KSR's Road to Rupp: 3rd Region Tournament Preview

KSR is covering the Kentucky high school basketball postseason, from the region tournaments all the way to the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena (March 31 – April 3). Over the next week, we’ll be providing previews of each region, updates on each round, and in-depth coverage of the finals. On Monday, the 3rd Region Tournament tips off in Owensboro. Here’s a preview.

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Muhlenburg County enters the week as the heavy favorite to bring home the regional title after going 16-1 this season with a perfect 8-0 mark in region play.

Bracket

Schedule

(Every game will take place at the Owensboro Sportscenter)

Monday, March 22, 6:00 PM: Meade County (13-8) vs. Owensboro Catholic (16-9)

Monday, March 22, 7:45 PM: Grayson County (13-8) vs. Ohio County (12-10)

Tuesday, March 23, 6:00 PM: Owensboro (11-5) vs. Butler County (5-9)

Tuesday, March 23, 7:45 PM: Muhlenberg County (16-1) vs. Hancock County (8-11)

Friday, March 26, 5:00 PM: Semifinal No. 1

Friday, March 26, 8:30 PM: Semifinal No. 2

Sunday, March 28, 3:00 PM: Championship

Team to Beat

Muhlenburg County is the only team in the region found in the KSR Preps top 25 coming in at No. 17. Under head coach Kyle Eades, the Mustangs have been the best team all year and are currently riding a 13-game winning streak. Muhlenburg County currently sits at No. 12 in the state’s RPI rating. The Mustangs hang their hat on defense ranking third in the state in scoring defense (45.1 points per game). With an average margin of victory of 17.1 points, the defense has made Muhlenberg County one of the most dominant teams in the state.

Players to Watch

Brian Griffith (Owensboro Catholic) – Griffith leads the region in scoring with 22.6 points per game, but will, unfortunately, miss the tournament due to injury. That’s a bummer for everyone.

Nash Divine (Muhlenburg County) – The senior guard is the best player on the region’s best team and Divine paces the offense with 17.8 points per game. Divine has 41 three-point field goals and is shooting 36.3% from deep.

Devyn Powers (Hancock County) – The junior leads the Hornets in scoring with 13.8 points per game, but where Powers is really dangerous is from three. Powers is shooting 44.7% from three this season and if a hot streak arrives, Hancock County could go on a run.

Kenyatta Carbon (Owensboro) – The sophomore guard appears to be a future superstar for the Red Devils. Carbon is averaging 19.4 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 36.4% from three. Carbon also gets it done on the gridiron.

TOUCHDOWN! Owensboro @SrHighFootball Kenyatta Carbon with a PICK SIX on the first snap for Douglass. 7-0, 11:44 1Q. Camera hadn’t woken up yet 😬 pic.twitter.com/Tsj2HzfSa8

— Jared Peck (@HLpreps) December 12, 2020

Fun Facts

– Owensboro leads the region and is third in the state with five state championships trailing only Lexington Lafayette and Lexington Henry Clay. The Red Devils have been to the Sweet 16 a record 44 times.

– Meade County won the region in 2017 despite having just a 13-21 record. Survive and advance is the name of the game.

– Maybe Owensboro Catholic will provide another buzzer-beating winner this weekend.

Owensboro Catholic game winner vs Webster County pic.twitter.com/tnNRcnNfde

— shannon weaver (@shannonweaver34) February 7, 2021

Attendance Rules

Attendance at each game will be capped at 25%. For the entire tournament at the Owensboro Sportscenter, that means 1,250 fans per game.

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If you go to the games, remember to share your pictures with us on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #RoadToRupp. We’ll be posting fan galleries on the site and social media throughout the week.