Carl Spackler

With what Pikeville has returning, and what they have in this year's freshman and 8th grade classes, they'll be back in the finals sooner rather than later.

Week 2 is in the books in the 11th Region. It featured the biggest 11th Region matchup so far this season....even if Madison Central and Bryan Station had to go to the 10th Region to play it. Madison Central continued their red hot start to the season with a win over Bryan Station, but they were pushed to the limit. With their 4 impressive wins to open the season, it was hard not to move them into the number 1 spot in the rankings this week. However, Frederick Douglass picked up their own win over a ranked team when they went on the road and defeated Montgomery County in the nightcap of the event that featured the Madison Central/Bryan Station tilt. Lexington Catholic continued to impress and sits solidly at number 4. Meanwhile Tates Creek, Henry Clay and Great Crossing showed that they are going to be factors as well. Scott County also looks to be much improved under the guidance of Sean Woods. This week brings a couple of nice holiday tournaments in the Berea Holiday Classic and the Republic Bank-Coach Jim Lankster Classic at Sayre. Also, Freddy D and Madison Central will go to Louisville to play in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. 1. Frederick Douglass (3-0) The Broncos only had a single game last week. They travelled to Mount Sterling where they took on host Montgomery County in The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational. Douglass led by as much as 20 before a late rally by MoCo cut the lead to 5 in the 4th quarter. The Broncos, however, were able to hold on for a 71-63 win. Frederick Douglass, as is often the case, featured balanced scoring, as 4 players finished in double figures in the win. Tate Robinson nailed 5 three pointers to lead the team with 19 points. DeMarcus Surratt finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Thurman Wade added 14 points, and Nate Coen finished with 12. The Broncos are off this week until Friday, when they will take part in the prestigious Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass at Fairdale. They will take on Butler in the first round. 2. Madison Central (4-0) Madison Central had a big week with a pair of wins over teams that are ranked in the top 10 in most polls. On Tuesday, they hosted George Rogers Clark. The Indians were not good hosts as they simply destroyed the Cardinals 94-66. Jake Feldhaus was dominant in the win with a 34 point, 18 rebound performance. Luke Asher just missed a double double as he finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Will Richardson rounded out the double figure scorers with 15 points. On Friday, they had their first big 11th Region matchup, against Bryan Station. They just had to travel to Montgomery County to do so. In the opener of The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational Central was put to the test by the Defenders. Station led by 3 at halftime, and by 5 at the end of 3 quarters. The Indians, however, finished on a 21-5 run in the 4th quarter to pull out a 71-60 win. Jake Feldhaus again led Madison Central in scoring and rebounding with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Grayson Burton added 26 points, and Luke Asher finished with 13. This week the Indians travel to Corbin to take on the Redhounds on Monday before making the trip to Louisville on Friday, where they will also take part in the Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. They will play Trinity in the first round. 3. Bryan Station (2-1) The match up with Madison Central was the only game on the schedule for the Defenders last week. Although they ultimately fell by 11, they showed that they belong in the top 3 after leading for 3 quarters of the game. Station does not have their stats posted for the Madison Central game yet, so I'm unsure who their leading scorers and rebounders were. Even with the loss, the Defenders were the only team to hold Central under 80 points, or come within 28 points of the Indians. This week Bryan Station will travel to Louisville to take on Seneca on Tuesday. They will then take place in the Republic Bank-Coach Jim Lankster Classic. They will open up play against Paris at 145pm on Saturday. 4. Lexington Catholic (4-1) The Knights had a 2-0 week last week. On Monday, they picked up a solid 78-63 road win against Lafayette. In the win against the Generals, Catholic was led by Max Meagher and Everett Stuart, who finished with 22 and 21 points respectively. They were joined in double figures by Ashton Pflugner with 15 points. The Knights then returned home, where they picked up another 11th Region win with a 75-48 blowout of Paul Laurence Dunbar. LC placed 4 scorers in double figures in the win. Hank Woodall led the team with 17, Max Meagher added 15, Jacob Holland 13, and Everett Stuart finished with 10. The only game on the schedule for the Knights this week will be on Saturday when they play Paintsville in their own White, Greer, and Maggard Holiday Classic. 5. Great Crossing (2-2) The Warhawks went 1-1 last week. They picked up an easy 94-71 win against Shelby Valley in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Classic, before falling to Ballard 77-69 in their 2nd game of the Classic. Brady Orem had a huge game against Shelby Valley with 33 points, on an insane 14/15 from the field. Travanti Cooper added 21, Colt Delimpo 11, Aslam Ismail and Graham Swartz each had 10. Orem had another big game in the loss to Butler on Saturday when he finished with 21. Three more Warhawks joined him in double figures: Travanti Cooper had 19, Graham Swartz finished with 11, and Aslam Ismail added 10. Great Crossing has 3 games this week. They have road games at Frankfort and Montgomery County and will be matched up with Vestavia Hills(AL) in the Berea Holiday Classic. 6. Henry Clay (2-3) Henry Clay had a tough week last week as they went 0-2 with both losses coming at home. The Blue Devils dropped a 70-60 decision to Woodford County, and suffered a 63-58 setback to North Hardin for their 3rd straight loss. Offense has been the issue for Henry Clay in their 3 game skid, as they have failed to score more than 60 points in any of the games. Jackson Stephen (18), and Jack Hemenway (24) had big nights against Woodford County, but the rest of the team combined for only 18 points. The Devils will have a chance to get back on track this week with a pair of winnable road games. On Tuesday they play at East Jessamine, before a road game against Walton Verona on Thursday. On Saturday they will make the trip to Ashland where they will face Cooper in the Ashland Invitational Tournament. 