Was this the weakest year ever in KY High School Basketball?

superfreak · 03-25-2010, 08:26 AM

With all due respect to Shelby Valley I think basketball in this state is at an all time low. When was the last time you could ever remember that a bad Betsy Lane team could play within 6 points of the state champion? Also, just an average Perry Co team beat a state champion? Like I said, not knocking SV, I think they had a good team (not great) and won the championship.

Commodore_Colonel · 03-25-2010, 09:11 AM

The "average" Perry Co. team lost all 9 of their games by a total of 27. The most they lost to was 5! They beat Shelby Valley by 3, Knott Central by 3, and Fern Creek by 3.

They lost to Christian County by 4, Knott by 2 and by 3, Highlands by 4, West Jess by 3 in OT, and Scott by 5!

I don't see how you can say their an average team.

**Aslan** · 03-25-2010, 09:16 AM

Pst. You are dissing them every chance you get. Your blinded by your hatred or jealous. Perry is more than an average team too.

alleycat53 · 03-25-2010, 10:10 AM

I agree! some people can be so pessimistic.

asdfasdf · 03-25-2010, 10:11 AM

if by weak you mean there are no Chris Lofton's, Hopson's, D Miller's, Brandon Benders, or Allan Houstons who are highly touted recruits or just phenomonelly unbelievable high school players, then yes.

But the teams this year were VERY talented as wholes and played GREAT basketball -- each year the best teams in the state lose games they shouldn't. This year, the level of a team's play in certain games trumped talent. I think it was a strong year despite the low number of HIGH MAJOR recruits.

**Stardust** · 03-25-2010, 11:21 AM

I thought competition was more level this year than in any year past. Is that because the number of greate players was down? I acutally think opposite. I think we had better overall players than in years past. No SUPERSTAR, but overall, better from top to bottom.

trufan · 03-25-2010, 11:35 AM

I think there was as much talent this year as any, if not more. This years champions showed that basketball IQ and skill and working together as a team can win out against individual athletic ability anytime. So many people today think just because you can jump out of the gym and shove a basketball in the goal that you are a great basketball player, this years Shelby Valley team should prove just the opposite, if you want a great team you have to know how to play the game. However directly relating to your theory, Kentucky is only average since Mississippi State took them to overtime and didn't make the NCAA tourny. IMO the only thing low in the state this year is some fans knowledge of the game of basketball.

**BlackcatAlum** · 03-25-2010, 11:39 AM

There was a ton of talent from around the state and a lot of talent at the Sweet 16.

Don't know what teams you've been watching.

bucslover68 · 03-25-2010, 11:39 AM

What Stardust said has nothing to do with Shelby Valley so people should not get so easily offended. Both football and basketball had very average years statewide. A lot of the so called "powers" had average years. This takes nothing away from what SV accomplished. A Sweet Sixteen trophy is not rewarded with an asterisk saying "Won by the Wildcats in weak overall year." What they accomplised is amazing. State champs are still state champs. Shelby Valley actually beat Betsy Layne 69-61 in the 15th regional final.

trufan · 03-25-2010, 11:43 AM

I think just the opposite, this years teams were above average if you ask me, yes no individual superstars, but a lot of talent state wide.

**cougarpride08** · 03-25-2010, 11:49 AM

If nothing else, it is more excited this year than it has ever been.

**LeeCoUKFan** · 03-25-2010, 12:49 PM

Surely you didn't start this thread due to the simple fact that a team from the mountains of EKY won the State Title?!

BlueChip1 · 03-25-2010, 01:24 PM

I have been to every Sweet Sixteen for the past 15 years and can vividly remember the past 5. I am not a big valley fan and evidenced by many of my posts on here but will give credit where credit is due. The valley team i watched play in the state is no where near the one I saw play in the region, I thought after beating PT that they were just having an awsome game, but game after game they got better beating better competition by big margins. The team that played down there this year could have won it for the past 5 years no doubt.

**cuppett777** · 03-25-2010, 01:32 PM

man somebody always trying to take something away from somebody because there team didnt do it.

NEXT · 03-25-2010, 01:34 PM

No superstar but as a whole there was more talent in the state.

I think this year we have more mid-major and NAIA players than we have had in the past.

