Lexington Catholic 54 - Owensboro 47
The Owensboro Red Devils just gave one of the best teams in the state a run for their money. Lexington Catholic has a stable full of Division I prospects, and Owensboro has a several good players and Brock Moorman. I don't mean to put down the other Red Devils, but Moorman is the only player on their squad that might get the looks that Vee Sanford, Jordan Smart, or Nathan Novosel get.
The Red Devils outplayed the Knights at times, and they took a narrow 23-21 lead to halftime
In the third quarter the Knights came back and took the lead away from Owensboro. In an effort to stop Catholic's surge, Wayne Breeden, used all his timeouts. With 3:06 left in the quarter, Owensboro had one full timeout left.
The Knights took a 38-32 lead to the final frame.
There was a big crowd at this game, and they were responsive to the action on the court. Tyler Swift drew first blood in the fourth with a three pointer at 6:40 that brought the Red Devils to within three.
That's when Taylor Stewart took over the game for a few minutes for the Knights. He started out with back-to-back slam dunks, and topped his effort off with a three point shot that put the Lex. Cath a 47-36 lead.
Owensboro had one more run left in them, and they pulled to within two with 3:18 left with a 49-47 score. Catholic controlled the last three minutes of the game and held Owensboro scoreless. They advance to the semifinals with a 54-47 victory.
Holmes 61 - Paintsville 53
The Paintsville Tigers attack the basket more and better than anyone I've seen this season. Landon Slone and Shane Grimm will take on anyone with the dribble, and they are dangerous because they can finish plays or pull up and shoot.
I was anxious to see how they would match up with the athletic Holmes team. They hung pretty well with Holmes, which has so many different tools on the floor. Paintsville competes with good teams by doing everything right. They have to.
Holmes took a three point lead to the second quarter, but the Tigers outplayed them, outscoring them 16-10 in the second quarter and took a narrow 24-21 lead to halftime. The Tigers ended the half with a beautiful play. Blake Bundy flipped a perfect pass to Landon Slone, who finished it with a reverse layup. It was done perfectly.
Paintsville pace seemed suicidal. They fly up and down the court, and they only have six or seven players that are very good (I hate to write that). They start thinking about attacking the basket when they inbounds the ball on the other end.
Every time I wrote Paintsville off in the second half, they came back on Holmes. The Tigers clung to a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs used their size, strength and athletic advantage in the fourth quarter and outscored Paintsville 25-16 to win and advance to the semifinals to face Lexington Catholic.
OBSERVATIONS
Who Shot the Sheriff: I love Paintsville's band. I've never, ever seen a high school band that features steel drums, and I'm a native of Miami, Florida. I didn't know there were that many Rastafarian's in the Kentucky mountains. The dude playing the steel drums, played a great rendition of "I Shot the Sheriff." I loved it. I wonder if they'd play that song if they performed in Harlan County?
Lexington Traffic Update: I read in the "Hurled-Liter" that a baby was born in a car on Broadway in Lexington. I'm willing to bet that the full story would say that the child was conceived, gestated, and born in the same traffic jam. By the way, if any soul is brave enough to step off a curb in "SexyLexy" right after the walk signal flashes, they are brave enough serve in the military. In Lexington, crosswalks are target zones. Has anyone noticed the little stick figures people put on the back windows of their SUVs usually depicting a family and a couple of pets? In Lexington, those things are kill flags.
That's Not the Pits, Man!: Elijah Pittman entered the state tournament averaging 5.4 points a game. Since stepping onto the court at Rupp Arena he's scored 24 in the first round game and 19 in Friday's quarterfinal. Pittman is a just a sophomore. He's long, lanky, and athletic. He can also step out and knock down three point shots. I wonder if David Henley has been rope-a-doping everyone this season.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Four
Eight games in two days is killer. I dream about basketball at night. Maybe my addiction has finally led to an overdose. I'm no Gram Parsons, though, so I will be careful not to push too far.
Game One
Paducah Tilghman 77 - Greenwood 53
When Greenwood won the Fourth Region I wondered how a scrappy team like them would fare in the Sweet Sixteen. When Tilghman won the First Region, I wondered if Greenwood could handle their size. When Tilghman took the floor on Thursday night, I knew the Gators were going to end up as a buffet with everyone in Paducah saying, "Tastes like chicken."
The Tornado pounced on Greenwood as if they were a trailer park sitting in a treeless field in a super cell thunderstorm.
There's not very much to write about this game. Quick summary: the Gators shot terrible and Tilghman's Stefon Perry and Isaac McClure grabbed every rebound that came off the board. Perry had 11 rebounds and McClure had 13. They had a combined 18 defensive rebounds. Tilghman had 42 boards as a team, and 32 of those came off the defensive glass. They had one fewer defensive rebounds than Greenwood had total boards -- 33. The Gators shot a miserable 27.4% for the game.
Isaac McClure finished the game with 16 points and was 7 of 15 from the field with two three pointers.
Greenwood had no answer for Tilghman's dominance. They made a late run at them, but the Gators were over matched. In a way, Tilghman was a giant Steve Irwin Thursday night in Lexington. Tilghman advances to the quarterfinals with a 77-53 victory over Greenwood
Game Two
Mason County 66 - Elliott County 62
I could bore Pick and Roll readers with a thousand cliches about David and Goliath or with the movie "Hoosiers," which I have done in the past. By high school standards, Mason County has a big lineup starting two players who are 6'7" and they have several others well over six feet tall. Elliott County is smaller, but has more scrap than a junkyard.
The Elliott County Lions played their way into the hearts of the Rupp Arena crowd in Thursday's nightcap game.
Mason County seemed in control of the game in the first half, but Elliott stayed at their heels. The Royals had a precarious 35-30 lead at halftime.
The drama started in the third quarter when Elliott County started their bid to upset one of the teams I've heard a lot of people say is going to win the championship. They closed to within two, 43-41 at the end of the quarter.
Twenty seconds into the fourth, Elliott County's Tyler Maynard, one of only two seniors on the squad, made a statement by launching a three from the the wing to put the Lions ahead 44-43.
Earlier in the season my cohort Chris Gregory commented that a player started looking for his shot when he got off the bus. These guys from Elliott County started looking for their shots when they departed Sandy Hook. They are to shooting what Ricky Skaggs is to the mandolin.
A little later, Maynard shot a beautiful arching, rainmaking three pointer from the Rupp Arena logo that brought the house down. He put his Lions up 53-47, and they had the momentum.
The Royals did what great teams do to win ballgames. They didn't falter. Trevor Setty and Russ Middleton were like big game hunters late in the game. They hit back-to-back-to-back threes that gave Mason County a 62-59 lead with 1:40 left.
Elliott County made a challenge to a very good basketball team that beat them 90-61 earlier in the season. They received a rousing ovation from the crowd as they left the floor.
Mason County advances to meet Tilghman with a 66-62 win.
OBSERVATIONS
Magic Johnson?: Mason County's Darius Miller is 6'7" and often brings the ball up the court for the Royals. He handles the ball well and sees the court pretty good. There were times, though, when he needed to be under the basket to take advantage of his team's size advantage. He's a good player with a nice soft shot.
Some Love for Pick and Roll?: I noticed that Elliott County's Timmy Knipp had a "T" tattooed on one calf and a "K" on the other. Thanks, Timmy, but it's a bit much. Oh, wait, maybe those are HIS initials.
Toppahz in da House: The KHSAA honored former Hilltopper Terry Davis just before the Shelby County game in the afternoon, and they honored Hilltopper great Jim McDaniels in the evening. It's good to see Hilltoppers at the state tournament. The last time there were that many Hilltoppers on the Rupp Arena floor they handed the Wildcats a 64-52 loss.
I go to church with a guy who played against McDaniels in high school. He told me one time that he held Big Jim to below his season average in one ballgame. McDaniels averaged 44 points that season, and my friend held him to 42. Good work, Ralph.
Toppahz Not in da House: I'm glad to not see Darrin Horn and the WKU coaching staff skulking around the state tournament. That means they have work to do readying to play in the NCAA.
Game One
Paducah Tilghman 77 - Greenwood 53
When Greenwood won the Fourth Region I wondered how a scrappy team like them would fare in the Sweet Sixteen. When Tilghman won the First Region, I wondered if Greenwood could handle their size. When Tilghman took the floor on Thursday night, I knew the Gators were going to end up as a buffet with everyone in Paducah saying, "Tastes like chicken."
The Tornado pounced on Greenwood as if they were a trailer park sitting in a treeless field in a super cell thunderstorm.
