Top 10 Mountain Teams of the 1990's

[JokersWild24]

Who do you have?

[JokersWild24]

Before I list my top 10, I'll give some of the notable teams from each school and posters should feel free to add or subtract teams to liven up the discussion.

 

The lists below are made in numeric, alphabetic, and chronological order. Teams who went to State and performed well were given preference when it came to notation.

[JokersWild24]

13th:

 

Clay County:

1990 - lost to eventual State Champion Fairdale 71-84 in State Semis*

1992 - lost to eventual State Runner-up Lexington Catholic 64-68 in State Semis

1994 - lost to eventual State Champion Fairdale 75-77 in State 1st Round*

1998 – lost to eventual State Runner-up Paintsville 66-84 in State 1st Round

1999 – lost to eventual State Semifinalist Madison Central 63-76 in State 1st Round

 

Corbin:

1991 - lost to eventual State Champion Fairdale 61-67 in State Quarters

1997 – lost to eventual State Semifinalist Warren East 63-70 in State Quarters

1998 – lost to eventual 13th Region Champion Clay County in 1st Round of Regionals

 

Harlan:

1993 - lost to eventual State Runner-up Paul Laurence Dunbar 64-83 in State Quarters

1994 - won All-A Classic, lost to Clay County in 13th Region Final

1995 - lost to eventual State Runner-up Pleasure Ridge Park 74-81 in State Semis

1996 – lost to eventual State Semifinalist Henderson Co. 52-62 in State Quarters

[JokersWild24]

14th Region:

 

Leslie County:

1990 - Lost to eventual State Semifinalist Clay County 66-76 in State Quarters

 

MC Napier:

1994 - lost to eventual State Runner-Up Paul Laurence Dunbar 61-81 in State 1st Round

1995 - lost to eventual State Runner-up Pleasure Ridge Park 55-58 in State 1st Round

 

Hazard:

1998 – lost to eventual State Quarterfinalist Boyd Co. 53-58 in State 1st Round

 

Perry County Central:

1999 – lost to eventual State Quarterfinalist PRP 59-76 in State 1st Round

[JokersWild24]

15th Region:

 

Allen Central:

1994 - Lost to eventual State Champions Fairdale 76-91 in State Quarters

 

Belfry:

1992 - Lost to eventual State Semifinalist Owensboro 63-75 in State Quarters* (O'boro lost to eventual champ Univ. Heights 44-41 in next game)

 

Paintsville:

1996 – State Champs... defeated Ashland Blazer 71-53 in State Finals

1997 – Lost to eventual State Runner-up Highlands 71-74 in State Semis

1998 – Runner-Up; Lost to Scott County 78-89 in State Championship game

[JokersWild24]

16th Region:

 

Ashland Blazer:

1996 – lost to State Champions Paintsville 53-71 in State Finals

 

Boyd County:

1990 - lost to eventual State Runner-up Holmes 76-83 in State 1st Round

1995 – lost to University Heights 60-64 in State First Round

 

Fleming County:

1998 – lost to eventual State Runner-up Paintsville 61-80 in State Semis

1999 – lost to eventual State (*AHEM*)Semifinalist Paducah Tilghman 49-59 in State 1st Round

 

Greenup County:

1997 – lost to eventual State Runner-up Highlands 45-48 in State Quarters

[JokersWild24]

From the 13th, I'd like to hear about some of the better Bell County, Clay County, Corbin, Cumberland, Knox Central, Harlan and Middlesboro teams who DIDN'T make it to State.

 

I'm thinking that if we take a look at the history (maybe some of the names I mentioned are not "90's", but are more "80's" names), then there'll be some teams who could have played with anyone had they gotten to State. As things were then though, Clay County, Corbin, and Harlan monopolized trips to the Sweet 16.

[cahall]

I'll vote for Paintsville on two occasions, once when they won it all and once when they were runner ups.

[CBDV]

That Belfry team would have been even better if their center would not have went down to a knee injury at the end of the year.

 

 

The Paintsville team that won the title is the best of the group.