7. Tates Creek (3-2) The Commodores had a 3-0 week in week 2. On Tuesday they picked up their first win of the season against Lexington Christian Academy at home, 72-63. The Creekers followed that win up with a 57-38 home victory over Mercer County, before picking up a road win in a 91-38 destruction of Paris. AJ Slaughter scored 20 against LCA, but did not play in the other 2 games last week. I'm not sure if he suffered an injury, or an illness, but that will be something to keep an eye on going forward. The Commodores have a pair of games this week, as they will host Lafayette on Tuesday before going on the road on Thursday to take on Franklin County. 8. Scott County (2-1) The Cardinals split their 2 games in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Classic. They fell against a good Oldham County team 74-71, before bouncing back to pick upa 54-50 win against Lafayette on Saturday. Scott County placed 5 players in double figures in their loss to the Colonels: Brailyn McNear(17), Jeremiah Stiefel(16), Reed Rutledge(11), Montae Washburn(11), and Tidiane Faye(10). Stats were not available for their game against Lafayette. The Cards have a pair of games this week. On Tuesday they travel to Clarksville, IN to face Providence, before taking part in the 2025 Boys Gateway Holiday Classic at Montgomery County, where they are matched up with Nicholas County. 9. Madison Southern (3-1) The Eagles dropped with only game of week 2. On Saturday they travelled to Stanford to take on Southwestern in The Patriot Classic. The Eagles suffered their first loss of the young season against Southwestern, 96-45. No stats have been posted for that game. This will be a busy week for Madison Southern as they have 5 games scheduled. On Monday and Tuesday they will be on the road against Danville and Model. They will then take part in the Berea Holiday Classic, where they will play 3 games: Mercer County on Friday, Adair County on Saturday, and Frankfort on Sunday. 10. Sayre (3-1) The Spartans had a 1-1 week last week. They ran their season opening win streak to 3 with a 54-47 road win at Frankfort, before dropping their first game of the year to Lincoln County 68-47 in The Patriot Classic at Lincoln County. Sayre placed 3 players in double figures in the win over the Panthers. Sayvion Stayley led the way with 14, Kenji Berger had 12, and John Gaines had 11. Stats were not posted for the Lincoln County game. This week the Spartans will host Franklin County on Tuesday before they host the Republic Bank Jim Lankster Classic where they will be matched up against Wayne County at 315pm on Saturday in their first game of the event. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (4-1) The Eagles did suffer their first loss of the season last week in a 72-63 road setback against Tates Creek. However, they were able to bounce back with a pair of blowout wins against Berea (70-49) and Nicholas County (83-63). No stats have been posted for the 2 wins. LCA has 4 games this week. They host Paul Laurence Dunbar on Tuesday and Vestavia Hills (AL) on Friday. They will then make the trip down I-75 where they will play Evangel Christian on Saturday, and Whitley County on Sunday in the BSN Borderline Classic at Whitley County. 12. Lafayette (1-3) The Generals had a tough week last week as they went 0-3. On Tuesday they dropped a 78-63 game at home to Lexington Catholic before losing a pair of games in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Classic: 83-63 to Highlands, and 54-50 to Scott County. They will look to get back on track this week with a road game at Tates Creek on Tuesday. They will then participate in the Republic Bank-Coach Jim Lankster Classic at Sayre where they will be matched up with South Oldham in their first game of the event. 13. Franklin County (1-3) The Flyers dropped their only game last week when they suffered a 79-67 loss to Fairdale. They have 4 games on the docket this week as they try to get untracked. They travel to Sayre on Tuesday, then return home to play Tates Creek on Thursday. This weekend they play in the Capital City Classic. They get Grant County on Saturday at Western Hills, then face Eastern at home on Sunday. The Classic actually bleeds over into next week where Franklin County will play Franklin-Simpson on Monday night to close the event. 14. Western Hills (1-3) The Wolverines lost their only game last week, 78-75 on the road at Bourbon County. They have 4 chances to break their 3 game losing skid this week, with all 4 games being at home. They play Nelson County on Tuesday and Grant County on Wednesday. They will then host 2 games as part of the Capital City Classic: Taylor County on Saturday, and Danville on Sunday. 15. Frankfort (1-1) The Panthers only had one game last week. They suffered a 54-47 home defeat against Sayre. They have a full schedule this week with 5 games on their slate. They host Great Crossing on Tuesday, and Vestavia Hills (AL) on Thursday. They will play Heritage in the Berea Holiday Classic: Heritage on Friday, Menifee County on Saturday, and Madison Southern on Sunday. 16. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1-5) PLD lost all 3 games last week to run their losing streak to 4 games. All 3 games were road games, and none of them were particularly close. They lost to Boyle County (66-45), Lexington Catholic (75-48), and West Jessamine (56-37. The Bulldogs will have 4 chances to get back in the win column this week. They play Lexington Christian and Danville on the road, on Tuesday and Thursday respectively. They will then go to South Laurel to play in the Legacy Nissan Dribble Drive Challenge for 3 games. They are matched up against Fleming County on Saturday, Wolfe County on Sunday, and Harlan Independent on Monday as the event actually goes over into next week. 17. Model (2-2) The Patriots went 1-2 last week. They blew out Frankfort Christian 78-46 at home on Tuesday, before suffering a pair of home losses: 76-56 to Garrard County on Friday, and 61-53 to Mercer County on Saturday. Model will have 4 games this week. They will host Madison Southern on Tuesday in a district game. They will then play 3 games in the Berea Holiday Classic: Menifee County on Friday, Breathitt County on Saturday, and Heritage on Sunday. 18. Berea (1-2) The Pirates suffered a 70-49 blowout loss to Lexington Christian Academy on the road in their only game last week. They have 4 games this week. On Tuesday they travel to Corbin to take on the Redhounds. They will then host the Berea Holiday Classic where they will play Breathitt County on Friday, Heritage on Saturday, and Lee County on Sunday. 19. Frankfort Christian (2-3) The Royals went 1-2 in week 2. They started off the week with losses to Trimble County (55-46), and Model (78-46), before rebounding with a 64-55 win at home against St. Patrick. They have 2 games this week. They travel to Dayton on Tuesday, and then host Casey County on Thursday.