There's not very much to write about this game. Quick summary: the Gators shot terrible and Tilghman's Stefon Perry and Isaac McClure grabbed every rebound that came off the board. Perry had 11 rebounds and McClure had 13. They had a combined 18 defensive rebounds. Tilghman had 42 boards as a team, and 32 of those came off the defensive glass. They had one fewer defensive rebounds than Greenwood had total boards -- 33. The Gators shot a miserable 27.4% for the game.
Isaac McClure finished the game with 16 points and was 7 of 15 from the field with two three pointers.
Greenwood had no answer for Tilghman's dominance. They made a late run at them, but the Gators were over matched. In a way, Tilghman was a giant Steve Irwin Thursday night in Lexington. Tilghman advances to the quarterfinals with a 77-53 victory over Greenwood
Game Two
Mason County 66 - Elliott County 62
I could bore Pick and Roll readers with a thousand cliches about David and Goliath or with the movie "Hoosiers," which I have done in the past. By high school standards, Mason County has a big lineup starting two players who are 6'7" and they have several others well over six feet tall. Elliott County is smaller, but has more scrap than a junkyard.
The Elliott County Lions played their way into the hearts of the Rupp Arena crowd in Thursday's nightcap game.
Mason County seemed in control of the game in the first half, but Elliott stayed at their heels. The Royals had a precarious 35-30 lead at halftime.
The drama started in the third quarter when Elliott County started their bid to upset one of the teams I've heard a lot of people say is going to win the championship. They closed to within two, 43-41 at the end of the quarter.
Twenty seconds into the fourth, Elliott County's Tyler Maynard, one of only two seniors on the squad, made a statement by launching a three from the the wing to put the Lions ahead 44-43.
Earlier in the season my cohort Chris Gregory commented that a player started looking for his shot when he got off the bus. These guys from Elliott County started looking for their shots when they departed Sandy Hook. They are to shooting what Ricky Skaggs is to the mandolin.
A little later, Maynard shot a beautiful arching, rainmaking three pointer from the Rupp Arena logo that brought the house down. He put his Lions up 53-47, and they had the momentum.
The Royals did what great teams do to win ballgames. They didn't falter. Trevor Setty and Russ Middleton were like big game hunters late in the game. They hit back-to-back-to-back threes that gave Mason County a 62-59 lead with 1:40 left.
Elliott County made a challenge to a very good basketball team that beat them 90-61 earlier in the season. They received a rousing ovation from the crowd as they left the floor.
Mason County advances to meet Tilghman with a 66-62 win.
OBSERVATIONS
Magic Johnson?: Mason County's Darius Miller is 6'7" and often brings the ball up the court for the Royals. He handles the ball well and sees the court pretty good. There were times, though, when he needed to be under the basket to take advantage of his team's size advantage. He's a good player with a nice soft shot.
Some Love for Pick and Roll?: I noticed that Elliott County's Timmy Knipp had a "T" tattooed on one calf and a "K" on the other. Thanks, Timmy, but it's a bit much. Oh, wait, maybe those are HIS initials.
Toppahz in da House: The KHSAA honored former Hilltopper Terry Davis just before the Shelby County game in the afternoon, and they honored Hilltopper great Jim McDaniels in the evening. It's good to see Hilltoppers at the state tournament. The last time there were that many Hilltoppers on the Rupp Arena floor they handed the Wildcats a 64-52 loss.
I go to church with a guy who played against McDaniels in high school. He told me one time that he held Big Jim to below his season average in one ballgame. McDaniels averaged 44 points that season, and my friend held him to 42. Good work, Ralph.
Toppahz Not in da House: I'm glad to not see Darrin Horn and the WKU coaching staff skulking around the state tournament. That means they have work to do readying to play in the NCAA.
Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Three
Since I'm a semi-native of Louisville, it disappoints me that "da-Ville" isn't a good host to the Sweet Sixteen and has lost the opportunity to host it for time's immemorial. I see why Lexington's a better host, though. Rupp Arena being in downtown and immediately adjacent to nice hotels sets up an atmosphere that Louisville cannot duplicate. Fans can go from hotel to hotel through hamster tubes that allow them to stay out of the rain and cold and stay out of Lexington traffic.
Lexingtonians run red lights as if it were a sport. They drive under the speed limit until the light turns red, and then they gun it. If I were going to take up Figure-8 stock car racing as a hobby, I'd practice by driving through Lexington green lights at full speed.
I used to work in Lexington in a previous life. I grew to hate New Circle Road with a passion. It's part expressway and part parking lot. The genius who decided that it was smart to design a road that goes from expressway to a jungle of stop lights in 1.1 seconds should spend eternity driving a Yugo without heat or air around New Circle Road.
I've decided that New Circle is a metaphor for UK's football and basketball programs. One part of it is speedy and well designed while the other part of it is congested and does not work the way it is designed.
Game One
Hazard 50 - South Laurel 47
Like New Circle Road, this game was sort of a match up of opposites. South Laurel is a newer school with a large enrollment, and Hazard has been around for along time and only has 286 students. Old and small versus new and big. This is the 28th time Hazard has made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Hazard made the most of it from the opening tip. They jumped on the Cardinals with sticky defense in the first quarter that allowed them to take a 14-4 lead. Opening with an active defense and trying to shock an opponent in the first quarter may be a very good strategy for the state tournament. It can expose the nerve of a team. It's sort of like basketball's "shock and awe" strategy, but it can't result in a frustrating occupation that drags on for five years.
Hazard's point guard is a sophomore by the name of Josh Whittaker. This kid is one of the best ball handlers I've seen this season, and is unflappable under any kind of pressure. He played like he belonged on the Rupp Arena court. He played all 32 minutes of the game and scored 17 points. He did have six turnovers, but, hey, he's a sophomore.
South Laurel got over their shock. I doubt that they were ever in awe of Hazard. The Cardinals were not getting in position and had poor shot selection, but in the second quarter they turned things around and closed the gap on the Bulldogs. They outscored them 13-10, but Hazard had a 24-17 lead at halftime.
The two teams played evenly in the third quarter, and Hazard took a 34-26 lead into the final frame.
South Laurel played with great intensity in the fourth quarter and made a heroic effort to upend Hazard. Late in the game, the Cardinals' Jordan Bortnem, who scored 21 points, canned two free throws to bring his team to within five at 44-39. They got a chance to cut it to three when Wes Dean drove the lane with a beautiful layup. The ball hung on the rim for what seemed like an eternity and creaked over and fell into the hands of a waiting Hazard player. It seemed like South Laurel's hopes ended there.
They pulled within two on a couple of possessions down the stretch, but when Hazard's Whittaker hit a well challenged running jump shot with under a minute left, South Laurel's hopes really faded. Hazard withstood their late game challenge and advanced with a 50-47 victory.
Game Two
Shelby County 70 - Lincoln County 58
When I posted on Shelby County's February 15th game with Elizabethtown, I confessed that I probably had a bias toward the Rockets. I lived in Shelbyville for seven years and made a lot of good friends there, and I followed Shelby County basketball during those seasons. These days, my nephew, Tyler Layton, pitches for the Rockets, so I still have a soft spot for them.
If my post has bias, I apologize.
Shelby County took control of this game early on and controlled it all the way through. They were bigger and stronger than Lincoln County, and their defense frustrated the Patriots. Lincoln County lives and dies by the three point shot, and on Thursday afternoon they fell on their sword in the first half. They shot 1-13 from the arc in the first half.
They did hit eight threes in the second half, but it was too little too late for them.
Shelby County is one of the best interior passing teams I've ever seen. They make short, quick passes, and all of their interior players have great hands. Alex Matthews, who is a forward, had eight assists. Coty Minnis, often the beneficiary of Matthews' passing, scored 25 points. He's very good at the two hand lay-in off the glass. No one is going to slap the ball away from him when he gets it in the paint.
Shelby controlled the boards, too, out rebounding the Pats 38-15.
Shelby County advances to meet Hazard with a 70-58 victory.
OBSERVATIONS
Nice Shot Layton: My nephew, Tyler Layton, participated in one of the promotions at halftime in which contestants have to hit as many shots as possible in 45 seconds. They try to outscore someone from the other school. Layton kept shooting threes that shanked off the front of the rim. Hey, Tyler, quit playing on the eight foot goals!
Turn Out the Lights: Lincoln County had a huge crowd on hand. I used to spend a lot of time in that county, and made me think that no one was left down there. I hope the last one out turned off the light, checked to make sure the stove was off and the iron unplugged.
Best Band Music of the Session: South Laurel's band broke out into a great rendition of J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame." You gotta love that.
