caramelcutiepie

GO CHIEFS!!

I agree, Showtime. Were you surprised that LaToya Bullard wasn't a finalist? Cait McMahan is very good, and will be amazing by the time she graduates, but she is not better than Bullard right now, something that Bullard has shown for the past 3 years while beating her AAU team in State Tourney, dominating her each time. Its not even close...

LaToya Bullard was robbed...honestly. I hate that for her, but knowing her, it doesn't matter to her at all. How can you be an All-American and not a finalist for Miss Basketball?? Maybe next year... Congratulations to the other finalists anyway.

Only one between Kirby and Craigmont can go...they are on the same side of the bracket in the regionals. My guess is that Craigmont will go.

Collierville made it to the substate last year? And why would you have to play all the way over there??

Do you already have a room or will be looking for one?

Experience is a big key to how teams do when they hit those bright lights...that being said, Houston could have two tons of experience and would still struggle. I know that traditionally they are tall and have good shooters, but I don't think they'll go this year like they didn't last year...except that last year they were talented enough and this year they are obviously not. They lost a lot when they lost their good guards and big girls last year, and if they come in 3rd or 4th in the district tournament (which is highly likely), they'll struggle facing Central (who should be at least 2nd, possibly 1st) and Craigmont (who should be 1st, possibly 2nd). They think that their two losses to Kirby and the loss to Ridgeway were tough...Craigmont will run too much for them and they are not fast enough to keep up with Central. If they get to the Championship game, they could be okay, but Hamilton, Whitehaven and Northside are no slouches either.

They are not as deep as the past 3 East High teams, that's true, but those East teams underachieved due to selfish play at times. East was deeper, but they weren't as good inside as Craigmont. Whitney Woodard was good, but was somewhat undersized. I think that LaToya is a true point guard where East's point guard was more of a shooting guard and it showed at times because she couldn't lead her team and get everyone involved. LaToya's decision making is unparalled and you'd be hard pressed to find college freshman point guards whose decison making is better..she will be an immediate impact player at the next level. And in all fairness to every other team,you won't often find a team that was as deep as East was...really. They should have made it to the championship game both years and we know what happened the first year (22 fouls in the second half). The key ingredient is point guard play and to be honest, East was probably the most athletic, yet fundamentally sound team to come through here in a while, but lacked a true floor leader...they started two girls who in my opinion were not true point guards. Their guards were good defensively and still couldn't stop LaToya Bullard, though...even when she was just an 8th grader. I just think that Craigmont will at least make it to state. I can't really say how they'll do beyond that because I haven't seen the other teams. Plus, if you see them play when they are really motivated and playing intensely, they are a very tough team to play, can put up points quickly, and make big runs. They are tough to guard in a zone and even tougher man to man. When they play less talented teams, they do sometimes play down to the level of the teams..but when they play tough teams, they play over and above that level. Its a dangerous way to play, but it hasn't been really costly to them yet and can be fixed before next week.

I'll be surprised if any of these teams make it to state. Hillcrest has the best chance but most of the talented teams here are in AAA.

Central should be their only competition although Northside and Melrose (any team coached by Robert Newman) are always tough in the postseason (like last year). Their coaches have a way of getting the most out of their squads in the end and they play with a lot of grit come tournament time. Other than that, its Cragimont's to lose...and they shouldn't.

I agree with you TrojanBob. I think Ridgeway might win if they don't have a letdown.

I don't think so...this is one of the better years...and Houston...NO WAY!

I think I'd rather someone have "attitude" (more like toughness and grit) on the court than off. She really hurt my feelings that day, and if you can't tell, its something that has stuck with me and I don't think I will ever forget it. I have always been a huge Lady Vol fan and was looking forward to meeting Nikki since she was from Collierville and I had seen all the televised games and had even traveled to see some Tennessee games. Imagine the disappointment... She was 10 or 12, huh? Ohhhh, she was just a baby then...now when they become teenagers and they have a 'tude', there's potential for a problem.

That's what I was asking! We were thinking a lot which means you are a very intelligent and clever person. (LOL!)

LOL!

I KNOW that, silly! I was just referring to the rankings that one poster listed. That's all...just a simple little question.

