The Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches hands out its annual awards at the boys' and girls' state tournaments, including those for the regional player and coach of the year.
• On the girls' side, Hickman County's Paige Barclay was the winner of the First Region player award that goes to each region's top senior and will receive an automatic invite to the Kentucky-Indiana all-star tryouts. Barclay also appeared in the East-West all-star game last week in Bowling Green.
Paducah Tilghman's Josh Barnett was named the First Region's top coach.
• Carlisle County's Caleb Hardy was the boys' First Region player honoree. Hardy, the Paducah Sun Purchase Player of the Year as a junior, is expected to win the honor again after finishing second in the state in scoring with a 29.3 average and leading the state in rebounding with 13.6 boards per game.
Hardy and Mayfield point guard Tyrese Murrell will represent the First Region in the East-West all-star game on Saturday, and Lyon County's Taylor Gray is one of the two Second Region representatives.
• Heath's Burlin Brower was the KABC coach of the year in the First Region, one of three Heath current and former Pirates' coaches to take center court this week.
Longtime coach Jimmy Long was named to the KABC Court of Honor in recognition of a 30-year career that produced over 500 wins at now-defunct Lowes and Heath.
Long led Lowes to the regional finals in 1981, falling 45-40 to a Mayfield squad that the Blue Devils had beaten in the district finals and eventually reached the state's final four. He also coached Heath to three All A Classic regional titles, reaching the state semifinals in 1994.
One other former Heath mentor was honored on Wednesday — Charlie Hopkins, who coached the Pirates in the late 1980s, was an assistant on Edmonson County's 1976 state championship team that was recognized this week.
• David Smithmier of Paducah was the First Region's top-rated girls' official this season and was selected to work the girls' Sweet 16. Kevin Driver of Benton and Ford Branch of Princeton represented the First and Second regions, respectively, at the boys' state tournament. Driver also worked the All A Classic state tournament earlier this season.
Driver and Hickman County native Will Jones, the Fourth Region representative, worked the Louisville Ballard-Scott County semifinal on Saturday.
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