WVFrank

I don't think the idea is that Conner can't get better, but Ryle is considerably younger when you look at key players, and I believe the thought was Ryle had more potential to grow and get better through additional experience. Conner has a veteran backcourt with a senior and a junior whereas Ryle starts a ninth grader and a sophomore. Conner also has a senior (although Haynes didn't play in this game) and juniors playing inside while Ryle's best inside player is a freshman and their other inside players are young as well. Moss by the way did have 12 rebounds in the game which is just above her average over two plus years of HS play, but I think her potential to average even higher than that is there once she learns to go to the boards consistently

Agree. Crittendon did remarkably well with that left hand still in a soft cast that limited her grip. I checked it out before the game and her left thumb was almost rigid. She helps in ways other than scoring as well with her defense and ball handling. Ryle had far fewer unforced turnovers in this game with her in the line up. Moss had a tough shooting night with many misses from the lane where she jumped over people and had shots roll off the rim. A "normal" night by her and she scores 30+ and this game is a win for Ryle. Ryle also was less than stellar from the free throw line, missing 10 of 24. Conner on the other hand knocked down free throws with very good efficiency. Long was particularly good there with 13 of 16. Haynes was out for Conner and that had to hurt them some although they still held a slight rebounding edge. Tons of free throws in the game with 37 shot by Conner and 24 by Ryle. The difference was obviously in Conner hitting 28 compared to the 14 by Ryle. Strange game. I had the feel Ryle was overall more talented with Crittendon and Moss in their lineup, but Conner was more experienced and got some points from less than likely sources at key times. Should be a good match up if they meet later in tournament play.

I understand Crittendon will be back for Ryle. That will be a huge boost for the Raiders once she's back in full swing Not sure her impact in this first game though.

They do have a point guard, she just happens to be a sophomore handling the position for the first time. She will get better with experience. And, yes, Crittendon will help with the pressure when she comes back. And, while an experienced point is a big part of handling pressure, overall experience is as well. Ryle is very, very young overall and doesn't have that one veteran stabilzer like, say a Jacy Bradley at Boone. When Crittendon is back Ryle will start three ninth-graders and two sophomores with two eight-graders among the first several off the bench. The Raiders have 12 sophomores and under players on their roster. I'd say that speaks well for the possibilty of them being very good in a year or two, if they stay together, stay healthy, and mature in a normal fashion.

Ask and you shall receive! In fact you'll have the answer before you ask. Thanks!

I agree. Having seen both teams play in the tourney up to the last day, I'm surprised NDA made it that tough a game without Jackson. Nice job by NDA because Rowan County is a fine, fine team. Anyone know what happened to Jackson? I talked with her before the semi-final game before I left (didn't see any of the game) and she was fine. Did she sustain an injury? Also, anyone know the entire make up of the All Tourney Team? I saw mention of several players in the nky.com game write-ups but there was no complete list. As to the true final score, nky.com has it at 65-60. Difference in the game, 20 free throws made by RC to 6 for NDA. But that's what the constant motion of the RC offense leads to, lots of FT attempts.

Ryle is 7-1 going into today's tilt with Boone County. Doing surprisingly well considering the players they've had out. Moss has just been back 3 games and is working into game shape. Crittendon is out with a broken left wrist, expected back about the second week of January (hopefully sooner). Meyer has had a hand/wrist injury and missed a couple of games before coming back this weekend.

I'd agree with that. Rowan County is very well coached and their motion offense is extremely difficult to play against. They ran the Boone County man-to-man through screen after screen after screen and patiently worked for the open shot. Kissinger happened to get open shots through that offensive motion and she knocked them down. I don't know how many shots she took for her 26 points, but it didn't seem like a lot. RC certainly wasn't trying to set her up as their scorer. I haven't followed them but I suspect several of the Rowan County players could have nights like that depending on who ended up open and was hitting their shots. Happened to be Kissinger in this game.

Ryle 56 - Ballard 54 Boone County 52 - Lafayette 43 Notre Dame 44 - Harrison County 34 Rowan County 69 - Bishop Brossart 34 Nice comeback wins for both Ryle and Boone County who will meet in the consolation game today. Ryle fell behind by 9 in the 3rd quarter before a spirited comeback got them up by 5. A last second "3" by Ballard got the final score back to a 2-point margin. Ballard played their best game of the tournament by far, with nice outside shooting and a great performance from the free throw line. Sydney Moss is beginning to round into playing shape for Ryle and Abby Jump continued to shoot the three-ball well. Also, another Ryle player to watch is Liz Meyer who is back from a hand/wrist injury and looking good. Gutsy performance by Boone's Jacy Bradley led the Boone turnaround from a first half deficit. Playing on some sore/aching wheels, Bradley was outstanding in her overall play; scoring, dishing for scores, playing defense very well, and handling whatever pressure Lafayette brought, particularly late in the game. Rowan County and Notre Dame will meet in the finals. Both very well coached and the two best teams in this tournament at this time. Ryle-Boone County in the consolation game, and I believe Ballard-Lafayette in the 5/6 game and Brossart/Harrison County in the 7/8 game. Nice Tournament, well run by both hosts, ND and Boone.

