kyprepfan0622

Big week for Manual. #8 Sacred Heart Tuesday away, #2 Mercy Thursday at home, this weekend - Toledo Start, OH #13 Nationally ranked and Twinsburg, OH #41 Nationally ranked at the Classic in the Country Challenge in Berlin, OH. (http://classicinthecountry.org/).

From CJ: Top-ranked Manual dismantles CAL The top-ranked Manual girls' basketball team (11-3) took advantage of poor shooting by Christian Academy (6-4) to build a 15-2 first-quarter lead and cruise to a 68-33 victory at the University of Louisville's Cardinal Arena on Friday night. Mechael Guess had 12 points and 15 rebounds and Kara Wright scored 15 for the winners. Molly Wilder led the Centurions with 11 points. Star guard China Dow was held to five points.

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/khs/2011/01/06/manual-tops-girls-litkenhous-ratings/ The Manual High School girls’ basketball team is No. 1 in the state in the first edition of The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings released Thursday. The Lady Crimsons are 10-3 after Wednesday’s 85-59 victory over Fern Creek and will be the No. 1 seed for the Republic Bank/Coca-Cola Louisville Invitational Tournament set for Jan. 25-29 at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. Manual is followed by Bowling Green (9-1), defending state champion Mercy (11-2), Rockcastle County (11-1) and Boone County (10-3). Manual and Mercy are among four Seventh Region teams in the Top 20, joining No. 9 Sacred Heart (11-2) and No. 13 Jeffersontown (12-0). No. 8 Butler (10-2) is the only Sixth Region squad in the Top 20. The Litratings are a computerized power ranking of each team in Kentucky based on a formula that includes records, strength of schedule and margin of victory. Games against out-of-state opponents are not included. The Litratings also are used to determine the 12 Louisville-area teams for the Girls’ LIT. Joining Manual, Mercy, Butler, Sacred Heart and J’town in the field will be Christian Academy, Bullitt East, Ballard, Assumption, Fern Creek, Central and Eastern. Tournament director Joyce Seymour said Bullitt Central, which would have qualified, chose not to participate in the LIT. The top four teams left out, according to the Litratings, were Male, Holy Cross, Presentation and Pleasure Ridge Park. Joining the 12 Louisville-area teams in the field will be Boone County, No. 12 Scott County, No. 19 Marion County and Owensboro Catholic. Here are the pairings: * Tues, Jan. 25: Ballard vs. Assumption, 3:30; Jeffersontown vs. Eastern, 5; Christian Academy vs. Central, 6:30; Bullitt East vs. Fern Creek, 8 * Wed., Jan. 26: Butler vs. Christian Academy-Central winner, 3:30; Mercy vs. Bullitt East-Fern Creek winner, 5; Manual vs. Ballard-Assumption winner, 6:30; Sacred Heart vs. Jeffersontown-Eastern winner, 8 * Fri., Jan. 28: Marion County vs. Mercy-Bullitt East-Fern Creek survivor, 4; Scott County vs. Sacred Heart-Jeffersontown-Eastern survivor, 5:30; Owensboro Catholic vs. Manual-Ballard-Assumption survivor, 7; Boone County vs. Butler-Christian Academy-Central survivor, 8:30 * Sat., Jan. 29: Semifinals at 9 and 10:30 a.m.; final at 8 p.m.

Manual 73 Westlake (Atlanta, GA) 45 at Naples Daily News Holiday Shootout

7th Region has 3 of the final four teams with Manual, Mercy and Sacred Heart. Bowling Green rounds out the final four.

From Courier Journal: Manual 70, Elizabethtown 53, final: The No. 2 Lady Crimsons improved to 6-0 and will face the Bowling Green-Christian Academy winner in Wednesday’s 9 a.m. semifinal. Manual finished with 24 steals and forced 32 E’town turnovers. Mechael Guess led Manual with 15 points. Kara Wright (13 points), April Wilson (12 points, seven steals, six assists) and Destony Curry (10 points, seven rebounds) also had big games. Natalie Greenwell led No. 9 E’town (8-1) with 14 points but also had 10 turnovers.

Sacred Heart 52 Marion 40

Manual 70 Elizabethtown 53

Manual 48 Newport Central Catholic 39

Manual 80 N. Laurel 45

Manual moves to 3-0 with a 66-23 win over Assumption. Manual raced to a 25-1 early lead and a 35-6 half time score limiting Assumption to two first half field goals while cruising to the win.

