PG Ashland | 2022 State KY and Ashland.

Mitchell Rylee Mitchell Rylee 6'8" | C Covington Catholic | 2022 State KY and Covington Catholic travel to Lexington to face Lionel Kumwinba Lionel Kumwinba 6'8" | C Paul Laurence Dunbar | 2022 State KY and Dunbar.