[billymoore8123]

Paintsville looked impressive right out the gate, even tho the game was back & forth for most of the 1st qtr, they started to widen the gap same midway through the 2nd and led by 9 at half. They really started to get it going in the 3rd, they never got in any sort of hurry, played w/ a ton of poise and discipline, especially on the defensive end, had their way offensively, constant movement and the ball wasn't getting stuck, some great sets ran by coach Slone to get his guys good looks and put them in good positions. Cole & Woods are going to be an absolute problem for teams, they both cleaned up on the boards last night, and Cole was just having his way down low, got whatever he wanted, those 2 are going to be the focal points for Paintsville, with a solid supporting cast around them as well. I've said it before, Martin Co & Central are going to get all the attention & publicity, but watch out for Paintsville, well coached, and could not just make noise come tournament time, but could win the whole thing.

Floyd Central just struggled mightily, especially as the game wore on, Boyd got going early scoring 8 points and knocking down a couple of 3/s, but he was quiet after that. Second half Floyd Central really struggled offensively, mainly just iso & hero ball trying to get back in the game, terrible possessions, it was Spriggs dribbling too much and forcing it, he struggled all night, and just the other 4 camped out on the perimeter watching him, didn't crash the boards, no energy at all. Logan Meade tried to provide a spark late in the 2nd half, deficit was just too much but I really enjoy watching him play, he plays hard and leaves it all out there. Buck is already a heck of a freak athlete, when it hones it all in and figures out how to use it, he will be one of the best players in the region down the road.

Great win for Paintsville, they're playing some great basketball right now. Floyd Central will need to have a short memory after this one, as they play Campbell Co tonight at Paintsville, a part of the city between the Lakes classic. Campbell Co made the elite 8 of the State Tournament last year, will not be an easy task for the Jags.

I agree 100%. Coach Slone is a very good coach and always seems to get the most out of his players and seems to have a solid team every year no matter how much talent he has to work with. Paintsville can beat anyone. Paintsville likes to get out and run, but will also slow it down and run some good sets to get their scorers open. This team is very fundamentally solid as they don’t seem
to make a lot of mistakes and seems like everyone on the court for them is willing to make the extra pass and find open shots. When you play man against Paintsville they will bully ball you in the paint with their good bigs and if you try to go zone they seem to always get either an open layup or 3 out of it. I’m very high on this Paintsville team. I believe that if Paintsville plays to their potential they will be playing at Rupp Arena in March. This is a completely different team than what they were last year. You can see the difference for those sophomores that have played since 8th grade. It pays off.