ColonelMike

Are you asking what their enrollment is? I wasn't listing everyone....only the top half, and then the very bottom.....didn't mention Owen, Carroll, Walton-Verona, or Henry County..... those are all in the 500-700 range, roughly.

Spencer was 7 foot in HS...I called a couple of his games when Eastern faced Oldham County.... he was a real project coming out of HS, but certainly blossomed and ultimately was the starting center for the Utah Jazz. Most of the other "7-footers" I can think of, just off the cuff, were - in actuality - around 6'10", 6'11". Close enough to count as 7-footers to a shorty like me, but not truly 7 foot tall. What about Dieonte Miles of Walton-Verona from a few years ago.....was he over 7 foot at the time, or more like 6'11"? Of course, Bol Kuir and Gabe Dynes - both 7'3" - currently roam the KY high school hardwoods....

I hope not. Steve has made quite the mark on the 8th....would like to see him go out with another trip to the 8th Region tournament. This year's team could give him that trip, but they will have to pull an upset to do so. Regardless, Steve's a good representative for his school, and for the 8th Region . The day he retires, the region will be a little poorer.

Keep in mind what a lot of folks don't realize - good NAIA teams are generally a lot better than good D3 teams. Sure, there are exceptions, but that's generally the case. My NAIA son was on teams that regularly whipped D3 teams.... And my D3 son regularly got beaten by NAIA schools.... In other words, if the better competition is what you seek - and D1 and D2 are not in the mix - go NAIA. Regarding Gabe Dynes.....I was told the other day that - if you are a 7-foot basketball player in HS - you have a 19% chance of making an NBA roster. That seems like an extraordinary stat to me, if true. Nearly 1 in 5? (Of course, there aren't all that many 7-footers..... ) I'm not quoting that as fact - just relaying what someone else told me. Can any of you out there support or debunk that quote? Would be interested to hear.....

Just for the record....per KHSAA 2022-23 enrollment figures: Here are the top 10 teams in region 8, enrollment-wise. (out of 18 teams, total) Simon Kenton 1,866 Oldham County 1,663 South Oldham 1,342 Woodford County 1,305 Anderson County 1,193 Collins 1,183 Grant County 1,079 Shelby County 1,001 North Oldham 996 Spencer County 992 For those curious....the smallest schools: Williamstown 227 Eminence 264 Trimble County 358 Gallatin County 494

Grant County's success shouldn't be a surprise to anyone following the 8th Region over the last three seasons. Joe Utter has done a magnificent job in Dry Ridge, and of course, having a double-double MACHINE in Dylan Hammonds helps! That said, this isn't a one-man team....it's a blue-collar, get-the-job done, business-like, high-effort group of guys who aren't intimidated by whoever the competition is. They seem to play well together - and that, in and of itself, is probably the element that some people may have underestimated. I'm not from Grant County, but I've been very impressed by what's happening at one of the region's largest schools. The Braves will have a big say in the 8th this year...

How COOL is that? Two brothers both score over 1,000 points in high school - the same season! Congrats to both! CM

People need to believe a little more in this LM team....(or "Erlanger Lloyd" for the old folks like me....) Since January, Lloyd has started to come together, it seems. Five straight wins now - including a victory over 8th region power Simon Kenton - and 7 in the last 8 games. Since January 1, LM's losses haven't exactly been embarrassing, either.....a 4 point loss on the road to #4 North Oldham and an 11-point loss at CovCath.... I broadcast the LM vs. North Oldham game and was very impressed by the team's grit. Talked to Coach Walker, and Pegasus Sports is hoping to come up to Erlanger next year to broadcast the North Oldham - Lloyd rematch in NKY.... The Isreal kid is very impressive, and Walker clearly has star potential - though he also clearly isn't a finished product yet. They are truly going to be a tough out come region tourney time.

