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Holy Cross’ Meyer, CovCath’s Ipsaro will not play in Saturday’s Kentucky-Ohio All-Star Basketball Game


By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter

The dream all-star guard combo – especially for Northern Kentucky fans – of Holy Cross’ Jacob Meyer and Covington Catholic’s Evan Ipsaro will not happen in Saturday’s Kentucky-Ohio All-Star Game as publicized earlier in the week.

Neither player was at the Kentucky team’s first practice Thursday at Thomas More. Later, Game Director Randy Ward said the pair would not be playing.

Jacob Meyer

“They signed up for the game,” Ward said of the fees players pay to participate. “We really like to have local players and we’d have liked to see them play.”

Ward wasn’t the only one.

This was the teaming-up fans here were looking forward to with the two rivals playing together for the first time in their four-year high school careers.

Ward said that all he knew was that “something happened to Evan.” And that Ipsaro, the dynamic CovCath guard who averaged 25.2 points a game, “had a problem and couldn’t play.”

But he didn’t know any more than that. One source said he thought that there may have been a conflict with a spring break trip to Florida.

As for Meyer, whose 36.8 ppg led Kentucky high schools in scoring for the second straight year, there was a different reason for his absence. “Jacob Meyer was making a college visit this weekend,” Ward said. “Life goes on.”

Replacing the pair for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game against Ohio were Louisville Male’s Jack Edelen (17.4 ppg) and Ashland’s Rheyce Deboard (also 17.4 ppg).

Even Ipsaro

“We’ve still got a good group of guards,” Ward said. But the talk after the first practice, he said, was about another Northern Kentucky player, 7-foot-3 Gabe Dynes of Simon Kenton.

“He’s going to block some shots,” Ward said. “Our coaches were really impressed with him in Thursday’s practice. He’s very young but he can play.”

The combination of Dynes and 6-11 Cyr Malonga of Evangel Christian could change the focus from the guards to the Kentucky front line.

And for those who want to see Ipsaro and Meyer playing together, it looks like they’ll have to wait for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Series in June.

Other Northern Kentucky players in the game are Newport’s Marquez Miller, Mason County’s Terrell Henry and Owen County’s Teagan Moore.

The Boys All-Star Game will follow the Girls All-Star Game that tips off at 5 p.m. Saturday. Northern Kentucky players in that game are Cooper’s Whitney Lind, Ryle’s Abby Holtman, Notre Dame’s Noelle Hubert and Walton-Verona’s Grace Brewer.


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