Mr. and Miss Basketball candidates across the state have been revealed.
The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation (KLEF) and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches (KABC) announced the senior student athletes selected as the KABC Regional Players of the Year.
Each candidate is now up for the Mr. and Miss Basketball award to be announced at the March 19 banquet in Lexington.
In the Ninth Region boys, Covington Catholic’s Evan Ipsaro and Holy Cross’ Jacob Meyer were announced as Co-Players of the Year. Cooper’s Whitney Lind won the girls’ KABC Ninth Region Player of the Year while Walton-Verona’s Grace Brewer won the girls’ KABC Eighth Region Player of the Year.
Conner’s Matt Otte was named the KABC Ninth Region Coach of the Year while Holy Cross girls coach Ted Arlinghaus was named KABC Ninth Region Coach of the Year and Bishop Brossart’s Steve Brown was named KABC 10th Region Coach of the Year a day after being selected as the 10th Region Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year.
Ipsaro and Meyer were the top candidates in the competitive Ninth Region and the two will now share the award. Ipsaro’s senior season has catapulted him to the third all-time leading scorer in Colonels history with 1,865 points in three seasons in Park Hills. Ipsaro has helped lead the Colonels to a 23-4 record and currently a No. 5 ranking in the statewide media poll. He’s been efficient in doing so, shooting 57% from the field, 86% from the free throw line and a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game. Ipsaro is headed to Miami (Ohio) in the fall on a basketball scholarship. He heads into Friday’s regular season finale against Madison Central with 2,222 career points, scoring 357 his freshman season at New Richmond (Ohio).
Meyer recently broke the Ninth Region all-time scoring record and leads the state in scoring with 37.1 points per game. He’s scored 1,040 points in his senior campaign while shooting 54% from the field, 37% from the 3-point line and 82% from the free throw line while pulling down 8.5 rebounds per game. The Indians closed out the season on Thursday night with a 21-7 record. Meyer has 15 Division I offers and will be making his decision on where he’s headed in the fall after the season. Meyer enters the postseason with 3,318 career points.
Lind recently scored her 2,000th career point and has Cooper in prime position to repeat in the Ninth Region. The Lehigh commit leads the Jaguars in scoring with 17.7 points per game and is also the leading rebounder with 7.1 rebounds per game. Lind also leads the team in field goal percentage, hitting 55% from the field and knocks down 75% from the free throw line. Cooper is 23-3 and sporting a 9-0 record in region play as they close out their regular season Friday against Owen County. Lind has scored 2,185 points and grabbed 957 rebounds in her Cooper career. She’s led the team in scoring and rebounding since eighth grade.
Brewer is averaging a double-double with 18.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game for the Bearcats and knocks down 77% from the free throw line. Walton-Verona is 15-13 on the season and close out their regular season on Friday against Scott. Brewer cleared the 1,000-point marker this season. Brewer has 1,137 career points and has pulled down 686 career rebounds.
Otte has led Conner to a 18-6 record as they’re in the hunt for their first Ninth Region title since 1993. They close out their regular season on Friday with Lloyd Memorial and enter the 33rd District Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Otte is in his seventh season at the helm of the Cougars, sporting a 119-75 record in that span and three straight 33rd District titles.
Arlinghaus has guided Holy Cross to a 24-6 record as the Indians won the All “A” state championship in January, their second in program history. Arlinghaus is in his third season with the program, 59-29 during that time as they look for their first 35th District title since 2017. The Ninth Region All “A” title was their second straight.
Brown has led Bishop Brossart to a 19-11 record and a 10th Region All “A” title. He’s in his first season with the Lady ‘Stangs as they look to 3-peat as 37th district champs. Brossart is 8-3 in region play and went 1-1 in the 37th as they try to avenge an early season loss to Campbell. The Lady ‘Stangs won their first round game at the All “A” state tournament against Jackson County before losing to eventual runner-up Bethlehem in the quarterfinals. A win over the Camels on Monday would match their win total from last season when they finished 20-11. Brown came over from Scott High, where he coached the prior three seasons for the Eagles. Brown won the 2021 KABC 10th Region Coach of the Year at Scott.