Eleventh Region Preview

Preseason Rankings...
1. Scott County
2. Madison Central
3. Lexington Catholic
4. Bryan Station
5. Henry Clay
6. Tates Creek
7. Lafayette
8. Dunbar
9. Franklin County
10. Woodford County
11. Frankfort
12. Madison Southern
13. Western Hills
14. Sayre
15. Lexington Christian
16. Berea
17. Model

Three Things To Watch...
--Scott County would have been hands down the 11th region favorite, but Rodney Haddix's suspension makes things a bit more interesting at the top. Still, the Cardinals will be led by arguably the best players in the senior and junior classes respectively: Matt Walls and Bud Mackey, who recently committed to play for Kelvin Sampson at IU. But with Haddix out, the question will be if Scott County can get enough frontcourt play to hang with the defending regional champion - Madison Central.

--While many are watching a school from Georgetown (Scott County) and a school from Richmond (Madison Central), one should never take their eyes of the Big Five - Henry Clay, Tates Creek, Dunbar, Lafayette and Lexington Catholic. The quintet of Lexington city schools will once again play huge factors in the district and regional races. Last season, Dunbar struggled to a 9-20 record, but the Bulldogs are expected to climb back into the thick of things.

--Watch out for the young talent in the 11th region. The Cats' Pause Top Ten Players for the 11th region gives seven positions to underclassmen (all juniors), which is the most among all regions in the state. The senior exceptions are Scott County's Walls, Bryan Station's Jaron Jones and Madison Central's Duane Fields. Many schools graduated a lot of talent, but the young guns in the 11th region are all over the place, and with this and next year to build experience, you can almost write in a state champion from this region over the next few years.

Five Early Games I'd See...
--November 28th: Scott County @ Lafayette
--November 28th: Dunbar @ Covington Catholic
--December 1st: Ballard @ Scott County
--December 8th: Lexington Catholic @ Madison Central
--December 12th: Bryan Station @ Henry Clay

Last Year...
Regional Champion: Madison Central
Regional Runner-Up: Scott County
Regional Semifinalists: Lexington Catholic, Woodford County