[Rez]

From the 13th, I'd like to hear about some of the better Bell County, Clay County, Corbin, Cumberland, Knox Central, Harlan and Middlesboro teams who DIDN'T make it to State.

 

I'm thinking that if we take a look at the history (maybe some of the names I mentioned are not "90's", but are more "80's" names), then there'll be some teams who could have played with anyone had they gotten to State. As things were then though, Clay County, Corbin, and Harlan monopolized trips to the Sweet 16.

 

I've done a decent amount of research on the 1993-1995 Harlan teams. I did watch them, but was pretty much too young to remember those first hand accounts.

 

The 1994 Harlan team went 28-4 averaging nearly 80 ppg.

They were led by a pair of All-State players:

Senior point guard Mike Jones (2nd Team AP, 1st Team Courier-Journal, 1st Team Herald Leader) who is the all-time KHSAA leader in Career Assists and 4th in career steals.

Junior forward Charles Thomas (Consensus 1st Team, future Mr. Bball) who ranks 6th in career points, 8th in career rebounds and 7th in career steals.

 

Other starters include junior center Todd Cox who was an All-State player the next year and versatile sophomore Casey Lester who became a consensus 1st team All-Stater in 1996.

Other key contributors included guard Nathan Blanton and forwards Kevin Hudson and Jeremy Simpson. All three were underclassmen.

 

Harlan was the #1 team in both the preseason AP poll and the final AP poll after the regular season.

They had wins over Ballard 65-62 and Mason Co 86-73 who ended 2 and 3 in the final regular season AP Poll.

They also defeated UHA 67-55 to win the All A Classic. Charles Thomas was the tournament MVP with Todd Cox and Michael Jones both making the All tournament team.

 

Their regular season losses came to:

Graves Co 72-64

Lex Cath 74-72

Corbin 74-73

Corbin finished 4th in the final regular season AP poll and Graves Co finished 10th.

 

They then lost in the regional quarterfinals to Clay Co 56-55 in a game at Clay Co that ended in controversial fashion. Harlan had the ball in a tie game with time winding down. He missed a shot with 5 seconds left. A Clay Co grabbed the rebound and Todd Cox was called for a foul. Clay Co hit the first of two free throw and Harlan was then unable to get a shot off.

[dolamite]

96' and 98' Paintsville hands down.

 

 

Then you have....

 

Early 90's Clay County and MC Napier teams

 

94' Harlan

 

92' Belfry was pretty good.

 

The Allen Central teams with Hall in the late 90's were pretty good as well.

 

Randy McCoy had a couple decent teams at Elkhorn City especially 92'-94'.

[JokersWild24]

They then lost in the regional quarterfinals to Clay Co 56-55 in a game at Clay Co that ended in controversial fashion. Harlan had the ball in a tie game with time winding down. He missed a shot with 5 seconds left. A Clay Co grabbed the rebound and Todd Cox was called for a foul. Clay Co hit the first of two free throw and Harlan was then unable to get a shot off.

 

 

Why I've never heard of such talk. Just joking (though Harlan fans probably aren't laughing). I too have heard that it's one of those endings that's remembered and talked about quite a bit.

[JokersWild24]

I don't know if you can call them some of the 10 best, but I think the 98 & 99 Clay County teams don't get enough credit for how good they were. Had they not drawn two favorites in Paintsville and Madison Central in the State Tournament, people might talk about them a little more.

 

Making this list last night reminded me of how good the 13th was throughout the 90's.

[JokersWild24]

96' and 98' Paintsville hands down.

 

 

Then you have....

 

Early 90's Clay County and MC Napier teams

 

94' Harlan

 

92' Belfry was pretty good.

 

The Allen Central teams with Hall in the late 90's were pretty good as well.

 

Randy McCoy had a couple decent teams at Elkhorn City especially 92'-94'.

 

Who did some of the Elkhorn City and Allen Central teams have and how did they finish their seasons?

 

I ask because there isn't a ton of data out there for those years compared to what you can find from teams in the Internet age.

[Supafuzz]

Well,, no Knott central in '91, '92 and '93 three peat state tournament teams.