KHSAA State Sweet 16 ~ Thursday's First Session Game Recaps

<p>Prep Hoops Staff was in attendance for the Sweet 16 games hosted at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky. We bring you coverage of the best players from each session. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3><em>Region 7 Champion Male Bulldogs</em></h3>   <h3><em>Regular & postseason record: 25-10</em></h3>   <h3><em>vs </em></h3>   <h3><em>Region 14 Champion Breathitt County Bobcats</em></h3>   <h3><em>Regular & postseason record: 18-9</em></h3>   <p>Male - Senior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='932772' first='Jack' last='Edelen'] (PH Ranking #21)</p>   <p>Male came into the tournament top 25 in the state in scoring and tops in 3-point shooting. They are led by 3 dynamic guards but it all starts with Jack. Playing in arguably the toughest district & region in the state, Jack has mastered the ability to score the ball despite being an undersized guard. He sparked the Bulldogs early with a couple of transition steals and lay-ins. Unfortunately, after the first quarter, the Bobcats offered little resistance and Edelen was able to carve up the defense to the tune of 18 points and 5 assists. Jack is one of the most efficient playmakers in the state. </p>   <p>Male - Senior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1065569' first='Meechie' last='White'] (PH Ranking #31)</p>   <p>Of the three guards that Male throws at opponents, White has the size and explosiveness that gives him an advantage as a slasher and driver. When the defense is focusing on the perimeter shooting, White can slither through traffic and create havoc. On defense, White is the most versatile player with the ability to heat up the top of the press or play the passing lanes in the back of the zone. White finished the game with 15 points and 5 rebounds. </p>   <p>Male - Freshman Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1359140' first='Cole' last='Edelen'] (PH Ranking #12)</p>   <p>Cole is a budding star that the Louisville region is already familiar with. His performance on Thursday showed why he is primed to be one of the top players in the entire state. Cole came into the game averaging more than three 3-point field goals per game and over 120 total for the season. He went right to work early and cashed in on a couple of 3-pointers including a smooth shot in transition that forced an early time-out from Breathitt. Edelen buried five 3-pointers and finished the game with 17 points and 6 assists. </p>   <p>Breathitt County - Sophomore Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1111948' first='Austin' last='Sperry'] (PH Ranking #9)</p>   <p>Sperry is long and lean; officially listed as 6'4”. He is practically unguardable when he is driving downhill and space to use his floater or euro-step to the rim. Unfortunately, with Male's full court pressure, Sperry got caught up in foul trouble and it severely limited his ability to be the full-fledged playmaker that we have seen from him in the past couple of years. Sperry still finished with a strong stat line putting in 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. </p>   <p>Breathitt County - Senior Guard, Luke Bellamy (Unranked in PH)</p>   <p>Bellamy is the definition of a shooting guard. He has a pure shot that looks clean and smooth as it leaves his hands. He is the perfect player to space out the defense to allow Sperry to work in the middle of the lane. Bellamy got hot early by knocking down two 3-pointers and finished the game as the team's leading scorer with 16 points. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h3><em>Region 2 Champion Lyon County Lyons</em></h3>   <h3><em>Regular & postseason record: 30-5</em></h3>   <h3><em>vs </em></h3>   <h3><em>Region 9 Champion Newport Wildcats</em></h3>   <h3><em>Regular & postseason record: 28-6 </em></h3>   <p>Lyon County - Junior Guard,[player_tooltip player_id='939117' first='Travis' last='Perry'] (PH Ranking #1)</p>   <p>As if an opening round game in the Sweet 16 isn't special enough, Perry broke a 67 year record on Thursday by eclipsing King Kelly Coleman's total points in Kentucky. Perry has never met a bad shot and with the shooting form and precision that he possesses, you come away surprised when he misses it. With the emergence of Reddick as a prominent playmaker, Perry is able to move without the basketball which creates passing and driving lanes galore. Despite the size advantage for the Wildcats, the Lyons were able to find gaps in the defense; largely in part due to Perry's presence along the perimeter. Perry finished with a modest 23 points in the win and 4,340 total points in his career. </p>   <p>Lyon County - Junior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1221721' first='Jack' last='Reddick'] (PH Ranking #28)</p>   <p>Reddick's playmaking abilities continue to evolve every time we get to watch him perform. We caught two sequences that showcase how much game he has. In the second quarter, Reddick and Perry exchanged a DHO (dribble hand-off) with the defense jumping to Perry's side. As that happened, Reddick slid to the corner and made himself available for an easy pitch-and-catch 3-pointer that he knocked down. The following possession, he crashed down hard on the defense, snatched the rebound in traffic, then proceeded to weave in-between traffic and connected on a smooth lay-in. Reddick splashed in a key 3-pointer to spoil Newport's momentum in the 3rd quarter. He finished with 17 total points and 11 rebounds. </p>   <p>Newport- Senior Forward, [player_tooltip player_id='1088812' first='Marquez' last='Miller'] (PH Ranking #36)</p>   <p>Miller gave the Lyons problems all game long. An extremely physical and nimble forward, Miller did a little bit of everything. He wrestled in the paint on both ends while working hard to keep himself out of foul trouble. He showcased the ability to pick a rebound out of the air and lead the fast break. Another incredible skill he displayed was his quick hands to catch the passes from the guards. That is a skill that will translate to the next level. Miller led the team in scoring with 17 points. </p>   <p>Newport - Junior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1238514' first='Jabari' last='Covington'] (PH Ranking #23)</p>   <p>Although Covington didn't shoot the ball as well as he would have hoped, it is clear that he has a smooth shot from anywhere on the court. He is at his best when he has the basketball on a string and uses his shiftiness to evade the defenders and explode to the rim. Covington is a true lead guard that has great communication at directing traffic before, during, and after plays. Covington ended the game with only 7 points but added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal.  </p>   <p>Newport - Freshman Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1359137' first='Taylen' last='Kinney'] (PH Ranking #5)</p>   <p>Kinney is a flamethrower that be a force in the Northern Kentucky region for a long time. He only connected on three triples but the ball looked spot-on nearly every time he shot it. Look for his game to expand with range that will open up the mid-game and floaters to make him a 3-level scorer.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <p><strong>Make sure you are following</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/prephoopsky"><strong> @PrepHoopsKY</strong></a><strong> on Twitter for weekly top games & top performers!</strong></p>

Prep Hoops Staff was in attendance for the Sweet 16 games hosted at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky. We bring you coverage of the best players from each session.