If you love Kentucky high school basketball and you are associated with any team in the state you should love nothing more than the opportunity to walk out on the Rupp Arena floor as a participant. When mid-October comes and practice starts everyone hopes they'll reach Rupp in March. The LIT, AIT, King of the Bluegrass, 5/3, etc. are all fine tournaments of top-notch talent but there's nothing like the mystique of the Sweet Sixteen where anything can happen. I think Apollo and Graves County showed us that this year. I'll take the "Greatest Show In Hoops" no matter what the cost every year.

This year's state tournament was bad for a lot of reasons.

 

1. Talent Level Was WAAAAY down

2. Style of Play (Very low scoring teams...i.e Appollo and their stall ball)

3. Scott Co. (the most talented team in state) was not there

4. Appollo was painful to watch and they somehow kept winning

5. No great storylines

6. Not as many close games

7. No "must see" players (i.e. Farmer, Vanhoose, Rick Jones, Lofton, etc.

 

All this, plus prices of tickets, parking, etc. made it a waste for many people who are not diehard KY basketball fans and simply want to be entertained.

 

But, I am confident that the tournament will be back to its old tricks very soon. Don't give up on the State Tournament yet.

5. No great storylines

 

diehard KY basketball fans and simply want to be entertained.

 

 

 

Then they should have come over to our hotel, there was plenty of storylines and tons of entertainment.

In the place I suspect you were referring to, I have no doubt ... :lol:

Mustang...

 

Something tells me when Brossart makes it down to Rupp again that you'll change your mind. Sure, the invitational tournaments have some of the biggest programs in the state, but there is something special about Rupp that no other tournament in the state can match.

 

And when your team is playing in it (or had just played in it) it's a whole new feeling...

Whoa!!! I'm not knocking the Sweet Sixteen. I've been there done that and have got the fond memories to prove it.

 

My point in opening the discussion is basically bang for your basketball buck. If you are a hoops purist and want to see the best competition (without the frills) at a reasonable rate then the Fifth-Third, LIT, KOB and other tournaments are probably better suited for you than the Sweet Sixteen, which is about pagentry, playing in Rupp, and competing for a State Championship.

 

The best of both worlds is to take in both - but most folks can't do that and choose the bright lights of the State Tournament. BUT, there is a price to be paid to be a spectator, it is getting very expensive, and to bring the family, it is almost cost prohibitive. I think we agree the competition is not nearly as good at the State Tournament as it is at the invitationals, and we all agree that the tradition is non-existant at the invitationals that is present at Rupp.

 

I enjoy the State Tournament as a rite of spring, but I pick the games I attend and mix a little horse racing with my hoops out at Keeneland, while taking in some of the fine dining spots in Lexington as well.

 

It's all strictly a matter of what you are looking for.

Whoa!!! I'm not knocking the Sweet Sixteen. I've been there done that and have got the fond memories to prove it.

 

My point in opening the discussion is basically bang for your basketball buck. If you are a hoops purist and want to see the best competition (without the frills) at a reasonable rate then the Fifth-Third, LIT, KOB and other tournaments are probably better suited for you than the Sweet Sixteen, which is about pagentry, playing in Rupp, and competing for a State Championship.

 

The best of both worlds is to take in both - but most folks can't do that and choose the bright lights of the State Tournament. BUT, there is a price to be paid to be a spectator, it is getting very expensive, and to bring the family, it is almost cost prohibitive. I think we agree the competition is not nearly as good at the State Tournament as it is at the invitationals, and we all agree that the tradition is non-existant at the invitationals that is present at Rupp.

 

 

 

I enjoy the State Tournament as a rite of spring, but I pick the games I attend and mix a little horse racing with my hoops out at Keeneland, while taking in some of the fine dining spots in Lexington as well.

 

It's all strictly a matter of what you are looking for.

 

Nice post Mustang :thumb:

Whoa!!! I'm not knocking the Sweet Sixteen. I've been there done that and have got the fond memories to prove it.

 

My point in opening the discussion is basically bang for your basketball buck. If you are a hoops purist and want to see the best competition (without the frills) at a reasonable rate then the Fifth-Third, LIT, KOB and other tournaments are probably better suited for you than the Sweet Sixteen, which is about pagentry, playing in Rupp, and competing for a State Championship.

 

The best of both worlds is to take in both - but most folks can't do that and choose the bright lights of the State Tournament. BUT, there is a price to be paid to be a spectator, it is getting very expensive, and to bring the family, it is almost cost prohibitive. I think we agree the competition is not nearly as good at the State Tournament as it is at the invitationals, and we all agree that the tradition is non-existant at the invitationals that is present at Rupp.

