oral32

Holmes? No. 1 Scott Co. Bryan Station & Bryan Station as No. 1, Ballard (top 10), Tates Creek, Conner w/over CC, Henderson Co. (11-1 before tonight)

What a test Coach Henley and A.D. Madrick just put these kids through. Eight games in twelve days (without a loss I might add) with Bryan Station, Ballard, Senecca, Conner, Henderson Co., Tates Creek all very worthy opponets now a victim of a very top notch ball club. All of this coming on the heels of pehaps their biggest win of the year against Scott Co. This group has been put to the test of having to prepare for multiple opponets on consecutive nights for two weeks straight without days of practice to prepare. To Holmes credit they passed and will now settle into a tough rest of the regular season against a group of 9th teams who'll try and make their mark with an upset. Congrats to Coach Henley and the Dawgs, two tourney titles now maybe a day or two of rest before you prepare for the chance to dance in March in Rupp!

!!!!:thumb:

While they do have "talent" every year when was the last time a Holmes or any other 9th region team had two possible high D1 prospects in Pittman & R. Johnson and another great prospect in J. Johnson just don't know at what level of college he will settle out in. Oh by the way Riley is getting some intrest too. So we question when was the last time a 9th had a starting five with that much upside?

Look for Holmes to possibly play some 2-3 zone tonight. Even though Coach Henley does not like to play zone, their zone was quite effective against Ballard. Bryan Station seemed to struggle against the zone of Clay Co. on Saturday. Seemed to force Stations guards about a step out of comfort range. Henley will mix it up and will do whatever it takes to give Holmes the best chance to win.

It was a classic defensive battle. Ballard opened an early lead against Holmes but struggled with Holmes defense after they switched to a 2-3 zone for the rest of the night. Ballard did not get many quick shots and it really slowed the tempo of the game. Holmes likewise struggled in the first half with the quickness of Ballard especially after Pittman went to the bench at the five minute mark of first quarter (with 2 fouls) and did not return until the second half. Pittman became the man in the second half an totally dominated the paint for Holmes. Holmes was up by six with about a minute to play when one of Ballards players hit a shot from the hash mark to cut the lead to three and it got very interesting for the last minute as a Holmes could not hang onto a feed down low giving the ball back to Ballard who turned the ball over, as Pittman got a deflection, and a scramble for the ball ensued as time exired with Ballard not getting a last shot attempt off. Holmes did lead by as much as nine in the second half but Ballards pressure defense and quickness did bother Holmes late.

Don't know who Station plays but it's not Collins, IL they were a no show for tourny due to snow in Chicago area.

Maybe if were lucky we mighy see a Holmes - Bryan Station rematch.

Bryan Station did not "manhandle" Holmes. Holmes lead by 1 after the third quarter and the score was closer than it ended up (alot of fouls late trying to come back). Give Brayn Station their due, but how realistic is it to think that Bryan Station's guard combo can score a combined 61pts. again against the level of competition of Holmes or Scott Co. or any of the other top teams. Maybe just maybe Holmes was looking past Bryan Station and all the others to the matchup with Scott Co. Kids of this age read their press clips and sometimes get a big head let's see how Holmes comes out after this big win next weekend in th Defenders of the Station Tourny.

Classy interview at half with Dickie Beal.

Billy G. dissed the radio guys they are really giving him a hard time for the non-interview.

Do you think Billy G. is having secong thoughts about Euton? Gwyn by far best player for Scott Co.

I'm guessing Newport is wishing the Dawgs had not gotten the wakeup call they got over the weekend in Lexington.

Differnce is basketball can play multiple games on consecutive nights and football can only play once a week. Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

Some how this state has forgotten that we are known for basketball and now it seems that the khsaa has done everything in its power to make us a football state. Kentucky= Bluegrass, Throughbreds, & BASKETBALL. Football drags on way to long and in my opinion you penalize the non-football schools (which I graduated from) by pushing the start date to December 1 instead of middle of November as when I played the game.

I was not ripping that team and agree that they were one of the best classes to come out of Holmes but if you will remeber they should have gone three straight years but after their great Sophmore run they became team turmoil their Junior year, lost one of the players for the year to suspension, and did not go back to Rupp until their Senior year and were great (could of been a three peat 9th region champ). The point I was trying to make was that it would be a shame for this group to let down after last years success and not reliaze their potential and to miss being a very special bunch of kids that could leave their mark on NKY history as a possible State Champ.

