stihl

"Defensive play of the night" should have been a goaltend. Ball hit the backboard first. Great hustle though. Newport looks good. Hope they win it, but have a feeling they won't after watching how focused NCC stays.

Luther and Foster will make a few spectacular plays. But it will be the play of Collins and McDaniel for Newport---Carroll, Thorburn, Barnett, Gulla and Siefried for St Henry that determine the outcome. If they play like they did vs Boone, St Henry has more than a shot.

Can anyone post the brackets then weigh in?

Knew this would be a tough game, even if SH hadn't gone to OT with Boone the night before. Villa is more than a one man show this year. Bryan sharing the ball keeps his teammates in the game and they are a good team this year. Thought Bessler and/or Carroll would have big night as guards would have their hands full with Bryan and Shuhe.

The Cru learned alot about themselves last night. Down nine late in the game with Boone shooting double bonus and only 4 team fouls against Boone. Solid D, patience on offense, and clutch freethrows by more than one player and they deservingly have a chance to tie with seconds left. Four or five players touch the ball and Danny Seifried, a tough role player, delivers the assist to Carroll, who nails it. Even the inbound play to win it in regulation, well planned and executed--just didn't fall. Poise throughout the overtime with more made freethrows. Even after Ronald Cotton's thunderdunk. None of that may have been the case two weeks ago. Reasons: 1) Brian Carroll, one of the best per-minute scorers in the region, earning more minutes, a tough matchup, in the game and solid down the stretch. 2) Zach Barnett playing great and enjoying himself more each game. 3) Hils and Anderson staying on the floor. Hils is wearing out pointguards with his brain and his feet. Anderson, baseline to baseline, one of the most productive 6'1" players in NKY. 4) Bessler's motor at full throttle giving opponents' bigs fits. 5) Gulla, Thorburn, Seified, Tobertge, Dedden, Patula, Jordan all contributing and getting better each game. Last night BCHS had a multitude of "year-round" players. The Cru has one or two who play some spring and summer tournaments. They trust their coaches and are finding out what it's going to take to finish strong. A very exciting game at St Henry last night with great school spirit and fan support. Tremendous night.

Gotta pick your poison vs Conner. Can't leave Lang/Stephens to double big men because they rarely miss when they kick it back out. Must pressure guards without fouling. If they get it easily to low post or the lane, game over. 8-10 good players that play well at home. St Henry will have to play its best.

Rescheduled for Saturday I hear.

Have seen Brady compete occasionally since age 10. Always a very good player and good sport. His signing gives hope to all the late bloomers. There are still coaches out there who will look at ability, potential and character.

Hope the wx cooperates. Better chance of playing if at SH--rarely a snow day.

still on according to SH students

Still a Boone County Schools policy to cancel activities if no school?--even if away game???

Flashes of defensive attitude--Carroll, Thorburn, Bessler on Cheadum in post area, Jake Hils' pressure on Nico in 2nd half gave Cru a real lift. He can wear anyone out at the point. Keep it up Cru.

Grounded from posting this week by family psst(go cru)

I'm glad I edited my post because it was inappropriate. I like Brian Carroll. I have seen him play for years. I think he is and has been one of THE most talented players in the region. SH needs him on the floor. That should be the goal.

If St Henry, esp its seniors, would have made some key foul shots in the fourth quarter, St Henry would have won this game, despite the ongoing Carroll circus. Conflicting stories on the technical foul, and about whether the final single act of "taunt-clapping" should have been a T. Even I didn't think that warranted the tech. BUT!!! According to some in close proximity to the floor, he had received at least one warning, even while sitting on the bench. I wonder how long do the SH players and coaches put up with this stuff. IMO--strike 2 1/2.

SH has not played its best basketball yet. Carroll the x-factor. Can go for 20 any nite he's out of the Faust doghouse. A tough matchup for other team's bigmen.

It will be Raleigh and some of Dixie's younger players who will determine the outcome because Faust has the talent to defend the stars. But ALL of St Henry's players must defend the basket like Bessler, Hils, Anderson, and Gulla do. They tend to soak up fouls and sit. SH needs them on the court, especially at the end of a tight game.

