Sporting Times’ All-Region Midseason Watchlist

The Sporting Times has named its All-Region Midseason Watchlist for the 2021 boys’ basketball season. 26 players were named to the list for outstanding performances on the hardwood over the course of the first half of the season. The Sporting Times will name its All-Region Teams at the conclusion of the season. A player does not have to appear on the Midseason Watchlist to make it onto the All-Region Teams at the end of the season.

The 13^th District placed four players on the list. All three players from the 13^th are among the region’s top scorers. Franklin-Simpson senior Dre Miller leads the 4^th Region at 25.6 points per game. The guard is shooting a smoldering 52.4% from the field. Teammate Kyjuan Stutzman is also highly regarded at 17.2 points per game on 51% shooting. Stutzman missed the team’s first three games but has fared nicely in his return. Logan County senior Anthony Woodard is averaging 23 points to lead the Cougars. Affectionately nicknamed “Rooster”, Woodard is shooting 66% from the field and averaging 5.5 rebounds per game as well. Russellville’s Jaquis Todd makes the list as he averages 17.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest.

The 14^th District has nine players on the midseason watchlist as Bowling Green placed three, Greenwood and Warren Central have two players honored, while South Warren and Warren East placed one player each. The Purples’ dynamic duo of Isaiah Mason and Turner Buttry have had exceptional seasons thus far. Mason is averaging 17.6 points per game on 61.6% shooting, while grabbing a team-high 8.5 rebounds per contest. Buttry leads the Purples in scoring at 17.9 points per game and is also shooting over 60% from the field, 55% from three, and 95% from the line. Jaxson Banks is also putting together a nice season for the Purple and Gold. The senior swingman is third in scoring (8.8) and rebounding (4.1) for the state’s top team. Banks is shooting nearly 50% from downtown, better than 93% from the line, and is able to defend multiple positions with ease. Greenwood’s backcourt combination of Cade Stinnett and Marc Grant were named to the watchlist. Stinnett leads the Gators at 16.4 points per game and is recording 4.8 rebounds. Grant is senior in the region with 36 made threes, and the senior is averaging 13.2 points per night.

Warren Central’s balance has been the key to the team’s success in 2021. Chappelle Whitney has been the cog in the Dragon machine, leading coach Will Unseld’s team in both scoring (12.1) and rebounding (8.4). Jace Carver has also had a solid season, averaging a shade under 10 points per game on 51% shooting and grabbing 5.9 rebounds per contest. Warren East’s Isaiah Andrews has been a bright spot for the Raiders, who have only played four games due to a myriad of COVID-19 cancellations. The sophomore wing is averaging 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds through the first month of 2021. South Warren has been led in scoring this season by Luke Burton. The junior forward is averaging 10.1 points per game on 51.4% shooting from the field. He is also shooting 47% from downtown.

The 15^th District placed six players on the midseason watchlist. Allen County-Scottsville’s Mason Shirley has been one of the region’s leading scorers in 2021, averaging 18.9 points per game. Teammate Jax Cooper has been a reliable second scoring option for the Patriots, as the senior is scoring 12.7 points per game on nearly 50% shooting from the field. Barren County’s Aden Nyekan seemed like a shoo-in for this list, but a torn ACL has kept him sidelined. Two teammates have stepped up in his absence – Taye Poynter and Mason Griggs. Griggs leads the team in scoring at 12.6 per game, while shooting nearly 80% from the free-throw line. Poynter is right behind him at 12.4 points per game and has made 31 three-pointers on the year. Glasgow also had a pair of players named to the All-Region midseason list. Junior Sam Bowling is scoring 20.9 points per game, one of the top numbers in the 4^th Region. His shooting splits are also impressive – 53.5% from the field, 50% from three, and 81% from the line. Fellow junior Jackson Poland also makes the midseason list, averaging 14.4 points on 51% shooting.

The 16^th District features seven players on the midseason watchlist. Clinton County’s Nick Delk and Chase Stines are having excellent seasons with Delk leading the team in scoring at 17.9 points and Stines in rebounding (5.9) Stines is also averaging 11.6 points per game, while Delk is shooting better than 60% from the field. Metcalfe County has been very balanced in 2021 with four players averaging in double figures. Junior Peyton Dial leads the bunch at 14.5 points per game (including 40 three-pointers made). Wyatt Blythe is scoring 13.3 points per contest on nearly 50% shooting.

Rounding out the list are Russell County’s Scott Hamm and Jay Milburn, along with Cumberland County’s Ty Seay. Hamm leads the Lakers at 13.6 points per game on nearly 60% shooting and is recording 8.8 rebounds per night. Milburn is scoring 13.3 points per game and leads the team at 9.3 rebounds per contest. Seay is one of the top scorers in the 4^th Region at 19.4 points per game and has already shot over 100 free throws on the season (at nearly 80%).

ST Midseason Watchlist

Isaiah Andrews, Warren East