Eighth Region Semifinal Standouts

The eighth region tournament brought some exciting action to Henry County High School where Spencer County and North Oldham advanced to play for the right to make the Kentucky Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. In this article I'll break down my five standouts from the double-header.    Spencer County has been in games like this before and their winning experience pushed them over the top as they nailed back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to turn a three-point deficit into a six-point lead in the fourth quarter that they would hold on to win. Armstrong played strong all game for Spencer County, sealing off defenders in the paint to quickly catch, turn and score offensively. I also was impressed with Armstrong's passing ability, hitting a few kickouts to shooters when double-teamed and also hitting [player_tooltip player_id='3550925' first='Ben' last='Armstrong'] in the paint on some big to big actions. On the defensive end of the court, Armstrong played in the middle of the 2-3 zone that Spencer County used and helped limit the amount of clean looks at the rim. It took grit for Spencer County to advance in a crazy road environment.     Despite the loss, it was a memorable game and season for a Henry County team that doesn't usually reach this stage of the regional tournament on their home floor. Nolin is a big-time talent who moved at a different pace and rhythm than anybody else on the court. Getting a handful of loose balls, Nolin's quick movements and strong frame allowed him to secure some contested rebounds and steals to get extra possessions for Henry County. A knockdown shooter from the outside, Nolin hit 3-pointers on the wing against the Spencer County zone defense by using pass fakes and jab steps from the triple threat. With Henry County down six late in the game, Nolin hit a huge 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three but that would be the closest they'd get in the final few minutes. Would be fun to see this team back in the regional tournament next season for Nolin's last dance with Henry County.     The eighth grader took over for North Oldham early in the game with multiple assists as a pick and roll ball handler before he knocked down multiple 3-pointers in the first quarter as North Oldham blitzed Woodford County out the gate. While a run was made by Woodford County, North Oldham never sacrificed their lead as Rondo had some tough left-handed finishes, showing the ability to attack going either direction on Monday night. Impressive performance by an eighth grader who is one of the best players on any varsity court he steps on.     I was really impressed Daniels on both ends of the court on Monday night. He started the game with a couple buckets as a roll man in the pick and roll with [player_tooltip player_id='2726857' first='Pierre' last='Rondo']. Daniels even set strong screens when he didn't receive a pass as a roll man, doing whatever it took to win. After getting some buckets off those actions, Daniels had a nice catch, pivot and score move. Defensively, Daniels walled up against some post players and had a monster blocked shot on a driving guard. While Rondo and [player_tooltip player_id='2392232' first='Tommy' last='Gregg'] get the deserved shine for North Oldham, they aren't in a position to win the region without guys like Daniels.     Despite the loss, Jointer was easily the most dominant player across the two games on Monday night. Single-handily carrying his team back into the game, Jointer had to do just about everything for Woodford County to even remain competitive for three and a half quarters. Jointer opened the game with a euro-step finish with his right hand on the left side of the rim and also scored off a scramble play where the ball found him. I loved how Jointer got to his spots in transition, rising up for a couple smooth free-throw line jumpers when North Oldham tried to build a wall at the rim to prevent him from getting all the way to the basket. Banking in two 3-pointers in this one, Jointer got a couple friendly bounces on the outside on Monday night. While Jointer is also a talented football player, basketball programs should also be recruiting him hard at the low to mid major level this summer.

The eighth region tournament brought some exciting action to Henry County High School where Spencer County and North Oldham advanced to play for the right to make the Kentucky Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. In this article I'll break down my five standouts from the double-header.