Dunbar’s Taveion Hollingsworth is an early favorite for Mr. Basketball. Dunbar’s Taveion Hollingsworth, right, shoots while defended by Doss’ Nick Anderson during the boys’ high school championship basketball game in the KHSAA Sweet 16 in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, March 20, 2016. Dunbar won 61-52. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
The 36th annual Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic will tip off Friday at Fairdale High School. Here’s a look at players to watch for all eight first-round games (Kentucky rankings from The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches):
FRIDAY
* 6 p.m. – Fairdale (4-2) vs. No. 22 Franklin-Simpson (6-0)
Fairdale is led by a trio of juniors in Glenn Queen (16.3 ppg), Craig Ash (13.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Markelo Sullivan (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Franklin-Simpson features perhaps the top uncommitted senior in the state in 6-foot-4 Tavin Lovan (24.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg).
* 7:30 p.m. – No. 2 Trinity (4-1) vs. No. 14 Cooper (4-1)
Trinity senior guard Jacob King, a Campbellsville University signee, has not yet played this season because of a broken left pinky finger and likely won’t return until the middle of January, coach Mike Szabo said Top players for the Shamrocks are 6-5 junior Jay Scrubb (15.0 ppg), 6-2 senior Lukas Burkman (14.2 ppg) and 6-4 sophomore David Johnson (10.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Sean McNeil (17.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg), a 6-4 Bellarmine University signee, leads Cooper.
* 9 p.m. – No. 6 Ballard (3-0) vs. No. 3 Paul Dunbar (5-1)
Ballard features the senior duo of 5-7 guard Jamil Wilson (17.3 ppg) and 6-3 guard/forward Clivonte Patterson (16.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg). Defending state champion Paul Dunbar is led by 6-2 senior guard Taveion Hollingsworth (27.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), a Western Kentucky University signee and the front-runner for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball award.
SATURDAY
* Noon – Chicago St. Rita (4-1) vs. Acworth (Georgia) Allatoona (5-3)
St. Rita is led by the backcourt of 5-10 senior RaShaad Williams and 5-11 junior Jordan Matthews. Allatoona was Georgia’s Class 5-A state runner-up last season but returned just one starter from that squad in 6-3 junior guard Trey Doomes. He has several scholarship offers, including from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn and Florida State.
* 1:30 p.m. – Huntsville (Alabama) Lee (8-4) vs. Lilburn (Georgia) Berkmar (6-3)
Lee is led by 6-3 senior guard Malik Burnett (Troy signee) and 6-7 sophomore forward Kobe Brown (four-star recruit according to 247sports.com and the son of head coach Greg Brown). Senior guards Al Durham, Jay Estime and Zach Cooks lead Berkmar. Durham has signed with Indiana University and Cooks with the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
* 4:30 p.m. – No. 7 Christian County (6-0) vs. No. 8 Fern Creek (6-0)
Christian County is led by 6-6 senior Jaylen Sebree (16.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who has signed with Coastal Carolina. Detorrion Ware (20.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg), a 6-5 junior, also is a solid player for the Colonels. Chance Moore, a 6-6 senior who transferred from Eastern, leads Fern Creek. Ahmad Price, Tony Rogers and Anthony Wales lead a strong junior class.
* 6 p.m. – No. 1 Bowling Green (5-0) vs. No. 11 Doss (3-2)
Bowling Green features one of the state’s top seniors in 6-6 Austin Peay signee Terry Taylor (23.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg). Zion Harmon, a 5-9 guard, is the top-rated eighth-grader in the nation and is averaging 15.5 points per game. Doss, last year’s state runner-up, is led by 6-0 junior guard Stephon Franklin (19.2 ppg) and 6-5 senior guard Jaylon Hall (13.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
* 7:30 p.m. – No. 5 Covington Catholic (5-1) vs. No. 10 North Hardin (4-2)
Covington Catholic features the high-scoring backcourt of 6-4 junior C.J. Fredrick (20.3 ppg) and 6-1 senior Cole VonHandorf (15.7 ppg, Fairmont State signee). Tony Jackson, a 6-4 senior guard who has signed with Coastal Carolina, leads North Hardin. Trace Young, a talented 6-9 senior, won’t be eligible for the Trojans until after the King of the Bluegrass after transferring from Huntington (West Virginia) Prep.