High School Basketball...the new WWE or MMA?

Click here for just another sickening occurrence of what gave the Alabama High School Athletic Association a national black eye yesterday.

Alabama State University was the place, Carver Montgomery and Valley High School were the leading cast. The crowd had a strong supporting role as well.

Read yesterday's script here: Lovely. See today's action here: Carver and Valley out and rightfully so!

The whole thing is a shame and has no place in sports, especially high school events. Moreover, it is scary. I don't ever think about this type of thing happening when I go to a sporting event, especially high school. Do you? Maybe I should from now on.

What would you do if this was going on around you? Run, hide, join in, pray for your safety? It''s worth a thought.

Here are my thoughts on what happened:

• Valley was getting drummed by Carver late in the game and took out some frustration with a hard foul. The Carver player didn't like it. The benches AND the stands cleared.
• The refs were "letting them play" and the game got out of hand very quickly with a hard foul.

So who's fault is it? In my opinion, it's the refs, players, the crowd, Alabama St. University, & the AHSAA. Everyone involved; you can't place blame on one person, place, or thing. The crowd just poured gas on the fire coming onto the floor. Some arrests have been made and should be. Bans should be enforced. Period.

Here is one thing good about it all, no guns or weapons were brought out and no one got severely hurt. Sheww!

I just covered Carver is a sub-regional game last Friday and this is crazy to see this. Night and day I tell ya. Congrats to Talledega High for advancing to the Final Four as result of a double forfeit.

There is no room for this in athletics, but can it be prevented from happening again (to any team/school)? I hope so. Lessons learned and stuff.

Ricky

Winning is everything....

Yet, a program must have quality recruiting and hire good coaches to succeed. Right now, Gene Chizik has done that only being on the Auburn job for approximately 2 months--in my opinion.

Chizik has had some major wins since accepting the Auburn job on December 13, 2008 despite the initial onslaught of negativity. He's done it without coaching a game as the head man at AU.

Those "wins" are merely on paper at this point. However, it is a solid foundation of what could be great things on the horizon for the Auburn Tigers by hiring great position coaches and, most importantly, coaches that recruit like there is no tomorrow. A much larger, all around upswing than the previous regime. Now, they have to win on the field.

The list below list of coaches excites me as Auburn fanatic. Check it:

• Head coach: Gene Chizik
• Offensive coordinator: Gus Malzahn
• Defensive coordinator and linebackers: Ted Roof
• Receivers and assistant head coach: Trooper Taylor
• Running backs and recruiting coordinator: Curtis Luper
• Tight end and special teams coordinator: Jay Boulware
• Offensive line: Jeff Grimes
• Defensive line: Tracy Rocker
• Secondary: Tommy Thigpen & Phillip Lolley

I'm excited about Malzhan's offense bc he'll be allowed to run Malzhan's offense. Trooper, Luper, Boulware & Grimes are all on board with the schemes of the offensive unlike the previous BBQ squad (one position coach in particular that doomed AU's offense and Franklin). They have coached & recruited some great talent at their previous stops.

Defensively, I am most excited at Rocker being back at AU as he was one of the first players I remember hearing about as a little boy. Roof brings intensity and hard nose football to an athletic AU linebacker corp that was much needed. The late addition of Thigpen and Lolley to coach the secondary with Chizik...I know the AU secondary is in good hands and will be ready to play.

I'll gladly take Thigpen to replace James Willis (who left for Bama) and have Roof coaching LB's. Fact.

If you think about it, Chizik held AU's 2008 recruiting together with himself, Trooper, & Luper. They had the help from Joe Whitt, Sr and Lolley, but, for the most part, those guys were relentless from the day they could recruit for AU. They had about one full month to fully recruit for AU.

After Tubs' departure, I believe AU lost around 7 commitments. Yet, they backed off some as well to go after others. For a situation that could have been a lot worse recruiting wise, I think AU ended up very well considering the change in staff. Auburn filled some key needs at the skill position that will be able to contribute immediately.

Trooper, Luper, Thigpen, and Rocker are some of the best, most relentless recruiters in the country and I am excited what they, along with the whole staff, can do with a full year to recruit. Lolley is pivotal in the recruiting aspect bc he has coached at the high school level in Alabama.

