Casual Fan

Agree it's the '76-'77 season, but it's a preseason list so thinking maybe 1976 not 77?

Great thread, eager to see responses. How about the dynasty itty bitty Sayre could’ve had 2012-2014 if their middle schoolers 2013 Mike Smith, 2014/2013 Dakhari Johnson, and 2014 Christian Cunningham had stayed to play with role players 2012 Reid Freeman, 2012 Ray Brewer, 2014 Justin Sanders, and youngsters 2015 Quinn Pergande and 2017 Jake Duby?

Per his papa Scott, Drew Trimble has committed to the U.S. Naval Academy. The Lexington Christian Academy star will participate in a signing ceremony at school in a few days. Congratulations Drew, to you and your whole family!

Well, you’re probably right. My intention was to sharply contrast clear statistical differences, but after a long day of pushing cars and shoveling snow and attending a game that night, I probably wasn’t alert enough to be posting, and obviously worded poorly and aggressively. Seldom do my best thinking or writing after midnight. My remarks might have been appropriate over a hot coffee or cold beer with a confidant, but were probably too harsh here in a public forum. Sincere apologies to you and the young man.

All good, coach, hope I didn’t sound confrontational. The Hoop Dreams program has managed to stay around as a multi-team program for a long time, not easy to do in AAU, or in a state like Kentucky. The Hoop Dreams training has long stood out as a model, keep up the good work.

Here’s some honest statistical analysis. While everyone agrees Johnson is one of the better players in the 11th, it is disingenuous to puff his resume with “leading his team in rebounds.” He leads with only 4.5 rebounds per game, which is hardly impressive for a college-bound forward who is typically 3-5 inches taller than his matchup, and is more an indictment of the front line at Catholic where the 4 and 5 are in the 3 rpg range. Matt Rose, who scored more and hit a much higher percentage of free throws (while making about twice as many as Johnson even attempted), also has over 200 rebounds to Johnson’s 112. Joker said Rose “edged him out” on rebounding, also an unfairly conservative statement. Rose was truly “head and shoulders” above Johnson as a rebounder, evidenced by the 43-19 rebounding margin when LCA beat LexCath last week. Good for Johnson for being in the discussion, but give Rose his due as a deserving winner of player of the year, with clear advantage in the stats.

Joker, I love the way you get behind the kids in this region and shine a little light on them. Thanks for a great article on one of my favorite players. Excuse a long and rambling post, but our family thinks very highly of Drew and his family. Drew and my son were 5th and 6th grade teammates years ago at KBA, and have played each other in local leagues and competing school programs. Drew is a terrific kid, good head on his shoulders, from a great hard-working family. Hope your write-up helps him get noticed a little more, tho he's definitely on the radar for a few schools already. He really blossomed with Charlotte Court, a good example of AAU developing a kid’s game and confidence more than his school did. True story. In one of the KBA summer youth leagues around 6th or 7th grade, Drew’s dad was coaching his KBA team when Drew went down with a broken wrist. Couldn’t play at all that summer, spent the summer shooting free throws for hours every day in his driveway ‘cuz basketball’s all he thought about. Nagged his father about playing despite the cast, dad wouldn’t allow it. The cast came off the night of the league tournament finals, Drew’s team against my son’s. Drew’s dad had finally given into the nagging by promising that Drew couldn’t play in regulation but if it went to overtime he could play then. Frankly they expected to lose. We had the game by 3 with 6 seconds left when Darien Tichenor (who later starred at Henry Clay) hit a half-court prayer to force overtime. In trots Drew. Slammed to the floor when he gets the ball, he bounces up and hits two free throws. Couple minutes later he repeats the performance. Scored the only points of OT and won the league. Kid believes in practice and being ready. Ticked me off at the time, btw.

You're spot on, but that's typical. Glad some marquee out-of-region games have focused the rest of the state on our 43rd, but this is business as usual up here, not very different from most years. 6 years back we had all 5 teams in the top 20 for much of the year, so three good teams didn't make regional. Nothing to see here, move along. The 7th can produce a better regional field than the 11th, but no district can produce a better district tournament field than the 43rd. And that's almost every year.

1,2, and 3 seeds go on lines in a bracket of 4. The 4th line goes to the winner of a game between 4&5 seeds. Call that a first round or a play-in game, but 1,2, &3 seeds only have to win their first game to qualify for the regional, and you'll be a 1 or 2 my friend. Enjoy.

