2016 Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass

[THE SHERIFF]

You have to love the semi's if you're a big hoop fan: #1 vs the out of state team on one side, and #3 vs #4 on the other. 3 of the top 4 teams in KY in action tonight...great stuff!!

 

I can't wait.

 

Wish I could be there tonight, but I have a reveal for the first grandchild! Love this tournament. The mix of out of state teams really adds a dimension.

[Theoldguy]

King of the Bluegrass still reigns as top holiday tourney | Kentucky High School Athletic Association

 

By Mike Fields

 

[h=1]KING OF THE BLUEGRASS STILL REIGNS AS TOP HOLIDAY TOURNEY[/h]December 19, 2016FieldsColumn

Lloyd Gardner, left, and Stan Hardin have been putting on the King of the Bluegrass since 1981.

BY MIKE FIELDS

LOUISVILLE – The King of the Bluegrass has reigned as the best high school holiday basketball tournament in Kentucky — and one of the best in the nation — for 36 years now.

It was the brainchild of then-Fairdale Coach Stan Hardin and assistant Lloyd Gardner, who came up with the idea on the bus ride home after the Bulldogs played in a Christmastime tournament in Ocala, Fla., in 1980.

“My philosophy was, if they could have a tournament like that in Florida, which isn’t a basketball state, we should be able to do it in Louisville,” Hardin recalled.

“We decided right then to put it together,” Gardner said.

They went to the Fairdale administration and got the go-ahead, as long as it didn’t cost the school anything. Hardin went looking for a sponsor, found RC Cola, and the tournament became a reality.

The inaugural King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic began 35 years ago today – Dec. 19, 1981 – in an inauspicious way. A scoreboard went on the fritz and the fire department had to bring in a ladder to fix it before the first game could tip off.

That was NOT a sign of things to come.

The King of the Bluegrass was good from the get-go, then kept getting better and better, with a mix of Kentucky teams and out-of-state teams providing high-quality competition.

Hardin credited Gardner for bringing in top-notch national teams, starting with Baltimore Dunbar in 1982. Dunbar won the tournament that year with a roster that included three players — Reggie Williams, Muggsy Bogues and Reggie Lewis — who would eventually be first-round NBA draft picks.

In 1984, Dobbins Tech of Philadelphia came to town with a team featuring Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers.

But Hardin and Gardner agree that Rex Chapman was the biggest drawing card ever for the King of the Bluegrass. An overflow crowd stuffed the main gym to see the Apollo star in 1985, so officials closed the doors and stopped selling tickets. That didn’t keep fans from trying to find a way in.

“They tore the gutters off the front of the school trying to crawl up ’em and get in the library through a window and come down that way,” Hardin said. “It was something else.

“After the game, I went in the locker room and Rex said, ‘Coach, is there any way I can get out of here without having to go through that crowd?’ So I took him out the back door and we walked all the way around the gym, and he got on the bus to go home.”

Chapman is one of 24 players who played in the King of the Bluegrass and went on to be named Mr. Basketball. Fifteen teams that have played in the December tournament have gone on to win the Sweet Sixteen the following March.

This year’s Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass includes eight teams ranked in the Courier-Journal’s preseason top 10, and the top six players, including Mr. Basketball favorite Taveion Hollingsworth of defending state champ Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Fairdale has a glorious basketball tradition of its own, thanks to Hardin and Gardner. Under Hardin, the Bulldogs won back-to-back state championships in 1990 and ’91 (no school has repeated since then). After Hardin stepped down as head coach, Gardner took over and guided Fairdale to the 1994 state title.

Hardin is almost as proud that the Bulldogs have won the King of the Bluegrass three times (1987, ’90, ’93). “I really thought we’d never win it,” he said. “I didn’t want to put on a tournament where people thought we were setting it up so we would win it. I just wanted to get the very best teams in here. That was the most important thing.”

The most important ingredient in the King of the Bluegrass’ sustained success has been the community’s involvement. The tournament’s lifeblood is its volunteers.

“We only pay two ticket-takers, police (for security) and the referees,” Gardner said. “The community steps up and helps out with everything else.”

That includes putting together a hospitality room that for one week every December rates a 5-star review.