**Stardust** · 03-25-2010, 01:54 PM

True :Thumbs: I have no opinion on SV, I've never seen them play. My comment was specific to the quality of the teams being more equal than in years past. The Superstars from this year were not quite as Super as we have seen in years past. But the overall quality of all the players was as good if not better than in any year. Thus, I think that makes SV's accomplisment even better. If they had the D1 ***** player, then I would have said "they should have won. Instead, there were no 5* players in the state, thus it was equal for all. SV was the best team, thus, they deserved the State Title.

goodguy · 03-25-2010, 03:07 PM

Shelby Valley is a very good team, however, they had a cake walk to the final game. Paducah was probably one of the weakest teams in the tournament. West Jessamine and Mason Co. were definitely not one of the top teams in the state.

The upper bracket was brutal. Ballard, Scott Co. Warren Central, Shelby Co., Christian Co. and Corbin. Ballard and Scott Co. had dog fight games to get to where they did.

It didn't suprise me to see Ballard get beat in the finals. After beating Shelby Co., Warren Central and Scott Co. in three of the toughest games they've played all year over a span of three days, probably wore Ballard down. Also the emotional high they came off of after the first three close wins. They possibly thought they had the championship won after beating Scott Co. and underestimated Shelby Valley.

Coming into the championship game wore out and emotionally drained probably had something to do with the outcome.

Not taking anything away from Shelby Valley because they were a very good team, but the "stars were alligned" for SV. Their draw could not have been any better if they were to pick the teams they played in the Sweet Sixteen themselves.

Now to your comment about basketball being down. I don't agree, there were more top teams in the state than there has been in years; and as far as talent being down, no way. I bet there will be more kids going on to the next level this year than there has been in several years. The 2010 class was loaded. No Darrius Miller but several just below his level.

TrinitySID · 03-25-2010, 03:21 PM

Looking at the last decade.... The top teams in 2004-2005 were better than top teams this year (2009-2010), but as a whole, the 2004-2005 season was a much worse top 25 than this year was.

**Scotty doesn't know** · 03-25-2010, 03:42 PM

Why do you even bring up crap like this. I believe that the state knows that there is a lapse of D1 talent and NBA talent but to call out a team who beat every team in the state tourney by double digits when mutiple teams around the state Scott, Trinity and Ballard were ranked nationally all year long. Keep an opinion like that to yourself man, really, I think that the passion and reward for winning the sweet sixteen has not lost a bit of luster. To make the comparison of a Besty Layne team pushing Valley in the regional final to a really weak STATE CHAMPION is absolutely stupid. I mean the anyteam can have a bad shooting night against an inferior opponent. Just look at UK playing South Carolina this year. Please stop with dumb posts like this and just help bring your self to the point that you can deal with Valley winning it all and beating every team but double digits.
Nothing can be taken away from this team.

itzAmazing · 03-25-2010, 05:11 PM

This was not a "weak" year in statewide basketball by any means. This is actually a knock on Elisha Justice and Shelby Valley. Justice may not be Chris Lofton or Darius Miller, but if you ever watched him play in person, he is as good as anyone, and he could run the point for me any day.

**More Cowbell** · 03-25-2010, 07:03 PM

You may say that you're "not knocking SV", but your post is obviously an attempt to take a cheap shot at Shelby Valley, and a poorly veiled one at that.

So many things wrong in your post. First, a minor detail, but they actually beat Betsy Layne by 8, not 6. Plus, you call Betsy Layne a "bad team"? Did you actually watch them play this year? They were a solid team that finished 20-7 as the 15th region runner-up.

And since when is it a crime to have a close call in the post-season? As I recall, last year's champion Holmes also had a close shave during their run to the title, a 7 point win in the first round of the regional tournament against a 17-11 Ryle team. Did that make them any less worthy of being called champion? No, of course not. The bottom line is to win and advance, no matter what the margin.

And Perry Central is just an "average" team? They were a fringe top 25 squad all year, and finished 21-9 as the 14th region runner-up. Christian County, a consensus top-5 team, was taken down to the wire at PCC before pulling out the win in the end. So there's no shame in losing to Perry Central.

