With the last decade of high school hoops coming to an end, here’s a look at the top ten standout players to play for the Tigers from 2010-2020.
First Five
JaQualis Matlock (2011-15) – Matlock, known as a lock-down defender, left the Tigers with a program-best 2,221 points and 1,065 rebounds and a four-year record of 139-24. He’s the only player in program history to play in four Sweet Sixteens, including a senior season in 2014-15 in which he averaged 19.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 58% shooting. He helped lead the Tigers to the Elite Eight, earning First Team All-State from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Second Team from the Louisville Courier-Journal. For his career, Matlock averaged 15.8 points and just under 9 rebounds per game.
Matlock pursued the junior college route out of high school, beginning with Moberly Area Community College, where he averaged 9.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg and earned Second Team All-Region honors. From there he headed to Motlow State College, where he put up 8.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 2.2 assists per outing, before making his way to Eastern Illinois. He finished his junior season there with 5.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg.
Jordan Majors (2009-13) – Majors averaged 21.6 points and 5.7 rebounds as a senior during the 2012-13 season, helping the Tigers to a 33-5 record and a state semifinal appearance. He earned All-District, All-Region, 2nd Region Player of the Year, First Team All-State and All-State Tournament Team honors, before moving on to Florida Tech. After redshirting his first season due to injury, he was named to the D2 Bulletin All-Freshman Team after posting 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He put up 12.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.8 assists per game as a sophomore, before a junior season that saw averages of 20 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists. As a senior, Majors upped his scoring average to 22.5, becoming the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer with 1,898 points.
CJ Henagan (2013-17) – During his four seasons with the Tigers, Henagan played on three teams that appeared in the Sweet Sixteen, including his senior season in 2016-17 in which he averaged 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per outing. He was named to the All-District and All-Region teams, before moving on to play at NCAA D2 Embry-Riddle. He posted averages of 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds as a freshman, before his sophomore season was cut short after 13 games due to injury, with averages of 5.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Henagan is pursuing a degree in Aerospace Physiology.
Tra Edwards (2010-14) – Edwards helped the Tigers to three-straight Sweet Sixteen trips, including a semifinal appearance as a junior and an Elite Eight run as a senior. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds as a junior, before making the jump to 16.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a senior. Edwards poured in a career-high 30 points in a victory over South Oldham in the first round of the 2013-14 state tournament, earning First Team All-State recognition. After his career with the Tigers he first went to Murray State University, before stops at Southwestern Illinois College and Moberly Area Community College. He posted averages of 10 points and 3 rebounds at Southwestern, and 4.3 points and 1.5 rebounds at Moberly.
Jalen Johnson (2014-18) – Johnson just missed averaging double-digit points for all four years at Hoptown, averaging 9.6 points per game as a freshman. After a Sweet Sixteen trip as a freshman, he averaged 16 ppg and 3.7 rpg as a sophomore, with the Tigers falling in the regional title game. Another trip to the state tournament followed in his junior season, when he averaged 17.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing, including a 29-point showing in the regional title win over Christian County. After a brief move to Aspire Academy, Johnson returned to the Tigers for his senior season, averaging 17.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, while shooting 41% from 3-point range. Kentucky All-State nods came after both his junior and senior seasons, while he also earned All-State Honorable Mention three times. Johnson finished his four-year career with 1,663 points.
Johnson signed with Murray State, appearing in 19 games as a freshman, before transferring to John A. Logan College. He played in 33 games as a sophomore, averaging 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists, while shooting 42% from behind the arc.
Second Five
Stephen Cager (2014-18) – Cager scored over 1,300 points in his Tiger career, while making two trips to the state tournament. He exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, posting 12.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while earning a reputation as defensive specialist. Cager upped his scoring average to just under 16 as a junior, while leading the Tigers with a team-high 74 made 3-pointers and a 44% rate from behind the arc. He missed the first 17 games of his senior season, but still managed to put up 22.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg, earning All-District and All-Region honors. Cager signed with Southeastern Community College, posting averages of 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his freshman season.
James Nicholas (2015-19) – Nicholas posted 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds and helped the Tigers to a Sweet Sixteen trip as a sophomore, before almost doubling his scoring average as a junior, with 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He became the focal point of the Tiger offense as a senior, putting up 14.2 ppg on 44% shooting, including 36% from behind the arc, with 3.4 rebounds per outing. Nicholas was named to both the All-District and All-Region teams after his senior year, and signed to continue his career at Cumberland University.
Kourtney Ware (2012-16) – Ware was a bit of a late bloomer for the Tigers, making his name during a junior season in which he averaged 7.7 points and just under 2 rebounds per game, while helping the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. He led the team during his senior season with 17.5 ppg, while also pulling down 5 rebounds per game, but the Tigers fell to Christian County in both the district and region title games. The Louisville Courier-Journal named him All-State Honorable Mention, before he signed to continue his career at Dodge City Community College. He excelled with the Conquistadors, putting up 15.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, before moving on to Southeastern Community College as a sophomore. Ware earned Second Team All-Region for the Blackhawks, posting 13.2 ppg and just under two rebounds per outing.
Jamarion Sharp (2015-19) – As the Tiger big man steadily grew over his four-year career, so did his game. Sharp didn’t appear in a game for the Tigers as a freshman, before scoring just under 2 points and less than a rebound per outing on Hoptown’s Sweet Sixteen team as a sophomore. He more than doubled his junior averages of 3 ppg and 3 rpg as a senior, posting 7.6 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game on the way to an All-District nod. Sharp was selected to the Kentucky Senior All-Star team, scoring 7 points with 2 rebounds and a couple of blocked shots against the Indiana All-Stars. He signed with John A. Logan, starting 13 games, while scoring 5 points and pulling down 5 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Demarius “Quan” Poindexter (2013-14) – After transferring from Christian County, Poindexter only played one season for the Tigers. However, he made the most of his senior campaign, posting 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while helping the team to a quarterfinal showing at the state tournament. Poindexter would also enjoy a prolific college career, beginning at Southwest Illinois College. He put up 15.6 points. 6.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists with the Blue Storm, before moving on to Georgetown College. He excelled with the Tigers, earning All-America honors after posting 15 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior. He followed that with 14.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg as a senior, before playing professionally with the Latrobe City Energy in Australia.