On Sunday night, a standing-room only crowd in Stanley Hardin Gymnasium watched No. 1 Bowling Green (led by eighth-grader Zion Harmon) edge No. 6 Ballard, and No. 2 Trinity slip by No. 8 Fern Creek in quarterfinal action.

Hardin and Gardner were there, of course, to watch and make sure everything was running smoothly, even though Hardin hasn’t coached at Fairdale in 25 years and Gardner left the sidelines 11 years ago.

“This is my home,” Hardin said. “And I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Henry Clay won the very first King of the Bluegrass title. Greg Bates hit two free throws with :01 left to give the Blue Devils a 71-69 victory over Paducah Tilghman in the finals.

[TheDeuce]

I'll be there tonight.

[Trinity alum]

I should definitely be there tonight. I do have a question, has anyone else had trouble with the mobile version of the site? Every time I load now, the screen shakes a bit and the links turn red and won't allow me to scroll.

 

same problem

[Purple88]

I'll be there tonight.

 

If my daughter doesn't play lacrosse tonight, I plan to make the games tonight! Should be great games!

[theguru]

WINNERS BRACKET

4:30 #4 Ballard vs Altoona (GA)

6:00 #2 Fern Creek vs Franklin-Simpson

7:30 #4 Trinity vs #3 Covington Catholic - Semi-Final

9:00 #1 Bowling Green vs Berkmar (GA) Indiana University/ Al Durham- Semi-Final

 

CONSOLATION BRACKET

4:30 #9 Paul L. Dunbar vs Lee (AL)

6:00 #8 Cooper vs Fairdale

7:30 #5 Christian County vs #20 North Hardin - Semi-Final

9:00 #12 Doss vs St. Rita (IL) - Semi-Final

 

One entrance...two gyms...one price $8.00

 

I went ahead and updated the rankings to reflect the most current BGP Boys Basketball Rankings:

 

http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-boys-basketball/bluegrasspreps-boys-top-340476.html

[Realreason]

One of the things I most miss about not being in Louisville any more is getting to the KOB. It is a tournament that always has great talent, and is run top notch.:thumb:

[tark the shark]

Will any one be broadcasting the Trinity/CCH game?

[mooremiller31]

Taveion Hollingsworth had 47 for Dunbar today on 17/23 from the field.

[TheDeuce]

Fern Creek and Franklin-Simpson off to a quick start.

[King of the Bluegrass]

Four Games - one gym - one price $8.00

 

3:00 - CONSOLATION BRACKET WINNER

#7 Christian County vs #11 Doss

 

4:30 - FIFTH PLACE

#6 Ballard vs #8 Fern Creek

 

6:00 - THIRD PLACE

#1 Bowling Green vs #5 Covington Catholic

 

7:30 - KING OF THE BLUEGRASS CHAMPIONSHIP

#2 Trinity vs Berkmar (GA) featuring Indiana signee Al Durham

 

Get there early...opening ceremony features Churchill Down bugler Steve Buttleman

[King of the Bluegrass]

Please give us feedback on the King of the Bluegrass. Thanks for all of you that came to Fairdale.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

Have Gatorade or Powerade at the concession stand. That was my only less than great impression from this week.

 

Great tourney, well run, very organized.

[TheDeuce]

PA guy for the Trinity/CCH and BG/Berkmar games Monday night was a little over the top for my taste. I'm not sure if he is supposed to be neutral or not, but he certainly wasn't.

 

Other than that, I had a great time as usual. I often wonder if KOB will ever outgrow Fairdale. That West Gym gets pretty packed for the bigger games.

[Indiana Patrick]

Ok, I know Indiana schools can't play schools a certain amount of miles away from the Indiana border, hence teams from Indiana aren't allowed in the KOB. How about next year inviting 3 or 4 Indiana teams, that way they're only playing Kentucky schools and it would be allowed (I believe). Invite New Albany and Romeo as your big time recruit from out of state. Maybe fort wayne north side, who's got one of that top sophs. in the country. Just a suggestion, idk if it's possible but worth a look for one year. Guaranteed every game New Albany played would be sold out so everyone wins.