coachlee

No, pretty sure straight to Hargrave from PCC. However, not sure if he was at any other school prior to PCC when he was younger. I know he played varsity basketball early.

Also the head coach at NC State who was an assistant at U of L was also head coach at Hargrave so the ties to Hargrave are deep. Congrats to Braxton. He as caught in a change of coaches at OSU where the coach that recruited him was no longer there. New coach wants to bring in his guy(s) so this works out for all.

Remember, the question was High D1 and those staffs are not as always willing to take a chance just because of his size. Will he get bigger offers, he likely will. Will he get a High Major does depend on his summer performance imo.

I have watched him play some, not frequently or anything. But as a legit 7 footer he has a chance, but in my opinion he needs to have a huge summer during the 3 live periods in July. If the big schools get involved and show heavy interest it has to happen then. As he moves into HS season there is just not enough big men to compete against that can provide insight or evaluation to his improvement. Since Covington Catholic does play in some nice out of state events it may provide another setting for evaluation, but he needs to have a solid July when they all will be looking. All it would take is one really big game with the right coaches watching and I could see it happen. Remember, he is a size that few kids reach already and teams need bigs all the time.

Statistically speaking you are correct, if he stays there a few decades he should get to state multiple times. For sure he will get to the region almost every year and likely win district championships every other year or so. I suspect he will never win state or be a title contender to do so though. You can argue he is equally a home run hire as it is a home run job.

One of the best things about AK is that he is equally as effective playing around other good players as he is when he is the best player on the court. He can play lead or he can play a supporting role to a bigger star. Many kids need to be dominant with the ball, to be their best but Adam is so good no matter who he plays with or who is around him. Great things ahead for AK, he is a winner.

Ulis or not, the young man is special. Not worried about him living up to the hype because the hype for this young man is not coming from what he has done against KY HS basketball competition. His hype has originated from what he has done playing against the best HS players in the nation, including kids several years older. He is already achieving it against elite D1 college prospects, his hype was not born from playing against HS kids that will never play college basketball at a high level.

From what I heard yesterday there is a very good indication he will be in KY at BGHS next year too. I am glad to hear that, he is an unbelievable talent and with a March birthday if he had been a freshmen he probably would have been younger than most others in his class and as an 8th grader he is probably older than most in his class. In my opinion, move on....there is no story on his age appropriateness for his class. His abilities are way above with most seniors next season and this past season.

I agree that is very impressive, he is a special two sport player earning D1 offers in both sports. When Jalen is on which is often, he is one of the best scoring guards in the class. His strength and toughness set him apart. As a shooting guard few match his scoring outburst abilities. He can score in bunches.

Looking at the stats Adam Kunkel had a really outstanding game. Scored 15 and only missed a single shot he took. He also led the team in assists and only had a single turnover. If the Juniors had been better on the boards as someone mentioned it could have went the other way. The other thing that jumped out was the turnovers killed the 2018 class. They had 20 as a team and several who likely played the lead guard spot had over 10 together. I heard Jalen Johnson was on fire from the 3 point line and it sure looks like he filled it up from there and at the line hitting 8 out of 8.

I know there is a good chance (no pun intended) he could potentially be going there, but a lot could play out between now and school starting. He has several offers to play Division 1 ball if he chooses that route as well. It could happen very well happen, but I would not put the period at the end quite yet. Just my opinion, and it has nothing to do with the school or coach there. I just know situations can be fluid with a young man in his situation.

This is very true, for example is PRP a Top 25 program when Mabry leaves? He has been there a long time and the tradition has a chance to slide upon his departure. Open enrollment in Jefferson County has made who is coaching a particular program more important than the location of the school and what area of town a school had students mapped to. But some of those traditional programs (PRP may be like this when the time comes) will draw a very talented coaching pool of candidates when the legends from those schools retire.

They can be a match-up problem if a team does not handle their press. Their defense creates their offense, If they cannot turn you over this year, they will not be as good in the half court offense as they were last season. Wilson and Patterson were their best offensive players.

