Lion Mania

Watched Macon and Phares all summer with the DS 17U All-Stars. Richie has more overall floor skills with inside/outside game and ability to put the ball on the floor. As far as sheer strength and power around the rim Leonard is a beast. Leonard has the body of an NFL Tight End. Leonard had some dunks this summer that reminded me of Chocolate Thunder's (Daryl Dawkins) dunks that would shatter the backboard. Timmy Knipp is just a sophomore and word is he has grown a little the last few months and is closer to 6'8" than 6'7" now. Timmy has tremendous talent, but I hope on offense he decides to roam the paint more. He has a good outside shot, but loves it a little too much. On defense he showed flashes of brillance inside the paint. Against Rose Hill in the region he blocked several of Euton's (and others) shots down low and really got on the boards. My hope is that as a more seasoned sophomore he will start to assert himself more in the paint. Last year he had to sit a lot because of silly freshman fouls early on, but that improved as the season went on. One thing we need to remember is that he is still very young and developing.

Does anyone have any information on this pre-season panaroma. I know Elliott County and Clark County are suppose to play. What is the date? What other teams are playing?? Probably won't be a full Clark County team as Williams and Rogers might still be playing football depending on how late in November this game is and how deep Clark goes in the playoffs. Any info anyone has would be appreciated.

Two Taylor County players in the Top 12 and three Elliott County players in the second 12. He must think Taylor County is going to win the state next year also. First they got to win a region title. Actually surprised he even had any Elliott players in his Top 50. Probably thinks Elliott County is right next to the Mississippi River and is a submerged little underground county. I could write a book here but instead I'll just grit my teeth and go on. I am not a Holmes fan, but if I was then upset is the word also. Nobody even on his radar scope. Actually I don't even know who Bolus is and after his rankings don't care to know anymore about him. I am getting to the point now of lets quit talking and just lace them up and play and let the chips fall where they may.

I have J-Town and Manual as my co #5 pre-season teams in the state. Which ever one comes out of the 7th will make a run to Saturday. Male, Eastern, Ballard, and Seneca are capable of pulling a big upset and capable of being Top 20 teams. 7th Region is the toughest in the state night in and night out.

Word is that Shelby Valley will not participate in this on 29 Nov due to another committment I think in Lexington. Still very strong field in Inez and some good pre-season games.

MS. LIBERTY--Not forgetting Jon Morgan. There are six seniors unless I am missing one. Morgan will be a big key this year coming off the bench and getting plenty of minutes. Jared also can provide some good quality minutes and I think could hit some big threes when needed. So so very very glad Jon Morgan is playing. I wish that kid nothing but good things this year.

FOR THE RECORD: Jonathan Ferguson, Ethan Faulkner, and Evan Faulkner have started since their freshman years at Elliott County. During that time their record is 74-19. I would think a THUMPING would be 20 points or greater. They have two for the record: Freshman year in the All A Regional by 30 points to Fairview. That team finished 23-8 and lost by 4 points to Russell in the Regional Championship game. The other one was last year at Mason County by 29 points and a game they showed they were much better than that by losing to the state champs by 4 in the 1st round at Rupp. Their other worst losses over the last 3 years were by 16 to Warren Central in their sophomore year in the quarter-finals of the state tournament and last year by 14 to Covington Catholic in the 5/3 quarterfinals. The other 15 losses of those 3 years have been by 10 points or less. In 2006/2007 (Sophomore years) they finished 25-7 and lost to WC in the quarter finals of the state tournament. In 2007/2008 (Junior years) they finished 26-4 and lost to Mason County in the 1st round of the state tournament. These 3 have been to 3 straight Region championships games and have won 2 straight region championships. Before they leave next year they will have amassed over 100 wins in their 4 seasons at Elliott and FERG may well go over 3,000 career points. With 4 seniors returning and a more mature Timmy Knipp I doubt very seriously they have any THUMPINGS coming this next season. They may administer a bunch of THUMPINGS but I don't think they will be in the receive mode in 2008/09.

