By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The recent run of success that Covington Catholic has enjoyed in boys’ high school basketball is expected to continue this season. With five of the top six players back from last year’s 9th Region runner-up team, the Colonels were voted No. 1 in a preseason poll of Northern Kentucky coaches.
CovCath made it to the 9th Region final each of the last four years. Two of those teams won the regional title and one of them went on to claim the coveted state championship trophy. The talent pool at the private Catholic school seems to be better than ever for the 2016-17 season. That’s why the Colonels received 16 of the 22 first-place votes in the coaches poll.
“This will probably be one of the deeper teams that we’ll ever have as far as being able to utilize eight, nine or 10 players in certain roles, “ said CovCath coach Scott Ruthsatz. “Our size and athleticism give us a few more options as well, especially at the defensive end.”
Senior guard Cole VonHandorf was the Colonels’ leading scorer last season. The Fairmont State University recruit averaged 16.9 points despite getting off to a shaky start due to ligament damage on the thumb of his shooting hand. He needs 351 points this season to become the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Junior forward CJ Fredrick gives CovCath another scoring threat. He averaged 10.7 points last season and improved so much during the off-season that college offers are starting to come his way.
Coach Ruthsatz said Fredrick, “really elevated his game from just being a stand-still shooter to somebody who can really do it all, from the defensive end, to rebounding, to taking it off the dribble and finishing at the rim.”
The Colonels’ other returning starters are junior forward AJ Mayer and junior point guard Aiden Ruthsatz, the coach’s son. The other starting position appears to be up for grabs with 7-foot junior Jake Walters and 6-foot-7 sophomore Nick Thelen among the contenders.
The coach likes the idea of rotating those two players because Walters is an imposing inside presence who protects the basket while Thelen is a more athletic defender and post player.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how it all gels once we get it going,” coach Ruthsatz said of his team. “But I love where we’re going right now. The kids are working hard and constantly getting better.”
Here’s a look at the other teams ranked among the top 12 in the Northern Kentucky coaches preseason poll:
2. COOPER
All four of the returning starters on Cooper’s roster are listed as guards, but they showed what they can do together last season when the Jaguars posted a best-ever 24-5 record. Coach Tim Sullivan expects his team to be hard to beat once again this season because of its speed and athleticism.
“With four returning starters added to the young guys that gained experience last year, it gives us the option to play different lineups to give opposing teams match-up problems,” Sullivan said.
Cooper’s most versatile player is senior guard Sean McNeil, who averaged 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds last season. Local coaches voted him the top player in Northern Kentucky and he already accepted a scholarship from Bellarmine University so he could focus on leading his team to its first regional title.
Junior guard Adam Kunkel, who averaged 15.6 points and 5.1 rebounds, gives the Jaguars another proven scorer and junior Chris McNeil is an experienced point guard who averaged eight points and five assists per game last season.
Cooper’s other returning starter is senior Dante Hendrix, who is considered one of the best defensive players in the area.
3. NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC
NewCath will have a new look under new head coach Ken Collopy this season. The defending 9th Region champions don’t have a dominate inside player for the first time in several years, so they’ll change their style of play.
“This year’s group will have a smaller but quicker and deeper look than some of our school’s teams of recent memory,” Collopy said. “This depth will allow us the option to play at a little quicker pace on both ends of the floor when it is fitting.”
Senior point guard Brennan Hall will be running the offense once again and senior forward Luke Moeves is the team’s other returning starter. Last season, they both averaged 11 points per game and made more than 40 percent of their 3-point shots.
“Brennan and Luke had tremendous finishes last year that helped our team get to the state final four,” Collopy said. “Their growth and experience is something that will carry over to this year’s team.”
The leading candidates for the other starting positions are forward Trey Wurtz and guards Austin Neff and Stephen Pangallo. They all played in 25 or more games for the Thoroughbreds last season.
4. DIXIE HEIGHTS
The Colonels allowed only 50.8 points per game last season, one of the lowest defensive averages in the state, and coach Ken Chevalier has four starters returning to put effective pressure on opponents once again.
“We will look to play more up-tempo on offense and continue to play solid man-to-man defense, which has been our staple for over a decade,” Chevalier said. “If we stay healthy and continue to improve the first few months of the season, we hope to contend for a 34th District championship and be a tough-out come regional tournament time.”
The top two scorers and rebounders on Dixie’s team last year – senior guard Hunter Meyer and senior center Reed Bradfield – are both back and voted among the top 10 players in Northern Kentucky by local coaches.
The other returning starters are senior guard RJ Schweitzer and junior guard Tyler Schreck. Senior guard Cameron Thornberry, who shot 42 percent from 3-point range last season, is likely to fill the fifth starting spot.
5. CAMPBELL COUNTY
After winning back-to-back 10th Region titles in 2015 and 2016, the Camels lost a two-point game in the opening round of last year’s tournament. The seniors on the current roster want to regain the regional title and coach Aric Russell thinks they have the size and athleticism to do it
“We have good bigs (inside) and good guard play (that runs) very deep,” Russell said. “We will be able to play pressure defense and get up and down the floor.”
