Mayfield High School, Mayfield, Kentucky, 01-15-08
Several years ago, someone came into my office and asked about a place called "Carlizzle County." I had them point to it on the map, and they pointed to Carlisle County. By no stretch of the imagination am I proficient in "Snoop-speak," but I now call it "Carlizzle sizzle fo-shizzle." The Comets sizzled fo-shizzle in the "Pearl of the Purchase" on Tuesday night. Well, sizzling is a bit of stretch, but they did snatch a victory from the Cardinals in this First Region match up.
Mayfield entered the game with a 6-5 record in the First Region, but a 7-9 record overall. The Cardinals needed a victory to stay above .500 in the First, but Carlisle County came in with a 6-4 record in the region and 9-6 overall.
The Carlisle County team looked thin, and I only counted 8 or 9 players on the entire squad, so I was surprised to see them open up a three-quarter court, trapping press. Once in the half-court, they dropped back to no-frills 2-3 zone. Mayfield had a lot of trouble shooting over the zone in the first quarter, and they generally had trouble getting the ball in the basket. The Comets seemed to dare Mayfield to take outside jump shots, and it worked for them for awhile. Mayfield made a late charge in the quarter, but the Comets took a 17-14 lead to the break.
Mayfield picked up their defensive intensity, and it created some baskets for them. They needed to play transition basketball to keep Carlisle from setting up their 2-3 zone, which they kept packed tightly in the lane. Mayfield got the lead, but the Comets kept it close with the fantastic outside shooting. Carlisle's Ty Owens was a deadly shot along with teammate Rob Moran (I hope I have that right).
Kudos from the Pick and Roll for the pick and roll. Carlisle County ran a beautiful pick and roll play with the "roller" receiving a pass in the lane from the wing. They ran it several times and scored every time. I love to see that play, and if players execute it right, it works almost every time. They ran one that looked almost like the old "picket fence" play, and Mayfield got caught watching the paint dry.
Mayfield took a 29-28 lead to the locker room at the half.
I thought that Carlisle County was finished. Their players looked wheezy late in the second quarter, and Mayfield's pressure frustrated them.
In the third quarter Carlisle went back to the perimeter and Owens and Moran along with Luke Nichol punished Mayfield with some long three pointers. Mayfield could not get their transition game going again in the third and found themselves playing catch around the perimeter of the Comets' 2-3 zone.
There was some drama at the end of the third quarter. After a Mayfield basket, a Carlisle player step over the in-bounds line as he threw the ball in and turned it over to the Cardinals. Coach Chris Guhy for Mayfield pointed out that there should be more than 0.1 second left on the clock, so they put 0.7 on it. Mayfield threw the ball in, time ran out, and the horn sounded. The teams went to their benches, and the scorekeeper put 8:00 on the clock. The officials had a big confab out on the court with a lot pointing and talking, and, finally, they called both coaches onto the court.
The solution? They put 0.5 on the clock and let Mayfield run another inbounds play. The Carlisle County fans went crazy, screaming at the official. Mayfield missed the shot...again...and we went on with the fourth quarter with Carlisle leading 42-41.
I still thought Carlisle was going to run out of gas down the stretch, but they didn't. The game went back-and-forth throughout the quarter, and except for the Warren Central-Warren East game I attended in December, this was the most exciting game I've seen this season.
Mayfield let this one get away from them. They had plenty of opportunities to win.
First of all, Carlisle County couldn't hit a foul shot to save their lives through most of the game. I had been in Bardwell earlier in the day and snatched a couple of bricks as souvenirs from the wreckage of their courthouse, which was burned on December 26th. I should've brought the bricks with me and let the Comets use them to shoot freethrows. Heck, they shot enough bricks from the line to build their county a new courthouse.
At the very end of the game, when Mayfield had to foul to get possessions, the Carlisle County players sank every one of their free throws. Crazy. The Comets streaked into Mayfield and stole one from the Cardinals, 67-65.
OBSERVATIONS
I'm No Michael Vick: Or am I? I went to this game thinking I had no dog in the fight. The truth is that my father is a Mayfield alumnus, and my family has a long association with that school. I felt myself cheering for Mayfield throughout the game. I've been to several Mayfield football games, including their classic with Danville in the 1985 state championship game. I hadn't been to a Mayfield basketball game since they played in the Louisville Invitational Tournament in 1977 or 1978.
Up to Their Necks in Hock-ett: Mayfield's Tony Hockett is a heck of a ball player. He's got a good shot and can slash to the basket. I enjoyed watching him play. He hit a huge three point shot to keep Mayfield in the game at the very end. They should run more sets for that kid.
TWA?: Carlisle County has a player named Tony Wilson. The Hilltoppers had Tony "TWA" Wilson back in the 1980s. I can assure you, that the Comets' Tony Wilson will not threaten the former Topper as "Tony Wilson Airlines." Trust me.
What's That I Hear: Mayfield's cheerleaders actually cheer. They lead cheers, and I could hear them throughout the game. They didn't do any routines during the game or at halftime. Heck, if they had pom-poms, I would've thought I had entered a time warp.
The Dome: If anyone has seen Mayfield High School, they'd never forget the dome over the gymnasium. It is big and white and looks like a miniature Houston Astrodome. I remember when they were building it because my aunt lived on South First Street, which ended in the school's parking lot. I was a little kid, and the thing was a marvel to me.
They call it the Mayfield Sports Arena, and it really is an arena. I have to say that it is the best high school basketball facility I've been in. The court is well lighted, and the home team's side has comfortable chairback seats about halfway up the stands. Wooden bleachers fill the rest of the arena. They are close to the court and nothing obscures fans view of the court. It's fantastic. It's too bad. I give it the Pick and Roll "Three Thumbs Up Award." Former UofL forward Wiley Brown -- as always -- sponsors this award.
If any readers have an opportunity to see a game in this great facility, do not pass it up.
Toe-the-Line: Carlisle County's free throw shooters stepped over the foul stripe twice in Tuesday's game. I haven't seen that happen in years, and I saw it twice in the first half.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Warren East 85 - Metcalfe County 70
Warren East High School, Bristow, Kentucky 01-12-08
It's a wonder that a Star Trek convention didn't break out at Saturday's game at Warren East. The Raiders featured DeAngelo Kirk, and the Metcalfe County Hornets had a center named Will Warf. Kirk and Warf? I started looking for geeky people wearing Star Trek uniforms walking around talking about how they spent last summer at Klingon Language Camp.
The real story from Metcalfe County's game against Warren East is that their star player, Trey Shirley, missed the game due to an illness. No one seems to know what is wrong with the kid, but a couple of Hornets fans told me that they had to run a CAT scan on him last night. All the Metcalfe fans seemed worried about the Shirley and less concerned that their team would be short a player who averages over 20 points a game.
I'm sure that Edmonton has a good hospital. I know that in some small towns if someone needed a CAT scan it might just involve a cat.
Pennyrile Pick and Roll looks forward to seeing Trey Shirley back on the hardwood and wishes him and his family all the best.
There was a large contingent of Metcalfe County fans at the ballgame. I heard one alumnus say, "you can't hide that Hornet pride." They have every reason to be proud, too, because they rolled into Friday's game with an impressive 13-1 record, with their only loss coming to a school from Washington, D.C. They were undefeated in the region, too.
The Metcalfe County fans were quiet. The only buzz coming from that swarm of maroon clad hornets was about their star player not being with the team. In fact, it is possibly the quietest basketball crowd of which I've been a part. Both sets of fans sat in the stands almost as if they were in church. When the teams started playing, the players didn't even chatter.
In the first quarter Metcalfe and East went at each other like good basketball teams do in a big game. I won't say that they swapped buckets, but one team would surge, and the other would respond. Both teams like to press and will press even after missed baskets. Metcalfe County even pressed after a turnover. They do it well, too.
At the end of the first quarter, the Raiders had a precarious 18-16 lead.
In the second quarter, Metcalfe County's guards kept challenging Warren East's interior defense, and the Raiders kept blocking their shots. I thought maybe they should try to spread Warren East's defense out a little with some perimeter shooting, and maybe that's what the Hornets lack without Trey Shirley in the lineup.
I would later discover something about Metcalfe County that I have missed all season. I think it is something that everyone has missed. They aren't just Trey Shirley. They are a good basketball team, and Will Warf -- the very un-Klingon like post player for the Hornets -- is probably the guy that holds Metcalfe together. I should note that he is Metcalfe's starting quarterback on the gridiron and won back-to-back Region Three Player-of-the-Year awards.
In the second quarter, however, Shenard Holton and Jordan Ellis made some big plays for the Raiders. I like the athletic ability of Ellis, but he's got to learn to move his feet on defense and quit slapping at defenders. He had his third foul with 5:22 left in the half. Ouch! He can't serve his team while doing a Bill Keightly impersonation in the first half.
Warren East expanded their lead to 35-31.
