Sweet 16 Cinderella turned into a juggernaut and lived up to the hype
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Sweet Sixteen stories
The 2020 Boys’ Sweet 16 was postponed before it began because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stoppage of our annual high school basketball state tournament denied 16 schools and their communities — for many — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for recognition on one of Kentucky’s most prominent stages. In the absence of basketball, the Herald-Leader is telling their stories. Click below to read the stories published so far.
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Editor’s Note: The 2020 Boys’ Sweet 16 was postponed before it began because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stoppage of our annual high school basketball state tournament denied 16 schools and their communities — for many — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for recognition on one of Kentucky’s most prominent stages. In the absence of basketball, the Herald-Leader is telling their stories.
Madisonville’s run to last year’s state tournament made history and perhaps no team in the state was more ready to do so again this season.
The Maroons had both wingman Kenny White and center/forward Ksuan Casey back among nine seniors, players who turned heads in Rupp Arena with dazzling displays of athleticism and power.
“From a coaching standpoint, this year was definitely more challenging because … everybody expected us to win district and win our region and be back at Rupp Arena,” Maroons Coach Matt Beshear said. “So for our guys to constantly hear that through social media, friends, whatever outlet you want to choose, and continue to work hard and continue to take it one game at a time says a lot about the kind of kids that we have.”
After winning their first region title in 18 years, the perspective on Madisonville suddenly changed.
“Instead of doing the hunting, we were the hunted,” Beshear said.
White and Casey ranked No. 5 and No. 11, respectively, on the Herald-Leader’s preseason top players list as voted on by coaches, and their team came in at No. 3 in the preseason coaches’ poll.
The Maroons would sneak up on no one. But they didn’t hide from anyone, either.
“We played most of the top teams in Kentucky and to only lose three games, I felt like we had a pretty good season,” White said. “It was a good feeling because last year we didn’t get a lot of credit. This year, we knew we had to come in and come out strong every game.”
Madisonville started the year at the Marshall County Hoopfest facing 1st Region powers McCracken County and Marshall and defeating both. Then it was a long holiday tournament road trip through Louisville and Lexington. They took a one-point overtime loss to eventual 8th Region champion Collins at the King of the Bluegrass and a freak, buzzer-beating one-point loss to Lexington Catholic a week later. Another trip east had them face highly rated John Hardin at South Laurel on Jan. 4. A road-weary 72-58 loss to the Bulldogs would be their last.
“That kind of woke us up,” Casey said. “You know, it’s not going to be handed to us. You just have to work harder every single day and figure out what we need to do to become a state championship team.”
Madisonville pummeled the 2nd Region the rest of the way, winning most games by double digits. The Maroons won the 7th District finals by 28 points.
But Christian County came at them with a game plan and a hot hand in the 2nd Region semifinals.
“They had us on the ropes. There was no doubt about it. Ksuan and Kenny both fouled out. … It didn’t look good,” Beshear said. The Maroons defeated the Colonels by 23 on Dec. 10. Madisonville trailed much of the rematch with the season on the line.
White fouled out with 1:25 left in the game and his team down 57-54. Senior guard Keshawn Stone responded by getting a bucket and a foul shot to tie it 57-57 moments later.
Then Casey fouled out on the next play.
“I’m not going to lie. When Kenny fouled out, I was still confident. We’re good. We’re going to be all right. But with both of us out — when I fouled out — I was like, ‘Man, this is not looking good,’” Casey said. “But then something hit me. And after that I didn’t doubt it for one second. I had so much confidence in my team, I just knew they were going to pull it out.”
Trailing 59-57 with 48.3 seconds to go, the Maroons’ Deljuan Johnson, Zach Tow and Marquise Parker all hit clutch free throws down the stretch to help them to a 64-61 victory. The effort proved what Casey and White said they knew all along: it wasn’t just about them; they were a team.
“My confidence was still the same,” White said of those final moments watching his teammates. “I was in there on the bench cheering them on just like I was in the game playing with them. I didn’t have any nerves at all, my adrenaline was too going for that.”
Madisonville (31-3) rolled through Webster County 73-58 for the region title and the return invitation to Rupp Arena for the Sweet 16.
“I’m going to remember those times in practice where we were having fun, going at each other,” Casey said. “(And) what it felt like to know that we were going back to Rupp.”
Even if that doesn’t happen, the Maroons accomplished more in two years than any Madisonville team has. And Beshear believes his five starters all have opportunities to play at the next level. White committed to Tennessee Tech. The others’ decisions are pending.
“For our school to win 30-plus games in back-to-back years for the first time in our school’s history — these guys have had a historic run,” Beshear said. “What they’ve done over the last two years has brought our community together. The attendance for our games has been crazy. It’s been something that Madisonville’s really gotten behind.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 7:55 AM.
