King of the Bluegrass ~ North Laurel

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prep Hoops staff was in attendance for the 40th King of the Bluegrass Tournament at Fairdale High School. We cannot recommend this event enough! Along with the great people at Fairdale, Tournament Director, Lloyd Gardner, does a tremendous job organizing and facilitating this event. Gyms were packed with fans from around the area who came to see Kentucky’s best teams compete under one roof. View their website here with game recaps and tournament pictures: </span><a href="http://www.kingofthebluegrass.com/"><b>www.kingofthebluegrass.com</b></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">North Laurel ~ 13th Region</span></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">King of the Bluegrass Recap:</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Win vs Eastern 72-56</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Win vs North Oldham 78-73</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Win vs Dorman (Spartenburg, SC) 74-66</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Loss vs Covington Catholic 67-79</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the second event PH staff has been able to be in-person to watch the Jaguars. We had the pleasure of watching the preseason contest against Martin County in the Zip Zone Classic at Martin County. Coach Valentine has a winning formula in place for his team to have the highest success. They look poised for another good season. They were runner-up in the KOB. The Jaguars are led by UK commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932765" first="Reed" last="Sheppard"]</strong> (Jr.), athletic forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932771" first="Ryan" last="Davidson"]</strong> (Jr.), and guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133847" first="Clay" last="Sizemore"]</strong> (Sr.).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932765" first="Reed" last="Sheppard"]</strong> - Top 3 Player in c/o 2023; Top 70 Player Nationally</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sheppard is an elite high school basketball player. After an inspiring spring and summer run with Midwest Basketball Club, he is putting together a truly sensational junior campaign for North Laurel. He has an incredible feel for the flow of the game and how to set up his teammates. There are things that Sheppard does during a game that looks effortless but very few high school players in America can do at all. Whether it was an offensive rebound against North Oldham or a deflection that turned into a steal against Covington Catholic, Sheppard has a different speed than the other players on the court. He gets downhill faster with the ball than the defenders chasing him at a full sprint. His best game came against North Oldham where he finished with 45 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 steals. The Mustangs had a great game plan against Sheppard, but he torched them in every way possible. He is becoming a crowd favorite in every gym he plays at. Sheppard was named the Bob White MVP of the tournament. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="932771" first="Ryan" last="Davidson"]</strong> - Top 30 Player in c/o 2023</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Davidson is a physical forward that plays the wing and the post simultaneously. The Jaguars offensive strategy involves heavy doses of Shepperd and Davidson around the top of the key. Davidson does a great job picking and choosing when to dive to the rim and when to step out for a jump shot. Since our first time seeing him at the Zip Zone Classic, Davidson’s outside shot has already improved and is becoming more consistent. He knocked down shots from the corner, high post, wing, and straight away. Davidson is a great compliment for Shepperd and Coach Valentine. Ryan was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133847" first="Clay" last="Sizemore"]</strong> - Top 115 Player in c/o 2022</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sizemore is a veteran guard that can knock down timely shots for the Jaguars. His most productive game was the opening round contest against Eastern. Sizemore knocked down six 3s and finished the game with 18 points. His leadership and steady demeanor were crucial for the Jaguars late in the second half against Dorman and North Oldham. </span></p> <p><br /> <b>Make sure you are following</b><a href="https://twitter.com/prephoopsky"> <b>@PrepHoopsKY</b></a><b> on Twitter for weekly top games &amp; top performers!</b></p>