Why is there such a disparity between Indiana and Kentucky HS hoops?

[Jim Schue]

Indiana limits its HS teams to a 22-game regular season. Kentucky teams can play as many as 30. That means most of the games in Indiana are on Friday and Saturday nights, which generate larger crowds, more interest and community support especially from young kids who are learning the fundamentals and aspiring to become a high school player. Kentucky plays a large percentage of its games on on Monday - Thursday nights, generating smaller crowds and limited support from students and community. Each game in Indiana just means more.

 

Additionally, Indiana (due to the aforementioned population difference) offers more college basketball opportunities for its high school players. Consider this:

 

Indiana Division I: Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Butler, Indiana State, Ball State, Evansville, Valparaiso, IUPUI, Purdue Fort Wayne (10 schools)

 

Kentucky Division I: Kentucky, Louisville, Western KY, Eastern KY, Murray State, Northern Kentucky, Morehead State (7 schools)

 

And there are many more DII, DIII, NAIA programs in Indiana.

 

Lastly, in addition be being a larger state in population, Indiana has bigger cities (Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Gary area, Terre Haute, Bloomington, Jeffersonville/New Albany, South Bend). Metropolitan areas tend to produce a greater number of good basketball players . . . and usually better ones.

 

Can't really disagree with any of this. It's gotten more extreme since the Louisville area doesn't produce the number of All-Americans as it used to from 1990 and prior.

[Mojocat]

People think both are “basketball states”, but it’s not really true. Indiana is a basketball State. Kentucky is a University of Kentucky state. Because UK is known mostly for its basketball program, it’s easy for an outsider to conflate things.

[TheDeuce]

People think both are “basketball states”, but it’s not really true. Indiana is a basketball State. Kentucky is a University of Kentucky state. Because UK is known mostly for its basketball program, it’s easy for an outsider to conflate things.

 

Kentucky is absolutely a basketball state when you compare it to any other sport, but your point is valid.

[NKYBBALLFANS]

Indiana simply takes its high school basketball more seriously. High School basketball in Indiana is more of a priority. I would say it's second to none.

[okie1]

High School basketball in Indiana trumps college basketball for Indiana residents as a whole...

UK basketball trumps KY HS basketball for KY residents as a whole...

 

Indiana is a HS basketball state and KY is a college basketball state.

[strongopenyon]

It sounds like the only thing Kentucky has on Indiana is a better, one class high school basketball tournament (Sweet Sixteen).

 

I might better understand Indiana's decision to go to multiple classes after learning that Carmel High School has nearly 5000 students in grades 9-12. It doesn't quite seem fair that a small town high school with, say, 300 students in grades 9-12 would have to tackle that giant.

 

Nonetheless, Kentucky's idea of crowning just one champion is the best. Many in Indiana wishes their tournament didn't go to multiple classes because the tournament has not been the same since the change.

[TheDeuce]

I think high school basketball in Kentucky is extremely overrated at times by fans in this state. Sure, the Sweet 16 is cool, but I think that gives some a false sense of how good the talent around here really is. How many basketball championship teams could have moved on to a national tournament and actually made any noise? Not many, IMO.

[rjs4470]

I think high school basketball in Kentucky is extremely overrated at times by fans in this state. Sure, the Sweet 16 is cool, but I think that gives some a false sense of how good the talent around here really is. How many basketball championship teams could have moved on to a national tournament and actually made any noise? Not many, IMO.

 

The fact the UK doesn’t recruit all that hard in the state tells you all you need to know about the talent level in this state.

 

And as an outsider, I’d also say the Sweet 16 is overrated and the quality of the tournament is more rooted in nostalgia than in actual quality.

[TheDeuce]

The fact the UK doesn’t recruit all that hard in the state tells you all you need to know about the talent level in this state.

 

And as an outsider, I’d also say the Sweet 16 is overrated and the quality of the tournament is more rooted in nostalgia than in actual quality.

 

I couldn't agree more on both points. It always annoys me when people say UK and UofL should be recruiting in-state talent more often. Minus the few outliers, kids from Kentucky don't get the job done in Power 5 conferences.

 

If the Sweet 16 wasn't held at Rupp, I bet it wouldn't be as popular as it is to some. It being at UK is not an accident.

[The_Messenger]

Having watched high school basketball in both states for many years, I honestly believe basketball is more important in Indiana than it is in Kentucky. (And I’m a Kentucky guy) I think there is a more organized effort by the powers to be in Indiana to make basketball the king. I think the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) promotes basketball much better than the KHSAA. There is no question, population plays a part but the entire problem can not to blamed on that. I don’t think Kentucky has adapted to the times as to where Indiana’s system has. Correct me if I’m wrong but Indiana runs girls tournaments first then the boys tournaments. That way girls get top billing that week while boys are still playing regular season games. The tournament are not scheduling over top of each other. In Kentucky the Districts and Regionals are the same week. Then they rotate the Sweet Sixteen? So either boys teams or girls teams have like 10 days off. That is not is the best interest of the sport. (that is just one example)

 

The other thing I think is important is the Indiana coaches association. I think they are one of the best in the country! Again correct me if I’m wrong but I believe they run AAU programs for their top players. I believe all of Kentucky’s AAU programs are run independently! So all their top players are groomed in a system.

 

Of course those are just my opinions and those reasons may only be true to me.