37 minutes ago, BasketballFan24 said:

Livestream said they were 1-15 from three so that is probably why they passed up some late in the game. Probably wise because they got in the paint and scored when needed. 

But they didn’t get in the lane when Wayne went zone to start the second half. I think they scored 4 points in the third quarter and maybe a few minutes into the fourth. Seemed like the guys that are their best shooters were timid and hesitant on their shots. And they have a kid or two on the bench that can shoot it yet they never subbed the first time. I guess that surprised me as much as anything - that Mercer didn’t try something different when they went zone.

5 minutes ago, QueenoftheSouth said:

I personally disagree with not noticing. I heard a few folks commenting on the pace/style of last night’s games. And the favorite this year (DCA) plays a slower style as well. I get it because it fits their personnel and that’s what good coaches do. A coach’s top priority should be how to best position their team to win. Not judging any of these coaches, just saying that it’s not pretty. 
 

For comparison, I just looked and Pulaski averaged 65 points in their 3 regional wins last year. None of which went to OT. I would hope a regulation high school game would at least be in the mid to upper 50’s by both teams

I think DCA's lower scores are a bit deceptive and lead people to conclude they deliberately play at a slower pace.  That is true if you're just looking at half court offense.  They don't shoot a lot of threes, they probably average half the number of three point attempts the rest of the better teams in the region average.  That leads to them work the ball around while looking for a decent shot.  However, they get out and run anytime they have the chance and let their defensive pressure create opportunities.  A big part of their lower scores is that their defensive pressure leads to their opponents struggling to get good shots.  If they're playing a team that is well coached and disciplined it might lead their opponent to pass the ball around for a minute or longer while looking for a good shot.

I love that this region and tournament are getting this publicity. It's so deserved. Thrilled with how night one went. Lincoln and Wayne went out swinging. And though @Hillbilly He-Man may give me a hard time, I recognize what those Wayne County kids have endured and played through this year and the end result was pretty remarkable. Hats off to them. As for Lincoln, talk about a team that never backed down from a physically imposing challenge. What a year they had. They definitely exceeded expectations for a lot of folks, but that is pretty par for the course for Coach Jackson's teams. 

I hope we have just as much excitement tonight.

56 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

Not at all. The 12th Region is unique in that most of the schools are similar in enrollment; there is no dominant 6A-type program. Even the smaller schools like Danville and Somerset have the ability to compete. Because of that balance, when you get to the region, even if there is a favorite, the games are ultra competitive. Because each basket could be the difference in advancing and going home, you don't really notice the low scoring when you are in the gym.

I think you make a good point but I'd add that it's not just enrollment, demographics come into play.  There don't seem to be as many good players per class in the rural areas.  And, when you do get some talented kids they often come in waves.  You might have 3 or 4 good sophomores but you'll usually have to wait until they're a little older to see them be competitive on a state wide level.  

Boyle County's football success has kind of distorted the picture for the area schools that have lost dual sport athletes who transfer there for football.  That has definitely hurt Danville.  That is a much bigger factor now than it used to be.  

Mercer has struggled to shoot all year. Only play 5 guys on a consistent basis and they all shoot between 25-30% from the three point line. Hard to win games when you can't shoot the ball well from outside. They have won games this year on the other side of the court, allowing the 3rd lowest ppg total in the state. (I believe DCA is 2nd)

18 minutes ago, BucketHead01 said:

Mercer has struggled to shoot all year. Only play 5 guys on a consistent basis and they all shoot between 25-30% from the three point line. Hard to win games when you can't shoot the ball well from outside. They have won games this year on the other side of the court, allowing the 3rd lowest ppg total in the state. (I believe DCA is 2nd)

I think this is correct for the 12th in general. There are 8-9 teams in the top 50 in the state for points allowed. DCA is 2, Mercer 3,  and West and Lincoln in top 10 as well. I know it’s not all because the offense is bad in the 12th because Mercer and DCA have both played top 25 teams outside the 12th and held them below their scoring averages. I think the defense was good last night and the offenses were very patient and deliberate trying to make the best of each possession. 

54 minutes ago, BasketballFan24 said:

I think this is correct for the 12th in general. There are 8-9 teams in the top 50 in the state for points allowed. DCA is 2, Mercer 3,  and West and Lincoln in top 10 as well. I know it’s not all because the offense is bad in the 12th because Mercer and DCA have both played top 25 teams outside the 12th and held them below their scoring averages. I think the defense was good last night and the offenses were very patient and deliberate trying to make the best of each possession. 

The Massey Ratings for defense are similar to these numbers.  Of the teams that made it to the Region:  DCA is 5, Mercer 13, Lincoln 14, PC 47, West Jessamine 48, Somerset 54, Wayne 70, Southwestern 104.