I don't think she ever had an attitude...not the Latoya I'm talking about. Out of all the three you mention, she is probably the most coachable...and definitely is the most humble, although Ashleigh was a modest kid, too. But if you did notice a "tude" its vanished up to this point...I think kids run through different moods when they are young. Don't even get me started about Nikki's "California-sized" ego...she wouldn't even sign an autograph for me when I was a kid. Now there's someone whose attitude NEVER changed although she is a grown woman. Do you really think she may be the best of all three? I kinda agree...she has a great all-around game.

I am with you this time Huck 1. Shelbyville 2. Bradley Central 3. Wilson Central 4. Beech 5. Craigmont 6. Jackson Northside 7. Powell 8. Oak Ridge Does anyone even know that Beech lost to Kirby around Christmas time? Not trying to downplay them...just wondering because a lot of people seem to really like their team, especially to rank them ahead of Craigmont.

She's a junior but she's an All-American. She has her choice of several top Women's Division 1 programs and then all the others D-1 programs that are all in great conferences. Everyone in the SEC and I mean EVERYONE. She's super talented...probably one of the most talented if not THE most talented point guard from this state. And I am honestly saying this...I would be saying the same thing if I lived in another part of the country. That's no slight to Brooks, however, because she is good. I just had to see her because I had heard so much about her. She didn't play the way I thought she would, but since I regularly see one of the top guards in the nation in LaToya, I had to put things in perspective so I wouldn't be disappointed after I saw Brooks. Brooks is something else on defense, though...an exceptional defender at least in the game I saw. Like I said, she's good, but they are on two different levels. LaToya is what you call a "blue-chip" recruit, in an elite class of players and one of the top nationally in the Class of 2005 and the top junior in the state, so its not really fair to compare the two and say one is good and one is not good...I'll just say one is good and the other is amazing. I don't like to think this far in advance, but I'll go out on a limb and say I think LaToya will be next year's Miss Basketball in AAA.

I can't really say which teams because I don't like to judge teams I haven't seen and I'm not affected by hype, but I think Shelbyville will of course be there. On our side, I think Craigmont will be there, but its a toss up between Kirby, Central, and Ridgeway. I think that if Ridgeway makes it through regionals, they could lose to Jackson Northside. I don't think Jackson Northside could compete with Central (too much talent and their posts are big like Northside's but not big and slow---more like muscular, fundamentally sound, tall, strong, and fairly agile). I don't think Jackson Northside would beat Kirby, but it depends on which Kirby team shows up. Jackson Northside had an easy time in "cupCAKe heaven" last year until they ran into the "best of the West" East Mustangs (they were 29-0 before East drilled them)...I predict a similar situation this year. And I only say this because I have seen all of these teams play, but this is just my opinion...I'm no 'GURU' or anything!

Well, since you haven't seen her, I'll go easy on you, but, when you see her, you will definitely know and make a decision as to who is better. I've seen both... There's no comparison.

I think it will be a lot closer to that since Porshia is back, but, I don't want anyone to win...I hope that it will be a tie.

Wes, you know I couldn't stop speaking to the love of my life for long (haha!) The AA teams play first--girls 3:45 then boys 5:15. Then, the AAA girls game featuring Craigmont and Kirby is at 6:45 and the AAA boys game between White Station and Fairley is at 8:15.

I Agree 200%.

I'm not sure if she is hurt...I think she played in the loss to Wooddale. I think Ridgeway is a very dangerous team as I have said all along. I like their team and the energy with which they play. They are a coach away from greatness. And they are so young! They have actual athletic basketball players instead of just athletes or just basketball players. If they had a big girl and played Danae at the 3 and LaKendra Phillips at the 4, to go along with their quick guards, they would be even better...there's no way you let a 6'5 All-American get away...I don't want to say that was dumb, but I will...THAT WAS DUMB. You can't teach height and with a player as versatile as Jessica who can run the floor, shoot the turnaround jumpshot or three sometimes, and who is a very good freethrow shooter, any team would be glad to have her. Buuttt, that's water under the bridge and everyone has moved on. They play for the big games and then have let downs against teams they feel they should beat, for example, Wooddale. Kirby does this, too sometimes but Ridgeway is very inconsistent for such a dominant team. Playing for the City Championships was theirs to lose and that they did. Oh well...good game coming up Friday anyway.