Lexingtonians run red lights as if it were a sport. They drive under the speed limit until the light turns red, and then they gun it. If I were going to take up Figure-8 stock car racing as a hobby, I'd practice by driving through Lexington green lights at full speed.
I used to work in Lexington in a previous life. I grew to hate New Circle Road with a passion. It's part expressway and part parking lot. The genius who decided that it was smart to design a road that goes from expressway to a jungle of stop lights in 1.1 seconds should spend eternity driving a Yugo without heat or air around New Circle Road.
I've decided that New Circle is a metaphor for UK's football and basketball programs. One part of it is speedy and well designed while the other part of it is congested and does not work the way it is designed.
Game One
Hazard 50 - South Laurel 47
Like New Circle Road, this game was sort of a match up of opposites. South Laurel is a newer school with a large enrollment, and Hazard has been around for along time and only has 286 students. Old and small versus new and big. This is the 28th time Hazard has made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Hazard made the most of it from the opening tip. They jumped on the Cardinals with sticky defense in the first quarter that allowed them to take a 14-4 lead. Opening with an active defense and trying to shock an opponent in the first quarter may be a very good strategy for the state tournament. It can expose the nerve of a team. It's sort of like basketball's "shock and awe" strategy, but it can't result in a frustrating occupation that drags on for five years.
Hazard's point guard is a sophomore by the name of Josh Whittaker. This kid is one of the best ball handlers I've seen this season, and is unflappable under any kind of pressure. He played like he belonged on the Rupp Arena court. He played all 32 minutes of the game and scored 17 points. He did have six turnovers, but, hey, he's a sophomore.
South Laurel got over their shock. I doubt that they were ever in awe of Hazard. The Cardinals were not getting in position and had poor shot selection, but in the second quarter they turned things around and closed the gap on the Bulldogs. They outscored them 13-10, but Hazard had a 24-17 lead at halftime.
The two teams played evenly in the third quarter, and Hazard took a 34-26 lead into the final frame.
South Laurel played with great intensity in the fourth quarter and made a heroic effort to upend Hazard. Late in the game, the Cardinals' Jordan Bortnem, who scored 21 points, canned two free throws to bring his team to within five at 44-39. They got a chance to cut it to three when Wes Dean drove the lane with a beautiful layup. The ball hung on the rim for what seemed like an eternity and creaked over and fell into the hands of a waiting Hazard player. It seemed like South Laurel's hopes ended there.
They pulled within two on a couple of possessions down the stretch, but when Hazard's Whittaker hit a well challenged running jump shot with under a minute left, South Laurel's hopes really faded. Hazard withstood their late game challenge and advanced with a 50-47 victory.
Game Two
Shelby County 70 - Lincoln County 58
When I posted on Shelby County's February 15th game with Elizabethtown, I confessed that I probably had a bias toward the Rockets. I lived in Shelbyville for seven years and made a lot of good friends there, and I followed Shelby County basketball during those seasons. These days, my nephew, Tyler Layton, pitches for the Rockets, so I still have a soft spot for them.
If my post has bias, I apologize.
Shelby County took control of this game early on and controlled it all the way through. They were bigger and stronger than Lincoln County, and their defense frustrated the Patriots. Lincoln County lives and dies by the three point shot, and on Thursday afternoon they fell on their sword in the first half. They shot 1-13 from the arc in the first half.
They did hit eight threes in the second half, but it was too little too late for them.
Shelby County is one of the best interior passing teams I've ever seen. They make short, quick passes, and all of their interior players have great hands. Alex Matthews, who is a forward, had eight assists. Coty Minnis, often the beneficiary of Matthews' passing, scored 25 points. He's very good at the two hand lay-in off the glass. No one is going to slap the ball away from him when he gets it in the paint.
Shelby controlled the boards, too, out rebounding the Pats 38-15.
Shelby County advances to meet Hazard with a 70-58 victory.
OBSERVATIONS
Nice Shot Layton: My nephew, Tyler Layton, participated in one of the promotions at halftime in which contestants have to hit as many shots as possible in 45 seconds. They try to outscore someone from the other school. Layton kept shooting threes that shanked off the front of the rim. Hey, Tyler, quit playing on the eight foot goals!
Turn Out the Lights: Lincoln County had a huge crowd on hand. I used to spend a lot of time in that county, and made me think that no one was left down there. I hope the last one out turned off the light, checked to make sure the stove was off and the iron unplugged.
Best Band Music of the Session: South Laurel's band broke out into a great rendition of J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame." You gotta love that.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Two
Game One
Paintsville 93 - Jeffersontown 87
I thought they might have to examine the Rupp Arena floor for scorch marks after this barn burner. You can throw all sorts of sports cliches at this ballgame -- barn burner, track meet -- whatever you want. These two teams attacked the basket and had some dead eye shooters.
I'm guessing that J-town's Coach Jeff Morrow never dreamed that his team could shoot 52.2% in the first round and lose. They were 35 for 67 and scored 87 points, but will be packing their bags and heading back to the Louisville Metro.
No one doubted that these two teams would play at a pace faster than a field full of Secretariats because Paintsville averaged 81.3 points a game, and J-town posted 68.5 points a game. In today's 32 minute ballgame they scored 180 points. That's 5.6 points a minute. If it was a college basketball game, they could've turned off the shot clock because the time keeper would've worn out the reset button. Fans could not take their eye off of the game because they might miss a couple of possessions in a flash.
Heck, I got out of breath just watching it.
Paintsville's Landon Slone is one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time. His instinct is to score, and he's a great stop-and-pop shooter, and can hit jumpers from any range and any spot on the floor. He stymied J-town's defenders and finished the game with 35 points.
The Chargers' Thomas Jackson (where have I heard that name before?) led the way with 24 points. He averaged 10 points a game during the season, but he exploded in Wednesday's game. Everybody scored a lot of points.
Paintsville controlled the ballgame. It's not a matter of controlling tempo because both teams enjoy a fast paced game. The Tigers outplayed J-town in this style of game. It would be dangerous to try to open up a game on Paintsville because they have great shooters, great ball handlers, and they will attack the basket on anyone.
It was an exciting game because down the stretch J-town kept it close and cut the lead to two, 86-84, with 1:12 left in teh game. Of the four games played on Wednesday, this was by far the best. Both teams played great and played like they belonged in Rupp Arena. I believe it's the best game I've seen all year.
Game Two
Covington Holmes 64 - Bardstown 44
Simply put, Bardstown was over matched. I have a feeling that the phrase applies to a lot of teams that played Holmes this year. The Bulldogs are loaded with great athletes and are very well coached. It's not common to see slam dunks in a high school game, but on Wednesday night the Bulldogs threw down three against the Tigers from Bardstown.
Holmes also keyed on senior point guard, Corey Hall, who averages 13.6 points a game. He had a miserable night with just three points and six turnovers. Bardstown had 29 turnovers for the game. The Bulldogs had 16 steals.
At one point Holmes had a 29 point lead on the Tigers, and Coach David "I'm Not Don" Henley called off -- pardon the pun -- the dogs in the fourth quarter. He could've really embarrassed the young Bardstown team, which has only two seniors on the roster.
I'd watch out for this Holmes team. Everyone up here is talking about Lexington Catholic and Mason County, but Holmes is absolutely loaded with good players. They are big, strong, and incredibly athletic. They have a balanced attack, and I love to watch them play. If them and Lex. Cath tangle in the semifinal, it could be an exciting Saturday morning match up.
Elijah Pittman finished with 10 points for the Bulldogs and had one very impressive dunk. He also has a nice outside shot. He's listed at 6'5" but can elevate like a rocket. Ricardo Johnson led with 11 points and six rebounds.
Jordan Hickman had 14 points for Bardstown. The Tigers lose Corey Hall next season, but they should be a solid team in the Fifth Region with a roster full of seniors.
Holmes advances to meet Paintsville at 1:30 on Friday. That should be a tilt.
OBSERVATIONS
Great Bands: Paintsville's band includes a xylophone. They opened with a great rendition of War's "Low Rider." They jammed on the drums and xylophone. J-town's band is excellent. I really liked it when they whipped out Lipps Inc.'s "Funky Town." They played it so well. Heck I thought everyone was going to leave Lexington for Funky Town about half way through the song. I guess I'm just going to talk about, talk about, talk about movin. If there's a championship for sweet Sweet Sixteen bands, these two have to be in the finals. Oh, wait, Central's band can hang with them, too.
