GrantNKY

How many Williamstown games have you been too?

Well Fox going out in the first quarter with two fouls did help with WV getting that lead.

Depending on the draw I think Walton has a very good shot at winning the 8th region.

For my money this is the best rivalry in the state.

Thanks for the updates @TheDeuce :up:

This is a tough one. If this was anywhere besides Williamstown I think the easy choice would be Walton. But Williamstown is tough to beat at home and that whole place is going to be rocking. It's a pick 'em game. Almost impossible to pick.

I think they were done in the 2nd quarter when Stanley and Fox both went out with 2 fouls and Williamstown expanded their lead.

Grant just didn't have enough offense to go toe to toe with Williamstown. I think GC came out with a good game plan and knocked down a couple quick 3's. But then Williamstown took the lead and GC seemed to start pressing a little bit. They got impatient offensively against the zone and either took a bad shot or turned it over. It's not really my place to dissect very analytically the performance of kids. Utter did an absolutely fantastic job with this team, but Williamstown was just simply better and Stanley and Fox make for a pretty good duo.

Did his brother score a 1000 at Cooper or combined with WV. I'm sure he had at least a 1000 alone at WV.

That's sounds far more likely. Hard to imagine the same series going from OJ Simpson to Cordia Basketball.

If I'm Grant County I don't think it matters who they play. I think all 3 teams pose about the same threat.

You need to know the kids he was coaching and he around them and how they felt about Grammers coaching. Managing 10 seniors wasn't a big deal they all played together and basically spent every waking second together since 2nd grade. They were special. The dude held them back from reaching their full potential. Plus if Utter was the coach when Hicks left, their best player from the previous year might of stayed since Utter was a member of Hick's staff so that's even more reason why I think they would have won the region if Utter coached. Grammer wasn't a bad coach, but there is a reason he is only an assistant coach at Holmes now. I'm not trying to degrade Grammer. But Utter has a better understanding of the game, more dedication to the program, and all around a fantastic coach. Look what he is doing with this team. Nobody including myself thought this team was going to be worth a darn. Now they are one game away from being the 1 seed in the 32nd district. This team is no where near as talented or experienced as the district championship teams and they could very well end up in the same place those teams did. That's impressive.

You need to have more information into the program to understand how much he held those 2 teams back. It looks like he did a great job because the won 2 district championships, but he did it with the two best GC teams since the early to mid 2000's.

Agreed. I understand why Utter didn't want to job when Hicks left, but if he would have been the coach then Grant County may have won the 8th region one of those 2 years following Hicks's departure.

The Cov Cath feeder schools do have good youth programs. I'm not sure what kind of influence Coach Ruthsatz could even have on those programs though anyways. But at the public level schools like Cooper and Coach Sullivan could definitely affect the success of the youth programs in Boone Co. you make sure the right coaches are hired, you make sure kids are learning the proper fundamentals, you host coaching clinics for younger coaches, etc. Essentially you make sure the youth programs are successful. Sure Coach Sullivan can't be precisely sure which kids eventually come to Cooper as opposed to the other schools but he can most certainly take part in ensuring that the youth level is well taken care of. The AAU part is certainly valid and those coaches certainly play a huge role as well, but when it comes to the school level it certainly helps the high school maintain success down the line if their youth programs are successful and kids are learning from a young age what is expected of them and how to play the game. I'm not saying the HS coach needs to be at every game from a young age, but forming relationships with the kids, family, and the community at large through the game of basketball is very beneficial to the coach and the players.

Completely agree. That is the biggest detriment to HS players in KY. When they are young their coach puts them on the block and they don't move. Teach the kid how to dribble and shoot and they are way more valuable. 6'6 in KY is tall. 6'6 in college is nothing special. 6'6 who can bring the ball up the court? Now you got something.

Building a program. Whether you are dealt a good hand or not when you take the job is irrelevant. The most successful high school teams in the state also have the best youth programs and this is the same for every sport. You become part of "the program" in elementary school. By the time kids reach high school they know what is expected of them so they are already ahead of the game and have a higher skill set. This is all about winning. This is how you continue to win.

WOW!! Congrats to Williamstown! This is a program defining win. Williamstown is for real.

Yeah no kidding. If they could put 2 teams in the state tournament they would finish 1st and 2nd every year. They are an absolute machine over there.

Games like this are what Kentucky HS basketball is all about. Wish I could make it down there for a game. But I have some family down there and these games truly are a community affair. Best of luck to your Rebels and the Patriots going forward.

First time seeing Dontaie Allen and he is definitely for real. He is going to get crap from opposing fans everywhere he goes because 9/10 times he has someone guarding him who can't stay with him and doesn't have his athleticism much less height. Often times GC fans were getting frustrated because they thought he was pushing off, he wasn't. Just because he is able to create space every time and send the defender flying doesn't mean it's a push off. Grant County is going to be good in a year or two but outside of Dawalt and the Seniors they just don't have the size and physicality to compete. They need to hit the gym and get stronger and put some mass on in order to become the team they want to be. I think Utter is the right guy to make that happen.

Year after year this proves to be one of the best rivalries in the state.

I agree outside of the game at Williamstown they have played pretty well. The game at Williamstown, while certainly not a fluke cause WTown is probably a better team, was more of a case of that game meaning everything to Williamstown and Grant County taking the game for granted. Also I'm a firm believer that teams play better on days where they have school. Williamstown had school that day and Grant didn't.

Fox was a man amongst boys last night. Wtown stayed 2-3 most of the night and basically every shot Grant took inside the paint was adjusted due to Fox challenging everything. He had a double double in the first half. He is VERY raw though. Plays on pure athleticism. If he could develop any sort of a right hand. Just something right handed he will be a handful for every team in the 32nd. He had a put back dunk that might have been goaltending, but he still jumped over some people to put that back. Hopefully Harden can develop Fox's right hand before the district tournament starts because as good as he is playing right now he is basically playing with his right hand tied behind his back. Stanley is Stanley. Best PG in the 8th region for my money. Lightning quick, sees passes develop seconds before they are open, has a quick trigger, and for his size he can still elevate to get his shot up. One of the most fun players to watch. Grant County is still really young and had no answer to the 2-3. Grant County couldn't get an open 3 the first half and the open ones they did have they either missed or they passed the shot up. Need to get that fixed because they will see a lot of 2-3 the rest of the year. Best of luck to both teams going forward.

The fact that KHSAA prohibits member schools from playing prep schools is ridiculous.