EARLE

Congrats to Coach Fraley and KCC on their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1993. They pulled out a hard fought 6 point win over Letcher Central (on LCC's home court) just to get to the region. Then they get the toughest draw possible, beating the home team Breathitt County by 3 points...survive the semi-finals by 1 point as Hazard misses a last second shot...then overcome a 10 point deficit with 2:30 remaining in the game to beat Perry Central in the championship on two free throws with 1.5 seconds.

Tough 4 games just to get to Lexington. I don't understand how this can be considered underacheiving on Coach Fraley's part.

Clay County

DeSales

Arguably in the hot bed of high school baseball in Ky. (Fayette County) there are two coaches that have can legally instruct baseball year 'round in Kevin Clary and Eddie Brooks. In their first years at the helm of each school, Catholic beat Station 9-8 in the regional finals, and Catholic goes on to win the state championship.

Legally they can instruct an 8th grader from ANYWHERE, then under KHSAA rules that student/athlete can enroll at their school and be eligible as a freshman. I'm not saying they have done anything wrong, I'm just saying. It will be interesting to see in the coming years.

It's bad enough that high school baseball players have the facilities and tools necessary to work out year 'round in Lexington, Louisville, and more affluent areas of the state...but now if the best of the best end up going to one of these two schools year in and year out it will become what girls volleyball and 6A football in Ky. have become, a two horse race.

^No thanks. I like Leach, I just don't want him coaching at my schools. I think his style of offense is always going to get shut completely down at least 2 or 3 times a year, no matter who he has playing for him. At UK it would be tough to go bowling now with such as pass heavy offense at UK. And I think the SEC coaches would have a field day with the Air Raid today. A pass happy offense in a league that breeds alot of starting NFL defenders is not the way to go for UK IMO.

I agree with you. But what if we had the QB and the other specialty players to throw the ball? The man and his staff had the #24 recruiting class in the country coming to Lubbock, TX! 6 4-star recruits (including a QB from Texas, WR from Florida, and a RB from Oklahoma) and 19 3-star recruits had committed to TTU.

I would love to see him in Lexington again. Could you imagine if Couch and company's teams had actually worked more on special teams and defense too?

Here's a link to the "shed" and the "electrical room". What a joke! These two areas would be nice high school football dressing room facilities.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2009/12/30/tx.leach.lawyer.shed.cnn

When everything comes out I think Mike Leach will be an even richer man. He was wrongfully fired. His offense is so much fun to watch. I wish we would boot Joker and get him while he's still available.

You want your son put in a sleeper hold so his coach can be in the limelight?

 

Okay...

You didn't say his coach was sleeping with students, partying with students, having outside sources (boosters) give gifts or money to recruits, doing drugs or offering drugs to the players....

Personally I think there are worse things than a little discipline. You can color it any way you want, I know times have changed. But do you honestly think the old-timers didn't take their belts off sometimes and whip players at halftime for a poor performance? No way you could do this stuff today, it would be on YouTube before the team took the court for the second half.

The game has passed Bobby Knight by, I agree, but he ran a good, clean program at IU and TTU. His track record speaks for itself. He managed to win Nat'l Titles in '81 and '87 when he didn't have the most talented team in the field. Sure, they were upset several times, but I think all in all his teams overacheived because he got the most out of what he had. At times he was probably his own worst enemy because players had to be mentally tougher to play for him.

That is stretching it there, and there isn't any room for that unless something substantial comes out about anything involving it - if it even happens.

It's got to be comforting to know that if something "substantial" does come out about this outstanding recruiting class, that it's good, upstanding, mature kids like DeMarcus Cousins, that don't like attention, we are talking about.

Knight wouldn't let them leave. He put the kids who considered it in a sleep hold.

As a parent, I could appreciate that. Life isn't easy.

Bob Knight started coaching at IU when Rupp was still the coach at UK. The fact is UK was basically given the death penalty in 1953 as they were not even allowed to play in the NCAA regular or post season. Rupp was not even suspended by UK for this.

1989-90, 1990-91 UK wasn't allowed to play in the NCAA tournament. Cliff Hagen and Eddie Sutton were forced out. Emery Package with $1,000 for Chris Mills and Eric Manuel caught cheating on the college entrance exam.

John Calapari is the only coach in the history of NCAA basketball to have 2 different teams stripped of final four appearances.

Wondering if anyone would know the answer to this, does the KHSAA rule on a Fall baseball league that has nothing to do with a high school, yet the players are required by the coach to take a weight lifting class in said high school? I guess what I am asking is, is their some sort of rules violation? The coach of this team is affiliated with the high school. Not a head coach, though. But my understanding is that the high school's head baseball coach is the one that is making the requirement of the players. My son was wanting to play and he is trying to get this class and I am checking to make sure so that he doesn't get disqualified for his senior year. Don't want him breaking any rules.