In the third quarter, Metcalfe opened with a tricky match up 3-2 zone. It was a good defense, but they couldn't close the gap between the guards and the baseline players. East's Shenard Holton kept finding a way into the middle of the zone and kept finding ways to score. He finished the game with 15 points.
The Hornets, however, outscored Warren East 18-17 in the quarter and stayed within striking distance of the Raiders.
The fourth quarter didn't turn out too well for Metcalfe. Holton kept getting loose in their zone, and DeAngelo Kirk bombed a couple of three pointers from the wing and hit a couple of nice looking pull-up jump shots -- a lost or dying art in all of basketball. The Hornets' defense seemed to be unable to find Kirk on the wing, and he made them pay for it.
Will Warf kept them in the game. How can someone with a Klingon name counter a team with a player named Kirk? Warf made some impressive moves around the basket in the final frame, and that's when I realized that he's a heck of a basketball player. He's gritty, hard-nosed, and he would not surrender to Kirk and his Raiders. Warf finished the game with 27 points and 13 boards. He also made himself one of my favorite players in the region. I look forward to seeing him play in Diddle Arena in March.
Warren East won the game 85-70. That score does not give a good perspective on what type of ballgame Saturday's game was. The game got away from Metcalfe County in the final minutes. The Hornets played Clinton County the night before in Edmonton, so they looked a little tired. However, Warren East played Allen County-Scottsville the night before and looked fine.
I almost gave my "Charlie Brown Blockhead Award" to Winston Harbison for Metcalfe County. Late in the game, he was whistled for a foul, and he mouthed off to the official, who promptly gave him a technical. I could see the frustration on Harbison's face, so I forgave him. I saw a competitor who doesn't like to lose when he came over to the bench.
The technical foul had no effect on the game except to change the margin of victory. It gave the Raiders a bunch of points near the end of the game, and it took any life left in the Hornets.
Even though the lost, I'm still high on this Metcalfe County squad. The Hornet seniors played on their team that made it to the regional final two years ago (that's off the top of my head, so I hope I'm right), and they play very well together. In the wide open Fourth, several teams have a shot at going to the Sweet Sixteen, but I think Metcalfe has the best chance.
OBSERVATIONS
Yecccch!: Hey, Warren East! Clean your dang bleachers. I started to think that they purposely poured Coca-Cola all over the visitor's bleachers. It reminded me of going to the 99 cent movies at the old Bowling Green Mall when I was in college. I left my shoes in the garage when I got home last night. I've stepped in less nasty stuff at the Kentucky State Fair.
Twin Towers: Forget Bowie and Turpin or Robinson and Duncan. Metcalfe County has Grant and Russell Kindred. I don't know their heights, but they are actually twins. I list their heights at "tall" and be done with it.
Brothers in Arms?: I noticed that the Metcalfe County Roster features three kids with the last name "Shirley." I saw Patrick and Latrel Shirley on Saturday night, and I'm going to take a wild guess that they are not brothers by relation. I'm also going to guess that one of them may be the brother of missing Trey Shirley.
A Proud Tradition: Warren East has a great basketball tradition. They've won 9 Fourth Region championships, and they made it to the state semi-finals in 1997. With guys like DeAngelo Kirk, Jordan Ellis, and Shenard Holton on their squad, they have a real good chance of winning "one for the other thumb." If Russell Malone can get them to play defense without fouling, they could make it past the first week of March.
Chattering Players: I've noticed it in both baseball and basketball in recent years. Players no longer chatter. They don't even squawk to let a teammate know that they're open. Everyone gripes about trash-talking players these days, but I see it exactly opposite. When I was in high school players chattered all the time on the field and on the court. I remember Central High School's players like they were an entire team of Meadowlark Lemons. None of it was mean and a lot of it was funny. Metcalfe County's players walk on and off the court like they're filing into a Sunday School class.
It's a wonder that a Star Trek convention didn't break out at Saturday's game at Warren East. The Raiders featured DeAngelo Kirk, and the Metcalfe County Hornets had a center named Will Warf. Kirk and Warf? I started looking for geeky people wearing Star Trek uniforms walking around talking about how they spent last summer at Klingon Language Camp.
The real story from Metcalfe County's game against Warren East is that their star player, Trey Shirley, missed the game due to an illness. No one seems to know what is wrong with the kid, but a couple of Hornets fans told me that they had to run a CAT scan on him last night. All the Metcalfe fans seemed worried about the Shirley and less concerned that their team would be short a player who averages over 20 points a game.
I'm sure that Edmonton has a good hospital. I know that in some small towns if someone needed a CAT scan it might just involve a cat.
Pennyrile Pick and Roll looks forward to seeing Trey Shirley back on the hardwood and wishes him and his family all the best.
There was a large contingent of Metcalfe County fans at the ballgame. I heard one alumnus say, "you can't hide that Hornet pride." They have every reason to be proud, too, because they rolled into Friday's game with an impressive 13-1 record, with their only loss coming to a school from Washington, D.C. They were undefeated in the region, too.
The Metcalfe County fans were quiet. The only buzz coming from that swarm of maroon clad hornets was about their star player not being with the team. In fact, it is possibly the quietest basketball crowd of which I've been a part. Both sets of fans sat in the stands almost as if they were in church. When the teams started playing, the players didn't even chatter.
In the first quarter Metcalfe and East went at each other like good basketball teams do in a big game. I won't say that they swapped buckets, but one team would surge, and the other would respond. Both teams like to press and will press even after missed baskets. Metcalfe County even pressed after a turnover. They do it well, too.
At the end of the first quarter, the Raiders had a precarious 18-16 lead.
In the second quarter, Metcalfe County's guards kept challenging Warren East's interior defense, and the Raiders kept blocking their shots. I thought maybe they should try to spread Warren East's defense out a little with some perimeter shooting, and maybe that's what the Hornets lack without Trey Shirley in the lineup.
I would later discover something about Metcalfe County that I have missed all season. I think it is something that everyone has missed. They aren't just Trey Shirley. They are a good basketball team, and Will Warf -- the very un-Klingon like post player for the Hornets -- is probably the guy that holds Metcalfe together. I should note that he is Metcalfe's starting quarterback on the gridiron and won back-to-back Region Three Player-of-the-Year awards.
In the second quarter, however, Shenard Holton and Jordan Ellis made some big plays for the Raiders. I like the athletic ability of Ellis, but he's got to learn to move his feet on defense and quit slapping at defenders. He had his third foul with 5:22 left in the half. Ouch! He can't serve his team while doing a Bill Keightly impersonation in the first half.
Warren East expanded their lead to 35-31.
In the third quarter, Metcalfe opened with a tricky match up 3-2 zone. It was a good defense, but they couldn't close the gap between the guards and the baseline players. East's Shenard Holton kept finding a way into the middle of the zone and kept finding ways to score. He finished the game with 15 points.
The Hornets, however, outscored Warren East 18-17 in the quarter and stayed within striking distance of the Raiders.
The fourth quarter didn't turn out too well for Metcalfe. Holton kept getting loose in their zone, and DeAngelo Kirk bombed a couple of three pointers from the wing and hit a couple of nice looking pull-up jump shots -- a lost or dying art in all of basketball. The Hornets' defense seemed to be unable to find Kirk on the wing, and he made them pay for it.
Will Warf kept them in the game. How can someone with a Klingon name counter a team with a player named Kirk? Warf made some impressive moves around the basket in the final frame, and that's when I realized that he's a heck of a basketball player. He's gritty, hard-nosed, and he would not surrender to Kirk and his Raiders. Warf finished the game with 27 points and 13 boards. He also made himself one of my favorite players in the region. I look forward to seeing him play in Diddle Arena in March.
Warren East won the game 85-70. That score does not give a good perspective on what type of ballgame Saturday's game was. The game got away from Metcalfe County in the final minutes. The Hornets played Clinton County the night before in Edmonton, so they looked a little tired. However, Warren East played Allen County-Scottsville the night before and looked fine.
I almost gave my "Charlie Brown Blockhead Award" to Winston Harbison for Metcalfe County. Late in the game, he was whistled for a foul, and he mouthed off to the official, who promptly gave him a technical. I could see the frustration on Harbison's face, so I forgave him. I saw a competitor who doesn't like to lose when he came over to the bench.
The technical foul had no effect on the game except to change the margin of victory. It gave the Raiders a bunch of points near the end of the game, and it took any life left in the Hornets.
Even though the lost, I'm still high on this Metcalfe County squad. The Hornet seniors played on their team that made it to the regional final two years ago (that's off the top of my head, so I hope I'm right), and they play very well together. In the wide open Fourth, several teams have a shot at going to the Sweet Sixteen, but I think Metcalfe has the best chance.
OBSERVATIONS
Yecccch!: Hey, Warren East! Clean your dang bleachers. I started to think that they purposely poured Coca-Cola all over the visitor's bleachers. It reminded me of going to the 99 cent movies at the old Bowling Green Mall when I was in college. I left my shoes in the garage when I got home last night. I've stepped in less nasty stuff at the Kentucky State Fair.
