King of the Bluegrass

Fairdale High School First Round - (Not by bracket) All tickets every night $8.00 Tuesday, December 19, 4:30 PM - Ballard vs Walton-Verona 6:00 PM - Fairdale vs Bowling Green 7:30 PM - Trinity vs Anderson County 9:00 PM - Cooper vs Pulaski County Wednesday, December 20, 4:30 PM - Miami Palmetto vs Portland West Linn 6:00 PM - Lexington Christian vs Mercer County 7:30 PM - Covington Catholic vs Nashville Ensworth 9:00 PM - Fern Creek vs Seattle Cleveland Second / Third Rounds - All 16 teams play...one entrance, two gyms...one price $8.00 Thursday, December 21, Friday, December 22, 4:30 PM 6:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:00 PM Friday, December 23, 3:00 PM - Consolation Bracket Championship 4:30 PM - Fifth / Sixth Place 6:00 PM - Third / Fourth 7:30 PM - Championship / Runner-up

Marcelo Sullivan: 37 points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assist, 16/17 Ft's. Season: 29.8 jpg He is the best I have seen this year.

Markelo Sullivan with 32 points, season average neart 28 ppg. Glen Queen 23.

King of the Bluegrass.Go to: NFHSnetwork.com and Search: Fairdale High School Cost to sign in: $9.95

It will be active several days before the tournament...December 19-23, 2017. I will post when you can sign in. All games in the first round and then the winners bracket...20 games. We are trying to set up the consolation bracket..that would give you access to all 28 games.

Go to: NFHSnetwork.com and Search: Fairdale High School Cost to sign in: $9.95

What a mistake in the research department at ESPN. If you don't know...they mentioned the KOB but said " Dunbar played in the King of the Bluegrass tournament in Lexington, Kenucky." The KOB has always been at Fairdale High School and it will never move to another site...this December will be the 37th.

Did you see Baltimore Boys on ESPN...the closest game they had all year was against Carlisle County in the 1982 King of the BluegrassChampionship...17 points. Dunbar was the 1982-83 National Champions...three first round NBA draft picks...nine Division I players.

#1 Male in 1983 with Winston Bennett. Also, 1978 Apollo was undefeated entering the tournament.

Tom Thacker is the ONLY basketball player in history to be on a championship team in the NCAA, NBA Boston Celtics and ABA Indiana Pacers.

I am extremely glad that we recommended Covington Catholic to participate in this tournament. My friend, Jim Haley, was the tournament manger for the Kingdom of the Sun tournament for over 40 years. In 1980 Fairdale went to the Kingdom...came home and started the KOB. Every year Coach Haley calls me for recommendations concerning Kentucky teams. I am always proud to recommend our great Kentucky teams.

Are you kidding me. I just want BG people to know that we are still happy to have them reguardless of who is on their team. You don't know me very well. Fairdale and the KOB are loyal people.

This message is to all Bluegrass Prep members, high school coaches, athletic directors, high schools and fans. The King of the Bluegrass has NEVER and will NEVER take a team OUT of our tournament because a player leaves a school. We invite TEAMS, COACHES and FAN to our tournament. NO 9TH GRADER is bigger than our tournament. Since AAU basketball has arrived as it is today we face these issues every year. Players come and go, good coaches and good PROGRAM come to the KOB. Why is everyone surprised? Tyger Campbell was the #1 eighth grade three years ago and played for Christ Presbyterian from Nashville. They played in the KOB. At the end of the year he ended up at a prep school in Indiana. I wonder what they gave him? Several years ago, if you recall, there was a highly ranked eighth grader at South Warren (they had a contract to play in the KOB) he also left and went...who know where. Now, South Warren did not play in the KOB. THEY requested we let them out of the KOB contract and we honored their request. That's the ONLY way we will, upon mutual agreement, take a team out of our tournament. Once again somebody is giving this young man bad advice. They are taking him away from a school that showcased him to the fullest...I call this USING the school that has GREAT talent around him to make himself look great. WHERE IS THE LOYALTY? My prediction is this. If they don't surround him with very good talent his game will suffer. He had better have a great big man that must be double teamed if his game is to flourish. (Hopefully Wiseman from Nashville Ensworth doesn't follow him to Adair County). Unless a bus load of kids transfer to Adair County he will be double teamed and physically challenged ever night. Many of you know that I worked for Hubie Brown for several years. He once told me, "Anytime you promise a kid something, wheather it be high school or college...HE OWNS YOU". The ONLY thing I ever promised a kid was that I was going to be on him about his character and his grades. No PLAYER is going to hold me hostage. To all BOWLING GREEN coaches, players and fans, NO PLAYER IS BIGGER than the TEAM and we are excited to have you in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. One, if not the biggest tournaments in the country, takes teams out of thier tournament if a big time player leaves...we DON'T do that. Just so you know, two years ago 44 of the top 100 kids in the high school rankings were NOT in the same school their senior year as their junior year.

