Ten Quick Takeaways From the Weekend’s Scrimmages
I was able to watch 8 and a half varsity scrimmages on Saturday and my back is still sore from all those hours in the bleachers. I hit the Lincoln County/Woodford County scrimmage on my way to Louisville then got to Butler at halftime of the second game of the Next Up Recruits Jamboree. Here’s a quick hits version of my biggest takeaways:
- Woodford County has the depth to surprise some people in the 11th region. The Jackets don’t necessarily have a star player but they have 9-10 kids who played Saturday and contributed to what ended up a 72-57 win over a short handed Lincoln county group. Woodford won every quarter and ran away with the 4th quarter. Look for Woodford to push for a district title and eventually maybe upset someone in the 11th region tournament.
- Southern has the size, length and athleticism to compete with anyone in the 6th region. What they lack is discipline. They should have run Collegiate out of the gym if you’re looking at the teams in layup lines. Ultimately they had too many turnovers and had a couple of players who spent too much time pouting after calls didn’t go their way. They’re a young team and have a chance to be really good if they can improve over the course of the season.
- Central is young but they are totally bought into what Coach Bibby is trying to do. At one point Saturday, Central had 4 sophomores on the floor and they were flying around making plays and looking like so many good Central teams in the past. They’re small and young but Central will be fun to watch this season.
- Waggener is Jekyll/Hyde again this year. Last season Waggener would look amazing for a couple of games then be flat. The same happened Saturday as they were getting humiliated early against Warren Central then came to life after halftime and ended up tied with the Dragons. Dallas Rufus is making big strides in his game and could be a difference maker this year for the Wildcats.
- Warren Central needs to be mentioned as a top team in the state. There are still two potential starters missing off the Dragons roster as they wait for eligibility after transferring but this Central team is long, athletic and deep. When Kobe Brents gets eligible they’ll have more outside shooting. The Central/Bowling Green rivalry should be played at a high level this season
- That may be the worst Doss team I’ve ever seen. Granted it’s only November but the Doss team I watched couldn’t score the ball. Their bench was deep with athletes but they struggled with a mediocre Marion County team that didn’t have Junior Jamison Epps. After making multiple regional runs the last few years and a trip to Rupp Arena just 3 years ago, the talent level at Doss seems way down.
- Seneca plays super hard and are fun to watch. Between the bench and the crowd of students behind the bench, you would have thought that the Redhawks were playing North Hardin for a championship. They don’t shoot the ball especially well but Seneca will win games this season with energy and effort. They’re going to be fun for crowds to watch all year.
- Butler should be the favorite to win the 6th region. They battled Collins for the entire 40 minute scrimmage while missing Reese Tolley and other contributors who ended their football season on Friday night. The Bears are going to have depth that most 6th region teams lack and they are very well coached and disciplined. Collins won a sloppy scrimmage over Butler but neither team could get into any kind of flow offensively.
- University Heights’ ceiling as a team is limited by their general indifference to playing defense. Male got every open look they wanted on Saturday night. If not for Drew McGowan having a big game, the Bulldogs would have run UHA out of the gym. And that’s without Howard Fleming. UHA can score the ball a lot but their lack of defense could prevent them from getting back to Rupp Arena in March.
- Male has a lot of swagger. Coach Tim Haworth’s group was playing hard, talking a lot of trash and having fun while doing it. Noah Courtney was good but Tyren Moore was a star for Male on Saturday night. He hit a bushel of threes over the course of the scrimmage and was telling everyone on UHA that they couldn’t guard him. Male will take their lumps over the course of the season but I’m sure they will be one of the most fun teams to watch in Kentucky this season.