rebelrebelman

I really want to, so I can cheer my team on and give you guys a grade for the Vikings, but I dread that drive up to Bristol. I live in Colonial Heights, so DB, Central, and of course South are the closest venues for me.

I wanna attend some basketball tonight, but I haven't picked out a game yet. The decisions are tough!

For my own personal preference, I put TN High 2nd. It's huge, but that stage has always seemed tacky. Plus BVH is a sleeker, no doubt because it's newer. Good list though, and I can't complain when you have East last.

I'm going to need some help with this thread if it's going to take off like I hope. I can't be two places at once, only twice this season will I get to see Slyvester and Odem on the same floor. When I watch Odem, it'd be nice to get updates from Slyvester's camp, and vice versa. In the first installment of the POTY race, Odem vs. Central. I'm sure Odem pushed his total to close to 20 this game, I don't have the exact numbers yet. But Odem struggled shooting the ball from the floor in the first half and pretty much did all of his work down low against a disorganized Central defense. His point totals were not very impressive at all. He shot looked off, and at one point, was stuffed by the rim. In fact, Odem didn't even look to be the best player on the court, an honor I'll give to Central's Tyler Devault. I'm downgrading Odem, despite what the box score says, I know what my eye saw. Any word on Sylvester's perfomance?

Haha yeah I hated going to Science Hill. I've been to a few games at the DWD and I don't mind it too badly. It's really an upgrade from the East plays in. The lighting in there is like green or something. I'll play the obvious card, and say DB is my favorite place to watch a game around here. I think one tends to get a little spoiled watching most of his basketball at DB and then having to go to these other gyms. On the other hand, Central does pack everything in pretty close, which makes you feel more involved. The BVH Dome is so cavernous, I feel more like I'm watching the game from really far away. But at the end of the day, if you're going to watch basketball, you gotta do it at BVHuss

Nothing says basketball like a good pair of sperry's! I was on the Science Hill side, kind of in the middle of the entrance and the other side of the gym. Taking in a game at mid court is my forte, if you will, I like the balanced vantage point. When I'm on the corners I feel like those bad camera angles you see ESPN try to force on us. I always feel like I'm missing something over there. I was pretty nondescipt tonight, jeans and jacket, aside from my pattened Vols hat /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Our takes on the game our really similar (see: my post on the central science hill thread). Glad to see we're on the same page /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Well, this turned into a beatdown for Science Hill. After the first quarter, I really though Central was set for a good game, but it didn't last. Sciene Hill pulled away for the next 3 quarters and controlled the game. Here's what your beloved rebelrebelman saw tonight: Science Hill: Odem's point total may look good in the box scores, but he was unimpressive tonight, for most of the game anyway. He didn't shoot the ball well, and it couldn't get going until he went down low and started picking on Central's posts. Odem may not be big at all, but he has length and skill to put the ball in around the basket. That's where he picked up the majority of his points. That's something DB can have an answer for. Chris Smith and the rest of the guys put in a solid game and played pretty mistake free. The defense was good for the Toppers. They were quicker and had more hustle than the Cougars. The shooting is real spotty for them but they found some good shots around the basket. But finding those shots will be much tougher against DB, and their lack of shooting may come back to haunt them. Played really well defensively, though. Overall grade you ask? B- Central: The good; Tyler Devault. Devault was the best player on the court tonight. Depsite his slender build, he worked unbelievably hard around the basket to get involved every aspect of the game. The bad: Nobody got him the ball! Brown made a good pass to Devault very early that got them a layup, but I'm not sure if anyone ever gave Devault the ball the rest of the game. His points came off second chance points and creating his own shot. Roberts played a good game. He's a good player for the Cougars, but Science Hill was all over him all night. Roberts did the best he could, but give the nod to the SH defense. Brown didn't the floor enough, with some foul trouble. Harmon saw a lot of minutes and in short, he didn't deliver. Turnovers and missed shots all over the place. Vannoy really hurt this team tonight. Took a lot of contested jumpers and burned a lot of clock with his dribbling. I had high hopes for Vannoy, but tonight he didn't deliever. Maybe he was shaken being in his first big game. Central is in trouble if he keeps playing like that. Central stuggled shooting the ball, and didn't have the ballhanding to drive to the basket. Turnovers and poor defense plagued Central tonight, which is a terrible combination. Until Central can get some help for Roberts in the backcourt and make an effort to work Devault inside, this team is going to struggle. Grade for the Cougars? C- (Devault and Roberts keep them in passing grade territory.)

I think he's saying that this early season matchup is Central's only chance. Still, I see Winchell being a better option for this team than Albright, so maybe it's a blessing in disguise.

Me too. Wave your arms a lot or wear a santa hat. Be visble tonight!

What's going to spur this Hill revolution? Odem and the Smiths will be gone. What's the skinny on next year's Hill?

What happens next year, if I may ask?