This message is to all Bluegrass Prep members, high school coaches, athletic directors, high schools and fans. The King of the Bluegrass has NEVER and will NEVER take a team OUT of our tournament because a player leaves a school. We invite TEAMS, COACHES and FAN to our tournament. NO 9TH GRADER is bigger than our tournament. Since AAU basketball has arrived as it is today we face these issues every year. Players come and go, good coaches and good PROGRAM come to the KOB. Why is everyone surprised? Tyger Campbell was the #1 eighth grade three years ago and played for Christ Presbyterian from Nashville. They played in the KOB. At the end of the year he ended up at a prep school in Indiana. I wonder what they gave him? Several years ago, if you recall, there was a highly ranked eighth grader at South Warren (they had a contract to play in the KOB) he also left and went...who know where. Now, South Warren did not play in the KOB. THEY requested we let them out of the KOB contract and we honored their request. That's the ONLY way we will, upon mutual agreement, take a team out of our tournament. Once again somebody is giving this young man bad advice. They are taking him away from a school that showcased him to the fullest...I call this USING the school that has GREAT talent around him to make himself look great. WHERE IS THE LOYALTY? My prediction is this. If they don't surround him with very good talent his game will suffer. He had better have a great big man that must be double teamed if his game is to flourish. (Hopefully Wiseman from Nashville Ensworth doesn't follow him to Adair County). Unless a bus load of kids transfer to Adair County he will be double teamed and physically challenged ever night. Many of you know that I worked for Hubie Brown for several years. He once told me, "Anytime you promise a kid something, wheather it be high school or college...HE OWNS YOU". The ONLY thing I ever promised a kid was that I was going to be on him about his character and his grades. No PLAYER is going to hold me hostage. To all BOWLING GREEN coaches, players and fans, NO PLAYER IS BIGGER than the TEAM and we are excited to have you in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. One, if not the biggest tournaments in the country, takes teams out of thier tournament if a big time player leaves...we DON'T do that. Just so you know, two years ago 44 of the top 100 kids in the high school rankings were NOT in the same school their senior year as their junior year.

This message is to all Bluegrass Prep members, high school coaches, athletic directors, high schools and fans. The King of the Bluegrass has NEVER and will NEVER take a team OUT of our tournament because a player leaves a school. We invite TEAMS, COACHES and FAN to our tournament. NO 9TH GRADER is bigger than our tournament. Since AAU basketball has arrived as it is today we face these issues every year. Players come and go, good coaches and good PROGRAM come to the KOB. Why is everyone surprised? Tyger Campbell was the #1 eighth grade three years ago and played for Christ Presbyterian from Nashville. They played in the KOB. At the end of the year he ended up at a prep school in Indiana. I wonder what they gave him? Several years ago, if you recall, there was a highly ranked eighth grader at South Warren (they had a contract to play in the KOB) he also left and went...who know where. Now, South Warren did not play in the KOB. THEY requested we let them out of the KOB contract and we honored their request. That's the ONLY way we will, upon mutual agreement, take a team out of our tournament. Once again somebody is giving this young man bad advice. They are taking him away from a school that showcased him to the fullest...I call this USING the school that has GREAT talent around him to make himself look great. WHERE IS THE LOYALTY? My prediction is this. If they don't surround him with very good talent his game will suffer. He had better have a great big man that must be double teamed if his game is to flourish. (Hopefully Wiseman from Nashville Ensworth doesn't follow him to Adair County). Unless a bus load of kids transfer to Adair County he will be double teamed and physically challenged ever night. Many of you know that I worked for Hubie Brown for several years. He once told me, "Anytime you promise a kid something, wheather it be high school or college...HE OWNS YOU". The ONLY thing I ever promised a kid was that I was going to be on him about his character and his grades. No PLAYER is going to hold me hostage. To all BOWLING GREEN coaches, players and fans, NO PLAYER IS BIGGER than the TEAM and we are excited to have you in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. One, if not the biggest tournaments in the country, takes teams out of thier tournament if a big time player leaves...we DON'T do that. Just so you know, two years ago 44 of the top 100 kids in the high school rankings were NOT in the same school their senior year as their junior year.

