Lee Corso

Union City losing wasn't that big of a shock. It was going to happen at some point. UC had no chance at getting to the state tournament. They had no post play and no player who could defend a player over 6-4. Fayette-Ware, Covington, Haywood, Mitchell and R-E all have decent post players and they have some height. UC would have played one of those teams in an elimination game and they would have been done. UC did have good guard play and play great defense with nonstop pressing but UC got by on smoke, mirrors and good coaching. The teams left standing in substate are the best in the west. I do think that several West State teams would be in the state tournament this season, if they were in the Mid State or East State. You could make a decent argument that eight teams from the West that don't get in, are are state tournament worthy. The loser of Mitchell/Haywood is arguably the second best team in Class AA and they won't be going. What will be disappointing will be going to the state tournament, seeing bad teams in and getting blown out.

With R-E beating Mitchell what does Haywood do next. If you beat Ripley, you host Mitchell. If you lose the region, you travel to R-E. Sounds like a really good AA team will not be in the state tournament this year. GOMAB, which game do you go to? Mitchell @ Haywood Haywood @ RE Fairley @ North Side Talk about your state championship games ...

My understanding is that only three schools in Memphis have the gym capacity to host the substate games. I think they are Ridgeway, White Station and, maybe, R-E. If that is true and if the host school doesn't have the capacity, the other school has to agree to play there or agree on another site. It could very well mean that the loser of Region 7-AA would host. But have to give up the entire gate. Which any team in 7-AA would do. You can call Joe Davis at Manassas, he might have a better idea.

>>since teammates have never been finalists<< You're right, that is true for boys. But last season, Shelbyville had two girls that were both finalists for Miss Basketball. The keys to being a Mr. Basketball finalist are: • Be a really good high school player • Play on a good team and on a team that made the state tournament last season • Have signed with a Division I school or being recruited by a D-I • Be a senior • Have name recognition and have been considered the previous year • Hope geography works in your favor The state tournament appearance is important because since Mr. Basketball is decided by sportswriters from around the state. The only time someone from Johnson City gets to see a kid from Memphis is at Murfreesboro, and if that kid puts on a show and is a junior or sophomore. They have a really good chance of being a finalist that next year. Both Delks fit the bill and I wouldn't be surprised if Richard Delk is a finalist on the strength of that dunk he had against Glencliff. Plus, with the name Delk you really can't go wrong and it would also make a little history. The only knock against Richard is that the finalist tend to be from around the state, not one geographic region. But, at this point, I would say that Reginald is the favorite to win it. In AA, I would guess that Tyler Smith and Willie Kemp are the top two, but Young from Mitchell, while as talented as any player in the country, doesn't fit the typical Mr. Basketball finalist. So I think the third spot is wide-open. Don't be surprised if it isn't a player from Fulton or A-E. In A, whatever the oldest Skogen's name is at Temple, while Greenfield's Brandon Shane was a finalist last year and Xavier Webb will probably round the top three. D-2, Wright will win it again and then win it again his senior year. The other finalists don't matter. They have no chance.

Ellis is a nice player, but to say he is one of the two best players in the country is a bit of a stretch. I've seen him play this season, and he can score, but if you are taking 35 shots a game, you should be able to score 30-40 points. He'll likely declare for the draft and go mid-to-late in the first round, and never step foot in Starkville. Frame wise he compares very well to Reginald Delk, who I think is the top senior in Tennessee. With both Delks you say players that have the potential to get much better. Same as J.P. Prince, he's probably the No. 2 senior in Tennessee. I'd put Xavier Webb at No. 3 and Richard Delk at No. 4. Webb may have the most potential of any player in Tennessee. He is very athletic, tall and can shoot from outside. He needs to improve his ballhandling and get thicker, and if he keeps the grades up and doesn't get hurt, he'll go in the first round of the NBA draft. I think that with both the Delks and Webb, you have three players that are going to stay in school until at least their junior year, and likely their senior years. Prince is another player that will stay in school for at least a couple of years and is another player that will improve in college. Tyler Smith and Jamont Gordon are both players that have hit a plateau. I've seen them both play in high school and on the AAU circuit and I really didn't see any improvement from sophomore to junior year and this past summer. If Buzz is counting on them to really make a difference in the SEC, then he'll be looking for a job in a couple of years. The three best juniors in Tennessee are Thad Young, Brandan Wright and Willie Kemp. Young and Wright are players that are potential lottery picks out of high school and are at best two-year college players. Kemp is best off the dribble, he can create a shot as well as any point guard in the country. He isn't a great shooter standing still, but that is an area he can improve on in college. Kemp is another future pro. Wayne Chism is a level below those three. Grades are a concern, but players with worse academics have still gotten eligible and Chism is another player that can improve in college. Chism is just fun to watch play in the post, he works as well in tight space as any 4 player in the country and that includes Hansbrough. Pierre Niles is a player that has hit a plateau. He isn't tall enough to be a 4 and isn't good enough on the wing to be a 3. Young, Wright and Kemp could all be McDonald's All-American's next season. Because of the hype around Smith and Gordon, both will probably end up as McDonald's All-American's. Prince or Reg Delk could also slide in, it depends on what the other players do.

Not so fast my friend. Since 2000, P.A. Pratt has has led Crockett County to 52 wins against only seven losses. No coach, or school has won 50 in west Tennessee over the same time period. So based on wins, it is obvious that Pratt isn't just the best coach in Alamo, he is the best coach in the west. On the other hand, or finger, no state championships. And only one won in West Tennessee over that same time — Huntingdon's Mike Mansfield. Thanks for reading and watch me punch Kirk in the face on Gameday. — Lee