The final YSE Boys 2nd Region Super 7 of the basketball season, and the team that was at the top for the beginning of the season keeps their grip on the top spot one more time. While there have been a couple of games where teams in the region have pushed the Maroons, they will still be the heavy favorite to repeat as 2nd Region champions when tournament play gets underway Monday night. But, a darkhorse, or two, do appear to be charging hard down the stretch.
1 – Madisonville (25-3) – The Maroons ride a 14 game winning streak into their regular season finale against Ohio County Thursday. They were pushed by both University Heights and Apollo over the past week, but found a way to get the job done and pull out double digit wins. Still the favorite in the region, and a contender to make a deep run at Rupp.
2 – Henderson County (19-10) – The northern Colonels have won 9 of their last 10, including two wins over Webster County and a tough battle with Hopkinsville. With their top seed in the 6th District tournament, they have already clinched their berth in the 2nd Region tournament. They finish out the regular season with a tough test on the road at Owensboro.
3 – Hopkinsville (13-16) – Yes, the Tigers are just 13-16, but since Alijah Watts started seeing significant minutes in his return, they are 3-1, including a big road win at Bowling Green Tuesday night. This team has the potential now to be a big problem for any team, they just have to win a really tough game in their district opener.
4 – Lyon County (19-9) – The Lyons appear to be clicking at just the right time. They have won 9 of their last 10 games, with the only loss being a road loss at Calloway County. They close out the regular season at Hopkins Central Thursday with a chance to get their 20th win of the season.
5 – Webster County (22-5) – The Trojans are wrapping up a nice regular season, and will be favored to make it to the regional tournament. Can they be the team that pulls an upset or two to cause chaos in the regional tourney? That will be something we find out over the next couple of weeks.
6 – University Heights (14-11) – A short handed Blazers team fought Madisonville hard into the 3rd quarter on Saturday night. On Tuesday night, the Blazers were taken to the wood shed by an improving Caldwell County team. Consistency has been a concern for this team all season long, and could be headed into tournament time.
7 – Christian County (10-18) – The Colonels are starting to get some of their health back, which could be bad news for the rest of the region. The only good news about the injuries is the experience that younger players have gotten. This team could be very dangerous, if they can win their district opener. Note that ten of their losses have been by 7 points or less.
