By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
The players arrive in town Thursday for their first evening practice — of three this weekend — before Saturday’s Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Basketball Games Saturday at Thomas More’s Connor Convocation Center. Girls’ game is 5 p.m. Boys’ game at 7.
Lots of local representation this year with six all-stars coming from Northern Kentucky’s Eighth, Ninth and 10th Regions. From the Ninth Region, there is the dynamic guard tandem of Jacob Meyer (Holy Cross), the state’s leading scorer for the second straight year at 36.8 points a game, and Covington Catholic’s Evan Ipsaro (25.2 ppg). With them is Newport’s 6-foot-5 Marquez Miller (15.9 ppg), the lone senior on the Wildcats’ regional champs.
From the Eighth Region, there is Simon Kenton’s 7-3 Gabe Dynes (12.4 ppg, 9.8 rebounds and 74.0 field goal percentage that is second-best in Kentucky from the state’s tallest player, high school or college. Also from the Eighth is Owen County’s 6-5 Teagan Moore, the state’s second leading scorer at 31.7 ppg. From the 10th Region, there’s Mason County’s 6-4 Terrell Henry (17.8).
For the Girls All-Stars, there are five Northern Kentucky players led by Cooper’s 6-2 Whitney Lind (16.1 ppg), Ryle’s Abby Holtman (15.2 ppg), Notre Dame’s Noelle Hubert (15.9 ppg, 37.5 percent three-point shooting, second in the state at 3.6 three’s a game) from the Ninth Region. From the Eighth Region, there’s Walton-Verona’s Grace Brewer (19.0 ppg, 11.6 rebounds, No. 13 in the state. And from the 10th Region, there’s Pendleton County’s 6-1 Saniah Thomas (17.0 ppg).
Last year, the Kentucky Boys came roaring back in the final 9:25 on a 17-5 run for an 85-84 upset of the bigger Ohio All-Stars keyed by the defensive work and rebounding of CovCath’s 6-8 Mitchell Rylee and the scoring of Mr. Basketball, Bowling Green’s Taylor Buttry.
In the Girls’ All-Star Game, Ohio had a couple of McDonald’s All-Americans and just way too much athleticism for a Kentucky team in a 99-84 romp.
Things have clearly changed this time around. The Kentucky Boys have the size inside and firepower outside while the Kentucky Girls do not look quite so out-talented this time around.
OHIO BOYS ALL-STARS
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL HT POSITION
Will Aliancic Louisville 6’6 Guard
Carson Browne Elder 6’8 Center
Solomon Callaghan Wadsworth 6’2 Guard
Ayden Carter Fremont Ross 6’4 Guard
Kyler D’Augustino Albany Alexander 6’2 Guard
Nathan Dudukovich Lakota West 6’3 Guard
Eian Elmer Taft 6’6 Forward
Elias Lewis Olentangy Orange 6’2 Guard
Will Maxwell Oakwood 6’5 Forward
Austin Parks St. Mary’s Memorial 6’10 Center
Xzander Ream Zane Trace 6’4 Guard
Lawrent Rice Huber Heights Wayne 6’2 Guard
Khoi Thurmon Akron Buchtel 6’1 Guard
Chase Walker St. Charles 6’8 Center
Braylon Wenger Dalton 6’7 Forward
Head Coach: Demarco Bradley, Taft
Asst. Coach: Dan Hegemier, St. Mary’s Memorial
KENTUCKY BOYS ALL-STARS
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL HT POSITION
Eli Brooks Barren County 6’7 Forward
Greg Cole Pleasure Ridge Park 5’10 Guard
Ethan Cooper Garrard County 6’3 Guard
Jaylen Davis Madison Central 6’5 Forward
Gabe Dynes Simon Kenton 7’3 Center
Marcus Eaves Madisonville-North Hopkins 6’4 Guard
Trent Edwards George Rogers Clark 6’8 Forward
Terrell Henry Mason County 6’4 Guard
Evan Ipsaro Covington Catholic 5’10 Guard
Cyr Malonga Evangel Christian 6’10 Center
John McCrear Woodford County 6’9 Center
Jacob Meyer Holy Cross 6’2 Guard
Marquez Miller Newport 6’5 Forward
Teagan Moore Owen County 6’5 Forward
Keith Robinson Pleasure Ridge Park 6’5 Forward
Head Coach: Larry Kihnley, Pleasure Ridge Park
Asst. Coach: Josh Cook, George Rogers Clark
OHIO GIRLS ALL-STARS
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL HT POSITION
Taylor Farris Talawanda 5’9 Guard
Kylee Fears Talawanda 6’0 Forward
Madison French Lakota East 5’11 Guard
Kendal George Centerville 5’9 Guard
Madison Greene Pickerington Central 5’6 Guard
Tomi Hinkle Fairland 5’7 Guard
Rylee Leonard Eastern Brown 5’7 Guard
Zy’Aira Miller Walnut Hills 5’6 Guard
Miah O’Toole Milford 5’10 Guard
Carly Prows Mason 6’1 Forward
Gabby Razzano Mason 6’2 Forward
Rylee Sagester Tri Village 5’7 Guard
Savannah Smith Lakota East 6’0 Forward
Jariah Steele Colerain 5’10 Forward
Anna Swisshelm West Clermont 6’0 Forward
Head Coach: Dan Wallace, Lakota East
Asst. Coach: Steve Green, Kings
KENTUCKY GIRLS ALL-STARS
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL HT POSITION
Grace Brewer Walton Verona 5’10 Guard
Jazmin Chambers Franklin County 5’11 Forward
Haley Dillman Bullitt Central 5’10 Guard
Haven Ford Rowan County 5’6 Guard
Taylor Guess Crittenden County 5’9 Guard
Abby Holtman Ryle 6’0 Guard
Courtney Hoskins Leslie County 5’7 Guard
Noelle Hubert Notre Dame 5’11 Guard
Sanaa Jackson Paris 5’8 Forward
Whitney Lind Cooper 6’2 Forward
Love Mays Danville 5’8 Guard
Desiree Tandy Danville 6’0 Forward
Destiny Thomas McCracken County 6’0 Forward
Saniah Thomas Pendleton County 6’1
Forward Jakayla Thompson Manual 5’8 Guard
Head Coach: Joey Thacker, Franklin County
Asst. Coach: Judie Mason, Danville
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
• Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices for all four teams at Thomas More, Lloyd Memorial and Boone County high schools.
• FRIDAY: “SLAM JAM NIGHT OF STARS” at Thomas More, 7-9:30 p.m.
• SATURDAY, GIRLS ALL-STAR GAME at TMU, 5 p.m.
• SATURDAY, BOYS ALL-STAR GAME at TMU, 7 p.m.