 

They do have different age groups, but the 16-19 team's players are the only ones required to take this weight lifting class.

I'm assuming your son goes to Knott Central? If so, you guys finally get a young energetic coach that works his tail off, and an asst. coach that proved he could win at June Buchanan School and you want to come on here and question him on a message board? Why not just go to Jamie or Randy and talk to them? First winning season since 2000 at KCC (which was John Meehan's team), first district championship since 2005 (when you were still in the 55th district).

Maybe you should just be thankful that there is interest in baseball in the fall at your school.

All five teams in the 43rd have won at least one state championship.

Lafayette (3) '88, '89, and '92 (state runner-up in '04). Tates Creek (3) '78, 80, and '86. Paul Dunbar (2) '03 and '07. Lex. Catholic (2) '99 and '06. Lex. Christian (1) 2005.

Cumberland High School did dominate the 13th region in the late '80s and early '90s (but they were loaded with fundamentally talented players), seems like they ran off like 5 straight championships from '86-'90. Freddy Maggard and David Shoop were two of many very solid baseball players to play for the Redskins. Maggard was drafted by the Pirates but chose to QB at UK and Shoop went on to play for Morehead. Coach Lewis played on some of these teams, I think?

This makes the Bulldogs 3rd trip to Rupp in the last 4 years.

For the decade (2000-2009)

Big Al (5) 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009

Hazard (4) 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009

PCC (3) 2000, 2004, 2005

JBS, Powell, Whitesburg (1) each, 2007, 2003, 2002

PCC was also regional runner-up (3) times 2003, 2008, 2009

Hazard was runner-up (1) in 2007

I think LCC matches up much pretty good with Hazard. Back had an incredible first quarter in the regular season (I'm talking about several 21'-24' shots) that gave the Bulldogs a double-digit lead early on.

 

LCC can't afford to dig a hole early. But without Campbell, Hazard has no one to slow down Banks. If they can slow down Whitaker and don't let Back kill them again, they will win. Johnson shut down Cox (KCC) in the district and regualr season when he was in the game, he could do the same to Back, if he his given the opportunity.

The difference in the ball game, Warren went to war on the offensive boards in the first quarter, I think he scored the first 6 points for Hazard, all coming off of second opportunities. Cougars were up 11-6, could have been 11-0. Hazard's full court pressure bothered LCC all night causing several turnovers.

I think LCC matches up much pretty good with Hazard. Back had an incredible first quarter in the regular season (I'm talking about several 21'-24' shots) that gave the Bulldogs a double-digit lead early on.

LCC can't afford to dig a hole early. But without Campbell, Hazard has no one to slow down Banks. If they can slow down Whitaker and don't let Back kill them again, they will win. Johnson shut down Cox (KCC) in the district and regualr season when he was in the game, he could do the same to Back, if he his given the opportunity.

According to the KHSAA website, Lee and Hazard didn't play this year. Last year Hazard defeated Lee County 60-59 and 59-46. I agree with the Professor, Hazard had better come ready to play Wednesday night especially if the Bobcats can find a way to defend Back and Whitaker. Physically Lee County can match up with anyone in the 14th.

I think PCC will be to physical for KCC. PCC and LCC in the finals Tuesday night, with coach Raymond Justice making his fourth trip to the Sweet Sixteen. He went three consecutive years with Hager and Hilton at Belfry.

Alot depends on the tepmerature and the individual pitcher. If it's a basketball kid that has only been throwing for a couple of weeks, I think you've got to have a pitch limitation (30 max), and a pitch type limitation (fastballs / change-ups only).

Other factors to consider would be if they play a position when they aren't on the hill and when you plan to bring them back to pitch again. If the temperature is above 60, the kid has been out all fall and winter, and they won't be playing a position that requires them to make a stressful throw (bang bang play from shortstop), or they won't be pitching again for four days. I think 75-90 pitches would be o.k. even in early April. However, the next day at practice or game they should do long running (15-25 min.), cord work, or light dummbell work to help repair their arm.

I think as the temperature and arm strength increases so should the number of pitches.

No way Spurrier should be listed in the same "Legend" category as Bowden and Paterno. He did win a NC at Florida, but he did so at a time when the SEC as a whole wasn't nearly as strong nor did it have the quality of head coaches that it has today. He failed miserably in the NFL and hasn't exactly set the world on fire at South Carolina.