What's to talk about? Dixie bigger, stronger and at home. Hard to tell who St Henry is at this point. Any one of 4-5 players could score between 10 and 20 points on a given night, especially if game is called tight. Starting lineup changes weekly. Will have to play well to beat Dixie at home.

I think Montgomery is a junior. Gabbard their best player but Montgomery one of the best all-around players in NKY. Defends, rebounds, scores even though he is not quite physically mature. This kid will be great next year and a solid college prospect.

St Henry's leading scorer(only 2 games so far) out tonite. Principal's principle on absence for an appt. Birds by 72.

Great night for the CRU. CCH's Thelen a very good player. Need an Anderson or a Carroll type player to make them whole. Wilson/Klein will step up IMO. Too many comparable players available to sub in and out---hard to get into the flow of the game. I will say this. St. Henry's guards(Hils, Gulla, Barnett, Anderson) will wear some backcourts out this year. Stated earlier that Carroll could be SH's X-factor. Great job so far.

You are absolutely correct about the real reason those kids picked St Henry. In fact, I believe a couple of them became interested in the second sport only after they chose St Henry. Hils has always been a very good soccer player. Anderson played PeeWee football and started playing soccer AT St Henry and was one of the most productive players I've seen there in the last couple years. Bessler would have found another sport no matter where he went and excelled(WR and safety. He doesn't like standing and watching.) I never said coaches "told" their players not to play football. But you acknowlege schools where the perception(at least a few years ago) was that you better be a sure thing if you plan to play basketball after football as an upperclassmen. Late to tryouts AND, more importantly, limited participation during the summer. Maybe I'm getting old because it doesn't seem that long ago. Maybe since the building of Ryle and the redistribution of athletes. That may not apply as much these days because the football programs don't get to the post season and the summer opportunities have gone mostly AAU. It might be more accurate to say that some AAU coaches discourage other sports. Some flat out state it as part of the program from the beginning, some more subtly with yearly tryouts/renewal of vows. Again, I guess everyone has their own dreams and motivations. It bothers me when AAU coaches and IMO misguided parents try to impose those views on a school program where they "deliver" their product, maybe in numbers, and expect a return. I know it will not happen on Fausts or Listerman's watch, and my hat is off to McQueary at Boone, who, even though he may have another year to deal with some of it, has done a great job of claiming and owning his program.

Anderson and Hils are two-sport athletes, Bessler three(hoops, x-country,outstanding at volleyball). That's why they are at St. Henry instead of playing at schools where coaches might have hinted they decide at age 13 to give up other sports. Or for AAU coaches who would have required the same. Anderson played a few summer tournaments with some of the CovCath kids. Barnett was hot and heavy and Carroll may have played somewhere. Other than those few, no year-rounders.

I think the freshmen might be taller--never seen him--doubtful that Coach Faust would bring him up from the start. Brian Carroll might be 6-3 1/2 with the right shoes. Bessler, 6'1" will score and rebound much taller, as will Anderson and Barnett. Dan Siefried(sp?), Louis Tobertge, and John Patula, although height challenged, are all strong, determined rebounders for their size, can finish putbacks and shoot free throws well. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am optimistic, even excited. This will be a fast team with a good collective basketball IQ.

Junior Zach Barnett. The kid shoots 80+% from the free throw line and can get there whenever he wants. Maybe 5'10" but scores inside and outside. Opposing coaches will have to account, and maybe even game plan for him, which will open up scoring for Bessler, Anderson(IMO one of NKY's better all-around players), and the speedy Hils, who all can run like greyhounds the whole game. Will Gulla(out last year and maybe this year's Volz), could be as good a defender as Hils if healthy, and can score. Brian Carroll, a gifted "big man" at 6-3', could be the sleeper in the whole deal if he's on board. Defensively, if your top player is a point guard through 4, he better have a good supporting cast because he won't be seeing the ball much. IMO, St. Henry will be as good or better defensively, no-drop off with more-balanced scoring, and even more fun to watch. This team will lack size, might struggle vs Holmes, Highlands, Ryle and Boone's size, and may not have a "top ten" player. But they may have 3 or 4 in the top 40. They will be IN every game they play and Dave Faust will coach them into the regional tournament.