Clay County’s current record is 3-10. According to KHSAA rankings, dead last in the 13th region. They are not getting beat, they are getting thumped. Unbelievable. Never thought I would have ever seen this in my lifetime. Sad. What do you say as a proven unsuccessful coach to these young kids? As it won’t get better, if he couldn’t win nothing the past six years with the talent he had, what are they to look forward to now? Terrible, embarrassing, and feel horrible for past players and coaches with this non sense they call basketball these days in clay.
While he hasn't won regions, he is not a " proven unsuccessful coach." He is 3-2 against Hoskins(Perry C.) ; 3-2 against Valentine(NL) ; He's beaten Sizemore four times ; he's beaten Pietrowski three times; he's won 9 of 11 against Parrett(Jackson Co.); he's beaten Davis(SL) twice; Patterson(KC) twice; he's won four out of five against Akal(Harlan); he's beaten Bell four times , won four of five against BVille, and beat a really good Wburg team in the CFIT.
Just in the past couple of seasons he's beaten Lexington Catholic , a state bound Boyle County team, good Pulaski Co. and Mercer County teams, won a CFIT championship at Corbin and a runner-up CFIT finish the following season, losing a close, hard fought game against #1 ranked John Hardin.
He started 16-0 in 2018-19 . He beat Pikeville , had a close two pt. loss to Louisville Trinity, beat a Knoxville Catholic team that had three D-1 starters , beat Scott County, lost a two pt game to a top ten North Laurel team.
Who's the next scapegoat for the fallen Clay County program? You must have talent to win. Clay lacks talent right now. When Gray has had some talent, he's performed pretty well(see the above resume).
There may be a plethora of reasons for Clay's fall from grace but it's not because the coach can't coach. (Again, see the above)
Just my opinion but I think the above says the guy can coach when there is some talent.
I will absolutely agree with you about one thing, though. I never thought in my lifetime that I would see Clay County ranked dead last in the 13th region in any ranking.
May want to buy them a few players like some of the local programs do. Just takes 1 or 2 players to turn a program around. I’m sure there’s some families that would move for a good setup.
(12-31-2021, 02:27 AM)Old School Hound Wrote: [ -> ]While he hasn't won regions, he is not a " proven unsuccessful coach." He is 3-2 against Hoskins(Perry C.) ; 3-2 against Valentine(NL) ; He's beaten Sizemore four times ; he's beaten Pietrowski three times; he's won 9 of 11 against Parrett(Jackson Co.); he's beaten Davis(SL) twice; Patterson(KC) twice; he's won four out of five against Akal(Harlan); he's beaten Bell four times , won four of five against BVille, and beat a really good Wburg team in the CFIT.
Just in the past couple of seasons he's beaten Lexington Catholic , a state bound Boyle County team, good Pulaski Co. and Mercer County teams, won a CFIT championship at Corbin and a runner-up CFIT finish the following season, losing a close, hard fought game against #1 ranked John Hardin.
He started 16-0 in 2018-19 . He beat Pikeville , had a close two pt. loss to Louisville Trinity, beat a Knoxville Catholic team that had three D-1 starters , beat Scott County, lost a two pt game to a top ten North Laurel team.
Who's the next scapegoat for the fallen Clay County program? You must have talent to win. Clay lacks talent right now. When Gray has had some talent, he's performed pretty well(see the above resume).
There may be a plethora of reasons for Clay's fall from grace but it's not because the coach can't coach. (Again, see the above)
Just my opinion but I think the above says the guy can coach when there is some talent.
I will absolutely agree with you about one thing, though. I never thought in my lifetime that I would see Clay County ranked dead last in the 13th region in any ranking.
Old school hound, something you fail to realize.. how many region titles did he win? How many region games has he won? Clay won district every year before gray? How many districts has he won? I can tell you. 0 regionals. 2 regional wins in 6 years and those wins where in separate years. 2 district titles in 6 years. For clay, horrible resume. For a program near the bottom of the region, good resume. You continue to show your incompetence with talking about gray sir. For clay standards, he is the worst rated coach clay has ever had. Results don’t lie. As a coach you coach the program. The program is at the bottom. Period. Excuses are excuses, results are what matter. If you did good in regular season so what, how do you do when it matters is what I like to see. He hasn’t won important games with talent, won’t win important games without talent. Talent or no talent, as the coach you’re responsible for winning. In clay, winning regional and district games. His record in that category is terrible. Clay hasn’t stiffed a regional title since gray has started.
I understand that the Tigers have not performed up to the lofty standards set by Keith. I think Clay only missed making the region one time in about 70 years from 1947 to 2017. But for much of his tenure at Clay , Gray has competed in a district that has included a NL team with Shepherd, Davidson and company. And for first part of Gray's tenure as Tiger coach, the district was unseeded and, at least on one occasion, Clay had to go up against North in the first game of the district. For the most part, Clay has played North pretty tough, especially late in the season.
Would Clay have won districts and regions had Keith(in his prime) been coach the last six seasons? I've pondered this question a lot and I think the answer is maybe... BUT MAYBE NOT. Given the talent that each school has had over the past six seasons(Clay and North), I think it's very possible that Keith could have had the exact same number of district and region wins as Gray the last half dozen or so seasons. Keith might have won a region or two but there is certainly no guarantee of that.
Comparing Keith to Gray. Joke. Again excuses. I think every year and every coach had tough competition in district and regional games when at clay. I guess in this case gray hasn’t coached in enough regional games to have a fair evaluation because he can’t win enough to have the opportunity to play in them. Again, clay hasn’t sniffed a regional title with gray, so stats don’t lie my friend.
Are they just not playing the best players in the county or is it politics like it is in a lot of counties in this area?
(12-31-2021, 01:13 AM)Waynes_ Wrote: [ -> ]Clay County’s current record is 3-10. According to KHSAA rankings, dead last in the 13th region. They are not getting beat, they are getting thumped. Unbelievable. Never thought I would have ever seen this in my lifetime. Sad. What do you say as a proven unsuccessful coach to these young kids? As it won’t get better, if he couldn’t win nothing the past six years with the talent he had, what are they to look forward to now? Terrible, embarrassing, and feel horrible for past players and coaches with this non sense they call basketball these days in clay.
Clay County needs to be begging Marcum to come back. Marcum can have this team competitive by year end.
I think to much pride and them never admitting their terrible mistake for that to happen. A decision in my opinion that destroyed clay county boys basketball. With that said, they need to man up and get someone that can get them going in a different direction for sure.
(12-31-2021, 02:46 PM)DukeBoy Wrote: [ -> ]Are they just not playing the best players in the county or is it politics like it is in a lot of counties in this area?
Its politics.
The curse of Robert Marcum.
Don’t ever put gray and Keith in the same sentence. One was a legend and commanded respect and players who would run through a brick wall. The other has none of that. Coach Keith is the greatest coach I ever witnessed or played against. It was a pleasure and a great memory
Look at it this way…..
There was always competition but not nearly the level of competition there is now. Clay used to attract players because their programs were lacking, now there a many good teams in the region.
Let’s face it Manchester is not a destination where you want to live, what does it have to offer that several other cities can’t top. Lots of folks work at the prison but they drive in from other places. The infrastructure is not there to develop the area, therefore it makes it tougher to attract players.
What is the population as compared to Laurel County?
As a district what do they offer educationally that other schools can’t?
Sometimes the sun sets on great programs. Its not all about a coach, or kids or the school or the area but a combo of all of those.
Clay will recover but they will never dominate like days gone by…..