Manual 81 Ballard 45

From Courier-Journal: Manual High School basketball standout April Wilson has given a verbal commitment to Purdue University after a visit to West Lafayette, Ind., over the weekend. The 5-foot-7 Wilson said she visited the campus and told the coaches in person on Saturday that she was picking the Boilermakers. She had narrowed her list to Purdue, Miami, Fla., Florida and Louisville before the July evaluation period. "I decided I was going to make a decision before my junior year," Wilson said. "The entire month of July, Purdue was at every game. They showed me they wanted me and I decided that's just where I wanted to be." Wilson is considered the top player statewide in the Class of 2012 and is the first member of that class to give a verbal commitment. "I know they have won national championship and they're trying to recruit to win another one," Wilson said. "It's a big weight off my shoulder, knowing where I am going to school."

Owensboro Catholic

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/womens/news/story?id=5427870 NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- When she said back in April that her team would be ready come Nike Nationals, Ariel Massengale of the Tennessee Flight had no way of knowing that she'd arrive at in Augusta already sporting a gold medal. Massengale, the 5-foot-6 point guard from Bolingbrook, Ill., who is the No. 3 prospect in the 2011 class, made the statement shortly after the Flight lost to Boo Williams at the Boo Williams Invitational in April. Massengale had shrugged off the loss, convinced the Flight would be just fine in Augusta when it came time for what many consider the "national championship" of the girls' basketball summer circuit. But between then and now, Massengale hasn't spent much time with the Flight. Instead, she and her Flight teammate, No. 2 2011 prospect Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, have been overseas with the U17 national team, helping the U.S. to the gold medal at the FIBA world championships. This week, they made their return to American soil, and were immediately re-inserted into the starting lineup. [+] Enlarge Glenn Nelson / ESPN.com Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 23 points in the championship for the Tennessee Flight and, along with teammate Aerial Massengale, completed a world-national championship double. The result: Massengale fed Mosqueda-Lewis, and Mosqueda-Lewis fed the basket, turning in 23 points Saturday afternoon in the final against DFW, and staging off a late run from the Texas-based club for a 65-62 win. "I told Ariel and Kaleena back in May, 'When you get back to Nike I'll have the younger kids ready,' " Flight coach Tom Insell said. "Our team knew from the start they were coming back and they were going to start. I told my young kids, 'Carry us until then.' " Carry them they did. The Flight won four tournaments before Augusta, largely on the back of Rebecca Greenwell, a 2013 prospect. On Saturday Greenwell showed she could play even if the stars were back in town, knocking down a key three that gave the Flight a 62-54 edge and providing an extra burst of energy during the final two minutes. "Becca played good before but at this tournament she was killing," Mosqueda-Lewis said, noting that she and Massengale didn't sense a hint of jealousy from teammates who might be frustrated at a loss of playing time. "No one seemed to be offended. We won now, so we're all happy." Mosqueda-Lewis and Massengale arrived in Augusta from France at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday and went straight to sleep. They stayed in bed most of the day, rising later in the evening for one practice -- their first in weeks with the Flight -- before opening pool play Wednesday morning with a win over the Illinois Hustle. "My legs were tired and I took a couple ice baths to make it through the week, but this is our last AAU game," Massengale said. "We wanted it." [+] Enlarge Glenn Nelson / ESPN.com DWF's Moriah Jefferson sat out much of the championship first half with foul trouble, but had a scintillating Nike Nationals and was named Most Outstanding Player by the ESPN HoopGurlz staff. It didn't come easily. The Flight had to claw their way to the title, surviving a gutsy performance from DFW, who lost one player Friday to an injury (De'Amber Wilhite) and another player Saturday for long stretches due to foul trouble (Moriah Jefferson). In fact, overtime looked like a decent possibility with four seconds to go when sharpshooter Mosqueda-Lewis missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving DFW a chance to tie should they hit a three. Amber Orrange's attempt fell short though, and the Flight -- led by Massengale -- sprinted to the bench in celebration. The win capped an incredible -- and incredibly exhausting -- month for Massengale and Mosqueda-Lewis, who completed a rare double with a gold medal and a national championship. "The way we gelled was incredible, especially because a lot of other teams weren't able to do it," Massengale said, noting that other clubs struggled to reintegrate their former leading scorers after a summer without them. "Our teammates carried us this week." So what's next on the to-do list for two of the 2011 superstars? After a deep sigh, Massengale answered. "A long nap."