Pikeville, with their 8 Championships, not in the usual suspects?

Add to that McCreary Central beats Danville by 23. McCreary Central loses to Rockcastle County by 16. McCreary Central loses by 6 to Pulaski County in overtime on the road.

There's a lot of parity in the 12th Region this year. Rockcastle beats Danville by 18. Danville beats Somerset by 7. Somerset beats Rockcastle by 13. I think you can take the teams ranked 2-10, throw them in a hat and rank them however you draw them out. Any of those teams can beat one of the others.

Final from Montgomery County. Bryan Station led by 3 at halftime, and by 5 after 3 quarters. However, a 21-5 4th quarter by the Indians pushed them to the win.

Final from Somerset. The Briar Jumpers break a 2 game skid, and get their offense on track. They're 2-2 and 1-0 in the district. Rockcastle County falls to 2-2, and 0-1 in the district.

They had some nice players coming back on offense for sure. But that defense was just bad. They weren't competing for a title in 1A with what they had.

Is the band director on the hiring committee?

Nice Pre-Christmas Tournament. Kenji Berger is off to a nice start for Sayre as well. He's averaging 21.3 points per game after missing last season with a knee injury. South Oldham should be a fun team to watch in this tournament. They have already attempted 122 three pointers through 4 games, and have hit 54 of them. Nico Ballard has already drained 30 threes on his way to a 26.2 point average. He has hit those 30 threes on only 50 attempts.

They were not in sync on offense at all last night. Lots of unforced errors. I think the talent and coaching is there. But right now I'd put them 3rd in the district and 10-11 in the region. I think as Bartley and Wooldridge get more in basketball mode that they'll improve. Also, Lewis isn't too far removed from having a cast removed. He's a better shooter than what the results have shown so far.

Sounds like he was fouled constantly on offense. ?

No. West was on fire from 3. Coming into the game they were 6 out if 21 was a team. Gavin Murphy hit 7 or 8 by himself last night, and scored 32 points. As a team the Colts had 10 or more. Somerset was getting some decent looks but they weren't going at all. Just one of those nights where one team is on, and one team is off.

He averaged 21.1 points, and 5.9 rebounds per game last season as a freshman at Knox Central. He can fill it up. He shot 50% overall, 40% from 3, and 82% from the line.

I expected Madison Central to win, and win comfortably. I did not expect them to blow them out by 28. The addition of Burton to what was already a top 10-15 team has made them scary good.

Anyone know if either team streams their games?

Grayson Burton's addition to Madison Central has made a very good team even better. He's averaging 22 points per game through the first 2 games on 7-14 shooting from three. The whole team has been very efficient on offense. As a team they are shooting 59% overall, 40% from 3, and 70% from the line. It will be tough to go into Richmond and come out with a win. But GRC certainly has a team that can do so. I think the Indians might be a little bit too much at home. Madison Central 72, GRC 63.

It wasn't just the speed. They were able to match, and often exceed the physicality of Pulaski County.