FERG is not smaller than Lofton. They measured him bare footed at the UK Elite Camp and he was 6' and 1.5 inches. Lofton bare footed may be 6' 2 inches. A half inch is pretty much the same size!!! FERG had numerous games this Summer in AAU (against the best competetion in the country and guys much bigger guarding him) where he had 7 or 8 three pointers in games I personally saw. I have seen Lofton play probably 25 games in high school and Ferg play many more than that. I have been watching and playing basketball for 40 years and they are very comparable players. I am not from Elliott County (raised in Mercer County and live now in Garrard County) but I know basketball and basketball players. FERG can shoot with anybody in the state and the country for that matter.

Like a previous poster this seems to be more 2 guards than small forwards. I guess you would have Jonathan Ferguson on down between 9-12?? He is a top 2 guard if not for one reason alone. He is the best long range shooter in the state and one of the top scorers in the state last year. He had a 40 point game last year, many games in the mid 30s, and averaged about 26ppg. He doesn't seem to get the respect of the others because he is from Elliott who? and the fact that he is deemed not to be the athlete of some of the others. Lofton as I remember got the same knock. Just a shooter and that is it. Well Lofton proved a few wrong after 4 years at Tennessee. Ferg is about the same size as Lofton, shoots a lot like Lofton, and have the same athletic skills. I never saw Chris dunk one, but I saw a lot of three pointers go through the basket. Just had to get my plug in for FERG.........

OK--My turn to weigh in on this one. After Elliott took the state champs to the wire in Rupp and the improved play and confidence of Ferguson, Faulkner twins, and Timmy Knipp after summer national AAU play----I doubt very seriously that anybody in going to THUMP on them. THUMP is kind of like smashing them I guess!!! They have four starting seniors back who have played nearly 100 high school varsity games together and won 75 games the last 3 years together. THE ONLY ONE DOING THE THUMPING WILL PROBABLY BE THEM especially against the 16th region. They THUMPED a bunch of them last year as little ole juniors and freshman (T. Knipp). And the schedule. Why do they play all those 16th region teams?? Could be because they are in the 16th region and will be for some time to come. They may have some 16th region thumpings coming, but it will be sometime after the 08/09 season.

Starting five as good as any in the state. Keys will be bench development over the course of the season and Timmy Knipp. Seniors Ferguson, Ethan and Evan Faulkner, and Chris Knipp will lead and be solid. Timmy has a ton of potential, but played like a young freshman last year. His summer play gives some indication that he may be moving his game up a notch and making strides toward his full potential. Ethan and Evan Faulkner, and Ferg are among the top player's in the state and can play with anybody in the state or country. Proved that over the summer around the country. Top 5 team and the potential to make a deep run in Rupp in March 09. Deep as in playing on Saturday morning and Saturday night.

The Musketeers will get a chance to guage their progress when Elliott County visits them early on Saturday December 6th. Hopefully it will be a little better game than last year when things got out of hand in Sandy Hook.

7th Region (as usual) is loaded with top 10 teams Manual and J-Town. Eastern, Male, and Ballard may all be top 25 teams. My darkhorse would be Louisville Seneca. The Redhawks are young and have talent. They probably won't win the region, but they may spring an upset or two in post season play.

I agree. You don't get 2 points for touching the top of the square or the top of the backboard for that matter. Discussion was on best PG and not best vertical leap in KY or who can run the 40 yd. dash faster.

Only ones I have seen were from this Summer AAU play being Collins, Stepp, and Whitaker. Collins is tall with length and better than some people give him credit for. He is big with a nice skill package. Whitaker is one of the best PGs in the state. Stepp can fill it up from the three point line and I would think have to be a TOP 10 Player with the way the kid shoots. Of all the shooters I saw this summer in AAU I would put Ferguson at Elliott #1 and probably Stepp at #2. I saw one game this summer where the Stepp kid had seven three pointers and was drilling them from way out.

Only time I have ever witnessed anything close to a traffic jam in Sandy Hook is right after the basketball games. Tells you where the priority right now is in Elliott County. It's the current game and then the next game and then the one after that................

