[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

To live in the state with the only real tournament system. I was thinking today how I have been to many sporting events in my life but none can top the 57th district tournament to me, or the old 15th region tourny when it was still in high school gyms. I for one hope the system is never changed because If it was then Paintsville would lose all of these district rivalries with the big county schools, and those are the best games to watch. I love Kentucky high school basketball. I love how the season ends at the games true shrine, I love everything about it. We are all truly blessed as sports fans to live in the state where when you are state champ there is no arguing you beat all comers no matter size, or anything else.

[HawksRule]

Very true post. Kentucky is a basketball state and usually puts out some good teams and good games in the tourneys.

[Wideleft01]

Amen.

[McCameraMan]

I completely agree.

[15thRegionSlamaBamma]

To live in the state with the only real tournament system. I was thinking today how I have been to many sporting events in my life but none can top the 57th district tournament to me, or the old 15th region tourny when it was still in high school gyms. I for one hope the system is never changed because If it was then Paintsville would lose all of these district rivalries with the big county schools, and those are the best games to watch. I love Kentucky high school basketball. I love how the season ends at the games true shrine, I love everything about it. We are all truly blessed as sports fans to live in the state where when you are state champ there is no arguing you beat all comers no matter size, or anything else.

Great post couldn't agree more

[allenc4]

I hope the sweet 16 never changes. There is only one champion in basketball season. Thats how it should be.

[zaga_fan]

Very true.
Some may say that it's not right to have little schools like Riverside or Red Bird play against the big guns that they are alligned with, but IMO those schools wouldn't want to change it either.

[Altro Cat]

I like the system the way it is too. I have seen and read that some states like New Jersey have like 8 or 10 state champions each year in basketball. That is crazy if you think about it.

Some of the divisions in other states that crown "state champions" have only 6 or 8 teams in the division so you only have to beat 7 teams to win state. You have to beat more than that to win a region in Kentucky.

[BlackcatAlum]

Schools like Paintsville & Shelby Valley have helped keep the KHSAA from implementing the class system for basketball, because if the small schools couldn't compete with the big schools then we would be on the verge of a classification system.

I hope it stays like this for a long, long time.

[LWC]

Small schools can compete much easier because a school can realistically have 8 players that actually play and be a great team. I know that you want a full roster, but that is a good number of 5 starters and 3 bench players that see time.

In football, at LEAST 11 have to play at all times. Usually a team has 11 on offense or defense and 2, 3, or 4 that might play multiple positions, plus a kicker, punter, etc...

For a school the size of Rose Hill that would be very tough, if not impossible but 8-14 boys is not difficult.

[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

Very true.
Some may say that it's not right to have little schools like Riverside or Red Bird play against the big guns that they are alligned with, but IMO those schools wouldn't want to change it either.

The 15th has a colorful history of the little guys going on and whipping the big boys at state. In the old days Inez had many years of pure domination. Then after that in the late 80's through the 90's Paintsville put a few GREAT teams on the floor. Then last year Valley finally got another one for us. All in all I am more proud of Paintsville's 1 true state championship than I would be of 5 or 6 in a class system.

[Stardust]

I don't think other states would argue the fact that having a single champion is the BEST process. Unfortunately, these other states have been so used to the money that a State tournament generates, they will never change. It's been discussed over the years in Kentucky. Though I doubt it will ever change, and I sure hope it doesn't, the lure of the money will always be a significant challenge to the tradition of a single champion.

[More Cowbell]

Schools like Paintsville & Shelby Valley have helped keep the KHSAA from implementing the class system for basketball, because if the small schools couldn't compete with the big schools then we would be on the verge of a classification system.

I hope it stays like this for a long, long time.

The 15th has a colorful history of the little guys going on and whipping the big boys at state. In the old days Inez had many years of pure domination. Then after that in the late 80's through the 90's Paintsville put a few GREAT teams on the floor. Then last year Valley finally got another one for us. All in all I am more proud of Paintsville's 1 true state championship than I would be of 5 or 6 in a class system.

I agree, when small schools like Paintsville and Shelby Valley can win a state title, why would they ever want to change it? I'm so proud of my SV Wildcats for what they were able to do last year, but I was also very proud of Paintsville as I listened to them win the '96 title on the radio back in the day. Two great teams and two 15th region dynasties.

