The KHSAA boys' basketball tournament tips off today at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Broadcasts of every game are scheduled to be available at iHigh.com.
Today's games:
Winchester George Rogers Clark (29-5) vs. Oldham County (25-7), 11 a.m. Central
Warren Central (26-7) vs. Louisville Eastern (31-2), 12:30 p.m.
Christian County (21-9) vs. Shelby Valley (13-17), 5:30 p.m.
Lexington Catholic (26-7) vs. Edgewood Dixie Heights (29-3), 7 p.m.
Tomorrow's:
Rowan County (27-5) vs. Daviess County (26-4), 11 a.m.
Wayne County (30-4) vs. Perry County Central (25-5), 12:30 p.m.
Bullitt East (28-5) vs. Bardstown (24-4), 5:30 p.m.
Marshall County (27-6) vs. Bell County (22-6), 7 p.m.
Go Bardstown!
ReplyDeleteAfter the first half, Clark County is cruising -- they lead Oldham Co. 27-14.
ReplyDeleteCameron Mills is pretty disgusted with all aspects of Oldham Co.'s performance. They are getting absolutely smoked by Clark Co. Clark leads 44-23 with 50 seconds to go in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteWell, that was pretty easy for Clark County. Oldham made only 14 of 46 shots, which won't get you too many victories. Clark moves onto the quarter-finals with a 56-39 win. Their next game will feature either Lou. Eastern or Warren Central -- and I am confident that neither of those teams will shoot 14-46 from the field.
ReplyDeleteOK, now we have a big-time game coming up: Warren Central v. Louisville Eastern.
ReplyDeleteAccording to its web page, Louisville Eastern is "Metro Louisville's Technology Choice." They explain their mission as follows: "Eastern High School has developed programs that seek to prepare our students for the future by designing classes that develop inquiring minds. Our curriculum is crafted to showcase the talents of the student and demonstrate their knowledge. Our teaching methods are progressive and innovative, but steeped in traditional values and success proven techniques.
When your student graduates from Eastern High School they will be:
* An effective communicator
* An ingenious critical thinker
* A productive problem solver
* An effective individual and group worker
* A technologically competent individual"
It all sounds a little weird to me, but it must work: Newsweek ranked Eastern as the 419th best public high school in America.
Warren Central's web page, on the other hand, says that their motto is "Engaging all students everyday to promote life-long learning." Presumably that is a goal shared by every school in America. Have to give Eastern a big edge when it comes to mission statements.
ReplyDeleteOur color commentator for this game will be Stan Hardin, who led Louisville Fairdale to back-to-back state championships in 1990 and 1991.
ReplyDeleteThis game feels very different from the last game, in which you had the sense that Oldham was just totally overawed by the whole Rupp Arena experience. These teams were ready to play, and they have opened with a fusillade of buckets. With 2:05 left in the first quarter, Eastern leads 14-12.
ReplyDeleteIt's 16-all at the end of the first quarter. Future Hilltopper George Fant has 11 points for Warren Central. Lyonell Gaines (who's heading to IUPUI) has 8 points for Eastern.
ReplyDeleteWarren Central has suddenly gone cold. Eastern leads 21-16 with 4:33 to go in the 2d quarter. WCHS calls time.
ReplyDeleteThe pace eased considerably in the second quarter, as both teams cooled off. Eastern leads 26-22 at the half.
ReplyDeleteNeither team is shooting very well. Eastern went 11-28 from the field; WCHS went 10-24.
George Fant leads WCHS with 13 points; Lyonell Gaines leads Eastern with 12.
My guess is that both teams are feeling pretty good. Eastern is the heavy favorite, and they do have the lead. Warren Central will be happy that they are only 4 points down despite scoring only six points in the second quarter.
ReplyDeleteYou always have to watch out for the Dragons. They have scored eight quick points to start the second half, and the score is now tied at 30. George Fant now has 17 points. Eastern has called time with 5:08 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteGo, Dragons and Fant!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the reports, GoHeath!
Wow ... Fant's first foul doesn't come until 3:45 of the third quarter ... 17 points and nine rebounds ...
ReplyDeleteWith 2:48 left in the 3d quarter, the score is tied at 35. Fant now has a double-double: 17 points and 10 rebounds.
ReplyDeleteThat steal and layup by Remy Abel off the inbounds felt like a play to be remembered at game's end.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the "Kentucky Bureau/Sawyer's Downtown/etc. Instant Replay" feature was not available in the girls' Sweet Sixteen broadcasts.
ReplyDeleteGet the feeling that we're deciding the state champion in the next eight minutes? I do.
