UK_SPORTS_FAN

Powell is under-rated. They should be top 5. Maybe top 3. Estill is also a top ten team.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My opinion is that Owsley does not have the talent returning to compete with the other teams in the district.

Owsley could be decent, but they graduated more talent than any team in the district last year (and struggled). I just think with their returning talent and high quality coaching the district winner will be between Estill and Powell with Lee as a potential darkhorse. Owsley is a longshot.

Letcher will be the most improved team in the 14th region this year. They may be the most talented team, but must get their young kids experience. They will likely challenge for the title in the 14th by seasons end.

Lee County returns two of the top five players in the 56th district with Brook Bowling and Montana Hobbs. This duo should make Lee a contender in the 56th and also the 14th region All 'A' Classic. Powell will likely be the favorite in the 56th with Lee and Estill challenging them for the top spot. This team very well could be the best team in the 56th by the end of the year.

Owsley will probably struggle this year. They lost their best player in Kendra Combs and another 3 year starter in Corina Thacker. They will play hard, but they can't beat Estill and Powell. I look for Powell to dominate the 56th and possibly win the region.

This years Hazard team could be the best 14th region team since the Hazard team lost in the infamous PRP state semi-final game in 1985. It would be a shame if a player truly felt that a few more shots were more important than a potential top 5 team in the state.

Powell is the best team in the 56th and should be one of the top 2-3 teams in the region. They are loaded this year and the 14th is down.

Perry is always good. They have a great feeder system and one of the top coaches in the state. They may be down a little this year, but overall the 14th is down. They will be in the hunt once again.

Professor, I think you would be surprised at the number of schools in the mountains that would support class basketball. Coaches and school systems want to win. Many mountain schools could compete year-in year-out for state titles if they did not have to go head-to-head with the schools from Lexington and Louisville. --- My biggest problem today is... why are we classed in all sports except basketball and baseball. We should either class them all, or none.

Does anyone know when the Breathitt job will be filled? When was the job posted? Is the Breathitt admin going to wait the full 30 days? If the job is not filled in the next few days, and Doug does eventually accept the position, it puts Owsley in a very difficult spot. If Doug is as honorable as most people say, he should committ to Owsley for next season, or go ahead and resign. If he is going to have faith that Breathitt will keep him beyond one or two seasons, he should have faith they are going to hire him. He needs to make a decision ASAP. -- I am surprised the Owsley admin has not called him in and given him an ultimatum --- either withdraw from Breathitt or resign from Owsley. Owsley County has been very good to Doug. They gave him an opportunity when his home town school wouldn't. Despite winning only 5 games, the Owsley admin. has pledged their full 100% support and backing to Noble for next year and the distant future. He has a secure job, and can be coach there as long as he wants. -- Despite this tremondous support, he evidently does not feel the same and would rather return to the very shaky situation in Breathitt. If this is his choice, he should at least have the honor and decency to resign from Owsley to give them the best opportunity to find an adequate replacement. He owes them that much.

Both programs need stability. They both have struggled lately primarily do to the fact that they have had too much turmoil and turnover in their systems. Hopefully, however things fall, both schools will find quality coaches that will be allowed to develop the talent in their systems for a substantial length of time.

The problem with the transfer rules, as written, is that the KHSAA, and specifically, Brigid DeVries have WAY to much discretion. The rules are also very tough. In each transfer case, there are only two outcomes.... eligible or ineligible. If students are ruled eligible they can move from one school to the next and not even miss one regular scheduled event. If they are ruled inelgilble, they have to sit out an entire year in all sports. I feel that this is a way to steep penalty to place on young children that only have 4 years in HS. There has been many cases that kids lives have been destroyed by this ruling (inability to play = inablity to get college scholarships). I feel that all the transfer by-laws need to be thrown out. There are too many loop-holes, and ways for some districts to "get-around" the rules. Also, the KHSAA has lost all credibility in the issues as most feel that some schools are given "the benefit of the doubt". It is a common opinion that some schools/districts have influence within the KHSAA and can make things happen in transfer situations. I know of one school that up until this season had never had a student ruled inelgible. That is totally amazing.

I have learned that most rumors are NOT true. I don't know if Coach Noble will return to Owsley (he should), but I can guarantee you the Banks will not be there.

Lee v. Jackson City @ 5:00 Perry Central v. Letcher Central @ 8:00