[Fly Like a Duck]

...one sport, 5'11 and under, KY "hoop stars" who focus on basketball only and all of you dads/coaches who are living in Rupp's era.

I hope you are taking notice of the game tonight and realize that not only are your chances of playing basketball for a KY small college slim (check the rosters), but the 2007 and 2008 Mr. Basketball's in our state (by the way, who stand 6'6-6'8) have logged about 5 minutes in tonights game.

Play basketball, you need to. But, I'd be playing other sports as well if you have dreams of becoming a college level student-athlete.

[vundy33]

For a username like that, you sure do like shooting things out of the air...

[Fly Like a Duck]

Now that you mention it, I do. Dove, duck, goose, etc., hunting are some of my favorite hobbies. Yes, I sensed the sarcasm in your post. Nice, I must admit.

[TheGuyYouLoveToHate]

...one sport, 5'11 and under, KY "hoop stars" who focus on basketball only and all of you dads/coaches who are living in Rupp's era.

I hope you are taking notice of the game tonight and realize that not only are your chances of playing basketball for a KY small college slim (check the rosters), but the 2007 and 2008 Mr. Basketball's in our state (by the way, who stand 6'6-6'8) have logged about 5 minutes in tonights game.

Play basketball, you need to. But, I'd be playing other sports as well if you have dreams of becoming a college level student-athlete.

How tall was Devon Downy for South Carolina? Seems like he was pretty small.....and he saw plenty of time....

[School Admin.]

I agree with what you are saying, maybe you could have put it out there a little better, but what you say is very true. Often times we do have a lot of people who are very unrealistic about the abilities of players beyond H.S. If you want to play on the next level, almost without exception, you have to have some size.

[OrangenowBlue]

My experiences are the complete opposite. It has been the football coaches in my past that have pushed their players to play one sport. It has taken away from the basketball and especially from the baseball programs.

[Fly Like a Duck]

My experiences are the complete opposite. It has been the football coaches in my past that have pushed their players to play one sport. It has taken away from the basketball and especially from the baseball programs.

I guess it depends on where you are, but from my experiences, the baseball and football coaches have gotten along and shared their athetes very well.

On the flip side of that, I can't say that I blame them. I mean, it doesnt take a genius to figure out that whether you are watching UK or Kentucky Christian; 6'0 and under kids (especially those that are white) aren't playing college basketball (very few across the board at any level), anywhere. And, if they are, it sure as heck isn't in the numbers of them that are playing baseball and football at the next levels. Anybody that doesn't see that is kidding themselves.

I'm a pro multiple sport guy, but it just breaks my heart to see this 'joe average kids' (you know the types...the 6'0 and under kid who averages 20 pts/game on a 20+ win team, good jump shot, no vertical and the type of kid who are a dime a dozen) who pour their heart and soul; all of their eggs into basketball, then comes the end of their senior year and they're not going anywhere? Whereas if they would have had somebody(s) be realistic with them to play other sports instead of thinking the days of Rupp are coming back.

Do you have any idea the Full 4 Year scholarship allotments that Div. 1 and Div. 2 baskeball programs are alloted every 4 years and do you have any idea on the number of full 4 year scholarships that are alloted to every Division 1, 1-AA and Division 2 football programs across the country?

But, since you brought up football, what kills me is hearing parents give the "Well, he plays basketball and not football because he isn't big enough." Really? Are people that naive?

[Fly Like a Duck]

How tall was Devon Downy for South Carolina? Seems like he was pretty small.....and he saw plenty of time....

Downey was a freak of nature.

1) He could Fly.
2) He was 5'10 and could put his elbow above the rim.
3) His range began in the gym.
4) He's african american. (and, please, those of you reading this, spare me the whole "I can't believe you would say that". It's fact, it's not racial. For what it's worth, I wouldn't advise African American kids to focus soley on Hockey nor would I advise a 5'6 300 lb kid (of any decent) to focus on the 100M hurdles as his sport of most interest)

[dore20]

Downey was a freak of nature.

1) He could Fly.
2) He was 5'10 and could put his elbow above the rim.
3) His range began in the gym.
4) He's african american. (and, please, those of you reading this, spare me the whole "I can't believe you would say that". It's fact, it's not racial. For what it's worth, I wouldn't advise African American kids to focus soley on Hockey nor would I advise a 5'6 300 lb kid (of any decent) to focus on the 100M hurdles as his sport of most interest)

Your right about all of tat except no way he could put his elbow above the rim. N i think his range was somewhere in the parking lot lol.

[LWC]

I agree fully with you FlyLikeADuck. God created me to be no taller than 5'8", I didn't get this "tall" until I was a Freshman in college. I was 5'6" most of my life. I knew that I should not play basketball, and did not have the eyes to play baseball. (Got to have good vision to play baseball, even if you do wear glasses.)