With that said, Chizik has done everything right up to this point. Now, he must go into spring training and implement his plan that will get some wins on game day in the fall.

Ultimately, that will be where he will be judged. Rightfully so.

War Eagle,

Ricky

Hear ye, Hear ye...you can't win'em all.

There is always someone out there that is a little better.

The road to the Final Four for Alabama high school basketball teams officially began Friday night. I was a part of the 5A Sub-Regional match up between the Carver-Montgomery Wolverines and the hosting Shelby County Wildcats.

SCHS had been playing very good basketball leading up to the sub-regional after winning the Area 8 tournament. I thought SC had a legit chance to make it to the Central Regional site for 5a based on the way they play defense if nothing else.

That confidence I had for SC was slightly dampened about 6:45 when I walked into the Wildcat gym. Carver had one player than was under 6'1 and they all were athletic. It was the biggest team SC had seen all year hands down. It was a sight to see.

To every one's surprise, SC held their own against the athletic Carver team in the first quarter, but, unfortunately, there were three other quarters to play.

Carver made SC settle for the outside shot all night and made them pay when coming inside. SC had some success in the paint, but it was sporadic.

On the other side, SC's press was just a mist to the Wolverine's. They broke it with ease for the most part....the first team to do it continuously all year. SC couldn't stop Carver on the inside and were crippled by the offensive rebounds and second attempts under the basket.

Shelby Co. just got beat by a better team. It happens. Carver was very impressive to watch, athletic, well coached, didn't talk trash, and just played basketball. Selma, who won the area, beat Carver three times--I'd say they are too bad. I'd like to see Selma play.

SC had a good season run. Getting 21 wins was just a dream at the start of the year and winning the Area was not even thought about. Strange things happen when you work hard as a team.

My story on the game: Carver ends Wildcats' season

All the best,
Ricky

Wildcats and the Cavs...ESPN Classic caliber?

It's got a shot! Dick Vitale would have went nuts!

It may have been the most exciting game I've seen in that gym or, at least, one of the best. The John Carroll Cavs may be the best team I've seen with less than 10 wins in a season...eight to be exact. Crazy, eh?

Injuries plagued the Cavs all year, but they put together some strong performances when it counted by upsetting Briarwood in the fist round of the Area 8 tournament and was on the brink of knocking off the top seed Shelby County. Most importantly, they are still alive in the road to the Final Four.

It was a game that was not easy on the nerves, but very exciting if you are a basketball fan.

Here is what I know:

• The Cavs had a (slender) "tree" in the low post that turned out to be a crowd favorite as the game rolled along; his mind was more on the crowd and complaining to the refs than the game.


• When you are penciled in as a 6ft 9in center here is what not to do: pop the front of your game jersey out respresentin' your team to the opposing crowd and student section, pull the shaking head, finger waving, and "throat slashing" gesture to your opponent all the while scoring less than 5 points on the night, one good block, and fouling out. Trash talking is groovy until you lose and there is a lot of crow to be eaten.


• Honestly, I'd debate the 6'9'-ness of that individual because McNorton of SCHS stood eye to eye with all night and he is just pushing 6ft 7 in.


• Shady move of the night....SCHS fouls a Cav player and he hits the floor not so softly (but he was ok)...Cavs going to the line shooting two free throws in the double bonus (at a crucial point in the game)....Cavs coach expresses to the ref that his player is too injured to shoot the free throws....THE REF BUYS IT....just so happens the Cavs best player is awaiting to check-in at the scorer's table.....the "injured" player walks off the court with a smile......both free throws good. Odd, that the guy returned shortly thereafter. Oh well.


• Andra Sledge for John Carroll is a major playa and he just a junior. He had 18 in the first half and missed just uno shot! Great effort by him with 28 points on the night.


• I think "cutting down the nets" is a cool thing.


• This area title is SCHS's ninth in thirteen years! That's a good run.

Here is my story on the game: Wildcats win area crown

All the best,

Ricky

The Vol Is Out Of The Bag....

.... a teleprompter may be a good investment for Lane Kiffin.

And....

