The bare facts are that we on BGP do not determine who is D1 caliber, the coaches of D1 schools do. I'm starting to lean toward the idea that we do get our fare share. 1-2 kids per year is a reasonable number. D1 talent is hard to come by. I do think exposure and 'hype' can lead to kids getting the extra look or lack of those issues causes a kid to get over looked where he might have the ability to shine if given the spotlight. How important is it for a kid to be able to play at Rupp? Seems like there is always a kid that gets a boost in the recruitment process by playing on the big stage.

So, you don't think that kids get over inflated on this site? Really?

Nic Simpson - Highlands to NC A&T, I believe

 

Thanks. Forgot about him. Yes he went to NC A&T.

 

You could technically include Duran Jefferson of Holmes too as I believe he had an opportunity to walk on at UK if he wanted.

 

I'd be interested to see the list of kids who played D2 over the past 10 years.

So, you don't think that kids get over inflated on this site? Really?

 

Never said that. Just the opposite. Every ones kid on this site is the best ever.

I'm saying D1 talent is not determined by us. It is determined by coaches who hand out scholarships. The hype on this site is very minimal in the big picture. Pretty sure most D1 coaches are not members of BGP. Go to the Rick Bolus camp and you get on his list of top recruits. Play for a team Nike squad and get listed. Don't get me wrong, you need to be pretty good to make those events or teams. But lots of kids that may be just as good and do not know how to get invited to certain camps or know about the formation of elite teams or can not afford to travel or pay to be on some aau teams.

D1 players over last 10 yrs:

 

Ross Neltner- Highlands to LSU to Vandy

Justin Doellman- Ryle to Xavier

Mike Brock- SK to EKU

Brennan (?) Votel- Covcath to Penn

Austin Hill- Holmes to JUCO to Illinois St

Greg Rice- Holmes to JUCO but playing professionally in Romania now

Mark Krebs- Newcath to UK (walk on)

Arrez Henderson- Holmes to Louisiana Tech

Ricardo Johnson- Holmes to Ohio U

Elijah Pittman- Holmes to JUCO to Marshall

Jake Geisler- Newcath to Jacksonville St to NKU

Tony Campbell- Holy Cross to Ohio U

 

Current nky players with D1 offer:

 

James Bolden- Holmes

Brandon Hatton- Dixie

Drew McDonald- Newcath

 

So why is Greg Rice on this list?

I think one thing that has a lot to do with it which hasn't been mentioned is the fact that, due to its proximity to Ohio, the better athletes are funneled into football programs at an early age, and thus end up playing that. No doubt Ohio is a football state and Kentucky is a basketball state, but I wonder how much the 'pull' of going to schools in the GCL like Moeller, etc. to play football has to do with taking athletes off the basketball court. There seems to be a pretty fair number of D1 football players from the NKY area.

 

Off the top of my head, NKY looks like a QB cradle with: Lorenzen, Towels, Barker, Pike, Grutza (if you count Mason Co. as NKY), etc.

 

Maybe it's the fact that the athletes are there, they just play football instead.

Good points made by all. When you look at the demographics of Northern Kentucky the largest schools tend to be suburban schools. The schools that you would classify as inner city have seen enrollments decline. Basketball is seen as the main sport in the inner city schools.

 

I think you also have to look at the style of play at the high school level in this area. Because of the type of athlete that makes up the majority of the student bodies you get a game that is not as athletic and is more controlled by the coach. High school coaches in this area have just started to embrace the fact that AAU can be a very important piece to a players development in the right program and is absolutely crucial in the recruiting process.

 

While we do not typically see the high major type player very often in this area I think there tends to be a bias that we look at the players being recruited at high major schools and say that all of D1 is made up of that type of athlete. Take the bottom 200 schools in D1 and the rosters are full of players with body styles, athletic ability and basketball skills that you see in athletes in Northern Kentucky.

 

In the past Northern Kentucky has been very provencial in its AAU programs as players tended to play with players from their area and high school and maybe were coached by a parent. These small independent teams did not stray from their comfort zone locally and often when they did travel to major events were not very successful. Parents and players did not understand the value of competing with other high level athletes on thier own team and against them in tournament play. Their is value in an organization that has an Alumni page. College coaches recognize and follow programs as much as they follow individual players.

 

I am of the opinion that Northern Kentucky has taken some significant strides in the past 5-6 years that should lead to more recognition and opportunities at the higher levels. In addition to the players in that time that have been recruited play at the D1 level there has been an increase in players playing successfully at the D2 level. When you look at Thelen, Smith, Gabbard, O'Conner, 2 Sorrells, Foster all playing well at that level that gets coaches attention. I think you can see that in the amount of D2 offers currently out to the class of 2014.

 

In addition you have the growth of high level AAU programs like the Travelers and the Magic where Northern Kentucky kids have had an opportunity to play and compete on the big stage. As those players continue to have success that will open doors for other players from Northern Kentucky.

 

These are all baby steps but I think the depth of basketball in this area continues to improve and as more players move onto the D1 & D2 levels and have success that will lead to more coaches taking notice of players from this area.