I did play a college sport, but I knew growing up that I would never be a WR, QB, or any position on the basketball court.

[Fly Like a Duck]

I agree fully with you FlyLikeADuck. God created me to be no taller than 5'8", I didn't get this "tall" until I was a Freshman in college. I was 5'6" most of my life. I knew that I should not play basketball, and did not have the eyes to play baseball. (Got to have good vision to play baseball, even if you do wear glasses.)

I did play a college sport, but I knew growing up that I would never be a WR, QB, or any position on the basketball court.

That's funny and correct. I'm not saying kids don't need to play sports where they might be behind the 8 ball when it comes to the prototypical physicalities required to excel in that sport(s). I wasn't a very good basketball or baseball player, but I knew my role and worked hard at being the best I could. I knew what sport my meal ticket was going to be in and that's what I focused on more than any. White, 6'2 240 pound post players with a 30 inch vertical and average, raw athleticism weren't (and still arent) exactly in high demand in the 5 spots needed on a basketball court, but I knew there was one of 22 positions on the field I could play at in football in college. I just wish kids would broaden their horizons. It just kills me to see this kids (basketball only, specifically) who are below 6' and good players for their small community, but in the grand scheme of things are very average when compared to the rest; "focus" solely on basketball when times have changed drastically from when their dads and coaches played.

[Fly Like a Duck]

[quote=dore20]Your right about all of tat except no way he could put his elbow above the rim. N i think [B[/B]QUOTE]

Ok, his forearm. :biglmao:

I stand corrected, his range began in the parking lot.

[NEXT]

Why the focus on one sport basketball stars?

Street goes both ways!!!

I cannot tell you how many good athletes have looked at me and said "I need to lift, work on speed etc., I don't have time to play basketball"

Just as many football coaches discourage as basketball coaches do.

Playing basketball will help other sports more than any other single sport.....footwork, conditioning....

[geauxtigers75]

Fly Like a Duck, you are correct on so many levels. Basketball is a great sport and kids should play it, but most of the time, you can't make a collegiate career out of it. Football at the D1 level offers 7 times more scholarships than basketball, and all the way down to D III and NAIA, there are way more scholarships to go around. So I agree, unless your 6'7 and balling or can shoot 65% from the 3 point line at 5'10, if you want to be a college athlete, you may have to look to another sport besides basketball, and that's just the basic fact of the matter.

[bob green]

Food for thought: Basketball coaches know that in order for their players to be as good as they can possibly be then their players need to have a basketball in their hands 365. Ball handling and shooting is a skill that is about reps. Baseball coaches are a lot the same. Arm strength is developed over long periods of time and one can never see too many pitches in BP. Football coaches again are the same, only they don't so much want to work on skills but developing the athletes body so that it can withstand a collision sport. Of course a QB and WR's must develop their skills also and again it is time consuming. Every one wants athletes and every one wants time from the kids. It is because as coaches we have learned that if you put enough time into something then your team will be better. Everyone wants to win at almost any cost.

What I would like to see in my school is that football coaches get all athletes (football, baseball, and basketball) for weightlifting and develop their bodies physically. I say football coaches because they are mostly about developing strength in the total body. Basketball coaches push their athletes to play football to make them tougher. Football coaches push their athletes to play basketball to develop foot speed and agility. The baseball coach pick his best 25 to 30 players and the rest hit the weights hard and run track. Put all the coaching offices and locker rooms into one large area next to the weight room and everyone get along. That will never happen but it would be nice.

[shooterx3]

so how tall is Elisha Justice?
How did he ever make it at Louisville?

[BondJamesBond]

You sound like an frustrated posted that had some type of bad experience playing the game.

[Fly Like a Duck]

You sound like an frustrated posted that had some type of bad experience playing the game.

Far from it. I enjoyed my basketball playing days and watching high school/college basketball as much as anything. You sound like a someone who still looks through rose colored glasses.

[Fly Like a Duck]

so how tall is Elisha Justice?
How did he ever make it at Louisville?

Him, Richie Farmer and Patrick Sparks. That's three. By the way, I never said none ever made it, but I said chances are very, very slim. Go back and read my posts.

By the way, I enjoyed watching Elisha Justice as much as any kid I've ever seen step on a gym floor, college or high school.

[Fly Like a Duck]

Fly Like a Duck, you are correct on so many levels. Basketball is a great sport and kids should play it, but most of the time, you can't make a collegiate career out of it. Football at the D1 level offers 7 times more scholarships than basketball, and all the way down to D III and NAIA, there are way more scholarships to go around. So I agree, unless your 6'7 and balling or can shoot 65% from the 3 point line at 5'10, if you want to be a college athlete, you may have to look to another sport besides basketball, and that's just the basic fact of the matter.

