Who will be the Edmonson County of this year's Sweet 16

[strongopenyon]

After not being impressed with any team in today's Sweet 16 play, I feel this will be the year a long, long shot wins the State Tournament in Rupp Arena. Who will that darkhorse team be?

[ColonelCrazy]

Why don't we wait until after tomorrow's games to decide this one? There are still a few pretty good ballclubs out there.

[DiggerBill]

Wow!! You're going back a few years to bring up Bo and the Boys. In my estimation that's about 30 + yrs.

[Jim Schue]

With Hazard being the only 'A'-sized school, wouldn't they be the only one who could qualify for this comparison?

[thegeneral]

And aren't two of the longest shots in the field already out?

[KIDS FAN]

I think the BUlldogs could be the darkhorse. I underestimated them all year and am now eating crowe. Madison Central had better bring an A game or the smell is in the air. We haven't had an upset yet and every Sweet 16 brings at least one???????????

[colonelfan2001]

I think the BUlldogs could be the darkhorse. I underestimated them all year and am now eating crowe. Madison Central had better bring an A game or the smell is in the air. We haven't had an upset yet and every Sweet 16 brings at least one???????????

 

 

It was a close game.

[strongopenyon]

Mason County is my darkhorse. Maybe not quite an Edmonson County, but I think Dave Cantrell had them as the 11th ranked team in the tournament. For what it is worth, he had Covington Catholic #1. Wrong!

 

It is not hard to root for this young Mason County team. I like what I see.

[Master D]

I think right now Apollo & Madison Central are the dark horses of the tournament!!!!

[strongopenyon]

I think right now Apollo & Madison Central are the dark horses of the tournament!!!!

I'll give you Madison Central. They have nice balance and are playing well.

 

Apollo will not handle pressure well. They will have a short life as a result.

[mcpapa]

What about Graves County?

[steelcurtain]

What do you need to be impressed? Great Basketball all tourney

[strongopenyon]

I was not at all impressed with this year's tournament. Not that teams must score 100 points to entertain, but this was the lowest scoring output in a Sweet Sixteen tournament since 1949. And no, it is not superior defense. To make a general, blanket statement, these kids cannot shoot the basketball. There is no mid-range game at all. To the rim or a bomb from 3-point land!

 

I have been going to the tournament since 1978 and I just did not enjoy the caliber of play in this year's tournament.

[Mustang]

I have been going to the tournament since 1978 and I just did not enjoy the caliber of play in this year's tournament.

By its makeup, a team from each of the sixteen regions, the caliber of play in the opening round will normally contain one or two good games, but the majority are simply seperating the chafe from the wheat, setting up what you hope are good second round games.

Unfortunately, at $13.50 a ticket, exhorbitant parking and concession prices and paying for a hotel room, it is pretty expensive and painful to watch some of these first round games.

 

My suggestion is to take a week-long vacation between Christmas and New Years and take in the Fifth-Third Classic At Lexington Catholic High School where the best teams in the state are invited to play and their are few weak sister games. The ticket prices are cheap, there is no charge to park, and hotel rooms are more readily available and favorably priced than in March at Rupp.

 

Of course, you don't have the atmosphere of the State Tournament, but for quality over quantity, the Fifth-Third is the far superior tournament.

[Mustang]

This year Apollo came close.

 

Like Simon Kenton back in 1981, they were nearly eliminated in the opening round of their district tournament as they squeaked by Owensboro 54-52 in Overtime and then lost to Owensboro Catholic 48-40 in the district finals going to the regional as a district loser.

 

After defeating Muhlenberg North they would dodge another bullet in the 3rd Region semi-finals nosing out Meade County 39-37 in overtime, and then advancing to the state tournament with a triple overtime win over Ohio County 50-49.

 

This team truly barely survived the 3rd region competition and were probably as shocked as anyone in the house when they beat the consensus State Tournament favorite Covington Catholic in the first round, let alone taking out Mason County the following day and then defeating Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park on Saturday morning.

 

By this time everyone was convinced that their storybook tournament run would end with them cutting the nets down on Saturday night, but this was reality and beating two Louisville teams within twelve hours on the same day was simply impractical. Their magical run ended in the State Finals taking a 61-48 loss to Jeffersontown, but they certainly made their mark on this state tournament and will be talked about whenever Cinderella teams are discussed in the future. :thumb: