Mojocat

So, presumably, the thinking is, if the kids aren't back in school, as opposed to NTI, they shouldn't play games. I see all these other games from around the state, including in adjacent counties. Are the kids in those counties all physically back in school? Or do those counties just have a different standard?

Yeah, it’s really not a big deal - but I know first hand how sensitive a person might be, even about something insignificant, when it pertains to their kid. Heh. By the way, I didn’t know until digging around on the khsaa site tonight that it does have full rosters, with sizes. I’ve always just looked at the roster on each team’s page in the scoreboard section, which only has name and class. The roster for South Oldham, at least, is laughably dated - some of those measurements have to be at least 2 years old. I suppose a coach has plenty enough to do - this is one thing that could fall through the cracks.....

Goodness gracious, what a tremendous post! That’s a ton of information, and very much appreciated. I focused so far just on South Oldham, where my kid plays. As you later surmised, the height info is questionable (about the only thing I can quibble with in an otherwise excellent analysis). I’m talking specifically about this quote: “Speaking of the bench, South will be almost exclusively guard-oriented when subs come in; six of the remaining seven players on the current roster check in under 6’0” and the seventh – junior Murphy Couvillion – is right at 6’0”. If that’s from Coach Simpson, he’s sandbagging just a little, and if it’s from the KHSAA it’s just off. I just went thru the South roster, and only see 2 kids (of 12) under 6 feet, and only 1 other that I suspect is 6 feet even. I see one that’s 6’6, two others at 6’4, one at 6’3 and three others at 6’2 (including my own, who was 6’2.5 in the kitchen a month ago. Heh). Note, those are all ‘in shoes’ measurements. As we all know, basketball and Hollywood are the two places where in shoes heights are the norm!

People think both are “basketball states”, but it’s not really true. Indiana is a basketball State. Kentucky is a University of Kentucky state. Because UK is known mostly for its basketball program, it’s easy for an outsider to conflate things.

Thank you sir.....

Collins looked really good last night - much better than the other 2 or 3 times I've seen them. Can they perform that well again, two games in succession? And really, it was less about Collins raising its standard than it was McKnight simply putting the entire team on his back and imposing his will. The McKnight I saw last night cannot be easily defended by a high school kid - he is simply too strong and too quick. But OC runs 9 or 10 deep - will that depth enable them to do collectively what maybe none of their kids can do individually?

I am now a true believer in McKnight. Saw him play at South Oldham earlier this year (offensively, at least, had to be his worst game - 8 points I think), and in the King of the Bluegrass. You could see the talent, but the results weren't really deserving of the kind of hype he's gotten on occasion. Last night he was simply really good. Vail is out with 4 two minutes into the 3rd quarter, you think South is going to make a run, and they just didn't. The opposite in fact. He controlled the game on offense. So strong and quick it is very difficult for a high school kid to check him. And as good as he was on offense, he may have been better on the defensive end. Seth Johnson had, I think, 3 points in the earlier matchup, and though he had a few more last night, he was still largely ineffective. McKnight I think gets in his head. Even when he's not guarding Seth, he's able to recognize when Johnson is about to make one of his trademark drives to the hoop, and meets him there to bother the shot or smack it off the glass. And Luke Morrison - first quarter was the first time this year I think I've seen him resemble the player he was last year, at least with respect to his shot. He is among the best high school shooters I've seen, and I'm no longer a young man. Then they put McKnight on him, and I'm not sure Luke hit another 3 all night. He gives up 3 inches to Luke, but his length, his strength, his tenacity just made it very difficult. This has to be somewhat a disappointing season for South Oldham, returning I think the top 8 guys. They just weren't as good this year as expected, and maybe not even as good as last year. That's a different topic. Point to make here is, although it's a disappointing ending, there's no shame in losing to Collins and that kid. He's really good.