wildcatfan

1.I don't think so 2. 4? 3. At least 50 if I remember right? 4.No 5.? 6.Typical age (not a holdback)? Great scorer/outside/spot-up shooter. He had the green light to shoot as soon as he crossed half court. I don't know what his shooting percentage was. Was good from the line and got to go to the line a lot too. Was not a fantastic defender from what I remember. Was a solid contributor at Vandy afterward. I think he helped lead them to the NIT tourney one year, but he was not a standout in college. (Size and athleticism lacking some).

"The question was "letting a senior play JV". You are describing a senior playing just varsity. If he is a "stud" player and he is one of the best players in the school, then he should be on the team and play. A coach shoulld play the best players; unless the best players are not academically eligible or not following team rules. The best 15 should dress and play varsity...no matter what grade they are in. I have seen a coach keep juniors just to play jv with no real hope of them playing varsity their senior year. Then their senior year tell them that you can be on the team but you will sit the bench and get very little quality playing time. Two of the three quit and one opted to sit the bench. Poor tactic on the coaches part. Word is that happened at Boone County last year." Word is that is what happened at Boone last year.

Been to a lot of Boone games the last 5 years or so, and I have not noticed this person, but if a parent is doing that, it is unacceptable, regardless of how bad a coach might be or how frustrated the parents/players are because it teaches kids not to respect an authority figure. Unfortunately, unlike in real life, not all parents/players can move to a new "boss" because of KHSAA eligibility rules or to a parochial school because of affordability. Life is not always fair. There are politics and favorites (just like in the working world), coaches' sons who will play over better players, etc. It is a tough life lesson for 16 to 18-year olds. That said, there are also coaches who may be good people but are just not good coaches for various reasons. If coaches have a track record of not being able to win the respect/support of players and parents, then you can't completely blame the parents. It is a two-way road. Good coaches should be fair, good motivators, good communicators, good leaders, and good with Xs and Os. There's that small percentage of kids who ARE good enough and go on to be recruited for college coaches and/or play in college. Just because one coach may not agree with it or does not see it does not mean that other coaches don't. IMO, those are the types of players that a good coach should be able recognize, adapt to, and build around in order to be the most successful. I would say that if Boone is picked to finish 1 or 2 in the region in most polls, there's a good chance they have 1 or 2 kids who will have the chance to lay college ball, just like the 3-4 they had on last year's team.

Discipline and respect are expected by every coach, but do they earn that respect from their players? Boone's coach has had the most success of his career at Boone, and that is also probably where he has had the best athletes to work with. I believe he had a career losing record in the 10-15 years before coming to Boone. Is the winning following the coach or the players?

Seems like all of these teams were low scoring to me as compared to other areas of the state.

Its funny how parents and players going at least 5 years straight have said the same things. Hard to imagine if you aren't in that situation yourself, I guess.

I don't think you can generalize AAU ball as not having good defense. It boils down to individual players. Some are very good defenders, whether it is in AAU or high school and they play hard regardless. I have talked to several college coaches who prefer the dribble drive and up and down high scoring offenses over the slow half court motion offenses, and they recruit athletes who fit that mold. Let your best athletes make plays, and if your team has several great athletes, no need to constrain them into a slow methodical offense that allows lesser talented teams set up their defense. The lower scoring the game, the beter chance an underdog or lesser talented team has to stay close or win and for refs to decide the outcome.

One could argue that Boone wins the game with a different approach. No need to beat a dead horse, but he group that played for Boone last 3 years or so had been successful every year before Boone and in AAU ball, anyway.

Parents and players close to the Boone program realize this, but outsiders are skeptical. This has been a problem the last few years. The motion half-court offense does not take advantage of athletes. Travis is definitely a top 10 player in NKY. There have been several years of frustrated parents and players.

A team can throw some screens that are high probability without being a passing team, just to mix things up. Spreading the field can help open up their running game. I doubt any changes will happen coaching wise at Boone. Parents voiced similar concerns about the basketball coach a few years ago, and the Boone County principal fully supported the coach.

Boone doesn't have the team speed that other teams like Highlands has. Speed kills in football. Their basketball team has been good the last few years, but I think it will be on its way back down again soon. Boone is almost like an inner city school now. No new housing developments in the area. All of the new subdivisions are in Ryle, Cooper, and Conner's areas. When people move in or to Boone County, they go to those places.

They should enjoy it this year. If Highlands gets realigned to 4A, it will be a nightmare for Holmes.

Boone's style will not change until they have a new head coach. He still follows the Owen Hauck school of offense, which is good enough to be respectable most years, and make the play-offs, but not good enough to beat the best teams. Even when Alexander played, they were too one-dimensional and predictable to win the state championship.

Boone not as good as people thought. Not enough team speed. Too conservative on offense as always. When will they adopt the spread offense or semi-spread like most other NKY teams?

Over 100 committed to play college ball.

Not disagreeing with you. Guard play is why Boone was a big reason why Boone Co. was good the last few years.

Boone also has 6'9" Crabtree, 6'5" McQuery, and 6'4" Burgess. They may be the biggest overall team in the ninth.

Bump Cov Cath, Highlands, and Ryle down some. Move Conner way up. Move Boone up.: 1. Conner 2. Dixie 3. Boone Co. 4. Holmes 5. New Cath 6. Holy Cross

Boone Co. lays a deliberate, half-court, motion style offense that does not really highlight individual talent well, IMO. Many smaller colleges like the dribble drive and run-in-gun, high scoring offense.

Q Rollins is lightening quick, and a great defender and ball handler, and can also dunk, although he is only a 6'0 guard. He was the best player and high scorer on his team and maybe his conference for a few years. I think Miami was interested in him starting in his Junior year when he was with the Shining Stars. He also played AAU for Mike Price, who has a lot of connections with college coaches and is well respected. You are right in that all it takes is to find the right person interested. That's why I think it is also good for the parents and athelete to market themselves too. They are their own best advocates.

Gabbard's walk-on offer to Western KY came from hiis AAU coach's help. His offer to D2 Ashland came from AAU ball. Popp made a couple of visits to Kent State. That interest came from AAU ball. His walk-on offer to D2 Ohio Dominican also came from AAU ball, nor did any of the recruiting he received from D3 schools originate from high school ball or coach. Cotton was a heck of a jumper but did not play AAU ball and did not get recruited by a D1 to my knowledge. Besides jumping, defense, shooting, strength, and ball handling must also be considered. I hope Travis gets to play in college if that is what he wants. He will be Boone's best player and one of the top 10 in the 9th region. Some high school coaches help promote their players well, some don't. My advice is to be your own advocate (or the parents can help).

Reported earlier on this board that he is walking on at WKU. Hopefully that will turn into a partial or full scholarship for him after the first year.

There are also those kids who play for D3 schools that go for free or next to it because of academic scholarship combined with financial aid.

Just stating a fact. Take it however you want.

I'm glad Gabbard's old AAU coach was able to get him in at WKU!