West Linn out of Portlaand, Oregon is always a contender for 6A state championships. They always have DI players. When they called to inquire about coming to the KOB they ask, " How tough is the completion? Is it going to be good enough for us?" I said, "In Kentucky preseason polls this year we had 1-2-3-5-6-7-8-9-11-14...along with teams ranked in Georgia, ALabama and Chicago." He ask again, " But how good were they." Franklin High School in Seattle won the KOB when Peyton Siva was a senior. When they called and ask if we had an opening I told them we were full. Two days later we lost a team out of Philadelphia...I called Franklin and they had already signed to go to San Diego. They recommended Seattle Cleveland. They have, according to the Franklin coach, one of the best players/shooters he has ever seen. They also have DI players. Everybody know Miami schools always have size and talent. Palmetto has the son of a coach that brought his team to the KOB several years ago. We always research out-of-state teams very thouroughly. I check thier talent, state ranking, national ranking, size, reputation, schedule, returning starters and read sports articles about some of thier games. As always, we probably had 12-15 teams hoping to come to the KOB. We will be watching several of those teams for the 2018 KOB. We are always watching for teams for the future.

Every team is guaranteed 3 games...max 4. 28 games in 5 days...after first round we use two gyms 30 feet apart. One entrance...one price. All games (except Championship Day) start at 4:30. First Round 12/19/2017 and 12/20/2017 Tuesday - 4 games - 4:30 - 6:00 -7:30 - 9:00 Wednesday - 4 games Second Round - 12/21/17 Thursday - 8 games - two gyms Third Round - 12/22/2017 Friday - 8 games - two gyms Fourth Round - 12/23/2017 Saturday - four games - one gym 3:00 - Consolation Bracket Championship 4:30 - Fifth / Sixth Place game 6:00 - Runner-up / Third and Fourth Place game 7:30 - Championship

Sorry...that's what happens when you get OLD. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Every team is guaranteed 3 games...max 4. 28 games in 5 days...after first round we use two gyms 30 feet apart. One entrance...one price. All games (except Championship Day) start at 4:30. First Round 12/19/2017 and 12/20/2017 Tuesday - 4 games - 4:30 - 6:00 -7:30 - 9:00 Wednesday - 4 games Second Round - 12/20/17 Thursday - 8 games - two gyms Third Round - 12/21/2017 Friday - 8 games - two gyms Fourth Round - 12/23/2017 Saturday - four games - one gym 3:00 - Consolation Bracket Championship 4:30 - Fifth / Sixth Place game 6:00 - Runner-up / Third and Fourth Place game 7:30 - Championship

Every team is guaranteed 3 games...max 4. 28 games in 5 days...after first round we use two gyms 30 feet apart. One entrance...one price. All games (except Championship Day) start at 4:30. First Round 12/19/2017 and 12/20/2017 Wednesday - 4 games - 4:30 - 6:00 -7:30 - 9:00 Thursday - 4 games Second Round - 12/20/17 Friday - 8 games - two gyms Third Round- 12/21/2017 Saturday - 8 games - two gyms Fourth Round - 12/23/2017 Sunday - four games - one gym 3:00 - Consolation Bracket Championship 4:30 - Fifth / Sixth Place game 6:00 - Runner-up / Third and Fourth Place game 7:30 - Championship One thing that is nice...on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday we only play in one gym. Therefore we allow teams to warm-up in the other gym as long as they want but they only get 10 minutes on the main floor. That allows us to keep very close to our game times. If a game is over early we don't start until the assigned time. On Frisay and Saturday warm-up time is 15 minutes. The schedule and pairings won't be announced until mid November after we receive the state rankings.

Your comments are very kind...but we have had a lot of experience. It is a never ending but enjoyable task.

37th Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass December 19 - 23, 2017 Fairdale High School Fairdale Ballard Fern Creek Trinity Cooper Covington Catholic Bowling Green Anderson County Mercer County Lexington Christian Walton_Verona Pulaski County Ensworth - Nashville, TN West Linn - Portland, OR Cleveland - Seattle, WA Palmetto - Miami, FL From the Courier-Journal / 7/7/2017 Trinity High School's boys basketball team will face a tough test of in-state and out-of-state opponents as it looks to defend its title in the 2017 King of the Bluegrass. Defending KHSAA state champion Bowling Green, runner-up Cooper and defending KOB champion Trinity headline this year's field of 16 teams for the annual tournament. The 37th edition of the King of the Bluegrass is set for Dec. 19-23 at Fairdale High School. Trinity junior David Johnson was named the MVP of last year's King of the Bluegrass and finished the regular season averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Of the out-of-state teams, Tennessee's Ensworth features five-star power forward James Wiseman. The 6-foot-10, 210-pound junior reportedly holds offers from Indiana, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and more and this summer he helped lead the U.S. Under-16 Men's Basketball Team to the FIBA U-16 America's championships.

Mike Redd might have been the second best guard of all-time behind Ralph Beard.

Jermaine Brown - Fairdale - State Tournament MVP 1990 and 1991. Only four schools have won back-to-back state championships since 1918. Henry Clay won three in a row when there was only one high school in Lexington. But...it's hard to argue MOST of the other candidates.

1 -2 -3 - 4 -7 - 8 - 10 will be in the 2017 King of the Bluegrass December 19 - 23, 2017. The entire field will be released after the Derby.

You are shooting 50%