You could make a case for Green on the second team as Les had him. I think he has to be in the top 10 with his talent level though.

 

I don't see how you get Whitley any higher than fourth. I think anyone around the Whitley program would have said this time last year that they should be better than 14-12, especially with a senior-junior team. I could see them finally getting past Corbin and South Laurel, but it's far from a sure thing. If they don't get South next year, they probably won't get them. Whitley had a pretty good JV team but a little below average freshmen crew.

I would think that Whitley 4th is about right although the loss of Cody Miller by KC is much more than what Whitley lost even with it being the loss of three seniors.

 

I think that Gilbert (SL) Watkins (SL) Wardrup (NL) Mitchell (CC) Hogue (HC) did much more for their teams than Greene did for his, his defense was suspect as best, and he was all about the scoring. Yes he had talant but much of it was unrealized. I think that Gilbert and Watkins in particuliar got much more out of their talant than did Greene. Hogue may have gotten the most of anyone in the region from his talant and I have a ton of respect for a kid who works that hard. No doubt that Greene could score but what else did he really do for his team? Just my opinion, I like team play much more that individual play, no matter how good you are as an individual.

I was surprised to see Blaine Green ranked so high, his team only won four games and yes he did have a great scoring ablility, but great players should make their teams better. Everyone of the other 4 in the top five could make that arguement.

 

I think Whitley should have been ranked somewhat higher, although they lost three seniors, they return the core of their team. They defeated Bell, and played KC to overtime at Knox Central. Whitley does not have the tradition of the other schools but they are making progress and next season should be a breakthrough season for them.

 

A couple of concerns that I have at putting Whitley as a top 5 team would be:

 

1. Do they have much size?

2. Player development - it seems to me from the outside looking in that their players just have not appeared to improve that much from their freshman/sophomore seasons through their season year. Maybe all the coaching changes affected them or possibly other factors played a role as well. When Lebanion was a freshman, I thought that he would be one of the top 3 players in the region by his junior or senior year and I thought Crawford would have been a top 10 type player, obviously I was wrong on both counts. The 8th grade teams that Whitley Co. and Corbin's seniors were on were virtually equal terms, but by the time they were seniors, well the scores of the games pretty much tell the story. Maybe the coaching carousel at Whitley will end and the groups coming up will benefit from it.

These are my rankings for next year.

 

http://www.harlandaily.com/view/full_story/6860045/article-FROM-THE-SIDELINES-—-Changes-coming-slowly-in-region?instance=secondary_sports_left_column

 

I think that after talking to some South Laurel fans that they may be a little higher than #5, either at #3 or #4, passing Corbin and possibly Knox Central.

I think that after talking to some South Laurel fans that they may be a little higher than #5, either at #3 or #4, passing Corbin and possibly Knox Central.

Besides hope, what has changed at South that would give anyone a reason to move them up in the rankings/ expectations? Do they have a transfer or new student that will have a positive impact for them next season? I personally see Corbin, South, and Whitley as a virtual tie for 4th after 1. Clay 2. Bell 3. Knox Central

Besides hope, what has changed at South that would give anyone a reason to move them up in the rankings/ expectations? Do they have a transfer or new student that will have a positive impact for them next season? I personally see Corbin, South, and Whitley as a virtual tie for 4th after 1. Clay 2. Bell 3. Knox Central

 

I was told that they have some kids who will be sophomores that are a lot more talented than some of the upperclassmen who either started or received serious minutes last season.

 

I know they return Huff, Tabor, Sanders, Khan(is he still playing?), Brashear and Clontz along with a couple of sophomores to be who they say will probably start. Could just be parent talk I guess, how good was their freshman team this year?

I was told that they have some kids who will be sophomores that are a lot more talented than some of the upperclassmen who either started or received serious minutes last season.

 

I know they return Huff, Tabor, Sanders, Khan(is he still playing?), Brashear and Clontz along with a couple of sophomores to be who they say will probably start. Could just be parent talk I guess, how good was their freshman team this year?

I believe you hit the nail on the head..."parent talk". South will be like Corbin, gaurd heavy. I actually give Corbin the nod in that dept over South. South's inside players have very little (if any) experience except for Tabor, who did see some minutes each game when St John was out.

I was told that they have some kids who will be sophomores that are a lot more talented than some of the upperclassmen who either started or received serious minutes last season.

 

I know they return Huff, Tabor, Sanders, Khan(is he still playing?), Brashear and Clontz along with a couple of sophomores to be who they say will probably start. Could just be parent talk I guess, how good was their freshman team this year?