 

I enjoy the State Tournament as a rite of spring, but I pick the games I attend and mix a little horse racing with my hoops out at Keeneland, while taking in some of the fine dining spots in Lexington as well.

 

It's all strictly a matter of what you are looking for.

 

One other thing to consider mustang, to you very wise post. Doubtful that any of those other events have the kind of crowds that attend Rupp. That size audience limits where you can play. With only two options in the state, and both costing about the same (about $200,000 for the week), there are some costs that just have to be passed on to fans and those who attend. But you are right, the beauty of the system is that you do one or the other or all, depending on what you choose.

The Fifth Third Classic has a consolation bracket. No such in the Sweet Sixteen tournament.

 

Is there any doubt to the correct answer to this question?

The Fifth Third Classic has a consolation bracket. No such in the Sweet Sixteen tournament.

 

Is there any doubt to the correct answer to this question?

It's as though you feel a consolation bracket is a good thing. You call it consolation. I call it a loser's bracket. The State tournament is about winning, not being Mr. Congeniality or about being 7th best. These two events are wonderful, but they serve different purposes. The 5th 3rd (and others) are All-star tournaments. Hand pick the best you want to bring together. The state championship is, was, and always shall be, a "representative" championship, where each part of the state is to be represented, and all are not competitively equal. So they necessarily will be different.

 

I happen to attend both, and hope you all will as well. They both have a great purpose and achieve their goals.

It's as though you feel a consolation bracket is a good thing. You call it consolation. I call it a loser's bracket. The State tournament is about winning, not being Mr. Congeniality or about being 7th best. These two events are wonderful, but they serve different purposes. The 5th 3rd (and others) are All-star tournaments. Hand pick the best you want to bring together. The state championship is, was, and always shall be, a "representative" championship, where each part of the state is to be represented, and all are not competitively equal. So they necessarily will be different.

 

I happen to attend both, and hope you all will as well. They both have a great purpose and achieve their goals.

You totally mistook my point!

 

A consolation bracket is a loser's bracket. The state tournament from start to finish is asudden death competition. One team left standing on a Saturday night in Lexington.

 

There is no tournament that even compares although I do love watching a good Christmas tournament.

The 5th/3rd and the other invites indeed give more bang for your buck. The play is more fun to watch because teams/players are playing more loose. Why? Because these tourneys, while prestigious, still don't mean anything.

 

I can watch a nail-biter back-and-forth game at the invites and have fun. But I don't get a sense of thrill, tension and anticipation like I do during a Sweet 16 game. Simply put, the stakes are higher. Because of that, the hair stands up on my neck in a tight game when big plays are made.

 

Because of the stakes, you also see a different style of play. Teams are working harder on defense, and offenses play nervous and tight because more is on the line at Rupp. Nobody remembers that exciting quarterfinal game — or even the championship — of one of the invite tourneys from five years ago. Why? They don't matter.

 

But people will still talk about PRPs string of overtime games from last season for the next 20 years. Not because there were more people there, but because the games mattered.

 

The 5th/3rd and the other invites are great, but it's not unheard of to see some overwhelming favorite mail it in during these tourneys and suffer some inexplicable loss. Name me a time when you saw a team mail it in during the Sweet 16.

Excellent post, Schue man.

 

I never really thought of it that way, but you are exactly right. The truth is, ALL regular season games are expendable, in terms of wins and losses. They are used (by the good coaches) to find combinations that work best, iron out offensive wrinkles, work on team defense, and a host of other things that will provide them the best chance to advance in tournament play once Districts begin.

 

Frances

The 5th/3rd and the other invites indeed give more bang for your buck. The play is more fun to watch because teams/players are playing more loose. Why? Because these tourneys, while prestigious, still don't mean anything.

 

I can watch a nail-biter back-and-forth game at the invites and have fun. But I don't get a sense of thrill, tension and anticipation like I do during a Sweet 16 game. Simply put, the stakes are higher. Because of that, the hair stands up on my neck in a tight game when big plays are made.

 

Because of the stakes, you also see a different style of play. Teams are working harder on defense, and offenses play nervous and tight because more is on the line at Rupp. Nobody remembers that exciting quarterfinal game — or even the championship — of one of the invite tourneys from five years ago. Why? They don't matter.

 

But people will still talk about PRPs string of overtime games from last season for the next 20 years. Not because there were more people there, but because the games mattered.

 

The 5th/3rd and the other invites are great, but it's not unheard of to see some overwhelming favorite mail it in during these tourneys and suffer some inexplicable loss. Name me a time when you saw a team mail it in during the Sweet 16.

Some excellent points, "Shue"!