From ESPN Hoopgurlz updated: July 13, 2010, 11:13 AM ET: 2013 Checklist: Kayla Styles, Manual High School: As a rising sophomore, the 6-2 Louisville, Ky., native already has a physique that is ready for the college game. Besides possessing unbelievable natural athletic ability, she has great body control and soft hands which allow her to dominate on the offensive and defensive glass. Her offensive arsenal includes the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket with minimal dribbling from the wing and from the low post she has very nice jump hook shot. Styles doesn't shy away from contact in the paint and has enough lateral quickness and length to effectively defend the perimeter. With offers already from Louisville, Purdue and the University of Kentucky you can expect to her name mentioned among the top wing players in the 2013 class. Already 6-2, Kayla Styles has the size and game to be a solid college player.

May 5, 2010 QUEENS. N.Y. - St. John's women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico announced today that Zakiyyah Shahid-Martin has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Red Storm for the 2010-11 academic year. "We are really excited to welcome Zakiyyah to our incoming class for next year," Barnes Arico said. "Zakiyyah is going to have an opportunity to learn from some experienced forwards in Da'Shena Stevens and Centhya Hart. She knows how to win, how to be a team player and she is willing to work hard to be successful. Her ability to run in transition, make plays in the open court and instincts make Zakiyyah a great fit to our style of play." A 6-2 forward from DuPont Manuel High School in Louisville, Ky., Shahid-Martin is a dynamic player that is quick, athletic and active on the court. She has a long wingspan that poses problems for defenders, and her speed allows her to be strong on both ends of the floor. A hard worker both on and off the court, Shahid-Martin is a total team player that will do whatever it takes to win offensively or defensively. She is strong at the rim and in transition, and will complement the Red Storm's returning players. Shahid-Martin led her high school team to success season after season, as DuPont Manuel won four district championships, one regional championship and a state final four. Shahid-Martin's stellar play on the court ignited her squad to a 104-25 record during her tenure. Voted her team's most valuable player, Shahid-Martin nearly averaged a double-double her senior campaign with 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. For her efforts, she was a 2010 all-district selection and a McDonald's All-American Games nominee. Shahid-Martin will join Keylantra Langley and Briana Brown as incoming freshmen for the 2010-11 campaign. Rated the 37th-best prospect in the country and the 13th best at her position on ESPN.com, Langley is a dynamic guard that can do it all. An extremely well-rounded player, the Bridgeport, Conn., native is a slasher who takes advantage of her size at the point position to create mismatches. Fast and quick, she can hit from anywhere on the court, and creates scoring chances by driving to the basket and drawing fouls. Her up-tempo style of play will allow her to contribute immediately in the Red Storm rotation. Out of Lauralton Hall, Langley averaged 15.2 points during the 2008-09 campaign, including a 32-point performance in a Class LL second-round playoff victory over Hamden. A two-time Connecticut Post All-Star, she has helped her high school team win over 20 games two-straight seasons. Brown is highly-talented player that utilizes her athleticism to play strong on both ends of the court. A prolific scorer, she has already amassed 1,658 points through three seasons at King Low Heywood Thomas, and is only one of three players in school history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau on the girls side. She possesses a multitude of skills in scoring, as she can score off the catch, can take the ball to the rim and can score off the bounce. Brown is incredibly quick and a creative playmaker that is strong on the glass. In her junior campaign, the Norwalk, Conn., native averaged a double-double with 22.1 points and 15.3 rebounds, and posted 4.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game. Brown had her best performance of the season against Kingswood-Oxford on Feb. 6, 2009, scoring 32 points and grabbing 27 rebounds. The trio will be looking to help the Red Storm build off one of its most successful seasons in history. The 2009-10 team finished the year with a 25-7 record, earning the most wins since 28 in 1982-83. St. John's posted a 12-4 slate in BIG EAST action, finishing tied for fourth in the league while tying the program mark in BIG EAST wins. The Red Storm made its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, eventually advancing to the second round with a 65-47 win over Princeton. St. John's came close to making its first appearance in the Sweet 16, dropping a 66-65 overtime decision to then-No. 11 FSU in second-round action. STJ posted its biggest win in program history in 2009-10, defeating then-No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 16, 76-71. It was the third win all-time for STJ over the Irish, with all three coming under the direction of Barnes Arico.

