UNDERTHEBRIDGE

I wondered when King's name would come up. I never played high school ball but my dad did at Daviess Co from '77-'80. And he still claims no body he ever faced threw as hard as Mark King. He was the stud for the Red Devil's two state titles in '76 and '77.

Pitching and inconsistent hitting finally did Lex Cath in, but I'll definately have to give it to them. Earlier this season I didn't think they would make it out of region simply because they couldn't pitch Maronde every game. Congrats to Lawerence Co and good luck tonight. As for Lex Cath, nothing to hang their heads about, losing always stinks but state semifinal isn't bad at all.

On paper, I'd say Lex Cath has the advantage in this game. Despite losing some pretty good seniors last year, they still had some key underclassmen remaining. Maronde is probably one of the three best pitchers in this state. Champa and a few other guys are capable enough pitchers to really effect good teams. Hitting wise, this team has seemed inconsistent at times throughout the year however they seem to be on track of late. Still, this is a single elimination tournament, and a sport in general. Anything can happen if you aren't focused and ready each game. Harrison Co. sounds like a team that has really come on strong over the past two months and is playing good team ball right now. I don't know if Maronde will pitch or not since the high school pitching rules confuse me in tournament situations like this. Still, anything can happen. I'll just say I'm cheering for my old high school and say Go Knights!!!

Not sure, not close enough to the family to know anything about that. However, I had heard from people that the parents had wanted him to attend college. Knowing people around the family, I can't see them making huge claims already unless it was only as a way of saying this is the only way I can be talked out of attending college.

It should be Nick, and I've talked to a few people about this kid, he was a 1st-2nd rounder most of the year so I guess something happened recently to drop him because this kid is the real deal. I am assuming he must have told scouts he planned on college a few years and that caused some clubs to back off on him.

Toss up at this point. Lex Cath can most likely rest Maronde for game 2 at least before they have to play a Scott Co. team who has been playing well off and on all year. I'd say though that the matchup draw isn't neessarily luck, its simply a benefit of winning your district.

Dunbar is hosting the regional tournament.

Sounds like a big win for the Knights. However, PRP in my opinion is state favorite and I can't really take a district final game as seriously when both teams were forced to put their best talent out in the first game of district just to secure the regional trip.

That had been the headline the past week or so since this matchup got announced. Maronde vs. Ross.

What threetimelover and Under the Lights said. Those are the best two forms of advice. Stretching into pain won't help, and can be actually worse. Otherwise, ease back in to your normal routine.

Ha, not a big deal. I happened to be looking for a specific thread on Lex Cath and saw this one on the search engine and just happened to see the mistake. Just pointed it out. Now if you messed up Lex Cath and say Boyle Co. (an old football archenemy of mine) or perhaps Dunbar (district I lived in and least favorite Lexington Public school) I might have had to come down hard.

I know its picky, but one side note. LCA is the Eagles. Lexington Catholic has the Knights.

Not sure, the person who told me was a friend of the Novosels and parent of a former teammate. However, they weren't very clear on if she participated at all or was just there watching.

Looking at today's box scores in the Herald Leader, it had him as Lex Cath's pitcher. It sounds like if Lex Cath could just manage to play all their games with him on the mound they might be tough. As it is though, you gotta have deep pitching and besides Maronde, there doesn't seem to be much support just yet for this team. Even the offensive production has been down. Still, one dominant pitcher placed in the right games come tourny time could sure make things interesting.

As far as I know about Novosel, she definately has had lingering issues with her knee from what some people with Lex Cath have said. I heard she went to this tryout the first day but ended up leaving early. I'd say while playing for the Kentucky all stars would be a huge honor, her college career at Notre Dame is first and foremost on her priority list so sitting out well allow her to get healthy. Congratulations to the girls that did make the team. There are some fine players here in Kentucky.

I'm pretty sure its still very much up in the air with NC State. They have an incumbent QB, a new guy, and Justin competing heavily and judging from last year, they might take awhile to hand this position to one guy. Good luck to Justin, know this kids family and him and they are great people.

