Without being disrespectful to past/current coaches and administration, which programs do you see as "sleeping giants" in Kentucky and why? Before responding, please read the entire post for insight and clarity.

 

I ask this because sometime around my senior year of high school/freshman year of college (2003), a friend and I had this conversation. It was a hypothetical debate at the time phrased as "If you were going to be a first year coach at the Kentucky school of your choosing, and you had the support of the administration in place there (obviously a big deal), where would you want to go and why"?

 

 

My choices were Trinity and St. Xavier, mainly because of:

- the size of the schools (enrollment),

- the resources of the schools,

- the relative population centers that the schools drew from (especially given that Louisville is a "basketball city"),

- the lack of historical success there (at least recently... remember this was in 2003), and

- the fact that football reigned supreme at both schools

 

 

To me, the fact that both were known as "football schools" was appealing because it indicated that there was a commitment to winning athletics within the school communities and that while you may not necessarily have your pick of athletes, budgeting priorities, etc., you would still have a nice degree of job security and a chance to grown and mold the program as you wanted. Success and tradition could be a double-edged sword, as I'd personally rather be the guy who follows the guy that followed 'the guy' than the guy that follows 'the guy'.

 

 

 

Some other things to consider:

 

- Intra-district and Intra-regional competition (one of the biggest drawbacks to my choices)

- Expectations/Pressure to win in the community

- Parents Involvement in the Program/Need to rely on parents for fund-raising, etc.

- Potential that families leave/re-locate to the area (i.e., work opportunities, etc.)

- Potential growth of the area relative to schools consolidating/fracturing

 

The last two points are best illustrated with practical examples. First, consider the fact that Fort Campbell, which draws a large percentage of their student body from military families is going to have a higher turnover than a school in a community whose growth has stagnated. Second, consider that there has been discussion in the Georgetown community about opening a new high school, whereas the schools in Paducah (Heath, Lone Oak and Reidland) are going to consolidate into one school.

 

 

I have made an updated list of schools that I'll share (hint: some may even be listed right now), but was curious about how others would respond to this and wanted to see what others came up with and why before sharing my own thoughts.

This doesn't make any sense because I would not call St X or Trinity a sleeping giant. First year coaches don't get jobs like those. I would call schools like Tates Creek and Hopkins County Central sleeping giants. I'd take either one of those schools as a first year coach and expect to do well after a few years.

This doesn't make any sense because I would not call St X or Trinity a sleeping giant. First year coaches don't get jobs like those. I would call schools like Tates Creek and Hopkins County Central sleeping giants. I'd take either one of those schools as a first year coach and expect to do well after a few years.

 

Disagree. Their basketball success pales in comparison not only to football at both schools but pretty much most sports at both schools. In 2003 neither are what I would call basketball powerhouses. Didn't Trinity just win their first state title in basketball in 2012?

 

While Trinity appears to be awake now in 2003 I think both schools could have been correctly called sleeping giants.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out where I would like to go. I don't think any of my choices are considered sleeping giants. :lol:

 

 

Any Bowling Green or Lexington area school that is higher than a 3A-4A football school would do.

 

Bowling Green

South Warren

Greenwood

Bryan Station

Henry Clay

Dunbar

 

 

Those come to mind for me right off the top of my head.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out where I would like to go. I don't think any of my choices are considered sleeping giants. :lol:

 

 

Any Bowling Green or Lexington area school that is higher than a 3A-4A football school would do.

 

Bowling Green

South Warren

Greenwood

Bryan Station

Henry Clay

Dunbar

 

 

Those come to mind for me right off the top of my head.

 

The Lexington public schools are a good starting point on the talent and school size side of things but I seem to hear grumbling about administration support in the Lexington schools. I think there is the potential for a powerhouse in Lexington public schools.

The Lexington public schools are a good starting point on the talent and school size side of things but I seem to hear grumbling about administration support in the Lexington schools. I think there is the potential for a powerhouse in Lexington public schools.

 

 

It has always seemed like the administration is more to blame in the Lexington public school system more than anything else. I could be wrong but that is the impression I have always gotten.

 

Definitely agree the potential for a powerhouse school in Lexington is just sitting there. There is no excuse for Scott County to be the premier high school basketball program in the Lexington area. And I mean that with the utmost respect to Scott County and their program. That is not meant to be disrespectful in any way towards Scott County.

The Lexington public schools are a good starting point on the talent and school size side of things but I seem to hear grumbling about administration support in the Lexington schools. I think there is the potential for a powerhouse in Lexington public schools.

