StraightShooter

So, here's what we got WINNERS LOSERS 33 Boone Ryle 34 St. Henry Ludlow 35 NDA Holmes 36 NewCath Highlands Boone has a 33% chance of drawing Highlands, giving us that rare situation where perhaps the two best teams play in the first round. NCC has a 33% chance of drawing Ryle, a team that beat them. NCC could have to win 3 tough games to win the region if they draw Ryle. I'd be shocked if one of these four did not win it.

I bet SK is glad to be out of the 33rd. Sure enjoyed some of those battles when SK was a part of the 9th region and 33rd.

Congrats to the Neers.

So, we'll hope to see GRC and Mason on the same side of the bracket. Maybe the blind man doing the draw can peek. Good luck to Brossart and Scott! :banana:

WOW! Interesting. Boone and the Birds could meet in round 1. Congrats to NC and Coach Dawn.

So, Scott is really a shoe-in for semis and the draw is big to determine if they will have to win two wars or one to win the region. Good luck to Scott. Always pulling for our 9th region castoffs.

Congrats to the Mountain Lions. They sure are a fun bunch to watch.

Wouldn't Montgomery Co. be the only district loser that could give Scott a game or a scare in the first round?

Congrats to Scott and also to BB for making the regionals. If BB draws Mason or GRC, I do not like their chances. Scott should easily make the semis.

Congrats to Holmes on rolling Beechwood. The Tigers really don't match up very well with the Dawgs. Mark it down. Holmes will not roll everyone over in the 9th region tourney. They will have at least one close game. But, Holmes is the favorite. Regular season means nothing at this time.

Very good second half by the Rebs. That seems to be their pattern but it works. Ryle played very well in the first half but could not sustain the play in the second. Congrats to the Rebs. Just another tiny step in achieving the goal. Ryle is a solid team with some nice players - just not quite as athletic as Boone. Gabbard's guard play and a lot of nice interior passes by McFarland aided the cause. Good team effort!

Agreed. Boone and Highlands are the two favorites IMO. The larger court at BOK may help a team that likes to run like Ryle but you are correct about zone play being a little different on the larger court, too. I really only give 4 teams a realistic shot - Boone, Highlands, NC and Ryle - NDA would be a very remote 5th team with a shot. Will be fun to watch. Gotta love h.s. tourney play where love of the game and hours of commitment end up in the temporary thrill of victory and agony of defeat.

SK has a nice team. Would be shocked if they don't win it. Tolliver is a stud-ette.

Two losers will be easy marks for victory in the first round, and two will be tough battles. The draw will be very important as usual. Winner from the 34th will not win the first round unless they are lucky enough to draw the loser from the 35th. Then, it would be an even battle.

I think we are looking at the same situation as when Florida came calling, it did not look like a UK win. UK in an upset by 3. I view it as a must-win game.

Good job by the Lady Rebs. Bradley was definitely the difference in the game with her ability to drive and dish. I was very impressed with the tenacity of Ryle with a crew of 8-9-10 graders taking on a more experienced team. Region will be interesting with these 2 teams, Birds, NC and NDA all trying to cut the nets down. Good luck to all of these fine teams and coaches.

I look for NC to win a close one on their home court.

This type of a draw would put big smiles on the faces of 4 teams in the lower bracket because any of the 4 would have a chance to sneak into the finals.

Boone is the obvious favorite having taken down Ryle by 12 and 20. What scares me a little is that both those games were very close going into the 4th quarter. If Ryle plays in the 4th quarter like they did last night, this game could be interesting. I'll change my original prediction of Boone by 12 to Boone by 5. The winning streak stays alive. Homecourt advantage is a nice edge this year for the Rebs. I just don't see a blowout this time. Ryle could only win by a very narrow margin were they to pull the upset. Boone is capable of winning by a big margin.

So, who is the team facing Eastern in the 28th?

Which district is Ballard in?

33 - Boone - Ryle 34 - Dixie - St. Henry 35 - Beechwood - Holmes 36 - Highlands - New Cath These are the 8 teams I expected to see at BOK. As of right now, here's my rankings of the 8 teams: 1)Holmes 2)Boone 3)Highlands 4)Ryle 5)Beechwood 6)New Cath 7)St. Henry 8)Dixie The draw is always interesting but I do not think it will change my opinion about the ranking of teams. I choose not to rank the Rebs 1st. Would rather keep looking for another upset. Good luck to all of the young men. Should be an exciting tourney with the newness of BOK.

This is very good insight. Both games I saw Cooper, he was the same teaching coach from tipoff til the final horn. This is the exact impression that I came away with. He is building a team. It's obvious that he is coaching a JV squad against varsity opposition this year. I would wager to say that if you allowed Sully to play this year's varsity team vs. other JV's with him coaching, they would be over .500 for the season. Good work Coach Sully.

I, too, was very surprised by how many people chose UK. Just not realistic with this team on the road. I think SC would beat KY at least 8 of 10 at Columbia as the two teams are. Instead of using my heart, I voted with my head for the Cocks. That does not sound too good.

Agreed. Makes some very athletic moves. Coach Sully will turn him into a very good player if the young man works hard.