Published: June 05, 2009 10:00 pm      

Faulkners set for final home show

SANDY HOOK — Just when you thought it was over.

After a three-year stretch of dominance in 16th Region basketball, Elliott County is getting one more shot at it. The entire cast won’t be intact, but Ethan and Evan Faulkner will be there.

Elliott County is set to host a tune-up game for the traditional Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Basketball Classic. The exhibition on Thursday will pit Kentucky’s senior All-Stars against its own junior class.

The senior team — which includes Ethan and Evan and a handful of other outgoing senior standouts — will represent Kentucky in two All-Star games against Indiana’s seniors on June 13 and 14.

Ethan was honored, excited and humbled all at the same time before leaving to convene with his teammates in Louisville. The team, coached by Apollo’s Tony Hopper, met Friday before beginning a week’s worth of practice leading up to the All-Star games.

When the team returns to Elliott County for Thursday’s game, Ethan expects the same kind of buzz that has surrounded tiny Sandy Hook over the past three years.

“We’re all very excited about it,” he said. “It’s a great place to play.”

It will also be a chance for Ethan and his twin brother Evan to hit the Elliott County floor one last time. The pair were the heart of soul of a Lions team that won 83 games and went 67-5 against the 16th Region the past three years.

The Faulkners are also a large reason so many fans — in Sandy Hook and beyond — have gravitated toward the Lions. And that’s a big reason why Elliott County is hosting Thursday’s game.

“A lot of people got to see our following, being in the state tournament the past three years,” Ethan said. “And (Thursday’s) game will be a great opportunity to show how good our talent is in the state of Kentucky. We’re happy to be playing in front of our fans. They’ll enjoy it.”

There’s no reason why they shouldn’t.

In addition to the Faulkners, the seniors will also be showcasing Mr. Basketball, John Hood of Madisonville North Hopkins. Hood, a 6-foot-6 University of Kentucky signee, averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds in 2008-09.

Hood, too, is perhaps surprisingly one of the tallest players on Kentucky’s team. Ethan says a quicker, more athletic team — much like Elliott County’s team has been in recent seasons — has been assembled to match up against Indiana. A motion offense will be the main set for Kentucky.

In any case, Ethan says he’s ready to buck a recent trend of Indiana dominance in the All-Star games. The bordering state to the north had won eight straight in the series before Kentucky notched a win, 95-78, in Louisville last year.

You certainly can’t tell Ethan, who averaged 16 points, eight rebound and seven assists this season, it’s just for fun.

“Win, win, win,” he said. “That’s what I expect every time I go out on the court. This game goes back a long time and (Kentucky) hasn’t had a lot of success. We’ll go out and bust our butts. This is not a typical All-Star game. If you’re getting on the floor, you will have earned it. There’s a lot of competing going on.”

Thursday’s game at Elliott County begins at

7 p.m. (tickets are $8). The Kentucky-Indiana games will be on back-to-back nights, June 13 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and June 14 at Ballarmine University in Louisville. Proceeds from all games will go to the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation.

“It’s a great honor to host this game,” Elliott County girls coach Mark Cantrell said. “And we want people to come out to it. We need a good show of support for basketball in eastern Kentucky.”

Cantrell, who is helped coordinate the efforts to bring the scrimmage to Sandy Hook, is also looking forward to the chance to see the Faulkners on Elliott County’s floor one last time.

“It’s a great thing,” he said. “They want to give back to the community the same way the community has given to them. That’s the kind of kids they are.”

Kentucky seniors

vs. juniors rosters

SENIORS TEAM

John Hood-Madisonville-North Hopkins Darren Ballou-Adair High School

Delon Butler-Apollo High School

Ethan Faulkner-Elliott County

Evan Faulkner-Elliott County

Corey Jackson-Shawnee

Russ Middleton-Mason County

C.J. Penny-Anderson County

Vee Sanford-Lexington Catholic

Corey Wilford-Christian County

Aaron Wilson-Fulton City

Ridge Wilson-Central High School

JUNIORS TEAM

James Berry-North Hardin

Donovan Gibbs-Iroquois

D’Carlo Hayes-Male High School

Tim Henderson-Louisville Christian

Thomas Jackson-Jeffersontown

Travis Johnson-Grayson County

Cody Miller-Knox Central

Jarrod Polson-West Jessamine

Matt St. John-South Laurel

Delquan Thomas-Eastern High School

Curtis Washington-Elizabethtown

Aaron Watts-McCreary Central

Kentucky-Indiana past five years

2008

Indiana 83, Kentucky 82, Indianapolis

Kentucky 95, Indiana 78, Louisville

2007

Indiana 90, Kentucky 74, Bowling Green

Indiana 94, Kentucky 66, Indianapolis

2006

Indiana 90, Kentucky 74, Bowling Green

Indiana 94, Kentucky 66, Indianapolis

2005

Indiana 94, Kentucky 72, Bowling Green

Indiana 88, Kentucky 65, Indianapolis

2004

Kentucky 89, Indiana 81, Owensboro

Indiana 93, Kentucky 90, Indianapolis