ReplyDeleteIUPUI has got to be feeling pretty good about this game, which features two of their recruits. Lyonell Gaines has 15 points for Eastern, while Jordan Shanklin -- another IUPUI recruit -- has 15 points for WCHS. Eastern leads 41-40 after three quarters.
ReplyDeleteChad Bishop in Bowling Green's Daily News earlier this week: "The Eagles are scoring 72.2 points a game and have won their 31 games by an average of 22 points."
ReplyDeleteCome on, Warren Central!
ReplyDeleteAt almost every commercial break, we get a PSA about this poor kid whose father and grandfather never went to college. The commercial just depresses me no end. I'm always afraid the kid is going to end up as a meth addict.
ReplyDeleteWith 4:12 left in the game, Eastern leads 47-45. They have the ball.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, there are 16,704 fans in attendance at this game.
ReplyDeleteWith 1:50 to go, Eastern leads 50-47. They have the ball.
ReplyDelete1:50, 50-47 ...
ReplyDeleteI did not realize Jeff Hall is coaching at Glasgow.
One key point is that Eastern is having a much harder time in this game than they did against higher-ranked teams in the Seventh Region. A lot of that is a tribute to the Dragons, but it also shows that the gap between Louisville and the rest of the state may not be as great as believed.
ReplyDeleteEastern makes a FT to lead 51-47. WCHS has the ball and calls time with about 57 seconds to go. One key to Eastern's success is that George Fant has been stuck on 17 points for a long time now.
ReplyDelete59 percent foul-shooter, Fant is.
ReplyDeleteMake ...
Fant is fouled with 50 seconds to go. He is a 59 percent FT shooter, but he makes them both. 51-49, Eastern.
ReplyDeleteMake: 51-49, 45.9 seconds to go, and Eastern heading to the line ...
ReplyDeleteEastern misses the front end of a one-and-one. Shanklin tries a three for Warren Central, which misses. (He thought he was fouled). Eastern gets the rebound and they are heading the line with 23 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteEastern makes one of two FTs. Warren Central trails 52-49 with 24 seconds to go. The Dragons have the ball and they call time. WCHS is 3-7 from three-point range in this game.
ReplyDeleteEastern forced Shanklin to give up the ball. Fant makes a layup with 8 seconds to go. Eastern has the lead, 52-51.
ReplyDeleteEastern tries to inbound the ball and throws it out of bounds! But the referee says the ball was off of WCHS. Warren Central's coach is letting the referee have it.
ReplyDeleteFoul on Warren Central before Eastern inbounds the ball. Remy Abell heading to the line for Eastern.
ReplyDeleteAbell signed with Bradley, but he may re-open his recruiting since Bradley fired their coach.
ReplyDeleteAbell makes the first FT.
Abell makes the second FT.
54-51. Eastern calls time with 8 seconds left.
Nice shooting by Abell of Eastern.
ReplyDeleteWow ... I thought WC's Shanklin had it ...
ReplyDeleteHooray for Middletown!
Shanklin shoots a long three-pointer at the buzzer -- but it rims out. Eastern wins 54-51.
ReplyDeleteSurvive and advance.
Fant finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Lyonell Gaines of Eastern (19 points, 4 rebounds) was named the player of the game.
That was quite a game. And now everyone gets to go out for dinner. It's 3:30 in Lexington. Surely, they're holding a table for Joe B at Rafferty's.
ReplyDeleteIf Matthew's reading, perhaps he should chime in with some local dining suggestions for the HP readers on site who are reading on their iPhones, Blackberrys or other PDAs ...
ReplyDeleteFirst Region Marshall County has to wait until tomorrow night's last tip to play in the Sweet Sixteen. The Marshalls have been waiting since 1995, in fact.
ReplyDeleteToo long since I've lived in Lexington to know where to eat. Every time I'm there I end up eating at a Ramseys
ReplyDeleteRamseys has the best squash side I've ever had.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is most people will just go the mall. That's what I would do.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the malls are swarming. I imagine Joe Bologna's is doing very well. I'll bet every CiCi's/Gattiland/whatever cheap pizza buffet is swamped.
ReplyDeleteJoe Bologna's the most overrated restaurant in world history.
ReplyDeleteBut wouldn't you agree that it's busy in the three-hour break between afternoon and evening games in the state high-school basketball tournament?
ReplyDeleteYeah there is a restaurant full of people overpaying for bad food with bad service.
ReplyDeleteIt's Kentucky's private, little Hard-Rock Cafe.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, I would be in such a good mood. What could be better than sitting in a mall, eating some good TGI Friday's type food, and just talking basketball -- before going back to watch some more basketball? I always loved going to the Tilghman Christmas tournament -- this would be like that times 100.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to the KHSAA tournament in 1988 we stuck to the downtown area during the break. Not sure what's downtown these days.
