blik

UT recruits who they think are the best players. It doesn't matter where they are from and you would have to be stupid to believe any program recruits kids from its home state for any reason other than those were the best players that school could get. The Florida schools get Florida kids because the state puts out enough major D-I players to support those schools. In a given year (this year likely being an exception) how many kids from TN go to major D-I school and make any contribution. This isn't charity. Tennessee kids may play harder for the homestate university (although I think that is a weak argument), but if they are less talented then it doesn't really matter. This whole thread is stupid.

The only advanatge a DI private school could conceivably have is recruiting. While they may have a larrger population base, you exclude a vast majority of kids due to their parents inability to pay for private school. In addition, these schools are left to compete with numerous other schools for a finite number of kids.

This whole argument is stupid. The worst recruitng schools in the history of the TSSAA, besides Brentwood Academy have been public schools. In the late 70's and 80's, Melrose High School was what would now be considered a magnet school. They offered some class that no other school in Memphis offered, so anybody could go there. Lo and behold, all the good basketball players went there. I'm sure they went there for the class and there was no recruiting involved. look up their success during that time. In the mid 1980's, Austin East had the same deal in Knoxville. look at their state championships. Now, the most overlooked and ridiculous thing in all of high school sports is open enrollment in Memphis. There are actually newspaper articles (fairly recently) which comment on where a 8th grade phenom will be going to high school. He had "narrowed his choices" down to several historically successful basketball schools. Any 8th grade kid in memphis can go to any school he wants. It is blatant recruiting. Dyer County has been busted for recruiting. Obion County made a living off of it in the 80's. Even if there is some advantage for a private school, that advantage is slight, at best. The competition in Nashville is strong, and it tends to dilute the talent. Imagine if all the basketball players at CPA and FRA were at one school instead of two. In a rural area, if you have akid who is talented, he goes to high school there - no questions. However, in Nashville, that kid can go anywhere. In addition, DI schools like CPA and FRA are at a decided disadvantage for such kids becasue of the DII programs like BA and MBA who do recruit and can give scholarships. By the way, in case you were wondering, there aren't a lot of athletes who are banging on the door to pay $10,000 each year to go to FRA. The entire public/private debate is because a couple of football programs got tired of getting beat by Brentwood Academy several years ago. It was never directed at basketball, and I suspect most people who started this whole thing don't really care about basketball.

Stupid post . . . fight the urge to respond.

Why would anybody care about the top 5 AAU coaches in Davidson County? Are they really even coaches? Aren't they members of other professions who happen to coach during the summer?

They may not win it, but they have to be the favorite. they will have the best player on the court no matter who they play. I don't care about Mr. basketball, I'm telling you that Sikes will be the best player on the court. House is big and can play inside or out. They create huge matchup problems for a defense, and they won't let you sit back in a zone if they are ahead. On defense, they are phenomenal. Pressure all over the court. I've seen them play not so great, and they can be beaten. However, it will take an off game from them and a stellar effort by their opponent.

Looking back at the shedule, I notice that FRA has allowed 41 points per game this year. That drops to 39 in the tournaments, which includes two games against CPA. As I have said all along, I am not saying that FRA will win. I am saying that if things go right for FRA, Unaka will be playing a very different game than they are accustomed to playing. That is how FRA wins, and it will be how they have to win this game - frustrate Unaka with a slower tempo. Its not fancy, but there are no style points at this time of year (sorry for the bad cliche).

I don't think FRA will be satisfied by being at the state tourney. I understand the post, and can see it as a legitimate concern, but I just think this is a team that needs external pressure to play well. For example, they pretty much slept-walk through the regular season. They had a nice two year run after their new coach arrived, and they got used to winning. During those first two years, winning was a new experience and they took nothing for granted. This year, they just didn't respond. Being the favorite (they were favored to win the district beginning the year) as opposed to the underdog was not a role that suited them. The turnaments came along, and they were an afterthought as the 5th seed in their district. Call it what you want, but they have simply responded to the pressure and atmosphere of the tournament games. Nothing exemplifies that better than the sectional win at Summertown. I think the state tournament will be the same way. FRA will never have the most fans in the building. That won't be anything new. If FRA wins, Unaka fans will leave the gym talking about how much better Unaka is than FRA. Everybody will wonder how FRA got this far. They are not fancy, and they don't do anything exceptionally well, but they are the one team that seems to have that intangible quality that you can't measure.

