Tenth Region Preview

Preseason Rankings...
1. Mason County
2. George Rogers Clark
3. Bishop Brossart
4. Harrison County
5. Pendleton County
6. Scott
7. Montgomery County
8. Augusta
9. St. Patrick
10. Bourbon County
11. Silver Grove
12. Campbell County
13. Paris
14. Deming
15. Bracken County
16. Calvary Christian

Three Things To Watch...
--Darius Miller. Is he Chris Lofton good, or better? We'll find out this season as college teams begin to swarm Maysville again, and I feel they will be a more attentive this time than they were with Lofton. With Pendleton County sliding back in the pack, Mason County becomes the clear favorite in the 10th region, and the possibility of Miller getting more star time in Rupp Arena is probable. But by then, will his recruitment be over and done with? And will it have a distraction on the Royals?

--Pendleton County seemed poised to knock Mason County off its perch last season, but the Wildcats were upset in the regional semifinals by George Rogers Clark. Now Pendleton County must take a step back, as six players graduated and head coach James "Buddy" Biggs left for Ashland. For the Wildcats to challenge for a regional championship, they must depend heavily only senior center Kane Belcher, but perhaps stepping back up to the plate against Mason County this soon is a little much to ask.

--But there are several other teams in the running to perhaps challenge Mason County for regional supremacy. George Rogers Clark seems like the obvious choice to be #2 at this point. The Cardinals made it to the regional finals last year before falling to the Royals by only three points. Bishop Brossart, Harrison County and Montgomery County are also being mentioned as teams that could cause disruption in the 10th region this season.

Five Early Games I'd See...
--November 28th: Pendleton County @ Holmes
--December 5th: Madison Central @ George Rogers Clark
--December 8th: Augusta @ Montgomery County
--December 12th: Harrison County @ Bishop Brossart
--December 12th: Ashland Blazer @ Mason County

Last Year...
Regional Champion: Mason County
Regional Runner-up: George Rogers Clark
Regional Semifinalists: Pendleton County, Bishop Brossart