Fun with Flavo-O-Rich: During a break in every game these dudes from Flavorich come out to center court with the biggest dang slingshot I've every seen. They send t-shirts flying into the upper reaches of Rupp Arena. They even hit a banner for one of the retired jerseys. I have some experience with one of those things. One of my neighbors in Hugh Poland Hall at WKU made a slingshot out of rubber hoses used to supply bunsen burners. They bombed people in the parking lot with water balloons. I just want to say that we weren't crazy enough to bomb WKU campus police with water balloons. We would NEVER do anything so irresponsible. To any WKU police reading this -- it was a really rainy night that night with some huge raindrops. If you want to investigate, my name is spelled C-H-R-I-S G-R-E-G-O-R-Y.
Best Student Section: Chris Gregory has posted all season that the Bardstown student section is the best. They are. They put the dukies on Tobacco Road to shame, and they don't do anything in bad taste, either. I love it when students surf in the crowd. It's a neat effect. I love them. I hate that they took the first round ouster because this group would be fun to have around.
Paintsville 93 - Jeffersontown 87
I thought they might have to examine the Rupp Arena floor for scorch marks after this barn burner. You can throw all sorts of sports cliches at this ballgame -- barn burner, track meet -- whatever you want. These two teams attacked the basket and had some dead eye shooters.
I'm guessing that J-town's Coach Jeff Morrow never dreamed that his team could shoot 52.2% in the first round and lose. They were 35 for 67 and scored 87 points, but will be packing their bags and heading back to the Louisville Metro.
No one doubted that these two teams would play at a pace faster than a field full of Secretariats because Paintsville averaged 81.3 points a game, and J-town posted 68.5 points a game. In today's 32 minute ballgame they scored 180 points. That's 5.6 points a minute. If it was a college basketball game, they could've turned off the shot clock because the time keeper would've worn out the reset button. Fans could not take their eye off of the game because they might miss a couple of possessions in a flash.
Heck, I got out of breath just watching it.
Paintsville's Landon Slone is one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time. His instinct is to score, and he's a great stop-and-pop shooter, and can hit jumpers from any range and any spot on the floor. He stymied J-town's defenders and finished the game with 35 points.
The Chargers' Thomas Jackson (where have I heard that name before?) led the way with 24 points. He averaged 10 points a game during the season, but he exploded in Wednesday's game. Everybody scored a lot of points.
Paintsville controlled the ballgame. It's not a matter of controlling tempo because both teams enjoy a fast paced game. The Tigers outplayed J-town in this style of game. It would be dangerous to try to open up a game on Paintsville because they have great shooters, great ball handlers, and they will attack the basket on anyone.
It was an exciting game because down the stretch J-town kept it close and cut the lead to two, 86-84, with 1:12 left in teh game. Of the four games played on Wednesday, this was by far the best. Both teams played great and played like they belonged in Rupp Arena. I believe it's the best game I've seen all year.
Game Two
Covington Holmes 64 - Bardstown 44
Simply put, Bardstown was over matched. I have a feeling that the phrase applies to a lot of teams that played Holmes this year. The Bulldogs are loaded with great athletes and are very well coached. It's not common to see slam dunks in a high school game, but on Wednesday night the Bulldogs threw down three against the Tigers from Bardstown.
Holmes also keyed on senior point guard, Corey Hall, who averages 13.6 points a game. He had a miserable night with just three points and six turnovers. Bardstown had 29 turnovers for the game. The Bulldogs had 16 steals.
At one point Holmes had a 29 point lead on the Tigers, and Coach David "I'm Not Don" Henley called off -- pardon the pun -- the dogs in the fourth quarter. He could've really embarrassed the young Bardstown team, which has only two seniors on the roster.
I'd watch out for this Holmes team. Everyone up here is talking about Lexington Catholic and Mason County, but Holmes is absolutely loaded with good players. They are big, strong, and incredibly athletic. They have a balanced attack, and I love to watch them play. If them and Lex. Cath tangle in the semifinal, it could be an exciting Saturday morning match up.
Elijah Pittman finished with 10 points for the Bulldogs and had one very impressive dunk. He also has a nice outside shot. He's listed at 6'5" but can elevate like a rocket. Ricardo Johnson led with 11 points and six rebounds.
Jordan Hickman had 14 points for Bardstown. The Tigers lose Corey Hall next season, but they should be a solid team in the Fifth Region with a roster full of seniors.
Holmes advances to meet Paintsville at 1:30 on Friday. That should be a tilt.
OBSERVATIONS
Great Bands: Paintsville's band includes a xylophone. They opened with a great rendition of War's "Low Rider." They jammed on the drums and xylophone. J-town's band is excellent. I really liked it when they whipped out Lipps Inc.'s "Funky Town." They played it so well. Heck I thought everyone was going to leave Lexington for Funky Town about half way through the song. I guess I'm just going to talk about, talk about, talk about movin. If there's a championship for sweet Sweet Sixteen bands, these two have to be in the finals. Oh, wait, Central's band can hang with them, too.
Fun with Flavo-O-Rich: During a break in every game these dudes from Flavorich come out to center court with the biggest dang slingshot I've every seen. They send t-shirts flying into the upper reaches of Rupp Arena. They even hit a banner for one of the retired jerseys. I have some experience with one of those things. One of my neighbors in Hugh Poland Hall at WKU made a slingshot out of rubber hoses used to supply bunsen burners. They bombed people in the parking lot with water balloons. I just want to say that we weren't crazy enough to bomb WKU campus police with water balloons. We would NEVER do anything so irresponsible. To any WKU police reading this -- it was a really rainy night that night with some huge raindrops. If you want to investigate, my name is spelled C-H-R-I-S G-R-E-G-O-R-Y.
Best Student Section: Chris Gregory has posted all season that the Bardstown student section is the best. They are. They put the dukies on Tobacco Road to shame, and they don't do anything in bad taste, either. I love it when students surf in the crowd. It's a neat effect. I love them. I hate that they took the first round ouster because this group would be fun to have around.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session One
Oh boy! The KHSAA bills the Sweet Sixteen as the "Greatest Show in Hoops." It isn't all hype, either. The KHSAA officials and the Rupp Arena staff work their tails off to host one of the biggest gatherings in the Commonwealth. Think about it. In the course of four days they will put on 15 basketball games and host over 100,000 basketball fans in the arena. I wouldn't even guess at how many media, participants, and staff also attend the Sweet Sixteen. It is a great show, even before they tip up the first basketball.
First Session; Game One Lexington Catholic 69 - University Heights Academy 54
It was the battle of the small private schools. I expected this to be a real battle between two very good basketball teams. Both teams are loaded with Division I prospects, and they've put up some impressive numbers over the course of the season.
I saw University Heights play Bowling Green in December when the Blazers cruised into the Purples' gym and cruised out with a victory. That night, Tyshwan Edmondson caught my eye, and he came into the state tournament averaging 18.2 points a game while hitting 42 of 106 three point goals and dishing out 143 assists in 34 ballgames. Scotty Hopson was the leading scorer for the Blazers with 24.4 points a game, and he averaged 11.4 rebounds per game. He gets all the attention, and rightly so with those gaudy numbers. DaQuan Brown ads 12.8 points per game for UHA.
I knew about those guys because I saw them play, and I talk to people in "Hopsonville" about the Blazers.
I knew very little about Lexington Catholic. I knew they were good, and I know from experience to respect anyone who navigates their way out of the Eleventh Region. They have three solid Division I prospects in their starting lineup. Vee Sanford averages 12.7 points a game and is a big 6'3" guard. Taylor Stewart is the leading scorer with 17.6 points a game. Jordan Smart adds 12.3 points a game and Nathan Novosel puts in 13.3 per game.
The Knights are a well balanced basketball team, in scoring and in any other stat you can conjur.
Lexington Catholic threw a wicked press at the Blazers from the opening possession, and UHA withered under the pressure. They had trouble moving the ball and holding on to it. Vee Sanford had four steals in the first half, and the Blazers committed 13 turnovers in the half.
The Knights had a commanding 42-22 lead on the Second Region champions. I think everyone in the arena was as surprised as I was at the whipping the Knights were putting on UHA. DaQuan Brown had four turnovers, and Tyshwan Edmondson had five.
Lexington Catholic opened the second half right where they left off in the first half. They took a 23 point lead, 47-24, on UHA early in the third quarter.
UHA made a courageous comeback. They outscored the Knights 18-9 in the third quarter and eventually cut the lead to six points. Lexington Catholic caught a late surge in the fourth quarter and downed the Blazers 69-54.