From what I have seen and know about how their Spring ball has went I provided a few comments on each of the Top 10.....Overall the best players usually are picked up by the best shoe sponsored teams to play in front of college coaches. Those program's sustainability is dependent on bringing the highest recruitable players into their program in addition to winning, so be chosen to be on those teams removes the politics out rankings. Since the Travelers are no longer, the only KY based programs are Adidas out of the big 3 (NIKE, Adidas, & UA). Each of these 10 played for Gold Division teams in the Adidas Gauntlet series....Indiana Elite, Louisville Magic, & 22 Vision. 1- CJ Fredrick- Played for Indiana Elite who finished 2-6 in the 17U Gauntlet Series. I believe the IN Elite team qualified for the July Adidas Gauntlet Series Finals in SC with a win in a Regional Qualifier this past weekend though. CJ led his team in minutes and showed the college coaches attending that he makes shots with a great feel for the game. I feel he solidified his top ranking and clearly he is a Power 5 shooting guard prospect. He shot a higher 3 point % hitting over 50% from beyond the arc than his overall shooting %. I disagree with those who project him as a PG though, his assist to turnover ratio is just not high enough and he clearly is too good of a shooting guard to reject that label. His passing is outstanding and his BB IQ sets him apart. 2- Christian Lorng- Was starting Center on Louisville Magic team that was outstanding on the Adidas Gold Gauntlet. He was 2nd leading scorer and leading rebounder. His is a powerful big man right at 6'10" with very good instincts for somebody who likely did not play basketball until he was older. While he plays at Wesley Christian, for comparison KY High School BB just does not see powerful & athletic big men like this very often which is why he is being recruited by the likes of Power 5 conference schools. 3- Trevon Faulkner- Trevon played alongside Romeo Langford for 22 Vision and looked very comfortable in logging the 2nd most minutes behind Romeo. Despite the team having mixed results going 4-4 with the #3 ranked prospect in the country as the team foundation, Trevon was outstanding in many areas. He usually guarded the other team's best player, including Zion Williamson when those teams squared off. He also led the team in rebounding, assists, steals, and FT % while being 2nd in scoring behind Romeo. He did not shoot as well as he is capable from the 3 point line and his turnovers were a bit high, but he clearly will have many more scholarship offers in July when he is evaluated again. NKU absolutely loves him and he will become a top target for them leading into signing period. 4- Steven Fitzgerald- Played more minutes than any other Louisville Magic player and was a key reason why they finished so well. Even though he did not shoot as well as he is capable this Spring, it is clear he is a very good shooting wing who also goes extremely hard to the hole. He is very strong and quick enough to play on the wing for many college D1 programs. What Steven does well is shoot, rebound & pass the ball. He is a complete player that competes with high BB IQ to go along with his other intangibles. 5- Jake Walter- Jake continues to improve and that is key with big men. He started for Indiana Elite and led them in rebounding. He still does not look to score as much as he should, but he is a good passing big man. When the light bulb comes on and he begins to play with an edge of nastiness, look out. Playing aggressive is what he lacks to take his game to another level, but he is young so that could still come. Next levels of basketball recruit and draft on potential more than production. Jake has a ton of potential and will be a highly recruited young player. He is a prototype big man whose body continues to improve. College programs need players his size and he will be in demand as long as he continues to get better which he will. 6- Andrew Taylor- Andrew started the Spring playing alongside Romeo with 22 Vision, but ended the Spring with rival Adidas Gold program, Louisville Magic. In his lone tournament with the Magic he hit 9 3's in a single game down in Atlanta @ the Bob Gibbons Invitational. Andrew continued to get more D1 college offers playing with 22 Vision and when he finishes July with the Magic it will not surprise me to see him land a Power 5 offer. He is the prototype Combo Guard because he is equally effective at the point creating for himself or others as he is off the ball as a spot up shooter. Assist to Turnover ratio was not great with 22 Vision and he did not shoot as well as he is capable. He was a solid performer, but that team makeup just did not seem to fit him as well as what I expect the fit to be with the Magic. 7- Jayden Scrubb- Last summer with the Magic and this past HS basketball season with Trinity were breakout seasons for the relatively unknown talent prior to then. His size is ideal for a perimeter wing player and his athletic qualities are unmatched in the state. His combination of skill, speed, power, and athleticism qualifies him on potential alone as a Power 5 prospect. Oddly he started out the live periods in April with Hoop Dreams on the Silver circuit despite playing with the Magic last season. He returned to the Magic in May helping them to outstanding performances in the very competitive Run N Slam & Bob Gibbons which they won in Atlanta. He was a key player in both. 8-Mickey Pearson- Mickey also played on the Gold Adidas circuit with 22 Vision. He was down their list with 7th in playing minutes on a team that was wing heavy. He did not shoot his 3's as efficient as he is capable and did not get to the line as I feel he can. Regardless, he is a solid wing/stretch big forward that landed a offer from Ball State with what I would suspect will be more offers come July. I personally feel the key for Mickey is embracing more of a stretch 4 role because he can be unique in that role. He is a very capable 3 point shooter at 6'7", but many kids that size can shoot. I would like to see him finish in the paint and go to the line more with a focus on being a strong rebounder. Doing so will highlight his versatility as both a 3 or a Stretch 4. By polishing his game inside the paint I see his stock moving way up. 9-Adam Kunkel- Had a solid Spring with 22 Vision as the 3rd leading scorer and 4th in minutes. What impressed me was his passing and a very good assist to turnover ratio. I believe he clearly showed he can play point if called upon and fits the mold of the very desirable combo guard at the next level. Like Trevon, he does many things well and plays very good alongside other good players. He doesn't need to be the best player on his team to be valuable. No doubt going to play basketball for free at a D1 school when he is finished at Cooper. 10-Anthony Wales- Already a D1 commit, Wales showed why he is highly regarded by his future coaching staff at Samford, he is a winner. Playing a very competitive HS schedule at Fern Creek, and now playing with the Louisville Magic in the Gold Adidas division, his teams have went 47-4 with Wales as the starting PG. Obviously he has played with talented players, but when he runs the team he makes those on his team better which is his best attribute. With the Magic he was 2nd in minutes behind Fitzgerald and was at or near the top of the team in points, assists, steals, FT%, FG%, & 3 PT %, but had the fewest turnovers on the team. His assist to turnover ratio was 3-1. Unfortunately, he broke a bone in his foot at the Run N Slam so he will be sidelined the rest of the summer. Nextup really can't be criticized with their Top 10, not too many players ranked behind these 10 have higher college prospects or Spring performances that would merit bumping any of these out. It gets tougher getting the 15-30 spots right though.

