43rd District tournaments: Dunbar, Lafayette favored to take crowns

The 43rd District tournaments get underway Monday at Lafayette. Two top-25 teams are guaranteed to go home in the boys’ field.

Lafayette, Lexington Catholic, Lexington Christian and Paul Laurence Dunbar were all ranked in the latest Cantrall Ratings. LCA, ranked 24th, is participating in what is effectively a play-in game.

Dunbar held the No. 1 spot in the Cantrall Ratings for much of the season and swept the district. Seniors Darius Williams, a Mr. Basketball candidate, and Jordan Lewis, along with rising junior Taveion Hollingsworth, form an ultra-athletic backcourt. Junior Dontell Brown has developed into a formidable post presence.

The Bulldogs await the winner between Tates Creek and Lexington Christian in Monday’s first-round game.

LCA won seven of nine at the end of the regular season, including a 29-point shellacking of Lafayette on Feb. 5. The Eagles’ frontcourt duo of Kyle Rode (18 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Tre King (16.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) give them perhaps the most complete interior presence in the district. Sophomore Carter Hendrickson’s return from injury has energized LCA.

Tates Creek, on the other hand, struggled to find itself throughout the regular season and could play spoiler just by getting to the semifinals in its first year under Michael Allen. Even just one win here could pay big dividends for the young Commodores.

Lafayette and Lexington Catholic will vie for a berth to the finals and the 11th Region tournament on Tuesday night. The two split their regular-season meetings and each enter having gone 3-3 in their last six games.

In the girls’ bracket, Lafayette is a decisive favorite to win its fourth straight district title. The Generals have won 25 straight games against fellow 43rd teams, including eight straight against No. 2 seed Dunbar. Kiara Pankins, a junior, averages 21 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Generals.

This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 6:52 PM with the headline "43rd District tournaments: Dunbar, Lafayette favored to take crowns."