1979 was the last year Grant County won the 8th Region. There has to be some serious excitement building in Dry Ridge because Joe Utter's team has a legitimate shot at this year's title and won't be dismissed easily. They're right there in the lead pack - but it is a larger pack than usual this year. That helps (teams you match up poorly with have a good chance of being knocked out by someone else) and hurts (you better bring your "A" game EVERY night come tourney time.) I still like North/Collins in the top tier....followed by (in no order) Simon Kenton, Grant County, and Woodford County. All five probably make the region tournament this year.... BUT....Collins is apparently going to have to beat a very formidable Spencer County team just to get to the region (it would be an upset, but not really a huge upset to see Spencer win the 30th)....and Owen County is quietly lurking in the 31st....just in case we forget the Rebels have two convincing wins over Grant County and Spencer County.... On any given night.....

It's not a ride at all. D3 exists for schools that do not provide athletic scholarships. Though sometimes those schools will offer to mitigate the total cost a bit with other grants and scholarships, there is no athletic money - that's essentially the definition of D3. I would be stunned if Krohman isn't playing at an NAIA school - and getting a fully-paid education. If you're really not pointed towards the pros, get the best education you can, allow the school to pay for it, and have a little fun playing basketball. NAIA is a lot of fun, and there are a lot of strong programs right here in KY. I love Krohman's game, his versatility, and his competitiveness.....but there are, unfortunately, a whole lot of 6'1" guards who can shoot out there, so the competition for D1 and D2 spots is incredibly intense. Most of your major programs expect their guards to be 6'3" - 6'6".... I had sons who were NAIA and D3 athletes .....they both got good educations, competed for highly successful programs, and enjoyed their sports for as long as they could. (though my wallet enjoyed the NAIA trip a lot more!)

Pregame show starts at 7 pm ET on www.pegasussportsky.com if you can't make it to the game in person!

Oldham vs. SK video coverage will be on www.pegasussportsky.com; pre-game show begins at 7 pm. SK's defense vs. OC's offense....should be an interesting matchup of strength on strength. But I think the key will be SK's offense vs the OC defense. SK's offense hasn't been as explosive, but OC's defense hasn't been their trump card.

Who: Oldham County (12-10) vs. Simon Kenton (15-8) When: Friday 2/3/23, tipoff at 7:30 pm ET Where: Oldham County HS in Buckner, KY Series since Simon Kenton joined the 8th Region in 2006: Oldham County leads, 13-6. The Colonels have won the last 8 meetings. The two teams are 2-2 against each other in 8th Region tournament games. The two schools met in the 2007 8th Region Title Game, with Oldham prevailing, 63-57. Last Meeting: Oldham won on 12/3/21, 65-47. Video Broadcast coverage: FREE, live hi-def video coverage starts at 7 pm ET on www.pegasussportsky.com This has been a great rivalry since SK joined the 8th Region, with 13 of the 19 games between the two teams decided by 9 points or less. Trent Steiner has been at the helm at SK throughout - Steiner is the second-longest tenured coach in the 8th Region, after South Oldham's Steve Simpson - and credit him and the folks in Buckner for keeping this entertaining series going. It's just about a 45-50 minute drive down I-71 from one school to the other, so the fans can enjoy this one - and they certainly have. Steiner has SK playing strong defensive basketball, and he's got the human eraser - senior 7'3" center Gabe Dynes - to protect the back of a stingy half-court defense. SK has some quality wins under it's belt, including victories over Ashland, Walton-Verona, and North Oldham. The Pioneers are in a bit of a funk - they've lost three of their last four - but they look to start an end-of-season run with a quality win on the road at Oldham County on Friday. With Oldham County, Campbell County, Mason County (23-2!), and Owen County among the final six opponents in the regular season, SK could rack up some quality W's to get some momentum heading into what looks like a brutally tough 32nd district tournament. Josh Leslie, in his first year as head coach at Oldham County, has had to endure an up-and-down season. After starting the year 3-6, OC has gone 9-4, but the results have been erratic at times. Wins over quality teams like Elizabethtown, Woodford County, and McLean County have been mixed in with blowout losses to Grant County, Collins, and Evangel. Still, this OC team generally makes it an exciting evening; the Colonels are one of the highest-scoring teams in the region, in large part due to 6'6" junior PG Max Green, who averages 25 ppg. Green - who has been held under 20 points only 3 times this year, and who has never been held below 13 points - is very capable of exploding for 30+ points, and has the size to be a defensive matchup nightmare for opposing (and almost always shorter) guards. It'll be strength on strength Friday - SK's grudging defense against Oldham's explosive offense .... but the game may be decided by the SK offense vs. the OC defense, which has been suspect this year. Oldham will have to close fast on guards Travis Krohman and Isaac Gabbard, who both can light it up from the outside. SK, on the other hand, has only scored 60+ in 7 of 23 games this year; if the pace of the game is more to Oldham's liking (the Colonels average 67.3 ppg and have scored over 60 points in 17 of 22 games this year), then it could be a long night for the Pioneers. The matchup is one of contrasts. Should be another great night for the fans. Try to go see this one, folks - but if you can't, we'll be covering it live on www.pegasussportsky.com

