If it’s not the, it’s one of the toughest districts in the state. Three teams were top 25 in the state caliber last season and this season will be no different with two right in or around the top 10 and Conner proving to be a tough out. Boone County looks to be improved too.
The girls’ 33rd District will pack a punch once again as the four teams will provide a tough test not only in district play, but throughout the region.
Here’s a closer look at the girls 33rd District…
Cooper (29-4 in 2022-23)
Despite losing Whitney Lind and Kay Freihofer, the Jaguars might be even more loaded headed into the 2023-24 season.
Liz Freihofer, Logan Palmer and Maleah Alexander return from the starting lineup while Haylee Noel, Damysia Knox and Bella Deere will have their roles increased significantly headed into the season. Added depth from Zene Thompson and Alivia Scott, who transferred over from Boone County, will make for a deep Jaguars team this season.
Three seniors in Freihofer, Palmer and Alexander are signed to play Division I basketball next season. Freihofer is headed to Eastern Kentucky University, Palmer to Evansville and Alexander to Liberty as a preferred walk-on. Two others hold Division I offers, Noel to Murray State, Arkansas and Dayton, Knox also holding an outstanding offer from Dayton. Deere, also a senior, has signed with Division II Gannon University.
“Whitney started the trend and to see our girls branch off and not to be afraid to go play basketball hours away is really cool to see,” Cooper coach Justin Holthaus said. “They’re all athletically super strong and great as people too. The end of the day people may see just wins and losses, but to see how much they’ve grown up is awesome.”Â
Knox is coming off a season-ending injury from last year in the middle of the season and should be ready to go by season’s start.
The state is well aware of the talent for Cooper, in the Courier-Journal statewide preseason coaches poll, Cooper came in at No. 4.
The Jaguars went 14-0 in 9th Region play last season, only two of those contests decided by less than 10 points, both happening to be against Ryle, who is expected to be their toughest competition in not only district, but region play once again. Holy Cross, Highlands and Conner should also provide some resistance.
“The biggest thing we’ve told our kids is having a windshield mentality. We don’t look in the rear view mirror. Teams are different and what they do,” Holthaus said. “It’s all about how we prep and how we work without practices and the details. The girls have bought into the preparation, attention to detail on everything and making sure we’re well equipped for every game we go into.”
One thing to look for is when the Jaguars are in tight games, who do they turn to when they have to have a score? Lind was that go-to player last year.
“When we need a bucket, Liz is that one. She’ll be the starting point guard for us and is an extension of what we do,” Holthaus said. “She knows the system in and out. Even at the state tournament game when we didn’t shoot it well, we saw a different piece of Liz, especially in that fourth quarter. She’s going to be tough.”
Cooper will find out a lot about themselves in December. They play 14 games in the month with battles looming against Highlands, Sacred Heart, Montgomery County, Purcell-Marian (OH), Conner, Russell and the Queen of the Commonwealth that starts with Owensboro Catholic.
“I like that idea because it tells where we are in the state and tells us what we can do with our roster,” Holthaus said.
The first of three potential showdowns with Ryle comes on Jan. 12 at Ryle.
Ryle (24-9 in 2022-23)
From one factory to the next brings us to Ryle.
While Lind was the first in the Jaguars program to go Division I in a while, Ryle has been churning them out for years and this season is no different. Quinn Eubank is headed to Belmont, Sarah Baker to Youngstown State after they finish their high school careers this season.
Sophomore Jaelyn Jones is already drawing Division I offers, so is seventh grade phenom Jayden McClain, who stands at 6-foot-5.
“Just so proud of them. They’ve worked for it, trained hard. They saw Maddie (Scherr) and Lauren (Schwartz) put in the work and you reap what you sow,” Ryle coach Katie Haitz said. “When you put the time in it makes a difference and makes a difference for our program.”
In the majority of other regions across the state, Ryle would be the favorite coming into the season, but Cooper stands in their way. Ryle had won 12 straight meetings between the two from 2018-22, but the Jaguars have flipped the script and won the past five, including all three meetings last year.
Ryle went seven-deep last year and should be pretty similar despite the departures of Abby Holtman, Austin Johnson and Emerson Fong to graduation. Johnson’s defensive prowess and Holtman’s perimeter shooting will need to be replaced. On top of the four already mentioned, Grace Carrigan, Rosemary Miller and Kassidy Peters will be part of the rotation, Miller a transfer from Notre Dame, Peters from Boone County.
