5wide

Since we're talking messiahs, I feel an Amen! is in order for this statement... The head coach deserves his share of the credit. He's still the man running the show. But few, if any, can do it by themselves. I know when Breathitt County had their great run in the mid '90's, Mike Holcomb had a top notch staff of assistants working under him. Breathitt County was fortunate to have a great coaching staff and the best wave of talent in school history converge in one period. You're right when you say it's all about TEAM. Good luck going forward.

Having the momentum is just as good a reason to go for it...all you have to do is get two yards on one play to beat X. I think the beginning of OT kills a lot of the momentum. It's a new game and a fresh start. It allows X to regroup. I don't have a problem with either decision. I think both can be justified. And, like a lot of football decisions, it's genius if it works, stupid if it doesn't....that applies for either scenario.

:thumb: I agree. It's one thing to lose some linemen. It's quite another to lose all five starters. I think the #9 ranking is justified. One of two things will happen it seems...either they've got 5 guys ready to step in and keep the ball rolling, or casual football fans in Somerset will be trying to figure out why their returning QB, WR's and RB aren't the same offense they've grown accustomed to watching. In fairness, I can understand the Somerset perspective as well. As a fan, if you return a lot offensive skill players, you don't expect a big dip in offense. You expect your team to find guys who can adequately replace the losses on the o-line. But, fortunately they're in a weak class. That helps.

For those with MacBooks...how is the 13" screen? I don't think I've used a screen that small before and I was afraid I wouldn't like it. But, I also don't want to pay $600 for a screen that's 2" bigger and a backlit keyboard.

I'm planning on getting a MacBook if I buy a new computer. But, I always thought it was interesting that people compare all computers to Macs. Like DF pointed out, I think it would be more applicable to compare PC's of a similar price. Nobody compares cheap Fender acoustic guitars to Martin D-28's. My wife has an HP laptop, not sure of the cost, but it's been pretty good and it's probably 5-6 years old at least. BTW, thanks hb for the beard. You guys can be a little confusing.

Last 10 years... Regional Championships 7 = Mason County, Warren Central 6 = South Laurel, Shelby Valley 5 = Christian County 4 = Paducah Tilghman, North Hardin, Ballard, Holmes, Hazard 3 = Scott County, University Heights, Owensboro, PRP, Lexington Catholic, Corbin, Elliott County Scott County has won three regional championships in the last 10 years. That ties them for 11th on the list. Sixteen teams have made as many, or more, trips to the Sweet 16 as Scott County in that span. Finals Appearances - Mason County (3), Ballard (3), Warren Central (2), Holmes (2), Paducah Tilghman, Apollo, Central, Jeffersontown, Male, Scott County, Lexington Catholic, Lafayette, South Laurel, Shelby Valley Fourteen teams have made appearances in the final game. Four have done so more than once. Scott County hasn't. Championships - Mason County (2), Warren Central, Jeffersontown, Holmes, Scott County, Lexington Catholic, Lafayette, South Laurel, Shelby Valley Nine teams have won championships. Only Mason County has won two in that span. The KHSAA really needs to do something about Scott County. The results prove that nobody else has a chance. :idunno: I'm not a Scott County fan, but I've grown tired of the constant complaining about them. Perhaps the case would be more convincing if they had more hardware...3 regional championships and one state championship in 10 years from Scott County would hardly be cause for the KHSAA to switch to a class system.

If that was the case, wouldn't more than 2 mountain teams have won the title in the last 15 years? :idunno:

I was impressed by that. Considering how good he was and how well he'd played prior to Saturday night, I'd imagine it would be hard to play the way he did and put the trust in your teammates. There were times that he could have easily been frustrated and started trying to do too much by himself, IMO. I couldn't help but wonder if that level of trust was a result of 6 years of playing with these guys. The bottom line is Shelby Valley showed up ready to play last week and they brought their A game to Lexington. They could have made a deeper run last year, but Justice and Hatfield were ice cold in the loss to Elliott County...they combined to shoot 12-44 in that game. I'm glad those guys bounced back with a great run this season.

