Master of the Hardwood

Justin Hicks and Clark Stepp both have opportunities to play d-1 ball. Hicks is a pure shooter and works hard on both ends. All colleges need someone like that, hard to turn down, the only thing that may keep him out of d-1 is his height. I think the Stepp kid, will grow and be about 6'6'' or so before he graduates and will improve tremendously in 3 more years. They should both get the opportunity to represent Eastern Ky at a D-1 college!

It's going to not only be hard for them in that district, but it's going to be hard on everyone in the region to deal with JBS for the next 3 years anyways! Knott has a good group coming back, but Coach Amburgey has a big job with getting them all to play together and as a team. If he can do that they should do well and be 2nd in that district!

Just wondering what everyone thinks about basketball maybe going to 3 or 4 different size schools, and having 3 or 4 state tourneys. A lot of other states do it and it works out great. I know our sweet 16 is the best tourney around, but just wondering with the change in football to an addtional 2 more state champs and are getting almost 90% of the teams in the tourney, will they try and do this for basketball to try and get more teams to the tourney. More teams mean more money at the gates!

Besides the All "A", which was a great accomplishment, what did Coach Spurlock do? He had the best team 3 years in a row by far and got out coached in the district tourney all 3 times. Yes they went to state this year, but i would have to say it was more because of Hicks, Campbell, and that Leslie was upset by Jackson City and JBS was missing their big man! Don't get me wrong, I like Spurlock as a person, I just can't see everyone missing him as Coach! It was time for a change in Hazard, maybe now everyone can just get along and not worry about the silly stuff!

as individual players JBS doesn't have talented defenders, but as a team they work together well and their zone is one of the best around, especially when the big Collins kid is back in the middle! Stepp doesn't play defense because he wants to stay out of foul trouble and Cox is smart and quick, but is still a little small to guard some of the bigger and tougher kids in the region. They will stick with their zone and do really well this year!

Who got the best deal out of all the coaches that changed? and who will have the best team to do something with in the region? Teams with new coaches are: Owsley (but just lost nealy), Jackson City, Hazard (don't know if Hicks is staying or not), Powell, Breathitt, Knott Here is my picks for best possible teams for these new coaches: 1. Hazard, don't know Morris, but if all the kids stay, he has the most talent 2. Powell 3. Knott 4. Breathitt 5. Jackson City 6. Owsley

If I had that team, Tate Cox is a pure point guard, pass first, score second kind of player! If you have Stepp at the two guard on one side and Hicks at the three man on the other side, there would be many three's going up on that team and the two big guys would get all the garbage rebounds and set all the screens! I know i would sure hate to have the problem of too much talent, a good coach would know what to do with it all and keep them all happy!

sorry for the mistake! Glad to hear the knott county boys did well.

Stepp's only fault is when he is trying to do to much and don't rely on his other players sometimes. He has a great running mate in Cox and a monster big man that he should use a lot more. Most of the time he makes the right pass or takes the right shot, but he is still growing up and learning the game and tries o do to much at times when they have missed a couple of shots and when it comes down to a close crunch time whether to pass or shoot, he hasn't yet learned that he is the man they want to take the shot. I do think he has learned from past mistakes and will be ready for a great year.

Is this team all from Knott County??? Or have they added a couple from around the region? Just wondering what to expect from the Patriots and their new Coach Amburgey.

From what i have seen this summer, Lee is not in the top 5. I think they can be with some work, but when they get a little wild and miss a couple from the outside, they miss that dominating big man in the middle to calm them down and get a couple of easy baskets, Coach Wright will have them ready by time season rolls around but right now they are not the top 5.

I know coach Wright does a great job with Lee County but he is a little worried about not having Tyler Rich in the middle to take a lot of the load off of Brandenburg... I think he will be missed more than people think... they should battle a young Powell team for that district, guess we will wait and see what happens.

if no injuries happen this year, i have to believe JBS has a lock on the 14th region, hazard is always hard to beat but these guys will probably play a few times with the All A and wymt tourneys to get a good feel for each other. Pcc is still working out some problems and kinks but are always there in the end because of there great coach, unless the dreaded "DRAW" takes them or hazard out of it yet again. Also don't forget about the wildcats from buckhorn, they have been getting closer and closer and i think they have a chance to win that district this year! 1. jbs unless they lose one of the 3 stars(stepp,cox, garrison ?) 2. Buckhorn 3. Hazard/pcc whoever wins when they draw inthe district. everyone else has lost to many and can't really tell what they will have till we see them!

well not like they used to, but in the 14th most teams back into a zone and you don't really get to see defense like they used to a while back, but sometimes the teams are behind and have to come out of that packed in 2-3 or 1-2-2 z0nes and actually press and run a little! much more exciting that way, but you do have to have the athletes to do it! As for best defensive team, JBS packed in there zone with the big 7'0'' kid back this year, they will make people shoot from the outside and we don't have many that will bring them out of it, other than maybe brandenburg from lee or hicks from hazard and sometimes the bailey kid from pcc! As for best defensive player, i like the stacy kid from pcc to use guarding 1,2 and 3 men, the coach always seems to put him on the best player and he dogs them all over the court giving them a hard time and tires them out and forces turnovers. The Big kid from Buckhorn can play some defense too when he wants too, zack gay,i'm pretty sure his name is, he can run with anyone and block some shots too and is still getting better... Hubbard from leslie is quick but he is a little small and may get posted up in a man to man set, but in a pressing situation he would be a great chaser on someone too!