The stage is set for what could possibly be one of the more entertaining, and exciting 13th Region Boys’ Tournaments in recent history.
Both North Laurel (22-10), and Harlan County (27-5) enter as the tournament favorites, and deservingly so.
Neither team has lost to a regional opponent while the Black Bears are 13-0 against 13th Region foes while the Jaguars are 12-0.
South Laurel (23-8), and Harlan (24-7) are two teams you can’t overlook as well. The Cardinals captured their fifth 50th District title in a row while the Green Dragons possess some of the best talent in the region.
Tony Pietrowski’s Corbin Redhounds (21-7) are always in the mix, and their depth could pose problems to a lot of the teams.
Barbourville (18-10) is coming into the tournament as one of the hottest teams after capturing the 51st District. Pineville (18-10) also possesses some of the best young talent in the region. The Mountain Lions are a team you can’t sleep on.
And back at the 13th Region Tournament after a one-year hiatus is Clay County. The Tigers (15-15) have hopes of making a run to their first region title since 2014.
13th Region Tournament Team Rankings
1. North Laurel (22-10)
2. Harlan County (27-5)
3. South Laurel (23-8)
4. Harlan (24-7)
5. Corbin (21-7)
6. Barbourville (18-10)
7. Pineville (18-10)
8. Clay County (15-15)
13th Region Tournament RPI Team Rankings
1. Harlan County .67486
2. Harlan .64932
3. South Laurel .62285
4. Corbin .61764
5. North Laurel .61246
6. Barbourville .54391
7. Pineville .52702
8. Clay County .50721
13th Region Tournament Player Rankings
1. Reed Sheppard, North Laurel
2. Trent Noah, Harlan County
3. Kyler McLendon, Harlan
4. Ryan Davidson, North Laurel
5. Hayden Llewellyn, Corbin
6. Maddox Huff, Harlan County
7. Jae’Dyn Gist, Harlan
8. Sawyer Thompson, Pineville
9. Jordan Mabe, South Laurel
10. Matt Warren, Barbourville
13th Region Individual Scoring Leaders
(Individuals participating in tourney only)
1. Trent Noah, Harlan County 26.3
2. Kyler McLendon, Harlan 22.7
3. Sawyer Thompson, Pineville 22.5
4. Reed Sheppard, North Laurel 21.8
5. Matthew Warren, Barbourville 19.4
6. Hayden Harris, Clay County 18.7
7. Ryan Davidson, North Laurel 17.9
8. Maddox Huff, Harlan County 16.7
9. Ashton Moser, Pineville 16.7
10. Hayden Llewellyn, Corbin 16.6
11. KT Turner, Barbourville 16.5
12. Jae’Dyn Gist, Harlan 14.8
13. Jordan Mabe, South Laurel 14.3
14. Landon Dezarn, Clay County 14.1
15. Daniel Carmical, Harlan County 13.9
13th Region Individual Rebounding Leaders
(Individuals participating in tourney only)
1. Trent Noah, Harlan County 12.6
2. Will Austin, Harlan 11.4
3. Jae’dyn Gist, Harlan 9.3
4. Travis Scott, Barbourville 8.5
5. Reed Sheppard, North Laurel 8.5
6. Ashton Moser, Pineville 7.0
7. Ethan Jackson, Clay County 6.9
8. Jordan Mabe, South Laurel 6.8
9. Zander Curry, Corbin 6.6
10. Elijah Bundy, Clay County 6.5
13th Region Tournament Team Offense
1. North Laurel 76.4
2. Harlan 75.5
3. Harlan County 73.8
4. Corbin 72.3
5. Pineville 67.5
6. Clay County 65.6
7. Barbourville 63.3
8. South Laurel 61.7
13th Region Tournament Team Defense
1. South Laurel 49.2
2. Barbourville 55.8
3. North Laurel 57.4
4. Pineville 57.5
5. Corbin 59.1
6. Harlan County 60.5
7. Harlan 62.6
8. Clay County 62.9
13th Region participating team’s career region tournament record
Barbourville (18-35)
Clay County (132-52)
Corbin (86-55)
Harlan (48-31)
Harlan County (8-10)
North Laurel (16-11)
Pineville (5-18)
South Laurel (21-10)
13th Region Boys’ Tournament
at the Corbin Arena
Host: South Laurel High School
First Round
Wednesday, March 1
North Laurel vs. Harlan, 6 p.m.
South Laurel vs. Pineville, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 2
Barbourville vs. Clay County, 6 p.m.
Harlan County vs. Corbin, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Saturday, March 4
North Laurel/Harlan winner vs. South Laurel/Pineville winner, 1 p.m.
Barbourville/Clay County winner vs. Harlan County/Corbin winner, 2:30 p.m.
Finals
Monday, March 6
TBD, 7 p.m.
Predictions
First Round Winners
North Laurel
South Laurel
Barbourville
Harlan County
Semifinals Winners
North Laurel
Harlan County
Champion
North Laurel
