OYPreps

Take away 40 plus points and nearly 3/4th of the teams assists and your best defensive stopper and thats enough to make any team average. Scott County is not the same team as last year. The Scott County program has earned the right and deserves to be #1 at the start of the season. Will they deserve to be #1 in the middle and the end of this coming season? They'll have to earn it just like anyone else in the state.

That would apply to all defending champions at the start of a fresh season at any level in any sport.

Those three teams are top 10, but they are not head and shoulders above the rest. There's more than a few teams out west and in Louisville that will be as good or better when the season starts rolling.

Lee Steiden of St. Xavier is a walk-on. Knowles is a free-ride.

Well said. Jordan is extremely hard working and always seems to be improving. On top of that, he seems very humble and only wants to help his team. I agree with shooterX as well. He'll play and contribute at Vandy. Only needs to add some bulk and strength. He's a steal as a walk-on at Vandy.

Prove it.

Well, last year GRC seemed to be pretty toxic to Mason County and Mason County was getting all the hype this time last year too. There 8 to 10 teams that could sieze the #1 spot early next season. Those 3 are not that seperate from the rest of the top 20 if they are in fact the top 3.

Mason County, Scott County, and Lexington Cath will all have cases for #1's to start the season. If you talk to the coaches, they'll tell you that if you think there won't be four or five or even more #1's during the season, you are in for a surprise. I still believe Scott County is the team that should start out the season at the top, then Mason. There are several teams that are more than capable of beating Mason County or Scott County. This season will be a lot different than last year when Scott County being the pure elite team that was level ahead of everyone else.

Here is the field per Riherds: December 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd at Bryan Station Bryan Station Lincoln County Shawnee Wayne County DuPont Manual Henry Clay Perry County Central

Here's the field as posted on Riherds: Event take place in Lexington on January 11th and 12th. Corbin (13th Region) Mason County (10th Region) DuPont Manual (7th Region) Lexington Catholic (11th Region)

The Sporting News also listed about 12 or 15 top high school tourneys for the upcoming season. The Fifth Third Classic and the King of the Bluegrass were both listed.

Couldn't tell you, could be one or could be 20 or more. Never said scout.com and rivals were biased, just that they had one or two people making the calls on those rankings. However, those are just two national ranking services and there are many others and they have other Kentucky HS players listed and some of the same, but in different spots. Rivals and scout.com must be doing something right since they are well respected as is the Sporting News too. The Sporting News' Preseason All-American selections were posted the past two or three seasons here on BGP. It is good to see Kentucky kids getting recognition across the country and hope it continues next year and well beyond, not just in this publication but all.

No, scout.com's rankings are completed by one-man show Dave Telep. There hundreds of ranking services that have different players listed in different spots. For the most part, there are common names listed in the Sporting News as there is listed in a ton of other national scouting services. Still the fact remains, the Sporting News is a national publication (one of the largest) and these player rankings and/or selections will go on shelves all across the country. Kids are getting props from the state of Kentucky and that's a good thing.

No, the Sporting News is not a Louisville based magazine. The Rivals rankings are great, but one or two people (Jerry Meyers and Justin Young) do the rankings themselves and there is more than just one national ranking service. Ironically, Jon Hood played for the Nashville Celtics. Nashville is where rivals' top man Jerry Meyer's lives. And perhaps, just maybe, the Sporting News factors in player's performances at their respective high school rather than just using summer play only. The 16th region is represented strong this year with 2 players. It was represented as well last year too. The "Metro" ranking is listing Louisville players because it IS a selection of top Louisville "metro" players. Taylor Stewart is a Lexington kid who is many folks believe is one of the top players in that city. Just does not pull the noteriety. He may have been selected as the top player at UC's Elite camp and got a great review from a national ranking service (not Rivals). Garrison Collins is a June Buchanan player is selected from the 14th region. Further proof the Sporting News went outside the cities of Louisville and Lexington to list Kentucky's talent.

Some major props for high school kids in the Sporting News Basketball edition. Mason County's Darius Miller makes 4th team Preseason All-American. Senior Honorable-Mentioned: Guard Adam Decker (PRP), guard Nick Gagel (JTown), G/F Taylor Stewart (Lex Cath), and guard Antonio Sullivan (Iroquois) Underclassman Honorable-Mentioned: Junior guard Jacob Jenkins (Manual), junior forward CJ Penny (Anderson County), and center Garrison Collins (June Buchanan. Sophomores from Rose Hill in forward Dakotah Euton and guard Chad Jackson both on the list and also Aaron Cosby (Manual). The lone Kentucky frosh listed is Tony Kimbro Jr (Manual). Here's the 2007-08 Sporting News' All-Metro Team Top Team: Jacob Jenkins SG 6-4 DuPont Manual (Junior) Adam Decker 5-11 PG Plearsure Ridge Park (Senior) Nick Gagel G 5-11 Jeffersontown (Senior) Antonio Sullivan G 6-1 Iroquois (Senior) Tony Kimbro Jr F 6-3 DuPont Manual (Freshman)

Regroup??? They are defending champions, with or without Mackey. It's the rest of the state that needs to regroup. I'm not so sure how you can regroup yet since practice just began today and Mackey will be missing from day one.

So is 5'6" Dusty Mills from Indiana and he never started for his high school team.

The 7th Region always has 4 or 5 teams in the state's top 25. And the 7th region has had a team in the state finals both of the last two years. Won the title two year's ago with Jeffersontown and barring a super-hero performance by Mackey with a 20 point second half performance leading Scott County back after being down nearly double digits in the 4th, the 7th would have won the last two titles. Rest assured, the 7th will have another team in the finals yet again this year along with 4 or 5 teams in the top 25. Is the 11th the top region, maybe, but the 7th enjoys as much success as them. By the way, the 7th won the King of the Bluegrass last year too. In fact, it was an all 7th title game.

Then why worry? The entire starting line-up at Elliott will make its way to a mid-major D1 program. Its sealed. Matt Thomas is 6-1 right? Where does everyone project him to go? He is quick, strong, can get to the rim as good or better than anyone in the 16th, nice touch from the outside, solid passer too and a tenacious defender. Where will he play?

Being 6-8 does in fact help. If you have a talented 6-1 kid that can play well and you take that kid and make him 6-7, most would guess that with the added height it enhances your chance to play at the next level. Is that wrong? All things being equal, would you rather have a 6-5 PG that can post up shorter players and defend multiple positions or do you want a 5-11 kid that is limited? And Loften is the exception. Those types of stories come by the scarce few.

Very good answer and post. The kid that got the offer from BG does stand at 6-8. None of the other players in question have that height and do stand at 6-1 or lower.

Did Elliott play a tough schedule, that would help in showing that the players deserve some credit while being outside of the 11th. You were pointing out that 3 kids for Elliott would knock 3 kids at Scott County out of starting roles. I would assume Jordan Lee is a lock to start since he's a returning starter which is a legit front-court player with height along with Phares would also be a lock being 6-7. That would mean Portwood and Hundley would be replaced along with Scott County's other back-court starter.

How many top 25 teams did Elliott face last year? Maybe they had a tougher schedule than some believe?

And Scott County beat Boyd by a walloping 85 to 48. Boyd beat Rose Hill by double-digits 54 to 43 in the first round of their district and Rose hill had two top 50 players in the country in their respective class.

Orlando played for Owensboro. Greg Bahn I believed passed away recently.