The Florida Gator's and Urban Meyer are a bunch of cheaters! They cheat and still cannot get the players they want! What?! That is what the University of Tennessee Vols coach, Lane Kiffin, said.

National Signing Day was over and it's common to see coaches give their "state of the program" to anyone who'll listen. Kiffin loves the mic and his latest stand up routine will be hard to beat.

In a room filled with reporters and Vol faithful, Kiffin lays down the law on Gator Coach Urban Meyer ( & Bama via Nick Saban):

"I’m going to turn Florida in right now in front of you,” Kiffin told the crowd. “Nu’Keese was here on campus (on his recruiting visit) and his phone kept ringing." “One of our coaches said, ‘Nu’Keese, who’s that?’ He said, ‘Urban Meyer.’

“Just so you know, when a recruit is on another campus, you can’t call him. I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn’t get him.”

On Saban and Bama:
“Nick Saban (Alabama’s coach) should have started his press conference (Wednesday) by saying, ‘Our great class that we signed ... I’d really like to thank Lance (Thompson) because Lance signed eight of those guys.”

Then, Lance Thompson chimes in with some shots over the bow:
“He ain’t getting any more of my (recruits),” Thompson said of Saban. “Just for your information, Utah had no five-stars (recruits), and they kicked the lining out of our tails,” said Thompson in reference to Alabama’s loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl."

Here's the best quote of it all from Kiffin: "My comments were not intended to offend anyone at the University of Florida,'' Kiffin said in the statement.---LOL

On the (Lance) Thompson comment about Bama vs Utah....they "kicked the lining out of our tails" with no five stars, eh? Umm, Coach Thompson, what does that say about you as a position coach being a coach for the Bama team that Utah beat? Just curious.

You can't see this stuff everyday folks! Here is the kicker, Kiffin didn't know what the heck he was taking about and, evidently, doesn't know the rules of engagement when it comes to NCAA recruiting. Shouldn't and coach in his position know the rules before spouting off? I'd say: yes. With the reprimand from the SEC office, I say they agree. But, to label and accuse a team of illegal recruiting...in a public forum...good gosh!

He called out Spurrier on his recruiting test for making a higher grade than him when he first got to UT. He said he "stole Auburn's best recruiter" Eddie Gran from the Tigers...how can you steal someone from a school that was let go? Now this? Without going through a practice or game yet? Wow.

Kiffin is and has already writing checks his Vols most likely won't be able to cash next year. Out of Meyer, Saban, Spurrier, and Miles (for what he is doing with LSU involving recruiting), somebody/somebodies is gonna get some revenge. Florida is my pick to do it with the fire power they have. Who wants to bet when UF hangs 50+ on the Vols next year, Kiffin is the first to label Meyer as "classless"?

Recruiting is dirty and cut throat and, today, Kiffin made it a lot worse. When has the Tide, Gators, Gamecocks, and the LSU Tigers all agreed on something? Never. Now, they all have a deeper hatred for the Vols. Just imagine SEC Media Days this summer?! Wow.

Wouldn't it be funny if all the things Al Davis said when firing Kiffin were actually true? In my opinion, Kiffin just made himself a lot more enemies. However, I don't think he and UT will be able to back it up. There is a train coming from lot of directions....Bama, LSU, Florida, Auburn, & South Carolina.

Kiffin better mature as a head coach in the SEC and do it quickly. Also, with these antics, his program better be clean as a whistle.

Makes me want to go to the Swamp next year and watch a beatdown Urban Meyer style.

(shaking my head),

Ricky

Tournament Time...

Begins this week for high schools across the great state of Alabama. Teams that win their respective areas outright in the regular season are awarded the host site for that area's tournament. It's important to be the host, but you still have to win to get into the playoffs.

The top two teams of the tournament go to the playoffs with the winner hosting a first round playoff game while the runner-up travels the site of a paired region winner. Then, it's to a regional site.

Shelby County will host some very competitive region tournaments. If you are interested, you may find the County schedule(s) here. Most brackets are two games Friday night and the championship game will be Monday; some brackets have play-in games. Go check out a game or three.

Here is my preview specifically dealing with 6A, Area10: Area madness begins in Class 6A.

All the best,
Ricky