[HOOPFAN]

Can Ashland narrow the gap to the past five games. BC 3-2 in the last 5. Will BC push it to 4-2 after tonight or does APB even the series 3-3. They will play at least 1 more time for district where BC has won the past 2 District Championships. Can both teams escape upsets in the Region this year or will we get a chance to see two more games after tonight.  We will see.  Ashland will not start 1 single Ashland kid tonight or have them in the top 7 or 8 in the rotation.

ALL AREA TEAM. Tonight, in the BC vs Ashland game the 16th region will be well represented. Oh yes, none of these guys every moved. Thank you KHSAA for supporting the ATOWN- (The All Area Team) LOL
Carter-Greenup County
Davis-Boyd County
Smith- Boyd County
Clarke-Boyd County
LaLonde-Boyd County
Hoskins-Morgan County
Hughes-South Point
Neel- Russell (if eligible)
Lyons-Ashland

I understand the point you are making about kids not being lifelong players/students at Ashland, and APB does get a lot of kids moving into district or transferring more than others. But I guess I just don’t see why a school gets to claim a kid for life? Families move, parents get new jobs, ect. Childers is a South Point kid, he only did 1 year at expressions. He came for his senior year only. So BC has similar kids. Teams like Lewis and Elliott are almost the only complete homegrown teams. If every kid has to stay at the school they started then a lot of kids wouldn’t be where they are now. This is not a recruitment debate, just a conversation about how schools want to claim kids for life.How many years does a kid have to be at a school in order to be considered homegrown?

No need to debate here, as long as he can find a shred of truth in his mind then that's the way it is. For example, I don't mention kids names but one of the kids on this list has a mother that teaches and coaches basketball in Ashland. She also graduated from Blazer and is their second all time leading scorer. She is the definition of a lifelong Tomcat. But....because she taught at Boyd County and her son went to school there he is now inherently Boyd County's property. Makes sense? you bet!!  It's kind of a shame that he always goes back to this stuff. When he just talks basketball I kind of like reading his comments. Hard to sift through the rhetoric though...

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As for the game tonight, if both teams play their best Ashland wins. They're just better. But not better in a sense that they can overcome the truth that "on a given night anything can happen". One of Ashland's best defensive players left the team to concentrate on his football future which is a good decision but it does hurt Ashland in this game. It will be closer than the last game but I believe Ashland pulls away down the stretch...but...a close Boyd County win wouldn't surprise me.

I do agree with what you are saying. I would rather talk about basketball. Here is something to ponder after watching the Morgan Co game. since talking about some of the movement and if it is truly better for the player.

Hoskins- After watching him play at APB vs if he played his Senior year at Morgan. IMO it has truly hindered his development as a player if he is wanting to go to the next level. Which from what I have heard is what he wants to do. At Ashland, he is only a catch and shoot kid. He only has a handful of 2pt field goal attempts going into the last 3rd of the season. If at Morgan he would be forced to do other things such as handle the ball more, drive the basket, be more of a rebounder and passer. The kid can stroke it from 3 but playing on this team that is all he does.

Smith-with the injury to Taylor and Huff. Smith would be a starter at BC. Just like Hoskins, he would be in more of position to handle the ball more and be a true point guard instead of Carter bringing the ball down the floor majority of the time. This would have only helped him develop more as a point guard. Due to is size, he would not be a SG at the next level if he wanted to play after HS. I don't know if he does or not.

Neel-I don't think I need to say anything about this. I would say his parents are kicking themselves in the butt right now. Going from a Two year starter to playing JV and getting no varsity clock has been a wasted year. That is even if he plays this year later down the road.

Everyone's road is different for sure, but parents get in the way ruin relationships with teammates and communities for the sake of what? Winning a Region? How does winning a Region benefit the above guys I mentioned in this thread. It doesn't IMO. In addition to ruining friendships and relationships. Remember these are HS kids. I am not saying small colleges don't recruit from watching High School games. They do. Most Mid Majors and Power 5 schools go to the high level AAU programs to see thousands of the best under one roof. Not just showing up in APB or BC or any other HS for that matter because they heard of kid. They have watched them play AAU and then gain interest. Not the other way around.

IDK about the HUGHES situation. I am not familiar with his situation at South Point.

Interesting perspective. Have you actually spoken with any of these kids or families? I personally have spoken with 2 of them. And your opinions are not correct. But opinions are the right of everyone, but remember they are opinions and until you speak to the actual source you can’t claim facts.

The development is my opinion. That is what IMO stands for. Since you have spoken with two of them. Tell me what is not accurate? Neel, Smith, Hoskins? How have they developed more or grown more as a player at APB. Again it’s just talking perspective and opinions. Obviously I’m wrong on something. Please discuss