Mason County 57 - Holmes 48
Welcome to my post about the Northern Kentucky Invitational Tournament. They have all the good football teams, but now they want to dominate basketball, too. I used to work in northern Kentucky a lot, and I always felt like I was in Ohio when I got north of Georgetown. People talked funny, drove like maniacs, and insisted on telling me that I was #1 in the form of a hand signal. They drove fast but were awful nice when they passed me. I'd just tell them that I thought they were #1 right back.
I went to the game for two reasons. First, I love the way the Holmes Bulldogs play basketball. When they are clicking, I could watch them play all day. They play with grace and agility. The make a beautiful sport more so. The other reason? I wasn't going to deny my quest to see all fifteen games of the Sweet Sixteen.
Crazy? You're danged right. Going to the entire tournament is among the craziest things I've done in a long time. It will probably take a week to get the sound of basketball out of my head. The whistles. The horns. The bouncing of a ball on hardwood. The squeak of rubber soles. It's all in there.
I don't know what to write about a championship. I don't want to bore everyone with a game recap because that will be told in every newspaper from the banks of the Mississippi to the headwaters of the Tug.
Holmes played sloppy in the first and third quarters, and it cost them the game. I'm tired. I may write more about it in the next couple of days, but I'm going to bed and celebrating Easter on Sunday.
Happy Hoops!!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Sweet Sixteen; Semifinals
Holmes 57 - Lexington Catholic 50
All I've heard all week is that Lexington Catholic was going to win the state championship. I had nothing to counter them with, but I knew that Holmes was a very good team. With Elijah Pittman emerging as a reliable sophomore scoring and rebounding threat, the Bulldogs looked like the kind of team needed to knock of the Knights.
It didn't look to good for Holmes at the start of the game. They played sloppy, much of it due to Catholic's tenacious press. Catholic looked unstoppable, taking a 19-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs sprang to life in the second quarter and outplayed the Knights. Holmes was quicker and stronger than them. The Knights had a 31-25 lead at the break, but Holmes was coming after them, outscoring them 21-12 in the second quarter.
After the half, Holmes picked up where they left off in the first half. They continued to surge at the Knights, and with 4:58 on the clock, they cut the lead to 34-32. They tied it at 38 with 2:38 left in teh third quarter.
At this point the video boards featured the Subway "Sub of the Game," which was Elijah Pittman. At that point he had six points and three rebounds. I've become a huge fan of this wonderful sophomore who stepped his game up on the big stage of the Sweet Sixteen. He finished the game with 15 points.
I guess Pittman averaged about 15 points a game for the tournament, and he did all of it -- to the semifinal -- from the bench. I've become a huge fan of his.
The momentum shifted back to Lexington Catholic at the end of the quarter, when they hit two quick baskets as time expired. They were up 44-41.
The Bulldogs played great defense in the fourth quarter, holding a beleaguered Catholic team to just six points. Meanwhile, they reeled off 16 points and rode a 57-50 win over one of the favorites to win the tournament into the championship game.
Mason County 60 - Shelby County 50
Thirty years ago, the Shelby County Rockets won their second state championship by downing the Holmes Bulldogs. It would be one of those "wow" moments if the two linked up again in the championship round. By the way, Charles Hurt played for Shelby County, and Dicky Beal played for Holmes. Both ended up playing together for UK.
I think Dicky Beal bumped into me tonight, and, of course, the officials called a foul on me.
Instead of having Louisville Central in their way like they did in 1978, Shelby County had a mighty Mason County team in their way. Instead of having the star headed to play for the Wildcats, Mason County had the star -- Darrius Miller -- headed for UK.
Mason struggled with the Rockets defense in the first half. At the end of one quarter, the Royals had a 16-15 lead on Shelby County, who probably wore the glass slipper to the semifinals. It's funny because their baseball team wore the same shoe to the state championship game last summer.
The two teams played to a 6-4 defensive slug-fest in the second quarter. It wasn't pretty basketball.
Mason County controlled the second half and advanced to the championship game with a 60-50 victory.
OBSERVATIONS
Eight More Miles to Louisville: I've been meaning to post something about this. It's the first time since 1996 that both Louisville schools were eliminated in the first round. Well, I guess that the good programs from the state's principal city has to allow the underpopulated places in the state to enjoy the Sweet Sixteen. Everybody is lucky that Male High choked in the first round of the Seventh Region tournament.
Billy G: Billy Gillespie was hanging around the Sweet Sixteen for the semifinal watching Darius Miller. Autograph seekers swarmed him at times. Maybe he'll finally sign his contract.
Eight through Eleven: The semifinal featured teams from the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh regions. They should have called it the "Golden Triangle Invitational." Oh, well, that will lead to more industry moving into the area.
