You can come on here and make your opinions and thats fine but to make jokes about a 17 year old kid's chances is a little much and sad.

The only draw back for Hester is his size or lack of, if he were a bit bigger he'd get some good looks. One of the quickest kids I've ever seen, he would make a great pick pocket.

If Mike Hester is the 3rd best College Basketball prospect in No. KY I'm a Monkey's Uncle (and my brothers don't have any kids).

 

 

That was my post. Not that he wasn't receiving any interest from College Coaches, heck, he was the 8th Region Runner-up player of the year.

 

Please don't twist what I said to benefit your argument. I'm sure Mike is a fine guy, and again, I hope he gets to go to college on his hoop-skill.

 

Also, please note, the emoticon at the end of the sentence.

It sounds like fballstud is the one that needs to be realistic. What has Austin even done at the highschool level in football?

He is a DI prospect.

Sorry that you take fair questions in such a way. Obviously, you are too close to the situation to discuss it calmly. Mike Hester is a nice young player, but he is dramatically under-sized. He is not better than Duran Jefferson. I'll try and pick up a few things about basketball before daring to try and have a conversation with you again. Thanks for the calm and mature resopnse. I'm fairly sure my track record on "knowing something about basketball" on here speaks for itself. If he goes to a D-1 school on a basketball scholarship I'll buy you and yours dinner at any restaurant you'd like.

Mike Hester will play Division 2 and excel.

Mike Hester will play Division 2 and excel.

Okay. I hope you're right. :thumb:

 

That isn't in opposition to anything I have said.

Okay. I hope you're right. :thumb:

 

That isn't in opposition to anything I have said.

I wasn't opposing what you were saying , just giving my opinion.

 

From what I hear he is getting looks from smaller DI,but I hope he goes to a good D2 program. I think he could excel in the GLVC at one of those programs.

I wasn't opposing what you were saying , just giving my opinion.

 

From what I hear he is getting looks from smaller DI,but I hope he goes to a good D2 program. I think he could excel in the GLVC at one of those programs.

I was confused since you quoted my post above your opinion. :thumb:

Wow, such hostility. I'm not backing up at all. I asked in the first post who had offered, right? You listed two D-1 schools. I made my dinner offer, as I know that is pie-in-the-sky. You can be the judge of whatever you'd like. Further, I can promise you, my "opinion" on this topic does not leave me defensive nor embarrassed.

 

We'll agree to disagree, and a year from now we can revisit this topic. I'm not anti-Hester by any means, I hope he gets a chance to get a college education on the heels of his abilities. I don't think he is the 3rd best prospect, but again, we shall see. If you'd take Hester over Jefferson, then have at it. If you'd take Hester over Jacobs, that's your prerogative too.

 

One simple question to you h.s.sportsrbest and I'll will try to remain calm. Why do you believe Jefferson and Jacobs are better players than Hester other then a few more inches?

I think you can scratch Zach Kiernan from the list because of his surrounding cast coming into this year. NCC will have too many question marks at the guard spot. I just don't see Zach Kiernan doing a whole lot of damage because he won't be able to get the ball as much this year.

[/u]

 

One simple question to you h.s.sportsrbest and I'll will try to remain calm. Why do you believe Jefferson and Jacobs are better players than Hester other then a few more inches?

 

Of course I can not speak for HSSRB, but I tend to agree with him. The title of this thread is not the best players, but the best college prospects. College coaches (especially Division 1) would probably prefer a player who already has the size but may lack some skills (which can be tought or acquired), rather than a player with the college-level talent but high-school level size, because, obviously, you can't teach size. If size in college didn't matter, then you wouldn't have 7-footers like Shagari Alleyne (spelling?), because there are plenty of talented players with less size (i.e. Kyle Howard from Scott last year, Alexi Brown from Holmes two years ago, etc).

 

I think Hester is the 2nd best player in NKY (behind Hill), but, unfortunately, IMO he will not play D-1 because of his size. I wish him the best of luck, and, have no personal vendetta against him, just my unbiased opinion.

