Funny, I thought that Cordia had an appeal pending that would be heard sometime in the next week and a half. KCC didn't look in a league of their own against Bowling Green. Dropped Blazer once I heard Thornton was gone.

Appeal has absolutely no chance....BG is in 4th region...not 14th

Appeal has absolutely no chance....BG is in 4th region...not 14th

 

Wow, thanks. I didn't realize that. Let me break it down for you like this: Knott County Central represented the 14th region and Bowling Green the 4th. They played in the first round of the Sweet 16 last season. Knott County Central laid an egg. Cam tried to do too much and didn't play well. He's a great player, but against athletic teams, the Patriots seem to struggle. Also, the Lafayette teams of the late 2000's would have been better if they'd have played Tanner Napier. There, something we can agree on?

Wow, thanks. I didn't realize that. Let me break it down for you like this: Knott County Central represented the 14th region and Bowling Green the 4th. They played in the first round of the Sweet 16 last season. Knott County Central laid an egg. Cam tried to do too much and didn't play well. He's a great player, but against athletic teams, the Patriots seem to struggle. Also, the Lafayette teams of the late 2000's would have been better if they'd have played Tanner Napier. There, something we can agree on?

Lafayette isn't in this discussion at all....nor is Tanner Napier......we are talking about Cordia not having a chance with this appeal and KCC being by far the best team in the 14th region....and you are not seeing this?

Lafayette isn't in this discussion at all....nor is Tanner Napier......we are talking about Cordia not having a chance with this appeal and KCC being by far the best team in the 14th region....and you are not seeing this?

 

No, apparently not, thanks for pointing it out.

I can definitely see why people would have KCC #1. I don't share the love for them in terms of thinking they're virtually unbeatable, but I can definitely understand why people have them firmly at #1.

Perry has help this year. I hear James Blair from Buckhorn and Braxton Whitmore from Breathitt both transfered to Perry.

Edited September 4, 201412 yr by PurplePride92
Rule 13

Knott had just enough to beat Cordia. You probably would have danced around the block if Cordia had managed to beat them, even once. It didn't happen. Knott was very lucky to make it to the ST last year. Without the injury to Thompson and unbelievable shooting by Shrum they don't make it. The Knott team was simply worn out by the end of the season. And you are right about trying to do too much. That too much has saved Knott many times so I can't say much negative about someone having a bad game. Add the fact that Evan didn't get to play 10 minutes in the game, and you have a formula for a loss. One last item, that game was picked going in as the closest match of the opening round. The bottom line is that Knott was outplayed.

Knott had just enough to beat Cordia. You probably would have danced around the block if Cordia had managed to beat them, even once. It didn't happen. Knott was very lucky to make it to the ST last year. Without the injury to Thompson and unbelievable shooting by Shrum they don't make it. The Knott team was simply worn out by the end of the season. And you are right about trying to do too much. That too much has saved Knott many times so I can't say much negative about someone having a bad game. Add the fact that Evan didn't get to play 10 minutes in the game, and you have a formula for a loss. One last item, that game was picked going in as the closest match of the opening round. The bottom line is that Knott was outplayed.

 

Never said it didn't save Knott, and I thought they were probably the favorite in the region last year. This year, I think Perry County Central has closed the gap more than some might realize despite losing Justin Johnson. Tobler is a year older, Braxton is a senior, and they have some more kids coming in to help.

 

I thought that Christon was a better player two years ago than he seems to be now. I know Hall is good, but it's like he was at the point that he was so underrated that he became overrated. Two seasons ago, all I would talk about was what he was able to do and how people didn't appreciate him. Now he's a senior and it's like he's gotten so much love for being under appreciated that he's became a bit, dare I even say, overrated. He was in foul trouble at the Sweet 16 because Ayers was a handful.

 

Knott County Central will struggle with athletic teams, and I think they'll struggle more with those athletic teams than Johnson Central. That's why I have them where I do.

Knott Central is far and away the best team in the mountains and I'm not sure it is even close. They would win the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th region tournaments, IMO.

I would first like to have a question answered but even without the answer I am going to move forward with my statement; I feel that strongly about it.

 

How many minutes per game did Austin Combs average per game last season at Cordia?

 

Now it's time for my prediction on one Austin Combs. By the time we reach the middle of January Austin is going to be recognized as one of the top players in the 14th Region. I am telling you that this kid is going to be something special. I forsee him playing in the neighborhood of 25 minutes per game and averaging in double figures. He is going to fit perfectly into the Knott system. They will turn him loose and let him use his athletic ability to get the ball up the court and into a scoring position before the other team can set up. Austin Combs is going to turn heads, and he is going to be one happy camper. I'm done...

