[WestCoast]

Couple of thoughts:

Living in this area, it’s understandable why Ashland and Boyd County have this elitism about themselves when it comes to their basketball programs. They have pretty much ruled the region for quite some time.
With that being said, everyone that follows high school basketball in the state of Kentucky should be able to agree that the 16th region is one of the worst regions in the state talent wise. And at the end of the day, no one cares that you went to the sweet 16. Sure it is an accomplishment, but second place is the first loser. Until you can win a state championship, no one really cares how many regional championships or district championships you win, especially in this weak region. 
Since 2018 season for Ashland:
2018 : Lost by 30 in round 2
2019 : COVID
2020 : Lost in semifinals by 16
2021 : Lost by 11 in round 1
2022 : Lost by 16 in round 1
2023 : Lost by 2 in Round 1
2024 : ?

In their past five trips to Rupp (no one went COVID year) They have lost by double digits in every single defeat except last year. They have exited in round one three out of five times. They’ve only made it past round two once.
The point is at some juncture you’re going to have to quit hanging your hat on regional and district championships and actually win a state tournament game. The last time Ashland won a state tournament was in the 1960s. You can load your team up with as much talent in this area that you want, it’s not going to be enough to beat these teams that have kids committed to blue blood programs like Kentucky. 
For me, it feels like all the fun gets sucked out of basketball once the regional tournament ends, because I know that no team from this region is ever standing a chance at winning the whole thing.

You are such a bitter little guy!  You are wrong.  Ashland is at that level!  What year did you graduate from Boyd County?  lol

This is exactly what I have been saying. APB robs kids from the entire 16th region and then acts like they are something. What it does show. IF you get to actually go out and pick up players you want from the region and water the region down and still loses when you get the Sweet 16.  You need to question your coaching.

They don’t rob kids from anyone.  They have created a champion atmosphere where kids want to play.  They want to be apart of a winning culture.  They do not want to play somewhere that is not in constant turmoil.
Other than the Mays recording, there is no case for a potential recruiting violation.  The dad was shopping his kid around on the call.  Which is a violation as well.  
The Neel kid’s trainer was ruled no violation.  He had trained that young man for years before Neel ever played at Russell.  Russell knew he was training him at their gym and lied about it on the stand.  No integrity left in that Administration or Bball Staff. They willingly lied at the cost of hurting a kid. So that is a non-issue.

Boyd played a recruited kid on their roster this year.  He never moved!  Without him they would have been beaten in the semi-finals of the region.  Boyd County can’t have their cake and eat it too.  Let’s not even start a conversation about the girl’s basketball and baseball teams!  Lol
Are you seeing a pattern?
You keep throwing stones at Ashland and they keep proving how resilient they are!
As I said before, Hypocrisy at its finest!

The way basketball is set up in the state of Kentucky, it doesn’t matter who makes it from the 16th region. You could have Jesus Christ starting on Ashland or Boyd County or any other 16th region team and they are not going to win a state championship in basketball. Not in today’s era. In the 60s, 70s, 80s and maybe even 90s it was possible. But in today’s time with social media, AAU, and the lax rules on transferring, teams around here in northern Kentucky are not going to compete with schools out of Lexington and Louisville.
So many people have moved out of this area because there’s no work, the economy sucks, drugs are everywhere. There just isn’t the talent to grab like there was back then. Those bigger areas have way too much talent to choose from.
It doesn’t help the way that basketball is set up. Kentucky is one of a handful of several states who combine all teams into one tournament. That’s why in football teams like Ashland and Raceland have legitimate shots at state titles, because it’s class based. Imagine if in football every team played in one tournament.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see local teams have success, but it’s just way too hard for a team from our area to realistically expect to go to Rupp and win not one, not two, not three but FOUR games to be a state champion against elite competition.