Old School Dr.

I agree with you about those 2 teams being the favorites. It will be very interesting to see how Central comes back together after having the 2 kids from Bell county playing with them all summer. There must have been some folks in Knox County that really didnt want to see those 2 transfer in. Central actually still has some nice players Miller, Williamson and Scalf. to mention a few, Williamson is a real scrapper and a pretty good post player for his size.

There could be some "David vs Goliath" games in March that David might just come out on top in.

Tates Creek was actually only missing one player, but it was their best player (Sparks) Cumberland was without 2 of their top 6 players, one of their 3 year starters (Hogue) severely sprained his ankle the game before the tournament started. Desmond Johnson is a beast and he has some talent around him, watch out for Cumberland

Josh Caldwell will give the first Blackbear team a very good low post veteran to build around, and with some of the good looking young kids from Cawood and Cumberland and I think a couple from Evarts that will compete for some PT should have a very solid team. The future looks very good on the horizon also, with an Excellent group of 7th graders around the county that will be really good in a few years.

There was several strong teams in LCA's bracket (Cumberland, Tates Creek, Montgomery county, Clay County, Franklin Simpson and Hazard) LCA played well, but I think they have a confidence problem against some of the perennial powers in the 11th. They will play a lot of good basketball and win several games, but until they develop a belief that they can compete with the Scott County's, Bryan Station's and Tates Creek's they will not compete very well with them. I think they are capable of being a top 6 or 7 team in the Region and should win the All A Region and make a good showing in Richmond. They play smart, disciplined basketball and have some talent, I wish them well this upcoming year.

Not sure what the enrollment is estimated at, but I think they will be at least 5A, possibly 6A. HDE can probably give some estimated numbers on this. There chances of being competitive would be better in 5A I would think, not to mention the unreal amount of traveling they could have to do as a 6A school just to play district games.

Paul David Creech, Cumberland Junior could be the top shooting guard on that first team.

I doubt if Timmy Knip is 6'7" and even if he is he doesnt really give them a legitimate inside presence due to his slight build, as for Gilliam, he gives them a potential banger, but not mobile enough to be on the floor for them very many minutes. Having said these things, however I do believe they have a very good team and have good enough guard play play to overcome a lot, but a team with very good guard play and a legitimate inside game, and there are a few teams with both in the state, will give them problems.

The main thing that Cumberland must continue to do is to play tough, physical defense, something they have been well known for over the past couple years. Also, another key element to every great team, and yes I think Cumberland can be a great team this year, is playing together as a team, something they also have done very well the last 2 years. The thing they must improve on is developing some key young players to go with their top 4 or 5 veterans to give them the thing most great teams have (depth). This is something the coaches did an excellent job this past summer by getting players, most notably (Kyle Hogue and Tyreke Simmons) along with another kid that has rejoined the team after sitting out his Junior year (Logan Early) who is a 6'1" tremendous athlete that can make the 3 point shot, lots of valuable experience against good competition. With the likes of Desmond Johnson and Garfield Wilson inside and the veteran guard play of 4 year starter Brock Leisge and 3 year starter Brooks Hogue, all seniors, along with a much improved supporting cast (PD Creech, Zach Blanton, very much improved/matured Kyle Hogue and Tyreke Simmons along with Blake Polson and Logan Early the Redskins will have a very potent inside/out attack with quality depth that will make them a team capable of competing with anyone in the state, and could make some loud noise in March 2008

NOT close to being fact IMO. Day is better than St. John, but neither one will be the best post player in the Region. Johnson-Cumberland, Crawford-Corbin and Brumback-Jackson County are all better and can play other positions on the floor also.

Reggie Hanson would actually have to be #1 on the list IMO. He won a state championship and started at UK for a couple years and might have been the best player Kentucky had one year.

I thought it was pretty amazing that Mason County was able to win the summer tournament in Frankfort (without) Darius Miller. That is a pretty big statement and could make them the team to beat in the state. Scott County appears to be beatable this year, but still very strong and probably preseason #1. There will be some mountain teams this year that will be able to compete at a very high level and could make some noise at Rupp Arena in March. Cumberland and June Buchanan will represent All A schools very well and could be strong enough to make some very legitimate noise in March

Mike Granata - Legendary 3 sport star Larry Cockrel - 4 year starter @ Sam Houston State Garrett Gregory - 4 yr starter/2-time all American - Cumberland college Grady Wilson - 4 yr starter - Union College Derrick Akal - 4yr starter - Tennessee Wesleyan College

Yes, you are right HDE. I think Rodney Woods - Lone Jack, Jerry Bird - Corbin, and Frank Selvey - Corbin would have to be in the top 8 mix somewhere, and could possibly toop 5 players.

