Picking the winner of the upcoming 9th Region boys basketball tournament is as easy as A-B-C. Well, sort of. Then again, maybe it’s not that simple.
Will it be three-time defending champion Covington Catholic? Or how about St. Henry, which has won the All “A” Classic two straight years and defeated CovCath earlier this season?
What about Highlands? The Bluebirds are arguably playing better than any team in the 9th Region as the postseason begins. And how about Beechwood, with its talented backcourt duo of Scotty Draud and Will Downton?
Since it’s not as easy as A-B-C to pick a winner, let’s go through the entire 9th Region alphabet and see what we find.
A — That’s for assists, and no one in the 9th Region dishes the ball to teammates better than CovCath sophomore point guard Evan Ipsaro. With Ipsaro as the floor general, the Colonels have made 52.9 percent of their shots from the field this season. In addition to his passing, Ipsaro averages 14.5 points per game and has drained a team-leading 36 shots from 3-point range.
B — As in Beechwood, which owns a 23-5 record and a nine-game winning streak going into the postseason. The Tigers feature the 9th Region’s all-time leading scorer in Scotty Draud, who averages 24.7 points per game. The senior guard has netted more than 3,000 career points and led the Tigers to more than 100 victories in his career.
C — CovCath has dominated the 9th Region since 2014, having earned five trips to the state tournament in the past seven years. The Colonels also won state championships in 2014 and 2018. CovCath enters the postseason with a 22-3 record and has just one loss to a 9th Region opponent, that being a 61-60 setback at St. Henry.
D — Dixie Heights has enjoyed a turnaround season and enters the 34th Distict Tournament with an 18-5 record. A year ago, the Colonels posted a 10-21 mark. Dixie Heights features a balanced attack with four players scoring in double figures. Kiernan Geraci averages 14.8 points per game to lead the Colonels. Ian Snelling is scoring 14.4 points per contest, while teammates Billy Wogenstahl (12.4 ppg) and Jason Summe (10.3 ppg) are also averaging double figures.
E — As in electrifying dunks, and no one in the 9th Region does it better than Beechwood’s Will Downton. Earlier this season, Downton threw down four dunks in a win at Highlands. The senior guard also averages 16.6 points per game and drained a team-leading 75 shots from 3-point range.
F — That’s for St. Henry head coach Dave Faust, who has led the Crusaders to three All “A” Classic championships and has recorded 435 career victories. Faust is nearing the all-time record for coaching wins by a Northern Kentucky head coach. Ken Shields won 460 games while coaching at both St. Thomas and Highlands and is currently No. 1.
G — Holy Cross head coach Brandon Grammer has guided his team to a 13-8 record this season. The Indians also own an impressive 83-65 win over Beechwood on Feb. 5. Holy Cross and Beechwood play Tuesday night in the 35th District Tournament in an elimination game.
H — Highlands enters the postseason with a 21-4 record and a 12-game winning streak. The Bluebirds have been scoring points in bunches, led by senior guard Sam Vinson’s 23.3 points per game. Highlands has drained 260 shots from 3-point range this season — more than 10 triples per game. If the Bluebirds continue knocking down the 3-pointers, they could emerge with their first 9th Region championship since 2001.
I — As in Joel Iles, who averages 19.5 points per game for Newport Central Catholic. Iles has also buried 54 shots from 3-point range this season for the Thoroughbreds, who enter the 36th District Tournament with a 9-9 record.
J — Like in Jude Bessler, who averages 14.2 points per game for St. Henry. Bessler, who joined the 1,000-point club earlier this season, has converted 89.7 percent of his free throws. The senior forward also leads St. Henry in 3-pointers made (34) and is third on the team in rebounding at 4.7 boards per game.
K — KeAndre Nelson averages a team-leading 15.5 points per game for Newport, which enters the postseason with a 6-15 record. Nelson also leads the Wildcats in rebounding at 5.8 boards per contest.
L — That’s for Luke Muller, one of the top 3-point shooters in the state and a key performer for Highlands. Muller has drained 87 shots from 3-point range this season in 195 attempts. He also averages 15.9 points per game.
M — Holy Cross sophomore guard Jacob Meyer averages 25.5 points per game. He has converted 102 free throws in 135 attempts this season.
N — NewCath and Newport square off in the first round of the 36th District Tournament at Dayton on Tuesday. The winner of that elimination game earns a trip to the regional tournament and a spot in the 36th District finals, where Highlands is expected to be the opponent.
O — Conner senior guard Riley Osterbur averages 12.5 points per game, and he is shooting 90.3 percent from the free-throw line. Osterbur has converted 65 free throws in 72 attempts this season for Conner, which is 13-8 and shooting 80.1 percent as a team at the charity stripe.
P — As in the Panthers of Ludlow, who enter the postseason with a 17-9 record. Noah Hoffmeister leads Ludlow in scoring with 13.7 points per game, while teammate Ryan Gaiser adds 12.8 points per contest. Gaiser has also drained a team-leading 53 shots from 3-point range this season.
Q — Quantez Calloway leads Holmes in both scoring (22.2 points per game) and rebounding (7.6 per game). Calloway also excelled in football during the fall, rushing for 1,095 yards and nine touchdowns as the Bulldogs posted a 7-3 record. Holmes enters the basketball postseason with a 5-14 mark and meets CovCath in the 35th District opener.
R — As in CovCath big man Mitchell Rylee, who averages 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Rylee is shooting 69.3 percent from the field and earlier this month scored 31 points and grabbed 22 rebounds during a win over Elizabethtown.
S — That’s for CovCath sophomore Chandler Starks, who averages 11.4 points and a team-leading 8.6 rebounds per game. Starks is also an outstanding defensive player and converts 57.3 percent of his shoat from the field.
T — St. Henry’s Cody Teten averages 8.4 points and a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per game. Teten is also known for his big plays in the clutch, the best example of that being his steal and basket at the buzzer that gave St. Henry an 82-80 win at Highlands earlier this season.
U — Underdogs have little chance at making a Cinderella run in the loaded 9th Region this season. The top four teams (CovCath, St. Henry, Highlands and Beechwood) have a combined 84-14 record and have won games against some of the state’s top squads.
V – Vinson is a name basketball fans in Northern Kentucky will hear a great deal about for the next five years as Sam Vinson of Highlands has signed to play at Northern Kentucky University. The standout guard averages a double-double (23.2 points, 10.0 rebounds) and is 116-for-161 at the free-throw line.
W — As in St. Henry standout Wyatt Vieth, who averages 19.6 points per contest and is another clutch performer in go-to situations. Vieth has also converted 89.4 percent of his free throws, shooting 76-for-85 as the Crusaders enter the postseason. Vieth — named the All “A” Class MVP — also averages 5.7 rebounds per contest.
X — CovCath played two St. Xavier schools this season, dropping a 52-49 decision to the Cincinnati team and later posting a 73-49 win at the Louisville squad.
Y — Like in the youthful lineup at CovCath. The Colonels start just one senior (Donovan Stocks) and feature two sophomores and two juniors in the lineup.
Z — Zaire Monroe averages 12.3 points per game for Lloyd. Monroe also shoots 55.3 percent from the field and averages 4.1 rebounds per contest.
So there. It’s not as easy as A-B-C to pick a winner for the upcoming 9th Region Tournament. At least four teams in the 9th Region could challenge for the state championship. CovCath is the obvious the favorite. St. Henry and Beechwood have talented squads that are loaded with experience. And Highlands is on a late-season roll. It all adds up to an interesting postseason in the 9th Region.
Let the journey to Rupp Arena begin.
Don Owen is sports editor of the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Contact him at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport.
