BOKC Wildcat

That is correct. But NKU had looked ahead at the possibility, and those were regular season games. This time things are completely different. This is more like 2008-09 when the following happened: 1) The BOKC had a chance to get the Ringling Brothers/Barnum Bailey Circus for 4-5 nights in a row. To do so, NKU had to either play its final 2 regular season doubleheaders in Regents Hall and have a chance at hosting the women NCAA Women's Tournament in March. Or 2) Go ahead and play the final 2 regular season doubleheaders in the BOKC and give up the week of the NCAA Women's Tournament. The lady who was the Athletic Director at the time, along with Les Crooks, Ken Ramey and another NKU VP who is no longer there and I can't think of his name, agreed to take the week of the NCAA Women's Tournament. 3) NKU tried to get one of the GLVC teams to trade home games, they would not, so NKU had to play in Regents Hall. NKU lied to its season ticket holders all summer, then finally fessed up to them AFTER they played U of L in the exhibition. NKU tried to get people to buy up season tickets to go to the U of L game because they paid U of L a HALF MILLION DOLLARS to play in the BOKC. Sadly, the game did not sell out even though a great crowd was there. 4) That same year, the 9th and 10th region tournaments were both held in the BOKC. Little known fact is NKU was in position to host BOTH GLVC men's and women's tournaments late in season. Due to conflict, they would have been played in Regents Hall due to the buffoonery on NKU's part. I believe the top seeds were to host the GLVC. Luckily for NKU, both their teams lost and they avoided the embarrassment of hosting the GLVC - played at same days s 9th and 10th regions! - in Regents Hall. This year's escapade seems more like 2008-09 because of the lack of planning. I think it was just a cover-up in 2008-09, coincidentally, all those mentioned are gone, I believe, besides Ramey. There are former NKU coaches and administrators who I have talked to who all verified this story. It was a mess. Scott Eaton also played a role in the U of L exhibition game: His sons were both U of L basketball managers, and Scott convinced the NKU brass to give U of L a HALF MILLION DOLLARS to show up for a exhibition game. Love that taxpayer money going into Pitino's pockets! lol.

You are right on! Ask Stan Steidel about the contract, he would know.

If the NKU people had done their jobs ahead of time instead of trying to live "One Day at a Time" and assume their teams wouldn't host, it wouldn't be an issue. The funniest scenario is the NKU men would host a A-Sun Tournament game at like 9 a.m. in the morning to avoid conflicts with the 9th region! Can't wait to see the attendance numbers for that game, if it happens! lol.

A signed contract has solved it for the 9th region tournament. NKU better hope its own teams lose, or we will have a repeat of the Circus in 2009! lol!

You are incorrect on both counts. If NKU men do get to host the semis, I will assure you they will be playing in Regents Hall or forfeit the right to host as the BOKC is contracted to the 9th region. Sounds like you are a big NKU disciple, you can blame you Athletic Director for this mess up. I am told he did not look at all options and that caused this potential disaster. I said this last week: Bring in Kenny Shields as NKU Athletic Director to try and stop the bleeding for NKU's sake. Nothing but contempt between NKU's athletic dept. and SMG, and now the high schools will be at NKU's throat because of the people running the athletic program. The NKU President is at fault too, as he knows what is going on and is too busy trying to cover up employees who steal money (see the Jennifer Hilvert situation and his lying on TV!). Coach Shields would be able to soothe over the hard feelings in the community. The gentleman who they have as AD right now is over his head, heard he ran away from his previous job in Wisconsin because of a scandal there with the men's basketball coach. I am asking around to find out what exactly happened with him in Wisconsin. More later!

The Ohio Valley Conference told NKU "no thanks" several years ago and is NOT interested in adding them to the league. The fact NKU does not field football was an issue with some presidents, but the other kicker was that NKU could put its athletic money into other sports since it does not have football. Now, that makes no sense because they let in several other schools without football. I was told they let in the S. Illinois team and Belmont because of how close they are to big markets (Nashville and St. Louis) without football so the OVC could use that for sponsorship potential. I asked around and found out the Atlantic Sun is in some trouble if Kennesaw State leaves for a football league. They are a associate member right now in a small league for football only, but one of the NKU assistants said the fear is Kennesaw is going to bolt. The coach also said Florida Coast is trying to get out into a bigger league like the Sun Belt or A-10 or Southern Conference. Same with North Florida, they will leave if an offer comes from a league and would leave with Florida Coast. Maybe the Great Lakes Valley will take back NKU if they go back to Division II. lol.

Found out today there could be MAJOR problems with the 9th region tournament at the BOKC due to NKU's Atlantic Sun Conference. Here is what I was told: 1. The BOKC is contracted to the 9th region for March 2-9 for boys and girls games. 2. If both NKU teams earn hosting spots in the A-Sun tournament, things become messy because the first round of men is March 3 - the same night as 9th region doubleheaders! 3. If NKU men advance to semis and are highest seed left, they would host both semis and finals, March 5th and March 8th. That CAN NOT happen in the BOKC because of the 9th region going on. 4. The NKU women would host on March 6th in a first round game, and that is a problem and conflict with the 9th region too. One option is to play the NKU tournament games in Regents Hall to avoid the 9th region conflict. The NKU people not want this, but the may have no choice. They already are playing a women's game in Regents Hall in two weeks, so the facility should be basketball ready - if the mice are gone! The other option I was allowed to see is so convoluted, it is a nightmare to even think about with all kinds of who plays here, lets play the girls 9th region somewhere else, you name it! It is going to get really interesting because I was told the A-Sun is not particularly strong and anything could happen on the men's side. The 9th region will be played in the BOKC. NKU? That will get interesting to see who gets first dibs on the arena if there is the conflicts! What say you, BGP'ers? 9th region or NKU if you have to choose one!:lol2:

What about William Conner and Keith Berry? Or James Clay?

