KHSAA Sweet Sixteen Preview: Holmes vs. Christian Co.

Game 6: Covington Holmes (32-2) vs. Christian County (21-6) 1:30 p.m.

The second game of the day features one of the state's top teams in Covington Holmes, the winners of the 9th Region. They will do battle with a very tough Christian County team from the 2nd Region. Holmes started the season at 1-1. They have went 31-1 since and are favored by many to win the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs have became known not only for their talented lineup, but also their lockdown defense. In postseason play, their opponents have averaged just 33.6 points a game. If the old adage about defense winning championships is true, the Bulldogs should be happy on Saturday. Holmes is led by talented division I prospect Elijah Pittman. The 6'7" junior is averaging 14.2 points a game. Ricardo Johnson, another junior, averages 10.7 points a game and senior Jamel Riley adds 10.3 points for the Bulldogs.

Christian County enters the tournament winning twelve of their last thirteen games and finding their stride at the right time. Their season took off when the football players found their basketball legs after a deep playoff run. The Colonels are led by senior Corey Wilford and his 17.6 points a game. They also get 11.9 points from DaQuan Murden and 11.3 from Shaquille Wilson.

My Thoughts: These teams play very differing styles. Christian County loves to score points and get up-and-down the court. Holmes, on the other hand, plays lockdown defense and doesn't mind if the final score is in the 30's. It will be very interesting to see which tempo prevails in this matchup.

Prediction: Holmes is 32-2 heading into this game. I will have to pick the Bulldogs to win in a close one.