Has the overall talent level in Kentucky dropped recently?

[NEXT]

Talent has dropped SOME but not as much as you guys think.

 

Someone pointed out officiating which has something to do with, but also the talent gap has shrunk, all the best players do not live in Scott, Fayette, or Jefferson County anymore. Every region has good players, the 16th had McCown, Owens, the 15th had Lowe, Maynard, etc. ,etc.

 

Also the differnce in coaching levels has been closed down, some of the best coaches do not reside in the above mentioned counties.

 

 

While the number of D-1 players isn't there this year, there is A LOT of D-2, D-3, NAIA type players and some potential superstars at those levels.

[$$East-Bank$$]

Throughout the state maybe.

 

But in the 15th region it has gone down hill quick. When those seniors from 02'-03' graduated they took alot of talent with them. That was probabily the most Individual talent that our reagion had had since the late 90's(JR Vanhoose,Todd Tackett,Thomas Jenkins...etc).And every year since then it has gotten worse IMO.

[NEXT]

02-03???

 

Who was so talented in that group?????

[mountainmutt]

Generally speaking, the talent level in Kentucky is as good as it has ever been. Of course, I am talking about the average quality of team play. There are occasional seasons in which the top 5 or 6 players may be exceptional compared to the average season. When discussing the elite players, one also must consider the impact of the basketball factories like Oak Hill. Nationwide, the elite players have migrated to the basketball factories in lieu of playing for public high schools. The basketball factories provide a national stage and top competition for the elite of the nation. In a state, like Kentucky, the factories might impact 4 or 5 players every year. While the drain of elite talent might be evident in that the superstar players no longer compete on Kentucky's brightest stage (sweetsixteen) overall their absence does not substantially affect the quality of play across the state. Kentucky High School Basketball is still amongst the highest quality and most competitive in the United States.

 

Basketball is strong in Kentucky.

[train3399]

I don't think the talent level has dropped so much. As the style of play and the way the games are being called. IMO they are not enough fouls being called in the paint area. Lot of banging around in the middle! Also the teams styles of play are total based on d-fense that no one can hardly score anymore. Look at some of the scores in the state tourney.......

 

Graves Co. 42

Russell 27

 

South Laurel 47

John Hardin 33

 

Apollo 57

Cov.Cath 53

 

Apollo 48

Mason Co. 36

 

Graves Co. 46

South Laurel 45

 

J-Town 54

Graves Co. 43

 

 

The physical play of basketball not only limits the offensive opportunities but disrupts the flow of the game. Larger schools can literally beat on the smaller schools 6-8 man rotation for 32 minutes with 10-12 players an wear them down or foul them out. I have seen this done many times by the larger schools. The talent level in Kentucky is not down the style of play is allowed to test the "boundaries of officials". Officials don't want to disrupt the "flow" of the game by calling a foul on every possession so they let it go. This has snowballed into raslin' in the paint and pure basketball has been snuffed out. If you have bigger, faster and stronger athletes then you will eliminate the skilled athletes that work on the fundamentals of the game. Take a look at girl's basketball, the evolution is starting to take hold in one of the only pure forms of basketball left in Kentucky. Pressure defenses, hand checking and raslin' in the paint is allowed and the price we pay for letting it happen is a loss of pure "fun"amental basketball. Being agressive is different from a physical beating. Even David knew that he needed to keep his distance from Goliath to beat him. Pure basketball will not be seen in the sweet sixteen until someone makes teams play basketball and not basketbrawl and so it goes...

[westsider]

I don't buy the previous post. Great players turn in great performances, no matter how physical the game gets.

 

The talent level is down all over the state. Period. On the other hand, the talent on the girls' side is in a huge upward curve. These things run in cycles.

[ladiesbballcoach]

I don't buy the previous post. Great players turn in great performances, no matter how physical the game gets.

 

The talent level is down all over the state. Period. On the other hand, the talent on the girls' side is in a huge upward curve. These things run in cycles.

Great point. Jade Perry scored 20 points in Maryland's defeat in the NCAA tourney. Sarah Elliott had a double-double for UK in the tourney. Tara Boothe at Xavier became the all-time leading X scorer. Crystal Kelly is putting up monster numbers at WKU. Carly made the All-Freshmen SEC team. And that is just off the top of my head.

 

Girls basketball talent level has been phenomenal the last few seasons.

[train3399]

I don't buy the previous post. Great players turn in great performances, no matter how physical the game gets.

 

The talent level is down all over the state. Period. On the other hand, the talent on the girls' side is in a huge upward curve. These things run in cycles.

 

Take region 2 for example...

5 class A schools made it to the region in alphabetical order:

Crittenden County

Dawson Springs

Ft. Campbell

Trigg County

Webster County

3 AAAA schools made the region:

Christian County

Henderson County

Madisonville-North Hopkins

 

Christian County puts out Crittenden County by 24 points with pressure defense, physcial play and 10-12 man rotation.

