Mercer County 62 McCreary Central 52

[PurplePride92]

So even after Mercer goes 2-0 against McCreary this year, no one wants to admit that Mercer is the better team?

[SouthernSportsFan]

McCreary could not make a shot, which was very uncharacteristic of them. Consequently, Mercer could not miss and had a great gameplan. I told my wife before the game that it seems strange that Watts and McCreary never go into shooting slumps, like say UK had been. I must have jinxed them. Mercer played with energy. McCreary acted like it was just another simple game at times.

[SouthernSportsFan]

So even after Mercer goes 2-0 against McCreary this year, no one wants to admit that Mercer is the better team?

 

What do you mean by better? Mercer had the Raiders number. I think McCreary is better than West and that West is better than Mercer and Mercer is better than McCreary. It is all about matchups.

[Big East Zebra]

So even after Mercer goes 2-0 against McCreary this year, no one wants to admit that Mercer is the better team?

 

There were better on two nights, not sure that means they are better overall.

[LCPATS]

Unreal, I can't believe McCreary failed to win the region yet again. It's a shame a player as good of Watts never got the shot to play at Rupp.

 

This has to be a devestating loss to the heavily favored Raiders.

[confusion]

Haven't seen McCreary play alot but I would have to question the coaching a little. They were down 10 in the 3rd and started pressing and came back to take a 2 point lead. Then started the fourth and never seen the press until they were 6 or 8 down again.

 

Looked like to pretty even teams. I find it hard to imagine a team beating another team twice in one season and people still saying the losing team would still be the better team!

[DreamLand]

I am shocked. Man I really thought this was McCreary Central's year.

 

You know as well as I do this is par for the course.....McCreary should never have come out of that press. Mercer made a huge mistake at 34-24 to hold the ball and lose momentum. McCreary countered, got the pace of the game changed and went on 12-0 run playing man and pressing to go up 36-34. Quarter change, back to zone, Mercer hits a couple of three's, Cinnamon makes a great runner going to his right with left hand, McCreary back down 6, still in zone. Turnover twice by McCreary, still no press, down 10. Game over. You tell me.

[confusion]

You know as well as I do this is par for the course.....McCreary should never have come out of that press. Mercer made a huge mistake at 34-24 to hold the ball and lose momentum. McCreary countered, got the pace of the game changed and went on 12-0 run playing man and pressing to go up 36-34. Quarter change, back to zone, Mercer hits a couple of three's, Cinnamon makes a great runner going to his right with left hand, McCreary back down 6, still in zone. Turnover twice by McCreary, still no press, down 10. Game over. You tell me.

 

Bingo!!! I really thought the teams were even, that press that McCreary got in picked the tempo up and Mercer went through a spell where they were forcing it and not taking their time and getting the ball to Taylor. That is when McCreary made their run. Then for whatever reason they start the 4th and no press and Mercer dictated the pace and their shooters made some 3's. Kind of thought McCreary would always decide to take a 3 rather than keep driving, as long as they were driving they were getting points or fouls which lead to a ton of free throws for McCreary.

[Bulldog_Chem]

West Jessamine plays Boyle County on Monday at 6pm. Mercer County plays Pulaski County at 8pm. Only the semifinal games have been set. Just thought you should know.:thumb:

 

I knew, I was just picking West Jessamine and Mercer to win in the semis

[Deuce41]

Blame it on anyone you want but the bottom line is the Raiders didn't make shots and that falls back on the kids. Coach Jones put together a schedule this year far superior to that of past years and had his team tournament ready. Scott County, Male, Seneca, Corbin, etc and WINS over most of those proves Coach Jones had prepared his team all year long! Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way and that happened last night. Great year for the Raiders and the sun still came up today.

 

No the kids did not make shots, but ultimately success or failure falls to the coach and the post season is the ultimate measuring stick of a coach and Rob Jones has failed on a regular basis in the post season.

 

Jones may have had a good game plan but it obviously did not work, and he did not successfully make any adjustments....being well prepared is one thing being able to change you game plan on the fly and win....pricless.

 

Any coach worth his salt takes credit for failures and to blame it on kids is bush.

 

The regular season is just that...regular, and means nothing. A district title is nice, but a region trophy is better, and the Sweet 16 is the best, and McCreary clearly had the best overall talant in the region but they failed again, I gotta think that the coach has a lot to do with that.

[PurplePride92]

Haven't seen McCreary play alot but I would have to question the coaching a little. They were down 10 in the 3rd and started pressing and came back to take a 2 point lead. Then started the fourth and never seen the press until they were 6 or 8 down again.

 

Looked like to pretty even teams. I find it hard to imagine a team beating another team twice in one season and people still saying the losing team would still be the better team!

 

My whole point. Last night's game looked just like the first meeting of these two teams. McCreary consistently played better than Mercer throughout the season, but when these two teams met, Mercer was better both times. The cream rises to the top in the tourneys is what they say. I don't see why last night's game is any different.