Twin Towers: Forget Bowie and Turpin or Robinson and Duncan. Metcalfe County has Grant and Russell Kindred. I don't know their heights, but they are actually twins. I list their heights at "tall" and be done with it.
Brothers in Arms?: I noticed that the Metcalfe County Roster features three kids with the last name "Shirley." I saw Patrick and Latrel Shirley on Saturday night, and I'm going to take a wild guess that they are not brothers by relation. I'm also going to guess that one of them may be the brother of missing Trey Shirley.
A Proud Tradition: Warren East has a great basketball tradition. They've won 9 Fourth Region championships, and they made it to the state semi-finals in 1997. With guys like DeAngelo Kirk, Jordan Ellis, and Shenard Holton on their squad, they have a real good chance of winning "one for the other thumb." If Russell Malone can get them to play defense without fouling, they could make it past the first week of March.
Chattering Players: I've noticed it in both baseball and basketball in recent years. Players no longer chatter. They don't even squawk to let a teammate know that they're open. Everyone gripes about trash-talking players these days, but I see it exactly opposite. When I was in high school players chattered all the time on the field and on the court. I remember Central High School's players like they were an entire team of Meadowlark Lemons. None of it was mean and a lot of it was funny. Metcalfe County's players walk on and off the court like they're filing into a Sunday School class.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Greenwood 55 - Bowling Green 30
Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 01-11-08
The 14th District is a bear. I've heard people use another word starting with "b" to describe it. With teams like Greenwood, Bowling Green, Warren East, and Warren Central all stacked in one little district it could very well drive fans, coaches, and players to use swear words. Every game played between those four teams is important, and every winter time match up sets the stage for the important games in late February and March. That's when teams live to play another night and other pack up the sneakers, zip-up their gym bags, fold the uniforms and start counting the days until practice starts up in October.
District and Regional tournaments are closer than anyone thinks.
Maybe its good that the Bowling Green Purples got a bad game -- no, an atrocious game -- out of their system in the middle of January. It was awful. I've seen 11 year olds with their first rifle make better shot selections. The Purples made more bad, sloppy passes than a drunk salesman at a Las Vegas showgirl convention. If Coach D.G. Sherrill lined his Bowling Green squad at the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, they couldn't have thrown a basketball into it if they were standing ankle deep in the gulf's emerald waters.
The two teams matched up pretty well in the first quarter. Bowling Green played an active, man-to-man defense and a full court press that frustrated Greenwood. On the offensive end, however, the Purples were tight and played a little scared.
In the first few minutes of the contest, I thought that D.L. Moore had come to play. He seemed to fade throughout the game. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 8 a piece. I thought I was going to be treated to a classic Bowling Green-Greenwood tilt.
Greenwood started attacking the basket in the second quarter. Dee Anderson, Mark Lacy, and Austin Reed sliced through Bowling Green's defense and found ways to get the ball in the basket. I was a little surprised because I thought Blane Embry might rely on perimeter play to shoot over the Purples size advantage. He chose, instead, to attack them.
The Purples' woes started in the second frame. They through up one clunky shot after another. Their interior players couldn't get open, and the perimeter players bounded into the lane with very little control over their shots or even themselves. Bowling Green managed only 4 points in the second quarter, while Greenwood exploded for 19.
Jerron Nixon picked up his second foul with 6:02 left in the second. I noticed that Bowling Green needs Nixon. But they didn't have him to kick the ball around to, and the rest of the squad looked a little lost. Greenwood's tenacious defense got after them and was largely responsible for BG's dismal performance. The score at the half was 27-12.
I don't know what happened near the end of the quarter, but D.G. Sherrill seemed to take issue with something in the scorekeepers' books. The referees must've given Coach Sherrill a technical foul because Greenwood got to shoot four foul shots with just a little bit of time on the clock. Between Nixon getting into trouble (thankfully for the Purples there wasn't an 18 minute gap in his play) and the stealth technical foul, Bowling Green had landed in a deep, deep hole.
This was my first trip to "The Swamp" for a basketball game. I've been in the gym before when the school is shut down for the summer, but I've been there for work and had no time to look around the place. I see why it is a tough place to play ball. There is no room at either end of the court, and there are a lot of bleachers crammed into what is actually a small building. There were a lot of fans at the game, too, and it was loud until every one recognized that the Purples left their game over on Westen Drive.
I have to say, that the gator painted at mid-court is some of the worst basketball court art I've ever seen. The thing looks like a middle-aged Godzilla after he has spent about 20 years downing Pabst Blue Ribbons and eating ham cracklins.
I wish that Greenwood would call their gym "Alligator Alley." I guess a generation, maybe two, of basketball fans have passed since the Florida Gators played in "Alligator Alley" in Gainesville. I remember listening to Joe B. Hall moan and whine about what a dump that place was. It wasn't so much a dump as it was a place where good SEC teams went to die.
The Gator at mid-court was almost as ugly as Bowling Green's second half performance.
When Greenwood's Bret Barrick nailed a three pointer, making the score 32-12 early in the third, I could see the fight leave the Purples. If anyone told me that the score would be 43-21 at the end of the third quarter, I would've sworn that they were talking about a Bowling Green-Greenwood football game with the Purples winning. That wasn't the case. That was the score at the end of three of Friday's basketball game with the Gators on top.
The fourth quarter was a formality. Nothing notable happened, except that the game mercifully ended. Greenwood won 55-30. Bowling Green never scored double digits in any of the four quarters. Their line looked like this: 8, 4, 9, 9. I've seen baseball teams put up better number through four innings.
Bowling Green drops to 1-2 in the district and 6-3 in the region, while Greenwood moves to 2-2 and 3-5. It's going to be a dogfight come the last week of February.
OBSERVATIONS
It Takes A Village People: Despite all the taunts back-and-forth between the Greenwood and Bowling Green students, when they played "YMCA" everyone in the gym stopped what they were doing and made the letters in sync with the song. For a moment, there was peace in Alligator Alley, everyone united by one of the most bizarre gimmick bands of the 1970s.
He Is DEE Man!: Dee Anderson looked good out on the court in Friday's game. He still sports a knee brace, but he's more mobile every time I see him play. He banged his knee in the first half and left the game and the gym. He was back in the second half as if nothing happened. He's still one of the top players in the Fourth Region. I really enjoy watching him play. Remember, he's just a sophomore.
Texas or Florida?: Greenwood has a player named Austin Disney. I guess this kid is kind of torn between listening to Texas style blues, offbeat college students, and wholesome family entertainment and animatronics. Maybe he's an animatron.
Tell Me Your Name, Son: Guess, sir. I wonder how many times Greenwood's Logan Guess has people trying to guess his name. I wonder if he's a fan of the The Guess Who.
The 14th District is a bear. I've heard people use another word starting with "b" to describe it. With teams like Greenwood, Bowling Green, Warren East, and Warren Central all stacked in one little district it could very well drive fans, coaches, and players to use swear words. Every game played between those four teams is important, and every winter time match up sets the stage for the important games in late February and March. That's when teams live to play another night and other pack up the sneakers, zip-up their gym bags, fold the uniforms and start counting the days until practice starts up in October.
District and Regional tournaments are closer than anyone thinks.
Maybe its good that the Bowling Green Purples got a bad game -- no, an atrocious game -- out of their system in the middle of January. It was awful. I've seen 11 year olds with their first rifle make better shot selections. The Purples made more bad, sloppy passes than a drunk salesman at a Las Vegas showgirl convention. If Coach D.G. Sherrill lined his Bowling Green squad at the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, they couldn't have thrown a basketball into it if they were standing ankle deep in the gulf's emerald waters.
The two teams matched up pretty well in the first quarter. Bowling Green played an active, man-to-man defense and a full court press that frustrated Greenwood. On the offensive end, however, the Purples were tight and played a little scared.
In the first few minutes of the contest, I thought that D.L. Moore had come to play. He seemed to fade throughout the game. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 8 a piece. I thought I was going to be treated to a classic Bowling Green-Greenwood tilt.
Greenwood started attacking the basket in the second quarter. Dee Anderson, Mark Lacy, and Austin Reed sliced through Bowling Green's defense and found ways to get the ball in the basket. I was a little surprised because I thought Blane Embry might rely on perimeter play to shoot over the Purples size advantage. He chose, instead, to attack them.
The Purples' woes started in the second frame. They through up one clunky shot after another. Their interior players couldn't get open, and the perimeter players bounded into the lane with very little control over their shots or even themselves. Bowling Green managed only 4 points in the second quarter, while Greenwood exploded for 19.
Jerron Nixon picked up his second foul with 6:02 left in the second. I noticed that Bowling Green needs Nixon. But they didn't have him to kick the ball around to, and the rest of the squad looked a little lost. Greenwood's tenacious defense got after them and was largely responsible for BG's dismal performance. The score at the half was 27-12.
