Old heads!!! The powers that be! If you took every single basketball coach in the state of KY boys/girls and put them in an audotorium and took a vote and the vote was absolute. You would find that the system would change, period!

Then why doesn't someone with access to the email addresses of all Kentucky's coaches compose an email asking every coach what he or she would vote to do if a vote were actually taken.

Is this really debatable? First there's no way the KHSAA will let it happen. 1st This Tourney brings in way to much money. 2nd Lexington will never let it happen because this tourny brings in to much money to the city. 3rd the people will not let this happen. My father and his friends have been going down for years (just like thousands of others that go all week), My brothers and I as well as many of my buddies and their fathers and buddies have gone down for years. If you would class basketball no one would go. I wouldn't go to Rupp to watch the 4A final. The tourny is a great reason to have a mini vacation in March, to hang with the guys and talk basketball. I love sitting at the night games with my dad and brothers and watching kids play that you only read about or hear about but never see. Then go back to the hotel room and talk about the games you saw that day and the next days matchups. And the first thing you think about on Sunday morning when you get up is that the state tourney is only 361 days away.

 

To class basketball would inevitably take away all of this. The Sweet Sixteen is the greatest show on earth for a reason, because it's special.

 

I say all this to say I played football-never basketball- at a large 1A school and we never got past the second round in my 4 years. But I didn't complain, beacuse I knew that making it hard was what made it special to win.

But I didn't complain, beacuse I knew that making it hard was what made it special to win.

 

But it's not hard for some schools to make it in basketball. That's the point. Some schools make the Sweet 16 5-6 times a decade or more. However, many more have never been.

I think some people might actually be surprised how some new blood could actually enhance the experience of the Sweet 16. And the big schools would still be there, there would just be some new schools in the lower classes who've never been.

 

Four classes and four championship games hardly seems a bore to me. Plus, that format could be played in three days instead of four, saving the KHSAA money and cutting into less school time for participating students. And nobody would have to play twice on the same day.

But it's not hard for some schools to make it in basketball. That's the point. Some schools make the Sweet 16 5-6 times a decade or more. However, many more have never been.

Elliott County made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time EVER and you could ask every player on their team and every one of them would tell you just how special they now feel and how hard they have worked for this moment. It's special because it's the big show and they made it with years of hard work. It's special because of the approximately 6000 people who live in Elliott County at least 2000 were at Morehead State to cheer them on in that regional champion game. Oh yeah, did I say for the first time ever? If you win it, you have beaten the best. They would tell you that they have never felt that it was unfair that they have had to play and win against the big schools with 2,3,4 or even five times their enrollment. Actually those wins are a source of pride. They simply want to play and win for as long as they can and they want to do it playing the best Kentucky has to offer. And if you were to ask every other kid anywhere across Kentucky who truly loves the game of basketball, I bet you would get the same answer----My dream is to play in the state tournament, to win it all and to win it against the best Kentucky has to offer.

Elliott County made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time EVER and you could ask every player on their team and every one of them would tell you just how special they now feel and how hard they have worked for this moment. It's special because it's the big show and they made it with years of hard work. It's special because of the approximately 6000 people who live in Elliott County at least 2000 were at Morehead State to cheer them on in that regional champion game. Oh yeah, did I say for the first time ever? If you win it, you have beaten the best. They would tell you that they have never felt that it was unfair that they have had to play and win against the big schools with 3,4,5 or even six times their enrollment. Actually those wins are a source of pride. They simply want to play and win for as long as they can and they want to do it playing the best Kentucky has to offer. And if you were to ask every other kid anywhere across Kentucky who truly loves the game of basketball, I bet you would get the same answer----My dream is to play in the state tournament, to win it all and to win it against the best Kentucky has to offer.

 

Two questions.

 

1.) Has there been an Elliott County team in the past 20-25 years that was just as talented but couldn't get out of the region because they had to get past Ashland, Greenup County, or Boyd County? If so, ask them if they had preferred class basketball.

 

2.) How many 3A and 4A schools in the 16th again?

If I asked all the football players or track athletes in Kentucky, would they say their medals and trophies are meaningless because they came in different classes?

 

How about basketball players from other states? Do they bury their trophies out of shame of "only" being the 1A or 2A or 3A champion?

People will adjust to whatever rotten standards they're judged by. An "A" grade isn't what it used to be. I suppose we ought to lower expectations for hoops as well; if you can't play your way to Rupp, maybe you can whine/menstruate/legislate your way there.

If I asked all the football players or track athletes in Kentucky, would they say their medals and trophies are meaningless because they came in different classes?

 

How about basketball players from other states? Do they bury their trophies out of shame of "only" being the 1A or 2A or 3A champion?

Point one-- No I don't think so, but my children who ran track and cross country would have welcomed the opportunity to compete against the larger schools. There are many athletes in the smaller school who would be competitive and yes even win in competition with the larger schools.

Point two--- my comments about the wants, wishes and dreams of the kids in the small schools were positive and I'll not answer questions of sarcasm.

I ahve to disagree with you. If it ain't broke ... don't fix it. I don't think it's broke. The A schools have their OWN state tourney, so no reason to complain.

But that's just me.

 

 

I'll have to disagree with you . I think many people do think its broke. When was the last time a pblic 1A school won the state championship?

I'll have to disagree with you . I think many people do think its broke. When was the last time a pblic 1A school won the state championship?

Paintsville in 1996. How about before then?

Will never be changed. If so, would be worst move in Kentucky sports history.

 

Ask a kid from a small school whether they would rather win a state championship in front of 5-6,000 people in an ho hum atmosphere or lose by 8 points to an eventual champion in the state tournament at Rupp Arena in front of 15,000-18,000 on the big stage...kids will choose the latter.

 

Nothing can take away the experience of our current state basketball championships. Not just playing the game, but everything that goes along with it.

 

Have you been to one of those ho hum atmospheres? It is anything but Ho Hum.....

 

Way more exciting than watching a 1A school get destoyed by a 4a in district play... most kids would rather play for something they have a chance to win then be a speed bump in front of 15k people.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be the best, with no questions asked.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be the best, with no questions asked.

Then class all sports or class none. I wouldn't have a problem if this were the case.

Several years ago in many of our school systems it was a common practice to group the "smarter" kids together in classes where they could be taught at a faster pace than the "slower" kids. It has since been decided that this practice is wrong. Today in fact, there are state mandates that "no child be left behind." Why can't we use this same "no child left behind" attitude in Kentucky basketball.

I tell you that small schools can compete and win against larger schools. Good coaching and a good work ethic in the kids can do wonders and just because a school has a large enrollment does not guarantee a good basketball team.

Examples from this year:

South Laurel (enrollment 1337) 56 Cumberland (enrollment 335) 50

South Laurel 66 Corbin (enrollment 662) 64

South Laurel 58 Paintsville (enrollment 253) 57

South Laurel 79 Whitley County (enrollment 1199) 32

South Laurel 73 Rockcastle County (enrollment 912) 39

Redbird (enrollment 113) 65 North Laurel (enrollment 1293) 58

 

These are but a few examples. There are similar examples across the state. There are small schools that have excellent basketball programs and rarely have bad years. There are big schools which are under achievers. A class system would only mean a larger gap and less incentive to excel for the smaller schools. Why do we have cinderella teams and why do everyone cheer them on? And why have there been books written and movies made about the small school winning the state tournament? And lastly, why is there such a big argument on this? That's the reason we should leave it as it is.