Handy Manny

This shows that you dont know everything. They beat Newport in the opening round of the Lloyd tournament and have only lost three since then.

That tells you that they are struggling right now and they need to figure things out. That also tells you that becasue they were ranked preseason number one that other coaches thought they had the potential as well.

Conner has the guards to handle a press. Liechty and Flesch are very capable. The return of Byrns will help with this also. Hodges and Robinson are far from soft. They need to utilize their strengths. Once this team figures it out, they will be back on top of the polls. Do not count them out.

Vollet will not play. I am hearing he will be out for a couple of weeks. Even without him, there is absolutley no answer for Stauffer. If Ryle can keep the ball in his hands, they win this game.

Explain please.

Final from the first round of the LLoyd Invitational.

Botom line. The Cougars are better than their outcomes. I think a 3 - 4 record could be stomached if they were even in the games. Not since the 4 point loss to Dixie has Conner been in the game against a top tier opponent. Ryle is better than originaly thought, but they should not beat this year's Conner team like they did. I think everyone is well aware that Coach Hick's tends to have more sucess at the end of the year, but in a tough district the Cougars haven't been able to make it to regionals in quite a while.

GRC by far has the superior team. They should win this one by a comfortable margin. However, I do believe that Stauffer and Zollo will battle in this one. Stauffer is very strong, talented, and plays well beyond his size. He is just not enough to overcome all of the additional weapons that GRC has. I am taking Clark 70 - 55.

I agree CC. I misunderstood your post. I can't say I actually remember any passed up opportunites, but I did see Conner struggle offensively once again. They are a very good team full of talent and I truely believe they will pull it together. I think what is scaring the Conner faithful (including myslef) is the fact they return 7 seniors and seem to have no chemistry.

I would hope that if you wish to keep any credibility you are using that opportunity to take a shot and not stating your honest opinion. Conner has some very good players. They will work the bugs out over the holiday and come back strong.

If he comes back as strong as he was in pre season, he will be a huge asset. Carter was a consistent 3 point threat that the Cougars greatly need if they will continue to see zones this year. Although, I feel like the zone they saw at Boone could have been beatable without having to knock down three's. It appears that Cougars may be figuring it out after watching the Beechwood game.

I am looking for this to be a close game most of the way with Conner pulling it out in the end. I expect the score to be somewhere around 49 - 45 in favor of the Cougars. Thelan has the opportunity to have a big game. Conner's guards are very good defensively and will cause problems for the Colonels. As Walter said, they will protect the ball well also. If Conner stays true to form, they will look to hold onto the ball offensively and limit the touches that Thelan gets. Conner will struggle against the strong inside game as they did against Brown at Boone. I would like to see Hodges defending Thelan, but probably won't. I think he has a better shot at denying him the ball versus trying to body up with him using Robinson. Flesch and Liechty will decide this game. If they can force turnovers and control the ball, the Cougars will win.

7 - Mason County 5 - Ryle 3 - Campbell 2 - St. Pat 1 - Conner Tie - Campbell

Good win for the Cougars tonight. SK seemed outmatched at every position. Liechty and Flesch could penetrate at will. Liechty was 12 for 12 from the foul line and Flesch could have have easily had 8 assists. I wasn't counting. Conner rotated 4 bigs and split the time up due to Hodges and Robinson both picking up two fouls in the first half. When Conner's starters were all on the floor, Conner owned the gym. Hodges had a monster dunk and several nice blocks. Robinson and Hodges both connected on treys also.

This should be an exciting game. I really hope it doesn't turn into a chess match. There is a ton of athleticism on both teams. Brown will get his points in this game. He always finds a way to get it done. Conner will need to be consistant in their offensive efforts and not turn the ball over. That was the downfall of Ryle agaisnt Boone. IMO Conner has better guard play and should do a better job of getting the ball to where it needs to go depending on the matchup. I think Robinson wins the battle over Crabtree. Crabtree has size, but Robinson is more refined. If Hodges and Brown are matched up, Hodges will need to do his best to keep the ball out of his hands. On the other end, I don't know if Brown will be able to step out and defend Hodges. it will be interesting to see the matchups. Liechty and Montgoemry may be a good one also. I look for Boone to start getting Travis more involved in the offense. He is a tremendous weapon that has been solid, but not explosive yet.

I really feel like Cooper will keep this interesting for most of the game. I think Conner will pull away late for maybe a 12 - 15 point win.

Balanced scoring for both teams will pay divedends down the road. Dixie executed extremely well in this game. It was very fun to watch. I look for Conner and Dixie to be very successful this year. Conner will continue to improve over the next couple of weeks as they will get Carter Byrns back from injury. He adds more depth to their guard position and his abilty to fill it up consistently from outside will come in handy.

Hodges had a solid game, but he didn't stand out as the best player on the floor for Conner. He can be, but Conner had several players that contributed tonight. Dixie played really well and will be a tough matchup for anyone. They had some of the best guards in NKY. Pike is strong inside and Hassel and Hatton did what they do. Conner had some turnovers that may have been the difference in the game, but it was never out of reach. Jacob Flesch had a nice game. He was the control for Conner. Clay Robinson played a really good game. He hit three three's. Hodges started a little timid, but picked it up quick and turned it into a really solid game. Both teams played extremely well. It was a good win for Dixie. Congrats to Coach Chevy.

I also noticed Robinson playing slightly timid, but it is completely understandable. He reaggrivated a shoulder injury last season in a pre season scrimmage on a cheap shot. No reason to take that chance in a scrimmage game. He is a tough kid who will get in there and bang when he is needed.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him starting this year. He is a very fundamental player who has continued to improve every year.

As far as I have heard, Robinson is practicing and intends to play. The Conner faithfuil have their fingers crossed. I would hate to see him loose his senior season. I think the 5th starter will be Taylor Miller. He is another senior that did really well on the jv team last year. Carter Burns and Cody Huff, both juniors, should also contribute quite a bit this year as well.

Conner starts the season with huge shoes to fill and large target on their back as the #1 ranked team in the 9th. In order for them to remain atop, they will need for Robinson to stay healthy. He has been battling shoulder problems for couple of years. Rumors are swirling that he may not even play this year. If he doesn't, Conner looses alot of depth in the paint. If he does and can stay healthy, he will be one of the stronger big guys in the region. Either way, Conner will need Flesch and Hodges to accept their roles as the team leaders. They both have tremendous upside, but are both guilty of defering the past two years. This is their year to lead. They are coming off of good summer's and could have nice Senior seasons. Conner also brings back Liechty and Ernstez. Liechty is a tremendous athlete and has been contributing at the varsity level since he was a freshman. He should start this year and will bring a spark to the Conner lineup. Taylor Miller, another senior, should also add depth to this team. They are full of experience, they have some very good depth.

Does anyone know how many coaches were involved in the voting.

I agree also. If anyone had the opportunity to see Travis this summer they would know there is so much more to his game than the ability to dunk on everyone. Which he may do alot this year. He should come into his own this season. He will be very fun to watch.