In all honesty, I see no one on the current roster that comes close to replacing Coston, Palmer, and Englemon. Now in a year or two maybe, but not this season. Am I alone here with this assessment?

 

No.

You say that Holmes will have the best backcourt in NKy and one of the better ones in the state...

 

Let me throw this out there.... You stated in a previous post that Zach Pangallo is or could be a top 20 player in the state for his class. Now, he will be pairing with Tanner Moeves to form NCCs backcourt and Tanner goes about 6'2" with a nice shot, strong, and ability to get to the rim. Pangallo has great quickness, a good shot, good handles and real nice passing ability.

 

What separates beetle/Macklendon from Pangallo/Moeves (both of whom have atleast d2 college interest)?

 

Just curious on your opinion.

 

Nothing against the NCC players at all as they are very good but IMO they are not at the same level. Moeves is going to have to adjust to the play in this region on a regular basis where he may have only went up against this type of play a third of the time coming in from WV and that is not a slam on that region nor am I saying one is better than the other (but recent success at Rupp speaks for itself). Time will tell and it should be a heck of a season for both teams. I know NCC has one hell of a coach and that speaks volumes and like they say on "on any given nite" the ball can go either way. Holmes, NCC, or CovCath should be the favorites to get out of the 9th.

Replacing the 3 seniors will be tough. Bolden will be better than last year, though, and in high school one player can make a huge difference. McClendon should take some pressure with ball handling off Bolden like Palmer, I just don't know if he will be as steady. Q was the steadiest player they had last year, a real rock. Coston was hot and cold, when hot they were pretty much unbeatable, but he wasn't always. I think Housely will be similar. Englemon played way bigger than his size, I don't see Hill being as good, although Chames should be better. Regardless, with a top ten player in the state, they will be tough to handle. They will not be undefeated in February, big schedule difference.

Nothing against the NCC players at all as they are very good but IMO they are not at the same level. Moeves is going to have to adjust to the play in this region on a regular basis where he may have only went up against this type of play a third of the time coming in from WV and that is not a slam on that region nor am I saying one is better than the other (but recent success at Rupp speaks for itself). Time will tell and it should be a heck of a season for both teams. I know NCC has one hell of a coach and that speaks volumes and like they say on "on any given nite" the ball can go either way. Holmes, NCC, or CovCath should be the favorites to get out of the 9th.

 

Really!!!! NewCath has "open gym" at 8:00 next Monday come take a look see, it's open for anyone to watch. Tonight I watched what might be the starting five, McDonald, Schulte, Pangallo, and both Moeves boys hang with Ronnie Dawn Jr., Michael Bueter, Jake Giesler, NKU point guard (sorry didn't get his name). These guys are practicing against quite a few D1 players every week (Johnson brothers from Holmes, Giesler and members of NKU' s team, George Fant (WKU) to name a few. I think the Moeves brothers will have zero problem playing in the 9th.

 

I will agree on the "any given night", it certainly will be a fun season.

Replacing the 3 seniors will be tough. Bolden will be better than last year, though, and in high school one player can make a huge difference. McClendon should take some pressure with ball handling off Bolden like Palmer, I just don't know if he will be as steady. Q was the steadiest player they had last year, a real rock. Coston was hot and cold, when hot they were pretty much unbeatable, but he wasn't always. I think Housely will be similar. Englemon played way bigger than his size, I don't see Hill being as good, although Chames should be better. Regardless, with a top ten player in the state, they will be tough to handle. They will not be undefeated in February, big schedule difference.

 

The young man was an absolute beast on the boards!!! Really like the way he played, he is a huge loss.

You say that Holmes will have the best backcourt in NKy and one of the better ones in the state...

 

Let me throw this out there.... You stated in a previous post that Zach Pangallo is or could be a top 20 player in the state for his class. Now, he will be pairing with Tanner Moeves to form NCCs backcourt and Tanner goes about 6'2" with a nice shot, strong, and ability to get to the rim. Pangallo has great quickness, a good shot, good handles and real nice passing ability.

 

What separates beetle/Macklendon from Pangallo/Moeves (both of whom have atleast d2 college interest)?

 

Just curious on your opinion.

 

Bolden dropped 37 and 22 on Newcath last year. Simply put, when you have a guard of Bolden's caliber and pair him up with a player like McClendon who was averaging double digits last year against one of the tougher NKY schedules, it kind of speaks for itself. Depending on who you like, McClendon is either the best or second best soph to be in NKY. (Weyer being the other choice but lacks the experience of McClendon)

 

But to answer your question, I think it is the athleticism and quickness of those two at both ends that separate them from other other guard tandems in NKY.

In all honesty, I see no one on the current roster that comes close to replacing Coston, Palmer, and Englemon. Now in a year or two maybe, but not this season. Am I alone here with this assessment?

 

It's kind of like money ball. You don't need 1 individual person to replace each player. When you have more depth, you are able to replace that production with multiple players.

