KHSAA State Sweet 16 ~ Quarterfinal, Pt. 2

Prep Hoops Staff was in attendance for the Sweet 16 games hosted at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky. After two consecutive years of battling ongoing Covid challenges, the tournament was back in full force. We bring you coverage of the best players from each session.   Region 2 Champion Lyon County Lyons (1A) Regular & postseason record: 39-6 vs Region 9 Champion Covington Catholic Colonels (5A) Regular & postseason record: 28-4   Lyon County - Senior Forward, [player_tooltip player_id="1009767" first="Jackson" last="Shoulders"] (PH Ranking #39) Shoulders played one of his better games on both ends of the court. He was in a war with Starks & Rylee all night and never backed down. He used his physicality to offset his height disparity to hold his ground firmly. Every possession he played tough, post defense then ran the length of the court to put in work on the offensive end. Shoulders finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Lyon County - Sophomore Guard, [player_tooltip player_id="939117" first="Travis" last="Perry"] (PH Ranking #1) Perry never really found a true rhythm but nailed two late, long-range 3-pointers to give his team a lifeline in the closing minutes of the game. Lyon County - Senior Forward, Nick Whalin (Unranked in PH) Whalin saw increased action against the Colonels’ big athletes. He was active and did a great job making life uncomfortable for Starks and Rylee. Covington Catholic - Senior Forward, [player_tooltip player_id="926898" first="Mitchell" last="Rylee"] (PH Ranking #1) Rylee played much more like himself following a frustrating outing in the opening-round game. He was aggressive attacking rebounds and extremely active around the paint. He had multiple offensive rebounds that led to put-back layups and dunks. He was able to secure extra possessions for the Colonels and kick-out passes to allow Covington Catholic - Junior Guard, Kascyl McGillis (Unranked in PH) McGillis did a great job of finding openings in the Lyons zone defense and bombed in five 3-pointers. McGillis finished with team-leading 17 points. Covington Catholic - Sophomore Guard, [player_tooltip player_id="1088804" first="Brady" last="Hussey"] (PH Ranking #51) Hussey is a feisty athlete that plays with an endless motor. He was rewarded with his constant energy by scoring 10 straight points in the 4th quarter to ultimately push his team ahead to victory. Hussey finished with 13 points in the game.   Region 1 Champion Murray Tigers (1A) Regular & postseason record: 26-6 vs Region 4 Champion Warren Central Dragons (4A) Regular & postseason record: 26-3   Murray - Junior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id="932780" first="Grant" last="Whitaker"] (PH Ranking #18) Whitaker showcased his offensive skills against a pesky defense. He was very comfortable scoring off the bounce. He flashed the jump stop and step-through push shot multiple times. When the Tigers were losing steam amidst an 8-minute scoring drought, Whitaker had a nice drive and fading jump shot to give them life and put them right back in the mix. Whitaker finished with a game-high 23 points. Warren Central - Junior Guard, Izayiah Villafuerte (Unranked in PH) Villafuerte was the primary facilitator as he set up teammates throughout the game. He was able to be the lead playmaker on the offensive end, then chase Whitaker around the court on man-to-man on defense. Villafuerte finished with 9 points, 7 assists, and 2 rebounds. Warren Central - Senior Guard, [player_tooltip player_id="1065570" first="Jaiden" last="Lawrence"] (PH Ranking #60) Lawrence did not have the scoring output he was expecting through two games, however, his sheer threat of being the Dragons’ leading scorer is creating advantages for his teammates to find their offensive rhythm. Lawrence closed the game knocking down 4 consecutive free throws and ended with a team-high 13 points and 6 rebounds.   Make sure you are following<a href="https://twitter.com/prephoopsky"> @PrepHoopsKY</a> on Twitter for weekly top games & top performers!