Scotty Hopson scored 21 points, 13 of which were in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds. Tyshwan Edmondson grabbed 10 rebounds, scored 13 points, but had an ugly seven turnovers for the game.
Taylor Stewart scored 25 points for the victorious Knights, and teammate Vee Sanford scored 22 points and had seven steals. I decided that "Vee" stands for victory. I'd watch out for the Knights because they are a well balanced and tough basketball team.
Game Two
Owensboro 63 - Louisville Central 48
Nearly every year a team "captures lightning in a bottle" in a regional tournament and plays its way into the Sweet Sixteen. This year, the Central Yellow Jackets from Louisville came into the tournament with a 15-11 record, which means they started post season play with a .500 record. In the Sixth Region tournament, the Yellow Jackets beat a 22-10 Fairdale team and a 25-4 Pleasure Ridge Park team. So, Central was capable of beating some pretty good teams.
The magic runs out, though. On Wednesday, the Red Devils from Owensboro busted Central's bottle full of lightning on the hardwood of Rupp Arena.
I saw Owensboro play in the Citizens First Bank Classic in Bowling Green right before Christmas. I guess they were doing their best impression of Tubby Smith's 2006 Wildcat team because -- looking back -- they might have been the high school version of "Team Turmoil." They dropped back-to-back games to Greenwood and Central Hardin, and they were without one or two players because of discipline. In Bowling Green, the Red Devils registered a lackluster performance, and Coach Wayne Breeden seemed inactive in their game against Central Hardin. I nearly commented on it then, but I sensed that his team was having problems.
I never figured them for a Sweet Sixteen team, but they won 22 ballgames and beat a good Apollo team twice in the postseason. Apollo did their rival a favor when they took down top ranked Muhlenberg North by one point in the regional semifinal.
The two teams played fairly even in the first quarter, but things changed in the second. Owensboro played like a regional champ that belonged in the state tournament, and Central looked like a 15-11 team that peaked several days ago. The Red Devil defense held them to four second quarter points, and they took a 30-14 lead to halftime.
Central played tough in the third quarter. They picked up their defense and nearly played their way back into the game. Ridge Wilson hit a basket late in the quarter that pulled the Yellow Jackets to ten points, 38-28, I thought they might have some life.
Something that might have hurt Central's effort was when their point guard Chris Starks hurt his toe. Starks isn't a scorer for them, but he's a floor leader and had accumulated 105 assists during the season. He never made it back into the game. They still challenged the Red Devils, but Central's performance in the second quarter doomed them. Owensboro advanced to face Lexington Catholic with a 63-48 win.
OBSERVATIONS
A Court Full of Talent: When the Blazers and the Knights took the court in the first game, there were at least six, possibly seven, Division I prospects on the hardwood. The two teams were big, quick, and athletic. I really expected a better game, but Lex. Cath had too many tools and a great press.
Bibby, Baby: I mean that in the context of Al Davis saying, "Just win, baby" and not that Central's Coach Doug Bibby is a baby. I really like his coaching style. He very rarely gets onto the officials and is always instructing and teaching his kids on the court and on the bench. His players seem to respect him, too. I don't know anything about Coach Bibby, but I think he played for Central back in the 1980s. I think, but I remember a kid named Bibby that frustrated the Male Bulldogs for a couple of seasons.
Percussion Concussion: Central's band absolutely rocks. They warmed up the crowd with about 15 minutes of drum lines that bumped and grooved. Man! It was fun. Their cheerleaders are great, too, and actually cheered their team.
Moorman Tabernacle Choir: Brock Moorman for Owensboro had a dandy ballgame. He had a about 25 points, and I lost track of his rebounds. If he continues to play that way in the tournament, he'll have people singing his praises. He'll have to have the same kind of game if Moorman and his Devils get past the Lexington Catholic Knights. Pick and Roll is glad it's not stormy in Lexington because he'd be looking out for a lightning strike after that last line.
First Session; Game One Lexington Catholic 69 - University Heights Academy 54
It was the battle of the small private schools. I expected this to be a real battle between two very good basketball teams. Both teams are loaded with Division I prospects, and they've put up some impressive numbers over the course of the season.
I saw University Heights play Bowling Green in December when the Blazers cruised into the Purples' gym and cruised out with a victory. That night, Tyshwan Edmondson caught my eye, and he came into the state tournament averaging 18.2 points a game while hitting 42 of 106 three point goals and dishing out 143 assists in 34 ballgames. Scotty Hopson was the leading scorer for the Blazers with 24.4 points a game, and he averaged 11.4 rebounds per game. He gets all the attention, and rightly so with those gaudy numbers. DaQuan Brown ads 12.8 points per game for UHA.
I knew about those guys because I saw them play, and I talk to people in "Hopsonville" about the Blazers.
I knew very little about Lexington Catholic. I knew they were good, and I know from experience to respect anyone who navigates their way out of the Eleventh Region. They have three solid Division I prospects in their starting lineup. Vee Sanford averages 12.7 points a game and is a big 6'3" guard. Taylor Stewart is the leading scorer with 17.6 points a game. Jordan Smart adds 12.3 points a game and Nathan Novosel puts in 13.3 per game.
The Knights are a well balanced basketball team, in scoring and in any other stat you can conjur.
Lexington Catholic threw a wicked press at the Blazers from the opening possession, and UHA withered under the pressure. They had trouble moving the ball and holding on to it. Vee Sanford had four steals in the first half, and the Blazers committed 13 turnovers in the half.
The Knights had a commanding 42-22 lead on the Second Region champions. I think everyone in the arena was as surprised as I was at the whipping the Knights were putting on UHA. DaQuan Brown had four turnovers, and Tyshwan Edmondson had five.
Lexington Catholic opened the second half right where they left off in the first half. They took a 23 point lead, 47-24, on UHA early in the third quarter.
UHA made a courageous comeback. They outscored the Knights 18-9 in the third quarter and eventually cut the lead to six points. Lexington Catholic caught a late surge in the fourth quarter and downed the Blazers 69-54.
Scotty Hopson scored 21 points, 13 of which were in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds. Tyshwan Edmondson grabbed 10 rebounds, scored 13 points, but had an ugly seven turnovers for the game.
Taylor Stewart scored 25 points for the victorious Knights, and teammate Vee Sanford scored 22 points and had seven steals. I decided that "Vee" stands for victory. I'd watch out for the Knights because they are a well balanced and tough basketball team.
Game Two
Owensboro 63 - Louisville Central 48
Nearly every year a team "captures lightning in a bottle" in a regional tournament and plays its way into the Sweet Sixteen. This year, the Central Yellow Jackets from Louisville came into the tournament with a 15-11 record, which means they started post season play with a .500 record. In the Sixth Region tournament, the Yellow Jackets beat a 22-10 Fairdale team and a 25-4 Pleasure Ridge Park team. So, Central was capable of beating some pretty good teams.
The magic runs out, though. On Wednesday, the Red Devils from Owensboro busted Central's bottle full of lightning on the hardwood of Rupp Arena.
I saw Owensboro play in the Citizens First Bank Classic in Bowling Green right before Christmas. I guess they were doing their best impression of Tubby Smith's 2006 Wildcat team because -- looking back -- they might have been the high school version of "Team Turmoil." They dropped back-to-back games to Greenwood and Central Hardin, and they were without one or two players because of discipline. In Bowling Green, the Red Devils registered a lackluster performance, and Coach Wayne Breeden seemed inactive in their game against Central Hardin. I nearly commented on it then, but I sensed that his team was having problems.
I never figured them for a Sweet Sixteen team, but they won 22 ballgames and beat a good Apollo team twice in the postseason. Apollo did their rival a favor when they took down top ranked Muhlenberg North by one point in the regional semifinal.
The two teams played fairly even in the first quarter, but things changed in the second. Owensboro played like a regional champ that belonged in the state tournament, and Central looked like a 15-11 team that peaked several days ago. The Red Devil defense held them to four second quarter points, and they took a 30-14 lead to halftime.
Central played tough in the third quarter. They picked up their defense and nearly played their way back into the game. Ridge Wilson hit a basket late in the quarter that pulled the Yellow Jackets to ten points, 38-28, I thought they might have some life.
Something that might have hurt Central's effort was when their point guard Chris Starks hurt his toe. Starks isn't a scorer for them, but he's a floor leader and had accumulated 105 assists during the season. He never made it back into the game. They still challenged the Red Devils, but Central's performance in the second quarter doomed them. Owensboro advanced to face Lexington Catholic with a 63-48 win.