 

Trust me, those guys will be sorely missed. But I think top to bottom, this year's team is deeper with more talent. Holmes' bench last year was basically HIll and Housely during the post season, plus Herndon (who was huge for Holmes in the region championship when Bolden fouled out..got game winning rebound and made the ft's...people seem to forget though) and Glover to a lesser extent. Holmes returns their entire bench with an added year of experience, plus add the guys who were strictly JV last season.

 

Englemon will be the toughest to replace as I think McClendon and the duo of Housely/Glover can replace the production of Palmer/Coston. Both Housely and Glover had double digit games last year. Hell, Glover had 16 one game.

 

You can't replace the toughness of Englemon though at both ends. Asked a couple big men around NKY who their toughest match up was this past season and all said Chris Englemon because of how physically strong he was.

 

Also forgot to add Jason Covington and MIkekale Jeffries as returners to this years' team. Not sure how much they will provide but I can almost guarantee they are better than most teams' 10th or 11th option off the bench.

You seem to be putting a lot of stock in Macklendon. Hope he comes through... Moeves and Pangallo will be a tough backcourt, as will Ruthsatz and VonHandorf, and Jackson and Holbrook (both of whom also avgd double digits). I'll be interested to see how Bolden and Macklendon work together. Not saying they won't do very well, just curious. Bolden is the Star. Macklendon scored double digits on a team with not many other options, and with Holmes, Bolden is the "only" option (all eyes on him).

Nothing against the NCC players at all as they are very good but IMO they are not at the same level. Moeves is going to have to adjust to the play in this region on a regular basis where he may have only went up against this type of play a third of the time coming in from WV and that is not a slam on that region nor am I saying one is better than the other (but recent success at Rupp speaks for itself). Time will tell and it should be a heck of a season for both teams. I know NCC has one hell of a coach and that speaks volumes and like they say on "on any given nite" the ball can go either way. Holmes, NCC, or CovCath should be the favorites to get out of the 9th.

 

True, maybe some adjustment, in regards to team system, or officiating. But,maybe you have forgotten, Moeves played on an AAU team all summer that competed against teams that had far bigger, stronger, faster and overall better players than Holmes, CCH or other teams in the region. Anymore, as a senior, if you've played AAU ball on a good team and played in high level tournaments, there is really not many adjustments as far as the speed and physicality of the game. Moeves was seen as one of 2 or 3 driving Forces on that S. Stars team and received a college offer, and other interest after playing in one of the biggest, better tournaments in the country.

 

I'm not saying he's better than Bolden, but I'd take him over Markel "8 days a week". According to Walter, Pangallo is in consideration for a top 20 player in the state. That being said, I don't think they are on a whole other level. Maybe a tad better because of Bolden, but 1 player doesn't make you the best "tandem" in the region, and certainly not the state. My opinion.

Replacing the 3 seniors will be tough. Bolden will be better than last year, though, and in high school one player can make a huge difference. McClendon should take some pressure with ball handling off Bolden like Palmer, I just don't know if he will be as steady. Q was the steadiest player they had last year, a real rock. Coston was hot and cold, when hot they were pretty much unbeatable, but he wasn't always. I think Housely will be similar. Englemon played way bigger than his size, I don't see Hill being as good, although Chames should be better. Regardless, with a top ten player in the state, they will be tough to handle. They will not be undefeated in February, big schedule difference.

 

Will Bolden be better??? He was pretty darn good last year. I guess he could be more consistent with his 20 and 30 pt efforts :thumb:, but I don't see how he gets much better at his size. And, when I say that, I mean, he is really, really good for his size. I agree 1 player can make a big difference in HS, but will Markel be taking the ball out of Boldens hands??? Sounds like the chatter on here leads me to believe so. They lose a lot with Englemon.

You seem to be putting a lot of stock in Macklendon. Hope he comes through... Moeves and Pangallo will be a tough backcourt, as will Ruthsatz and VonHandorf, and Jackson and Holbrook (both of whom also avgd double digits). I'll be interested to see how Bolden and Macklendon work together. Not saying they won't do very well, just curious. Bolden is the Star. Macklendon scored double digits on a team with not many other options, and with Holmes, Bolden is the "only" option (all eyes on him).

 

You obviously didn't see Holmes against Campbell Co this summer...Holbrook looked decent but Jackson had nothing for them. And when Holmes started to press and force the tempo, both were turnover prone and couldn't handle Holmes pressure. Campbell went from leading at the half to losing by 18.

 

You guys are seriously underestimating this group. I'm not saying they are head and shoulders above anyone, but much better than being given credit for. They have a lot of experience in this senior class, a star in the junior class, and the best sophomore class in NKY. This will be a different look team than last year. Will play more uptempo and put a lot more pressure on the opposition (because of the added depth).

 

To say McClendon scored double digits on a team without many options last year shows your lack of knowledge on what HC had last year. Christian McClendon and Tony Campbell were both DII All Stars and Tony was 9th region POY. Pouncy, Tiberi, and Gabbard would have saw a lot of minutes at other nky schools as well.

 

Bolden and McClendon have looked just fine together this summer. I don't know why people think they will clash. The same was thought last year about Bolden and Palmer because both were PG's and that seemed to turn out just fine. No reason to believe this won't be the same. Coach Booher is a great coach and knows how to use his talent.

