[Crazy Zebra]

Any thoughts on the upcoming boys basketball season???

[64SUR]

Will be a top 5 team 2 week after football season is over, :popcorn:

[Crazy Zebra]

Top 5? Who will be the other 4?

[64SUR]

Top 5? Who will be the other 4?

Harlan County
Clay County
North Laurel
South Laurel

My bubble team ( middlesboro )

3 teams in same district Harlan County Bell County, Middlesboro plus Harlan toughest district in region. :pondering:

[Bigmouth1953]

49th is tougher. Clay, North, Obi, Jackson, Redbird. Obi beat bell this summer without two of its best players. Plus clay and North are top two teams in region.

[ArJay]

It’s too early to tell which district is toughest. I would probably assume the 50th is the easiest. But Corbin’s district is really good too. Time will tell.

[ky playmaker]

It’s too early to tell which district is toughest. I would probably assume the 50th is the easiest. But Corbin’s district is really good too. Time will tell.

50th the easiest? south is not as good as last year burg has everybody back that lost to south twice 85*58 and 79-59

lost to corbin three times 59-50 77-62 and 54-47
lost to whitley 52-50 and beat whitley 70-51

south lost ramey, dalton, wombles, parker
whitley bowling,hollingsworth, lawson, lawson, and potter
corbin lost sanders,barton, gosselin(which played very little) maguet, unthank
burg i think has everyone back


i thinking nobody better sleep on burg

[ArJay]

I meant 51st. I mis-typed. HaHa

[Crazy Zebra]

Will Bell be better than Corbin and Williamsburg? How should they fair in their district? The Phipps boy transferred to Pineville. They lost several seniors who played the bulk of their team's minutes. Wonder what role the lack of experience and depth will play? I agree with your top 4, not sure how anyone could argue against that! Should be an interesting season!

[four quarters]

Bell could end up 4th in their district. Tough district with Harlan Co. Akal and son is a good team plus Morris at Middlesboro who can coach with the best. Really good district, but Bell could end up in the region. 49th should have the same as usual unless their is a certain surprise and South and Corbin/Williamsburg depending on who comes out. 51st should be Knox and then who knows. New guys at Barbourville, Phipps at Pineville and Dinky. Who knows about the runner up in 51st?

[HCS]

49th is tougher. Clay, North, Obi, Jackson, Redbird. Obi beat bell this summer without two of its best players. Plus clay and North are top two teams in region.

Harlan beat Jackson by 20-plus at B-ville in the summer
HCHS beat OBI by 39 in Lexington in the summer
Not that either prove anything since it is the summer.

All four teams in the 52nd were ahead of Jackson, OBI and Red Bird last year.
No team in the history of basketball has received more credit for winning a few games in the summer. You have to win some games when the games count to be considered a contender.

[HCS]

Harlan County
Clay County
North Laurel
South Laurel

My bubble team ( middlesboro )

3 teams in same district Harlan County Bell County, Middlesboro plus Harlan toughest district in region. :pondering:

I agree about Clay, South and North
Harlan County has plenty still to prove even though they could be top five, along with Bell, Corbin, Knox, W-burg, B-ville, Middlesboro, Harlan and OBI if these new guys are as good as advertised

[ArJay]

Bell should be really good. We have the best athlete pound for pound at point in the region. And from what I heard we played really well this summer and should be getting more help from football. I think we will be closer to #5 than #10 in the region.

[Bigmouth1953]

Can’t wait for season to start. Then there no more what ifs or should be. It’s put up or shut up time.

[Bigmouth1953]

We are talking about credit giving durning summer. That’s no difference then Harlan co, or Williamisburg. If you don’t base some things off of summer like improvement, experience and so forth then why do most kids earn there rankings durning the summer. Team wise the 49th is one of the strongest districts, ask Clay they haven’t been to Region in two years.

[Crazy Zebra]

Your right about Bell having the best football player in the region. Not sure how well that translates to basketball. I watched Bell play last season with more talent and varsity (several seniors who were the bulk of the scoring)experience than they will have this year. And that group finished last in the district! Bell will have to rely on a roster with one senior and several kids who have played few varsity minutes. from what I seen this summer Phipps was the only inside presence, and he is now at Pineville. Seems like bell is losing several good athletes to Pineville. Most unusual!!!

[HCS]

We are talking about credit giving durning summer. That’s no difference then Harlan co, or Williamisburg. If you don’t base some things off of summer like improvement, experience and so forth then why do most kids earn there rankings durning the summer. Team wise the 49th is one of the strongest districts, ask Clay they haven’t been to Region in two years.

Clay didn't make the region because the No. 1 team in the district played the No. 2 team in the district in the first round. It's not because the district was especially deep. Jackson did upset them the year before, but how many losses in two years did Clay have against Jackson, Red Bird and OBI?
I think if you look at the rankings at the of the season the bottom four teams in the region were Red Bird, OBI, Jackson County and Pineville.
Most of the rankings are based on what the teams did the year before and how many they have returning, plus some on how the summer went. If you have a bunch returning, but the team wasn't very good the year before, you aren't going to zoom up in the ratings until you win in the regular season.
I think the 50th is the strongest district overall. I think the 52nd is the most balanced with four pretty good teams.