Double Royalty: I noticed that Mason County has a kid named Ethan King on the squad. He scored 18 points in Saturday morning's semifinal. He's the Royal's King. Thank, you very much. TCB, baby.
All I've heard all week is that Lexington Catholic was going to win the state championship. I had nothing to counter them with, but I knew that Holmes was a very good team. With Elijah Pittman emerging as a reliable sophomore scoring and rebounding threat, the Bulldogs looked like the kind of team needed to knock of the Knights.
It didn't look to good for Holmes at the start of the game. They played sloppy, much of it due to Catholic's tenacious press. Catholic looked unstoppable, taking a 19-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs sprang to life in the second quarter and outplayed the Knights. Holmes was quicker and stronger than them. The Knights had a 31-25 lead at the break, but Holmes was coming after them, outscoring them 21-12 in the second quarter.
After the half, Holmes picked up where they left off in the first half. They continued to surge at the Knights, and with 4:58 on the clock, they cut the lead to 34-32. They tied it at 38 with 2:38 left in teh third quarter.
At this point the video boards featured the Subway "Sub of the Game," which was Elijah Pittman. At that point he had six points and three rebounds. I've become a huge fan of this wonderful sophomore who stepped his game up on the big stage of the Sweet Sixteen. He finished the game with 15 points.
I guess Pittman averaged about 15 points a game for the tournament, and he did all of it -- to the semifinal -- from the bench. I've become a huge fan of his.
The momentum shifted back to Lexington Catholic at the end of the quarter, when they hit two quick baskets as time expired. They were up 44-41.
The Bulldogs played great defense in the fourth quarter, holding a beleaguered Catholic team to just six points. Meanwhile, they reeled off 16 points and rode a 57-50 win over one of the favorites to win the tournament into the championship game.
Mason County 60 - Shelby County 50
Thirty years ago, the Shelby County Rockets won their second state championship by downing the Holmes Bulldogs. It would be one of those "wow" moments if the two linked up again in the championship round. By the way, Charles Hurt played for Shelby County, and Dicky Beal played for Holmes. Both ended up playing together for UK.
I think Dicky Beal bumped into me tonight, and, of course, the officials called a foul on me.
Instead of having Louisville Central in their way like they did in 1978, Shelby County had a mighty Mason County team in their way. Instead of having the star headed to play for the Wildcats, Mason County had the star -- Darrius Miller -- headed for UK.
Mason struggled with the Rockets defense in the first half. At the end of one quarter, the Royals had a 16-15 lead on Shelby County, who probably wore the glass slipper to the semifinals. It's funny because their baseball team wore the same shoe to the state championship game last summer.
The two teams played to a 6-4 defensive slug-fest in the second quarter. It wasn't pretty basketball.
Mason County controlled the second half and advanced to the championship game with a 60-50 victory.
OBSERVATIONS
Eight More Miles to Louisville: I've been meaning to post something about this. It's the first time since 1996 that both Louisville schools were eliminated in the first round. Well, I guess that the good programs from the state's principal city has to allow the underpopulated places in the state to enjoy the Sweet Sixteen. Everybody is lucky that Male High choked in the first round of the Seventh Region tournament.
Billy G: Billy Gillespie was hanging around the Sweet Sixteen for the semifinal watching Darius Miller. Autograph seekers swarmed him at times. Maybe he'll finally sign his contract.
Eight through Eleven: The semifinal featured teams from the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh regions. They should have called it the "Golden Triangle Invitational." Oh, well, that will lead to more industry moving into the area.
Double Royalty: I noticed that Mason County has a kid named Ethan King on the squad. He scored 18 points in Saturday morning's semifinal. He's the Royal's King. Thank, you very much. TCB, baby.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sweet Sixteen Quartefinals; Session Two
Shelby County 53 - Hazard 50
Anyone who has read my posts knows that I'm pulling for the Rockets to win the state championship. I have ties to that community and am a long time fan of Shelby County.
Hazard jumped out to an early lead, and Shelby County played a terrible second quarter, scoring only seven points. The Rockets played a 3-2 zone that overplayed on the wings trying to force Hazard to go inside. Hazard's Josh Whittaker, who is a fantastic sophomore, stepped his scoring and had a 11 points at halftime.
Hazard had a 30-20 lead after holding Shelby County to five second quarter points.
Shelby County responded by playing a nearly perfect third quarter. They hit their shots and quickly cut the lead to 30-29. In fact, Hazard didn't score until the 2:40 mark of the quarter. I noticed that Coty Minnis hurt his foot and actually had his shoe off while on the bench. He was for a couple of minutes but returned before the end of the quarter. Shelby tied it at 33 with Tim Sanford's three pointer.
The Rockets outscored them 18-5 in tthe third and had a 38-35 lead.