Last I heard with Novosel of Lex Cath, she is nursing an injury suffered during the season so this is the reason why she will most likely not be playing in any of these games right now. As great as it is to represent your state, I'd say with her ride to college at the D-1 level, resting is a good decision right now.

Believe it or not, Self made the best in game coaching move of the night forcing Memphis to actually prove themself at the free throw line when the game was on the line. They failed, they lost.

Not really caring about Calipari at all but heck, my team loses a game that went into OT on a last second three by the other team to tie I'd be a little irked. Throw in the fact my team could have been up by one point even after that three had the refs never looked at the replay of the shot. I'm thinking what if all summer....

I have rarely ever seen a team choke that horribly. I mean there at the 2 minute mark I was thinking you might as well starting passing out the National Championship hats to the bench players for the classic photo ops of the bench guys mobbing the Memphis regulars. Credit Kansas for never giving up on themselves in the final two minutes, but still, there is no reason whatsoever that Memphis should have lost this game. I am really becoming more and more convinced that Calipari is simply a man who can recruit all the talent possible in the world, but after that his ability to actually coach them and set up plays and game plans to win Championships is lacking. Honestly, if it wasn't for the UMass team with Camby, I'd write him off in a heart beat, and even now I am beginning to think that Camby simply was that good a college player to make that UMass team that viable a challenger for the title that year. As for Kansas, it wasn't pretty, but they had a plan, went to it when they really needed the big ones, and it worked. Credit their big men for really coming through. Rush and Chalmers may get the glory but Jackson, Arthur, and Kahn really were the cogs that got this team rolling.

Figured I'd throw my two cents in, a reliable source of mine said Clark was most likely out. He had gotten enough talk from NBA insiders about his potential as a first rounder. The kid has the potential and game to be a good one. Just got to wonder if he is ready yet or not.

Ha, I'm not sure how many more can go, T-will might be the only other guy with a good prospect of leaving with his overall athleticism and size fitting well in the NBA. They have already lost almost their entire stable of big men (though it sounds like they will reload with some young talent). Next year for UofL has gone from an almost guaranteed top 5 team to around the bottom of the top 25 or sitting on the outside looking in.

Beasley or Hansborough were the two most mentioned or seen on tv looking back now on the season. Rose definately maintained his game and is now looking like a veteran PG the likes of what it takes some guys an entire college career to attain. Curry sure as heck in the Tournament became the NCAA darling and if he is around next year which most likely he will be, I expect to hear a whole lot more about him. Frankly though, I think this year was the year of the team ball like no other. Florida really had started the identity of a complete team winning the Championship twice with the talent they had and now Memphis and Kansas have really run away with this team concept. Both teams remind me a lot of the 1996 University of Kentucky team in terms of overall balance throughout the team. Going to their bench can sometimes be even more dangerous then the starting line up. You have two or three uber athletic forwards around the 6'7''-6'9'' range who can play inside or out. A couple of solid centers who can come in and simply defend and rebound. And then the stable of guards is unreal. Throw in a freshman or two with beyond their years talent and the comparison is pretty spot on. While I might never be a big fan of Memphis, I still maintain they have the most talent on one team this year.

Doesn't sound promising for UofL about Clark just "testing the waters". Nothing I've seen on this so far has suggested much chance of him looking to leave the college option open. Could be a tough loss for UofL.

I only have one of our (Lexington Catholic) win over Louisville Male my junior year. That Male team had Chris Barclay who was a great running back at Wake Forest and Michael Bush as a wide reciever. Their QB was Blackerby(spelling?) at the time before I believe an injury a few weeks later ended his season. In Lex Cath history, that was one of the biggest wins we ever recorded beating one of the Big 3 in Louisville. Other than that, two O-linemen friends of mine have a few game tapes from senior year that I watched with them once or twice and laughed about. Hated getting to finally watch Highlands end my high school career on film.