Likewise, I'm not arguing that Polson isn't deserving. He made a fan of me the last two years at Rupp. I was just asking what Polson had accomplished to compare with a Sweet 16 trophy, because you said their accomplishments were a wash.

Calipari doesn't keep a lot of walk-ons, does he?

They also traveled to Louisville and beat J'town to close the season...they beat two of the top teams from the state's toughest region. Just like every other year, people can debate who the best team was if they wish, but Shelby Valley proved to be the best when it meant the most.

More high profile transfers and elite level success would go hand-in-hand, I suppose. Its the same point, however you word it. They get criticized more because they win more. They win more because they have better players. They have better players because more good players come there. The same stuff goes on all over the state. The only difference is that Scott County takes it state championship level, while a lot of others only take it regional championship level. Take Knott Central, for example, their PG, and arguably best player, started his career at June Buchanan. Both of those teams made appearances in Rupp during his career, and he played an instrumental part in both. I could care less if the projected all-state team transferred to Scott County this off-season. If they're cleared by the KHSAA, go for it. There's obviously something in Georgetown that is attracting good basketball players. That's life. :idunno:

When a Mr. Basketball front-runner leads his team to a title and plays the way Justice did, I don't see how you could vote against him. JMO:idunno:

Ballard's game plan was to force Justice to give the ball up and make someone else beat them...double teams, running guys at him, whatever it took. Typically, guys don't fare great offensively when the opponents game plan is dedicated to getting the ball out of his hands and letting other guys shoot. The Valley players delivered and made Ballard pay, but they were put in favorable positions simply because Elisha Justice was on the court. :idunno: I'm not sure what Polson has in his resume to match a state title, but he was a great player who showed up big two years in a row at Rupp.

People move to populated areas...Scott County has undeniably benefitted from that. It is what it is. I agree with LMB. They do what any school would do...they put the best team they can on the court made up of eligible players at their school each year. Kids transferring to and from schools happens all over the state and its more common now...Scott County just gets criticized more because they've achieved the biggest success. They aren't the only "guilty" party...just the most successful. And, for clarification, "guilty" was tongue-in-cheek.

:thumb: You can't put yourself in a block/charge situation with 4 fouls and 7 minutes to play when you're the PG and an important piece for your team.

Had they voted on it prior to the tournament, maybe Sewell gets it. As it is, Justice should be a lock.

If Cal keeps recruiting like he has in recent years, there'll be no shortage of crowd favorites in Rupp.

I won't argue that it might be better to play the title game on a separate day. But, I like it the way it is. There's something cool to me about winning two games on the last day to take the title. :idunno:

What a game...what a finish! Gotta love the State Tournament.

It seems like there are a few schools who are consistently at the top of their region, but just don't have a lot of Sweet 16 appearances to show for it. Clark County, for whatever reason, seems to be one of those teams. I believe they were better than Mason County this season. But, Mason County is headed to Rupp. Congratulations to Mason County for another regional championship, and to Clark County for a good season. There's nothing like Regional Tournament basketball, IMO.

Getting out of the 6th or 7th region any year is a huge accomplishment, but this year's 7th region seemed even more difficult than most. Male is the case in point. They entered tournament play with a 12-13 record, I believe and nearly won the region. And, for anybody who is familiar with the region, it wasn't that surprising. Same with the 6th...Butler lost 6 of 8 heading into to tournament play. They beat the top team in the region, Iroquois, not once, but twice within a week to win the region. I think its always difficult to beat a good team in the District finals and then do it again in the region. Congratulations to all the teams.

Shocking. :lol: I'm sure the Bobcats will find another gem from somewhere across the state to coach their team...:sssh:

It certainly justifies the rating systems (like Cantrall) for having a team with a losing record in the top 25. I've noticed that's something people complain about from time to time, but there's a reason for it. Obviously, they're above .500 now.

The Bobcats are much improved from last year.