Thanks for the update on some kids I forgot about. I hear Kyle is strictly basketball so I am sure Willie is more than pleased. As far as physical maturity for Lother.... maybe he needs to sneak some of those catering orders into his room for some midnight snacks.

Speaking of forgetting about kids....JOSH CONNOR could very well play point. Handles well, very athletic, and heady...needs outside jumper work but IF he plays, could see varsity minutes for Highlands.

Boone Co. has a great group of incoming freshmen.

 

Austin Flannery 6' probably the best shooter in the state in this class, Andy Earls 6'6" a strong big man, Ryan Popp 5'8" & Mikey Gabbard 5'9" two of the best point guards in the state in this class. These four played JV ball this summer with Boone and dominated the competition. They also got several minutes playing varsity and all performed very well, especially the big man Earls.

 

Flannery, Earls & Popp play on the D-One KY Patriots 14U AAU team with the Rose Hill boys (Euton, Jackson & Bair), these six boys are the core of the Patriot team; they've been together since 6th grade. The Patriots have won the Div 1 AAU State Championship the past three years and are picked as one of the top Div 1 AAU teams in the nation.

 

This group will make some noise the next four years.

 

I've seen the Gabbard kid play quite a few times in the last year and he is probably the best point guard in the state for the freshman class. There was another kid from his school that will also be going to Boone who is going to give them a very strong five - I think his name is Cotton. He's a 6'0 player who is very quick and has a nice touch around the basket, plus an all around good athlete. This freshman class at Boone will make a run at the state title in a few years.

I This freshman class at Boone will make a run at the state title in a few years.

 

Wow. That's a strong statement.

 

I'm looking forward to checking this bunch out.

I've seen the Gabbard kid play quite a few times in the last year and he is probably the best point guard in the state for the freshman class. There was another kid from his school that will also be going to Boone who is going to give them a very strong five - I think his name is Cotton. He's a 6'0 player who is very quick and has a nice touch around the basket, plus an all around good athlete. This freshman class at Boone will make a run at the state title in a few years.

 

Popp made the all-state middle school team this year. Popp and Gabbard are equally talented point guards. Popp has excelled against some of the best point guards in the nation in AAU ball. Gabbard has a very good handle. Both have great court vision. Popp has great decision making and defensive skills. Both of these in the backcourt with the other three freshmen will be a formidable force.

This freshman class at Boone will make a run at the state title in a few years.

 

Surely you jest. Seems like I remember a bunch of people promising the same thing at Holmes just a few years ago.

 

Boone has a good class, so does Ryle, CovCath, Dixie, Highlands, and Holy Cross. I'd worry more about the region and less about the state thing at this point.

Surely you jest. Seems like I remember a bunch of people promising the same thing at Holmes just a few years ago.

 

Boone has a good class, so does Ryle, CovCath, Dixie, Highlands, and Holy Cross. I'd worry more about the region and less about the state thing at this point.

 

In two years, Boone will be one of the serious contenders for the regional title. Boone, Ryle, and Highlands 2010 classes have outplayed all N KY schools in their class in school and AAU ball the last several years. Of course, with their recruiting flexibility, CCH could also be in the mix. Dixie will also have a good team.

Surely you jest. Seems like I remember a bunch of people promising the same thing at Holmes just a few years ago.

 

Boone has a good class, so does Ryle, CovCath, Dixie, Highlands, and Holy Cross. I'd worry more about the region and less about the state thing at this point.

 

 

Yes, those other schools will have strong teams, however if you look at the feeder schools that will be going into those high schools, Boone may have the edge if all of the players stay together. Ockerman and R.A both feed into Boone and both of those schools had very strong 8th grade teams. Both beat Gray and Turkeyfoot, which feed into Ryle and Dixie respectively. I know RA beat Highlands at the middle school state tourney at SOAS in Florence. R.A finished in the elite 8 of that state tourney and Ockerman was in the final four. Both were knocked out of the tourney by teams that eventually played in the finals. Ockerman also made it to the final four in the KBA middle school tourney.

 

I know it is impossible to predict how a team will do four years from now, but if they stay together and healthy, they will be a force to reckon with in the 9th region and state tournament in a few years. However, I think a lot depends on the basketball program at Boone and how the coaching staff develops these players. If they are not able to develop the talent that they have coming in, then I made a very premature statement about Boone competing for the state title.

