I took this from the Lexington Herald Leader online article. I think it just speaks volumes about the quality of players and development of players at the Kentucky High School level.

 

The two big Division I schools in the state will play on Saturday, and of the probably about 170 scholarship players on both teams roster, ONLY 17 will have been high school players from the state of Kentucky. That's a measly 10%.

 

There are a lot of factors related to this statistic, but it is wrong on so many levels, in my opinion. Your opinions, please.

 

 

Louisville has six Kentuckians on its roster who were recruited as scholarship players: Kyle Bolin (Lexington Catholic), Reggie Bonnafon (Trinity), Derek Dorsey (Manual), Austin Johnson (DeSales), James Quick (Trinity) and Keon Wakefield (Male). The Cardinals have one Kentuckian in their 2017 recruiting class: Belfry offensive lineman Cole Bentley.

 

UK has 11 in-state guys who were recruited as scholarship players: Drew Barker (Conner), Eli Brown (Warren East), Kash Daniel (Paintsville), Matt Elam (John Hardin), Zy’Aire Hughes (McCracken County), Jacob Hyde (Clay County), Drake Jackson (Woodford County), Adrian Middleton (South Warren), Davonte Robinson (Henry Clay), Ryan Timmons (Franklin County) and Landon Young (Lafayette).

As I said before, if you are a fan of KY HS Football, you should be a fan of WKU. The Toppers are winning games with a lot of KY players starting, 16 players among its 2-deep roster, and 34 on the roster. I am certain UK fans remember their last two encounters with the Toppers. Taylor, Wales, Haplin, Overstreet, Fant, Baker, Iggy, etc all having great careers.

As I said before, if you are a fan of KY HS Football, you should be a fan of WKU. The Toppers are winning games with a lot of KY players starting, 16 players among its 2-deep roster, and 34 on the roster. I am certain UK fans remember their last two encounters with the Toppers. Taylor, Wales, Haplin, Overstreet, Fant, Baker, Iggy, etc all having great careers.

 

Which is great and all for WKU. However if you are arguing that UK needs to have more KY players and that would help them be more successful. Then that is as silly as the people who use to say before Calipari got here that UK basketball needed more ky high school boys to be great again.

 

Ky high school football is getting better at producing some more true D1 talent. The problem is its not enough to be anymore successful in the SEC week to week than they are. Then when they do produce real high end D1 talent, it's hard to keep them in state to want to go to UK. When you have teams like Bama, Notre Dame, etc wanting them.

I'm arguing nothing about UK. Just arguing the point that there more quality players from our state that what exists on rosters at UK & UL. I'm sure WKU is happy that those schools missed on the evaluation of several Toppers.

I'm arguing nothing about UK. Just arguing the point that there more quality players from our state that what exists on rosters at UK & UL. I'm sure WKU is happy that those schools missed on the evaluation of several Toppers.

 

I think the missed evaluations are few and far between. I can't speak for UK, but as a Louisville fan, I don't see a lot of guys on Western's team that could get on the field over the guys UofL has now.

 

The truth is that there just isn't a ton of top-level talent that comes out of Kentucky. I'd love to have more local guys wearing Cardinal red, but I want to win ACC games more...

Here we go again with the argument that Kentucky doesn't produce any D1 talent. I have proven that argument wrong before, and then the argument changed to "those D1 players can play elsewhere but can't play for Kentucky or in the SEC".

 

Let us not forget, the state of Kentucky produced 41 FBS Division 1 players last year. And another 42 FCS Division 1 players. That's 82 Division 1 players, in 2015. Link

 

Kentucky produced 39 FBS Division 1 players in 2014. And another 33 FCS players. For a total of 72 Division 1 player in 2014. Link

Which is great and all for WKU. However if you are arguing that UK needs to have more KY players and that would help them be more successful. Then that is as silly

UK could have been told 10 years ago they were only allowed to recruit in state and would have won just as many games the past 10 years. One could make a strong argument that a lot of the players UK recruits out of state aren't as talented as a lot of kids in state. Don't pee on my shoe and tell me it's raining.

Maybe the 10% is the fault of the recruiters and not the quality of recruits.

UK could have been told 10 years ago they were only allowed to recruit in state and would have won just as many games the past 10 years. One could make a strong argument that a lot of the players UK recruits out of state aren't as talented as a lot of kids in state. Don't pee on my shoe and tell me it's raining.

 

We can agree to disagree. However I would be willing to bet these players from out of state that we do get, those fans from those areas feel the same way about the kids in their state and would say they are more talented. It's very easy to sit here and see a player not do as well against SEC type teams and say well they obviously weren't as talented as some of the guys in our own state that we passed up.

Here we go again with the argument that Kentucky doesn't produce any D1 talent. I have proven that argument wrong before, and then the argument changed to "those D1 players can play elsewhere but can't play for Kentucky or in the SEC".

 

Let us not forget, the state of Kentucky produced 41 FBS Division 1 players last year. And another 42 FCS Division 1 players. That's 82 Division 1 players, in 2015. Link[/url

Kentucky produced 39 FBS Division 1 players in 2014. And another 33 FCS players. For a total of 72 Division 1 player in 2014. Link

 

I remember your post awhile back, "Ram". Very good work!

