BasketballFan24

I’ll throw out another possible scenario. If Lincoln is unable to get past DCA tonight, when was last time Lincoln, Wayne, and Pulaski all missed the region tournament?

I would definitely agree with you if it wasn’t a senior only award. I know lots of underclassmen that could have won it over the past years. Probably some could have won it 2-3 years in a row but that’s not how it’s set up. All the players you mentioned are good players but a 3,000 and 1,000 guy who usually has his team in contention to win a district and compete in region and has for a long time in my opinion gets the nod.

My opinion this cements Phillips as the POY in the 12th. 3,000 is a monster number and I think he is over 1,000 rebounds as well. Has his team in the hunt as a region contender as well. I know a lot of great players in the 12th but he just stands out with his career numbers.

When it’s close like this year the career numbers have to be the deciding factor in my opinion. Overall numbers not just points per game. Also how has the team done in district and region tournaments? How has player performed on the big stage of those tournaments over coarse of career? Being senior only award career has to be top priority to me.

I think it’s Phillips. Having a good year and has his team in contention for region like the others you mentioned but career numbers are way ahead of tge others. If he don’t get injured is going to score 3,000 and has 1,000 rebounds too.

Yea. Some just don’t get it. Don’t look for the whole picture. You can only play 5 at a time and a coach with the experience he has had the 5 he trusted I’m sure and it almost got them there. The next group would have been in the drivers seat this year if they had stayed and Murray hadn’t went down. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad the kids are doing good where they are and I hope they get college offers and all their dreams come true but don’t come on here downing the school and administration and coaches because they are having a bad season. Don’t help the kids that stuck it out and are trying as hard as they can. It’s about commitment from all year after year to build a winning program. Just takes a few to derail it.

I didn’t ask who should start. I asked who do you replace of the 5 that played most of the minutes. Do you give Sparrow a lot of Ellis’ minutes? The 12th region player of the year and a very efficient offensive player for 4 years in the 12th. Not only that but was the rim protector and back line that made Adkins defensive scheme work and made them the #2 defense in the state. Not to mention grabbing 10+ boards a game every night and some huge ones in the region tournament. Sparrow had showed no sign of being able to do any of that in the minutes he played throughout the season. do you try and play him and Ellis together and take Murray out? Murray was no doubt the best lockdown defender in the 12th and shut Phillips and Fraley down in the region tournament to get them to the championship. How about Doughty does Sparrow or Sexton shoot it from range as well as he did for the season and especially in the region tournament. How about the defensive job he did on Cook in the region semi finals? Tatum was an experienced senior who did his job that was asked of him. Handled the ball, defended well in Adkins scheme and made shots. A kid that was totally bought in to winning. Maybe Sexton could have got a few of his minutes but I assume coach trusted the senior over a sophomore. No way Sparrow can defend that position so again it comes back to defense. Preston is playing D1 ball in Tennessee so that says something about him. Do you sit him for extended minutes? Wouldn’t make much sense. so it really wasn’t about who can score 21 points a game against teams that all have losing records and is the only scoring option since Beasley went down with knee injury. It was about defense and the kids that were bought in to doing it coaches way and what fit his style. It was about senior leadership and trusting those guys but developing the next group to take the reins next year and build off what he did the previous two years. I think he was bought in to the program and heading in the right direction . I’m sure he moved his kid after seeing the lack of buy in from the parents and kids there and he probably will be close behind The administration there hired Hamlin and it was a complete joke for 6 years so they make a move and go get a good coach who comes in and wins immediately but the parents and kids leave anyway. Sounds like the problem there rests with someone other than the administration and coach.

It’s exactly an apple to apple comparison. Boyle has 13 state championships because the parents and kids have been bought in to the program for years and they compete for the good of the team. Mercer doesn’t have that buy in because when they started building that way with a couple of good seasons all the sudden the next group leaves. Not saying Mercer will ever have 13 state championships or even region championships but they had turned the corner from mediocre to a contender the last two years. You mentioned kids barely played so I assume you think that is why the kids left. My question is who gets benched off last years team to get minutes for the others?

Coach Jackson just keeps getting it done. One of the best.

I’m going to say you compare it to Boyle football and the success they have year after year. Boyle graduated a ton from the year before but kids who were good but didn’t get much time waited their turn and learned from the older guys and shined when it was their turn and won a state championship. Mercer was a bucket away from playing in Rupp last year and would have been a contender again this year but the kids and parents got their feelings hurt because they didn’t get time and didn’t want to wait their turn so they left for personal gain. Add injury to Murray who was outstanding in region tournament last year and that’s a lot of holes to fill. I find it hard to be a coaching problem with the success the program had the last two years and the overall success Coach Adkins has had for a long career. As far as football I don’t know why kids are leaving. Don’t follow football closely but program has not been deep in playoffs for a long while.

This can be said for several teams. Wayne is another level with Edwards running things and as good as Pulaski has been early would be a lot better with Anderson.

Actually, DCA did take a loss to Warren Central Saturday. Probably don’t change the rankings though.

