QueenoftheSouth

Given the pieces we know of right now, returnees and transfers, what are everyone’s thoughts on the top 5 heading into next season? And top 10 or so players?

I understand your point but it depends on the athleticism and skill set. As good as Shaq was, 2 of him on the floor could hurt a team. Add KD to Shaq,who is only an inch shorter than him, and that’s a lethal pairing any coach would want. I think DCA had a true 5 in Lou, but his lack of strength hurt him if he was forced to guard a strong big man in man.Atteny, while I guess the second tallest player in the region , has a wing skill set. I think he’s a kid that most any coach would put in the floor with another true big. I don’t consider him a “big.” I guess I'm saying it depends on the athleticism of those two bigs/taller kids, primarily their ability to guard the perimeter. Defense is where it can be a liabilityif it forces the team to slow things down or play strictly zone.

I said about 6 months ago that he would likely be the most highly touted recruit to come out of Boyle and one of the top tight ends in the country. I will admit that I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but he has absolutely blown up this offseason. The kid is as good of an athlete as most any football player out there and also happens to be close to 6’7”. You just don’t find that combination very often. There’s just no way to say for sure whether he will end up being the best as an NFL player. Or even as a college player. But the tools are there. The ceiling is very, very high.

I don’t really see it as a high pressure job. I’d say he will be fine if he can just create an environment where the best kids want to play. That will require a good relationship with the football staff and a willingness to work with them. If he can do that and just be competitive, I don’t think he will feel a lot of pressure. And competitive is relative as they won’t have the talent the next few years that they’ve had the last several. That assumes they don’t get football transfers that can help on the court.

Very possible!

It looks like Jamie Todd is the guy. Anyone know anything about him?

So @DearToday & @Rebelstat is this going to be worth the wait?

This does seem to be taking longer than expected. Does anyone know the classroom job availability situation?

I don’t know whether it was NIL specific as UK expected kids to do this before the days of NIL (like Tommy Zeismer), but I do know he wasn’t planning to leave early when he was committed to WVU. We can debate who knows what, but I stand behind my comments on his uncertainty on playing had he stayed. Regardless, that’s in the past now. Boyle needs to work to hire a coach that’ll have a good relationship with the football staff. One that can create excitement around the basketball team again along with a positive culture. It’ll take some time to win again given the departures this past year, but there is significant opportunity to do so over the long term.

Many of these high level football kids love playing basketball. Quisenberry sure did and Driver enjoys it as well. With a different basketball situation, I feel pretty confident Quisenberry would’ve chosen to play his senior year. Maybe UK would’ve pushed harder for him to leave early (than WV did) but, given the situation, I don’t think he was real excited about playing basketball this past year anyway. Point being I think these type kids will most often stick around to play their senior years if Boyle can once again develop a strong basketball culture. Besides, the number of kids that come through Boyle that have the chance to play football at that level will be few and far between.

Are you referring to the coaches or fans?

I’ve heard Atkins from Mercer mentioned by several people. Him and Mcray from Garrard.

I’d be surprised by that given what the talent pipeline looks like, comparatively. But that’d be a good thing if true.

Man, I’ve never understood that narrative. IMO that’s always been more of an excuse for coaches at football schools. Maybe the coach is a little behind their first year but once their system and style is installed, you have a returning corp that is familiar with it all. After that first year, maybe they get off to a slower start in December than other coaches. But come mid-January, there’s no deficit because of football, and certainly not come tournament time. And there is a big advantage to having that good football program in terms of athleticism and strength. It helps to improve all players in those areas.

Very true. Height/size and athleticism are the two things that you can’t teach, right? He’s pretty quick, though not exceptionally so relative to most guards at the NAIA level. NAIA as a rule is a much more athletic brand of ball than D3. I think it’d be tough for him, at least at a higher level NAIA school. Maybe he could be successful at that level. If he were 6’ no doubt. But there’s nothing wrong with D3. Not many high schoolers players are good enough to be successful at that level. It is very good basketball!

I would agree. He’s everything you said above and a fierce competitor. To me, that’s what really separates him. He is a great high school PG. I can see him having success at the D3 level.

I thought whoever won this game would make the final 4 for a matchup against Great Crossing. And I thought they’d have a legit shot to beat GC. After watching that one last night, I do think that’s definitely the case. Montfomeey is a top 10, maybe top 5, team.

You are correct in that the 2 best teams are playing in the finals tonight. It doesn’t always work out that way! I would normally call DCA an 8 point favorite but they’ve almost lost both games so far where I would’ve had them favored by more. Barring meaningful foul trouble by either team, if Mercer can handle the perimeter pressure and have 6-8 turnovers, they have a great chance. They do that and hit 5-6 threes, they likely win the game. I’ll say DCA by 7.

After watching them the other night, I think they have the best chance to beat DCA. Big kid is physical and can stretch the floor. I really like him. He may the best player in the region that no one talks about. Dumphord is very athletic and, if he plays disciplined and his shot attempts come from inside the lane, he can hurt DCA. Those 2 have the potential to get the DCA bigs in foul trouble. And then Hutchinson is a tall/long kid that can shoot and slash. If those 3 play up to their potential, AND their guards are steady, they have a legit shot at knocking off DCA. It comes down to matchups and they have the roster to match up better than any other team in the 12th this year. I’m pitching Southwestern in an upset.

This is literally a toss up. I can’t think of a more 50/50 game than this one.

Britt changed the culture in the girls program. He’s a tireless worker, seems to get buy-in from the kids and his teams are disciplined. Those are the key areas where the program has struggled the most over the last few years. For those very reasons, I think he has to be in the mix if he’s interested.

Do you think they would consider Adams? And Adams them at this point? When Adams took the position at West, I was told that he was only looking to coach another 4 years or so. Similar to Somerset, the 2-3 year outlook at West is better than at Boyle. But unlike Young, Adams has a short window and would be rebuilding during that period. I would think it would be a much tougher sell to him. Here’s a scenario. Adams agrees to 3 more years with Tyler as the associate head coach/head coach in waiting. Adams coached Tyler and they have a great relationship. That’s a scenario that would make a lot of sense.

He’d be an excellent choice if they can get him but his 2-3 year outlook at Somerset is much better than what’s at Boyle right now. Maybe if he thinks about it more long term they can land him.

I hope they can attract quality candidates but I’m afraid it’s a year late at this point. With what was lost to graduation and transfers this year, it’s going to be real tough to be competitive the next couple of years. I say that without knowing what the current 8th grade/freshman talent looks like. If there’s something there, that may well entice someone to come in and rebuild for the future. Also, there’s the continual knock that it’s a football school. While true, I don’t think that should be seen as a negative. Sure, you may get some kids 2-3 weeks later than normal. But the training those kids get does a lot to improve their athleticism and strength and, importantly, draws a lot of talent and athleticism to Boyle. With the right coach who would view it as an opportunity instead of a threat, and work to build a positive relationship with the football staff, it could be a win/win. Point being it shouldn’t scare off a good candidate.