I don't know what happened near the end of the quarter, but D.G. Sherrill seemed to take issue with something in the scorekeepers' books. The referees must've given Coach Sherrill a technical foul because Greenwood got to shoot four foul shots with just a little bit of time on the clock. Between Nixon getting into trouble (thankfully for the Purples there wasn't an 18 minute gap in his play) and the stealth technical foul, Bowling Green had landed in a deep, deep hole.
This was my first trip to "The Swamp" for a basketball game. I've been in the gym before when the school is shut down for the summer, but I've been there for work and had no time to look around the place. I see why it is a tough place to play ball. There is no room at either end of the court, and there are a lot of bleachers crammed into what is actually a small building. There were a lot of fans at the game, too, and it was loud until every one recognized that the Purples left their game over on Westen Drive.
I have to say, that the gator painted at mid-court is some of the worst basketball court art I've ever seen. The thing looks like a middle-aged Godzilla after he has spent about 20 years downing Pabst Blue Ribbons and eating ham cracklins.
I wish that Greenwood would call their gym "Alligator Alley." I guess a generation, maybe two, of basketball fans have passed since the Florida Gators played in "Alligator Alley" in Gainesville. I remember listening to Joe B. Hall moan and whine about what a dump that place was. It wasn't so much a dump as it was a place where good SEC teams went to die.
The Gator at mid-court was almost as ugly as Bowling Green's second half performance.
When Greenwood's Bret Barrick nailed a three pointer, making the score 32-12 early in the third, I could see the fight leave the Purples. If anyone told me that the score would be 43-21 at the end of the third quarter, I would've sworn that they were talking about a Bowling Green-Greenwood football game with the Purples winning. That wasn't the case. That was the score at the end of three of Friday's basketball game with the Gators on top.
The fourth quarter was a formality. Nothing notable happened, except that the game mercifully ended. Greenwood won 55-30. Bowling Green never scored double digits in any of the four quarters. Their line looked like this: 8, 4, 9, 9. I've seen baseball teams put up better number through four innings.
Bowling Green drops to 1-2 in the district and 6-3 in the region, while Greenwood moves to 2-2 and 3-5. It's going to be a dogfight come the last week of February.
OBSERVATIONS
It Takes A Village People: Despite all the taunts back-and-forth between the Greenwood and Bowling Green students, when they played "YMCA" everyone in the gym stopped what they were doing and made the letters in sync with the song. For a moment, there was peace in Alligator Alley, everyone united by one of the most bizarre gimmick bands of the 1970s.
He Is DEE Man!: Dee Anderson looked good out on the court in Friday's game. He still sports a knee brace, but he's more mobile every time I see him play. He banged his knee in the first half and left the game and the gym. He was back in the second half as if nothing happened. He's still one of the top players in the Fourth Region. I really enjoy watching him play. Remember, he's just a sophomore.
Texas or Florida?: Greenwood has a player named Austin Disney. I guess this kid is kind of torn between listening to Texas style blues, offbeat college students, and wholesome family entertainment and animatronics. Maybe he's an animatron.
Tell Me Your Name, Son: Guess, sir. I wonder how many times Greenwood's Logan Guess has people trying to guess his name. I wonder if he's a fan of the The Guess Who.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Muhlenberg North 54 - Muhlenberg South 50
Muhlenberg South High School, Greenville, Kentucky, 01-08-08
I decided to step out of the Fourth Region again tonight and attend a sweet rivalry game between to cross-county rivals up in the land of thumb-picking guitar players. Ah, yes, Eddie Pennington playing "Cannonball Rag" is almost a soundtrack for traveling through Muhlenberg towns and communities like Greenville, Powderly, South Carrollton, and -- my favorite -- Browder. I know a man who lives about a mile down the road from Browder, and he calls it "Outer Browder."
My wife had a meeting tonight, so when I decided to go to this game it was with the understanding that I would have our four year old and eight year old in tow with me. Traveling with these two is like a tour of bathrooms where ever we go. Whatever they drink goes right through them. It's kind of like me putting motor oil through the engine of my 14 year old pickup truck. It goes in the top of the engine and drains through seals at the bottom. As we were trucking between Rochester and Browder, my eight year old informed me that she had to use the bathroom. She fidgeted as I negotiated the twists and turns of KY 70 through a pitch black night and a driving rainstorm.
She sighed relief when we swung into the parking lot of Muhlenberg South's parking lot. I did too.
There was a big crowd on hand, and the gymnasium was nearly full when we got our tickets and inched our way to the bathroom and eventually to our seats. We were ready for the Suns and the Stars, even though rain clouds sped over Muhlenberg County Tuesday night.
The Suns jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead over their favored rivals. The Stars twinkled into this contest with a 12-2 season record and an unblemished record of 4-0 in the Third Region. Their only losses were against a ranked Louisville Eastern club and Siegel in Tennessee. South, on the other hand, was 6-8 overall and 3-4 in the Third. I was a little surprised at the early run the Suns put on North.
Neither team was shy about launching long range jump shots from nearly anywhere on the court. They launched so many scuds I started looking for Iraqi air force uniforms and national news correspondents wearing gas masks. I'm willing to bet that they caused air raid sirens to sound in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during the first quarter of the game. They were almost as accurate as Iraqis in the Persian Gulf War, too.
I feared for the rims and backboards at South's gym. At the end of the first quarter, the home team had a 17-13 lead.
For the South Suns, a freshman named Michael Civils ran the offense. He was cool and collected on the court, and I would've never guessed him to be a frosh until I found a crumpled up program after the game. He handled the ball well, and he had a good first step to the basket.
A couple of players for the North Stars caught my eye in the first half. Their center, Tommy Oates and a forward/guard named Erin Morris. I'm not sure about his name because I couldn't hear the public address very well, but I know his last name is Morris. He wear #12. Oates, knows how to use his body when he receives the ball on the post, and Morris is a good shooter and drives the lane well. Morris needs to learn to follow his shot instead of posing at the end of his follow-through.
The Suns took a 27-24 lead into halftime, but I knew they would have a tough time holding on to the lead after the break.
After the half, Muhlenberg North opened with a different approach on the offensive end. Instead, of launching scuds and waiting to see if Stone Phillips had to scurry for cover, they attacked the basket. They had a big size advantage on the South, and they decided to use it in the third. Oates got some buckets down low, and Morris, who looks to be about 6'3" took the shorter defenders into the paint.
The Stars outdid the Suns 16-8 in the third quarter and took 40-35 lead.
I thought that South might be done at this point in the game. They had no inside game and depended on the Iraqi air force -- Logan Diedrich and Matt Wolfe -- to try and save their upset bid. Diedrich, who has a quick move into the lane, gave up on that in the second half and only tried to shoot over North's defenders. When he shoots, he launches rainmakers that hit an apex about 10 feet above the rim and zip through the nets.
In fact, one of Diedrich's rainbow shots pulled south within four points, but North hit their free throws and continued to execute their inside game in the fourth quarter. Despite outscoring North 15-14 in the final frame, it wasn't enough to win. It should be noted that South outscored North in three of the four quarters, but the third quarter was what did them in on Tuesday.
North prevailed 54-50.
OBSERVATIONS
Scaramouche: Muhlenberg South's band rocks. I didn't follow their play list in the pre-game because I was worried about getting kids to the bathroom and getting to our seats. In the second half, though, they played "Back in Black" by AC/DC, which no doubt was done to emphasize that black is one of the school colors along with red and yellow. They also played Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." I've never heard a high school band tackle that one until Tuesday night. They did a good job. Can they do the fandango? Galileo magnifico! Bismillah!
Zebra Sparking: I've heard Third Region fans complain that the officials are too nice to Steve Sparks. I'll have to admit that they seemed to be rather chummy on Tuesday night. Maybe Sparks can mouth off to Billy Packer during an important game. Wait! Wrong Sparks. At times I thought I was watching an "eharmony" commercial when one official kept yucking it up with Coach Sparks.
What The Heck?: I noticed Muhlenberg North's students wearing camouflage t-shirts that read "Gitcha Sum..." I just can't even take a guess. I'm afraid to.
Lake Muhlenberg: If anyone attends a game at Muhlenberg South on a rainy night, beware of the part of their parking lot that doubles as a lake. It rained a lot Tuesday night. If it weren't for the parking lot holding water, Drakesboro would be flooded tonight. I thought I was going to have to put red and green outboard lights on my vehicle.
I decided to step out of the Fourth Region again tonight and attend a sweet rivalry game between to cross-county rivals up in the land of thumb-picking guitar players. Ah, yes, Eddie Pennington playing "Cannonball Rag" is almost a soundtrack for traveling through Muhlenberg towns and communities like Greenville, Powderly, South Carrollton, and -- my favorite -- Browder. I know a man who lives about a mile down the road from Browder, and he calls it "Outer Browder."
