MMcCroskey

With the exception of Slash's comment, the other posts regarding GP are well put. I am obviously familiar with what is going on, and I can tell you Raul is doing the right thing, and he is doing it b4 things get really out of hand. These young men have some serious soul-searching to do. Everyone makes mistakes, but how you react to those mistakes is usually the test of character. Raul continues to demonstrate that he is more concerned with developing these young men than winning ball games - and as a father, I can't ask anything more.

Simple and plain truth, GP is showing their inexperience at being a ranked program - ever since they hit #2 in the AP poll, they have headed in an awful direction. They have the talent, but can they muster the heart and focus to get back on track in time? It's up to them, but there is no doubt they are in the midst of a life lesson atm.

JoshRussell is one class act - THANK YOU for putting it so much better than I have. I know for a fact that while this is a serious rivalry, the kids from both teams know each other and get along very well, at least according to my son. THIS is what sportsmanship and competition is all about - play hard, compete hard, but at the end of it, respect your opponent. Best of luck to the Smoky Bears (I attended there my freshman and sophomore years back in the day when GP's academic record was not so hot ) as they hopefully make their mark in the playoffs!

Let's try this one more time: I'm posting under my real name, so anyone can consider the source - We have a top rated scholastic school - We have a well-known (AAU circuit) young semi-pro playing basketball coach with 3 years of proven and significant progress in building his program (with no transfers) - I clearly outlined that VARIOUS circumstances brought each of these kids to consider GP - Six kids considered, 4 came - Would you care to raise your argument above mere innuendo?

TOTALLY agreed - the records in this district are deceptive. Talent in this district goes well down the line; should be a great tournament with more than a few surprises!

(read through this whole thread in one sitting - had to post something, I feel like I just ran a marathon!)

Appreciate that acknowledgement, it seems to be overlooked, hope it isn't coming across as arrogant to be pointing it out, I just strongly feel that is a real factor along with the rep of the coach. Having a coach that is well plugged into the AAU program, as well as a current semi-pro player himself, well - its going to draw attention. Remember, 2 of the transfers were Sevier County players, and one other came to GP for very personal reasons well outside of baskeball. Two other of the 6 that showed early interest did not work out. That leaves just Jose Agosto as the real single "outside" transfer, and yes the AAU connections were a factor here, plain and simple, but also well above board.

Right premise, bad assumption. I know the story (both in and out) on each one of the kids that were looking to come to GP and those that did. AAU connections are certainly at play here, but your wrong assumption is who is contacting whom. Be fair and look at the progress Placeres made in the years before ANY transfers looked GPs way, it was tremendous and real. How many other coaches play semi-pro ball like Placeres as well? Add the fact that GP is considered one of the best acedemic public schools in the SE, and it isnt hard to understand why we will continue to draw interest, and WELCOME it!

Gatlinburg Pittman holds its own,

You should keep an eye on Davis Sohen from Gatlinburg.

Guessing would not be necessary IF the responsible party would have the dignity to step out into the open and explain themselves for all to see. Considering the scuz nature of the act, I won't be holding my breath, but I am more than willing to have the person(s) responsible prove me wrong in any way.

It was not someone from inside the GP system. The timing of this action might indicate something, don't you think? Bottom line is, this post thread is meant to challenge the party that did this to step up and out into the open with their reasons for wanting to see these kids seperated from their coach. I have little doubt the guilty party will hear of this thread.