 

It is my understanding that some policies in the Lexington-Fayette system do put teams at somewhat of a competitive disadvantage (i.e., if school is cancelled for weather no team activities such as practice). This is just an example of things I heard while living in Lexington.

This doesn't make any sense because I would not call St X or Trinity a sleeping giant. First year coaches don't get jobs like those. I would call schools like Tates Creek and Hopkins County Central sleeping giants. I'd take either one of those schools as a first year coach and expect to do well after a few years.

 

Remember, this was in 2003 though.

 

As for today, I think Tates Creek is a fairly well regarded job. Coach Breeden was a graduate assistant at UK and has an impressive résumé.

I'm with PP on Greenwood and South Warren. I think those schools have possibilities, and we know there's a ton of talent in that area, yet either really haven't done anything to speak of, Greenwood a couple of Sweet 16 trips which is nice but nothing sustained, and South Warren is still pretty much brand new, still growing and still establishing itself. Those could meet the term "sleeping giants" I think.

Other than Lexington Catholic, the basketball games I've seen in Lexington were poorly attended with a thoroughly disinterested fan base.

Other than Lexington Catholic, the basketball games I've seen in Lexington were poorly attended with a thoroughly disinterested fan base.

 

I was at one of the Henry Clay/Bryan Station games last year and the gym was about 80% full. Considering that rivalry and the talent on the floor it should have been standing room only. Ballard/Trinity last season packed it in at the gym at Valley. Henry Clay/Bryan Station should have been the same IMO.

 

 

Lafayette played in a showcase at LexCath against Southwestern. Southwestern had more fans than Lafayette.

 

It seems as if the students at Lexington public schools have very little school spirit and if the students aren't coming then the only adults at the games will be parents and administrators.

 

LexCath's student section is legendary. I haven't been at an LCA varsity game. How is their student section? Do their students follow the team?

I was at one of the Henry Clay/Bryan Station games last year and the gym was about 80% full. Considering that rivalry and the talent on the floor it should have been standing room only. Ballard/Trinity last season packed it in at the gym at Valley. Henry Clay/Bryan Station should have been the same IMO.

 

 

Lafayette played in a showcase at LexCath against Southwestern. Southwestern had more fans than Lafayette.

 

It seems as if the students at Lexington public schools have very little school spirit and if the students aren't coming then the only adults at the games will be parents and administrators.

 

LexCath's student section is legendary. I haven't been at an LCA varsity game. How is their student section? Do their students follow the team?

 

 

They'll have a decent following at tournament time when their team is up, but they aren't like the Cov Cath/Lex Cath fans.

McCracken County – consolidation, size of school relative to the rest of the region’s teams;

 

Fort Campbell – could be a contender with UHA for the All A if everything fell into place; not a lot of tradition, so anything you did would be a bonus; Army kids are usually athletic and good at sports when compared to the average kid if I were guessing;

 

Muhlenburg County – size of the school relative to the rest of the region; not in a district with the Owensboro schools (who split their kids between four really decent schools as far as overall athletics go); tradition comes from Muhlenburg North too;

 

John Hardin – Elizabethtown area and Nashville are growing at a nice pace considering; lots of kids to choose from and successful athletics programs

 

Seneca – saw them play Scott County (in ’10 or ’11) and came away impressed with the talent they had; the Shaw kid was one of the more underrated guys I’ve seen in awhile given his skill set (younger brother is a star at St. X); there was a dunk off an inbound that game that I will never forget (one of my top 5 KY high school dunks); I’m guessing they see talented players year in and year out, because I didn’t see a kid on their team and think “that kid just can’t play”; one of my favorite Louisville teams to watch (respect good basketball when I see it)

 

North/South Oldham – nothing to lose and everything to gain; have been behind Oldham Co. in basketball for years; nice locations/communities that are proximal to Louisville

 

NKY – I would be interested to know more #’s as far as student populations go for the 9th, but a school that kind of comes to mind is Ryle in the Doellman era. New school, seemingly good community that was starting to expand; If I were picking in Northern Kentucky, it might come down to which school was newest;

 

Dunbar – as of my time in college, there were middle schools in Lexington that split their student population into either Dunbar or Bryan Station, and usually those familiar with the Lexington scene know the kind of talent Station has; have very nice facilities, and academically, they are a very good school. I’ve honestly wondered before why they weren’t better than they have been in recent history (i.e., the last 25 or so years).