My wife had a meeting tonight, so when I decided to go to this game it was with the understanding that I would have our four year old and eight year old in tow with me. Traveling with these two is like a tour of bathrooms where ever we go. Whatever they drink goes right through them. It's kind of like me putting motor oil through the engine of my 14 year old pickup truck. It goes in the top of the engine and drains through seals at the bottom. As we were trucking between Rochester and Browder, my eight year old informed me that she had to use the bathroom. She fidgeted as I negotiated the twists and turns of KY 70 through a pitch black night and a driving rainstorm.
She sighed relief when we swung into the parking lot of Muhlenberg South's parking lot. I did too.
There was a big crowd on hand, and the gymnasium was nearly full when we got our tickets and inched our way to the bathroom and eventually to our seats. We were ready for the Suns and the Stars, even though rain clouds sped over Muhlenberg County Tuesday night.
The Suns jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead over their favored rivals. The Stars twinkled into this contest with a 12-2 season record and an unblemished record of 4-0 in the Third Region. Their only losses were against a ranked Louisville Eastern club and Siegel in Tennessee. South, on the other hand, was 6-8 overall and 3-4 in the Third. I was a little surprised at the early run the Suns put on North.
Neither team was shy about launching long range jump shots from nearly anywhere on the court. They launched so many scuds I started looking for Iraqi air force uniforms and national news correspondents wearing gas masks. I'm willing to bet that they caused air raid sirens to sound in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during the first quarter of the game. They were almost as accurate as Iraqis in the Persian Gulf War, too.
I feared for the rims and backboards at South's gym. At the end of the first quarter, the home team had a 17-13 lead.
For the South Suns, a freshman named Michael Civils ran the offense. He was cool and collected on the court, and I would've never guessed him to be a frosh until I found a crumpled up program after the game. He handled the ball well, and he had a good first step to the basket.
A couple of players for the North Stars caught my eye in the first half. Their center, Tommy Oates and a forward/guard named Erin Morris. I'm not sure about his name because I couldn't hear the public address very well, but I know his last name is Morris. He wear #12. Oates, knows how to use his body when he receives the ball on the post, and Morris is a good shooter and drives the lane well. Morris needs to learn to follow his shot instead of posing at the end of his follow-through.
The Suns took a 27-24 lead into halftime, but I knew they would have a tough time holding on to the lead after the break.
After the half, Muhlenberg North opened with a different approach on the offensive end. Instead, of launching scuds and waiting to see if Stone Phillips had to scurry for cover, they attacked the basket. They had a big size advantage on the South, and they decided to use it in the third. Oates got some buckets down low, and Morris, who looks to be about 6'3" took the shorter defenders into the paint.
The Stars outdid the Suns 16-8 in the third quarter and took 40-35 lead.
I thought that South might be done at this point in the game. They had no inside game and depended on the Iraqi air force -- Logan Diedrich and Matt Wolfe -- to try and save their upset bid. Diedrich, who has a quick move into the lane, gave up on that in the second half and only tried to shoot over North's defenders. When he shoots, he launches rainmakers that hit an apex about 10 feet above the rim and zip through the nets.
In fact, one of Diedrich's rainbow shots pulled south within four points, but North hit their free throws and continued to execute their inside game in the fourth quarter. Despite outscoring North 15-14 in the final frame, it wasn't enough to win. It should be noted that South outscored North in three of the four quarters, but the third quarter was what did them in on Tuesday.
North prevailed 54-50.
OBSERVATIONS
Scaramouche: Muhlenberg South's band rocks. I didn't follow their play list in the pre-game because I was worried about getting kids to the bathroom and getting to our seats. In the second half, though, they played "Back in Black" by AC/DC, which no doubt was done to emphasize that black is one of the school colors along with red and yellow. They also played Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." I've never heard a high school band tackle that one until Tuesday night. They did a good job. Can they do the fandango? Galileo magnifico! Bismillah!
Zebra Sparking: I've heard Third Region fans complain that the officials are too nice to Steve Sparks. I'll have to admit that they seemed to be rather chummy on Tuesday night. Maybe Sparks can mouth off to Billy Packer during an important game. Wait! Wrong Sparks. At times I thought I was watching an "eharmony" commercial when one official kept yucking it up with Coach Sparks.
What The Heck?: I noticed Muhlenberg North's students wearing camouflage t-shirts that read "Gitcha Sum..." I just can't even take a guess. I'm afraid to.
Lake Muhlenberg: If anyone attends a game at Muhlenberg South on a rainy night, beware of the part of their parking lot that doubles as a lake. It rained a lot Tuesday night. If it weren't for the parking lot holding water, Drakesboro would be flooded tonight. I thought I was going to have to put red and green outboard lights on my vehicle.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Adair County 70 - North Hardin 44
Adair County High School, Columbia, Kentucky
January 4, 2007
By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent
Well, it's a new year and teams around the Fifth Region are getting back into the meat of their schedule. Friday night, I was really torn over which game to attend. There were so many district and regional match ups that I couldn't make up my mind. I was so torn that even gave Pick and Roll a call for his advice. I needed to go watch Taylor vs. Central Hardin because I haven't written anything on them yet.
So which game did I choose? North Hardin at Adair County. I've been waiting for this game since I looked at who the Indians played after the King of the Bluegrass Tournament.
North came into this game after playing the night before at district foe Central Hardin, a game which the Trojans won 64-54. I would've gone to that game, but I had to work that night.
In my Fifth Region Review, I stated that both of these teams played good in holiday tournaments. I would give Adair the nod on strength of schedule because they played three ranked team in the KOB: University Heights, Trinity, and Ballard. However, North Hardin is a very good and athletic ball team. I had seen both of these teams play and knew that this game could make an early statement in the Fifth. I thought the game was going to be a coin toss because both teams are very good.
North was 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the region coming into this game, and Adair was 11-3 and 5-0 in the Fifth. As I suspected there was a big crowd on hand, and Adair fans are true to their Indians.
North controlled the tap and got into their offense right away. They turned ball over, and I started to notice that the Trojans might not be as pumped up for the game as the Indians. Adair's Corey Helm capitalized on the turnover and busted a three on the right wing. When this kid gets set, watch out, because he hardly ever misses.
Both teams play man-to-man, but North was about a step behind on their end.
Adair was quick to push the ball, and they were ready to run North back up Dixie Highway. North Hardin finally settled down and scored a bucket, but Adair was on the warpath in the first. I believe they did the unimaginable in the first quarter. This is unofficial, but I had them making all their field goals in the frame. They led 18-9.
North Hardin is the type of team that lives and dies by the three. Their best threat, Maurice Gosa, hit six three point shots the night before at Central, but he could not find the mark in Columbia. I'm sure that he missed his first five three point shots in this contest.
Midway through the second, North looked tired. Maybe they had one too many holiday meals. Adair County still had their hot hand and was not going to let up on the athletic Trojans. Darren Ballou began to heat up, and so did their point guard, Nick Fudge, who is Coach Mark Fudge's son.
I asked fans about Ballou to see if any college coaches were looking at him. Most said that his parents like WKU, but no one could say if the Ballou family has talked to Hilltopper Coach Darrin Horn.
Ballou had 10 points at the break, and his Indians led 33-18.
The third began a little ugly for Adair. They started turning the ball over, and it looked as if North was finally ready to show up for this game. They scored a couple of quick baskets and starting feeding their big man LaRod King. This offense helped because Adair's wide body, Cameron Murrell, got into foul trouble. Coach Fudge responded with a smaller lineup and started running against the Trojans. It worked, Adair had a 21 point lead at the end of the third.
Adair County fans could smell victory when the fourth quarter rolled around. Even Coach Ron Bevars had taken his seat on the bench. Adair came into this game rested and ready. Still, I could not believe how the game was shaping up. As I stated, I came in thinking it was a coin toss, but Adair prevailed by 26 points.
The Fifth Region is going to be KY Highway 55 this season. It's got to go through Adair County.
OBSERVATIONS
We'll Take Your Charity: Adair County is a great free throw shooting team. The Indians will make any team going down to the wire with them pay big time.
When I Wish Upon A Star: North Hardin fans say not to pay too much attention to this game because it means nothing. They're wrong. It's wishful thinking. If these two play again, North will think, "man, they've beat us by 26, what else can we do?" They also said that North was tired from playing Central Hardin the night before. I disagree again. They are kids, for crying out loud and kids don't get tired. How can you play and win state tournament games? They are played day-after-day. Now is the time for their players to get ready for those types of games.
It's A Small World After All: When the Adair County fan sitting next to me asked where I was from, I told him Breckinridge County. It turned out that his aunt was my first grade teacher. He said he started going to state tournament games the year Breck won it all in 1995, and he's been back every year since. That paled in comparison to the guy next to him. T.P. Scott has attended 663 state tournament games in-a-row. 663 games! I guess he likes hi basketball. Nice fans in Columbia.