In the fourth the Rockets expanded the lead to 46-37, but the Bulldogs had one more bite left in them. They roared back to within two, 50-48. Shelby County hit important free throws down the stretch, and kept Hazard from capitalizing on two critical possessions at the end of the game.
Shelby County advances to the semifinals for the first time since Charles Hurt led them to the championship in 1978.
OBSERVATIONS
Who Shot the Sheriff: Paintsville's band is the first one I've seen that features steel drums. I used to live in Miami, Florida, and never saw one down there. They played "Low Rider" by War the other night, and on Friday night they played "I Shot the Sheriff." I guess they probably don't do that song when the team travels to Harlan County.
Lexington Traffic Update: You know those little stick figure people and pets that people stick on the back windows of their mini-vans? In Lexington, those things are kill flags. Crosswalks are target zones. People gripe about Louisville traffic to me, but at least Louisville traffic moves. It moves at a break-neck pace, but you're going to get where you're going unless you die. I read a story in the "Hurled-Liter" that a woman gave birth in her car on Broadway in Lexington. What the paper didn't tell is that the child was conceived, gestated, and born in the same traffic jam.
Hanging Up the Whistle: Paintsville's coach, Mike Runyon, is retiring. His career ended when the horn sounded on their loss to Holmes in the quarterfinals. When one of his players complained to the officials the other night, he got the attention of the player and just tapped the side of his own head with one finger, telling the young man to think. That's great.
B.G.'s D.G.: Congrats to Bowling Green's Coach D.G. Sherrill for being named Fourth Region Coach of the Year. He's proof that coaching goes beyond the court and into young men's hearts.
T.P. Scott Update: Mr. Scott from Adair County survived game number 666. No seven headed monster or anything else out of The Revelation. He's moved on and closing in one #675. That's 675 Sweet Sixteen games in-a-row.
Anyone who has read my posts knows that I'm pulling for the Rockets to win the state championship. I have ties to that community and am a long time fan of Shelby County.
Hazard jumped out to an early lead, and Shelby County played a terrible second quarter, scoring only seven points. The Rockets played a 3-2 zone that overplayed on the wings trying to force Hazard to go inside. Hazard's Josh Whittaker, who is a fantastic sophomore, stepped his scoring and had a 11 points at halftime.
Hazard had a 30-20 lead after holding Shelby County to five second quarter points.
Shelby County responded by playing a nearly perfect third quarter. They hit their shots and quickly cut the lead to 30-29. In fact, Hazard didn't score until the 2:40 mark of the quarter. I noticed that Coty Minnis hurt his foot and actually had his shoe off while on the bench. He was for a couple of minutes but returned before the end of the quarter. Shelby tied it at 33 with Tim Sanford's three pointer.
The Rockets outscored them 18-5 in tthe third and had a 38-35 lead.
In the fourth the Rockets expanded the lead to 46-37, but the Bulldogs had one more bite left in them. They roared back to within two, 50-48. Shelby County hit important free throws down the stretch, and kept Hazard from capitalizing on two critical possessions at the end of the game.
Shelby County advances to the semifinals for the first time since Charles Hurt led them to the championship in 1978.
OBSERVATIONS
Who Shot the Sheriff: Paintsville's band is the first one I've seen that features steel drums. I used to live in Miami, Florida, and never saw one down there. They played "Low Rider" by War the other night, and on Friday night they played "I Shot the Sheriff." I guess they probably don't do that song when the team travels to Harlan County.
Lexington Traffic Update: You know those little stick figure people and pets that people stick on the back windows of their mini-vans? In Lexington, those things are kill flags. Crosswalks are target zones. People gripe about Louisville traffic to me, but at least Louisville traffic moves. It moves at a break-neck pace, but you're going to get where you're going unless you die. I read a story in the "Hurled-Liter" that a woman gave birth in her car on Broadway in Lexington. What the paper didn't tell is that the child was conceived, gestated, and born in the same traffic jam.
Hanging Up the Whistle: Paintsville's coach, Mike Runyon, is retiring. His career ended when the horn sounded on their loss to Holmes in the quarterfinals. When one of his players complained to the officials the other night, he got the attention of the player and just tapped the side of his own head with one finger, telling the young man to think. That's great.
B.G.'s D.G.: Congrats to Bowling Green's Coach D.G. Sherrill for being named Fourth Region Coach of the Year. He's proof that coaching goes beyond the court and into young men's hearts.
T.P. Scott Update: Mr. Scott from Adair County survived game number 666. No seven headed monster or anything else out of The Revelation. He's moved on and closing in one #675. That's 675 Sweet Sixteen games in-a-row.
Sweet Sixteen Quartefinals; Session One
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.
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.
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.
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