OBSERVATIONS
A Court Full of Talent: When the Blazers and the Knights took the court in the first game, there were at least six, possibly seven, Division I prospects on the hardwood. The two teams were big, quick, and athletic. I really expected a better game, but Lex. Cath had too many tools and a great press.
Bibby, Baby: I mean that in the context of Al Davis saying, "Just win, baby" and not that Central's Coach Doug Bibby is a baby. I really like his coaching style. He very rarely gets onto the officials and is always instructing and teaching his kids on the court and on the bench. His players seem to respect him, too. I don't know anything about Coach Bibby, but I think he played for Central back in the 1980s. I think, but I remember a kid named Bibby that frustrated the Male Bulldogs for a couple of seasons.
Percussion Concussion: Central's band absolutely rocks. They warmed up the crowd with about 15 minutes of drum lines that bumped and grooved. Man! It was fun. Their cheerleaders are great, too, and actually cheered their team.
Moorman Tabernacle Choir: Brock Moorman for Owensboro had a dandy ballgame. He had a about 25 points, and I lost track of his rebounds. If he continues to play that way in the tournament, he'll have people singing his praises. He'll have to have the same kind of game if Moorman and his Devils get past the Lexington Catholic Knights. Pick and Roll is glad it's not stormy in Lexington because he'd be looking out for a lightning strike after that last line.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sweet Sixteen Hype
Paducah native Irvin S. Cobb once wrote, "Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold a Derby, you ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing." I tend to agree with Mr. Cobb, but I think the same applies to the Kentucky Boys' Sweet Sixteen. "You ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing" until with your "own eyes behold" a Sweet Sixteen.
On Pick and Roll I've posted that March is Kentucky's Mardis Gras. I'm only half joking about that. I do think that the Commonwealth's passion for basketball culminates in a winter/spring celebration of a cultural phenomena that sets us apart from many parts of the nation. I also think it makes us brothers to several parts of the nation that share our love for basketball. I'm not joking about that.
Kentuckians are basketball mad. I'm not a native of the state. I was born in Miami, Florida, and I cut my teeth on Miami Dolphins football and University of Alabama football (my parents lived in Dothan, Alabama, for a long time before moving to Miami). I really didn't know of any sports outside of football and baseball. I often dreamed of playing football for Bear Bryant and then Don Shula, and my brother and I spent endless hours playing football on the rough bermuda grass in our backyard in Hialeah.
In 1972, my father, who is a native Kentuckian, moved my family to Louisville. We moved up in the middle of March Madness, and Denny Crum's Cardinals made their first run to the Final Four. I have no recollection of the sport before we moved to Louisville, but I can remember thinking that Kentuckians were insane. And, maybe they are between October and the first week of April.
The following season, my father started taking me to Kentucky Colonels games in Freedom Hall. Louie Dampier, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore were all on that team. I had favorites, too, like Ron "The Plumber" Thomas and Wendell Laettner, who was also a favorite with many women in Louisville. Those games in Freedom Hall were as if my father handed me some powerful drug that was instantly addictive. I was hopelessly hooked and have been since one of those winter nights so long ago in Louisville.
I never quit liking football, but a metal hoop and a red, white, and blue basketball joined the posters of Mercury Morris, Bob Griese, and Paul Warfield in my bedroom. My brother and I put that metal hoop on the top of our closet door, and we played all the big rivals of our favorite basketball teams right there in our room. We played the Tennessee Volunteers, Memphis State, and the hated Indiana Pacers. My parents wasted many footsteps coming in to our room and telling us to be quiet.
I don't even remember which year it was, but a neighbor two doors down from us put a basketball goal on the front of his garage. His name was Bill Venenman, and he was crippled from a severe bout with polio from his childhood. We called him "Mr. V." Mr. V had an endless enthusiasm for the game of basketball, and he had two favorite teams: the Kentucky Wildcats and the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. He had gone to Western when Ed Diddle had some of his best teams. There were times when he would sit in his wheelchair and regale us kids with stories of the Wildcats and the Hilltoppers and some of the great high school basketball teams he remembered from his childhood.
Mr. V. knew what he was doing when he erected a basketball goal. He knew that every kid in our neighborhood would adopt the driveway in front of his garage their local basketball court. I don't know how many hours I spent in their driveway, but the Venemans never tired of us kids playing basketball there. If it got too late in the evening, they shooed us away.
After two or three years in Kentucky, basketball was as much a part of me as the blood that coursed through my young veins. Once, when I brought home a bad report card, my parents banned me from playing or watching basketball for nearly a month. I thought I was going to die. They wouldn't even let me shoot baskets at the metal hoop on my closet door. I would've taken a thousand whippings to avoid that February without basketball.
I still think that punishment kept me from ever making the basketball team at Male High School, which kept me from a college scholarship and kept me out of the NBA (Pick and Roll has deadpan humor even when I'm talking, so please realize that the previous statement is written in jest).
What does this have to do with the Sweet Sixteen? I'll tell you. It has a lot to do with it. See, I'm not unique. There are probably more than a million other Kentuckians who have had the exact same experience. There's probably several thousand that had the same experience, but they made their high school basketball team and lived a dream whether they appreciated it at the time or not.
When my brother got married in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1983, his bride's brother and friends challenged us to a game of three-on-three in their backyard. I was on my second year of coming within a hair's breadth of making Male High's basketball team, so I could play fairly well. My brother and his best friend, Ralph, were just out of college. We went out to their backyard and discovered that they had an eight foot goal.
We beat those guys like rented mules. They wouldn't switch up teams so we just kept pounding them. I bruised my wrists from dunking the ball so many times. Our friend was wearing a WKU sweatshirt, and one of them asked, "Do you play for WKU?" We fell about laughing because by Kentucky standards we were terrible.
We went inside and watched Louisville and Houston play in the Final Four. One of my sister-in-law's brothers said to the other, "these Kentuckians sure are crazy about basketball."
Yep. He nailed it.
So, imagine an arena -- a very large arena -- filled with 20,000 fans cheering on a high school basketball game, and you've got the Sweet Sixteen. It is a celebration. It's as if we've built up to the tournament with three or four months of celebration, and the Sweet Sixteen is a Fat Tuesday spread over the course of four days.
The beauty of the Sweet Sixteen is that the road map for getting there has been marked for generations. It's possible for a team with no regular season victories to get hot in late February and play their way into Sweet Sixteen. There's no RPI. There's no selection committee. There's no Billy Packer or Dick Vitale touting a conference or a particular team located in central North Carolina. There's no seeding. There's no "power conferences."
When a team straps on their shoes at the start of the district tournament, they know the road to the state tournament. They know they have to get by a couple of teams that they've faced twice already during the regular season. They know that if they get into the regional tournament, they're going to have to knock off three teams that are likely rivals and likely have played one or two or three times during the season.
When a team wins the regional championship, their reward is a slot in what I think is the most difficult basketball tournament on the planet. The NCAA tournament is hard, but they play two games a week with a day off in between. In the Sweet Sixteen, a team either has to win four games in four days or four games in three days, depending on where they are seeded. They have to play a semifinal in the morning and a championship game in the evening.
No one is in the Sweet Sixteen because they are a mediocre team from the middlings of a powerful football conference. So, every game is tough, and every player is playing not just for a championship but for a dream.
Those dreams are created when a father hands a son the game of basketball, be it in the form of bounce pass in the living room floor or by taking his boy to a long ago basketball game. The dream is run and rerun thousands of times on an empty court in a neighbor's driveway or in a church parking lot or on a dirt court in front of a tobacco barn. It is a hand off of a culture buffed into the polish of this great Commonwealth. For those fortunate few who play in the Sweet Sixteen there is so much more than banners and trophies. They are fulfilling a dream that is almost instinct.
As I write this, I can almost see that goofy gangly kid of my long ago in the neighbor's driveway counting down the clock -- five...four...three...two...one -- and winning another Sweet Sixteen or NCAA championship for one of his beloved teams.
You ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing.
On Pick and Roll I've posted that March is Kentucky's Mardis Gras. I'm only half joking about that. I do think that the Commonwealth's passion for basketball culminates in a winter/spring celebration of a cultural phenomena that sets us apart from many parts of the nation. I also think it makes us brothers to several parts of the nation that share our love for basketball. I'm not joking about that.
Kentuckians are basketball mad. I'm not a native of the state. I was born in Miami, Florida, and I cut my teeth on Miami Dolphins football and University of Alabama football (my parents lived in Dothan, Alabama, for a long time before moving to Miami). I really didn't know of any sports outside of football and baseball. I often dreamed of playing football for Bear Bryant and then Don Shula, and my brother and I spent endless hours playing football on the rough bermuda grass in our backyard in Hialeah.