[Bigmouth1953]

I will agree to disagree.

[ky playmaker]

Clay didn't make the region because the No. 1 team in the district played the No. 2 team in the district in the first round. It's not because the district was especially deep. Jackson did upset them the year before, but how many losses in two years did Clay have against Jackson, Red Bird and OBI?
I think if you look at the rankings at the of the season the bottom four teams in the region were Red Bird, OBI, Jackson County and Pineville.
Most of the rankings are based on what the teams did the year before and how many they have returning, plus some on how the summer went. If you have a bunch returning, but the team wasn't very good the year before, you aren't going to zoom up in the ratings until you win in the regular season.
I think the 50th is the strongest district overall. I think the 52nd is the most balanced with four pretty good teams.

since 2014-15
clay is 9-0 vs obi
10-2 vs jackson co
8-0 vs redbird

[HCS]

I will agree to disagree.

With what part?

[64SUR]

since 2014-15
clay is 9-0 vs obi
10-2 vs jackson co
8-0 vs redbird

Those are hall of fame number for a coach :HitWall:

[Bigmouth1953]

On the toughest district. Problem is when considering teams for this coming year, you can’t take the past on any school. Coaching changes, with a lot of player changes matters. I just know Obi last year wasn’t about scoring it was about defense, if my math do t fail me they were top three in scoring. So with the addition to three players new coach and new style I’m sure some things will change.

[HCS]

On the toughest district. Problem is when considering teams for this coming year, you can’t take the past on any school. Coaching changes, with a lot of player changes matters. I just know Obi last year wasn’t about scoring it was about defense, if my math do t fail me they were top three in scoring. So with the addition to three players new coach and new style I’m sure some things will change.

You can always look at the past to get a good idea about the future - things usually change verrrrrrry slowly in high school basketball. The top teams in the region now are mainly the same ones we were talking about 10, 20 years ago, except in the case of a newer school.

One team can occasionally make a big jump or big drop like W-burg after they won the region. I'd be very surprised if all five teams in the 49th are strong. I think the chances are much better that all four teams in the 52nd will have a winning record than four or five teams in the 49th.

I'm not sure going on offensive stats from the year before says you are a contender if you are getting blown out pretty often the year before. How many of those points were against other teams' reserves when the game was decided?

[Bigmouth1953]

I agree with the past but most saw that this will not be a typical Oneida team. Time will tell.

[HCS]

Your right about Bell having the best football player in the region. Not sure how well that translates to basketball. I watched Bell play last season with more talent and varsity (several seniors who were the bulk of the scoring)experience than they will have this year. And that group finished last in the district! Bell will have to rely on a roster with one senior and several kids who have played few varsity minutes. from what I seen this summer Phipps was the only inside presence, and he is now at Pineville. Seems like bell is losing several good athletes to Pineville. Most unusual!!!

Wilson and Jones were in the top six this summer and are seniors - not sure if they are still playing, but I'd guess so. That's three seniors out of the top 6-7. Who else did Bell lose in basketball to Pineville besides Phipps?
Stephney would be a key player for any basketball team in the region, even if he is better at football.

[Bigmouth1953]

A lot of the games they lost were in the fourth quarter. I think not last year but the year before the team had a winning record. It’s the same kids with addition of three. Talent has never been an issue at Oneida.
As far as districts go, it’s not all five or all four that make a district tough. It’s top 2-3. Because only two comes out. I know the 49th has two of the top three teams. And other people besides myself seem to thank oneida is top ten. So that’s three out of 10 in one district pretty tough.

[HCS]

The 52nd had four of the top 10-11 last season and will again to start the year.
The 50th will have three of the top 7-8 this year with South, Corbin and W-burg.
The 49th has had only two top 10 teams lately - unless something changes this year and the first game isn't until late November.
You listed all five 49th District teams earlier when you said it was the strongest - now it's just the top 2-3. I can't keep up.

[Bigmouth1953]

No I think all five will be good. But to be the strongest district you need the best teams. 1-3 49th is best.

[JayTiger]

You will see all about OBI right off the bat..Dec-2 they play Clay Dec-7 they play Red Bird and Dec 9th they play Jackson County. Now I can't await and see the excuses when they go 1-2 out of those three games. Clay will beat the socks off and Jackson will do a repeat of district. I've watched all 3 teams play over summer and I'm pretty sure one or 2 kids you are speaking about in several other post ain't going to make that much a difference than what I've seen over summer ball play minus one kid was out of state on home visit. I'm telling you hands down Clay North and Jackson county will be the top three runner's. Jackson county will show what I've been explaining with their season opener at South Laurel. I'm not saying either that their going to beat south but whatch and see if it's not fantastic race at the final stretch of finish line. Coach Gray has Clay working n doing things they've not even experience in the 4yrs he's been their and I honestly think this could be a big change year for coach Gray and the tigers. They will be ready .

[HCS]

No I think all five will be good. But to be the strongest district you need the best teams. 1-3 49th is best.

So, you have OBI ahead of Williamsburg then?
And it's not even a debate that OBI is ahead of Jackson after last year's district tournament?