Corbin 74 Harlan County 70

[Les]

The Redhounds were trailing 43-27 in the second quarter before rallying to stun the Black Bears on Harlan County's home court.

[JokersWild24]

Wow. Not so much surprised by the outcome as the amount that Corbin came back from. Who keyed their run? Also, how did each team look overall? It seems like Harlan County is fading down the stretch, and given their history, one would think that the weight of the expectations might be bearing down on them that much more.

[Les]

Honestly it was a total team effort for Corbin. Has been all season. Kevin Goinz came off the bench and scored team high 17. But Zach Farley, Trevor Hill, Robbie Igo, Hunter Grubb, Kaleb Maguet & Corey Shelton each played big roles. Corbin looks solid & could very well win the region. Something isn't right with Harlan County. Can't put my finger on it. Obviously, they have the talent to win the region but I'm not sure if they will.

[JokersWild24]

Honestly it was a total team effort for Corbin. Has been all season. Kevin Goinz came off the bench and scored team high 17. But Zach Farley, Trevor Hill, Robbie Igo, Hunter Grubb, Kaleb Maguet & Corey Shelton each played big roles. Corbin looks solid & could very well win the region. Something isn't right with Harlan County. Can't put my finger on it. Obviously, they have the talent to win the region but I'm not sure if they will.

 

 

Seems like Corbin is peaking at the right time.

 

Only two losses in 2013. One was a 2 point loss in double OT to South Laurel at South, and that rivalry has typically seen some close scores between the two regardless of what the expectations are for each going into the year. The other was a 35 point drubbing to a good Pulaski County team who was hot enough to score 90 that night.

 

Aside from opening up the season by beating Wayne County on a neutral floor, Corbin doesn't really have an out-of-region win to hang their hat on; but other than the Pulaski County and Trinity games, they've not really had a bad loss save possibly the Spencer County game on the road either.

 

Really don't know what to make of them because their schedule is somewhat watered down in comparison to what they typically play, but it would appear that they've won the games they were supposed to win, and have plenty of wins over some of the contenders in the 13th.

 

The Clay County loss was at home, but came early in the year, and was only by 4. The North Laurel game was a 3 point loss at North Laurel in North's Christmas tourney, and was their third game in as many days and their 5th game in 8 days (with the Trinity and Spencer County losses on the road on 12/14 and 12/15 respectively, then the Bell County, Pineville, and North Laurel in the Legacy Nissan Tournament at North on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd). They've also beaten Bell County twice (once at Bell), avenged their loss to North with a 17 point home win, have a home win over South from earlier in the year, and just knocked off Harlan County on the road. They also beat a solid (by 13th standards) Pineville team by 17.

 

 

 

With no one really standing out in the 13th Region, I would think that the consistency in their body of work could make them the favorite going into the region. If they haven't taken on the role of favorites yet, they have certainly proven themselves as one of the teams to beat.

 

I haven't gotten the chance to take in any of their games, but from what I infer about them, I would say that they are going to be the type of team who might not have the upside and potential of a North Laurel, Harlan County, or Clay County in terms of raw talent/explosiveness/ability to blow weaker teams out if they play their best game.

 

I only make the comment because I'm given the impression that they don't necessarily have a go-to scorer or core of players like Harlan County’s guard trio, North’s Allen, Carson, and an emerging Broughton, or Clay County’s inside-outside combo of McDaniel & Bowling (with the possibility that someone like Lyttle or Reed steps up keeping the defense honest). With that said, I think that the scores I’ve seen from the teams mentioned are more inconsistent than what I see when I evaluate Corbin.

 

What I would say is that they are a team that is going to force anyone who plays them to grind out a very hard-fought game if they hope to beat them. They've proven that they can win some close regional games, and also seem like the kind of team that will require someone to play their style of basketball and execute for four quarters.

 

I strongly feel that there’s something to be said about the way they’ve won the games they are supposed to win and have been very competitive in any of their regional losses. At the same time, the outright beatings by Pulaski County and Trinity make me hesitant to label them as the clear-cut favorite (despite my knowing they won’t be running into teams like this in the region). Nonetheless, if I did have to pick today, I’d say that they would probably be my pick to win the region.

 

 

 

Would you agree that the above is a fair assessment?

 

This does not necessarily mean my labeling them as my favorite to win the region if I had to pick today, but more-so about what I've inferred about the type of team they are/could potentially be given what I know about their past teams, what I read on here, etc. (but you can obviously comment on either if you want and I'd certainly be interested to hear your thoughts and would obviously find your opinion to be informed and credible).

 

I’ve not watched nearly as many 13th games as I have in the past though and wondered if they have other kids around him who consistently step up and would be counted on to go out and get theirs regardless in a big game atmosphere. I know that the Igo kid was a big part of their team last year, so I’d imagine he shoulders the majority of the scoring/rebounding load. Are there any others who would fit the roles and descriptions I’ve given to him?

 

Also, are they a traditional Corbin team under Pietrowski team who plays quite a bit of 2-2-1 Full Court pressure to push the tempo (i.e., not really gambling for steals so much as dictating the flow of the game and trying to take their opponent out of rhythm)???

 

I’m basically asking these questions out of curiosity given the limited amount of 13th games I've watched this year, and figure that most of the questions are general enough to be common knowledge within the region anyway. I’m a big stat-head and notice that they lead the region in points per game, but that they also give up the most points as well, so I was wondering if there was any significance to this (too late and don’t care enough to start really crunching numbers).

Edited February 12, 2013 by JokersWild24

[Les]

Kevin Goins is the best 6th man in the region. Hunter Grubb could very well be the best player in the 13th Region this season. One of the top three-point shooters in the region. Farley, Maguet and Hill can go off & score 20 out of the blue. If Igo stays out of foul trouble, they are tough to beat. But scoring wise, Goins & Grubb have been consistent the entire season.

Clay & Corbin are the top teams right now and then Jackson & Harlan County.

[JokersWild24]

Thanks. How big are the Goins and Grubb kids? Guards, wings, or post players (guessing Grubb is a guard)???

Also, what class are they in? Given their not playing much last year (at least to my knowledge), I'm guessing that they are younger, which means we'll probably be seeing more good Corbin teams in the future. Also, based on your comments, I'm guessing that Corbin is the deepest team in the region as well.

 

Based on your comments, I'm guessing that the team is somewhat undersized (given your comment about Igo staying out of foul trouble... though this could simply be his value to the team, especially as far as experience, etc.).

 

I definitely think that Corbin is going to be the toughest out of the tournament (if anyone even beats them). Whoever comes out of the Jackson County/North Laurel game is probably my pick for that sleeper team that no one really wants to face in a one-and-done (at least if Jackson County gets Wagers back). I say this because of the potential for Fox and/or the North kids that I mentioned earlier (and Henson) to get hot.

 

 

Also, FWIW, I've really enjoyed reading your weekly 13th updates. Keep up the good work.

[Get Some]

Congrats Corbin