Finally, somebody who sees the light like me! :welcome:Great points. Great points by stating the scholarship facts. I'm waiting for others (those that think Rupp is going to come back, cringing at reading these posts) to find the NCAA scholarship allotment facts. I know the site and will post them later, just waiting for others to face up to the harsh reality.

I will tell this much, though. Kids have a better chance at receiving a Full Ride, NCAA Division II (KY Wesleyan, Carson-Newman, etc) football scholarship more than they do in NCAA Div. 1 and NCAA Div. 2 basketball combined!

[Fly Like a Duck]

Food for thought: Basketball coaches know that in order for their players to be as good as they can possibly be then their players need to have a basketball in their hands 365. Ball handling and shooting is a skill that is about reps. Baseball coaches are a lot the same. Arm strength is developed over long periods of time and one can never see too many pitches in BP. Football coaches again are the same, only they don't so much want to work on skills but developing the athletes body so that it can withstand a collision sport. Of course a QB and WR's must develop their skills also and again it is time consuming. Every one wants athletes and every one wants time from the kids. It is because as coaches we have learned that if you put enough time into something then your team will be better. Everyone wants to win at almost any cost.

What I would like to see in my school is that football coaches get all athletes (football, baseball, and basketball) for weightlifting and develop their bodies physically. I say football coaches because they are mostly about developing strength in the total body. Basketball coaches push their athletes to play football to make them tougher. Football coaches push their athletes to play basketball to develop foot speed and agility. The baseball coach pick his best 25 to 30 players and the rest hit the weights hard and run track. Put all the coaching offices and locker rooms into one large area next to the weight room and everyone get along. That will never happen but it would be nice.

I agree with everything you said, but especially this last paragraph. A large part of our multi sport student athletes (and, I can't stress how much multi sport athlete fan I am; this coming from a football junkie, by the way and an all sport lover.) don't have a chance to get stronger. Why? Because they are playing everything and they need too. However, our schools administration(s) can help this cause by allowing at least 2-3 weight lifting classes as electives throughout the day (all of you academic only people, save it, have you seen the obesity in our school hallways? We teach math, reading, chemistry, biology as we should and we need more of it, but we better be teaching our kids how to take care of their bodies or else they wont be living long enough to put the knowledge they learn in those other classes to work.).

[Fly Like a Duck]

Why the focus on one sport basketball stars?

Street goes both ways!!!

I cannot tell you how many good athletes have looked at me and said "I need to lift, work on speed etc., I don't have time to play basketball"

Just as many football coaches discourage as basketball coaches do.

Playing basketball will help other sports more than any other single sport.....footwork, conditioning....

Why? Because so many of them are chasing pipe dreams. They aren't even dreams, they're slowly but surely becoming fantasy.

Go look at the college football scholarships at every level and then compare them to those of basketball. While your at it, take a look inside at those numbers and notice.

1) Race
2) Physical make up

There's a whole heck of lot more 6'0 and under white kids playing college football than there is basketball (you can even break it down in comparison to the number of players each sport needs; slice and dice it however you may), and sorry to break it to you, but it roundball will stay that way. The days of "Hoosiers"are long gone at the college level. Sorry.

Basketball does help with footwork. You are exactly right. However, Ill say that Track helps more. Nonetheless, you're correct on it being a great sport to improve overall footwork. No doubt about it.

You and others are missing my point though. Never in my original post or any post sense did I not say 6'0 and under white kids don't need to play basketball. They need to play. But if they have dreams of becoming a college athlete, I'd be throwing my eggs into more baskets (no pun intended).

[bob green]

I hate to be the one to bring this up, but lots of kids are playing basketball these days because it is easier and more self gratifying than other sports. Of course you have to run, but you do it in a controled climate that is nice and cozy. Every one gets to shoot the ball in practice and sometimes even in the game. All this leads to a kid thinking that they play college basketball at some school that they have never heard of or would have ever considered going to and going to college as an athelete first and not a student that is concerned about making a living someday. Some make it, most don't. Plus a lot of parents push their kids to play basketball, why not, it's easy to understand, you don't have to sit in 100 degree temps and 20 degree temps outside to watch them in the same season (baseball and football). We can all rant and rave but in today's society people are going to take easy paths, or what may look like an easy path. People dont want to know the truth and what some of you are saying here is truth.

What I would like to see from not only players, but parents and coaches is lets all be together and make our high school sports the best they can possibly be for our communities across the board. Not because we want a college scholorship, but because we owe it to those people in our towns that support and sacrifice for us, and make playing high school sports so much fun. If we could just do this then the college scholorships will take care of themselves. Funny, this is how it used to be, people had pride in where they lived. Now it's all about "me" and what I am going to do. Sucks in my opinion.

[Baller1234]

Size doesnt determine someones skills.