It's easy to understand how kids of this age can get over confident and start reading the press clipings of how good their "supposed " to be. They need to just look back a about three years and see what happened to the trio of Rice, Jeffeson, & Hill after their great sophomore run. I believe a loss now could refocus the young Dawgs and they need to remember they have got a bullseye on their back the size of New York because every body wants to beat the best and will bring their A games to the Dawgs. I also know Coach Henley very well and I can tell you he's not happy about his Defense giving up 80+ points. The Dawgs have some tough days ahead of them in the gym with the focus on DEFENSE!

Rico and Riley have to step up and assume the leadership roles. Riley will be handle the point and Rico IS the headliner. Must lead by example and take charge with the loss of Avery and Henderson. They just need to remember you don't have to be vocal to lead just look at Henderson he lead by example of the way he played every day in practice, in the games and most important every possession, he did not take plays off.

Has anyone heard if the Housley kids eligibility has been ruled on by the KHSAA? Just curious after the Euton/Jackson situation.

I think it is silly to think Arrez is going to go to UK (if he decides to) to become a star. This kid is smart enough to know he will be a role player at best, but he is a good enough athlete to improve his game by leaps and bounds. In the UK system he is going to get alot of help playing against great players every day with great instruction to go along with that. Now with that being said he will have to decide if he 1) wants to go to a BIG time D1 program like UK where he will probably see limited action but someday might have the chance to play for a national championship, 2) stay close to home either in Lexington or go to NKU, 3) go to possible Lousiana Tech way away form home and be D1, 4) go a little father away from home EKU, WKU, or some other smaller schools. If he decides to go to UK he will endear himself to the coaches, his fellow players, and the fans of the big blue because he is a heck of a kid who will bust his tail and the fans respect that (just look at how far Bradley and Crawford came in one season under BCG with the respect they gained this year from the fans) and if he does that he will find a much easier time in life after basketball at finding a good job in this state and having a comfortable life.

AMEN brother preach on! Get off this kids back and let the UK coach decide if he is what he wants. Then you can bash a grown man and not a kid for his decision if it does not help the team. P.S. I'll bet he helps the team more than he would hurt it if he decides to go there.

I don't know why a D1 school would not take a chance on Arrez. From what I've seen of him and heard about him he is the type of kid any coach would want. He works his tail off every day, is an incredible athlete (which by the way does not just grow on trees), has one of the most unselfish attitudes for a high school "star" I've ever witnessed. He thinks defense first and foremost and does not get caught up in "I" have to score my points. He has never had to play the point in high school because of talented players (Jefferson, Avery) that is just where they fit into their team better than at the two where as Areez fit better in Holmes scheme as a two guard. This kid is just a flat out winner and who's to say with a couple of years seasoning he could not play the point in college. Other than their three point shooting ability who would you of rather had on you team Travis Ford, Patrick Sparks, or Arrez who would run circles around both of them.

It's clear he let his emotions get the best of him when he left the bench in defense of his player. Any kid this day and time can't let that happen that's why fights do occur. With that being said the KHSAA needs to get some clarification on this rule so in the future there is no contraversy when a kid leaves the bench area. I do know this - Coach Henley would not have wanted to win a state title with Mason without all of their players over an issue such as this. Then all would of said it was tainted title for Holmes if they would have beaten Mason without Setty. He (Henley) is a class act, and if he would have won last night, or wins a title in the future, he will want to win beating the best and not backing into a title. Side Note to the Setty family: don't try and spin this as something it was not he let his emtions get the best of him as alot of young men in his situation do. He didn't committ a crime he simply was caught up in the heat of the moment and he will learn from this for the future. Don't side step the issue, admit your mistake and thank the KHSAA for using fair judgement is this situation.

You would be badly mistaken to think that my friend!

If you don't think Setty being suspended would not have made a difference your crazy. I only saw Mason go seven deep and there was a definte let down for them when the two reserves were on the floor. Setty's size and length helped to make it difficult for Holmes to score even though he did not score well he helped make a difference. On a side note why do officials calling games involving UK to be players get cought up in the hype of the players? I sat behind Mason's bench close enough to the floor to see very well. Several times during the second half Miller was stripped clean by Holmes defenders and fouls were called and Holmes defenders were playing him straight up not trying to block his shots and fouls were called on those shots also giving him chances at three point plays. Also on the defensive side of the ball he clearly got away with two or three fouls that were never called. After a first early foul I looked at my buddy and said that's his last foul for a while and low and behold his second occured late in the fourth and I was not sure it was a foul. When it occured there were two older gentlemen sitting in front of me they looked at each other and said, I quote "that should of have been his fourth" they were not rooting for anyone and seemed very unbiased the whole game. Officials get over the hype of UK players to be and The UK coach setting in the front row. Call it straight up for the other nine players on the court with them. Miller is a great player he does not need your help to be great.