Northern Kentucky Basketball Coaches Association - Preseason Top 10 Teams and Players

[leititgo33]

Jeez, maybe the parents should've provided better talent.

 

The talent is walking the halls of Ryle, just not playing basketball.

[4 Quarters]

Ryle subscribes to the "Fountain of Youth" philosophy. Their two best sophomores from last season aren't playing. Would have helped them a ton this season.

 

What were their reasons for coming to this decision ?

[Big Fundamental]

The talent is walking the halls of Ryle, just not playing basketball.

 

So, the parents are mad at the kids for not wanting to play??

 

Or, are parents just blaming the coaches as if players dont hit shots, get rebounds, play defense, talk on the court, play aggressive, etc.??

[Big Fundamental]

Ryle subscribes to the "Fountain of Youth" philosophy. Their two best sophomores from last season aren't playing. Would have helped them a ton this season.

 

I can not imagine a group of coaches not playing really talented juniors and seniors that can win for the sake of freshman and sophomores.

[leititgo33]

I can not imagine a group of coaches not playing really talented juniors and seniors that can win for the sake of freshman and sophomores.

 

Sarcasm. The pattern of kids not wanting to play is becoming more prevalent. The fountain of youth philosophy isnt a choice at this point, it's out of necessity. The argument is being made that Ryle isnt producing talent. The girls program has had success, the baseball team has had some success, the football team has had some success, the softball team has had success. The basketball program is 56-90 in the last 5 seasons. At some point you have to stop blaming the kids. The reason Ryle is young is some really good players stop coming out, why? 56-90, kids not wanting to play, let that sink in and come up with a plausible explanation as to how Ryle had success in every other sport except basketball.

[Jumpman4004]

Sometime I just do not understand the Ryle discord on this site. I understand they haven't had the most stellar record in the past 5 years but, I brought this up in another discussion, they haven't had the horses to complete against a big school schedule. I believe they have only had one all-region player in that span (Rankin) and it was just last year. It is hard to win consitantly at any level when you do not have a certain level of talent. If anything, it could be argued they have over achieved in some areas. I know they made the regional tournament last year after beating a Boone team in districts that had a lot more talent and was ranked #3 or #4 in the region at the time. The 33rd district is very tough to get out of lately and I dont know how many other times in the last 5 years they have made the regional tournament but I think it is atleast 2 or 3. Based on the record the previous poster listed for Ryle, it would seem to me they play pretty well towards the end of the season.

[HSBballfan24]

Sometime I just do not understand the Ryle discord on this site. I understand they haven't had the most stellar record in the past 5 years but, I brought this up in another discussion, they haven't had the horses to complete against a big school schedule. I believe they have only had one all-region player in that span (Rankin) and it was just last year. It is hard to win consitantly at any level when you do not have a certain level of talent. If anything, it could be argued they have over achieved in some areas. I know they made the regional tournament last year after beating a Boone team in districts that had a lot more talent and was ranked #3 or #4 in the region at the time. The 33rd district is very tough to get out of lately and I dont know how many other times in the last 5 years they have made the regional tournament but I think it is atleast 2 or 3. Based on the record the previous poster listed for Ryle, it would seem to me they play pretty well towards the end of the season.

 

It’s the same argument you’ll get from SK critics. It’s the biggest school in the 9th region. Their biggest competition is Cooper and the lack of developing talent is inexcusable. Both Simon and Ryle should have won a region in the last 15 years and they haven’t. The last 5 at Ryle, while they may have made it to region a few times, have been terrible basketball to watch.

[Jumpman4004]

Sarcasm. The pattern of kids not wanting to play is becoming more prevalent. The fountain of youth philosophy isnt a choice at this point, it's out of necessity. The argument is being made that Ryle isnt producing talent. The girls program has had success, the baseball team has had some success, the football team has had some success, the softball team has had success. The basketball program is 56-90 in the last 5 seasons. At some point you have to stop blaming the kids. The reason Ryle is young is some really good players stop coming out, why? 56-90, kids not wanting to play, let that sink in and come up with a plausible explanation as to how Ryle had success in every other sport except basketball.

 

To me that is comparing apples to oranges. As my last post mentioned talent plays a pretty large role. Those teams had some major talent recently. I do not know anything about the baseball or softball, so I cannot comment on those. However, their football team was very good recently because they had two Mr. Football finalists. They had Morgan who is starting for Minnesota and they had a running back (his name escapes me right now). The girls team has two Miss Basketball contenders right now.

 

Rankin is a solid player, but I do not believe he will be in the Mr. Basketball running at the end of the year and I do not think there is a possible Mr. Basketball contender roaming the halls of Ryle who quit so like I said, apples to oranges.

 

This thread is about all the preseason top 10 teams and players, so we should probably get back to that topic and discuss Ryle in its own thread.

 

I haven’t seen many teams schedules yet this year. Are there any early top 10 match-ups we should be marking on our calendars?

[leititgo33]

Sometime I just do not understand the Ryle discord on this site. I understand they haven't had the most stellar record in the past 5 years but, I brought this up in another discussion, they haven't had the horses to complete against a big school schedule. I believe they have only had one all-region player in that span (Rankin) and it was just last year. It is hard to win consitantly at any level when you do not have a certain level of talent. If anything, it could be argued they have over achieved in some areas. I know they made the regional tournament last year after beating a Boone team in districts that had a lot more talent and was ranked #3 or #4 in the region at the time. The 33rd district is very tough to get out of lately and I dont know how many other times in the last 5 years they have made the regional tournament but I think it is atleast 2 or 3. Based on the record the previous poster listed for Ryle, it would seem to me they play pretty well towards the end of the season.