 

This team is more than James Bolden. You and the other doubters will find that out very shortly. Hoops season is right around the corner.

True, maybe some adjustment, in regards to team system, or officiating. But,maybe you have forgotten, Moeves played on an AAU team all summer that competed against teams that had far bigger, stronger, faster and overall better players than Holmes, CCH or other teams in the region. Anymore, as a senior, if you've played AAU ball on a good team and played in high level tournaments, there is really not many adjustments as far as the speed and physicality of the game. Moeves was seen as one of 2 or 3 driving Forces on that S. Stars team and received a college offer, and other interest after playing in one of the biggest, better tournaments in the country.

 

I'm not saying he's better than Bolden, but I'd take him over Markel "8 days a week". According to Walter, Pangallo is in consideration for a top 20 player in the state. That being said, I don't think they are on a whole other level. Maybe a tad better because of Bolden, but 1 player doesn't make you the best "tandem" in the region, and certainly not the state. My opinion.

 

Nobody has said that McClendon and Bolden are on a whole other level? Both have their flaws like any other high school kid. I simply stated my opinion that with all the tangibles, they are the best duo in NKY and ONE OF the BETTER ones in the state. Markel is top 10-15 in the state for his class and Bolden is arguably the best in that same class that I said Pangallo should be listed in the 11-20 range.

 

Considering the type of talent that Bolden went up against this summer playing on the EYBL circuit, I like his odds against ANYONE in the region. Playing against future NBA guys goes a long way in the development of a kid both physically and mentally. I can promise Shining Stars saw no where near the competition that Bolden saw this summer.

You obviously didn't see Holmes against Campbell Co this summer...Holbrook looked decent but Jackson had nothing for them. And when Holmes started to press and force the tempo, both were turnover prone and couldn't handle Holmes pressure. Campbell went from leading at the half to losing by 18.

 

You guys are seriously underestimating this group. I'm not saying they are head and shoulders above anyone, but much better than being given credit for. They have a lot of experience in this senior class, a star in the junior class, and the best sophomore class in NKY. This will be a different look team than last year. Will play more uptempo and put a lot more pressure on the opposition (because of the added depth).

 

To say McClendon scored double digits on a team without many options last year shows your lack of knowledge on what HC had last year. Christian McClendon and Tony Campbell were both DII All Stars and Tony was 9th region POY. Pouncy, Tiberi, and Gabbard would have saw a lot of minutes at other nky schools as well.

 

Bolden and McClendon have looked just fine together this summer. I don't know why people think they will clash. The same was thought last year about Bolden and Palmer because both were PG's and that seemed to turn out just fine. No reason to believe this won't be the same. Coach Booher is a great coach and knows how to use his talent.

 

This team is more than James Bolden. You and the other doubters will find that out very shortly. Hoops season is right around the corner.

 

First and foremost, You made my point by talking about McClendon with HC. Basically THE "options" were older McC and Campbell. Neither as hyped as Bolden. To say that pounce, Tiberius, and Gabbard would have gotten more time at other HS tells me only that the 3 options at HC were Campbell, And the McC boys. HC wasn't very deep last year, and also not "really" good. They were good, not great.

 

According to you, this Holmes team is going to be loaded with depth, and Bolden will lead the 9th in scoring and will be a top scorer in the state. Some have stated that Bolden is a great "pure" pg, of which Markel plays the same position. So, if Bolden is a leading scorer, the Holmes PG, and Holmes is loaded with depth, where does Markel fit in? Not saying he doesn't, just don't see him being the same third option that he was at HC. At Holmes, Bolden is THE option. Markel may be the 2nd option some nights, or the 8th option. Just don't see why Markel is getting soooo much hype from you. He is a real nice player, a good player, but to say that Bolden and McClendon will be a leading backcourt in the state implies that the pair, or tandem of two guys is REALLY good, when really it's just Bolden that is that good and will carry his team.

 

And, I'm not selling Holmes short. I never said they were overhyped as a team. We've been talking about individual play. I think Holmes will be top 2 in the region. Think NCC has a better overall starting 5, but Holmes has a very good team. Booher has proven to be a phenomenal coach.

 

As for Jackson, and Holbrook, not saying they are as good as Bolden, just saying they will be a good "tandem" in nKY as far as working together. Depending on each other. Option 1, and option 2 for their team.

Nobody has said that McClendon and Bolden are on a whole other level? Both have their flaws like any other high school kid. I simply stated my opinion that with all the tangibles, they are the best duo in NKY and ONE OF the BETTER ones in the state. Markel is top 10-15 in the state for his class and Bolden is arguably the best in that same class that I said Pangallo should be listed in the 11-20 range.

 

Considering the type of talent that Bolden went up against this summer playing on the EYBL circuit, I like his odds against ANYONE in the region. Playing against future NBA guys goes a long way in the development of a kid both physically and mentally. I can promise Shining Stars saw no where near the competition that Bolden saw this summer.

 

Mr. Sixer did say the NCC players (I assume he meant the players we were discussing) were not on the same level. Read the post I quoted.