The Camels’ top returning player is senior forward Cole Hegyi, who averaged 12 points and four rebounds per game last season. Garren Bertsch was the team’s best 3-point shooter while Tanner Clos averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds.
How well 6-foot-9 senior center Brad Geiman and junior point guard Joel Day fill the two vacancies in the starting lineup is the main question mark for the Camels.
6. CONNER
Matt Otte’s first season as a head coach could be a successful one if the six seniors on his Conner roster provide stability and leadership.
Senior guard Spencer Hemmerich is a two-year starter who averaged 15 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on last year’s 18-11 team that made it to the semifinals of the 9th Region tournament.Travis Connely was the first substitute off the bench last year. He averaged 8.6 points and shot 46.2 percent from the field playing wherever the Cougars needed him.
Mason Gambrel and Jake Surprenant are seniors who saw action in 20 or more games as substitutes last season. They’ll have expanded roles under the team’s new head coach, who was a varsity assistant at Covington Catholic the last five years.
7. SIMON KENTON
If the players returning from last year’s 12-17 team take on the roles that coach Trent Steiner has assigned to them, the Pioneers could become an 8th Region title contender once again.
The coach needs senior guard Timmy Cottrell, who averaged 12 points per game last season, to contribute more on defense and senior forward JC Hawkins to provide leadership on the court.
Zach Kelch, a 6-foot-6 junior who averaged six points and six rebounds, will be a key piece of the offense once again and he needs to protect the rim on the defensive end for the Pioneers to improve on last year’s record.
“We will need our upperclassmen to lead our younger guys,” Steiner said. “We don’t have much varsity experience outside of our returning players so we will have some growing pains early, but if we buy in (to the team concept) we have the personnel to be successful.”
8. HOLMES
With only two seniors on the roster, Holmes coach Mike Listerman will be counting on juniors and sophomores to make a successful transition to varsity competition this season.
The Bulldogs’ top returning player is senior forward Jaiden Greene, who averaged 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The other starters are likely to be junior forward Raekwon Sterling along with junior guards LJ Miller, Raavai Commodore and Rico Hollis, who transferred from Newport.
Listerman said senior Mike Englemon and junior Trey Gaithers will add depth, quickness and athleticism to the backcourt. He also expects junior forward Stan Nicely to provide some scoring off the bench.
“We will push the ball on offense, trying to create (scoring) opportunities for our athletes,” Listerman said. “Defensively, we should be much improved over last season.”
9. SCOTT
New head coach Steve Fromeyer is glad to have senior guard Jake Ohmer back in the lineup. He led Northern Kentucky in scoring once again last season with a 26-point average while also pulling down a team-high 5.9 rebounds.
“Jake Ohmer has the ability to score with the ball at any point in the game, but his true asset is his competitiveness,” Fromeyer said.
A lack of size will be the Eagles’ biggest handicap. All of the other players with varsity experience – seniors Vinnie Duimlao and Tim Jolley, junior Nelson Perrin and sophomore Chad Ohmer – were all listed as guards on last year’s roster.
The ability to defend in the half-court will have a major impact on the season, according to Fromeyer. “Our lack in size creates mismatches and may hinder rebounding, but our transition speed will dictate total points,” he said.
10. HOLY CROSS
Three players who accounted for 40 points per game last season have graduated so the Indians will have a different look on offense with forward Derrick Barnes and guards Nolan Schrand and Will Volpenhein playing key roles.
Barnes is a strong inside player who contributed 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season. Schrand and Volpenhein saw a lot of action as substitute guards and had a combined average of 7.2 points per game.
The leading candidates for the other starting positions are senior forwards Joey Meinze and Jaylen Williams and junior guards Parker Zimmerman and Jordan Niehaus. The Indians also have a pair of promising sophomores in forward Ty Houston and guard Spencer Macke.
11. LLOYD
Sterling Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, heads the list of experienced varsity players on the Lloyd roster. Last season, he had team-high averages of 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 50.8 percent from the field overall and 40.3 percent from 3-point range.
The Juggernauts’ other returning seniors are forward Elijah Jouett and guards LaShunn Townsend and Devin McClendon, who averaged 8.2 points last year. Jamal Neal is a 6-foot-3 guard who shot a team-high 56 percent from the field.
“This should be one of the best teams we have had in a while,” said coach Mike Key. “We have a high level of skill and experience. If we can learn to be unselfish in the scoring column and play together defensively we can be very good.
12. BOONE COUNTY
Senior point guard Justin Bowman and three players with the same first name – Ethan Hayes, Ethan Nyman and Ethan Robbins – return for the Rebels, who look to improve on last season’s 5-24 record.
Haynes is an inside-outside scoring threat who averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last year. Nyman was the team’s best 3-point shooter and Bowman is a veteran floor leader.
“In order to be successful, this team must buy into playing team defense and rebounding,” said coach Greg McQueary. “On offense, it is imperative we get player movement and ball movement with good shot selection.”