Surely you jest. Seems like I remember a bunch of people promising the same thing at Holmes just a few years ago.

 

Boone has a good class, so does Ryle, CovCath, Dixie, Highlands, and Holy Cross. I'd worry more about the region and less about the state thing at this point.

 

 

:thumb:

 

A lot can happen over the next couple of years before anyone can predict runs at state. Look at the senior classes at Simon Kenton & Holmes. Both have been successful but that state title run has eluded Holmes and SK needed a move to the 8th to be considered a regional contender.

Elisha Justice, from Dorton going to SV, Ashley Hatfield, Virgie going to SV, Taylor Newsome, Virgie going to SV, Tate Cox, from JBS going to JBS Cody Miller,from Knox Co all played AAU together, three of them played varsity last year. Very good freshmen.

Have seen Dixie mentioned as having a strong freshman class, what about the other Kenton Co schools Simon Kenton & Scott?

 

Does Holy Cross have any guards to go with big post player, Bass?

Have seen Dixie mentioned as having a strong freshman class, what about the other Kenton Co schools Simon Kenton & Scott?

 

Does Holy Cross have any guards to go with big post player, Bass?

Point guard who played at the same small Cathollic grade school on eastside of Covington with both Bass and last years Freshman phenom Sheena Giwa.

 

His name slips my mind.

Elisha Justice, from Dorton going to SV, Ashley Hatfield, Virgie going to SV, Taylor Newsome, Virgie going to SV, Tate Cox, from JBS going to JBS Cody Miller,from Knox Co all played AAU together, three of them played varsity last year. Very good freshmen.

 

I saw many of the games at the middle school state tournament at SOAS in Florence, including games played by Virgie and Dorton. I know at least 3 of the 5 players you mentioned played for their 8th grade middle school team in that tournament. So are you saying that 3 of these players played both varsity and for their 8th grade tournament? If so, that really should be looked at for future middle school state tournaments. I thought once a player played at the varsity level they were not eligible to play on any other team. Is that correct?

Have seen Dixie mentioned as having a strong freshman class, what about the other Kenton Co schools Simon Kenton & Scott?

 

Does Holy Cross have any guards to go with big post player, Bass?

 

 

The other Kenton County schools were not very strong in the 8th grade last year. The top four teams in the Boone Kenton Athletic Conference were Gray, Ockerman, R.A Jones, and Turkeyfoot. There seemed to be a big difference in talent from the top teams and the teams at the bottom of the conference.

. I thought once a player played at the varsity level they were not eligible to play on any other team. Is that correct?

That would be wrong.

 

Also some of you are looking into a middle school state tournament to much. I always hear how well kenton and boone public schools fair well every year in these tournaments. What most forget to take into account is some of the better grade school talent in NKY does not particpate in this event. That is why success in this tourney very rarley results in 9th region titles later in their careers.

 

With the success of HC,CCH,St.Henry,Brossart,NCC in basketball latley. I think to figure out top teams in NKY it would be even more accurate to see who's feeder schools are winning titles in the Diocease of Covington tournaments.

That would be wrong.

 

Also some of you are looking into a middle school state tournament to much. I always hear how well kenton and boone public schools fair well every year in these tournaments. What most forget to take into account is some of the better grade school talent in NKY does not particpate in this event. That is why success in this tourney very rarley results in 9th region titles later in their careers.

 

With the success of HC,CCH,St.Henry,Brossart,NCC in basketball latley. I think to figure out top teams in NKY it would be even more accurate to see who's feeder schools are winning titles in the Diocease of Covington tournaments.

 

So, are you saying that middle school basketball teams should not participate in a tournament that gets them more experience playing teams from around the state and more exposure for their players?

 

Also, R.A Jones played in a postseason tournament that featured many of the teams from the Diocese of Covington. In fact, they were the only public school invited and they were runner-up in the tournament. They beat at least 5 schools to advance to the finals, including St. Henry, St. Joes, and St. Pius. From what I understand, Blessed Sacrament, who won this tournament, was one of the better 8th grade teams in the private sector and they did participate in the middle school state tournament.