Austin Combs is definitely in a better situation this year. Not sure how Knott will reload next year but this year he will have a great year.

Edited September 4, 201412 yr by PurplePride92
Rule 13

Knott Central is far and away the best team in the mountains and I'm not sure it is even close. They would win the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th region tournaments, IMO.

 

I think Johnson Central could give them all they want and then some. No way they blow them out consistently, IMO. I'll concede that Knott County Central would beat Clay County head to head more times than not, but I don't think that one is a massive blowout or anything either. I'll explain more about why in the post under this, but don't want this one to run too long.

 

Knott County Central has everyone back but Perry County Central and Hazard will push them. Same goes for Cordia pending the BOC's decision and the appeal in court that could follow.

 

Right now, give me Johnson Central first, then Knott County Central, then Clay County if we're talking head to head games, those 3 playing one another. I'd want to see Perry County Central and Hazard play with everyone together before I would firmly decide on where they go in those.

 

I don’t think Knott County Central is a shoe-in for another run to State either. They have the toughest of the mountain regions to get out of next season. Also, teams that are just as, if not more, talented that Knott County Central have failed to come out of the mountains in the past (i.e., one of the good Hazard teams when Daniel Combs hit the buzzer beater).

Knott County Central is really good, but lets also remember that those consecutive trips to State that they've had, Zach Davis was a big part of the first run. They've also had some favorable draws in getting a Boone County team who hadn't been there in forever and then Oldham County. The next year they got a weaker Clay County team that many didn't expect to be there anyway, and making their first appearance in over a decade.

 

Obviously, you don't get to State as many years in a row as they have by luck, but I'm not ready to say that they are a team who doesn't have holes or that they are hands down the best team in the mountains.

 

Adding Combs will really help and I hope the best for the kid. Maybe he pushes them over the top and rounds out the lineup, but right now, I see them as a team who doesn't have a ton of size and athleticism. Hall is big but thin and might have a bit of a tendency to get in foul trouble. Christon is undersized for the position he plays, but gets by with it in the mountains. Justice has really good size, strength, and athleticism, and I'm not questioning or doubting him there. Cornett and Combs are both thin kids who don't have the greatest size, but again, they get by with it in the mountains.

 

I do think there's a formula for being Knott County Central though: attacking Hall inside and trying to get him in foul trouble and/or slowing the game down, frustrating them by making them fall into your pace, trying to get them down and playing from behind where they'll force shots and try to get everything back too quick. Obviously, that's easier said than done, but if we're nitpicking on Knott County Central, that's what I'm seeing.

 

Everyone is screaming, "but in the Bowling Green game, Hall was in foul trouble". I'd counter that by saying that in EVERY Sweet 16 game he's played in, that was the one where he finished with the least number of total fouls (tied for 3). He's fouled out of 2 Sweet 16 games and hasn't played in one where he's finished with less than 3, and if you look back sat the play by play and factor in the times at which these occurred and some of the games being blowouts where he's been able to sit longer and be protected, you start to see a pattern.

Do you know what happened in the game when Knott played JC at the Expo Center in June? If you had seen that game, without all three Cornetts you might not have come to your conclusion. The second best team in the mountains I've watched is Knox Central, even though Clay County is right there.

Do you know what happened in the game when Knott played JC at the Expo Center in June? If you had seen that game, without all three Cornetts you might not have come to your conclusion. The second best team in the mountains I've watched is Knox Central, even though Clay County is right there.

 

 

From what I hear about Knox Central, I could see them being a team that matches up well with the Patriots. Marsee and Hall, Barger and Justice, Adams and Combs/Christon. Could be a really good one. The components of their teams match up well in that you'd think that Marsee and Hall would match up on one another and that Barger and Justice would be matched up on one another (at least as far as Knox Central using Barger on Justice). Both have a lot of experience too, so it'd have the makings of a good one.

 

 

Didn't know about anything this summer, but I don't really put much stock into summer ball either. Teams aren't playing together, kids are playing other sports. I say that because you don't really know how much the teams have played that day, or even that week, how much coaches are working on things versus showing where they'll be, etc. That's just me though. Too far removed from the season. Example of what I mean by that: Clay County's football team played Bell County in a scrimmage earlier this year (as they usually do) and the score was much closer than it probably would have been had they played in the regular season.

 

 

I'll look into AAU for individual player development because the kids are playing against good competition on what are essentially all-star teams, but I've never really been one to put a lot of stock into anything that happens in the summer. Not saying it's worthless, just that I usually take the overall results in a single game with a grain of salt. Now, maybe something like performance the entire week at the AAU State or something like that would be a little different, but I don't even know about going as far as to say that given how teams are opting out of the KBA and the distribution of teams seems fractured.