Pre-season #2 ranked team behind Scott County. Enough said. Elliott and GRC #3 ranking with #5 J-Town and #6 Manual

Come on Gold. These guys are tall, but not that tall except Zollo is 6'8". I stood beside them and talked with them all summer at AAU competetion. Unless some of them have grown 2 or 3 inches in the last 60 days?? Don't get me wrong, they are tall, talented, and very good kids. I have GRC and Elliott in a tie for the #3 pre-season ranking behind Scott County and Holmes. I was impressed with all those outstanding sophomores in Summer play.

Somehow I missed this thread, but better late than never. Yes WIREMAN and FANOFTHE11TH--Ethan Faulkner is the best point guard in the state and he plays as hard as anyone with plenty of grit, heart, and determination of a lion. His resume stacks up with anyone over the last 3 years and he added to it with his sterling summer AAU play that included five game winning shots against the toughest competetion across the country. Evan is a heck of a defensive player, outstanding shooter, and scorer. Don't know that he is a point guard. Don't know what position he is other than just a heck of a player who just plays all over the court. Yes, he can play point and do a good job, but he can play several positions and do a good job.

I have it marked and highlighted (State Tourney Draw) on my calendar for Friday January 30th, 2009. The draw is always the Friday of the quarterfinals of the All A Tourney in Richmond and is broadcast live by WKYT 27 at Noon or 12:30PM. With a perfect draw you could have four of these five teams in the SF of the state (Elliott County, GRC, Holmes, Scott County, and the winner of the 7th region Manual, J-Town, Male, or Eastern). Hazard and Shelby Valley will also be a hard out for these teams.

I too agree with Wireman that this an unfair remark. I saw many Elliott games last year and the score was lopsided at halftime and the starters hardly played any the second half and the score remained lopsided. Again, some just don't like Elliott County for what reasons I am not sure. Maybe cause they have never had success before in any sport and because they are small and rural. That is exactly the reasons that I do like them. It just doesn't make sense to me why they are disliked so much?? I like them because the naysayers say they are too small (short), don't play anybody, and choke in the big games (minus Mason in the State which was a fluke of course). They are too small and start 4 guards and one small forward, but they just keep finding ways to keep winning. COME THE END OF MARCH THEY WILL PROVE MANY WRONG AND I'M SURE MAKE SOME STEAMING MAD.

Nice article in the August 6th Ashland Daily Independent about Elliott being invited to the Myrtle Beach Beach Ball Classic from 26-31 December 2008 by Rocky Stanley. Tournament Exective Director John Rhodes says that they always try to get the Number 1 or Number 2 team from KY each year. He compares this Elliott County team to the 1987 Richie Farmer led Clay County team that won the State and played in the Beach Ball Classic. He believes they will be a crowd favorite and that the fans will fall in love with them. He also notes that 5 of the 10 NBA All Star Starters from 2 years ago played in this tournament. He notes that such players as Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Kenny Anderson, Mike Bibby, and Kevin Garnett have played in this tournament. A who's who of coaches is usually in attendance and even Michael Jordan usually attends. Here is the link for the article: www.dailyindependent.com/localsports/local_story_219232456.html

Thanks and how time does fly. Speaking of old Pike County schools it seems just a few years ago that I was watching Elkhorn City play in the Sweet 16. Maybe someone can name all the schools they had say 20 years ago in Pike County which is a huge county land mass wise??

Bobcat--Gold corrected me on this. Lee would be about the 9th smallest county in KY. When I was looking up my stats one site had an error and said they had a population of 17,648. I knew they couldn't be that big!!! They obviously put a 1 in front of the other 4 numbers which was wrong. As a small rural school I hope Charles and Lee can advance deep in the 14th Region tourney this year. GO BOBCATS!!!! Again, thanks to Gold and sorry about the error.

Greg Johnson was not eligible and didn't play last year. I have heard he may not be eligible again this year?? That would be too bad. Have heard he is a 6'3" flyer who likes to finish at the basket with signature dunks. From those that saw him play this summer they said he may be the best talent in the 5th region if he can get on the court??