It is good to have basketball back if full swing. Although a lot of attention was focused on the football finals at Kroger Field, and rightfully so, there were some really good matchups in week one. The headliner was a game between two teams that had been at the top of the rankings for the past 2 seasons in Great Crossing and Frederick Douglass. Overall, the 11th got off to a good start against out of region foes. That being said, several teams, both in and out of the region are still getting their football players back into basketball shape. So some of these results might look a lot different in a few week. Here's how things stand after opening week. 1. Frederick Douglass (2-0) The Broncos didn't waste anytime, they jumped straight into the fire with a matchup against 2 time defending 11th Region, and defending State Champion Great Crossing. Douglass came out on top in this one 74-65, dealing Great Crossing their first loss against a Kentucky opponent since St. Xavier last December 15th. The Broncos exhibited the balanced scoring that they demonstrated last season, as they placed 3 players in double figures. DeMarcus Surratt led the way with 19, Jimmy Dick drained 4 three pointers to finish with 16, and Thurman Wade finished with 15. Freddy D closed out the week with an 80-65 win over Moore in the Jersey Mike's Subs Hoops Classic at Great Crossing. Surratt again led the way with a 30 point, 11 rebound explosion. Tate Robins added 15, and Thurman Wade finished with 13. Strong start to the season for the Broncos. They have only a single game on their schedule between December 6th and 19th. On Friday they travel to Montgomery County to play the homestanding Indians in The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational. 2. Madison Central (2-0) Speaking of strong starts, the Indians roared out of the gate with a pair of 30 point wins over two teams that are expected to be regional contenders in Pulaski County and Green County. In the opener Madison Central blew out Pulaski County 83-50 powered by an amazing shooting performance. The Indians shot 60.9% from the field, and drained 12 three pointers in 24 attempts in their destruction of the Maroons. Jake Feldhaus finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while new addition Grayson Burton added 20 and 7. Will Richardson drained 5 of 6 from deep to finish with 18 points, and Luke Asher joined him in double figures with 16. On Saturday Central travelled to Winchester to take on Green County in the Mr. Basketball Classic. This one was a blowout as well as the Indians came away with a dominating 87-57 win over the Dragons. Madison Central again placed 4 players in double figures. This time they were led by Burton with 24. Luke Asher finished with 21, Jake Feldhaus with 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Will Richardson added 10 points. This team is a force. They will get to prove it this week as they host George Rogers Clark on Tuesday before battling Bryan Station on Friday at Montgomery County as part of The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational. 3. Bryan Station (2-0) The Defenders also started off the season 2-0. They doubled up Paul Laurence Dunbar 70-35 on the road before also taking place in the Mr. Basketball Classic, where they took down Jeffersontown 75-66. Stats are not posted for either of the games, but Station signaled that they will be right there with the top teams in the 11th again this season. Bryan Station has only a single game this week, but it is a big one. On Friday the Defenders will take part in The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational at Montgomery County where they will face off against Madison Central in a huge early season game. 4. Lexington Catholic (2-1) The Knight didn't come through the week unscathed, but the picked up a pair of nice wins. In the opener they posted a solid 59-48 win over 13th Region power North Laurel at home. Everett Stuart with 15 points and Hank Woodall with 14 led the way for Catholic. Thursday the Knights travelled to Mercer County where they destroyed the Titans 68-40. Stuart and Woodall were again the leading scorer with 18 and 17 respectively. Saturday saw them return home to face 9th Region contender Covington Catholic. This one did not go as well as the Knights were dealt a 71-52 setback by the Colonels. Stuart and Woodall, for the 3rd straight game, were the only Knights in double figures as Stuart finished with 18, and Woodall with 16. The Knights have another 3 game week coming up. They will play two city opponents when they travel to Lafayette on Monday before hosting Paul Laurence Dunbar on Friday. They will close out the week at home against Paintsville in the White, Greer, and Maggard Holiday Classic. 5. Henry Clay (2-1) The Blue Devils picked up a pair of wins against in region foes in Tates Creek (85-69) and Western Hills (76-71), before participating in the Mr. Basketball Classic. Things did not go as well in Winchester as the Blue Devils suffered their first loss in a 73-56 setback against Trinity. Henry Clay did not post stats for the week, so scoring is not available. Henry Clay has a pair of contests on the slate this week: Tuesday against Woodford County, and Friday against North Hardin. 6. Lafayette (1-0) The Generals had a light week in week one with only a single game. In it the picked up a road win with an 81-56 blowout of East Jessamine. Lafayette does not have stats posted as well. This week the Generals have a pair of games as they host Lexington Catholic on Monday, before travelling to Scott County to take on Highlands in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Classic Boys Basketball Classic Presented by Bluegrass Orthopedics. 