Editor's astonished note: I'd like to meet Mr. Scott, and I hope you gave him the web address to the Pick and Roll. 663 games? I've pondered that, and I have decided that it has to be close to a record or maybe is a record. The Sweet Sixteen is 15 games every year, right? If my ciphering is right, then Mr. Scott has been to the Sweet Sixteen 44 times.
I've thought about all the college, high school, and pro basketball games I've been to in my 41 years, and I don't think I've been to a total of 663. I cut my teeth as a little boy on Kentucky Colonels basketball, Seventh Region (the great Ballard and Male High teams), and UofL basketball. I went to 40 college basketball games in the 1994-95 season (before I was married), and I've held season tickets to WKU basketball for the last six seasons. I'm absolutely astonished.
By the way, Pick and Roll is angling to attend all fifteen games at Rupp this March. It will tax the several dollar budget of the website and then I have to convince my wife and trick my boss.
January 4, 2007
By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent
Well, it's a new year and teams around the Fifth Region are getting back into the meat of their schedule. Friday night, I was really torn over which game to attend. There were so many district and regional match ups that I couldn't make up my mind. I was so torn that even gave Pick and Roll a call for his advice. I needed to go watch Taylor vs. Central Hardin because I haven't written anything on them yet.
So which game did I choose? North Hardin at Adair County. I've been waiting for this game since I looked at who the Indians played after the King of the Bluegrass Tournament.
North came into this game after playing the night before at district foe Central Hardin, a game which the Trojans won 64-54. I would've gone to that game, but I had to work that night.
In my Fifth Region Review, I stated that both of these teams played good in holiday tournaments. I would give Adair the nod on strength of schedule because they played three ranked team in the KOB: University Heights, Trinity, and Ballard. However, North Hardin is a very good and athletic ball team. I had seen both of these teams play and knew that this game could make an early statement in the Fifth. I thought the game was going to be a coin toss because both teams are very good.
North was 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the region coming into this game, and Adair was 11-3 and 5-0 in the Fifth. As I suspected there was a big crowd on hand, and Adair fans are true to their Indians.
North controlled the tap and got into their offense right away. They turned ball over, and I started to notice that the Trojans might not be as pumped up for the game as the Indians. Adair's Corey Helm capitalized on the turnover and busted a three on the right wing. When this kid gets set, watch out, because he hardly ever misses.
Both teams play man-to-man, but North was about a step behind on their end.
Adair was quick to push the ball, and they were ready to run North back up Dixie Highway. North Hardin finally settled down and scored a bucket, but Adair was on the warpath in the first. I believe they did the unimaginable in the first quarter. This is unofficial, but I had them making all their field goals in the frame. They led 18-9.
North Hardin is the type of team that lives and dies by the three. Their best threat, Maurice Gosa, hit six three point shots the night before at Central, but he could not find the mark in Columbia. I'm sure that he missed his first five three point shots in this contest.
Midway through the second, North looked tired. Maybe they had one too many holiday meals. Adair County still had their hot hand and was not going to let up on the athletic Trojans. Darren Ballou began to heat up, and so did their point guard, Nick Fudge, who is Coach Mark Fudge's son.
I asked fans about Ballou to see if any college coaches were looking at him. Most said that his parents like WKU, but no one could say if the Ballou family has talked to Hilltopper Coach Darrin Horn.
Ballou had 10 points at the break, and his Indians led 33-18.
The third began a little ugly for Adair. They started turning the ball over, and it looked as if North was finally ready to show up for this game. They scored a couple of quick baskets and starting feeding their big man LaRod King. This offense helped because Adair's wide body, Cameron Murrell, got into foul trouble. Coach Fudge responded with a smaller lineup and started running against the Trojans. It worked, Adair had a 21 point lead at the end of the third.
Adair County fans could smell victory when the fourth quarter rolled around. Even Coach Ron Bevars had taken his seat on the bench. Adair came into this game rested and ready. Still, I could not believe how the game was shaping up. As I stated, I came in thinking it was a coin toss, but Adair prevailed by 26 points.
The Fifth Region is going to be KY Highway 55 this season. It's got to go through Adair County.
OBSERVATIONS
We'll Take Your Charity: Adair County is a great free throw shooting team. The Indians will make any team going down to the wire with them pay big time.
When I Wish Upon A Star: North Hardin fans say not to pay too much attention to this game because it means nothing. They're wrong. It's wishful thinking. If these two play again, North will think, "man, they've beat us by 26, what else can we do?" They also said that North was tired from playing Central Hardin the night before. I disagree again. They are kids, for crying out loud and kids don't get tired. How can you play and win state tournament games? They are played day-after-day. Now is the time for their players to get ready for those types of games.
It's A Small World After All: When the Adair County fan sitting next to me asked where I was from, I told him Breckinridge County. It turned out that his aunt was my first grade teacher. He said he started going to state tournament games the year Breck won it all in 1995, and he's been back every year since. That paled in comparison to the guy next to him. T.P. Scott has attended 663 state tournament games in-a-row. 663 games! I guess he likes hi basketball. Nice fans in Columbia.
Editor's astonished note: I'd like to meet Mr. Scott, and I hope you gave him the web address to the Pick and Roll. 663 games? I've pondered that, and I have decided that it has to be close to a record or maybe is a record. The Sweet Sixteen is 15 games every year, right? If my ciphering is right, then Mr. Scott has been to the Sweet Sixteen 44 times.
I've thought about all the college, high school, and pro basketball games I've been to in my 41 years, and I don't think I've been to a total of 663. I cut my teeth as a little boy on Kentucky Colonels basketball, Seventh Region (the great Ballard and Male High teams), and UofL basketball. I went to 40 college basketball games in the 1994-95 season (before I was married), and I've held season tickets to WKU basketball for the last six seasons. I'm absolutely astonished.
By the way, Pick and Roll is angling to attend all fifteen games at Rupp this March. It will tax the several dollar budget of the website and then I have to convince my wife and trick my boss.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Barren County 66 - Glasgow 53
Barren County High School, Glasgow, Kentucky
January 4, 2008
I had a tough decision to make tonight. All week I planned on going to the Warren East at Bowling Green game, but this afternoon I realized that Glasgow would tip it up against their crosstown rivals at Barren County High School. I finally decided to head up to Glasgow to catch this important 15th District ballgame.
When I was in high school in Louisville in the 1980s, teams played in front of big crowds. On the night Male High played Moore -- Winston Bennett vs. Manuel Forrest -- about five thousand people attended the old Male High gym. Tonight, when I pulled up to Barren County High School, the parking lot was almost full. My heart started pounding, and I thought about the "old days" before ESPN and network sports convinced everyone that they had to watch professional basketball or big time college basketball before they could enjoy themselves. It reminded me of a time when people went to high school games because it was the most accessible basketball. Too often, these days, I find gyms nearly empty.
That wasn't the case in Glasgow tonight. The gym wasn't full, but a lot of people were there and electricity coursed around the place. I loved Barren County's gymnasium the second I walked into it. It's too bad I forgot my camera tonight because a good photograph would go a long way in conveying the flavor of the place. A Glasgow fan told me that it was built in 1977, and that they put a new court down in 2007. Seats go all the way around the court, and roll-out bleachers are at the top of the gym. Except, one end featured glass windows looking in on a first rate weight room and training facility. It's a very nice venue. If I had one complaint, it would be that the bleachers are not steep enough to allow fans to see the court very well. It's a very minor complaint and one easily ignored.
In the ballgame, Barren County came to play and Glasgow must have left their game on the other side of town. From the opening tip it was as if the Trojans took a rolled-up newspaper and smacked the Scottie dogs right on their cold, wet noses. Steve Riley's cagers scolded, "BAD DOGS," and the Scotties cowered in fear.
The Trojans opened with a sticky man-to-man defense, and Glasgow, which is a relatively young team, could not withstand the pressure. They made turnovers, and if they worked the ball inside, they could not finish the play. By the end of the first quarter I was ready to award them the week's "Bare Wood Award": NO FINISH. The Scotties really did play scared or at best they were tight through most of the game.
Every team has a bad night. Maybe it was Glasgow's night in which nothing worked. They seemed to be sleepwalking through the first quarter and found themselves down 15-5.
The Scotties continued to play scared through most of the second quarter. The Trojans stretched out to a 26-9 lead, and it was looking bleak for the Scotties. The "Dawg Pound," several of whom were decked out in togas, was real quiet. I sat with some Glasgow fans, and they had their heads in their hands throughout most of the second quarter.
But, Glasgow made a small run late in the half that kept the game from getting out of control. They cut the lead down to 26-16. I'm going to give a "Charlie Brown Blockhead Award" to Glasgow's Kerrington Bradley for fouling Blake Crabtree with just 0.8 seconds on the clock. Crabtree hit one of two, which let Barren County take a 27-16 lead into the break.