How tall is Hester? Somehow I have never seen the kid play.

How tall is Hester? Somehow I have never seen the kid play.

5'8"

 

One simple question to you h.s.sportsrbest and I'll will try to remain calm. Why do you believe Jefferson and Jacobs are better players than Hester other then a few more inches?

A few reasons --

 

Size -- hopefully Mike will hit one more growth spurt, but you have to be really, really quick (like special quick) to compete at that size.

 

Strength -- What TJ and Duran have all over Mike is strength. TJ, for example, can finish in the lane because of his upper-body strength. Duran, also, has a lot of strength. Mike needs to get a lot stronger.

 

Shot (sort of) -- Mike has a nice shot. However, my experience is he struggles somewhat to get it off against bigger defenders. I've seen Mike this summer knock down 6 or 7 in warm-ups, but then, against a bigger kid, have a hard time getting it off.

 

Listen, I didn't intend to become the poster child for being anti-Mike Hester; I'm not. Not in the least. However, I've seen him play varsity basketball, as well as this summer, and I just find it impossible to believe that he is a D-1 player. Frankly, there is nothing wrong with that. As I've said in numerous other places, I hate that we paint expectations on young men that are somewhat unrealistic. Based on the comment in this thread, is Mike going to be left disappointed if he ends up at a D-II program, or a NAIA program? I sure hope not. I'll be very happy for him.

A few reasons --

 

Size -- hopefully Mike will hit one more growth spurt, but you have to be really, really quick (like special quick) to compete at that size.

 

Strength -- What TJ and Duran have all over Mike is strength. TJ, for example, can finish in the lane because of his upper-body strength. Duran, also, has a lot of strength. Mike needs to get a lot stronger.

 

Shot (sort of) -- Mike has a nice shot. However, my experience is he struggles somewhat to get it off against bigger defenders. I've seen Mike this summer knock down 6 or 7 in warm-ups, but then, against a bigger kid, have a hard time getting it off.

 

Listen, I didn't intend to become the poster child for being anti-Mike Hester; I'm not. Not in the least. However, I've seen him play varsity basketball, as well as this summer, and I just find it impossible to believe that he is a D-1 player. Frankly, there is nothing wrong with that. As I've said in numerous other places, I hate that we paint expectations on young men that are somewhat unrealistic. Based on the comment in this thread, is Mike going to be left disappointed if he ends up at a D-II program, or a NAIA program? I sure hope not. I'll be very happy for him.

 

And I have no problem with your opinion. I'm sorry I kind of took a comment you made earlier the wrong way.

 

As for the comparisons I still disagree on a few things. I've been watching Mike and alot of these kids play since they were in the 3rd grade. I've seen Mike play on a floor where he was 5 inches shorter than anyone else and against some really top notch players in AAU ball. And there has'nt been one time when you could say that number 3 shouldnt be on the floor. Does size matter to college coaches? Of course it does. I know that and everybody else on here knows that. That's why guys like the before mentioned Alleyne and Orbzut and the masses of really tall, really mediocre basketball players are in Div 1 basketball. Coaches would rather have a 6ft 4in point guard with limited skills rather than a 5ft 9in point guard who has alot. All I can say about it is...It's a shame that the one thing you can point out about a kid like Mike is his size. I dont believe for a second that he doesnt have as much skill and ability as Jacobs or Jefferson at anything on the floor. As for strength, I guarantee you Mike is alot stronger then you think. ( I would take him in an arm wrestling match over Jefferson -not Jacobs but Jefferson)...lol. And you can ask anyone who has gotten a chance to play with him, how much of a great teammate he is. Like Budman has said before he is without a doubt the most unselfish kid on the floor in each game he plays. A kid with talent at this level gets a little selfish from time to time you know? Bottom line...Does Mike deserve (as all the other undersized but very good players out there do too) a chance to play D-1 ball? yes. Will he? You're right probably not. But they are still looking at him and that chance is always there, that a coach will look past the height and see the true talent that the kid has. And just how much it would help his team to have a player like that. You never know.