All night tonight at the GP-Pigeon Forge basketball game, we all noticed Coach Placeres was seated on the bench during the game (now mind you, Coach P has gained quite a name as an active sideline coach, which has only added to his dynamic reputation). Word quickly spread that some "good samaritan" had been kind enough to call (I assume the TSSAA?) and complain about the fact that Raul, as the paid Spanish Liason for the Sevier County School System (as I understand his school system role) was not allowed to be the head coach. Keep in mind this is in a system where head coaches are infamous for teaching driver's ed or health. It is further said that the same "good samaritan" asked that there be an investigation into any and all of the GP transfers (this one is fair game, imo, but just adds to the pettiness of the complaint against the coach). Investigations of tranfers and their properness is well and good, but to try and tear the coach away from his team is scuz in the first degree, especially if that person will not stand up in the open to level their complaint and explain just why they feel the need to correct this "terrible injustice". Ultimately, the kids are hurt by this act of jealousy. Ultimately, this is the act of someone that cares little for the kids that are being so positively affected here in Gatlinburg. I personally know every one of the kids on this GP team, and I know how they are progressing, both as basketball players, and more importantly as young men. Raul has, no doubt at all, been a tremendous positive influence on these young men. What was done here was the act of a snivelling coward, imho. I obviously don't like seeing kids get hurt so some adult can feed their petty nature. Word is also quickly spreading as to exactly who and what organization is behind this, but I am most interested to see if anyone that instigated this tripe has the courage to step out into the open and tell us all just why they felt this great injustice just HAD to be "corrected". And even more important, exactly how their actions were meant to better the situation for all concerned.

Raul Placeres has led the Gatlinburg-Pittman High School men's basketball team now for 3 season with dignity and a style that has earned him the respect and the admiration of both his team and the community. Now, because of some petty, jealous, low form of life, he is now required to sit the bench and take the assistant's role because of some technicality. The scuz that whined like a spoiled child to do this cares nothing for the kids that have developed so well here in Gatlinburg, the scuz that did this showed what a true waste of protoplasm they truly are. I have no doubt the whiner responsible for this will read this post, or at least hear of it. I also have no doubt that what comes around goes around in the end, and I pity you - I really, really do. This sort of selfish pettiness is beneath contempt. I, and much of the community here in Gatlinburg, has little doubt who did this. My name is posted here for all to see - how about yours? Do you have any shred of dignity left that would allow you to step up, in the open, and lay claim to this act and explain exactly why you did what you did - to help us all understand your ignoble intent to do . . . what, exactly? Gatlinburg-Pittman's men's basketball will, I have no doubt, carry on even with this silliness. I can personally attest to the exceptional work Raul has done to help these kids get their best opportunity to play at the next level; to do a fantastic job of preparing these young men to become responsible members of our community. Coaches like this are not easy to come by - combining the ability to teach and the ability to instill a sense of responsibility. Shame on whoever sought to hinder this. Shame on anyone so filled with jealousy and envy that they would seek to destroy these efforts. Shame.

I feel I need to add this follow up: my original post was not meant to be a simple bashing of officials. It WAS sincerely intended to at least acknowledge what I know the Union County fans were feeling, but unable to say themselves without looking like whiners. It was also a sincere attempt to ask the referees to review that game and hopefully discuss how the game seemed so "controlled" by the officiating. I have full respect for anyone who is willing to "put themselves out there" as an official. It is no easy thing, but this game was so unusual in its calls, I felt it was also fair to openly and publicly say so. (Yep, as stated in several of my posts , that is my real name I'm using in my ID - if I say it, I have to take the responsibility of letting people know exactly WHO is saying it . . . only fair).

As I have heard, Carson Newman and Tusculum are very interested in Tyler, both DII programs I believe. My son got to play with Tyler on the U16 East TN Magic AAU team 2 years ago (my son was playing up from U15), and I became very impressed with Tyler. The best thing in my opinion is not his quickness or his shooting (both excellent), but it is his court smarts that are really his best attribute . . . no matter what is happening on that court, Tyler is always calm and thinking - very rare. He finds a way to make plays at all times. He is just as dangerous without a ball in his hands as he is with it . . . impressive!