Henderson County puts out Dawson Springs by 45 with pressure defense, physical play and 10-12 man rotation.

Henderson County puts out Trigg County by 18 with pressure defense, physical play and 10-12 man rotation after Trigg beat Ft. Campbell by 31.

Madisonville-North Hopkins puts out Webster County by only 8 playing 1-3-1 and zone 3/4 court pressing 2-1-2.

 

When 4A schools met Christian beat Madisonville by 4. Christian beat Henderson by 2. If you don't understand the numbers or see past the large school mentality and if you understand basketball you have to see a pattern.:laugh: Facts are facts. It happened earlier this month.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions of this poster are free of surcharge and no reader to this thread should have to buy what I'm selling.

[ACE]

I personally believe Kentucky is becoming more of a football state and the premium athletes no longer focus only on basketball. Kentucky produces far more top football players than basketball players.

[westsider]

Take region 2 for example...

5 class A schools made it to the region in alphabetical order:

Crittenden County

Dawson Springs

Ft. Campbell

Trigg County

Webster County

3 AAAA schools made the region:

Christian County

Henderson County

Madisonville-North Hopkins

 

Christian County puts out Crittenden County by 24 points with pressure defense, physcial play and 10-12 man rotation.

Henderson County puts out Dawson Springs by 45 with pressure defense, physical play and 10-12 man rotation.

Henderson County puts out Trigg County by 18 with pressure defense, physical play and 10-12 man rotation after Trigg beat Ft. Campbell by 31.

Madisonville-North Hopkins puts out Webster County by only 8 playing 1-3-1 and zone 3/4 court pressing 2-1-2.

 

When 4A schools met Christian beat Madisonville by 4. Christian beat Henderson by 2. If you don't understand the numbers or see past the large school mentality and if you understand basketball you have to see a pattern.:laugh: Facts are facts. It happened earlier this month.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions of this poster are free of surcharge and no reader to this thread should have to buy what I'm selling.

Crittenden and Dawson Springs got hammered in the regional tournament because they were paying much better teams. Period. They didn't exactly fare well in the All A Classic, either.

 

Both caught breaks just to get in the regional ... Crittenden by realignment, Dawson Springs because their district uses a blind draw instead of seeding.

 

Yes, bigger schools have the advantage, but it's been that way for the last 30-40 years. That has nothing to do witht the talent level in Kentucky being down right now.

[$$East-Bank$$]

02-03???

 

Who was so talented in that group?????

Personally I thought it was, You had Michael Hall at SF, arguably one of the top guards to ever come from the 15th as well as Tyler Hall. You had a Paintsville(Rice,Jarrell,Rutledge,Simpkins) team that nocked Rose Hill off,which was a top 10 team in the state.I think Johnson Centrall was a top 25 team in KY at one point(Wheeler,Hurt,). Shelby Valley was Solid that year also(Fleming,Akers,Friend and Kiser). Allen Central was solid talent wise(Slone,Allen, and they had a 6'10 kid as well). Prestonsburg had some unbelievable athletes as well. I mean it is debatable but personally I believe the talent level has gone down, There were alot of seniors that season if I remember correctly, But I have till watched HS basketball for years and I mean as a fan observing I just think it has...It's debatable though:thumb: .

 

But I do believe when the group of Sophmores from this season are seniors that the 15th will be up alot, as well as the rest of the state. I think that could potentially be one of the better graduating classes in a long time.

[MountainThunder]

Having talent is great, but teamwork wins championships. In West Virginia a high school team had Randy Moss (Marshall / NFL), Jason Williams (UF / NBA) and Bobby Howard (Notre Dame / NFL) on the same team and couldn't win a title. 3 D1 athletes and no title.

 

It seems that more teams are playing better defense right now then in years past.

[$$East-Bank$$]

Having talent is great, but teamwork wins championships. In West Virginia a high school team had Randy Moss (Marshall / NFL), Jason Williams (UF / NBA) and Bobby Howard (Notre Dame / NFL) on the same team and couldn't win a title. 3 D1 athletes and no title.

 

It seems that more teams are playing better defense right now then in years past.

 

That is very true.

[capitalreporter]

Talent has been down for the past 4-5 years imo. Coaching is also down imo compared to 20 years ago. Basketball has changed and good ole Ky boys who can shoot and pass are not sought after like they were 20 years ago.

[strongopenyon]

I am asking for some help here. How many Kentucky high school seniors (boys) will get Division I scholarships this year? Am I correct in saying six?

 

Daniel Ard Murray State

Forrest Smallwood Butler

A.J. Slaughter Western Kentucky

Dan Penick Wright State

A'Darius Pegues Western Kentucky

Jay Ivey Middle Tennessee

 

I did not count Albert Jackson because he will not graduate from a KY HS.

 

How many Division I football players from Kentucky in the 2006 class? My guess is somewhere around 30 (I am counting Division I-A ala Western KY).

 

What were these figures like 25 years ago? I feel like there is a trend here......basketball is slipping and football is growing and thriving based on the numbers.