blue-five-two

I went to the NewCath scrimmage and IMO the Colonels looked like a work in progress. Not sure what the deal was with the bad snaps. Also, not sure if this was our first string kicker, but it’s going to be hard to beat good teams if we can’t do a better job on kickoffs and PATs.

BRILLIANT idea! Best idea yet and a nice compromise!

Holy schnikes! Thirty-seven point average margin of victory throughout the tournament! Does anyone know if this is a 9th region record?

Does anyone know if this game is being streamed?

Best tradition, for sure, but definitely not dominant. The 9th region is too competitive for any one school to dominant. One thing that does strike me about the Colonels is how many freshman NKY tournaments they have won. I’m guessing around 40% of the time since the mid ‘60s they’ve brought home the gold. Unfortunately, before the Ruthsatz era, a lot of that talent was squandered at the varsity level.

Agree!

Good points! Cooper was amazing last year.

I’m not so sure the 9th is down, or down of any significance. Ryle, Highlands, Conner and Lloyd are all very good teams. I think CovCath is just THAT good! Their margins against out of region competition is very similar.

I’m starting to think Ryle is the second best team In the 9th. Anyone agree with me?

I would take Bradshaw over any big we’ve ever, especially in recent years. The other bigs weren’t effective on offense beyond slam dunks and layups off the glass. Bradshaw is much more versitile. Great touch! Can shoot from anywhere. He even shoots 3s well. Great rebounder, great shot-blocker. Very iintimidating on defense. Go Donovan!

Where is a good place to get info on Ohio teams? Is there anything similar to BGP?

I don’t think Bradshaw has anything to worry about, but some of the other guards will more than likely lose playing time.

As for se7ens’ comment, I think the Colonel Crazies are neutralized by all the support Sully is going to receive and saw the last game against Highlands. IMO, for CovCath to win I think a few things have to happen. First and foremost, McGillis has to be careful with his shot selections. If he tries forcing it up the middle with two defenders on him, like he often does, it’ll be disastrous against Cooper’s defense. His percentages aren’t good when he forces it up the lane, and I’m surprised Thelen let's him do it. Secondly, the Colonels need to watch their fouling. Their agressive defense is perhaps their biggest asset, but they commit way too many silly fouls that aren’t worth the risks of putting your opponent at the line too early in a quarter. Lastly, they need to keep Johnson below his average. He’s definitely the best player I’ve seen in NKY this year. I’ll be rooting for my Colonels, but I feel Cooper is clearly the best team in NKY. Nevertheless, they are beatable as proven by their last meeting.

They have five feeder schools: St Agnes, Blessed Sacrament, St Pius, St Joe and Prince of Peace. They’re lucky to get one student a year from Prince of Peace.

My understanding is that CovCath’s enrolllment annually averages about 35-40% out of district. I’m not so sure how that percentage plays out with their sports, but my guess is it’s pretty close. My point is, build it and they will come! Highlands did it with Mueller. Beechwood with Yeagle. I would also argue this applies to academics as well as sports. The new Ignite School comes to mind. As for Scott and the HOF, I cannot imagine any reason why Rowe or Bacigalupo would withdraw his HOF election, much less his dismissal from coaching. And let’s be honest, no critical thinker could possibly believe Scott resigned to concentrate on the family business. Rowe and Bacigalupo love winning and understand what a good sports program brings to a school. Scott is obviously a great coach, and according to the vast majority who played for him, Scott is a man they look up to. From what I understand, there has always been mutual admiration among Scott, Rowe, and Bacigalupo. It is my belief that when Nick called the diocese and was told Scott withdrew, he was misinformed. Whether that was deliberate or not, is another story, though I wouldn’t put it past the diocese to make CovCath look like the bad guys. One thing I’m 100% sure of, is this message didn’t come from Rowe or Bacigalupo. The school is in a no-win situation. As someone else alluded to, it’s not smart to question your boss, or do anything to make him/her look bad. Seems to me, Rowe and Bacigalupo have no choice but to remain silent, which is why they haven’t released a statement. Worse yet, the they have no choice but to look like the bad guys. Defending themselves by pursuing the truth could very well result in losing jobs they love. Darned if you do, darned if you don’t.

I know Scott, personally. We had a conversation yesterday and his reason for leaving is 100% about his family business. He found it just too difficult to coach and run his business at the same time. It was requiring lots of hours and limiting his time with his family. His record at CCH speaks volumes. In addition to the many stats already mentioned, I’d like to add: KOBC Champions 2021. I’m pretty sure the only NKY team to do this. Battle at the Villages Champions 2019. Coach of the Year 2014 & 2018 Kentucky vs. Indiana Allstar Coach 2022 Tough act to follow! He built it and they came! Best of luck to a great coach and a great guy!

Bradshaw scores more points per minute than any other player the Colonels have. I’m not saying he says good as Miller, especially when it comes to rebounding, intimidation and defense, but Miller only scores on dunks and layups. Bradshaw can score from much farther out and is much more agile around the basket. He’s really good and quick with his hands. They’re a better team when he’s in on the floor. He’s the power forward the Colonels need, IMO.

Agree about Athens. I definitely think he’ll outscore Hussey, though I don’t think he’s as good on defense or rebounding. I also feel if Miller can stay out of foul trouble he could end up being CCH’s MVP. He can score, rebound, and is very intimidating on defense.

Wiil this be streamed?

Yes, I saw him in the scrimmage against Newport. Strong, strong player. He is very much needed to round out the Colonels and to give them a shot at beating Newport. I was very impressed with Newport. They have to be one of the top schools in the state preseason.

I know for a fact that Ruthsatz actually encourages kids to play multiple sports if they so desire. The current basketball program now has more football players than it’s ever had in its history, so this rumor has no foundation. Not to mention, Brady Hussey is a two-time regional tennis champion who will most likely repeat this year, and has a chance at winning the state.

I’m not sure if Ipsaro is the best player in he state, but he surely has out shown Sheppard the last two times they went head-to-head. Last year he outscored Reed 23-18 at BBT, and this year Reed didn’t have a basket until about 10 seconds to go in the game, which came off of a really bad pass by CCH. We’ll see how their next meeting plays out on Feb 10th, but as it now stands, I believe Sheppard will win the award due to his pedigree, the fact he’s going to UK, and comes from a rural town in KY. Unfortunately, it’s not always about who’s best. I’m not ragging on Sheppard; I do think he’s a good kid and an excellent player and I know I’ll be rooting for him when he’s in a Wildcat uniform next year. Also, as good as Ipsaro is, I’m still undecided as to who’s the best player in the 9th. Holy Cross’ Jacob Meyer is also crazy good. Both are as good as any two I’ve ever seen in the 9th.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t this put Evan on pace to break the record? He only needs 244 more points and has nine regular season games to go, plus it’s pretty much a given CCH will make it to at least the first round of the regionals for a total of 12 more games. If he maintains his average of 25, that would add another 300 and get him there. I’d like to see him do it, as he’s only played three years at CCH vs VonHandorf’s four years. And I think he’s the better of the two. Then again, maybe the 2,000 counts his points when he was at his previous school.

I don’t see CCH losing another game prior to tournament time. And it’ll take a really bad game to keep them from winning district and region.

Cov Cath has out-rebounded every team they’ve played so far this year, including St Henry by 34-24. The height may not be there but guys like Ipsaro and Hussey jump way taller than their height.