You have several very qualified candidates for this honor this year; it's not so cut-and-dried. At the end of the day, it will depend upon the criteria the voters give most credence to. Wins? Improvement in the wins column over last year? Getting the most with less? Development from December to February? Big wins (and no bad losses)? Hard to argue with Hyatt if you simply look at improvement over last year... For big wins, it's hard to knock Levitch and Gaither, both of who have taken on - and beaten - "all comers". Neither has a really "bad loss".... People sometimes forget Levitch is still in his early days as a head coach; he's only been a head coach for 5 years (which also means he's the longest-tenured coach in NOHS boys' history). I think Trent has surprised some folks with how potent this SK team has been, especially on the defensive end. Joe Utter has turned Grant into a consistent force.....if the Braves win the brutally tough 32nd, he grabs a few extra feathers for his cap.... I don't think it's fair to knock a coach down because their roster has a modicum of talent. Coaching "talent" isn't always as easy as you think. You coach the hand you're dealt....and hope for the best. Nice thread! Hadn't really thought about this.....but this will be a very interesting vote this year....and some deserving coaches will be passed by, unfortunately.

Kudos on an incredible milestone. That list (above) looks "long", but it's not - it's a short list of the elites. Simpson's name is on the South Oldham court. Very deserving. 500 wins is pretty sweet.

Statement win for Collins.

FINAL Collins 83 Oldham County 51 Only the second time Collins has defeated Oldham by double digits - and easily the largest margin. Unofficially, Oldham shot 50% from the floor - but turned the ball over 18 times against a ferocious Collins defense. Impressive win by the Titans. Harbin with 6 made three pointers for Collins. Max Green held to 14 points, his second-lowest total of the season and only the third time he's been held below 20 points.

Oldham with 17 turnovers. Seems like a LOT more

end of 3 Collins 64 Oldham Co 40 Harbin with 4 threes for Collins

2:51 to play in the third Collins 52 Oldham Co 32

HALF: Collins 41 Oldham County 25 OC's Luke Amburgey (14 ppg) picked up his second foul barely a couple of minutes in the game and sat out most of the half. Both teams shot lights-out, but OC committed 11 first half turnovers (unofficial), and many were live-action turnovers that led to Collins transition baskets. Oldham had 3 turnovers on their first three possessions of the game, and has never really recovered fully.

Tip in 18 minutes and counting. Free live video coverage at www.pegasussportsky.com ?

Oldham with all subs in the game over the final quarter and Collins made some inroads against the 23 point deficit....but Oldham comes away with a convincing victory. FINAL Oldham County 57 Collins 41

Oldham pulling away. OC 39 Collins 18 with 4:53 to play in the third. Fouls are nearly dead even, but Collins' have come at the expense of only a handful of players; two Lady Titans have four fouls already. Timeout Collins

OC on 10-2 run to start the second half