That said, you might end up seeing a push to change things if we went 5-6 years in a row of big-city schools winning the state. Hopefully that will never happen.

[itzAmazing]

Shelby Valley proved last season that small schools can put incredible teams on the floor. I'm proud to live in a basketball state, it's a beautiful thing.

[PaintsvilleTigerfan]

I agree, when small schools like Paintsville and Shelby Valley can win a state title, why would they ever want to change it? I'm so proud of my SV Wildcats for what they were able to do last year, but I was also very proud of Paintsville as I listened to them win the '96 title on the radio back in the day. Two great teams and two 15th region dynasties.

That said, you might end up seeing a push to change things if we went 5-6 years in a row of big-city schools winning the state. Hopefully that will never happen.

The Sweet 16 is the greatest show in sports. Every year you see many people from all over the country attend, and they will all tell you it is the best pure and simple.

[Pat Riot]

I realize how lucky I am every year when the District tourney's start!!

[cajinyank1957]

Actually New Jersey has 1 state champ
the 6 group champs play in a tournament of champions to come up with 1 state champ
Irs a nice setup but I like kentuckys better.

[Fly Like a Duck]

Very true post. Kentucky is a basketball state and usually puts out some good teams and good games in the tourneys.

Understand when I say this, that I played basketball all the way through high school, as I did football. I also coached middle school basketball my first couple years out of college, until football and basketbally just got to be too much, but Kentucky isn't near the basketball state that it used to be; whether it's talent produced or the size of crowds.

Truth be told, with the exception of the Friday and Saturday games in the Sweet 16 here in KY, the rest of the season's attendance doesn't compare to Southern Indiana (I'm the farthest thing from a Hoosier, but a lover of all area sports; city, county, interstate). I think someone made mention that here at the Sweet 16, you see people from all over the state and country. This is true and a sight to behold. With that, though, it's become more of a traditional thing for friends, father/sons, etc. have grown accustomed to doing as part of tradition, not because they might be fans of any teams that are playing. I also know for a fact, of several schools across our state that 20-25 home basketball gait receipts (girls and boys programs together) don't equal the 4-6 home games on average that their high school football games bring in. 5x's the number of games, arena's with the same seating capacity as the football stadiums, yet often times to not bring in the money that football does.

Kentucky is turning out more college football players than basketball, and I don't think it's even close. Yes, I fully realize that football has many more kids playing, thus more opportunities, but even in contrast with that, the numbers aren't even close and that's all levels (NAIA, NCAA D-III, NCAA D-II, NCAA 1-AA even though there isn't a such thing in basketball and NCAA D-1). Just for our state school's football and basketball programs alone, I wonder what the % of kids on those rosters are KY kids, all levels? I bet football blows it out of the water.

Fact of the matter is, and it's the pink elephant in the room that nobody wants to acknowledge or admit for afraid of being politically correct, when it's just being honest, but college basketball is becoming a sport that just isn't for white men. I don't care what level. Granted, white males are in the minority in college football, too, but not to the extremes that it is in basketball. You look at college rosters for both sports and you will see not only more white males on college rosters, but more 6'1 and under white males.

I found this site and report interesting on the racial make up of NCAA programs. Feel free to check this site out (http://web.bus.ucf.edu/documents/sport/2...t_rgrc.pdf) , and page 33 will show you the findings when it comes to the racial make ups of all the sports. The following is the comparison of Whites/African Americans in basketball and football.

2006-2007 Basketball Football

Whites 32.5% 47%
African Americans 60.4% 46%

2005-2006

Whites 30% 47%
African Americans 59% 45%

2004-2003
Whites 32% 48%
African Americans 58% 45%

As you can see, roughly 1/3 of the population in basketball are white kids, while compared to almost 1/2 of the population in football. They have records dating back to '91-'92 and it's relatively the same as these years. I'm sure I just offended somebody by posting this, rubbing them the wrong way, when all I am doing is posting official findings. I'm in noway saying that white males shouldn't play basketball, because they should. Race should never come into play for a kid deciding whether or not to play a sport, just some intersting facts.

[neverguesswhoiam]

Best tournament system in the country IMO. No other state has a state tournament like ours.