For what?

 

Not really love, just expected to hear from you.

If the east was indeed tougher than the west, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Just look at the BGP rankings throughout the season. Paducah Tilghman and University Heights were ranked most of the year, and I believe Muhlenberg North was for a little while. That's pretty much it from the west.

 

The east had more representation ... Elliott County, Paintsville, Shelby Valley, Hazard, June Buchanan and Corbin were in the top 20 more often than not.

I was talking more along the lines of the sweet 16. No doubt the 7th and 11th regions were the two DEEPEST in the state but the two best teams came from nky in Mason Co and Holmes.

 

Okay, I apologize. I didn't realize what you meant. You were right on with that.

The top East teams return alot of players next year. Hazard (14th) and Elliott (16th) return most of their players, and while Paintsville (15th) loses everybody Shelby Valley should take their place and has just as much talent. Corbin and South Laurel will both have nice teams again next year along with Knox from the 13th... The mountains are loaded with talented juniors-to-be...

 

Hazard should obviously be the team to beat in the 14th since they are all back. I have seen a few of the best teams in the 14th and some of their young kids and even though there are some quality young kids I don't see anybody improving enough to overtake Hazard. Elliot has enough to be back. Don't really expect Paintsville to rebound that quickly since they will loose not only their playing core but also the Coach that has run that program for years. Corbin should be the team to beat in the 13th since they have all staters back and have a couple of big kids on freshman group that are skilled and a couple of smaller kids with good quickness. South returns three key starters, two of which are 10th graders, along with a couple of subs who played substantial minutes and a couple of freshman that should play key roles next year. Unless Coach Elam gets some real Improvement from his younger kids to help out Miller it could be a long season for Knox considering the personel their lost this year.

Haven't seen the Hood kid from Madisonville play this year. How big is he? What type player ishe ? Does he have D1 size, skill, and athleticism? Is UK and any other D1 schools offering him ?

If the east was indeed tougher than the west, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Just look at the BGP rankings throughout the season. Paducah Tilghman and University Heights were ranked most of the year, and I believe Muhlenberg North was for a little while. That's pretty much it from the west.

 

The east had more representation ... Elliott County, Paintsville, Shelby Valley, Hazard, June Buchanan and Corbin were in the top 20 more often than not.

 

You sure do like to come down on the East and CKY when in comparison to the West though, dont ya?

You sure do like to come down on the East and CKY when in comparison to the West though, dont ya?

No, that's just your interpretation of things ... erroneous as it may be, you're entitled to it.

No, that's just your interpretation of things ... erroneous as it may be, you're entitled to it.

 

Not just me...

Not just me...

You and your buddies have every right to be wrong.

 

Now do you want to discuss an issue or keep calling me out?

Not just me and my buddies either. I'll leave it at that.

I was talking more along the lines of the sweet 16. No doubt the 7th and 11th regions were the two DEEPEST in the state but the two best teams came from nky in Mason Co and Holmes.

 

If they were both in the 11th region it is very unlikely that both would have made it to the final game, and very possible neither. As we like to say, these kids don't have their best game every game. Mason was VERY beatable in the final game, and Holmes didn't have the horses to do it..but they made a fantastic comeback just hours earlier. It is just as likely in the 11th region any of several teams on any given day could beat Mason or Holmes. The 11th had depth and quality.

 

But the record will show that Holmes and Mason played for the Sweet 16 championship. Maybe someday this state will have a real state championship.

Maybe someday this state will have a real state championship.

Since when do we not?

Since when do we not?

 

I'm wondering the same. We are about the only state that has a real state champion.

If they were both in the 11th region it is very unlikely that both would have made it to the final game, and very possible neither. As we like to say, these kids don't have their best game every game. Mason was VERY beatable in the final game, and Holmes didn't have the horses to do it..but they made a fantastic comeback just hours earlier. It is just as likely in the 11th region any of several teams on any given day could beat Mason or Holmes. The 11th had depth and quality.

 

But the record will show that Holmes and Mason played for the Sweet 16 championship. Maybe someday this state will have a real state championship.

 

I do believe for the last couple years the best basketball in the state easily has been in the 11th region. But I disagree with the real state champion statement. Mason Co. won in fair and square. Now they did get a lot of luck with how the drawing turned out, but no system is perfect.

Except for his views on the All "A" Classic debate, Westsider is almost always correct from what I've seen, and that comes from a lifelong eastern Kentuckian.