Yes. Forgot him. Just unreal in one region.

Hate to hear all the injuries in the 12th this year. If my count is right that is 3 major contributors to their team out. Anderson at PC, Edwards at Wayne and Murray at Mercer. Two are seniors and will lose the best year of their high school career after years of work. Tough break for the kids.

I think Lincoln and Pulaski should be outside the top 5 for now and Wayne up to 3. If Edwards hadn’t got hurt I think Wayne is undisputed 1 with Farmer returning. With what West and DCA return and what they have added are interchangeable 1-2 for now though. Somerset and Southwestern should fill the 4-5 for now. Both return a lot. Like every year Boyle has to be in the conversation, a lot of talent and athletes but always depends on when and if football kids show up.

They are just one of those wait and see teams for me. Yes have talent returning and a top player in the region but seemed to fizzle late last season. Lost big to Somerset late and then just didn’t look great against Southwestern in district. They could win it but Southwestern returns everyone but Dumphord as well and Wayne looked strong at end of season and returns everyone.

If teams stay the same as they ended last season(which we know they won’t), my top 5 would look a little different. The top teams from last year all have major holes to fill. DCA has no one on that roster to fill the shoes of Boyd. Atteny now is alone on the back of the 3-2 and all be it a force to be reckoned with can be more of the focus of other teams game plan. Mercer has two huge holes to fill with lose of Ellis and Preston. They have some good kids returning though that didn’t see a lot of action because they had such a senior heavy and experienced team. Pulaski to me is a team that will struggle. Fraley is great and experienced but he has battled those knee issues and just looked like it hampered him tremendously in the region tournament. Outside shooting seemed to be their struggle this year and the best one they had is gone. While I wouldn’t count any of these three out they just have to rebuild/reload to get back to last year levels. My top 5 would look like this: 1 Lincoln. Baird and Robbins are a dynamic duo and their young big looked much improved in the region game. Jeff Jackson as always will build a team 2 Wayne. Kendall Phillips is the best player in the region and should be 12th region POY. Kid is smart and has done it year after year. Edwards is a tough PG that will lead them and they have some returning pieces around them. 3 Southwestern. They return Hutchinson and Simpson and have experienced guard play now that they lacked last season. Younger Simpson will give them some added size as well. 4 Somerset. Like someone said earlier they may have best nucleus returning. Absher is really good and Young is great at getting them all to buy in and play together. 5 West. They return some good pieces and can move up from here if the big kid gets more consistent. Murphy is a good leader at PG and Thornton can shoot it but has to do so consistently. I think you put Mercer, PC and DCA in here for now in no particular order followed by Rock at this time. If Craig is healthy and back to his old self then Rock is a team that could move up quickly. The rest will have to get more help than the ones above to get in the mix.

Saw his post game interview and he talked about this. He said it wasn’t anything he or the staff really did. They didn’t really teach form shooting and if you noticed that all the kids had different looks to their shot. He said the kids just worked hard on shooting and got up a lot of shots for muscle memory. He said the kids went out to outdoor courts before playing in Rupp to get the feel of the more open space.

I think this is correct for the 12th in general. There are 8-9 teams in the top 50 in the state for points allowed. DCA is 2, Mercer 3, and West and Lincoln in top 10 as well. I know it’s not all because the offense is bad in the 12th because Mercer and DCA have both played top 25 teams outside the 12th and held them below their scoring averages. I think the defense was good last night and the offenses were very patient and deliberate trying to make the best of each possession.

Livestream said they were 1-15 from three so that is probably why they passed up some late in the game. Probably wise because they got in the paint and scored when needed.

Yes he did. You also probably hit the nail on the head with “upper tier athletes”. Most are athletes and maybe not the most skilled,refined basketball players because they aren’t getting reps that a lot of other kids and teams are. There are exceptions to that of course.

Yes, I think it has been thought by many for a while that the 8 would come from those ten teams. Any thing other would have been a major upset.

End of the road for Webb? I will add they won district last year and runner up the other two years in arguably the toughest district in the 12th. Also just 5 seasons from a state tournament Elite 8. Most seasons not getting most of his kids till December. Tough job. Don’t know who does better in the situation.

Don’t know how Massey works exactly but did notice that 3 of the top 5 in the 12th record was wrong according to KHSAA records. Pulaski is 17-10 on Massey but 16-10 on KHSAA. Mercer is 18-10 on Massey but 19-10 on KHSAA. West is 15-8 on Massey and 16-8 on KHSAA. It said they were using games through 2/22 so all games should be included as none of them played Sunday. Pulaski is now actually 17-10 after their win tonight. How do they get accurate data without accurate input. I’m sure their are more those just happen to be the region I follow.

Don’t know how Massey works exactly but did notice that 3 of the top 5 in the 12th record was wrong according to KHSAA records. Pulaski is 17-10 on Massey but 16-10 on KHSAA. Mercer is 18-10 on Massey but 19-10 on KHSAA. West is 15-8 on Massey and 16-8 on KHSAA. It said they were using games through 2/22 so all games should be included as none of them played Sunday.