I think Kenny Baxter was the best I ever saw at Evarts, but I didnt see Hicks. Also, any discussion about the best of all time at Cumberland would probably have to start with a fella by the name of (Mike Granata) played back in the early to mid 60's and is somewhat of a legend in C-town. Another player that would deserve some mention as one of the best players from Cumberland would be one of their current coaches ( Derrick Akal) an unbelievable athlete and an excellent High School and college Player at Tennessee Wesleyan.

Hubbs was not close to being in the same league with Cox or Sanford. Look at the long term results (Cox - all-time leading scorer at Vandy) (Sanford - 4 time NAIA All American and averaged 30 points a game for 4 straight years) WOW, I mean those 2 guys could really play the game. Sanford was drafted in the 2nd round of the cba draft also.

Jones is in a class all by himself in the entire 13th Region, with Ritchie Farmer being the closest to being in the ballpark with him. Charles Thomas, however is probably one of the top 6 or 8 players ever in the 13th Region, and possibly top 5. Wah Wah Jones - Harlan Ritchie Farmer - Clay County Phil cox - Cawood Nick Sanford - Cawood Charles Thomas - Harlan

I think you are putting some of the sophomores a little too high and not showing enough love for some of the upper classmen. They will be very good as they mature, but may not quite be as good yet as you are giving them credit for. I have seen a few sophomore slumps in my time and in the overall growth process the sophomore year is a tough one for most young kids. As for the Cumberland bias, I may have Wilson a little too high right now due to his potential, but I think by March of next year you will see things a little differently. It's all good discussion however and I respect your opinion

Miller and Caldwell are both good players, all I am saying is that IMO come February/march of 2008 Brumback and Wilson will be the 2 best power forwards in the 13th Region. As for Miller, I dont see him as a power forward, but more a shooting forward (a 3). And as for Caldwell, he is a power forward, but I just believe Brumback and Wilson will be better this year, then Josh could be the best pf in the 13th next year.

Cumberland was clicking on all cylinders including some of their young talent and Central got caught in a perfect storm. It was just a summer game, but it showed what Cumberland is capable of being when they put it all together and the one thing that you always get from the Skins that Central saw that day is Defense. Central had 2 probable starters missing, but Cumberland also had one probable starter missing, both teams will be very good this year and I am sure if they ever meet again it will be a much more competitive game.

Hey coach, Cumberland played Cawood in their 2nd or 3rd game of the summer, which was only the 2nd or 3rd game playing with Wilson and were clearly a little sluggish and still handled Cawood pretty easy as cawood hit a couple 3's very late to cut it to a 4 point final. As far as Caldwell hurting Cumberland, that was really not the case, Cawood had only 37 points and Rhymer got hot and had about 25 of them. As for Miller, when Cumberland played Central in the summer Cumberland was a matchup nightmare for them because Johnson can and did guard Miller very effectively. Wilson has a long way to go to get as good as he is capable of being after sitting out a year, but with 20 plus summer games under his belt and an impressive showing at the state aau games he has a good start.

He put up 21 and 10 against Tates Creek who has some of the best athletes in the state (in state aau tourn). Also, if you saw him early in the summer compared to late in the summer there was a big difference after he got 14 or 15 games under his belt and got in a little bit of shape. He will be a major contributor for Cumberland this up coming year. He and Brumback had a heck of a battle down at aau and Brumback if you havent seen him lately is a Beast. Josh Caldwell is a good player too, but I think Brumback and Wilson come February/March 2008 will be in category a notch ahead of all other power forwards in the 13th Region.

Desmond Johnson - Cumberland Josh Crawford - Corbin Nick Brumback - Jackson County Dustin Day - Pineville Brock Leisge - Cumberland Garfield Wilson - Cumberland Josh Seidel - North Laurel Justin Hobbs - Clay County Nick smith - Middlesboro James Strange - Pineville Cody miller - Knox Central Cody Messer - Barbourville Nick Shannon - North Laurel Josh Caldwell - Cawood Brooks Hogue - Cumberland Adam Rhymer - Cawood Josh Whitaker - Bell County Madison Johnson - Corbin Shawnta Zachary - Bell County St John - South Laurel

Little bit of a Bell County bias there LMBoy. 6 of the 10 you mention Are from Bell County/ 3-BCHS, 2-Pineville, and 1-Middlesboro. you need to get out a little and find out what is going on in the 13th.