39 minutes ago, 24Rocks said:

The Massey Ratings for defense are similar to these numbers.  Of the teams that made it to the Region:  DCA is 5, Mercer 13, Lincoln 14, PC 47, West Jessamine 48, Somerset 54, Wayne 70, Southwestern 104.

Fascinating numbers, as each team does it in different ways too!

7 hours ago, Hillbilly He-Man said:

5ft 7inch 120 lb 8th grade point guard knocks down 6ft 6 inch 200lb senior center in the lane? It’s questionable to say the least. Lot of folks from Wayne think the Cards got a bad whistle most of the night.

Go back and watch the film.  Legit foul if you watch it.  Watching it live, the kid hits Ellis with both hands.  Foul.

3 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

Not at all. The 12th Region is unique in that most of the schools are similar in enrollment; there is no dominant 6A-type program. Even the smaller schools like Danville and Somerset have the ability to compete. Because of that balance, when you get to the region, even if there is a favorite, the games are ultra competitive. Because each basket could be the difference in advancing and going home, you don't really notice the low scoring when you are in the gym.

I agree with what you said but I would definitely think that PC has a huge advantage due to the size of its school.  IMO, they should be in the finals every year due their size and the areas around them from which kids can transfer from.

39 minutes ago, Joe LeDuc said:

I agree with what you said but I would definitely think that PC has a huge advantage due to the size of its school.  IMO, they should be in the finals every year due their size and the areas around them from which kids can transfer from.

For those curious about 12th Region enrollments, this was from the 2023-24 school year. Pulaski County is actually just the fourth largest in the region behind three schools that haven't had near as much success as the Maroons. Enrollment matters but program building is most important.

1. West Jessamine - 1,355
2. East Jessamine - 1,222
3. Southwestern - 1,220
4. Pulaski County - 1,183
5. Lincoln County - 927
6. Wayne County - 924
7. Boyle County - 889
8. Rockcastle County - 827
9. Garrard County - 787
10. Mercer County - 757
11. McCreary Central - 736
12. Casey County - 618
13. Somerset - 528
14. Danville - 495
15. Burgin - 145
16. Somerset Christian - 87
17. Danville Christian - 78
18. Trinity Christian - 75
19. Kentucky School f/t Deaf - 27

https://khsaa.org/reports/enrollments/20232024schoolenrollmenttotalsbyalpha.pdf

59 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

For those curious about 12th Region enrollments, this was from the 2023-24 school year. Pulaski County is actually just the fourth largest in the region behind three schools that haven't had near as much success as the Maroons. Enrollment matters but program building is most important.

1. West Jessamine - 1,355
2. East Jessamine - 1,222
3. Southwestern - 1,220
4. Pulaski County - 1,183
5. Lincoln County - 927
6. Wayne County - 924
7. Boyle County - 889
8. Rockcastle County - 827
9. Garrard County - 787
10. Mercer County - 757
11. McCreary Central - 736
12. Casey County - 618
13. Somerset - 528
14. Danville - 495
15. Burgin - 145
16. Somerset Christian - 87
17. Danville Christian - 78
18. Trinity Christian - 75
19. Kentucky School f/t Deaf - 27

https://khsaa.org/reports/enrollments/20232024schoolenrollmenttotalsbyalpha.pdf

Pulaski has always had a good feeder program that I can remember.

2 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

For those curious about 12th Region enrollments, this was from the 2023-24 school year. Pulaski County is actually just the fourth largest in the region behind three schools that haven't had near as much success as the Maroons. Enrollment matters but program building is most important.

1. West Jessamine - 1,355
2. East Jessamine - 1,222
3. Southwestern - 1,220
4. Pulaski County - 1,183
5. Lincoln County - 927
6. Wayne County - 924
7. Boyle County - 889
8. Rockcastle County - 827
9. Garrard County - 787
10. Mercer County - 757
11. McCreary Central - 736
12. Casey County - 618
13. Somerset - 528
14. Danville - 495
15. Burgin - 145
16. Somerset Christian - 87
17. Danville Christian - 78
18. Trinity Christian - 75
19. Kentucky School f/t Deaf - 27

https://khsaa.org/reports/enrollments/20232024schoolenrollmenttotalsbyalpha.pdf

Wow! So a combined Jessamine would have about 2,600 students but a combined Pulaski close to 3,000 (public school numbers).

1 hour ago, 24Rocks said:

Pulaski has always had a good feeder program that I can remember.

Pulaski, Wayne and Lincoln consistently do a very good job with kids from an early age.

3 hours ago, Joe LeDuc said:

Go back and watch the film.  Legit foul if you watch it.  Watching it live, the kid hits Ellis with both hands.  Foul.

Even if that’s true, how do you reconcile that with the foul on Phillips out front?