retropop

Although it is really way too early to do this, I'm going to go out on a limb and mention that Ms. Moss is a leading candidate to become Miss Basketball in 2012. She is the real deal and is reserved enough to fit into a good high school team concept right now, and physically gifted enough to make the jump to D-I afterwards. And let me go out to the very end of that limb by saying that if she stays healthy for the next six years, we will then see if anything is possible beyond that. She is a fine talent who has been and is being taught the game very nicely.

Correct, CM. The northern contingent has taken offense when the same thing occurs when the NKY-Enquirer does similar things. The bottom line is that newpapers are in business to sell newspapers, which means doing some - very understandable - regional catering to its circulation area. No reason for anyone to take offense, IMO. How many minutes until the opening tip-off? The natives are gettting restless!

If we aren't privy to the details, we shouldn't rush to judgement should we? For sure, more than one coach has made the mistake of cutting a player who should have been kept. But certainly the same can be said for the coach who kept someone who have been cut, and the latter probably occurs more often than the former. Coaches are not perfect, still they have an obligation to the whole more than any one individual part. Plus, many of us may be able to think of examples of kids with a good upside when young, but who never developed or matured early and declined by the senior year. Since most coaches want to win, not too many trim their roster of "studs" to keep "duds". Without knowing the details, I can't make a determination for sure. There simply aren't too many coaches who are in the coaching business to lose, though. Plus, there are several small colleges that contact "tweener" players to fill their JV roster as a recruiting tool for the school's admissions department. My suggestions are to: A) just keep on with the b-ball lessons and prep for the freshman college season, or B) get over it, move on and enjoy the senior year where you are - minus the b-ball. Either way, this young lady's attitude will determine her altitiude from here on out. Good luck!

Didn't they lose their best player to Walton-Verona? That has to have an impact, doesn't it?

Reasons for W-V optimism? Certainly. It's too bad that the other teams with reasons for optimism don't get as much attention from their own fans, though.

Judging from the numerous W-V responses, far more than any other team, W-V must be the real deal. But if not, there might be some very unhappy campers near the I-71 and I-75 interchange. Personally, I believe they are a pretty solid bunch, but it's going to take more than simply being solid to get out and head down to Diddle -- and there are several region teams that fall into the category of pretty solid this season. Do the W-V followers just have more passion for their team than most 8th region schools, or what? No doubt, they sure are active on the BGP.

I have no reply to any of the lists, players or teams. However, the great thing about the original post and the ones that follow is this: WE'RE FINALLY CLOSE TO THE SEASON'S BEGINNING and OBSERVERS/FANS HAVE FINALLY AWAKENED FROM THEIR OFF-SEASON HIBERNATION! Thank goodness Oct. 15 is just around the corner.

Certainly, W-V is a bonafide contender to win the region crown, but not at the expense of a half dozen or so other contenders. It's waaaaaaay too early give anyone "the nod" , other than the reigning champion Lady Bearcats, who no doubt have great plans to repeat. Until Anderson is dethroned, the bragging rights belong to them. With that said, may I ask if anyone attended and noticed Kelli Dixon's stellar performance in the summer all-star tilt at Bellarmine in July??? She definitely did shine brightly against some pretty strong competition - hers was arguably the best performance of the game (or at least for the 7th/8th region girls). Enough so to merit pre-season consideration as the POY of the 8th region for 2010-11. Still, there is really only a sliver of difference, at this point, between at least six region teams, and maybe more. Another great year of play is just around the corner for region fans. It will soon be here!

Colonel Mike, good assessments all, no doubt. Collins High School will be a force to be reckoned with, though. Basically, the Lady Rocket program has moved across the county into the new digs and great facilities. They went far last year, and will do so again this time around. Don't overlook them.

I am having difficulty clicking for more information. Please post responses to these questions. Thanks. 1) What is the fee, if any? 2) What organization is this, an AAU team or club?

Can anybody elaborate on this and enlighten uninformed soul like myself? Who, what, when, how, etc.??? The region hasn't seemed to have had much in the way of transfer players who have had a major impact in recent years, so what's up with this???

What a true statement!