ReplyDeleteNow we're back for the evening session. In the night game, Christian County is rolling over a 13-17 Shelby Valley team that benefited from a miracle run in the 15th region. The score is 45-16 at the half, and it does not appear that Shelby Valley will defend their title.
ReplyDeleteERIC WATCH:
ReplyDeleteThey're now interviewing Joe B. Hall and asking him about John Oldham at Western Kentucky -- since Hall and Oldham both replaced legends. Hall says that the toughest thing about replacing Rupp is that Rupp has so much charisma and was so quotable that no one could keep up with that.
Now Hall is talking about how UCLA had a hard time replacing Coach Wooden. Hall says it was easier for him because he knew how much UK basketball meant to Kentuckians.
Now the announcer says that "to me and many others," Joe Hall is "the coach."
In the first half, Shelby Valley made 23 turnovers. County made only 5. But this is a very young Shelby Valley team, and their coach (who talks with the calmness of a man who won the whole thing last year) says they will simply try to win the second half.
ReplyDeleteCounty is still rolling along. They lead 63-24 after three quarters.
ReplyDeleteYou don't see a lot of 39-point leads in the state tournament. But you don't see a lot of 13-17 teams there either. Shelby Valley is now up to 30 turnovers.
I'm so sorry that I missed the Joe B segment and his comments about Johnny O. I love them both. Love them.
ReplyDeleteFor the second year in a row, Christian County advances to the quarter-finals of the state tournament. This time, they got there with an 83-40 win over Shelby Valley. I'm really glad Shelby Valley got to 40 points.
ReplyDeleteNow we have our other big game for the day: the pros from Lexington Catholic against the Ohioans from Dixie Heights.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was living in Lexington there was all this great rivalry between Tates Creek, Catholic, and Scott.
ReplyDeleteJody Demling tweeted that when County was up 66-24 one of the CCHS fans yelled out "Come on, play defense!" He seemed surprised by this, which makes me wonder whether he has ever been to Hoptown.
ReplyDeleteThere still is a great rivalry between those three schools. Tates Creek beat Catholic to win the district. Catholic knocked off Scott County in the regional quarter-finals. Everyone expected Catholic to play Tates Creek in the regional finals, but TC was stunned in the regional semis by Madison Central, 42-41. Catholic blew out Central, and here they are.
ReplyDeleteI'm torn in this game. I have been to Midnight Mass in Lexington, and I like the Catholic radio station there. But Smart Girl's godfather is from Cincinnati, and I used to really love going to the Ohio Book Store.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I'll just be happy however it turns out.
On the other hand, maybe I'm OK either way. If Dixie Heights wins, then Catholic is out. If Catholic wins, then I went 4-0 in today's picks.
ReplyDeleteThey keep playing this really depressing commercial from State Farm about this dad and his kids who can no longer afford to buy concessions when they go to sports games. The point, I suppose, is that State Farm can help the dad save money. But it still seems clear that even with State Farm, his poor kids won't be getting any popcorn.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the dad should have gone to college.
The Catholic coach says that his plan for this game is to play "Catholic Basketball." It sounds like he doesn't have to spend too much effort scouting other teams.
ReplyDeleteJust a reminder that Dixie Heights only got here because they won the 9th Region in quadruple overtime against Newport Central Catholic.
ReplyDeleteI stepped away from the radio for a few minutes, and suddenly this game is over. Catholic leads 19-5 after one quarter.
ReplyDeletePoor old Dixie Heights. They waited 54 years and four overtimes for this?
Here are Dixie Heights' key stats: They are 2-10 from the field. They are 0-3 from three-point range. They have been out-rebounded 15-6. And they've committed 9 turnovers.
ReplyDeleteStan Hardin says that if Warren Central had been in the lower half of the draw, they probably would have made the championship game.
ReplyDeleteDixie Heights finally showed up. They won the 2d quarter 18-14, but they still trail 33-23 at the half.
ReplyDeleteNot much more to say about this game. Dixie Heights cut it to seven at one point in the 3d quarter, but then Catholic ran away like the Road Runner saying goodbye to Wile E. Coyote. With 2:22 left in the game, Catholic leads 61-48.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, on January 22, Christian County got smoked by Scott County up at Georgetown, 73-59. Given that Catholic beat Scott County by 10 points in the regionals, they aren't likely to be afraid of County in the quarter-finals.
ReplyDeleteThere were 13,521 fans at the evening session.
ReplyDeleteWell, Dixie Heights outscored Catholic by five points over the last 24 minutes of the game, but that wasn't enough to make up for what happened in the first eight. Catholic rolls on to the quarter-finals with a 69-60 victory.
ReplyDelete