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Do RPI, stats mean a state tournament run for 13th Region teams?
Posted On 31 Dec 2021
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The first RPI ratings for basketball teams across the state were released last week.
For those interested, the RPI is supposed to be a better way of comparing two teams, taking into account not only wins and losses, but the quality of competition.
It is the reason you see football teams seeking out better competition.
North Laurel currently has the highest RPI in the 13th Region among the boys’ teams, while Corbin leads the region on the girls’ side.
Coach Isaac Wilson’s Lady Redhounds continue to cruise along, extending the current winning streak to seven with wins over Leslie County, Somerset and Danville in the Lady Redhound Christmas Bash last week.
Corbin is playing over in Pulaski County this week before getting playing at Knox Central and Whitley County next Monday and Tuesday.
In addition to the RPI, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association released the initial state basketball stats leaders.
Lynn Camp’s Micah Engle is the highest 13th Region player among the scoring leaders with 26.3 points per game.
That is good enough for 11th.
For those of you keeping score at home, Justin Becker from Robertson County is averaging 40.4 points per game, while Covington Holy Cross’ Jacob Meyer is averaging 40.2 points. There is a big dropoff before you get to Carlisle County’s Garrett Hayden at 33.1 points per game.
After Engle, you find North Laurel’s Reed Shepherd at 17th with 24.6 points per game.
Williamsburg’s Evan Steely is the leading scorer among the Whitley County teams, coming in 24th with 23.6 points per game.
Lynn Camp’s Gavin Allen is knocking down 70.3 percent of his field goal attempts, ranking 12th in the state.
The only other 13th Region player on that list was Harlan County’s Jonah Swanner who ranked 48th, shooting 63.8 percent.
Sheppard is among the top 10 in free throw shooting percentage, hitting 90.5 percent of his attempts.
Travis Scott and Jordan Collins of Barbourville, Ryan Davidson of North Laurel, Trent Noah of Harlan County, and Steely from Williamsburg also made the top 50.
As a team, North Laurel is tops in the state, shooting a combined 83 percent.
Coaches and players, please take note. Work on that free throw shooting!
North Laurel’s Clay Sizemore ranked ninth in 3-point shooting, averaging 3.8 three-pointers per game.
Again, the 13th Region was limited in the top 50 with Harlan County’s Noah Trent and Daniel Carmical the only other players to make the list.
The 13th Region was at the top in rebounding as Oneida Baptist Institute’s Kazim Faisal leads the state, averaging 15.7 rebounds per game.
OBI’s Isaiah Marcum and Harlan County’s Trent Noah also made the rebounding top 50.
The 13th region was better represented when examining the team rankings.
Harlan County, Pineville, Williamsburg, Barbourville, Bell County and Knox Central all cracked the top 50 in scoring.
When it comes to shooting percentage from the field, North Laurel is the best in the region and one of the best in the state, coming in at number 13, shooting 52.1 percent from the field.
Lynn Camp and Williamsburg also made the top 50.
North Laurel and Bell County were the only 13th Region teams included in the top 50 in defense which was based on points given up per game.
On the girls’ side, Red Bird’s Alyssa Gibson is in the top 10 in scoring in the state, averaging 23 points per game.
Barbourville’s Brianna Gallagher, Knox Central’s Halle Collins, North Laurel’s Hailee Valentine and South Laurel’s Clara Collins also made the top 50.
Bell County’s Talyah McQueen, Corbin’s Darcie Anderson, North Laurel’s Chloe McKnight and South Laurel’s Rachel Presley made the top 50 in field goal shooting percentage.
Anderson is knocking down 57.1 percent of her shots to come in at 42nd.
When it comes to free throws, North Laurel’s Emily Sizemore is among the top ten in the state, hitting 85.1 percent of her attempts.
Kailey Owens of Middlesboro and Halle Collins from Knox Central are right behind her.
Corbin’s Kallie Housley, who is shooting 80.8 percent and Darcie Anderson at 79.4 percent, also made the list, along with Keevi Betts of Middlesboro and Sarah Smith of Barbourville.
Reb Bird’s Liberty Taylor is averaging 3.5 3-point field goals per game, ranking her second in the state.
Clara Collins from South Laurel, Hailee Valentine from North Laurel and Knox Central’s Presley Partin also made the top 50.
Knox Central’s Halle Collins and Mikayla Wilder from Bell County are among the top 50 rebounders in the state.
As a team, Corbin is second in the state in scoring, averaging 68.1 points per game.
Sacred Heart is the top team, averaging 72 points.
South Laurel, Knox Central, North Laurel and Bell County also cracked the top 50.
The Lady Redhounds were the only 13th Region team to make the top 50 in defense, coming in at 43rd.
Corbin gives up an average of 52.2 points per game.
Corbin’s average margin of victory of 25.9 points per game is good enough for fourth in the state.
As a team, the Lady Redhounds are shooting 48 percent from the field, which is good enough for seventh in the state.
North Laurel is the top free throw shooting team in the state, hitting 80 percent of its attempts.
Corbin is shooting 66.9 percent as a team, which puts the Lady Redhounds at 35th.
So what does RPI and a breakdown of the statistics have to do with anything for those who aren’t stat fanatics?
The one stat that does matter, which is playing in Lexington for the state title, has been a tough road for the 13th Region.
Looking back over the last ten years of the state tournaments, it has been a lot of one-and-dones for the 13th Region Champion.
South Laurel had won its first–round game in the Girls’ Sweet 16 in 2020, but that was the last game before the tournament was cancelled because of COVID–19. The boys’ tournament never tipped off that year.
Corbin’s boy’s advanced to the second round/Elite Eight in 2018 and South Laurel reached the Final Four in 2016.
On the girls’ side, North Laurel in 2019 and Clay County in 2011 are the only other 13th Region teams to advance beyond the first round.
Is this the year that one, or both of the 13th Region representatives gets on a roll and possibly plays for a state title?