I wouldn't worry about CPA sitting back in a zone. If that's how Rockwood thinks the game will be played, then they are in for a tremendous surprise.

The coach at FRA has somwhere in the neighborhood off 700 career wins, and he has FRA in the state tourney after they won 4 games the year before he got there. That seems like a pretty good coach. The guy at DCA is also a very good coach. Won a state tournament at Ezell.

FRA goes 8 deep and any of them could start, so I dont see depth as being a problem.

I suspect Unaka is in for just as big a battle. Neither team has a decided advantage in this game.

East Robertson did it in the mid 80's. I don't know if they are the only team.

I'll reply. "talk is cheap" - I believe you said that, then you turn around and talk about how Summertown WOULD have won IF they had shot the ball like they did in other games. Frankly, if you don't think FRA is any good, no problem. That means Summertown absolutely stinks since they got beat badly by a not very good team. Finally, what kind of backward redneck do you have to be to ask why people would wear a suit to a basketball game. It called leaving from work to drive to Summertown. I think many people would ask why would anybody wear overalls to a basketball game. I saw plenty of S'Town people with those on, but I didnt say anything because they can wear whatever they want, and I'm sure they had an excellent reason. FRA certainly isn't the best team in the state, but they are definitely better than Summertown, unless a head to head game isn't the way to measure. I'm sure we can imagine a game where Summertwon shoots lights out and beats FRA by twenty.

Good size with four starters between 6'2 and 6'5. Top reserves are 6'0, 6'4, and 6'5. Began season with injuries and ineligible point guard. Never really got going during the season, but beat several good teams. Just couldn't seem to gel and play consitently well. Excluding games against CPA(3 losses during that span), has won 7 of last 8 games against top flight competition. Very well coached and disciplined. Best way to sum them up, not overwhelming but very dangerous.

I just don't believe Rockwood will win. I don't think most people know how good CPA is, and you cannot prepare for their defense. I think Temple and FRA are the only two teams in the tournament capable of beating them simply because they have already played this year and know what to expect. CPA is still my pick to win it all, unless they get FRA in the finals, then I am taking FRA.

I am also wondering, and perhaps somebody from Summertown can tell me, whteher it is a foul to stick your head on a offensive players chest and push him all over the court. i mean literally, head on chest. As an added bonus, the defensive player sticks his hands out as if to imply that he isnt touching the offensive player. In truth, Summertown fouled a ton, and there was very little good defense on their part.

Somebody give me some info about Unaka boys. Size, style, etc. Thanks.

Yeah, the defense really carried Summertown. God knows how bad they would have gotten pounded had they not played that strong defense. "Prolly??"

I'll continue to say until they go home, you do not want to play FRA with the season on the line. I'm not saying they win it all, I'm just saying game in, game out, they are dangerous because of how well they play their style.

CPA

Perhaps the defense had something to do with that. Regardless, FRA will never impress anybody, but they do what they have to do. Ask CPA people what they think about FRA. They may not be "impressed," but I can promise you that they would rather play anybody else in the tournament besides FRA. Unaka will not kill FRA. Mark it down. I'll come back here and take my medicine if it happens. I love this one: "all they did is shoot free throws." They get fouled, they shoot free throws. Those are the rules, and the points count just like a jump shot.

The free throw shooting was incredible. I continue to believe that FRA has a little destiny on their side. That 5th match up with CPA would be something in the finals of the state.

FRA won't get any publicity, but don't take them for granted. CPA is the only team to have beaten them in the tournaments so far, and there is no shame in getting beat by CPA.

Probably the best FRA has played all year. The gym was packed, and it was hot. S'town was cold except for the third quarter. FRA was 28-34 from the line, and probably 25-28 or so in the 4th. Great game. Great atmosphere.