Zakiyyah Shahid-Martin “Z” signed a national letter of intent with St. Johns University of the Big East this past weekend. Z Martin, a 6’2” forward from DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, KY was the lone senior on the team that finished ranked #2 in Kentucky. Z is the #3 ranked senior prospect in Kentucky according to ESPN HoopGurlz (4/22/10). Evaluation from ESPN HoopGurlz: “Zakiyah Martin might be the forward that a college coach would order off a menu. The 6-2 Manual standout is long, lean and athletic. She's very fluid in her movement and has impressive speed and quickness. Her game around the rim is solid and she has the ability to put it on the floor some. She's active at both ends of the court and a wide wingspan makes her particularly imposing on defense. What really catches your eye is the effort and intensity that she plays with and the interaction with her teammates. She's only going to get better and better.” St. Johns just completed one of the most successful in history for the Red Storm as it finished the year ranked in both Top 25 Polls for the first time in program history. The Red Storm ranked No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and No. 15 in the final AP Poll. The team finished the year with a 25-7 record, earning the most wins since 28 in 1982-83. St. John's posted a 12-4 slate in BIG EAST action, finishing tied for fourth in the league while tying the program mark in BIG EAST wins. The Red Storm made its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, eventually advancing to the second round with a 65-47 win over Princeton. St. John's came close to making its first appearance in the Sweet 16, dropping a 66-65 overtime decision to then-No. 11 FSU in second-round action. STJ posted its biggest win in program history this past season, defeating then-No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 16, 76-71. It was the third win all-time for STJ over the Irish, with all three coming under the direction of Kim Barnes Arico.

listen live on KHSAA site: http://khsaa.ezstream.com/play/index.cfm?fuseaction=embstay&id=161E28ECCA&resize=1&SClipID=-1&dsplvl=affil&vsize=0&ptype=sl

Instead of having "blind luck" play such a big role in the State Tournament and penalize many players whose teams have achieved a lot during the season, (for example why have Marion Co. and Mercy play the 1st game?)why not expand the tournament to 32 teams that would include the 16 regional winners and the next 16 highest ranked teams in the State. Then seed the State Tournament to reward those teams based on the whole season - again, not blind draw luck. Imagine if the NCAA only allowed 1 team from each conference into the Tournament and a blind draw determined the pairings! It would look like this: (for this example, the LIT rankings only were used. There are other ranking services that some combination could include to get a numerical ranking): LIT Rank Regional Winners Butler 86.6 Henderson County 98.1 Mercy 98.2 Marion 108.2 Rowan 83.5 Breathitt County 89.0 Clay 90.3 Anderson 83.2 Bowling Green 101.8 Boone 97.4 Scott Co. 94.0 Belfry 65.3 Murray 88.7 Rockcastle 99.1 George Rogers Clark 81.8 Ohio 84.7 Next 16 Highest Ranked Teams Manual 105.8 Elizabethtown 99.6 Lincoln County 99.5 Madison Central 98.5 Webster County 97.9 Newport Catholic 97.4 Christian Academy 95.0 Ryle 93.5 Bullitt East 92.3 Franklin County 91.8 Bryan Station 90.8 Highlands 90.7 Sacred Heart 90.3 Ballard 89.3 Paul Dunbar 89.3 Lexington Catholic 89.2 By Rankings Marion 108.2 Manual 105.8 Bowling Green 101.8 Elizabethtown 99.6 Lincoln County 99.5 Rockcastle 99.1 Madison Central 98.5 Mercy 98.2 Henderson County 98.1 Webster County 97.9 Boone 97.4 Newport Catholic 97.4 Christian Academy 95.0 Scott Co. 94.0 Ryle 93.5 Bullitt East 92.3 Franklin County 91.8 Bryan Station 90.8 Highlands 90.7 Clay 90.3 Sacred Heart 90.3 Ballard 89.3 Paul Dunbar 89.3 Lexington Catholic 89.2 Breathitt County 89.0 Murray 88.7 Butler 86.6 Ohio 84.7 Rowan 83.5 Anderson 83.2 George Rogers Clark 81.8 Belfry 65.3 So Marion County would play Belfry in the first round, 2 vs 31, etc. It would only add one more day to the playoffs and bring even more people to the State Tournament. Every Region is guaranteed to be represented.