Moss will likely play after Christmas. She is practicing with and traveling with the team, probably sitting behind the team bench if not on it. Had she moved to Ohio it is probable she could have gotten four years of eligibility through a waiver process that seems to work there. It certainly worked for O. J. Mayo who played two years at Rose Hill Academy in Kentucky then played as a freshman, sophomore, and junior at North College Hill in Ohio before playing his senior year his home town of Huntington, WV. So he played six years of HS basketball in three different states. I think O. J. could have played his senior year at NCH, meaning he could have gotten four years in Ohio even after playing two years in Kentucky. My understanding is he decided to "go home" after his friend and teammate Bill Walker left for Kansas State and he (O. J.) had some suspension problems. So I would think Moss could have gotten the same kind of waiver had she moved to Ohio. But she didn't and hopefully will be back on the court soon for Ryle. Oh, and to your last question, Moss played only varsity minutes last season after moving up from the Gray middle school team. She averaged 15.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG for the 19 HS games she played as an eight grader.

There is a ton of ambiguity in the NCAA rules and they are certainly open to a lot of interpretation. I'm not sure a trip to a campus for an AAU tourney would qualify as an unofficial visit. Certainly one NCAA coach I know wouldn't see it that way. But again, that's where interpretation comes in. By the way, Greenwell is certainly off to a flying start, as has been mentioned in this thread. Through 3 games she is averaging 26 PPG, 8.7 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 4.0 steals per game. She is shooting 59% from the floor, 47% from 3, and 83% from the line. That's a great stat line for anyone, much less an 8th grader! Those stats are from of maxprep.com.

Is that even "legal"? Per NCAA rules, off-campus contact with or phone calls to a recruitable athlete cannot be made before July 1 of their junior year. I guess "incidental" contact on the campus of a school during, say an AAU tournament, may not violate that rule but I suspect a scholarship offer during that contact would. The NCAA rules are rather complex and convoluted, but I don't think it is legal to make an official scholarship offer to an eighth grader.

Her dad was not at all involved in Syd now playing.

Absolutely agree, Crunch-Time. I just wanted to tell my story, which I had just told to someone at work this morning, since it showed that sometimes.......sometimes........the fault may not lie with the player. Interestingly enough, the physical aspect of my deal didn't negatively affect me as much as the "grudge" part, the mental part, that came later. As you said, the physical part was "just there" back then and most players dealt with that. Ultimately I dealt with it all and took some pride in refusing to let the coach keep me from playing the sports I loved. As you said, sometimes "sucking it up" can provide a valuable lesson. But your "expectations" paragraph is right on the money. Times have definitely changed and there is a need for strong, fair leadership. One more thing about my story. Even with the "issue" the coach and I had, to this day I respect and appreciate him for the fundamentals of the game that he taught, things I used for years as a player and later as a youth coach. I simply won't let that incident blind me to the good my coach did in the big picture.

Good comment. This has been a good thread with some interesting, solid thoughts, but it has been a bit one-sided. It has been all aimed toward the "bad" kid who is in the wrong and that's perhaps understandable in today's world. But I know from personal experience, from something from a looooong time ago, that it isn't always the "kid" at fault. I had a fuzz-up with my HS BB coach and really suffered for it. The coach held a grudge and made things very, very difficult for me. But, after 50 years to think about it I still firmly believe he was wrong, from the moment he physically lifted me off the floor and left his fingerprint bruises on my arms to the remaining year and a half I played BB and baseball for him and he continued to "punish" me because I had stood up to him for unfair treatment. I, the "kid", was right and the mature one in our tussle. The coach was less than mature, despite being some 25 years my senior. The coach can actually be the one in the wrong on occasion. So, your comment of things being evaluated on a case-by-case basis is right on, IMHO. But typically those on a message board don't have enough information to even do that..........evaluate situations of this type I mean. My 2 cents.

Congrats, Jacy! And best wishes for this season at Boone County and in the future for the Billikens. Great young lady and family as well. http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/111208aaa.html

Actually she's just a freshman. She started varsity last year at Ryle as an eighth grader (after moving up from the middle school team).

Thanks, good stuff!

It was a hypothetical based on a discussion I had with someone and after not being sure based on reading the rules. It looked, from the rules, that a student could make such a switch and be eligible even though that took interpretation. And who knows how interpretation may go, right!?!? Contacting the KHSAA, as suggested, would be the route if one was actually in that situation. But message boards are more fun! Thanks again.

.........transfer possibilities for the KY High School rules guys/gals. If a ninth grader has enrolled in a school but not played or practiced on any varsity team, could he/she transfer, after school has been in session, and be immediately eligible? I believe the rules indicate a student can pick any school beginning their freshman year but could they change schools before playing or practicing for that initial school?