Marshall County Hoop Fest Preview

It’s Throwback Thursday!! Guess who’s bizzack? That’s right, it’s the Kentucky basketball recruiting writer you all love to tolerate! I’ve spent the last couple years paying off that Pizza and Hard Liquor Mortgage I took out in college. Only 25 more years to go! Everyone needs a break from the real world now and then though and this is mine. So while Matt and Drew zig-zag through tornado alley and ice storms to bring you the news on your current Cats, I’ll be in Marshall County keeping you up to date on the future of Big Blue basketball. (Quick shout out and thanks to Matt for allowing me to do this, Drew for the map of every Taco Bell on my way down there, and Mama TT for helping this old man figure out this dang blasted new blog format) Walking into the KSR writers’ lounge made me realize just how much things have changed in the past couple years. Where’s the national media writers dartboard? Oh, we’re friends with them now?! Do I smell Pine-Sol? We clean now? Mrs. Thompson really does just make us all sandwiches and BTI ghost-writes her posts? Love the spicy mayo by the way. Where’s the picture of Kige in the Santa hat we used have hanging over there? Replaced by a flat screen and an Xbox 360 for Drew Barker?! (don’t worry trolls, the Coaching staff pushes the buttons for him, no violation here) The times, they are a changin’. Let’s get to the preview. Mrs. Thompson put up the schedule, so if you’re looking for specific games and times, check there. The following will be a preview of each team, the matchups you’ll want to see, who to watch for and any UK buzz surrounding certain players. First off, the out of state teams listed by their national MaxPreps ranking: #3 Huntington Prep Coach: Rob Fulford Notable Matchups: Friday @ 5:30 pm vs Atlanta Sports Academy Saturday @ 6:30 pm vs Arsenal Tech (Trey Lyles, UK staff should attend this game) Notable Players (by class) Class of ’14: Jaquan Lyle (#4 PG, former UL commit, strong IU interest); Josh Perkins (Gonzaga commit); Angel Delgado (UK showed interest before sudden Seton Hall commit); Jalen Lindsey (Providence commit, UL & UF offered). Class of ’15: *Montaque Gill-Caesar (5-star #4 SF in class, UK offer, may reclassify to ’14); Thomas Bryant (#4 PF, Cuse, Nova and WVU offers); Levi Cook (C, WVU commit) Class of ’16: *Miles Bridges (high 4-star, 6-5, 190lbs, Michigan, OSU, MSU early interest, UK will most likely “kick tires” at some point) #4 Oak Hill Academy Coach: Steve Smith Notable Matchups: Saturday @ 8:00 vs Christ Presbyterian (Braxton Blackwell) Notable Players: Caleb & Cody Martin (SR, NC State commits); Shelton Mitchell (SR, Wake Forest commit); Trevor Manuel (4 star, Jr, PF, MSU and NC State offers) #7 Dallas Prime Prep Coach: Ray Forsett Notable Matchups: Friday @ 10 vs Quality Education (#15 nationally) Saturday @ 9:30 vs Memphis White Station (#16 nationally, Leron Black and Chris Chiozza) Notable Players: SMU’s golden ticket….Emmanuel Mudiay (#1 PG, possibly overall, in class) *Terrance Ferguson (USA U-16 member, 6’5” Soph G, high 4-star, plenty of offers, KU and UNC interest already) *Paul “PJ” Washington (6’7, 210 as a FRESHMAN, Rising star that UK will keep tabs on) #15 Quality Education *Previously unranked, moved up after beating Oak Hill & the Rock earlier in the season Coach: Isaac Pitts Notable Matchups: Friday @ 10 vs Dallas Prime Prep #16 White Station (Memphis) Coach: Jesus Patino Notable Matchups: Saturday @ 9:30 vs Dallas Prime Prep Notable Players: Leron Black (IL commit, Sr.) and Chris Chiozza (Florida commit, Sr.) Arsenal Tech (IN) Coach: Jason Delaney Notable Matchups: Friday @ 8:30 vs Ballard Saturday @ 6:30 vs Huntington Prep Notable Players: Trey Lyles, ’14 UK Commit Moss Point (MS) Coach: Micoe Cotton Notable Matchups: Friday @ 5 vs Ballard Notable Players: Devin Booker, ’14 UK Commit Evangelical Christian (TN) Coach: Terry Triplett Notable Matchups: Friday @ 4 vs Chicago Currie (Skal vs. Jayhawk Cliff Alexander and your only opportunity to see Skal, don’t miss this one) Notable Players: Skal Labissiere (5-star, #3 C in ’15 class, UK offer along with many others) Christ Presbyterian (TN) Coach: Drew Maddux Notable Matchups: Saturday @ 8:00 vs Oak Hill Notable Players: Braxton Blackwell (6-7, 200lb, Soph., high 4-star, UK could kick tires, Florida, Memphis and Tennessee showing early interest) Braxton Bonds and Jake Allsmiller should get high D-1 offers in the future Chicago Currie Coach: Michael Oliver Notable Players: Cliff Alexander (Kansas commit--will not play due to suspension) Whitehaven (TN) Coach: Lawrence Myers Notable Players: CJ Anderson (UMass commit); Marcanuis Hymon (Ole Miss commit) Now for your local boys listed by State Ranking first (plenty of D-1 talent): #1 Ballard High School Coach: Chris Renner Notable Matchups: Friday @ 8:30 vs Arsenal Tech (Trey Lyles) Saturday @ 5:00 vs Moss Point (Devin Booker) Notable players: Quentin Snider (4 star, PG, 6’1”, 170lbs) - Committed to Louisville Kelan Martin (3 star, F, 6’5”, 185lbs) — Committed to Butler #7 Hopkinsville Coach: Timothy Haworth Notable Matchup: Saturday @ Noon vs Evansville Bosse (Perry Fairrow has WKU interest) Notable Players: Jaqualis Matlock (6’5” JR) #8 Warren Central Coach: William Unseld Notable Players: Chris Porter-Bunton (6’3” SR) #22 Henderson County Coach: Tyler Smithhart Notable Players: Caleb Duckworth (6’3” SR) Graves County Coach: Terry Birdsong Notable Players: Peyton Puckett Jake Williams Marshall County Coach: Gus Gillespie Notable Players: Austin Rentfrow (6’7” SR) St. Mary’s High Coach: Greg Overstreet Notable Players: Patrick Hubert (6’2” SR) For updates on the games as they progress, follow me on twitter: @DustinRumbaugh One last shout out to you readers...the best (ok...and sometimes worst) part of writing about the college team with the most informed basketball fans on the planet is all the awesome discussions you get to have with the readers. Excited to get the conversation going again.