Monday, March 1 (at Atherton) 3:30 p.m. - Jeffersontown (19-8) vs. Ballard (19-11) 5 p.m. - Assumption (17-10) vs. No. 4 Mercy (20-8) 6:30 p.m. - No. 2 Manual (24-5) vs. No. 13 Christian Academy (23-6) 8:15 p.m. - No. 19 Sacred Heart (16-13) vs. Moore (15-13)

(from Courier Journal) Mecheal Guess isn't the player on a talent-laden Manual High School girls' basketball team that many would have picked to be the team's leading scorer. But after 20 games, coach Stacy Pendleton said, the 5-foot-11 junior is averaging three or four points more than anyone else on the team. And she did it again Wednesday. Guess had 17 points and eight rebounds and came through in the clutch as the Crimsons downed Butler 63-45 in the Republic Bank/Coca-Cola Louisville Invitational Tournament at Bellarmine University. “I told people before the season she would be our leading scorer, and nobody believed me,” Pendleton said. “She's not the name people know, but she's the blue-collar kid, and she gets it done. She's a good one.” Guess, also a standout volleyball player, scored nine points in the second half as Manual pulled away. The Crimsons (16-4), No.2 in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, led only 26-23 at halftime even though Butler (13-7) missed its first 10 shots. But Manual turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter, and Guess ignited a 13-0 run to open the period with two baskets and two steals. “Defense was the change in the game,” Guess said. “We started playing defense, and our offense and everything else was better after that.” Manual led by 20 points late in the game and coasted into the quarterfinals. The Crimsons will play North Hardin (8-11) in Friday's 4p.m. quarterfinal. Manual has won the LIT three times and was considered a slight favorite coming into the event as the highest-ranked team. “We're not overlooking anybody, but we want this bad,” Pendleton said. “This is a big goal of ours as a team.” Guess hit 8of13 shots and had two steals, two blocked shots and two assists. “If you look at all our kids and all the big names, she's just not the one people talk about,” Pendleton said. “But she works so hard, gives us a great post presence and is jet quick.” Leasia Wright added 12 points for Manual, and Kara Wright scored 11. April Wilson — considered the state's top sophomore — had 10 points and four assists. The Crimsons hit 24of59 shots and 12of21 free throws but were outrebounded 38-34. Butler, which turned the ball over 31 times, was led by Moriah Corey's 12 points and 14 rebounds. The Bearettes hit just 13of40 shots and 19of26 free throws.

Manual girls give away the game from charity stripe as Mercy wins (and too many turnovers and poor half court defense). The Manual High School girls’ basketball team might be practicing free throws before next Friday’s game against rival Male.The Lady Crimsons, No. 2 in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, made only 13 of 32 foul shots Friday night and fell to No. 8 Mercy 64-59. The host Jaguars (10-5) made 22 of 26 free throws to snap a two-game losing streak. “It’s a real good win,” assistant coach Keith Baisch said. “Everybody we play in January, with the exception of Assumption, is ranked in the top 20, so hopefully this gives us some momentum.”Juliann Miller and Therese Montano each had 15 points, Ellen Sholtes 14 and Malisa Cruz 11 for Mercy. The Lady Crimsons (13-4), who had a four-game winning streak snapped, got 14 points from Lauren Bodine. Mercy won despite being whistled for four more fouls, 26-22."It was a very well-called game," Baisch said. "(The referees) let us play." Game Summary T1: Manual (13-4) - Hester 5, Styles 4, K. Wright 6, Bodine 14, Wilson 8, Guess 8, Shahid-Martin 8, L. Wright 6.T2: Mercy (10-5) - Cruz 11, Montano 15, Goetz 4, Sholtes 14, Ch. Roush 5, Miller 15. 3P: K. Wright 1, Bodine 2, Wilson 1, Montano 1, Cruz 1.

Final

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100107/SPORTS05/1070337/1031/Marion+County+No.+1+in+first+girls++Litratings