Ok, we all know the old saw "the refs cost us the game" - we have all felt that way one way or another at sometime in our lives, but tonight at Gatlinburg, that saying went in a direction I have never witnessed in my life: Those 3 refs cost EVERYONE, both teams and all fans present, the game - the game that should have been between 2 teams with talent and the desire to match that talent in a hard-fought game. Instead what we got was 3 refs that constantly and needlessly injected themselves over and over into the game with calls they went WAY beyond questionable. The first quarter had to be the most surreal quarter of basketball, and there is no way I could do justice to just how horrible it was. All that said, we somehow find ourselves in the final 3 seconds of the game, all tied, and like a bad dream that you can't wake up from, the nightmare continued. Not unexpectedly, the refs found a way for THEM to determine how this game was to end. As the father of a GP starter, I post this because its the right thing to do, even though we WON this ballgame - if anyone from Union were to say this, it would be dismissed as sour grapes. Just to prove how bad it was, even after coming from behind to win this game by a single point, there was almost no celebration from the GP side, everyone present knew deep down there was no winning or losing of this type of ballgame. These 2 teams, coaches and fans all deserved the game that simply never was. This isnt a matter of a few "questionable" calls, this was just wrong on so many levels it defies description. There is tape of this game that should be reviewed by someone, ANYONE in authority, and hopefully this sort of craziness will not be allowed to continue. I'm proud of the GP team for battling, and the frank truth is I'm equally proud of Union County for the same reason. Both coaches showed great class in the face of what I can only describe as near lunacy. It is my SINCERE hope that these refs will review their work tonight and take seriously the request that they carefully consider just how they handled tonight's game. Someone once commented that the worst thing to happen to High School basketball was imposing 3 refs into the game - and after tonight, I can understand why more is not necessarily better.

Well, heck . . . and I thought my post was the motivation they needed to turn it around lol !! Just glad to see them playing more like they are capable. This district now may well be the strongest AA in the state imo.

Just usin the name my momma gave me lol.

I know what Vittetoe is capable of, but I'm still wondering what is going on with the progression of Buckner and Cox. They are certainly key I would think to UC being in the mix. Any insights there?

Has the AP put out a Top 10 for basketball yet, and if so, where can one find the rankings? I think most of us here at CoachT seem to have a tilt towards East TN, and I am curious where some of these Middle and West TN teams "stack up" in the current mix.

You have to take into account that GPs deep bench is very inexperienced, and they have played a fair bit of 4th quarter time. GP was well aware of the strong history going into the AE game at AE, and they no doubt has some nervousness, as was evidenced by so many blown shots from 3' or less (Mo even missed a dunk at one point). I will also say this, the AE game and the PF game were very unusual in the referee department, especially the PF game (something like 50 fouls were called in that game) - but that is a huge rivalry, and the gym was packed with alot of very active fans, so maybe the refs had some nervousness lol.

Replying to my own message to bump this one back up top lol. Seriously, noone has some insight why Union County appears to be struggling?

Ok, with the full disclosure that I am the father for the PG Jon McCroskey, I would be happy to do my best to address that question, but I honestly need some context. Can you be more specific about the aspects of their play that seemed undisciplined? I know Coach Placeres enjoys the full respect of all current team members. As we currently have 3 transfers from Sevier County HS and Jose, this team is still finding its chemistry, but the team all gets along VERY well with one another. They have gone 8-0 so far (granted against not so heavy competition, but 8-0 is still nothing to sneeze at), and if you analyze the scoring, you will see that they have dominated all but AE (at AE) while spreading the scoring fairly evenly across 5-8 players each game. This is not a selfish team by any measure. They are certainly a work in progress, but this is the first GP team in a long time showing this much promise, and the kids seem quite motivated to continue their improvement. I take the above question as a serious one, and hope my background is not seen as an unwillingness to be objective. I look forward to hearing a clarification about what is being said "on the grapevine."

Anyone with first-hand knowledge care to comment on the start for Union County? I know they lost Tyler Smith to transfer, but they still had several top ranked players according to unapproved website, but they seem to be struggling. I'm specifically wondering about the development of Buckner, Tharp and Cox.