Basketball in KY?

[d-dawg]

How can a boy make all the ALL STATE Basketball teams and not be offered a quality Division 1 scholarship. Is basketball in Ky that bad or are they doing a bad job with their selections?

[passtheball]

The reason is size, speed, and quickness.

[madman]

To get a Division 1 scholarship who have to be an exceptional athlete and player. Remember, KY is only one of 50 states and there's a lot of quality players out there. A lot of the 2nd/3rd team all staters in some of the bigger states are better than the 1st teamers in KY.

[devils advocate]

Kentucky(Indiana too) have a lot of politics behind their post season awards IMO. A lot of kids from Louisville are overlooked every year! Kids from a less talented region get the accolades when if they played in the 6th or 7th regions they wouldn't stand out as much. Plus if a kid signs with UK its almost a guarantee he's heavly hyped (deserving or not). Another example is that if you do anything at the Sweet Sixteen as an underclassmen folks are checking for you(Unless you play in certain areas). One or two good games could have you crowned the next Rex Chapman. Even if you are marginally talented! All your coach has to do is make sure you tour the state so that your not forgotten. Brandon Bender is one player that kinda went against this trend. State champ as a Sophmore and shouldve been MVP of the tourney. Had a national reputation and played a national schedule at Ballard. But folks in the state didnt like his additude so it hurt him being Mr. Basketball. (A LOT like Hopson) Any other state the award is his by a landslide! Josh Carier got it by the way. (WOW)

[westsider]

Kentucky(Indiana too) have a lot of politics behind their post season awards IMO. A lot of kids from Louisville are overlooked every year! Kids from a less talented region get the accolades when if they played in the 6th or 7th regions they wouldn't stand out as much. Plus if a kid signs with UK its almost a guarantee he's heavly hyped (deserving or not). Another example is that if you do anything at the Sweet Sixteen as an underclassmen folks are checking for you(Unless you play in certain areas). One or two good games could have you crowned the next Rex Chapman. Even if you are marginally talented! All your coach has to do is make sure you tour the state so that your not forgotten. Brandon Bender is one player that kinda went against this trend. State champ as a Sophmore and shouldve been MVP of the tourney. Had a national reputation and played a national schedule at Ballard. But folks in the state didnt like his additude so it hurt him being Mr. Basketball. (A LOT like Hopson) Any other state the award is his by a landslide! Josh Carier got it by the way. (WOW)

I'm not sure Bender was the best player on his team in 2001, much less the best player in Louisville and the rest of the state.

 

Adam Chiles was Bender's teammate, and the Louisville contenders also included Carlos Hurt and Larry O'Bannon.

[Wireman]

How can a boy make all the ALL STATE Basketball teams and not be offered a quality Division 1 scholarship. Is basketball in Ky that bad or are they doing a bad job with their selections?

 

Which player are you referring to that doesn't have a DI offer?

[devils advocate]

Let me star by saying I loved Larry Obannons game. Humble hard worker from what I saw. Couldn't understand why it took U of L so long to offer! Carlos Hurt was a Mcdonalds but he was a transplant. I saw Bender play like 10 times in high school and he was the most dominant big man in the state in a while. Head and shoulders better then Van Hoose, Marc Salyers, or Estill IMO. Chiles, Knight, and Wilkinson (all at Ballard) were all good DI players but not better then Bender. Also went to both games of the KY/IN all-stars that year and Bender showed me his heart! Will Caudle(Xavier) caught a nasty tip dunk in traffic and on the next trip down Bender called for the ball and posterized his man on the next trip down! A lot of folks liked Chiles but most of that came from him signing with UK. He really was just a dunker to me. They threw a lot of alley oops to him that looked good but wasn't overly impressed with his game. Didn't do much on that loaded KY all-star team. Sparks(best showin), O'Bannon, and Bender were the players! Too bad he couldn't control his additude. Huge unused talent.

[ColonelCrazy]

Because D1 schools offer scholarships based on athletic ability and what they project you to do on the next level.

