With the 3rd Region Boys Basketball Tournament kicking off tonight at 6 p.m., all eyes are on Daviess County and Grayson County as the two are on a potential collision course. On the other side of the bracket, Apollo and Trinity (Whitesville) make their long-awaited returns to the tournament field.
The first game of the night, Daviess County will take on Breckinridge County, whom they beat earlier in the year, 74-33. Jonathan Moss is playing at a Mr. Basketball level, averaging 23.8 points and 3.6 rebounds, while averaging 45% from deep.
He shares a backcourt with Michael Acton, who is averaging 15.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while in the paint is a walking double-double machine in DeAaron Watkins (17.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg). Rounding out the starting five are sharpshooters Davyn Randolph (7.1 ppg,45.8% from deep), and Lemontae Ratcliff (6.1 ppg, 37.6% from deep).
“The team is excited for the opportunity to continue competing and looks forward to building on the momentum gained from winning the 9th District Tournament as we enter regional play,” Daviess County Head Coach Neil Hayden said. “The 3rd Region presents a significant challenge, and our focus will be on maintaining strong fundamentals on both ends of the floor, while remaining unified and connected as a team.”
Next to them in the bracket are Jack Logsdon (20.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Grayson County, who are taking on Gavin Groves (16.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Muhlenberg County.
On Thursday evening at 6 p.m., Trinity (Whitesville) will play in their first Region Tournament game since 2022 against Meade County. The Raiders are led by Harrison Barnett (15.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Ian Roby (11.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), and Mason Smith (11.5 ppg, 39.2% from deep).
They will need to find a way to limit Meade County’s duo of Hayden Shouse (22.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Ayden Medley (18.5 ppg, 42.1% from deep).
“We are excited going into the 3rd Region Tournament since this will be our first time in four years,” Trinity (Whitesville) Head Coach Nathan West said. “With us being so small, we are really preparing for Shouse’s size and Medley’s overall playmaking ability. These two are some of the top players in the 3rd Region. Meade also has some shooters that complement those two well. We have a ton of film on them and we will be ready.”
The last game of Thursday evening will see Apollo take on Ohio County. The Eagles will need to get star center Landon Henning (13.6 ppg, 14.0 rpg) going early, but he is complimented by their backcourt of Tate Powers (12.7 ppg, 31.8% from deep), Carlos Cruz (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg), and Eli Williams (6.1 ppg, 33.3% from deep), as well as senior forward Kayden Green (11.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
On defense, they will need to find ways to slow down Ohio County’s Ryan Durham (20.7 ppg, 37.1%), who is one of the top scorers in the tournament. Ohio County also shoots it well from deep (38.6%).
“We played well in game one of the District Tournament, but didn’t play our best in the finals,” Apollo Head Coach Ryne Tinsley said. “We have to play within ourselves. We are a really good team, but not as individuals. Four of our players average double-figures, but not one in the top ten shows how the team concept has worked well for us this season. We must be committed to each other to make a run.”