7. Great Crossing (1-1) The defending State Champion Warhawks did drop their opener on the road to Frederick Douglass. But they were competitive in the 74-65 setback, and they followed that up with a nice 80-72 win at home in the Jersey Mike's Subs Classic against W.E.B. DuBois. Through two games Brady Orem has been a monster for Great Crossing, averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds. This week the Warhawks host Shelby Valley in their opening game in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Boys Basketball Classic Tournament Presented by Bluegrass Orthopedics. 8. Tates Creek (0-2) The Commodores stumbled out of the gate in week one with a pair of losses. However, both games were against good competition. Tates Creek fell in their opener to Henry Clay 85-69 at home, and dropped a road game at Woodford County 61-58. Stephen Franklin has been outstanding so far, averaging 28 points through the first 2 games. Tom Haubenreich is the only other Commodore averaging in double figures with 12. Tates Creek has 4 games this week, and they are all winnable contests: they will be at home on Tuesday and Wednesday against Lexington Christian and Mercer County, then travel to Paris to take on the Greyhounds on Friday. On Saturday they close out a full week at Henry County in the Bodyarmor Showcase. 9. Madison Southern (3-0) The Eagles went undefeated on the week, albeit against less than stellar competition. They opened up the season with a 83-34 thrashing of Bluegrass United at home, before going on the road to defeat Bath County 78-31, and Paris 77-68. Southern has had balanced scoring so far with 4 players averaging in double figures. The Eagles host Franklin County on Tuesday, who may still have some players playing in their first game after the Flyers run to the 4A State Football Finals. On Saturday they should get a good test when they take on Coach Wright's former team in Southwestern in the Patriot Classic at Lincoln County. 10. Scott County (1-0) The Cardinals had only a single game in week one, but they picked up a nice win over Rockcastle County 76-59 in the Jersey Mikes Subs Classic at Great Crossing. That was a nice debut for new Scott County head coach Sean Woods. No stats were available for the win over the Rockets. This week the Cardinals will take part in the 30th Annual Billy Hicks Classic Boys Basketball Tournament Presented by Bluegrass Orthopedics, where they open up play with Oldham County. 11. Lexington Christian Academy (2-0) While their football team was wrapping up a 2A Championship, the basketball team opened up the season with a pair of victories: 90-61 over Western Hills, and 72-66 against Bishop Brossart. Scoring was not available for either game. This week LCA has 3 games: on Tuesday they travel to Tates Creek before returning home to host Berea on Thursday, and Nicholas County on Friday. 12. Sayre (2-0) The Spartans opened up the season with a pair of wins. On Friday they opened the season with a 66-59 win at home against Bishop Brossart, before travelling to Ludlow to defeat St. Henry in the Mella Classic. Kenji Berger has proved to be a difference maker for Sayre. After missing last season with a knee injury Berger has 26 points per game in the first 2 games. The Spartans have a 3 game this week. They travel to Frankfort on Monday to play the Panthers, host Western Hills on Thursday, and go back on the road to take on Lincoln County in the Patriot Classic. 13. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1-2) The Bulldogs dropped their opener on the road at Lincoln County 48-43, but were competitive against the Patriots. They followed that up with a solid 72-65 win at home over Nelson County, before being blowout by Bryan Station 70-35. Dunbar has another 3 game week this week as they go on the road to take on 3 tough opponents in Boyle County, Lexington Catholic and West Jessamine. 14. Western Hills (1-2) The Wolverines won their opener over Owen County 73-70, before dropping their next 2 games, 90-61 to LCA and 76-71 to Henry Clay. All 3 games were at home. This week Western Hills goes on the road for both of their games. On Thursday night they play Sayre before closing out the week against Bourbon County. 15. Franklin County (1-2) The Flyers dropped their first 2 games of the season, both on the road, 63-47 to West Jessamine, and 51-44 to Collins. They then picked up their first win of the season in the Jersey Mike's Subs Classic at Great Crossing where they took down Pineville 62-49. They have 2 games this week: Thursday at Madison Southern, and Saturday at home against Fairdale. 16. Frankfort (1-0) The Panthers made new coach Derek Robinson's debut a success as they squeaked by Harrison County 58-57 on the road. This week the Panthers have 3 games. They host Sayre and Paris before travelling to Louisville to take on Doss on Friday. 17. Model (1-0) The Patriots had only a single game last week, but it was a success. They went on the road and dominated Burgin 84-57. They have a full 3 game week this week as they host 3 games: Tuesday against Frankfort Christian, Friday against Garrard County, and Saturday against Mercer County. 18. Berea (1-1) The Pirates dropped their opener against Southwestern 79-50 before rebounding to defeat Eminence 80-72. Berea has only a single game this week as they will travel to LCA on Thursday to take on the Eagles. 19. Frankfort Christian (1-1) The Royals participated in the KCAC Boys Basketball Tournament that they hosted. They lost to Christian Fellowship 62-23 before bouncing back to Jane Buchanan 73-62. Frankfort Christian has a 4 game slate this week: they host Trimble County on Monday, travel to Model on Tuesday, host Kentucky School for the Deaf on Friday, and travel to St. Patrick on Saturday.