Fouling with 0.8 seconds is the kind of thing that makes a coach age almost instantaneously. Glasgow Coach John Tinsley probably aged a few months in the last eight-tenths of a second of the second quarter.
At the half, I felt like Glasgow saved themselves from disaster and gave themselves a chance to get back into the game. Still, they let Barren County control the tempo, something they are very good at doing, and the Trojans seemed to control the game.
In the third quarter, Glasgow tried to force the ball down the court and keep Barren County from setting up their half court defense, which stymied the Scotties. Glasgow, however, could not finish their plays. Their players don't help each other out, and a fan pointed out that they never move to the ball when a pass is thrown. They stand and wait for the ball to get to them.
With 1:40 left in the third, Barren County had a 49-23 lead on their rival. I'm not completely sure, but I thought I heard the Barren County public address announce where the Scotties' bus was parked. That was funny. I don't know if it was meant to be funny, but it was.
Barren County had a commanding 51-25 lead. Glasgow managed only 9 points in the third.
I started to wonder what I was missing down in Bowling Green, where the Purples were tangling with the Raiders from Warren East.
Early in the fourth frame, Barren County doubled the score up on Glasgow, 56-28. Ouch!
Glasgow wasn't going to roll over and play dead, though. Behind the leadership of senior Charlie Mudd, the Scotties mounted a late game rally. Mudd made a layup and then hit two quick three pointers, and it was as if he breathed life into his beaten team. I think he had 17 points on the night, 11 of which, I think, came in the fourth quarter. Barren County started playing just to finish the game, and they let Glasgow back into the contest. Coach Steve Riley had rested most of his starters late in the game, but he had to put them back on the floor to stop the little spurt Glasgow was putting on them.
It was too little too late from the Scotties. No one would que up any Led Zepplin "Black Dog" in Glasgow on this night. Barren County pulled out the victory 66-53. The game wasn't as close as the score indicates.
OBSERVATIONS
Life of Riley: It's been since 2000 that a coach not named "Riley" took a Fourth Region team to the Sweet Sixteen. I'm starting to think that a Riley coached team might be in Rupp this spring only it might be Steve Riley's ball team. I've joked for the past three years that they should name the Fourth Region Tournament at Diddle Arena "The Riley Invitational."
February 19th: The Barren County student section started chanting that date during the third quarter of tonight's ballgame. I couldn't figure it out until someone pointed out that several of Metcalfe County's ball players were in attendance. Barren County lost to Metcalfe in Edmonton the other night, and the return game is on Feb. 19th in Glasgow. I wouldn't be so anxious if I were a Barren County fan. Metcalfe has one loss and has yet to lose to a team from Kentucky.
Mother Hubbard: Barren County's Lee Hubbard has "got game." In the second quarter he got a rebound down on the blocks at the right side of the lane. He made a drop step, pivoted and went straight up with the ball without dribbling and without hesitation. I remember listening to Bobby Knight beef about fundamental basketball not getting any attention in sports highlights. Hubbard would've made The General proud tonight. That move was nearly perfect but not flashy. He still got his team a rebound and two points. a Glasgow fan told me that Hubbard is a real good kid. That's pretty good when a player is getting an endorsement from the fans of an arch-rival.
Break Out the Carl Perkins: Glasgow is sporting some flashy blue Adidas this season. I kept hearing Carl Perkins or Elvis singing "Blue Suede Shoes" every time I looked at their feet.
District Implications: Barren County stays right behind Metcalfe, which is 3-0 in the 15th District. The Trojans are 2-1, while Glasgow is even with one loss and one win. Allen County-Scottsville has played just one district game, and they are 1-0. Just like in the neighboring 14th District, a couple of good teams will end their season early, so seeding is incredibly important.
His Name is Mudd: I really like Charlie Mudd for the Scotties. He is the team's leader and a gritty ballplayer.
January 4, 2008
I had a tough decision to make tonight. All week I planned on going to the Warren East at Bowling Green game, but this afternoon I realized that Glasgow would tip it up against their crosstown rivals at Barren County High School. I finally decided to head up to Glasgow to catch this important 15th District ballgame.
When I was in high school in Louisville in the 1980s, teams played in front of big crowds. On the night Male High played Moore -- Winston Bennett vs. Manuel Forrest -- about five thousand people attended the old Male High gym. Tonight, when I pulled up to Barren County High School, the parking lot was almost full. My heart started pounding, and I thought about the "old days" before ESPN and network sports convinced everyone that they had to watch professional basketball or big time college basketball before they could enjoy themselves. It reminded me of a time when people went to high school games because it was the most accessible basketball. Too often, these days, I find gyms nearly empty.
That wasn't the case in Glasgow tonight. The gym wasn't full, but a lot of people were there and electricity coursed around the place. I loved Barren County's gymnasium the second I walked into it. It's too bad I forgot my camera tonight because a good photograph would go a long way in conveying the flavor of the place. A Glasgow fan told me that it was built in 1977, and that they put a new court down in 2007. Seats go all the way around the court, and roll-out bleachers are at the top of the gym. Except, one end featured glass windows looking in on a first rate weight room and training facility. It's a very nice venue. If I had one complaint, it would be that the bleachers are not steep enough to allow fans to see the court very well. It's a very minor complaint and one easily ignored.
In the ballgame, Barren County came to play and Glasgow must have left their game on the other side of town. From the opening tip it was as if the Trojans took a rolled-up newspaper and smacked the Scottie dogs right on their cold, wet noses. Steve Riley's cagers scolded, "BAD DOGS," and the Scotties cowered in fear.
The Trojans opened with a sticky man-to-man defense, and Glasgow, which is a relatively young team, could not withstand the pressure. They made turnovers, and if they worked the ball inside, they could not finish the play. By the end of the first quarter I was ready to award them the week's "Bare Wood Award": NO FINISH. The Scotties really did play scared or at best they were tight through most of the game.
Every team has a bad night. Maybe it was Glasgow's night in which nothing worked. They seemed to be sleepwalking through the first quarter and found themselves down 15-5.
The Scotties continued to play scared through most of the second quarter. The Trojans stretched out to a 26-9 lead, and it was looking bleak for the Scotties. The "Dawg Pound," several of whom were decked out in togas, was real quiet. I sat with some Glasgow fans, and they had their heads in their hands throughout most of the second quarter.
But, Glasgow made a small run late in the half that kept the game from getting out of control. They cut the lead down to 26-16. I'm going to give a "Charlie Brown Blockhead Award" to Glasgow's Kerrington Bradley for fouling Blake Crabtree with just 0.8 seconds on the clock. Crabtree hit one of two, which let Barren County take a 27-16 lead into the break.
Fouling with 0.8 seconds is the kind of thing that makes a coach age almost instantaneously. Glasgow Coach John Tinsley probably aged a few months in the last eight-tenths of a second of the second quarter.
At the half, I felt like Glasgow saved themselves from disaster and gave themselves a chance to get back into the game. Still, they let Barren County control the tempo, something they are very good at doing, and the Trojans seemed to control the game.
In the third quarter, Glasgow tried to force the ball down the court and keep Barren County from setting up their half court defense, which stymied the Scotties. Glasgow, however, could not finish their plays. Their players don't help each other out, and a fan pointed out that they never move to the ball when a pass is thrown. They stand and wait for the ball to get to them.
With 1:40 left in the third, Barren County had a 49-23 lead on their rival. I'm not completely sure, but I thought I heard the Barren County public address announce where the Scotties' bus was parked. That was funny. I don't know if it was meant to be funny, but it was.
Barren County had a commanding 51-25 lead. Glasgow managed only 9 points in the third.
I started to wonder what I was missing down in Bowling Green, where the Purples were tangling with the Raiders from Warren East.
Early in the fourth frame, Barren County doubled the score up on Glasgow, 56-28. Ouch!
Glasgow wasn't going to roll over and play dead, though. Behind the leadership of senior Charlie Mudd, the Scotties mounted a late game rally. Mudd made a layup and then hit two quick three pointers, and it was as if he breathed life into his beaten team. I think he had 17 points on the night, 11 of which, I think, came in the fourth quarter. Barren County started playing just to finish the game, and they let Glasgow back into the contest. Coach Steve Riley had rested most of his starters late in the game, but he had to put them back on the floor to stop the little spurt Glasgow was putting on them.
It was too little too late from the Scotties. No one would que up any Led Zepplin "Black Dog" in Glasgow on this night. Barren County pulled out the victory 66-53. The game wasn't as close as the score indicates.
OBSERVATIONS
Life of Riley: It's been since 2000 that a coach not named "Riley" took a Fourth Region team to the Sweet Sixteen. I'm starting to think that a Riley coached team might be in Rupp this spring only it might be Steve Riley's ball team. I've joked for the past three years that they should name the Fourth Region Tournament at Diddle Arena "The Riley Invitational."