I didn't realize I was in a cage and could only speak about other teams when spoken to. I know Central is good. I've been posting recently about how excited I am for the Science Hill Central game. What do you want me to say about South? We have a chance to finish 5th in the conference! Big deal. I'll support the boys and I wish them the best, but they're not that interesting right now. There's nothing embarrassing about them, there's just nothing to talk about with them. I'm a huge basketball fan on every level (high school, college, pro) and the big 9 is starting up and I'm looking forward to good basketball, not the mediocre/bad stuff the other 5 teams are going to play. So, yeah, this basketball season you're going to read a lot more stuff from me about DB, THS, SHHS, and your Cougars, is that okay by you? Do you grant me your almighty permission? Stop being so sensitive to the fact you're going to get swept by DB. Relax.....relax..........

I tried to make a joke out of them building the truck stop out of Central player X's bricks, but I couldn't think of anyone to make fun of. /blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blush:" border="0" alt="blush.gif" /> Just imagine a funny jab at a Central player. If it makes you feel any better, it'll be a DB sweep over the Cougars this year.

Let's bump this bad boy. The game is tuesday and it's a big one. I'm excited about watching Odem and Devault play. Both seem to be the consenus best players on the team. I like both of these teams, I like the way they play, so let's build up to Tuesday.

I can't believe it got knocked back like that. I feel like I'm the only one excited about this game. Bump it I shall, though.

Am I going to have to start a SHHS/Central thread? The game is tuesday and it's like crickets around here. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that it'll be a good game. Worth seeing at least.

Thank you sir. I went through the other day and put every game I'm going to attend on my calendar. I'm excited for it to start, I was born for high school basketball!

Bump. Yeah, that's right, bump.

Ok, I've been talking a little too much about Central, and I've been ignoring what I'm truly looking forward to in the Big 9. The race for #1 between not only between Science Hill and DB, but Josh Odem and Justin Slyvester, the two early season front-runners for player of the year. South looks pretty mediocre this year, and so my interest has turned elsewhere in the Big 9. Back when I went to South, people always got excited about basketball, but since my school days, I started to cool to our basketball program and focused more on the top teams. Of course, I'd be cheering the boys on if they could put a good team on the court, but for now I'd rather get out around the region and see the top teams play. So I should be seeing a lot of both players this year. I've talked to people and they seem to think Slyvester is going to win it regardless of what anyone else does. I hope the voters can be a little more impartial than that. I'm going to keep tabs on both players during the year, giving my opinion on the race. I'm looking forward to it, should be a lot of fun.

I talked to a few of Central people during the Central games, and they told me about Box and his middle school days. I'm taking their word for it. Other than that, and watching Harrison's teams give our Colonial Heights boys heck, I don't know anything about Holston, and that they're next the airport. I'm not talking badly about the person himself, just of his basketball skills. So just because I don't know him personally, doesn't mean I don't know him as a player.

Dude, I don't bash boxes, that's what a baler is for.

That is my point exactly. He didn't do anything to me. I said if he could play then I wouldn't have an ill word about him. I've never met the kid personally, so maybe he's a saint or something. But I do like my chances against him in one on one. I don't play much defense, though, that might be a problem. Oh wait, nobody plays any on Box, either.

I watch a lot of games, and since Central is usually pretty competitive, they come up on my must-watch games more often. It's not hard, guy. Watch a few games, I saw 5 or 6 last year and Box saw playing time in every game. He didn't score in any game I watched, and had a few turnovers. I can judge a player's dribbling abilities, and his aren't where a point guard's needs to be. I watch the lay up lines in warm ups, without fail, he missed more lay ups than anyone on the team. I'm not bashing Box, but these are the facts. He's a football player, not a basketball player. I don't know why Vaughn has him on the team, maybe he likes his energy and effort, or maybe he thinks he can make him a good player. But just because he's on the team doesn't mean I'm supposed to think "the kid can play and be a factor." You want a factor? Try the starting five, plus Hyden, plus Winchell. Vaughn is a good coach with an impressive resume, he has a good starting five, and Central will probably be 3rd in the conference. I'm not bashing Central or Vaughn, cause both are good. But seriously, there's been 2 other people on here who have commented on Box's ball handling, one of them apparently is a Central fan (FreddyCoougar.) If we have Central people saying, "Hey, this kid can't dribble" then by god there might be a pattern going on. I'm pretty sure you just want to antagonize me, but I'll play along. Jared Harrison, who I consider the best coach around here and it's a shame he's not coaching high school, cut Box from the middle school team. I'm going to take Harrison's cut, combined with what I've seen from watching Central play, and make a solid assessment. Again, I don't have a vendetta against the kid. If he could play, then I'd give him the credit he was due. I wouldn't just randomly pick him out and bash him. I saw him play point guard poorly throughout last season, and that's that. Rebelrebelman 1 - vikefan33/austin box- 0 + 5 turnovers.

It's been my experience that point guards have to dribble. If Coach Vaughn can pull off playing Austin Box at point guard, then hats off to that son of a gun. I'm kind of tired of everyone on here picking out random players on the bench and saying "If this guy can step up, then I think this team will be tough!" Well, of course they'll be tough, but the problem is if a player hasn't proved himself in freshman or JV, then I don't think his senior season will be his coming out party.