Henry Clay all-time James Lee (No. 1 by far, IMO) Billy Thomas Donnie Moore Michael Scearce Steve Miller

Maybe he will play for Cordia in a few years? lol!

Only way to save the sport of basketball is get coaches out of the game altogether. That is ridiculous. Let the players play! Coaches have inflated egos even in high schools. Too much of the AAU generation is now infesting the coaching ranks. Sad.

John Shelby of Henry Clay later played MLB for the LA Dodgers. Was a pretty good basketball player for the Blue Devils as well.

My little brother just corrected me about 1976 - Billy Thomas, Donnie Moore and John Shelby were there with Michael Scearce and Charles Sweat among others for Henry Clay. I was ahead of myself by a year! Scearce was 6th man as a soph and a great one even then! Moore was a great shooter and penetrator, Thomas and Sweat both huge, muscular guys.

I recall the first game Edmonson County won in the Sweet 16 against Betsy Layne, who almost ended Edmonson County's season right there. I think ECHS ended up winning by 4 or 5 points, but BLHS was ahead in there late going. They beat a very thin Harrison County team in the next round. ECHS had a great draw to get into the semis and took full advantage, which good teams do! I was shocked they won it all, but that is why it is the greatest show on Earth!

Henry Clay had all-state center Michael Scearce, about 6 feet 7 and a beast inside. Scearce was arguably the best player in Ky. that year and ended up at Purdue. Blue Devils also had two really quick guards in V. Williams and Ike Burton. They beat a good Holmes team with Moore, Schloemer, Tilley, and another kid who was a quick guard but name escapes me. We next beat Lou. Ballard with Jeff Lamp, Raker and company by three points in a game most thought was for the state title, but still had two to go. Christian County had some really great players and took advantage of their quickness and an unreal last-second flurry (if anyone has the final seconds on video, please post!) to defeat Henry Clay by a point. I am biased, but I thought Henry Clay was the best team in the state that year. Ballard was awesome as well. Holmes was much better than people might remember and gave the Blue Devils fits in the Sweet 16 first round. Great memories!

I remember that Shawnee team with Macklin, he went to LSU and was great! If not for the busing in Louisville that took place in the mid 1970s, I think Shawnee and Central would have continued to dominate the Sweet 16. Ron Abernathy was the coach at Shawnee and he went with Macklin to LSU as an assistant coach. Shawnee had a roster of guys who could beat a lot of college teams.

I wish I could have seen that game between GCHS and the Generals, but I was already out of the country in the military. My brother kept me up on the 78-79 season with hand-written letters, still have them! I saw Tony Wilson and Dirk Minnifield in '77 and thought they were awesome then, so I wasn't shocked to hear Lafayette won the state. I thought Henry Clay was going to win the state in '76, but things didn't work out. We beat Holmes and Lou. Ballard with Jeff Lamp, but Christian County knocked us off at the buzzer in the semis. Edmonson County of all teams then beat Christian County. Never forget watching that game in the stands thinking Henry Clay would have beaten Edmonson by 40 points if we could have stopped Christian County in final seconds!

You bring up a good point, but I am biased for Lexington high schools. When I was in high school you had Jack Givens, James Lee, two big-time recruits in the same city who both played at UK, and Michael Scearce who later played at Purdue. That does not include guys a couple of years after I graduated like Dirk Minniefield, Tony Wilson, Junior Johnson, Guy Minniefield, William Conner, Leroy Byrd, a guy named Keith at Bryan Station who I forgot his last name! and others. I think much of today's lack of production in Lexington has to do as much with the fact the drop-out rates in the public schools in the city are not good. So many good players just decide to leave school which is the biggest mistake they will make as teenagers. I attended a Henry Clay football game against Bryan Station in the fall and was shocked at the numbers on both teams. They were both good teams and had really fun players, but I thought back to the good old days when both had 75-90 players dressed. Both had much fewer this year.

broadcaster-Thanks for the info on Michael Scearce. He was really a great high school player. I never understood why UK did not go after him at the time with Joe B. Hall as coach. Michael was just as good s Freddy Cowan or LaVon Williams, both played at UK. Thanks again for the update!

I intentionally left out Jack Givens from Bryan Station, he was not an exciting player like James Lee or Tony Wilson! Jack could really shoot and score, but he was more of a mechanical player and not a high jumping dunker or power player. Henry Clay also had a player named Michael Scearce who, I think, went on to play at Purdue. Michael was one of the best to ever play for Coach Prewitt at Henry Clay!

Tony Wilson played at Western Ky. after leaving Lafayette and was one of the greatest leapers of that era. He was overshadowed by Dirk Minnifield at Lafayette, but Tony was the most exciting player I saw in Lexington from the 1970s. Even more so than James Lee, who could also do it!

Congrats to the Breds on winning the tournament again. But given the margins in these games, I believe NewCath would be better served having played games against Holmes, CovCath, etc. to get ready for the real 9th region event. The All A did not exist when I was a student at Henry Clay in the mid 1970s and I still do not understand the rationale. Teams like NewCath can beat any teams regardless of classification, and the All A does them no good in the end. Yes it is a title, but playing better competition makes a team better by the end of the year. Can't wait to see NewCath, CovCath, Holmes in the 9th region tournament at the BOKC in a few weeks! The crowd for the finals last year was great and hopefully we will have the same turnout this year.

Nice cliches! lol

Thank you! I am glad to hear he is still involved in the game. Jock was never at a loss for words!