 

All-State selections are made based on stats and notoriety (among other things). It's simple really. You can play at a small school and play against a fairly weak schedule and put up HUGE numbers. That will most likely get you on the all-state team; however, that does not make you a Division 1 player.

[doomer]

Kentucky(Indiana too) have a lot of politics behind their post season awards IMO. A lot of kids from Louisville are overlooked every year! Kids from a less talented region get the accolades when if they played in the 6th or 7th regions they wouldn't stand out as much. Plus if a kid signs with UK its almost a guarantee he's heavly hyped (deserving or not). Another example is that if you do anything at the Sweet Sixteen as an underclassmen folks are checking for you(Unless you play in certain areas). One or two good games could have you crowned the next Rex Chapman. Even if you are marginally talented! All your coach has to do is make sure you tour the state so that your not forgotten. Brandon Bender is one player that kinda went against this trend. State champ as a Sophmore and shouldve been MVP of the tourney. Had a national reputation and played a national schedule at Ballard. But folks in the state didnt like his additude so it hurt him being Mr. Basketball. (A LOT like Hopson) Any other state the award is his by a landslide! Josh Carier got it by the way. (WOW)

 

IMO a lot of truth in this statement!

[Log Mountain Boy]

How can a boy make all the ALL STATE Basketball teams and not be offered a quality Division 1 scholarship. Is basketball in Ky that bad or are they doing a bad job with their selections?

 

A lot of kids who make first team all state are great high school players, but just do not have the potential they need to be a D-1 player. If you look at how things are going the talent pool is really starting to pick up in the state. You are going to see a ton of kids go D-1 in the next few years.

[southernkyhoops]

Originally Posted by devils advocate

Kentucky(Indiana too) have a lot of politics behind their post season awards IMO. A lot of kids from Louisville are overlooked every year! Kids from a less talented region get the accolades when if they played in the 6th or 7th regions they wouldn't stand out as much. Plus if a kid signs with UK its almost a guarantee he's heavly hyped (deserving or not). Another example is that if you do anything at the Sweet Sixteen as an underclassmen folks are checking for you(Unless you play in certain areas). One or two good games could have you crowned the next Rex Chapman. Even if you are marginally talented! All your coach has to do is make sure you tour the state so that your not forgotten. Brandon Bender is one player that kinda went against this trend. State champ as a Sophmore and shouldve been MVP of the tourney. Had a national reputation and played a national schedule at Ballard. But folks in the state didnt like his additude so it hurt him being Mr. Basketball. (A LOT like Hopson) Any other state the award is his by a landslide! Josh Carier got it by the way. (WOW)

 

What exactly did Brandon Bender do at the next level? I do agree he was better than Carrier but didn't his attitude affect his college career as well? By the way, who was the last big time player from Louisville? Alan Houston?

[PutMeInCoach]

D-1 basketball isn't everything fella's..

[westsider]

I saw Bender play like 10 times in high school and he was the most dominant big man in the state in a while. Head and shoulders better then Van Hoose, Marc Salyers, or Estill IMO.

Bender might have had more talent and natural ability than Vanhoose, but on no level was he "head and shoulders" better than him.

[devils advocate]

VanHoose was soft! Bender was to athletic and physical for him. Lamont Barnes to athletic and physical for him. Harold Swanagan was too physical for him but very limited offensively. Did you see when the kid from Indy Pike dunked on him (VanHoose) in the KY/IN game? Never happens to the other guys. Van Hoose had a solid career at Marshall but he was overrated on the state level. As far as Bender in college, he had issues. I've already acknowledged that, but head to head he eats VanHoose. Bender probably avg. about 8 in a limited role at UofL. Just like Caracter though as far as the 'tude! And DC tears up every big man in the state but Barnes,Bender, Estill and maybe Brian Thornton IMO. Thornton (Vandy & Xavier) was slept on majorly by the way.

[devils advocate]

Watching Rajon Rondo(Eastern) play right now!