There is nothing they can adjust to stop Hampton. He's too good, and Owensboro is way too fast. This isn't Bell County.

Pulaski was able to control time of possession, and the fumbles kept then in it. But they're significantly overmatched.

I saw it mentioned in the game thread, but Miles Edge didn't appear to have played much in this one. Any idea what happened there? He was a real game changer for their offense.

This is not a very inspiring choice. I would almost have rather them have kept Hamden. The couple of times that Stoops seemed to let him call his game, he didn't do too bad.

UK has played 3 good teams. They have lost all 3: one at home, one on the road, and one at a neutral site. They have been remarkably consistent. I have seen nothing out of this team that suggests that they can win this game. Gonzaga 88-74.

Missing Lowe has been a killer to the offense. Brandon Garrison's play has greatly exacerbated Lowe's absence. He had a few moments last season, but he also had times when he tried to be Williams up top, and he just isn't. Moreno has been really good as a freshman. But at this point he isn't a high post player. He's been better inside than I expected out of him this early. But, if Kentucky is missing their point guard, they have to have a player in the high post to run the offense through. Right now they don't have that. I don't know if you go with a smaller lineup and put someone else up there, but what they are doing now is not working. I don't think we'll see Lowe back anywhere near 100% this season, and I'm not sure that we see him back at all. If not, this team is in real trouble.