February 19th: The Barren County student section started chanting that date during the third quarter of tonight's ballgame. I couldn't figure it out until someone pointed out that several of Metcalfe County's ball players were in attendance. Barren County lost to Metcalfe in Edmonton the other night, and the return game is on Feb. 19th in Glasgow. I wouldn't be so anxious if I were a Barren County fan. Metcalfe has one loss and has yet to lose to a team from Kentucky.
Mother Hubbard: Barren County's Lee Hubbard has "got game." In the second quarter he got a rebound down on the blocks at the right side of the lane. He made a drop step, pivoted and went straight up with the ball without dribbling and without hesitation. I remember listening to Bobby Knight beef about fundamental basketball not getting any attention in sports highlights. Hubbard would've made The General proud tonight. That move was nearly perfect but not flashy. He still got his team a rebound and two points. a Glasgow fan told me that Hubbard is a real good kid. That's pretty good when a player is getting an endorsement from the fans of an arch-rival.
Break Out the Carl Perkins: Glasgow is sporting some flashy blue Adidas this season. I kept hearing Carl Perkins or Elvis singing "Blue Suede Shoes" every time I looked at their feet.
District Implications: Barren County stays right behind Metcalfe, which is 3-0 in the 15th District. The Trojans are 2-1, while Glasgow is even with one loss and one win. Allen County-Scottsville has played just one district game, and they are 1-0. Just like in the neighboring 14th District, a couple of good teams will end their season early, so seeding is incredibly important.
His Name is Mudd: I really like Charlie Mudd for the Scotties. He is the team's leader and a gritty ballplayer.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Fifth Region Review
When Pick and Roll told me about his idea to start this blog, I told him that I would love to help him out. He knew that I was a fan of high school basketball. At first, I didn't know what kind of approach to take, but then I told myself to just go to games and see what I could come up with. I hope Pick and Roll readers have enjoyed my views so far.
Like Pick and Roll, I, too, have a job, but mine is a little different than his because I work a night shift in Elizabethtown. How do I get to the game? Well, my schedule allows me some days off during the week, but, in turn, I work a lot Saturdays and Sundays. It's really not that bad.
I thought I would give a Fifth Region review:
Adair County Indians
They're quickly becoming one of my favorite teams. They had a great holiday tournament season, but they suffered their first loss to an 11-2 Boone County squad in the Hoopin It up Classic. Then, they traveled to the King of the Bluegrass, where they had a tough first round draw against a very good University Heights team. They lost in overtime. They've played a very tough non-region schedule, which should prepare them for Fifth Region play. I'm sure that is what Coach Mark Fudge was wanting.
Adiar is ledy by 6'7" Darrin Ballou, who is only a junior, and from what I gathered from the KOB, he is catching the eye of some college coaches. The Indians are not wasting any time getting into regional play. They open up the new year with a game against always tough North Hardin on January 4th. Adair is 11-3.
North Hardin Trojans
I saw North Hardin take on John Hardin on December 13th. The Trojans have a slew athletes, led by point guard Maurice Gosa, who is very quick and loves to take people off the dribble. North Hardin was busy during the holidays as well. They went 3-0 in the Athlete's Choice Classic at Bardstown Bethlehem, and then went 2-2 in the KFC-Taco Bell Classic at Marion County, losing to Lexington Paul Dunbar in double overtime. Opponents better watch out for this team's quickness because they flat get it up an down the floor. They also have a good percentage from the three point line. Like I wrote in an earlier post, they have veteran coach Ron Bevars, who has an impressive regional tournament record, so don't ever count them out.
Larue County Hawks
Okay. I've been taking some flack from people around the Fifth Region over Larue County. I live there, and I'm good friends with their head coach, Paul Childress, so, naturally, I'm not going to let anyone talk smack about them. They have a 9-1 record, but some say they've played a weak schedule. However, if fans go back and look at the start of the season, they had three payers, two of whom were starters from last year's team, out with injuries. One of them is still out, and they're all seniors. Coach Childress was forced to play Junior Bryan Bault, who had never played one minute of high school basketball until this year. He must be pretty pleased with his team's early run. Bryan Bault? He's leading the team in points and rebounds.
I also like that Larue's coaching staff consistently teaches their young players. They give them a chance to play and make them learn from their mistakes.
Editor's query: Is the Wonder Woman of Kentucky County Clerks still in office? I always enjoyed working with her and got a kick out of telling people that I was going to meet Linda Carter in Hodgenville.
Bardstown Tigers
The Tigers may be as quick and athletic as North Hardin. I watched them dismantle Green County over the holidays. They are led by Demarco Phillips, who is a smooth, lanky wing player. They started the season with a seven game winning streak, but they ran into a good Allen County-Scottsville team ledy by Pick and Roll's favorite player, Jay "Pickle Juice" Starks. Look for Bardstown to go into regional play wide open and ready to kick into high gear.
Elizabethtown Panthers
I haven't been able to watch the Panthers, normally a Fifth Region power. Lately, they have been on fire, winning five games in a row after dropping four of their first five. Never county out a James Haire coached team. I hope to report on them later.
Taylor County Cardinals
Again, I haven't had a chance to see them play, but they've caught my attention. They beat Elizabethtown in the second game of the season, but they gave the win back to E-town in the championship game of the Coca-Cola Classic. The Cardinals also had a good game against Adair County, losing by only four in Columbia. Loaded with another Gumm as a three point threat, look for Taylor to maybe surprise some teams.
Like Pick and Roll, I, too, have a job, but mine is a little different than his because I work a night shift in Elizabethtown. How do I get to the game? Well, my schedule allows me some days off during the week, but, in turn, I work a lot Saturdays and Sundays. It's really not that bad.
I thought I would give a Fifth Region review:
Adair County Indians
They're quickly becoming one of my favorite teams. They had a great holiday tournament season, but they suffered their first loss to an 11-2 Boone County squad in the Hoopin It up Classic. Then, they traveled to the King of the Bluegrass, where they had a tough first round draw against a very good University Heights team. They lost in overtime. They've played a very tough non-region schedule, which should prepare them for Fifth Region play. I'm sure that is what Coach Mark Fudge was wanting.
Adiar is ledy by 6'7" Darrin Ballou, who is only a junior, and from what I gathered from the KOB, he is catching the eye of some college coaches. The Indians are not wasting any time getting into regional play. They open up the new year with a game against always tough North Hardin on January 4th. Adair is 11-3.
North Hardin Trojans
I saw North Hardin take on John Hardin on December 13th. The Trojans have a slew athletes, led by point guard Maurice Gosa, who is very quick and loves to take people off the dribble. North Hardin was busy during the holidays as well. They went 3-0 in the Athlete's Choice Classic at Bardstown Bethlehem, and then went 2-2 in the KFC-Taco Bell Classic at Marion County, losing to Lexington Paul Dunbar in double overtime. Opponents better watch out for this team's quickness because they flat get it up an down the floor. They also have a good percentage from the three point line. Like I wrote in an earlier post, they have veteran coach Ron Bevars, who has an impressive regional tournament record, so don't ever count them out.
Larue County Hawks
Okay. I've been taking some flack from people around the Fifth Region over Larue County. I live there, and I'm good friends with their head coach, Paul Childress, so, naturally, I'm not going to let anyone talk smack about them. They have a 9-1 record, but some say they've played a weak schedule. However, if fans go back and look at the start of the season, they had three payers, two of whom were starters from last year's team, out with injuries. One of them is still out, and they're all seniors. Coach Childress was forced to play Junior Bryan Bault, who had never played one minute of high school basketball until this year. He must be pretty pleased with his team's early run. Bryan Bault? He's leading the team in points and rebounds.
I also like that Larue's coaching staff consistently teaches their young players. They give them a chance to play and make them learn from their mistakes.
Editor's query: Is the Wonder Woman of Kentucky County Clerks still in office? I always enjoyed working with her and got a kick out of telling people that I was going to meet Linda Carter in Hodgenville.
Bardstown Tigers
The Tigers may be as quick and athletic as North Hardin. I watched them dismantle Green County over the holidays. They are led by Demarco Phillips, who is a smooth, lanky wing player. They started the season with a seven game winning streak, but they ran into a good Allen County-Scottsville team ledy by Pick and Roll's favorite player, Jay "Pickle Juice" Starks. Look for Bardstown to go into regional play wide open and ready to kick into high gear.
Elizabethtown Panthers
I haven't been able to watch the Panthers, normally a Fifth Region power. Lately, they have been on fire, winning five games in a row after dropping four of their first five. Never county out a James Haire coached team. I hope to report on them later.
Taylor County Cardinals
Again, I haven't had a chance to see them play, but they've caught my attention. They beat Elizabethtown in the second game of the season, but they gave the win back to E-town in the championship game of the Coca-Cola Classic. The Cardinals also had a good game against Adair County, losing by only four in Columbia. Loaded with another Gumm as a three point threat, look for Taylor to maybe surprise some teams.
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