Pick and Roll's Best of the Fourth Team

It was Chris Gregory's idea to come up with these teams, and it's a great one. I'm doing my list with the same criteria that Chris used. I'm not going to include a player that I have not seen play. This poses a great big problem for me. I haven't seen every team in the Fourth. I've not been able to catch up with Russellville, Monroe County, Russell County, and Clinton County. The main thing, though, is that when I caught up with Metcalfe County at Warren East, Trey Shirley was out of the lineup due to a pretty serious illness. I still haven't seen him play.

I'm not going to rank mine, and I'm not sure that's what Chris did with his.

Lee Hubbard, Barren County: Hubbard is the type of player any coach wants on his team. First of all, he's good...no he's danged good. He can score and rebound and defend and does all the things that go into making an excellent basketball player. Hubbard's 6'1" and grabs 9.2 rebounds per game while netting a 25.7 points per game average. He shoots 53% from the field. If the Trojans make a good run in the Fourth Region tournament, then I can see Hubbard as tournament MVP. I told my wife that when we watched them play Glasgow on January 4th.

Dee Anderson, Greenwood: Anderson is just a sophomore and suffered a severe knee injury back in the summer, but he demonstrates his prowess each time he steps on the court. I really, really like Anderson's style of play. He makes quick moves to the basket but seems to glide into the lane. I always look forward to seeing him play. I first noticed Anderson in last year's Fourth Region Tournament when the Gators made a run at the championship but came up short to the Dragons. Anderson averages 12.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds. I'm willing to bet that when Dee graduates in 2010 that Fourth Region coaches will be at Greenwood applauding.

Jay Starks, Allen County-Scottsville: When I saw the Patriots play in November, Starks battled leg cramps, and a trainer had him drink pickle juice to alleviate the problem (my mother's a mountain woman from West Virginia and knows all sorts of home remedies but hasn't heard of this one). I started calling him "Pickle Juice." A lot of coaches would rather gulp a quart of pickle juice than have to figure out how to keep the ball out of Starks hands. He's a heady player and can break down defenses with the dribble.

Will Warf, Metcalfe County: On top of being a fantastic football player (Region 3 Player of the Year), Warf is a hog snout tough basketball player who is unafraid of catching the ball in the paint and challenging bigger players. I won't say stronger because I doubt there's many ballplayers stronger than Warf. When I saw the Hornets play at Warren East, Warf played tough interior defense and was a workhorse on the offensive end. I think he scored 28 points that night. He averages 18.5 points and 8.4 boards per game.

Rayco Bryant, Franklin-Simpson: I like to call him "Sir Rayco." Franklin-Simpson fans and other fans call him "Baby Shaq," but I don't see Shaquille O'Neal when I see him play. I see Charles Barkley. Bryant has a huge frame but is very mobile for his size. He uses his size and strength to score around the basket, and he can move along the baseline very well. I wonder if there's anyone bold enough to try to draw a charge on "Sir Rayco." It could be a painful experience. He seems to be his team's leader on the court, too.

Mark Lacy, Greenwood: Here's a kid that's playing the season like he's hungry for a regional championship. He's a competitor down to his marrow. Lacy doesn't have any gaudy numbers, but he handles the ball better than anyone in the region, and if anyone throws a bad pass along the perimeter, Lacy will make them pay for it.

D.L. Moore, Bowling Green: Moore is a quiet scorer. If I don't get to see a stat sheet after a ballgame, I'll guess that Moore only scored six or seven points. Then, when I see the stats, I'll see that he scored 16 or 17. Moore is 6'6" and has great leaping ability. Moore's sport isn't basketball, however. He will suit up for the Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks in South Carolina this fall.

DeAngelo Kirk, Warren East: To me, Kirk is one of the most exciting ballplayers in the region. He makes things happen on the court, and if he squares up to the basket, he'll knock down the shot almost every time. He can also make moves to the hoop when he needs to. He's good at breaking presses, too.

Courtney Dalcourt, Franklin Simpson: Dalcourt attacks the basket as good as anyone in the region. He has a good jump shot, and he always stays cool in the face of defensive pressure. He is a fantastic athlete.

There are a lot of other players in the region I really like. I guess these guys are my "honorable mentions": Blake Crabtree, Barren County; Matt Riley, Barren County; Charlie Mudd, Glasgow; Jarren Nixon, Bowling Green; Brett Barrick, Greenwood; Brett Sowell, Logan County, and Shenard Holton, Warren East.

OTHERS FROM OTHER REGIONS

Tyshwan Edmondson, University Heights: I can't say enough good things about this player. He's quick, strong, athletic, intelligent, and plays like he's getting ready to drive a nail with his forehead. His teammate, Scotty Hopson, gets all the ink, but Edmondson puts the blaze in the Blazers. He's the best player I've seen play this season. The BEST! I'd like to see him continue his career about 60 miles east of Hoptown.

Aaron Morris, Muhlenberg North: Morris averages nearly 20 points a ballgame and has made 75 three points shots this season. The North Stars have a balanced attack, but Morris is the scoring leader on one of the best teams in the Commonwealth.

Scotty Hopson, University Heights: He's Tyshwan Edmondson's teammate and one of the best players in the nation. He is highly sought after by big name college basketball programs throughout the nation, and Hopson seems to have found some intensity down the stretch of the season. He's big and athletic and can flat jump out of the gym.

Travis Johnston, Grayson County: He may be my favorite this season. Johnston is the type of player that anyone would love to have on his team. He's a good shooter, a good defender, and he has the best sense for the game I've seen since a kid named Sparks played at Muhlenberg North. He shoots 43% from beyond the arc. Did I mention that he's just a sophomore?

Tony Hockett, Mayfield: I took in a Mayfield game back in January, and Hockett caught my eye while I was out there. He's a strong, athletic basketball player. He's averaging 18.2 points a game and gives Mayfield a good inside-out attack. Some of these guys in the First Region are overlooked or forgotten or only matter if they can also play football.

Tyrell Willis, Calloway County: I only saw the Lakers play once this season. Willis is a sophomore but is built like he's ready to step into a college game. He's a little raw, but this kids has a lot of upside. He's starts for a very young Lakers squad. He grabs 9.4 rebounds a game.

James David Strange, Pineville: I saw Pineville play a couple or three games in the Citizens First Holiday Classic at Bowling Green High School in December. Strange, who is Coach J.D. Strange's son, played very solid basketball in the tournament. Over the course of the season, he has averaged 17.3 points a game on a very well balanced basketball team, and he shoots 51.7% and 44.1% behind the three point stripe. I didn't include him when I originally posted this because I'm forgetful.