[PurplePride92]

I knew, I was just picking West Jessamine and Mercer to win in the semis

 

Oh, okay. It read like the other games didn't matter. Just making sure you knew.:thumb:

[gchs_uk9]

My whole point. Last night's game looked just like the first meeting of these two teams. McCreary consistently played better than Mercer throughout the season, but when these two teams met, Mercer was better both times. The cream rises to the top in the tourneys is what they say. I don't see why last night's game is any different.

 

PurplePride sat two seats down from me last night and we discussed this after the game. McCreary didn't seem prepared, didn't make any adjustments, and never appeared to run any form of offense (although that's typical). McCreary's offense was basically run around and try to get jumpers; maybe penetrate wildly and hope something happens. But the Raiders were very limited at point guard and Mercer basically had to guard only four men; the point guard for McCreary was no threat to do anything.

 

As for that offense, Mercer has no one that could really check Watts, yet all he did was basically wander around the perimeter shooting jump shots. If you've got a man like that in a regional game, put him down on the blocks and let him go to work. And if not that, make some passes to him at the foul line and let him either shoot the 15-footer or ball fake and go to the basket. Mercer couldn't check him and he'd spend all night making short jumpers and foul shots.

 

And third, some of the most success McCreary had was with Tyson Williams scoring down low during their 3rd quarter run. He also did an effective job on Jamel Taylor and even had Taylor somewhat rattled, causing Mercer coach Cundiff to have to remove Taylor at one point. After McCreary took the lead, however, Williams went to the bench and was never on the floor again. That substitution, or lack of, made absolutely no sense, especially considering the other low post men gave McCreary next to nothing on the evening.

 

Mercer County, on the other hand, was extremely well prepared and ran their offense very effectively. They all handled the ball well and rarely rushed. The only chink in their armor Thursday night was when McCreary went to full court pressure. But the biggest reason the press was successful was due to Mercer senior point guard Lyndon Compton being on the bench with two fouls. When he returned, the momentum returned to Mercer.

 

Bottom line, McCreary might have been more talented (debatable), but Mercer was better prepared and did a better job executing their game plan. And when you have those two things in your favor, you will win a lot of regional tournament games.

[Big East Zebra]

If you have a player like Watts, I think you would do what Clay County use to do with Richie Farmer, put everyone down on the baseline, give the ball to Watts and let him go one on one if no one can guard him.

[SouthernSportsFan]

PurplePride sat two seats down from me last night and we discussed this after the game. McCreary didn't seem prepared, didn't make any adjustments, and never appeared to run any form of offense (although that's typical). McCreary's offense was basically run around and try to get jumpers; maybe penetrate wildly and hope something happens. But the Raiders were very limited at point guard and Mercer basically had to guard only four men; the point guard for McCreary was no threat to do anything.

 

As for that offense, Mercer has no one that could really check Watts, yet all he did was basically wander around the perimeter shooting jump shots. If you've got a man like that in a regional game, put him down on the blocks and let him go to work. And if not that, make some passes to him at the foul line and let him either shoot the 15-footer or ball fake and go to the basket. Mercer couldn't check him and he'd spend all night making short jumpers and foul shots.

 

And third, some of the most success McCreary had was with Tyson Williams scoring down low during their 3rd quarter run. He also did an effective job on Jamel Taylor and even had Taylor somewhat rattled, causing Mercer coach Cundiff to have to remove Taylor at one point. After McCreary took the lead, however, Williams went to the bench and was never on the floor again. That substitution, or lack of, made absolutely no sense, especially considering the other low post men gave McCreary next to nothing on the evening.

 

Mercer County, on the other hand, was extremely well prepared and ran their offense very effectively. They all handled the ball well and rarely rushed. The only chink in their armor Thursday night was when McCreary went to full court pressure. But the biggest reason the press was successful was due to Mercer senior point guard Lyndon Compton being on the bench with two fouls. When he returned, the momentum returned to Mercer.

 

Bottom line, McCreary might have been more talented (debatable), but Mercer was better prepared and did a better job executing their game plan. And when you have those two things in your favor, you will win a lot of regional tournament games.

 

I can agree with most of this. I was encouraged (not that is matters after a loss) that McCreary was able to stay within striking distance clanking three after three. But at some point, you have to go with what works. Watts did a good job of getting into the lane, but with the game 42-46, he strolled the perimeter and had the ball stripped and scored by Mercer twice.

 

The press brought them back into the game, kind of strange they let up. At times this year, Wright was the unsung hero, but he acted so rattled that he was guarded and pressured beyond the perimeter. If McCreary would have won, other coaches would have made note of that and pressured - and you didn't even have to go full court - the Raiders and had success. Sloppy passes by Wright and Dixon also hurt the Raiders.

 

Next season I assume it will be the Dixon and Williams show, but who knows.

 

I'm going to say one thing that is going to ruffle some feathers of other McCreary supporters and those outside of McCreary don't really know. There were some rumors after the game of an incident that happened with Watts. Now you may point this out as being a one-time thing, but Watts hasn't always been the greatest person off the court and I think some of that translated on the court. Off the court, he needs to get his act together. Plenty of times I see comments of people who have seen him when he was younger or just occasionally and I see "he's got a good head on his shoulders," and that is he a very respectable young man. Watts needs to work on things off the court that can help him on the court.