#1 and #2 in Maxpreps Ratings.

1 hour ago, Falcon Pride said:

I’d think it’s not the advantage that most think.

These kids now play AAU and play multiple games on back to back days. They are better conditioned than “back in the day”

I’m sure someone has the breakdowns of early vs late semifinal winners winning in the finals?

Agreed. I worked forward from 2000. Links to succeeding brackets through 2000's linked below.

Saturday semis and final (2000-2012) and (2021-25).* 

Tied: Early semi - 9 champions. Late semi - 9 champions. 

As much to do maybe with the nature of the random draw. Additionally, imo, if a team isn't at a championship fitness level at this point of the season, they probably didn't deserve to win regardless of the bracket. 

? scoreboard/riherds/2000 Sweet 16

Someone else could sort out who the favored teams were to give us a better idea of who was favored. Otherwise, I think it's distributed randomly.

Early semi champion (9) 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024.

Late semi champion (9) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2021, 2025.

* Saturday semis and Sunday final (2013-2019)

 

1 hour ago, Falcon Pride said:

I’d think it’s not the advantage that most think.

These kids now play AAU and play multiple games on back to back days. They are better conditioned than “back in the day”

I’m sure someone has the breakdowns of early vs late semifinal winners winning in the finals?

I know it’s common during the AAU season to play several times per day. I also think that it’s good prep playing in those compressed competitive holiday tournaments.  I think two things can be true here:  all players now a days are used to playing multi games per day and St X will be fresher tonight.  How big is that advantage is hard to measure, but from the outside looking in I prefer St X’s tournament path to tonight’s game.  

My Old Kentucky Home followed by the National Anthem. Both completed.

I was wearing short pants the last time X won a title. Let's go!

George Rogers Clark is being introduced first. They're greeted with a pretty significant boo from the St. X student section as the school name is mentioned.

Let's see if GRC's student section is equally as loud during the St. X introductions.

1 minute ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

George Rogers Clark is being introduced first. They're greeted with a pretty significant boo from the St. X student section as the school name is mentioned.

Let's see if GRC's student section is equally as loud during the St. X introductions.

I don't know if there were any boos from GRC for the St. Xavier introductions or not; if there were any, they were definitely drowned out by the cheering from the St. X student section.

Now the starting lineups are being announced. They're announcing one GRC player, then one, St. X player, and so on. Pretty loud boos and cheers for everyone ?

Love the excitement!

From the broadcasters: "GRC is a team of runs, as you saw last night"...."St. X can just be dominant."

5-1 GRC, 4:16 Q1

11-10 St. X, 46 seconds in Q1.

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s Rupp had big crowds for about every session. I remember in the early 1980s I couldn’t find a seat in the lower section and had to sit far back in the upper arena. I’ve watched this tournament on NFHS because I wasn’t able to go this year and I’ve noticed there’s very small attendance. I suppose streaming has something to do with it but the Rupp Arena experience and numbers aren’t what they once were. 

1 minute ago, Runcible Owl said:

5-1 GRC, 4:16 Q1

St. X had the opening point with Joshua Lindsay hitting the front end of two free throws. GRC follows that with 5 straight points on a Malachi Ashford bucket, followed by a blocked shot against the Tigers. Then with a GRC miss, St. X turns over, GRC and St. trade 2 misses a piece, and JaMylyn Johnson pops a 3 for the Cardinals.

3 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

St. X had the opening point with Joshua Lindsay hitting the front end of two free throws. GRC follows that with 5 straight points on a Malachi Ashford bucket, followed by a blocked shot against the Tigers. Then with a GRC miss, St. X turns over, GRC and St. trade 2 misses a piece, and JaMylyn Johnson pops a 3 for the Cardinals.