Graves County (26-4, Third District Champions) v. Calloway County (15-14 Fourth District Runner-Up)

Head to Head...December 17 @Calloway County...Graves County 67-49.

Last five games...Graves County 5-0, Calloway County 2-3

Games decided by five points or less...Graves County 3-2, Calloway County 4-3

When scoring 60 points or more...Graves County 16-2 , Calloway County 11-2

When scoring less than 60 points...Graves County 10-2, Calloway County 4-12

Average points per game...Graves County 61.7, Calloway County 60.4

Average points allowed per game...Graves County 47.2, Calloway County 53.9

Against the regional tournament field...Graves County 9-2, Calloway County 2-7

Strength of Schedule...Advantage, Graves County.  Both clubs played very challenging schedules, balancing some out of state flavor with the cream of the First Region.  Each team played a tough Second Region team (Graves v. Hopkinsville, Calloway v. Henderson County), but Graves ultimately gets the edge based on their level of success.  The Eagles won both holiday tournaments they participated in, and Graves squeezed by Marshall County twice...while the Lakers dropped four decisions to the Marshals.  The quality of Graves' losses have to be measured as well.  The Eagles did not lose a game to a team that won fewer than 21 games, and those four losses came by a total of 25 points.  The Lakers won 13 games against Kentucky teams; none of those squads won more than 12 games.

Double (Double) Trouble...Graves County brings the best pair of big forwards in the region to the table, and frankly, Ryan Vogt and Aaron Cooper form a tandem that could matchup with most any in the state.  The duo is long, athletic, and incredibly active, pushed by motors that run without pause.  Vogt is the best defensive big in the region, and he may well be the best defensive player in the region, period.  He blocks four shots a night, and he alters countless others, but his biggest strength is mobility and versatility that allows him to defend big guards if the situation calls for it.  He is as good at defending high ball screens as maybe any big ever in the First Region, and oh by the way...his offense isn't too bad either.  His ball skill has improved tremendously over his career, and he can finish in traffic around the rim (56.4% FG) and knock down short face-up jumpers.  Vogt rebounds very well on both ends of the floor (9.2 rpg), as does his friend, Mr. Cooper (10.1 rpg).  Cooper is physical and explosive, and when he gets deep post catches he simply punishes opposing defenses (55.3% FG).  He has great lift and a relentless work rate in the lane, and he can beat a defender with either power or quickness.  Cooper continues to get better from week to week, and he has plenty of room to grow his game to new levels.  Not quite Vogt's equal as a defender, but he offers a formidable deterrent around the basket and might even be more effective as a positional low post defender.

Four to Score...Four is the uniform number of Calloway County's Brock Simmons, and if the Lakers have hopes of upsetting the defending First Region champions, the sweet-shooting guard will have to author a huge performance.  Simmons has long been known for his three-point shooting prowess, but he now brings a diversified offensive package to the floor, and when he scored 25 points against the Eagles in a 67-49 loss in December, he did it largely by getting to the foul line and converting (11-13 FT).  The 6-2 junior can still bury the deep ball in bunches with his considerable range and quick-trigger release, but he becomes exponentially more dangerous when mixing in mid-range jumpers and forays to the basket.  There are few offensive options more efficient than an 80% free throw shooter at the line, after all.  Off the dribble he can also create for others (nearly 3 apg), and given his size, Calloway County must have him rebound (6 rpg).

Regal Eagles...You may not have noticed, but along with their painfully talented frontcourt, the Eagles might boast the region's best backcourt.  Jesse Anderson is the defending First Region Tournament MVP, and he has backed up his fine play a year ago by playing the best basketball of his career as a junior.  Few, if any, could argue with the notion that he's the region's best point guard, and he can provide evidence on a number of fronts.  Anderson's career-high 14.6 points per game leads the Eagles, as does his 5.1 assists per game, which ranked as the second-best mark in the region.  He shoots 76% at the line, and he made 67 triples at a 38% clip.  The numbers speak for themselves, but Anderson's floor leadership, savvy, and competitiveness are also part of the package, and he has become the rare guard that is equally effective pushing in transition or orchestrating a half-court attack.  And his team is 26-4...so there's that.  He does not work alone, though, and his backcourt partner just might be the most underrated and underappreciated player in the region.  Ross Williams makes the three (47 made, 36%), creates for others (3.7 apg), and has rapidly become one of the best defensive guards in the region.  He is a big guard at around 6-2, and it uniquely qualifies him for the job of matching up with the Lakers' Simmons, something Anderson can take on in a pinch as well.  Williams is know for his cool and calm demeanor, something that should serve him well in the midst of March's madness.

Senior Citizens...Along with a brilliant effort from Simmons, Calloway County needs career efforts from its three-man senior class.  Austin Lilly missed much of the Fourth District final with a knee injury, but the hard-nosed point guard will give it a go on Thursday night.  His fire and his firepower will be needed in heavy doses, as the Lakers try to put points on the board against the relentlessly stingy Graves defense.  Lilly can make the three-ball in bunches, and he is an effective mid-range jump shooter when attacking off the dribble.  Justin Hill joins Graves' Williams as one of the region's breakout performers this year, and the first-year starter joins Lilly as a potent double-figure scorer (both players average nearly 12 points per game).  Hill can make the three, but he is at his best pounding his way to the rim.  And facing the Eagles' size and strength, no Laker may be more important than 6-4 Josh Humphreys.  Humphreys scores better than seven points and pulls down over six rebounds a night, and Calloway may need him to double those numbers and find a way to hold off the Eagles interior offense.

Full Nest...Graves County lost a quality frontcourt piece with Rex Coleman's recent departure, but the Eagles can sustain a loss like few teams could.  The rest of their rotation is replete with big-time scoring options, as Brock Morris, Dallas Haneline, Tyler Starkey, and super-charged eighth-grader Peyton Puckett are all capable of putting up double-figure scoring efforts.  If any member of the group gets rolling...and especially if at least two are making shots...Graves goes from hard to beat to a team that won't be beat.

Graves County wins...

• If the shoot 40% from the field or better
• If they hold the Lakers to less than 40% shooting and fewer than eight threes
• If they make 15 free throws or more
• If they win the rebound battle by ten or more

Calloway County wins...

• If they hold Graves County to 35% shooting or less
• If they turn the Eagles over 20 times
• If they make ten threes or more
• If they break even on the glass