The one criteria you are eliminating as you consider a Top 25 program in the State is cutting down the nets at Rupp. For many coaches that is the ultimate dream and picking a program that will be high on the list. I said before, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if you bar is set at winning a regional once in a great while, then the Berg makes your Top 25. For many that is "settling".

So the only 2 players talented enough to become D1 scholarship basketball players in the last 15 years were each there because a family member was the head coach. Freeman only played the 2010-2011 season because his uncle was the Head Coach and Sparks who played almost 17 years ago was there because his Dad was the Head Coach. Unless this new Head Coach has some great young basketball players in the pipeline of his family, he should not expect high level talent working through that locker room door. That is not a knock on the kids who have played there or will be playing there, but the fact is there does not seem to be a pipeline of elite talent like there has been in Owensboro for instance. I am sure it has some great attributes as a program, but for me to be a Top 25 program you better have elite talent walking through the door to compete for State titles. Talent is what every coach dreams of having.

When was that and where did he go? I don't follow the 3rd region much, but I did not recognize the name. Who was before him? Any other in the last 10 years?

I ask because I do not know, but who was the last Division 1 scholarship basketball player to come out of The Berg? Or the last 3? If I am a smart coach, I know that talent wins games, not coaching. I want to coach where there is consistent talent pool.

Shorter way to say it is that a Top 25 job does not translate into having a Top 25 program for some.

It all depends what your bar is for success. If the measure is winning your district and having the chance to potentially make a run at winning the region with a trip to Rupp, perhaps this is a spot where the competition makes the spot a good coaching job with the potential to be there many years. If the measure of a Top job is having the ability to produce a team capable of winning the State Title and producing Division 1 talent year after year, then no. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so perhaps it is Top 25 based on what you are trying to accomplish.

They all can be good fits for a player like CJ. I like Iowa as a good fit as the coach there is solid and builds teams with players like CJ....no stars, just all really good basketball players. What I mean there is that some kids have to be the star of a team to flourish and what I like about CJ is that he understands the big picture of being on a team and does not need to play that star role. He just plays solid smart basketball and knocks down shots when he is open while passing the ball to the open man when he is not. He makes the game simple for himself which is meant as a compliment.

Nextup does have camps like many of the others, but no question their staff hits gyms during the HS season and Spring/Summer all the time. I have seen them as far away as Dallas this Spring, so they put the work in to evaluate.

It isn't that I am right, because I could just as easily be wrong. It is just not as simple as a team being really good and having a really good player like Allen. There is more of a chance to get a Friend of Nike 15U or 16U spot and play in the EYBL in those age divisions. for 17U EYBL, those EYBL spots drop to 40 and there are more than 40 long time established NIKE programs with history of having really good teams with D1 players year after year. So taking a single team that does not have a program with younger teams equally stacked with D1 prospects is a long shot. I hope they get it, but if NIKE wants Allen to play in the EYBL they will try to help one of their established programs in a border state land him as one of their three border state players. To expect anything else would be a departure from the past. With King James being out, that does leave the potential for some program though in the Cincy area perhaps.

Not trying to send shade on the team getting a shoe company contract, but it just does not work that way. A single team rarely gets into the EYBL unless you have a Top 10 prospect like Marvin Bagley in 2018 whose father was given a spot before his junior HS season. NIKE is not looking for good teams, they are looking for the next LeBron. Romeo got his own Adidas team for his final year in Adidas, but he was the #3 player in National Rankings. Allen is good and will play D1 basketball, but he is not in the same realm as those two guys. It is very hard and I hope the team gets what they are hoping for, but that just is not how the shoe companies look at things.

Greater Cincy is like the odd man out when it comes to having a shoe sponsored team, but it is more due to the shoe companies like to avoid change when they find success with programs. NIKE has had All OH Red and King James for the longest in OH. King James has had some turmoil this past year, but as long as they survive there is not going to be a 3rd program in OH. Adidas has OBC that is a long standing OH program and then Indiana Elite not far away. These programs don't want to see another program get sponsored in their area of recruiting so they want some protection as long as they are getting the top prospects in the market. The entire situation makes it very hard to see a new program jump into the mix. Not sure what Under Armor has in the area, but as far as NIKE & Adidas it will be unlikely to see a new program jump in unless King James can't get it back on track.