Never said that. Just the opposite. Every ones kid on this site is the best ever.

I'm saying D1 talent is not determined by us. It is determined by coaches who hand out scholarships. The hype on this site is very minimal in the big picture. Pretty sure most D1 coaches are not members of BGP. Go to the Rick Bolus camp and you get on his list of top recruits. Play for a team Nike squad and get listed. Don't get me wrong, you need to be pretty good to make those events or teams. But lots of kids that may be just as good and do not know how to get invited to certain camps or know about the formation of elite teams or can not afford to travel or pay to be on some aau teams.

 

Not an NKY kid, but this was the explanation I used to try to illustrate my opinion as to why an athlete like Aaron Watts of McCreary Central from a few years back didn't end up at a bigger college. This isn't saying I know anything about his personal home life, only that he was a kid from a rural, isolated area that wasn't a traditional power in sports, and thus got overlooked. I'm guessing that there are lots of kids like him who slip through the cracks. Just my opinion, but I thought he was one of the better basketball players to come through Kentucky in a long time.

I think you also have to look at the style of play at the high school level in this area. Because of the type of athlete that makes up the majority of the student bodies you get a game that is not as athletic and is more controlled by the coach. High school coaches in this area have just started to embrace the fact that AAU can be a very important piece to a players development in the right program and is absolutely crucial in the recruiting process.

 

Very good point. I do think the style of play not being as appealing to kids is something that can contribute to athletes not playing or not getting noticed when they do.

D1 players over last 10 yrs:

 

Ross Neltner- Highlands to LSU to Vandy

Justin Doellman- Ryle to Xavier

Mike Brock- SK to EKU

Brennan (?) Votel- Covcath to Penn

Austin Hill- Holmes to JUCO to Illinois St

Greg Rice- Holmes to JUCO but playing professionally in Romania now

Mark Krebs- Newcath to UK (walk on)

Arrez Henderson- Holmes to Louisiana Tech

Ricardo Johnson- Holmes to Ohio U

Elijah Pittman- Holmes to JUCO to Marshall

Jake Geisler- Newcath to Jacksonville St to NKU

Tony Campbell- Holy Cross to Ohio U

 

Current nky players with D1 offer:

 

James Bolden- Holmes

Brandon Hatton- Dixie

Drew McDonald- Newcath

 

Greg Rice never played D1? After JUCO played collegiately at Central State which was at that time was an independent D2? There are a lot of D2 players who get the opportunity to play professionally (Cory Pelle) but you cannot classify them as D1 players. Happy for Greg that he is playing professionally but technically not a D1 player.

Never said that. Just the opposite. Every ones kid on this site is the best ever.

I'm saying D1 talent is not determined by us. It is determined by coaches who hand out scholarships. The hype on this site is very minimal in the big picture. Pretty sure most D1 coaches are not members of BGP. Go to the Rick Bolus camp and you get on his list of top recruits. Play for a team Nike squad and get listed. Don't get me wrong, you need to be pretty good to make those events or teams. But lots of kids that may be just as good and do not know how to get invited to certain camps or know about the formation of elite teams or can not afford to travel or pay to be on some aau teams.

I misunderstood then. Because I agree. But the question, which I took as wondering how in the world we don't have more D1's up here, is that we are fed stuff on here that doesn't add up. Bob Huggins said it best when he said on a radio show here about Huntington Prep, he had to otherwise look beyond 3 states to just find a kid he wants to recruit.

D1 players over last 10 yrs:

 

Ross Neltner- Highlands to LSU to Vandy

Justin Doellman- Ryle to Xavier

Mike Brock- SK to EKU

Brennan (?) Votel- Covcath to Penn

Austin Hill- Holmes to JUCO to Illinois St

Greg Rice- Holmes to JUCO but playing professionally in Romania now

Mark Krebs- Newcath to UK (walk on)

Arrez Henderson- Holmes to Louisiana Tech

Ricardo Johnson- Holmes to Ohio U

Elijah Pittman- Holmes to JUCO to Marshall

Jake Geisler- Newcath to Jacksonville St to NKU

Tony Campbell- Holy Cross to Ohio U

 

Current nky players with D1 offer:

 

James Bolden- Holmes

Brandon Hatton- Dixie

Drew McDonald- Newcath

 

Ronny Dawn (NCC to Marshall) in '01

Brian Lewin (Cov Cath, committed to Lafayette, ended up playing briefly at NKU) in '02

 

You could technically include Duran Jefferson of Holmes too as I believe he had an opportunity to walk on at UK if he wanted.

 

No way Duran Jefferson was a Division I caliber basketball player.

Pennick - Ludlow to Wright State or Ohio U ??

Ronny Dawn (NCC to Marshall) in '01

Enjoyed watching him play here at Marshall

 

Brian Lewin (Cov Cath, committed to Lafayette, ended up playing briefly at NKU) in '02

They weren't D1 then obviously.

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The thread asks why Northern KY doesn't produce more D1 talent. Lewin committed to a Division I school, so that's why he was included in the discussion of Division I talent.