In 1972, my father, who is a native Kentuckian, moved my family to Louisville. We moved up in the middle of March Madness, and Denny Crum's Cardinals made their first run to the Final Four. I have no recollection of the sport before we moved to Louisville, but I can remember thinking that Kentuckians were insane. And, maybe they are between October and the first week of April.
The following season, my father started taking me to Kentucky Colonels games in Freedom Hall. Louie Dampier, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore were all on that team. I had favorites, too, like Ron "The Plumber" Thomas and Wendell Laettner, who was also a favorite with many women in Louisville. Those games in Freedom Hall were as if my father handed me some powerful drug that was instantly addictive. I was hopelessly hooked and have been since one of those winter nights so long ago in Louisville.
I never quit liking football, but a metal hoop and a red, white, and blue basketball joined the posters of Mercury Morris, Bob Griese, and Paul Warfield in my bedroom. My brother and I put that metal hoop on the top of our closet door, and we played all the big rivals of our favorite basketball teams right there in our room. We played the Tennessee Volunteers, Memphis State, and the hated Indiana Pacers. My parents wasted many footsteps coming in to our room and telling us to be quiet.
I don't even remember which year it was, but a neighbor two doors down from us put a basketball goal on the front of his garage. His name was Bill Venenman, and he was crippled from a severe bout with polio from his childhood. We called him "Mr. V." Mr. V had an endless enthusiasm for the game of basketball, and he had two favorite teams: the Kentucky Wildcats and the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. He had gone to Western when Ed Diddle had some of his best teams. There were times when he would sit in his wheelchair and regale us kids with stories of the Wildcats and the Hilltoppers and some of the great high school basketball teams he remembered from his childhood.
Mr. V. knew what he was doing when he erected a basketball goal. He knew that every kid in our neighborhood would adopt the driveway in front of his garage their local basketball court. I don't know how many hours I spent in their driveway, but the Venemans never tired of us kids playing basketball there. If it got too late in the evening, they shooed us away.
After two or three years in Kentucky, basketball was as much a part of me as the blood that coursed through my young veins. Once, when I brought home a bad report card, my parents banned me from playing or watching basketball for nearly a month. I thought I was going to die. They wouldn't even let me shoot baskets at the metal hoop on my closet door. I would've taken a thousand whippings to avoid that February without basketball.
I still think that punishment kept me from ever making the basketball team at Male High School, which kept me from a college scholarship and kept me out of the NBA (Pick and Roll has deadpan humor even when I'm talking, so please realize that the previous statement is written in jest).
What does this have to do with the Sweet Sixteen? I'll tell you. It has a lot to do with it. See, I'm not unique. There are probably more than a million other Kentuckians who have had the exact same experience. There's probably several thousand that had the same experience, but they made their high school basketball team and lived a dream whether they appreciated it at the time or not.
When my brother got married in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1983, his bride's brother and friends challenged us to a game of three-on-three in their backyard. I was on my second year of coming within a hair's breadth of making Male High's basketball team, so I could play fairly well. My brother and his best friend, Ralph, were just out of college. We went out to their backyard and discovered that they had an eight foot goal.
We beat those guys like rented mules. They wouldn't switch up teams so we just kept pounding them. I bruised my wrists from dunking the ball so many times. Our friend was wearing a WKU sweatshirt, and one of them asked, "Do you play for WKU?" We fell about laughing because by Kentucky standards we were terrible.
We went inside and watched Louisville and Houston play in the Final Four. One of my sister-in-law's brothers said to the other, "these Kentuckians sure are crazy about basketball."
Yep. He nailed it.
So, imagine an arena -- a very large arena -- filled with 20,000 fans cheering on a high school basketball game, and you've got the Sweet Sixteen. It is a celebration. It's as if we've built up to the tournament with three or four months of celebration, and the Sweet Sixteen is a Fat Tuesday spread over the course of four days.
The beauty of the Sweet Sixteen is that the road map for getting there has been marked for generations. It's possible for a team with no regular season victories to get hot in late February and play their way into Sweet Sixteen. There's no RPI. There's no selection committee. There's no Billy Packer or Dick Vitale touting a conference or a particular team located in central North Carolina. There's no seeding. There's no "power conferences."
When a team straps on their shoes at the start of the district tournament, they know the road to the state tournament. They know they have to get by a couple of teams that they've faced twice already during the regular season. They know that if they get into the regional tournament, they're going to have to knock off three teams that are likely rivals and likely have played one or two or three times during the season.
When a team wins the regional championship, their reward is a slot in what I think is the most difficult basketball tournament on the planet. The NCAA tournament is hard, but they play two games a week with a day off in between. In the Sweet Sixteen, a team either has to win four games in four days or four games in three days, depending on where they are seeded. They have to play a semifinal in the morning and a championship game in the evening.
No one is in the Sweet Sixteen because they are a mediocre team from the middlings of a powerful football conference. So, every game is tough, and every player is playing not just for a championship but for a dream.
Those dreams are created when a father hands a son the game of basketball, be it in the form of bounce pass in the living room floor or by taking his boy to a long ago basketball game. The dream is run and rerun thousands of times on an empty court in a neighbor's driveway or in a church parking lot or on a dirt court in front of a tobacco barn. It is a hand off of a culture buffed into the polish of this great Commonwealth. For those fortunate few who play in the Sweet Sixteen there is so much more than banners and trophies. They are fulfilling a dream that is almost instinct.
As I write this, I can almost see that goofy gangly kid of my long ago in the neighbor's driveway counting down the clock -- five...four...three...two...one -- and winning another Sweet Sixteen or NCAA championship for one of his beloved teams.
You ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Fifth Region Championship, Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky
Bardstown 84 - Central Hardin 74
By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent
Folks, I don't know where to start with this one. You could label this game as a game of runs. It was a matter of who would make the last run. It could also be the modern day "Hoosiers" because Central Hardin is one of the largest schools in the state, and Bardstown is one of the smallest. The Tigers were not as worried as the little team from Indiana.
We had a full house in Munfordville, and they honored the Fifth Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. They inducted one of my golfing buddies from Hart County, Ed Dennison. He has served Caverna High School since 1978.
After the induction, I noticed a group of young ladies and maybe one guy standing in front of the scorer's table. I didn't know what was going on. They announced that they were from Bardstown High and would sing the National Anthem. I was floored by their performance. Way to go, ladies and gent.
The first run of the night took no time. Central got the tip, and it was off to the races. Coming into the game, I thought that the Bruins had no chance to run with the Tigers, but I was wrong. They busted open the first quarter with a couple of threes and took the lead 26-18. All week Central Hardin shot the lights out in the first quarter. I'd like to know what percentage they shot in those quarters because they always came out hot.
Between the quarters I started taking in some of the fan action. All of Cecilia must have been there to support the Bruins. Heck, if you went down Highway 62, you probably could've stolen anything you wanted. I'm sure it was a ghost town. They were real proud of this team, as they should be.
(Editor's Note: How do you think I finance Pick and Roll? I wasn't at the Fourth Region Tournament last night. I was cruising up and down U.S. 62 with a pickup truck, a flashlight, and a crowbar.)
The Bruins got a little rattled in the second, and the second run of the night was starting. The Tigers were getting back into the game thanks to Central Hardin not scoring a field goal for nearly 3:00. It was getting wild and tensions were running high. I have to credit the officials for keeping this game and players under control. Bardstown cut the lead down to three before the half. It was a good half of basketball, and I hoped it would continue in the second.
The guys I sat with had a halftime discussion about what adjustments were going to be made by both teams. It was kind of crazy. The 1-3-1 zone Central had used all week was working for them, and the great ball movement and inside-out play was working for Bardstown. The third quarter was going to be different. I think Bardstown Coach Gary Goode was trying to catch hsi breath. In the third, he just sat down and turned his players loose. they responded with a 24 point outburst. Early in the quarter, Bardstown got their first lead and were not going to be denied. They held Central to 13 points in the quarter. The Tigers lead 55-47 after three.
When the fourth got started the Tigers still had some things to take care of. Bardstown was out-playing Central on both ends of the floor. In no time, they had pushed their lead to 12 and J.C. Wright called a timeout with only a minute or so off the clock.
Central had one more run. They set screens for Tony Harding and he connected on a couple of huge threes. One of them was at the 1:11 mark, and that three got it back to a ten point lead. After a Bardstown turnover, Harding hit another three. Wow! Another run and Central was showing life, and the Bruin Nation was alive again. Time was not on their side, however. Central had cut the lead to three, but that was with 48 seconds to go. They had to start fouling.