 

The key word in the Lexington Herald Leader article, listing UK and UofL players, was SCHOLARSHIP. I looked at your list and there are many walk on players on that list. While I am happy for these non-scholarship athletes going on to play for their in-state school, those in-state schools are not investing their money on these players.

 

Jeff Brohm is committing to in-state players and having success. Because of that, I always root for WKU (except when they play/beat my Wildcats). Brohm's successor did not have the same attitude about Kentucky High School players.

 

I still say, the state of Kentucky not doing a good job developing high school players. I still feel it is not improving. There are a lot of nice size kids who are misled to believe they have D-I basketball talent, and thus, do not play high school football. In reality, they may have had a real future in college football.

Maybe the 10% is the fault of the recruiters and not the quality of recruits.

 

 

A little of both, I am sure.

We can agree to disagree. However I would be willing to bet these players from out of state that we do get, those fans from those areas feel the same way about the kids in their state and would say they are more talented. It's very easy to sit here and see a player not do as well against SEC type teams and say well they obviously weren't as talented as some of the guys in our own state that we passed up.

 

Hmm just look and see how UK built its team under Rich Brooks when they where uber competitve...A ton of KY bred Talent Dre Woodson, Keenan Burton, Curtis Pulley, Ricky Abren, Jacob Tamme to name a few...Let's not fail to mention Bush, Montrell Jones, Eric Shelton, lefew, at Louisville (probably forgetting a ton) during the same period...seems like our top programs forget what brings them back to prosperity too me. But to say our guts can't compete is laughable lol!

I just looked at the rosters of Alabama and Auburn....two perennial top 20 team from the same state.

 

Alabama has over 40 from Alabama on the roster. Auburn also has over 40 players from the state of Alabama on the roster.

 

80 combined in-state players for Alabama and Auburn from the state of Alabama and 17 combined from UK and UofL from the state of Kentucky?

 

WOW!

I remember your post awhile back, "Ram". Very good work!

 

The key word in the Lexington Herald Leader article, listing UK and UofL players, was SCHOLARSHIP. I looked at your list and there are many walk on players on that list. While I am happy for these non-scholarship athletes going on to play for their in-state school, those in-state schools are not investing their money on these players.

 

Jeff Brohm is committing to in-state players and having success. Because of that, I always root for WKU (except when they play/beat my Wildcats). Brohm's successor did not have the same attitude about Kentucky High School players.

 

I still say, the state of Kentucky not doing a good job developing high school players. I still feel it is not improving. There are a lot of nice size kids who are misled to believe they have D-I basketball talent, and thus, do not play high school football. In reality, they may have had a real future in college football.

Brohm is doing what Petrino did in his first stint at Louisville. He recruited a lot more in state players and won a lot of games doing it. In fact, he beat UK quite a bit with in state players. It has been proven.

 

Also, what Petrino and Brohm have come to see, more then likely, is that in state players have more vested in the program and want to do well for their in state school. Sure, you can't win with nothing but in state players, but the more you can get that are able to play at that level, the better your program will be. Not to mention, the more in state players you have, the better in state following you will have, which will lead to money for the program.

Hmm just look and see how UK built its team under Rich Brooks when they where uber competitve...A ton of KY bred Talent Dre Woodson, Keenan Burton, Curtis Pulley, Ricky Abren, Jacob Tamme to name a few...Let's not fail to mention Bush, Montrell Jones, Eric Shelton, lefew, at Louisville (probably forgetting a ton) during the same period...seems like our top programs forget what brings them back to prosperity too me. But to say our guts can't compete is laughable lol!

 

I honestly would like for you to name more than those few if you could? Or was back then also pretty consistent of only having between 10 or 15 scholarship players from KY? You may have a point, so yes I remember those names, but we're there other ky scholaslship boys on those teams that helped?

 

These same things were said during the Tubby years in bball too, saying we need more KY boys who love KY to compete. It's also like the many of parents across the state who believe their kids are the next big D1 stars and end up at D3 or NAIA schools. Which playing college Ball is great. However people completely underestimate how good someone must be to go D1.

 

Take a few of our last KY boys who dominated in high school. Patrick Towles best player in the state, below average as a qb in a major conference. However say he went to WKU he probably would have had a much better career playing against and in a Small conference. Take a look at Timmons from Franklin Co. He was an absolute stud in high school, and made defenses look silly trying to guard or tackle him. Yet in college playing in a major conference he has looked like a below average receiver, who couldn't get separation or catch as well. However I bet if he went to WKU he would have had a very good career in a smaller conference. Then people would be saying how did UK pass him up.

 

Ky as a state is starting to produce more D1 talent, which is awesome. However there is also a big difference between major conference D1 talent and small conference D1 talent. Uk has gotten some of the top boys in the state over the last 6 years and well look at the record.

 

Yeah if we are going to suck then yeah it would be nice to at least see even more KY boys. However getting more KY boys is not the answer to winning more like we all want. Some of the current WKU players putting up great numbers, could look more like Timmons has playing at UK in a major conference. Now when our state does produce higher level D1 talent I think UK and UL do a good job at getting them usually. However as a UL poster on here just said, most of the players on WKU roster wasn't going to help them win ACC games. The same can be said about SEC games.

 

Ky is producing more D1 talent these days, but right now that talent level does fit more perfectly for WKU in their smaller conference.