 

Hard to win consistently? Averaging 11 wins per season is hardly just an issue of inconsistent winning. In fact last seasons 11 wins match the average. Again, the so called lack of talent is self inflicted, GOOD PLAYERS THAT DID PLAY, DO NOT PLAY ANY LONGER.

[leititgo33]

Sometime I just do not understand the Ryle discord on this site. I understand they haven't had the most stellar record in the past 5 years but, I brought this up in another discussion, they haven't had the horses to complete against a big school schedule. I believe they have only had one all-region player in that span (Rankin) and it was just last year. It is hard to win consitantly at any level when you do not have a certain level of talent. If anything, it could be argued they have over achieved in some areas. I know they made the regional tournament last year after beating a Boone team in districts that had a lot more talent and was ranked #3 or #4 in the region at the time. The 33rd district is very tough to get out of lately and I dont know how many other times in the last 5 years they have made the regional tournament but I think it is atleast 2 or 3. Based on the record the previous poster listed for Ryle, it would seem to me they play pretty well towards the end of the season.

 

Thread began with "What's wrong with Ryle" and quickly transitioned to Vince Rankin. My son played and graduated from Ryle and my nephew is currently playing so I'll offer a little insight. First, put the Vince Rankin questions to rest. VINCE IS A PLAYER. Top ten in region? Maybe, maybe not, but he is a Junior and will definitely be one of the best players in the 9th next year. Works his tail off in the off season and is an excellent teammate. 

Lets dispel some of the myths surrounding what is wrong with Ryle Basketball.

Myth #1: Kids are leaving Gray before arriving at Ryle. Inaccurate. The kids at Gray ARE coming to Ryle, if anything they have had at least 1 "new" player come in recent seasons. The truth is some of the kids that had success at Gray just didn't get any better, or aren't playing basketball. The Junior class that won so much at Gray is a great example of the argument of Middle school success not translating to High school success. 4 of the 5 starters from that team are still playing, with Vince being the only real contributor. The others were bigger and stronger than everyone in Middle school, not so much now. 

Myth #2: Ryle doesn't have very good players. Inaccurate. The program has several promising underclassmen. 8th grader, Robinson, could end up being a real point guard. The Middle school success translating to High school argument can certainly be made here. However, he does not have the size advantage in Middle School and has had some success this season. He has good vision, but his shot selection could definitely improve. Freshman, Tyler Bush is long, can jump with anyone, is developing a perimeter shot and will make an impact next season. Sophomores, Benton, Ashcraft and Caggiano all bring a very different skill set to the table. If Benton develops a post presence, look out! He and Ashcraft share a similar problem in that defensive struggles limit their minutes. Ashcraft has shown flashes of being a top tier shooter and has made several big shots, but has to improve defensively. Caggiano has shown the ability to run the floor, finish in the paint and rebound, but disappears for extended periods of time, which is not uncommon for this age. The Juniors have Vince of course, but Andrew Schmitt is the kid that could really help Ryle get over the hump next year. He is extremely long, a well above average defender, but has struggled finishing on the offensive end. There are several other players that could end up being serious contributors, but I am just not willing to buy in yet. 

What might really be wrong with Ryle is in reality a combination of factors. The trend of good players not playing after their Sophomore/Junior seasons is disturbing. This is a trend that I expect WILL CONTINUE. Surrounding Vince with a supporting cast that can threaten opposing defenses has been a huge problem this year. Currently, Ryle's best scoring options aside from Vince are sophomores that cannot stay on the floor due to defensive lapses. 

 

I wont begin to speculate on why kids stop playing. I also wont speculate or question Coach McFarland's basketball knowledge. The only fair statement is that it his responsibility to turn the ifs into absolutes. As the coach it is his responsibility to make Benton and Ashcraft adequate defenders so they can alleviate the pressure on Vince on the offensive end. It is his responsibility to make sure Caggiano learns to perform regardless of the situation or opponent. It is his responsibility to teach Robinson and Bush that its a team game and the value of a great pass. He has to bring out the best in Andrew Schmitt. 

 

What is wrong with Ryle is they are young. A better question is why are they so young and what put them in this situation? Identify it and keep the young kids that are contributing, playing. If not, there will be an identical post next season.

 

 

This is a post from January. Chilling how accurate.

[Big Fundamental]

Hard to win consistently? Averaging 11 wins per season is hardly just an issue of inconsistent winning. In fact last seasons 11 wins match the average. Again, the so called lack of talent is self inflicted, GOOD PLAYERS THAT DID PLAY, DO NOT PLAY ANY LONGER.

 

It doesn’t make sense to say that they aren’t playing because of the records of the past. If they were that good, and the kids were competitors, they would understand that if they played the record would be better. Silly to say they aren’t playing because record. You can’t make a kid play, and if you do, you won’t get his best. Silly to only blame players, and silly to only blame coaches. Let’s just be honest, Ryle hasn’t had the talent of a Coleman, McLeish, Stauffer, Perkins, Vollett, etc. all playing together in the same years since 2010-2011.

 

This is evidenced by the Gray MS program which hasn’t been nearly as successful recently either.

[hoops_fan]

Edit

[guystiger]

This is evidenced by the Gray MS program which hasn’t been nearly as successful recently either.

The current Junior and Senior class were successful in middle school. I think coaching has been an issue there for years.

 

Someone above asked why the parents are upset. They’re upset because the boys are not wanting to play for a coach that doesn’t know how to treat them. There are kids currently playing all the minutes and their parents want them to transfer. Some of the kids that are walking the halls don’t want to switch schools.

 

I really hope it works out for all parties involved. I really hope the players can find a chance to play the game they love.

[Don't_Hate_the_Playa]

Rankin is a senior and is definitely one of the top 10 players in the region. Personally I think he is underrated on this board. He would start for any team in the 9th region. Great player and kid who stayed home, which makes me respect him that much more.