Yeah, you're probably right. But anyone that can lead Duke and South Carolina to bowl games ain't to shabby. Would have been nice to have seen him at UF for 20+ seasons. He really turned that program around, (122-27-1) in 12 seasons for the Gators.

Would have been interesting at UK had Schnellenberger gotten the job after Claiborne left in the late '80s. He won a NC at Miami (FL) and started the Louisville turnaround.

compete every year...

Carroll - USC

Stoops - Oklahoma

Brown - Texas

Tressel - Ohio State

SEC...

Saban - Alabama

Meyer - Florida

Miles - LSU

Richt - Georgia

Petrino - Arkansas

Nutt - Ole Miss

Off to a good start...

Bo Pelini - Nebraska

Peterson - Boise State

Leach - Texas Tech

Whittingham - Utah

Legends...

Spurrier - South Carolina

Bowden - Florida St.

Paterno - Penn St.

If Florida played Utah next weekend, what would be the outcome?

Florida by 20+. Ole Miss by 2 td's over Utah. Had Alabama's offensive line not been decimated by the suspension of Smith, and Wilson given time to pass - Tide by 2 td's over Utah. Give Saban two more years of recruiting, and depth at one or two positions will not kill Alabama.

I'm not so sure a healed up Georgia or LSU would not give Utah or Oklahoma a good game.

I would like to see the SEC cut back to playing only 6 conference games. It is really unfair for them to beat each other up the way they do and then be expected to go undefeated or lose only one game and hope to get into the title game.

Does anyone think Texas, Utah, or USC would have come away with only one loss if they had played Florida or Alabama's schedule? I don't.

Hazard will only get better and better once the football kids get into basketball shape and Whitaker is 100%. Big Al will have them ready by the time the all a classic starts.

KCC reminds me a lot of the JBS team a year ago, hopefully they won't peak out in January like that team did.

A class system would be hitting to close to home for the all mighty cash cow that is the "Sweet Sixteen" in basketball. If softball, baseball, and soccer went to a system with six teams playing for a state championship in their respective sports - with more kids getting exposure, and winning state championships, the KHSAA probably fears that this would cause a ripple effect that could eventually lead to classing basketball. Tradition is what is keeping classification from becoming a reality in baseball in Kentucky. 75-85%of the head coaches are in favor of classification. Eventually it will happen.

Classification would only level the playing field and give more teams a realistic shot of reaching a state tournament. I personally would like to see four classes like the old football alignment.

Nice early season win for the Lady Owls and coach Green. That snapped a 4 game losing streak to Powell County, where the Lady Owls had been outscored 269-180.

Well said, Strike 3. I think you are right on track.

 

I have a hard time believing that the question was really posed, though. Baseball may be turning out more professional players than football and basketball, even at the MLB level, in Kentucky than producing NBA or NFL players. Baseball has made significant strides in some ways, but is significantly behind football and basketball in popularity in Kentucky. The NFL Network recently came to Louisville to film a show on the St. X vs Trinity game for the "Best High School Rivalry" show. The game drew almost 39,000 fans. Football and basketball is discussed in the Courier-Journal and on the Rivals website, but baseball is not much at all. The Courier-Journal's coverage for football and basketball is different than for baseball. Possibly, too, when you look at how big baseball is in other states (particularly down South and out West), the difference is substantial. A beat writer for the C-J once wrote about the increased attendance at a U of L vs U of K baseball game drawing 3-4000. LSU, Arkansas, and Mississippi State lead the country in average attendance at about 7000 per game. Louisvill was estatic to host a super-regional NCAA baseball game 2 years ago an fill their stadium, but the attendance does not compare when Mississippi does the same and draws 26,000 for a game.

H.S. Football is fan friendly because it is conveniently played one night a week Friday, at 7:30. Basketball typically plays two times a week, sometimes three - in an occasional tournament. Baseball gets an eight week window to play 36 games! Games begin the last week of March when it could be 70 degrees one day, snowing the next...so the early season scheduled varsity games usually begin at 5:00 or 5:30 so the teams don't get frosted on in the late innings. If it's above freezing then you play a j.v. game too.

Of the three sports, football, basketball, and baseball, BASEBALL is definitely the best path for a college scholarship. Too many average athletes think they are going to be the next Rex Chapman or Tim Couch when they are in grade school and give up on baseball after they get out of Little League.

2008 LCA graduate Robbie Ross signed for $1,575,000 with the Rangers. He's 5'11", 190 pounds. What if he had decided he wanted to be a QB / PG in middle school? 5'11", 190 probably isn't going to be starting basketball or football in the SEC. He could have gone to any team he wanted to play college baseball though.