LONDON — The North Laurel Jaguars have become familiar with the bright lights of Kentucky high school basketball’s biggest stage.
For the fourth time in the past five seasons, the Jaguars will take the floor at Rupp Arena as they prepare to face 4th Region champion Warren Central in first-round action of the UK Healthcare KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16.
North Laurel enters the matchup as the 13th Region champion with an 28-7 record, while Warren Central arrives with a 26-3 mark after capturing the 4th Region title.
For North Laurel coach Nate Valentine, simply reaching the state tournament is no longer the ultimate goal for his program.
“The first couple of years all we wanted to do was make it to the state tournament,” Valentine said. “I think over time our focus has shifted to winning the state tournament. We don’t talk about it a lot, because there are several hurdles you have to cross before you get there.
“There are no easy draws in the Sweet 16,” he added. “Every team has won three games in the region tournament and has proven they are among the best.”
North Laurel reached the Elite Eight a season ago, continuing the program’s rise as one of the most consistent teams in the 13th Region.
This year’s tournament opener presents a major challenge as the Jaguars square off against a Warren Central team that has been one of the top programs in the state all season.
“We certainly have a tough test right of the gate with Warren Central,” Valentine said. “We will do everything we can to advance to the next round and have a chance to get to Saturday. Then anything can happen.
“They play a lot of guys and play really hard,” he added. “They are extremely well-coached and can wreak havoc defensively. Our preparation has to be great this week and then we have to execute under the bright lights. I feel like we grew up a lot in the past month and we are playing with a lot of confidence.”
While the Jaguars have not faced Warren Central this season, Valentine believes the team’s challenging regular-season schedule has helped prepare them for the type of competition they will see at the state tournament.
“We played a challenging schedule this season,” Valentine said. “Although we haven’t played Warren Central, I do feel some of our past games against similar opponents showed us some things we need to be prepared for. In the tournament, we try to keep it simple no matter who the opponent is. We have to take care of the ball and limit turnovers. Every possession needs to end in a shot.
“Then on the defensive end we have to force tough shots that we want them to take and limit them to one shot,” he added. “Defense and rebounding are a must in postseason. If you don’t committ to those two things, you are more than likely going home early.”
