As Josh Cook enters his 10th season leading the George Rogers Clark boys basketball team, the same expectation persists internally and from many looking from the outside: get to Rupp Arena.
The Cardinals in his tenure have qualified for the state tournament four times, a stretch from 2020-2023 (the 2020 tournament was not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic). They won the championship in 2022 and were just a couple shots short of following up that feat in 2023; before that, GRC’s only previous title came in 1951, and it’d made only three state tournaments this century (2007, 2011, 2012).
Entering each of the last two postseasons, it seemed the streak of appearances could have continued. In both campaigns, GRC didn’t suffer a loss to another 10th Region team until the playoffs: Campbell County clipped the Cardinals’ wings in the 2024 10th Region semifinals and Montgomery County got ’em twice earlier this year, first in the 40th District finals and again a few weeks later in the 10th Region championship — on a wild buzzer-beater, to boot.
“We’ve got very good leadership and several of those guys, in their careers, have won a lot of games,” Cook said. “But they want to get to Rupp Arena. They understand the importance of that and want to embrace it.”
While it lost some significant players in terms of depth who were expected to return, GRC brings back three of its top five scorers from a year ago: Malachi Ashford along with Montez Gay and Amari Bartleston. Ashford, the Cards’ top returning scorer at 14.6 ppg on nearly 50% shooting, also averaged 5.6 assists last season.
Cook also believes he’s the best on-ball defender in the state in spite of his 5-foot-9 frame. A number of NAIA programs are circling the senior.
“He can apply pressure, super quick, he can make plays,” Cook said. “He’s just a very good veteran guard who can score and has been one of the top players in our region the last two years.”
Gay, a 6-6 junior with offers from Akron, EKU, Morehead State and SEMO, last season immediately trailed Ashford in scoring (12.6 ppg) and led GRC on the glass (7.4 rpg). Bartleston, a 6-7 senior with a junior-college offer, was fifth in scoring (7.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (6 rpg).
Junior JaMylyn Johnson, a 6-2 guard, didn’t accumulate a lot of stats (he was the team’s best free-throw shooter at 84.2% on just 19 attempts) but played in most of GRC’s games last season. He’s a late-riser, recruiting-wise, who’s gotten NAIA offers and will be a bigger part of the picture this season in Winchester.
The Cardinals project as a top-five team in the state entering the season in large part due to those returnees, but the addition of Ryder Akins matters too. Akins last season averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting about 50% at Corbin. He led the Redhounds to the 13th Region tournament as a freshman.
When 10thRegion.com spoke with Cook, Akins had just recently received an offer from Providence College. It was the fifth of what is likely to be a large number of Division I offers for the 6-3 lefty point guard.
“He just does everything very well,” Cook said. “And he’s only a sophomore, so he’s just gonna get better.”
Three players who transferred from the program — Maddox Hager (Boyle County), Sam Spillman (Gaston Day School in North Carolina) and Conner Morguson (Powell County) — were among the Cards’ top-six contributors last season. Bringing along the reserves and keeping guys on the same page might be the biggest task for Cook’s staff in the early going.
So far, the preseason has panned out nicely in that regard. GRC defeated Ballard, a 7th Region contender, and Jeffersontown, last year’s 6th Region winner.
“Our chemistry is really good,” Cook said. “Some of the guys who’ve stepped into those depth roles have been a really good fit. They know their job and what they need to do, so that helps you. Not as many guys are trying not to do the same thing.”
Improving team-wide shooting is a goal, too. Morguson (38.4% on 112 attempts) and Spillman (32% on 97 attempts) would have been among the top returning shooters along with Ashford (37.4% on 91 attempts).
Even with those hurdles in mind, the perch from which GRC sits as tip-off approaches is enviable in the 10th Region and beyond. Cook recognizes that.
“It’s a pretty talented club,” Cook said. “They’ve got a chance to get there for sure. I’ve gotta get ’em there, it’s on me. … I’m probably a fool for thinking we’re gonna get (to do that) every year. We want to go to Rupp Arena every year. That is what we dream to chase together. But that doesn’t mean it’s always gonna work out.
“Life’s gonna throw you curveballs. You’ve just gotta continue to keep playing.”
GRC’s 2025-26 season is scheduled to begin Monday, Dec. 1 at Nicholas County. The Cardinals later that week will host defending 3rd Region champion Daviess County in the Mr. Basketball Classic, an event that’ll bring several state-championship hopefuls to Winchester for a day full of hoops on Dec. 6.