Bardstown hit their free tosses and won by ten, 84-74. It's the Tigers first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 1971. They had a huge second half, scoring 53 points. Down the stretch, the Tigers made 13 of 14 free throws after the 1:30 mark.
OBSERVATIONS
Cool Hand Luke: Coach Gary Good is probably the most laid back head coach I have ever seen. He coaches under control (if that makes sense). He never looks stressed on the sidelines. He never looked too upset when things weren't going his way. During timeouts, he just grabbed up the clipboard and drew up plays. It was just simple basketball, and his players responded, big. I never have met Coach Goode, but he looks like the type of guy you could approach and have a nice conversation with.
One for the Little Guys: The Bardstown Tigers are in the state tournament. Being one of the smallest schools in the state, I can hear all of the small schools around the Commonwealth cheering for them next week. They may be joined by the likes of Hazard and University Heights. Maybe we can crown a small school champs this year.
Good Sportsmanship: As the Central Hardin team headed back to their locker room, I noticed several of the Elizabethtown High boy's team congratulating them on a hard fought game. As cross town rivals, I thought this was a real nice gesture by the Panther team.
I'm Laying Down the Pencil: The season is over for me. I hope folks have enjoyed what I have contributed to Pick and Roll. I will be at the state tournament, but I think I will let Pick and Roll report on those games. I plan on doing this again next year (if you will have me). Thanks for reading, and I hope you check back during the state and next year.
Editor's Note: Pick and Roll is here to stay. The response has been tremendous, and I've had a blast putting it all together. It's as simple as this: I love basketball. It is the most beautiful, athletic, and pleasing of all the sports. The motion, the precision, the skill, the athletic ability, the excitement make it dang near perfect. I think Chris shares my feelings about basketball. I will be reporting from the Sweet Sixteen, and I hope I'm up for 15 basketball games in four days. I hope I can write coherent reports from "SexyLexy."
Pick and Roll might be dormant throughout the summer, but things will get going again for football season. I actually "kicked" Pick and Roll off in November with reports on a couple of Bowling Green football games. I guess I'll subtitle it "The Pennyrile Hook and Ladder" for the pigskin season. After the Sweet Sixteen I plan to post something about the future of Pick and Roll.
Fifth Region All Tournament Team
Clint Henderson - Green County
Chase Cox - Taylor County
Jesse Beavers - Nelson County
Christian Seymour - Larue County
Chris Gohman - Elizabethtown
Sean Bouthilette - Elizabethtown
Darrin Ballou - Adair County
Kalen Kimberland - Adair County
Daniel Linder - Central Hardin
Chris Nichols - Central Hardin
Tony Harding - Central Hardin
Demarco Phillips - Bardstown
Damian Edelen - Bardstown
Jordan Hickman - Bardstown
Corey Hall - Bardstown
Corey Hall was named MVP with a 22.6 point average
By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent
Folks, I don't know where to start with this one. You could label this game as a game of runs. It was a matter of who would make the last run. It could also be the modern day "Hoosiers" because Central Hardin is one of the largest schools in the state, and Bardstown is one of the smallest. The Tigers were not as worried as the little team from Indiana.
We had a full house in Munfordville, and they honored the Fifth Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. They inducted one of my golfing buddies from Hart County, Ed Dennison. He has served Caverna High School since 1978.
After the induction, I noticed a group of young ladies and maybe one guy standing in front of the scorer's table. I didn't know what was going on. They announced that they were from Bardstown High and would sing the National Anthem. I was floored by their performance. Way to go, ladies and gent.
The first run of the night took no time. Central got the tip, and it was off to the races. Coming into the game, I thought that the Bruins had no chance to run with the Tigers, but I was wrong. They busted open the first quarter with a couple of threes and took the lead 26-18. All week Central Hardin shot the lights out in the first quarter. I'd like to know what percentage they shot in those quarters because they always came out hot.
Between the quarters I started taking in some of the fan action. All of Cecilia must have been there to support the Bruins. Heck, if you went down Highway 62, you probably could've stolen anything you wanted. I'm sure it was a ghost town. They were real proud of this team, as they should be.
(Editor's Note: How do you think I finance Pick and Roll? I wasn't at the Fourth Region Tournament last night. I was cruising up and down U.S. 62 with a pickup truck, a flashlight, and a crowbar.)
The Bruins got a little rattled in the second, and the second run of the night was starting. The Tigers were getting back into the game thanks to Central Hardin not scoring a field goal for nearly 3:00. It was getting wild and tensions were running high. I have to credit the officials for keeping this game and players under control. Bardstown cut the lead down to three before the half. It was a good half of basketball, and I hoped it would continue in the second.
The guys I sat with had a halftime discussion about what adjustments were going to be made by both teams. It was kind of crazy. The 1-3-1 zone Central had used all week was working for them, and the great ball movement and inside-out play was working for Bardstown. The third quarter was going to be different. I think Bardstown Coach Gary Goode was trying to catch hsi breath. In the third, he just sat down and turned his players loose. they responded with a 24 point outburst. Early in the quarter, Bardstown got their first lead and were not going to be denied. They held Central to 13 points in the quarter. The Tigers lead 55-47 after three.
When the fourth got started the Tigers still had some things to take care of. Bardstown was out-playing Central on both ends of the floor. In no time, they had pushed their lead to 12 and J.C. Wright called a timeout with only a minute or so off the clock.
Central had one more run. They set screens for Tony Harding and he connected on a couple of huge threes. One of them was at the 1:11 mark, and that three got it back to a ten point lead. After a Bardstown turnover, Harding hit another three. Wow! Another run and Central was showing life, and the Bruin Nation was alive again. Time was not on their side, however. Central had cut the lead to three, but that was with 48 seconds to go. They had to start fouling.
Bardstown hit their free tosses and won by ten, 84-74. It's the Tigers first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 1971. They had a huge second half, scoring 53 points. Down the stretch, the Tigers made 13 of 14 free throws after the 1:30 mark.
OBSERVATIONS
Cool Hand Luke: Coach Gary Good is probably the most laid back head coach I have ever seen. He coaches under control (if that makes sense). He never looks stressed on the sidelines. He never looked too upset when things weren't going his way. During timeouts, he just grabbed up the clipboard and drew up plays. It was just simple basketball, and his players responded, big. I never have met Coach Goode, but he looks like the type of guy you could approach and have a nice conversation with.
One for the Little Guys: The Bardstown Tigers are in the state tournament. Being one of the smallest schools in the state, I can hear all of the small schools around the Commonwealth cheering for them next week. They may be joined by the likes of Hazard and University Heights. Maybe we can crown a small school champs this year.
Good Sportsmanship: As the Central Hardin team headed back to their locker room, I noticed several of the Elizabethtown High boy's team congratulating them on a hard fought game. As cross town rivals, I thought this was a real nice gesture by the Panther team.
I'm Laying Down the Pencil: The season is over for me. I hope folks have enjoyed what I have contributed to Pick and Roll. I will be at the state tournament, but I think I will let Pick and Roll report on those games. I plan on doing this again next year (if you will have me). Thanks for reading, and I hope you check back during the state and next year.
Editor's Note: Pick and Roll is here to stay. The response has been tremendous, and I've had a blast putting it all together. It's as simple as this: I love basketball. It is the most beautiful, athletic, and pleasing of all the sports. The motion, the precision, the skill, the athletic ability, the excitement make it dang near perfect. I think Chris shares my feelings about basketball. I will be reporting from the Sweet Sixteen, and I hope I'm up for 15 basketball games in four days. I hope I can write coherent reports from "SexyLexy."
Pick and Roll might be dormant throughout the summer, but things will get going again for football season. I actually "kicked" Pick and Roll off in November with reports on a couple of Bowling Green football games. I guess I'll subtitle it "The Pennyrile Hook and Ladder" for the pigskin season. After the Sweet Sixteen I plan to post something about the future of Pick and Roll.
Fifth Region All Tournament Team
Clint Henderson - Green County
Chase Cox - Taylor County
Jesse Beavers - Nelson County
Christian Seymour - Larue County
Chris Gohman - Elizabethtown
Sean Bouthilette - Elizabethtown
Darrin Ballou - Adair County
Kalen Kimberland - Adair County
Daniel Linder - Central Hardin
Chris Nichols - Central Hardin
Tony Harding - Central Hardin
Demarco Phillips - Bardstown
Damian Edelen - Bardstown
Jordan Hickman - Bardstown
Corey Hall - Bardstown
Corey Hall was named MVP with a 22.6 point average
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