Saturday Game Previews + Buckeye/Bluegrass Challenge Preview

Saturday we have four big games on the schedule, and then the annual Buckeye/Bluegrass Challenge going down at the Bank of Kentucky Center on the campus of Northern Kentucky University; both Saturday and Sunday. Let's take a look at who is playing where:

All 6 of the games at NKU can be watched anytime at nkysports.com

• Moeller @ Woodward: It's always interesting when the GCL and CMAC teams get together. As usual, this will be total clash of styles. Moeller will bring their deliberate style of offense and great half court man to man defense down to Seymour and Reading where the home team ,Woodward, loves to  play in the full-court on both sides of the ball. Two of the city's top sophomores will be on display in top ranked Joshua Davenport from Moeller and Trent Donald of Woodward.

  • 

    Moeller's Charlie Byers

    Prediction: Moeller is no stranger to taking down city teams. They knocked off a talented Aiken team in the playoffs last year; and return most of that team. Expect Moeller to handle themsevles well and win this by double digits.

• Madeira @ Shroder: Shroder has a brutal schedule to start the season, it doesn't get any easier when one the CHL's top teams come to their building. Madeira is a talented young team with lots of sophomores starting varsity. Shroder will be in desperate need of a win by Saturday. Can Madeira  handle the heat that Shroder is going to throw at them, and, do they have anybody down low to bang with Jalen Billups?
  • Prediction: Shroder takes this one.

• Winton Woods @ Hughes: After facing off against Taft and Woodward, Hughes is another team that has had a tough schedule thus far. They have to face an even tougher opponent in Winton Woods on Satuday, who was red hot in a blowout win at Roger Bacon on Tuesday. This should be a fast paced up and down kind of game.
  • Prediction: Hughes has no one that can keep pace with Semaj Christon and Dennis Thomas. Winton Woods wins by a comfortable margin in a rematch from last year's first round playoff game.
• Meadowdale @ West High: West High tries to defend Cincinnati against another visiting Dayton team.

• Buckeye/Bluegrass Challenge- Saturday (all games are at NKU)

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    Aiken's Willy Moore

    Colerain vs Dixie Heights (5:30): Dixie Heights is the #1 ranked team in NKY. They start one of the best freshman in the state in Brandon Hatton and have a deep squad full of talent. Colerain is a very good team in the GMC this year but they will probably be outmatched in this one. Dixie Heights should make KY 1-0 to start the event.

• Aiken vs Covington Holmes (7:00): There will be no shortage of talent on the floor in this one. Willy Moore and Austin Grimes lead Aiken across the river to battle Holmes. Holmes lost two stud players in Elijah Pittman and Ricardo Johnson, so they are still sort of an unknown team. But they are ranked #5 in NKY. This should be a tough test for Aiken but they do appear to be slight favorites.

• Taft vs Louisville Male (8:30): This years headline game for the event features the #1 team in Cincy (D2-D4) and Male who is ranked #4 in Louisville. This should be a real battle, the question will be does Male have the depth, size, athleticism, and toughness to match up with Taft. Taft is off to a   great start, my prediction is that it will stay that way.

  

  Dwayne "Too Tall" Stanford of Taft

  
  

• Buckeye/Bluegrass Challenge- Sunday (all games are at NKU)
  • Oak Hills vs Ryle (1:00): Ryle is currently ranked #6 in the NKY pool and is no stranger to playing teams from across the river. Oak Hills is a middle of the pack GMC team but they do have the talent and experience to win games. Ryle is the favorite here.

• Princeton vs Mason County (2:30): Mason County is one of KY's top teams every single season, and it looks like it's that way again this year. Expect to see a lot of talented players on the floor all game long for both teams. Princeton doesn't look like the Viking teams of the last few years however. Mason County should be favored to win this one.

• St. Xavier vs Covington Catholic (4:00): Cov Cath is #4 in the NKY rankings and is off to a good start this year. St. X is behind most Cincinnati games in games played so far so this will be a tough test for them. X lost a lot last year with the graduation of stars Luke Mass and Alex Longi. This looks like another game where the KY team is favored.