Yes it makes sense. But it’s wrong in stated outcomes for LCA. If LCA wins both their remaining games, they will finish 6-2, meaning Catholic will be 5-3, and LCA will be outright winner, no tiebreaker involved. Tiebreaker for 3&4 with Lafayette and Dunbar. If LCA beats Catholic but only after a loss to Creek, both are 5-3 and you are correct that there is a tiebreaker for 1&2, and another for 3&4. If LCA loses to Catholic, Catholic is 6-2, and is the outright winner, as you noted. In that case LCA can be 5-3 or 4-4 based on their Tates Creek outcome, and you are correct in the options but the implementation is arguable at 4-4. A 5-3 LCA gets sole 2nd place, and Lafayette and Dunbar follow the 2-way tiebreaker mechanisms. If LCA is 4-4, the 3-way tiebreaker mechanisms will be used instead. The three-way tie breaker description is not clearly articulated relative to its Boolean algebraic evaluation possibilities, and lively discussion will ensue before the schools come to an honorable and well-reasoned decision. It is perhaps better to just wait and see if LCA beats Creek before worrying about this possibility.

Think district is at Creek this year. Only things certain: 1. With 5 wins Catholic can only seed 1 or 2. 2. With 5 losses Creek’s best outcome would be a 3-5 tie for last. At 2-6 or 1-7 they own the cellar. 3. LCA has the most possible outcomes with 3 district games left. They can finish no worse than 4-4 which would be tie for 2nd in that scenario, or they could finish 5-3, 6-2, or 7-1, which could be sole second, tied for first, or sole 1st. Friday night’s games will lock up options for Dunbar, Lafayette, and maybe Creek, but the overall may come down to the last game, Feb. 12, LCA at LexCath.

C'mon down Saturday for the Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette. 3:00 Dunbar vs. Doss 4:30 Taylor Co. vs. Lincoln Co. 6:00 Wayne Co. vs. Scott Co. 8:15 Perry Central vs. Lafayette

Last year’s Fleming Co squad that made their second trip to Rupp had 4: Darion Burns, Troy Steward, Austin Crisp, and Brady Saunders. Darion and Troy are now playing at Georgetown and Austin is playing at Alice Lloyd.

I thought head-to-head meant first the won-loss record, then if won-loss was equal look to points differential, which goes to Lafayette. Correct me if I'm wrong, just what I thought.

Gotta feel bad for the 4-team districts that only get 12 district games. In the 43rd we’ve already had 14 games, as of yet no one is mathematically eliminated from a share of first – or last. Fun’s just starting! Catholic @ Dunbar on Feb 3, LCA @ Lafayette Feb 6, and LCA @ Catholic Feb 12 will write the district tournament bracket. Lafayette holds the tie-breaker over Catholic if those two come out even in wins and losses. LexCath may be rated 11th in the state, but I bet they’re worried about finishing 4th in their own district. LCA and PLD can make that happen!

Indeed he was. But I still ask, what’s your point? He is also many other things, a fan in the stands, a parent, a man, middle aged, etc. Why do you single out the AAU connection? He was an outlier there and appears to be an outlier here. You appear to be making a general statement about AAU basketball based on a specific instance. Arguing from the universal to the specific is valid, but from the specific to the universal is not. What's your point?

Congratulations, Reese! Good luck with your football career and, more importantly, your education. I know your mom and dad are proud, always remember all they’ve done for your future.

What’s your point? In a 5 year AAU career of well over 250 games we ran into one idiot team. From reading this thread it seems the same problem exists in the schools, certainly more fights in eastern Ky gyms than at AAU events. The kids have more fun with their travel teams, get to choose a coach that treats them well, and pick a team appropriate to their ability level so they get to play. Be glad to debate it with you in another thread.

Thought so. Don’t know what happened in Trinity game incident, but both have instigated this kind of stuff before, including the father attacking my 16 year old son when my son was trying to separate one of our players from the son after the son instigated an attack against one of our players in the handshake line.

Picture of father looks very familiar. Can anyone verifiy if this guy did/didn't coach Kentucky Retros 16U AAU team a couple years back?

Coaching change midway through last season opened door for improvements in attitude and confidence all around. Glad the interim coach and now the new coach have walked thru that door.

One of the Bryan Station dads told me their kids have talked all year about wanting to face LexCath. Might happen. And ask Ballard if Henry Clay should be in the discussion.

Each district makes its own decision locally, documents it, and files it with KHSAA. The documents may be viewed on the KHSAA website. Don't remember the exact menu names, but basically at KHSAA.org you follow sports>basketball>district info to navigate to the info you seek. Hope that helps.

You’re right, but there’s only one person in the world keeping him from passing to his talented teammates and getting them more involved. And it ain’t his defender. On another note, congratulations on your first posts, hope you enjoy this board as much as I have. Pretty sharp crowd of nice folks. I’m about the only dummy.