Graves Co. 46 South Laurel 45 OT

[DrDunc33]

South Laurel got burned by the back-door play because they overplay the passing lanes and gamble for the steals, which is the way they always play. They just ran across a team that was able to make the plays to take advantage of it. The credit should go to the coaches for finding that weakness is South's defense and to the Graves Co. players for carrying out that plan.

Yes, and I wish JayRaySL would realize this along with some other things, but he is not going to give anyone else credit.

[digger3210]

In my opinion, from the way I heard it on the radio is the "The Better Team Won Today." Don't get me wrong I am a big SL fan. However when you are playing in the Sweet 16 and you don't bring your "A game" then 9 times out of 10 you are going to get beat. It doesn't matter how good of a team you have.

 

Congrats to Graves today they where the better team. Good luck.

 

Hope to see SL back again next year.

 

 

When do they tell who won Mr. Basketball?

[Boucher]

I was more puzzled as to why SL didn't call a TO at the end of regulation. They had plenty of them, and killed plenty of clock to take the last shot.

[bcfan24]

Count me in the Steve Wright fan club, I have enjoyed watching him coach when I have had the pleasure to watch SL over the last several seasons....

 

Graves is going to give J-Town a game tommorrow, not predicting an upset, but I doubt it's a wide margin either way.....

 

Walt Allen seems like a great kid, and Ty Proffitt is the smartest point guard I have saw in a while.....

 

Congrats to Graves on a somewhat surprising victory....

[shooterx3]

It's just a crying shame that kids this good on and off the court have there season ended by a team this bad because of horrible,horrible coaching by wright.For some reason wright was content with letting Graves hold the ball until everyone fell asleep and let them have the back-door cut every time.(and if you was there I mean every time!)He would'nt get out of the 1-3-1 at all when he had the much better size and athletes.Also,poor Walt Allen was just awfull today for some reason.I mean he missed at least 3 uncontested lay-ups and I dont know how many free throws and Wright would'nt put Riley in to replace him.By no means am I complaining about the loss,but I am just completely in shock about how bad Wright handled this game.If South plays 2-3 or man-to-man I dont believe it's close.You would just have to have been there to fully understand how bad this was.If they dont put a shot clock in,every team in the state will start running this North Carolina 4 corners garbage that Graves ran and hold the ball the whole game because they know thats the only chance they have.But all in all I just hate that Walt had his worst game ever in his last game with South and that Wright just took the game away from his own kids.But on the other hand Shelby or J-town owes us one now for the cake walk to Sat.:mad:

YOUR way off base blaming this loss on Wright, as a Russell fan, I expererienced how ugly graves county can make you look. You need a lot of quickness to get after Graves 4 corners offense, and russell of South Laurel lacked that. Wright coached what he had, the coach at j-town is going to look like a genuis because he has the athleticism to get after Graves and turn the ball over. J-town will beat them and you will say it was the coach, but it was the players. Walt Allen has had a great career and he had a sub-par game. It happens, get over it. Steve Wright is one of the classiest coaches in the state, too bad some of his fans arent in the same league:irked:

[HHSDawgs1424]

wow didnt see this one coming...just goes to show how hard it is to repeat as a state champion in ky...good season sl and good luck to graves co

[westsider]

I feel for Graves tommorow.....wait a minute...no I dont.They play the worst brand of ball I have ever seen...They make tubby's offense look like the Phoenix Suns

Oh, come on. Graves had a game plan ... spread out the zone then get the ball in the middle and attack it. Graves' interior passing is very good and they have the horses to pull it off.

 

So what if it took time to spread the defense and open up a lane of attack? If you want to watch teams throw up shots all the time, then watch the NBA.

[westsider]

I was more puzzled as to why SL didn't call a TO at the end of regulation. They had plenty of them, and killed plenty of clock to take the last shot.

A lot of coaches don't like to call the timeout in that situation, preferring not to give the other team a chance to set its defense. Given the experience South Laurel puts on the court, it's a good bet that Steve Wright trusts his team to execute in such situations.

[westsider]

I was listening to the opening round game between South Laurel and John Hardin. The SL radio guy jinxed them. He made the comment that Friday wouldn't be much of a game. Kind of said it with a chuckle like GC didn't even belong. Ouch.

He's an idiot, then. :lol:

[westsider]

I'm sure I will ruffle some feathers with this, but it's clear that Walt Allen isn't the best player in the state and shouldn't be Mr. Basketball.

 

Last season, Allen was the third best player on his team behind Fields and Proffitt. Without Fields in the post to take some heat off of him, Allen is far less effective on the block against many quality teams. Even with some "Mr. Basketball treatment" from the officials and some generous calls in the second half (Cavette's phantom fourth foul, for example), Allen was never a big factor in the game.

 

Allen is a great kid, obviously ... how many kids would lead the prayer circle after he played poorly and his team was upset while chasing another state title in the final game of his career? He's also a very good player, but he's not the best player in the state.

[ukbellco14]

I'm sure I will ruffle some feathers with this, but it's clear that Walt Allen isn't the best player in the state and shouldn't be Mr. Basketball.

 

Last season, Allen was the third best player on his team behind Fields and Proffitt. Without Fields in the post to take some heat off of him, Allen is far less effective on the block against many quality teams. Even with some "Mr. Basketball treatment" from the officials and some generous calls in the second half (Cavette's phantom fourth foul, for example), Allen was never a big factor in the game.

 

Allen is a great kid, obviously ... how many kids would lead the prayer circle after he played poorly and his team was upset while chasing another state title in the final game of his career? He's also a very good player, but he's not the best player in the state.

 

WOW!

 

Allen plays 1 bad game in the state tourney...... now he isnt "Mr. Basketball" material and never was to begin with.

 

This is about as ridiculous as someone saying that Jerry McNamara is overrated because of his performance in this years NCAA tourney.

 

Every kid has a bad game or 2. I am just amazed at how 1 bad game can erase a hundred great games and cause ppl to forget just how good a player someone is. Jeez....... give me a freakin break.

 

Allen isnt the best athlete, he isnt D1 material, and he may not look the part..... he will be "Mr. Basketball" though. Get over it!

 

Allen did what most are not able to do. He followed up an unbelievably good junior year, with an equally impressive senior one.

 

It's really gonna burn you when he is wearin #1 for the KY all stars isnt it!

[Toothpick]

Congrats to the Eagles & good luck tommrow!

[ukbellco14]

Also....... on the Allen comment by westsider.

 

Sure, Allen may have been, according to your talent gauge, the 3rd best player on SL's team last year. That doesnt take away from what he did.

 

Basketball is a team game, and you will always be able to attribute one players success to the rest of his teammates.

 

The fact still remains that Allen did what he did and you cant erase that. Get over it!

[FANOFTHE11th]

Congratulations to coach Wright and his Cardinals for their great run!!!! They will be back. As an outsider looking at his program he must have alot of support. I have seen him out in the state involved in AAU youth basketball. He has obviously helped build a program from the bottom up. He stuck with the defensive schemes that won a State Tournament last year.

 

I did expect SL to be playing Saturday night, but you have to give credit to Graves Co. They play team ball and beat SL with a basketball fundamental you don't see alot these days. The interior bounce pass.

 

This is what IMO makes the Sweet 16 so great. Different styles of play from all over the State coming together in a fantastic venue.

 

Graves has made a believer out of me as they are very disciplined and fundamentally sound.

[CSI Miami]

When a coach gets the win he is a hero, but when he loses he is a zero!