Don't_Hate_the_Playa

Highlands really needs to start running the ball more effectively - can't believe Bellevue shut down their spread offense...

Wait - this is BASKETBALL. Hard to believe a HS team can't put up 35-40 points a game on effort and FTs...if you can't make shots you have to get to the line. Saw Cooper hit 23 FTs against Ryle - those points count, too.

Cooper is so tough and so well coached - every reason to drop a few with McNeil down but instead they re-group and find a way to grind out wins. They work so hard and play well together- and kids step up. This is what high school basketball, and team basketball, should be about. Sullivan can really coach.

If these teams meet again a better strategy might be to make Ryle take/make contested jump shots. A lot of lay-ups yesterday.

Conner has struggled after the holidays. They have talent - a lot of good, young players. In this case I don't think youth is the only issue - they need coached up.

I think he fits at a lower level NAIA school or D3, just dont see him playing at a top tier NAIA or D2 school

+1 - basketball could get him a great education at a D-III school.

I believe the answer to this question is "yes." As it stands now I don't think NCC has the talent in the pipeline to win the 9th for the foreseeable future (next 3-4 years). I also believe CCH continues to bring in quantity/quality talent and with Ruthsatz coaching they will be tough to beat.

Newport must have shut down Highlands' rushing game and made some plays on special teams.

I haven't seen CJ Fredrick yet but Adam Kunkel might be the best sophomore in NKY. Much better defensively than I expected. Came up with several big plays down the stretch and is so smooth offensively at all three levels.

 

At the end of the day Sean McNeil was the best player on the floor. Scored 6 straight in the 3rd or 4th to erase a 6 point Cooper deficit then came up with all three fts when it mattered after being fouled on a 3 attempt.

 

Cooper does a really good job fighting through screens defensively and defending away from the ball.

Kunkel is the real deal - I saw him play earlier in the year. He has really improved with his left hand and finishing strong against contact. He has always been a great scorer - he is the type of of player who, once he makes one shot and sees the ball go through the net, can then go make 10 shots in a row. He has become a very good all-around player and will only get better.

I really like how Sullivan develops players - they are very fundamentally sound and TOUGH. And I like how Sullivan builds teams - Cooper's chemistry is always exceptional. As good as McNeil and Kunkel are, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts for Cooper.

I was at the game. HC came out strong and had very good game plans both offensively and defensively. The kid that made the difference for HC in the first half was #11 (guard) - fast, fearless, and explosive. Beat pressure and scored repeatedly at the rim.

The second half was sloppy all around - both teams played like it was a school night and they would rather get home to bed. HC made plays down the stretch and pulled away. I was really impressed with #22 from HC - big strong kid who really defended the basket. He had a few resounding blocks that set Conner back on their heels.

Conner actually pulled within 5 in the 4th quarter. Scott scored 20 but Conner needed 30 from him and fewer TOs. Without Hemmerich Conner is not equipped to overcome large deficits, and when they fell behind they really needed Scott to score more (because he really IS hard to guard and can score so easily). He started slow and might have lost some confidence, and HC played him tough.

HC was sloppy the second half but Conner couldn't make enough plays to take the game away from them.