King of the Bluegrass ~ Cov. Catholic Colonels
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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…
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Continue ReadingPrep 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: www.kingofthebluegrass.com
Covington Catholic ~ 9th Region
King of the Bluegrass Recap:
Win vs Trinity (Louisville) 68-51
Win vs Fairdale 82-50
Win vs Male 68-56
Win vs North Laurel 79-67 (Championship)
Coming into the KOB, Covington Catholic was undefeated against opponents from Ky and Ohio. They boasted an impressive scoring margin of +156 in five games. Their lone defeat came against traditional power Cathedral out of Indianapolis. Coach Ruthsatz has a loaded team with firepower coming off the bench. They captured their first King of the Bluegrass Championship. The Colonels are led by Miami (Ohio) signee Mitchell Rylee Mitchell Rylee 6'8" | C Covington Catholic | 2022 State KY (Sr.), combo guard Evan Ipsaro Evan Ipsaro 5'11" | PG Covington Catholic | 2023 State KY (Jr.), and sharpshooter Kascyl McGillis (Jr.).
Mitchell Rylee Mitchell Rylee 6'8" | C Covington Catholic | 2022 State KY – Top 3 Player in c/o 2022
Rylee is a fundamentally skilled forward that has tremendous finishing ability around the rim. He wreaks havoc in the paint area on both sides of the ball. Throughout the event, he did not take a single 3-point attempt although he still produced scoring outputs of 15 or more points in three of their four games. In each game, Rylee showcased why he is one of the best players in the state. His low post technique and strong hands routinely gave him advantages over wimpy defenders. When Rylee gets two feet in the paint, it is almost automatic. He caught lob dunks from Hussy & Ipsaro. Worked well in high-low situations with Chandler Starks Chandler Starks 6'6" | C Anderson | 2023 State OH . Made cross-court passes from the post to outside shooters. Grabs rebounds with two hands and moves the outlet ahead quickly. And showed his range by connecting on a few shots out of the paint. Rylee was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Evan Ipsaro Evan Ipsaro 5'11" | PG Covington Catholic | 2023 State KY – Top 10 Player in c/o 2023
Ipsaro was arguably the best player of the entire event. He is a confident scorer that thrives under pressure. He was the best guard in every game they played. Coach Ruthsatz uses Ipsaro in lots of actions and movements on offense but there were plenty of times during the event that Ipsaro called his own number. He is a fearless shot-maker that made challenging shots look like target practice. He dueled against some of the best guards in the state (Edelen & Sheppard) and outshined them all in route to leading his team to the KOB Championship trophy. Ipsaro was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Kascyl McGillis – Player on the rise in c/o 2023
McGillis was one of the most underrated players of the event. He is a steady shooter that played very well in every game. His best performance came in the opening round game against Trinity in which he knocked down seven 3s and led his team in scoring with 21. With his outside shooting and formidable defense, he will be a key player for the Colonels moving forward. Look for McGillis to carry his momentum into the rest of the season.
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