Finally, that's a nice little comment about SV just being "good", not "great". If Shelby Valley wasn't even a "great" team, then how bad must Ballard be to get beat by little ole SV by 12 points?

I just find it amazing that even after winning the state title, some people still refuse to show any respect to such a talented, hard-working team. Unbelievable.

bluebloodedcatfan · 03-25-2010, 07:12 PM

Now that sweet 16 is over. Lets see how many signs D!s This could be one of the best years ky high school has had in years.Weak noway

WALL2WALL · 03-25-2010, 08:01 PM

WEAK YEAR!:please:

You have teams such as Ballard, Trinity, Scott County, Shelby Valley. You might think that PCC was average but your wrong. If PCC would have beat KCC, they would have beat Butler, beat Mason, and give Valley a game, maybe even win.This was a strong year. Just cuz there might not be alot of players going D-1 doesn't mean its weak. There are a crap loud of players who are going to several small schools.

**Stardust** · 03-25-2010, 09:06 PM

Not weak, very balanced, but no Major D1 players. As I said, we have no 5* players, at best we have a few 3* possibilities.

5throundball · 03-25-2010, 09:35 PM

I dont see the teams being down! The top two teams in the state played each other in the finals and they play great team ball and they most likely dont have any D-1 players on thier teams. Trinity also had a good team. I do think that individual players are down, but that is a matter of opinion I look at it as no major D-1 players, others look at how many scholarships or how many D-1 players over all. I remember last year that two schools had 3 major D-1 players in this class and it didnt turn out that way, now of course those were some posters over hyping abit.

The Iceboxx · 03-26-2010, 02:21 AM

This was not a weak year at all.

Just look at the D-1 /D2 talent in the state this season.

2010 Class

Curtis Washington- USC
Dakotah Euton - Akron
Chad Jackson - James Madison
Elijah Justice - Louisville
Ricardo Johnson - Ohio ( beat G*town)
Josh Sewell- Miami
Treg Setty - So Illionois
Donovon Gibbs - IUPUI
Shaquille Wilson- undecided
Ashley Hatfield - undecided
Ge-layn guyn-undecided( 4 d1 offers)
Keiston Jones- undecided
Ian Chiles- undecided
Jarrod Polson-undecided
Donovon Johnson- undecided

2011 class has some more great talent.

Remy Abell-( 3 D-1 offers)
Chane Behanan- (4* player, who has national buzz/7 D-1 offers)
George Fant- ( 8 D-1 offers)
Timmy Knipp - (3 D-1 offers)
Vinny Zollo - ( 3 D-1 offers)
Robbie Stenzel
Jordan Shanklin- ( one offer)
Jermaine Jackson

Other underclassmen, that IMO will play college ball.

Jaylen Beckham- Lex Cath ( offers from a Pac-10 and Big East schools)
Mikey Terry- Fairview ( may have a couple offers)
James Quick- Trinity
Jason Hatcher - Trinity
Darryl Hicks - South Oldham ( holds offer from IU Hooisers.)

Overall and generall speaking, this is one of the most talented sets of clases that I can remember in KY. Dont let the fact that SV winning state tarnish your view of the state. EJ and the rest of Valley really was just that good.

**BlackcatAlum** · 03-26-2010, 02:34 AM

^Treg Setty is a junior.

Anthony Hickman of Christian County is another D1 prospect you can add to the 2011 class. You can also add Tamron Manning to the 2012 class.

**Scotty doesn't know** · 03-26-2010, 02:40 AM

Great info!! BTW Is the USC south carolina or other one.

The Iceboxx · 03-26-2010, 02:46 AM

Souther California.

BTW. Chane Behanan was practicing at a GYM in Bowling Green a couple of weeks ago, when I was there for the girls state tourney. He is the real deal. He is a genetic freak. He is UK caliber ball player. He shoots the part, looks the park, and walks the part. I know ppl may not believe me, but I really think he is better than Miller, or Harris right now.( Current UK wings)

BlueSky · 03-26-2010, 10:00 AM

I will never understand why we have to find something wrong when we do so much right. A great tournament with great players. The teams in the top did have one big advantage and that was an extra days rest than the bottom brackett. It does help. Elisha MVP, Mr. Basketball, and Valley State Champions... How do we find fault in these great accomplishments.....