“Just trying to get that cohesion together and doing the little things right to be successful over the year,” Haitz said. “I think we can go 8-9 deep by the end of the year, which will be different for us. Having these three new girls coming in, some other JV girls will have those opportunities to get minutes as well. It really makes a difference since we want to push the tempo.”
After playing just five home games last season, the home crowd in Union will get to see their team more. They’re scheduled for 11 home games this season and as usual, will test themselves across the state traveling to Madison Central, Lexington Catholic, Franklin County and Mercy for various shootouts and tournaments.
They get 8th Region champion Simon Kenton right off the bat.
“We always want to put ourselves in a position where we’re challenged and ready to go for district tourney,” Haitz said. “It helps us get to know each other, push other, find our weaknesses and see what we do really well. We’ll learn to pivot and learn something else if something isn’t working.”
Conner (18-8 in 2022-23)
Anna Hamilton is back, which means Conner is a threat once again.
However, she doesn’t have her other top two scorers with her this season as Juliet Strange and Kelsee Simpson have graduated. They also lost Emily McGraw, but do return five of their top eight from the rotation last season.
Hamilton averaged 15.9 points and knocked down 54 three-pointers last season, that will need to increase even more this year for the recently signed Northern Kentucky University commit.
“Of course, we are looking for Anna to take on a big chunk of the scoring, but look to compliment her with a “committee” of players,” Conner coach Michelle Gambrel said. “Anna has spent the summer really working on her strength, quickness and specifically her pull-up jumper. Committing to NKU before the season started has given her a chance to look forward to her senior year and hopefully play in the regional tournament, one of the only goals she has set for herself over the years and we have not yet accomplished it.”
Among the “committee” includes Izelee Kerns, Alexis Craddock, Avery Burcham and seniors Ava Brown, Aubree Dependbrock, Aubrey Fisher and Payton Gutzwiller. Not only with scoring, the committee will need to up their rebounding as well as Strange and Simpson led the way there.
“All will be asked to change their roles this year. Our team’s strengths will be unselfishness. This group does not care who scores, who gets the steal, who’s name is in the paper, all they want to do is be successful and make a good run in the postseason,” Gambrel said.
In any other district in the region, the Cougars would be a shoe-in for the region tournament. But that’s life in the 33rd with Cooper and Ryle in the way.
“Most people, understandably, have not given us much of a chance in the polls, but I think we will surprise some people and compete with anyone on our schedule,” Gambrel said.
The schedule starts with five of their first seven games at home, but won’t be in Hebron for over a month after that. They’re playing in the White, Greer and Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic, the Century Bank Holiday Classic at Anderson County and four more road games follow after that.
When they do return home, it’s a big one, facing off against Ryle on Jan. 19. The test with Cooper comes early on Dec. 15, one of their few road games early on in the season.
Boone County (7-22 in 2022-23)
The Rebels return two starters, Joslyn LaBordeaux-Humphrey and Mya Bennett.
Despite only having three seniors last season, Boone County will still be young with just one senior and three juniors on the roster. Nine players return from last year’s team, their strength from the 3-point line, knocking down 112 triples last season. Bennett led the way in that department with 38 knocked down from deep.
“We finished in top 50 in the state in 3-point percentage, we look to build on that along with a greater focus on getting the ball to the basket,” Rebels coach Todd Humphrey said.
Bennett is now in her third season of varsity basketball and if the first two seasons are any indicator, she’s in line for another big jump in production after going from one to nine points a game last season. LaBordeaux-Humphrey averaged seven points, seven rebounds and three assists as a freshman last season and gives the team a solid 1-2 punch.
From there Lyric Hooper, BriAjia Land and Lauren Hacker should help with production for a team looking to push the tempo.
“We’re going to be a fast paced running basketball team who puts pressure on the defense through attacking the basket, interior post play and spot up three-point shooting,” Humphrey said. “The back court of Hooper, Bennett and LaBordeaux-Humphrey has the potential to be one of the top back courts in the 9th region for years to come. Â With the speed, size and shooting ability the Lady Rebels will turn a lot of heads this season.”
Boone County opens district play with Ryle on Dec. 15. Contests with Conner and Cooper come a week apart in January on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19. The Rebels last made the region tournament in 2015.