It’s Up in the Air!!!
Trying to pick a winner for the 5th Region Boys Basketball Tournament might be harder than trying to pull the winning numbers from this weekend’s Powerball. With several teams as preseason favorites and a few that are right near the top could make pulling the winner from a hat extremely difficult. 
Many thought North Hardin and Bardstown as possible early favorites because they returned so much talent, but a couple of early losses by both have helped muddy up the picture while a couple of possible power players like John Hardin and Elizabethtown are also making some noise. Not to be outdone are LaRue County and Central Hardin. Two teams loaded with sharp shooters and experience. Hawks coach Paul Childress can look to guards Cameron Dawson and Derek Goode and a strong supporting cast. 
Central Hardin survived a coaching change and a large senior class that graduated and have remained in the hunt with guards like Reece Iler and clutch players like Steven Thompson (the hero from Last year’s First round Region Game against Caverna). North Hardin has looked strong early with senior stars Tony Jackson and Gavin Root and now Ohio County transfer Trace Young has been added to the mix of an already talented squad. Although they lost a tough road game to defending Champion Taylor County, they rebounded quickly against Meade County. Bardstown has kept pace with wins over Bethlehem and a thrilling double overtime win over Central Hardin. In that game, senior guard Kel Livers came up with a big performance (24-points) in the double overtime win after Santrel Farmer fouled out.
Coach James Brewer’s “Next Man Up” philosophy has paid off in so many ways. Elizabethtown showed that they are serious about being a contender after their overtime win over Central Hardin. Both they and Bardstown Bethlehem under coach Artie Braden appear to be better this season. Adair County is the real dark horse with just one loss and the best record in the Region and only time will tell if they are For REAL.
And then there is Taylor County. After losing their two star players and their head coach, the Cardinals chances of repeating looked grim, but their win over North Hardin proved that anything can happen.
So there you have it. With still several weeks of the regular season left you could pick a champion going game by game or week by week depending who looks the best on a given day. With the 5th Region Tournament slated at Central Hardin, that’s why they call it “March Madness!”
