Why is West TN so dominant

[finestcopnyc]

West Tn basketball is dominating this year. any explainations coaches? fans?

[Anthony17]

West Tn basketball is dominating this year. any explainations coaches? fans?

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With the influence of UT football (and pretty lousy UT basketball), the east tends to be football country. I know a few kids that are good in both sports in HS and quit BB to concentrate on football. That would be one reason though certainly not the only.

[Opperman]

West Tn basketball is dominating this year. any explainations coaches? fans?

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Basketball is what we do over here. With the exception of Collierville, Milan, Germantown, and a couple of other places, by and large, we care about basketball like East TN cares about football.

 

Also, demographics play a role. There's less people in West TN than middle or east, but there's more poor people -- and that leads to more people trying to use basketball to make their lives better.

 

But again, the bottom line is that we care more about basketball than East TN does. And East TN cares more about football than we do.

[coachh17]

West has always had great athletes. I think the coaching has improved, with a greater emphasis being placed on defense.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

I don't know if I agree with the point you make with East Tn caring more about football than West Tn...

 

I agree with you if you are saying Memphis cares more about basketball...I will give you that....Memphis is the Mecca of Tenessee basketball...But you go to rural West Tn on a Friday night..Milan,Huntingdon,USJ,Union City,Humboldt,Camden,McKenzie,Martin Westview,South Fulton,Obion Central,Covington and on and on and on....The fans are rabid and some live and die with what happens for those 2-2 1/2 hours on Friday night....There are probably many factors as to why this happens as far as who is dominant in what sport..But,it seems to go in cycles..I don't believe it is the college football team that plays in a particular area either....Tennessee football is huge all over the state...Watch a Tennessee-Memphis game at the Liberty Bowl..Way more than half wearing orange...Watch a Tennessee-Vandy game in Nashville..Way more than half wearing orange...You look at the football championships..2 privates from east and middle Tn play for the title...Single A teams anywhere in the state have had trouble staying with DCA or Boyd Buchanan...AA...An east Tn beat a west Tn team Alcoa over Huntingdon..But Huntingdon won last year and these two teams were pretty much even this year...Fulton from Knoxville beating Greenbriar from middle Tn..AAA in football in my opinion is the easiest state championship to win..AAAA Maryville is just Maryville a football factory and 5A You have University of Riverdale another football factory..But Germantown won in 2003 and Melrose was runner-up to Maryville this year,losing only 7-6..There is not a whole lot of difference on the whole.

[dodgerdude]

I don't mean to bring race into the picture. So please no one get mad at me for saying this. West TN has more black people than east and middle tennessee. That has a lot to do with the west usually being better than the east.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

I don't mean to bring race into the picture. So please no one get mad at me for saying this. West TN has more black people than east and middle tennessee. That has a lot to do with the west usually being better than the east.

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Then why does East and Middle do good in football??...

[Opperman]

I don't know if I agree with the point you make with East Tn caring more about football than West Tn...

 

I agree with you if you are saying Memphis cares more about basketball...I will give you that....Memphis is the Mecca of Tenessee basketball...But you go to rural West Tn on a Friday night..Milan,Huntingdon,USJ,Union City,Humboldt,Camden,McKenzie,Martin Westview,South <a href='http://www.coacht.com/inside/team.cfm?SchoolID=159&SportID=3' target='_blank'>Fulton</a>,Obion Central,Covington and on and on and on....The fans are rabid and some live and die with what happens for those 2-2 1/2 hours on Friday night....There are probably many factors as to why this happens as far as who is dominant in what sport..But,it seems to go in cycles..I don't believe it is the college football team that plays in a particular area either....Tennessee football is huge all over the state...Watch a Tennessee-Memphis game at the Liberty Bowl..Way more than half wearing orange...Watch a Tennessee-Vandy game in Nashville..Way more than half wearing orange...You look at the football championships..2 privates from east and middle Tn play for the title...Single A teams anywhere in the state have had trouble staying with DCA or Boyd Buchanan...AA...An east Tn beat a west Tn team Alcoa over Huntingdon..But Huntingdon won last year and these two teams were pretty much even this year...Fulton from Knoxville beating Greenbriar from middle Tn..AAA in football in my opinion is the easiest state championship to win..AAAA Maryville is just Maryville a football factory and 5A You have University of Riverdale another football factory..But Germantown won in 2003 and Melrose was runner-up to Maryville this year,losing only 7-6..There is not a whole lot of difference on the whole.

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On the whole, though, basketball is bigger in West TN. For all the ones you mentioned, I could counter with Bolivar, JNS, JSS, Fayette-Ware, etc.

 

There's exceptions in the east where schools are bigger into basketball than football (Science Hill, for example), but by and large, West TN cares more about hoops.

[oldtimeballer63]

Let's see -- the last time I checked the east has had the best teams the last few years (I'm talking specifically about 1A).

 

Last year ('04) Unaka (from the East) was the state champs.

Grace (from the East) were runners-up.

Temple (from the East) were in the semi-finals along with CPA (from Middle Tn).

 

The year before that ('03) Temple (from the East) were state champs.

 

And the year before that ('02) Temple (from the East) were state champs.

 

In 2001 it was Chattanooga Christian (from the East).

 

Hmmmm. . . . . .

[cc34]

Where we live in western middle TN basketball is GOD!!! We don't care about anything like we do the roundball. Out of curiosity, how many of these recent champs from the East will still be playing single A ball after this year? I know several of the region 5 teams will be moving up due to the new factoring for private schools!

[knilob]

I would tend to agree with dodgerdude. I'm not trying to be racist either, but that plays a large role in this talent gap. If you look at major college basketball and the pros almost 95% of the players are African American.

 

Plus, to elaborate on Opperman's point, it's cheaper to play basketball than football as kids are growing up. All you have to buy is a ball and some sneaks and you're good to go. Football requires much more of a time and money investment.

 

Now, to the point about why then are East and Middle Tenn. teams better at football? I tend to believe it's all based on coaching and discipline at the high-school level (especially A through AAA).

 

Maryville is a perfect example of this concept. Above-average, disciplined athletes plus fantastic coaching creates a dynasty. They don't make mistakes and capitalize on every opportunity given to them by the opposiion. Plus once you start a winning tradition like they've had for the past few years it'll only keep snowballing as more and more people in the community will dedicate themselves to the program.

[finestcopnyc]

I would tend to agree with dodgerdude.  I'm not trying to be racist either, but that plays a large role in this talent gap.  If you look at major college basketball and the pros almost 95% of the players are African American.

 

Plus, to elaborate on Opperman's point, it's cheaper to play basketball than football as kids are growing up.  All you have to buy is a ball and some sneaks and you're good to go.  Football requires much more of a time and money investment.

 

Now, to the point about why then are East and Middle Tenn. teams better at football?  I tend to believe it's all based on coaching and discipline at the high-school level (especially A through AAA).

 

Maryville is a perfect example of this concept.  Above-average, disciplined athletes plus fantastic coaching creates a dynasty.  They don't make mistakes and capitalize on every opportunity given to them by the opposiion.  Plus once you start a winning tradition like they've had for the past few years it'll only keep snowballing as more and more people in the community will dedicate themselves to the program.

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I think that is silly. Basketball is basketball..doesnt matter if you are white or black. IS it a fluke its an all west tn final? Coaches????