2010-2011 will be another interesting season, and predicting outcomes is a treacherous undertaking. Yep, the regular season and region tourney will be wide-open - but that's as far out on a limb as I am willing to go. Answers are tough to come up with, but here are some critical questions: ??? Will the young veterans from Anderson Co. be able to pull it off again to repeat, and IF so, will it begin a run to lasts for three or four seasons? ??? Can brand-new Collins High School meet the challenge and dethrone the Lady Cats and win the district in the first year of its existence? ??? Up north, will steadily improving Walton-Verona overcome their nerves and the successful run of Simon Kenton the last few years to cut down the nets? ??? Will the significant progress and improvement of Owen Co. be offset by Gallitin Co., Carroll Co. and/or Henry Co. in their topsy-turvy district - to be played at Gallatin this year? ??? Can South Oldham be challenged this year by North Oldham, Oldham Co. or Trimble Co., or is it just a race to see who will come in second? Conclusion: No prohibitive pre-season favorite in the 8th region. It could be the year that an "A" school (W-V or Owen) goes to Diddle from the 8th - it's possible but not probable.

Now that most of the summer games and camps have ended and the dead period has been spent, how did our favorite teams progress over the first part of the summer? There may be a camp or two remaining, but most have finished up, so let's hear it! We've been going through a dull lull lately, and it's time to reopen the lines of communication a bit regarding girls' hoops.

With the sudden departure of its new coach after having the job for barely two months, it is late in the summer and Waggener is again seeking yet another coach. It appears as though this program is in one heap of trouble. Too bad, as it's in a nice location and on the surface seems like it might be a workable job, but they have struggled with numbers and continuity for several years now, and the player base has dwindled. Best of luck to all involved.

The Lady Colonels will be experiencing year No.-2 of their rebuilding project. Despite lacking size and being youthful (Hardin and Melton are the most exprienced returnees), they will mix it up and get after it and be more familiar with the up-and-down style of 2nd-year Coach Mullins. Several kids, however, will have to make major improvements for OC to have a pleasant season, but that is not beyond happening. The major pre-season question is where do they fit into the district tourney picture? Are they capable of winning it, will they be runner-up again, or will they not even make it to the final game? Legitimate questions all, and anythng seems to be quite possible at this point?

The Lady Rebs are definitely going to make some noise in 2010-2011! Both their inside and outside play are pretty solid, as they have the size and the ability to score and rebound. Only depth and possible injuries will be causes for concern. They will contend for the 8th region tourney and the All-A Classic, but they are not the only A-school to be in the hunt. Walton-Verona will play a major role in both events, as well. This season may indeed be the year for the small schools to roar in the 8th!

LD, I could not agree with you more, you are dead on it.

Which players will be returning to fill out the 2010-11 roster? It seems to be a commonly held opinion that most of last year's Lady Rockets will attend M.L. Collins next year. If that indeed turns out to be the case, a nearly total rebuild will be facing the new coaching staff. The first days of school will tell the tale, it appears.

Is it at all possible that Shawnee can become a force in the A Classic - or at least within its A Classic region???? If so, then might they ever have realistic ambitions of contending for a trip to Diddle Arena? If you think about it, the school has one of the better gymnasiums in Jefferson county - or at least it was when it was built. One would think that there is, at the very least, some degree of talent within the area from which its students are drawn. It would be great if the school and community would rally around this program and enable it to rise up to a consistently respectable level.

I definitely agree - which is why I made the post in the first place. Great school, great kids, great coaches ... but this is where disharmony begins, when everybody knows the talent, the kids, the scoring averages and W-L record of kindergarten league b-ball ... Based on the nuclear-hot posts regarding WV just a couple of seasons ago, I just hope it does not happen again. The participants deserve better. Sorry for my ignorance, but I was not aware that you have cornered the market on knowledge. Pardon me, please.

How did the Lady Panthers do? What other teams participated and what were the results? Summer games don't amount to much substance, but it's good for conversation.

No, no, no, there cannot be trouble in paridise again, can there??? We readers thought the disharmony was over and a thing of the past in WV-land. Please, say it ain't so. I sure hope that "too many chefs" won't spoil the soup this year. Let me say that WV has a very fine group of kids and outstanding coaches -- it would be best if outside observers (fans and parents) will just let them do their thing without any adults stirring things up.

Congratulations to Coach Adams and staff, and especially to the girls who represented the Bluegrass with pride. Winning in Indy is not an easy accomplishment. Congrats to the selection committee, too. Well done!

Last year's role as the 8th region pre-season favorite was extremely premature, to say the least, as was indicated by the freaskish the end to their opening round game with Shelby Co. Even though their number of major contributors lost from last year's team is small, SOHS will greatly affected by the loss of McGuffin's quickness and scoring and rebounding abilities. The burden of being a bunch of young and up-and-coming kids is not as great as being a team of veterans who need to step up, get the job done, and live up to expectations and potential. Whether or not this crew of Lady Dragons is willing to meet the challenge remains to be seen. Verdict: They are certainly not the pre-season favorite this time around. (Do they really have the heart and burning desire to get it done??? Only time will tell.)