 

This past years freshmen team went 17-4 for South. Two of the freshmen played up and didnt play freshmen ball. Sanders started varsity and Sears started JV and dressed varsity. Obviously Sanders will start next season for the varsity and Sears will see alot of minutes but as for the others in that class i'm not sure. A couple of them could see some limited minutes in different situations but I really dont look for it to happen.

A couple of concerns that I have at putting Whitley as a top 5 team would be:

 

1. Do they have much size?

2. Player development - it seems to me from the outside looking in that their players just have not appeared to improve that much from their freshman/sophomore seasons through their season year. Maybe all the coaching changes affected them or possibly other factors played a role as well. When Lebanion was a freshman, I thought that he would be one of the top 3 players in the region by his junior or senior year and I thought Crawford would have been a top 10 type player, obviously I was wrong on both counts. The 8th grade teams that Whitley Co. and Corbin's seniors were on were virtually equal terms, but by the time they were seniors, well the scores of the games pretty much tell the story. Maybe the coaching carousel at Whitley will end and the groups coming up will benefit from it.

 

Good Points, Player development has not been the best in the past, and it has reared its head again. Obviously you know some back ground on Lebanion which explains his lack of development in basketball. I think the fact that he is planning on playing college football may explain some of it too. I think if they leave Baker alone he will have some success, also he needs to keep his Whitley kids at Whitley which has also been a problem in the past. Whitley needs to graduate 3-5 senior every year, and honestly they have not which has hurt the growth of that program.

 

As far as the size goes outside of a kids like St. John I think it is over-rated in the 13th. If you block out and work hard you get rebounds, I think that Wilson was the best rebounding guard in the region and he was vertically impaired to a certian point.

I was told that they have some kids who will be sophomores that are a lot more talented than some of the upperclassmen who either started or received serious minutes last season.

 

I know they return Huff, Tabor, Sanders, Khan(is he still playing?), Brashear and Clontz along with a couple of sophomores to be who they say will probably start. Could just be parent talk I guess, how good was their freshman team this year?

 

Parent talk, my friend, parent talk.:thumb:

Good Points, Player development has not been the best in the past, and it has reared its head again. Obviously you know some back ground on Lebanion which explains his lack of development in basketball. I think the fact that he is planning on playing college football may explain some of it too. I think if they leave Baker alone he will have some success, also he needs to keep his Whitley kids at Whitley which has also been a problem in the past. Whitley needs to graduate 3-5 senior every year, and honestly they have not which has hurt the growth of that program.

 

As far as the size goes outside of a kids like St. John I think it is over-rated in the 13th. If you block out and work hard you get rebounds, I think that Wilson was the best rebounding guard in the region and he was vertically impaired to a certian point.

 

Good post. They do need to leave Baker alone.

I think Sears played in the freshmen tournament. That's a very good freshmen group, but I also think the sophomores and juniors are pretty solid, too.

 

The South Laurel JV team I saw would beat some varsity teams. I think they are a lot deeper than Corbin. The roster I have from this year includes players 6-5, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-6 coming back. I wouldn't count them out from moving up to third or even winning it. I think South will almost always be at least a contender.

This past years freshmen team went 17-4 for South. Two of the freshmen played up and didnt play freshmen ball. Sanders started varsity and Sears started JV and dressed varsity. Obviously Sanders will start next season for the varsity and Sears will see alot of minutes but as for the others in that class i'm not sure. A couple of them could see some limited minutes in different situations but I really dont look for it to happen.

 

Will any of the big kids be factors next year, such as Brashear or Messer? I know that Tabor played a lot down the stretch, so I'm guessing that he will start along with Sanders and Huff. How do Khan and Smith who I believe will be seniors fit in? Who else may be in the rotation out of the following, Hale, Sears, Brown, Clontz & Slavey?

Will any of the big kids be factors next year, such as Brashear or Messer? I know that Tabor played a lot down the stretch, so I'm guessing that he will start along with Sanders and Huff. How do Khan and Smith who I believe will be seniors fit in? Who else may be in the rotation out of the following, Hale, Sears, Brown, Clontz & Slavey?

My prediction would be a (4) guard, (1) center lineup. Sanders, Huff, Smith, _?_ and Tabor as starters.

Khan looked to be incredibly quick in the games I saw, when he got to play.

 

It seemed like Hale (6-3) was a pretty good prospect, but he must have gotten hurt last year. Alex Sears is supposed to be pretty solid, too, so either of those could be a forward.