Who is goin to win the single a tournment

[WaterPoloIsBetter50]

I am not looking past Grace, just a prediction. Give me a good argument on why Grace will win. Then I will reconsider my prediction.

4 of the 5 starters (seniors) have been through the state tourny before and do very well under pressure. the other is a 6'10" soph. who doesn't necesarily put up a bunch of points YET but makes it very difficult for teams who like taking it in the post. We have one of the best shooters in single A and some nights there is no doubt in my mind he is the best. If Grace plays to their potential they should beat whoever they play. But at this point anyone can win, and anyone can lose, but if i was betting...my money would go on Grace.

[RawRockKills]

I know it is just because i am from the east that i think this...but i find it funny that the west thinks that they everyone should bow down and worship them. I know it wont be the case for a few of you, but i would venture to say that most of you have never seen Grace or Cosby play. I will admit that i have not seen any of the teams out west play, but i think the same goes for you and the east. I am an avid Grace fan. I KNOW that they are an unbelievable team that has what it takes to win it all. Now i havent seen Humbolt or Union City play, but you cant sit there and say that they will win it by watching them play teams from the west. I can sit here and tell you great basketball teams that Grace has played and beaten, but you wouldnt recognize 3/4 of the names. That is what it is like for us in the east. We dont know all these teams that you are saying they beat, and we dont have anything to compare them to.

 

You wanna talk tested? Here are a few of the teams Grace has played:

 

A very good CSAS team and beat them twice. McCallie (one of the best teams in the STATE in Div. 2) and beat them. East Ridge, a very good team with a 6'9" center and beat them twice. Christian Heritage, i would say one of the best teams in north GA (with a player going to Air Force next year), and beat them. Picket Co., that was a joke, we killed them. And the strongest argument is TEMPLE. We had to play them 5 TIMES! You cannot deny that they are one of the best teams in the state. We beat them 4 out of 5 times! Dont talk to me about tested teams.

 

It comes down to that the East doesnt know what the West has and the West doesnt know what the East has. The tourney will show which part of the state plays the best basketball. I am not saying that Grace will win, but you dont know that either. You havent seen them play.

 

I know the west has great teams, and i cant wait to see how they match up to the basketball i have watched all year in and around Chattanooga.

 

Good luck to everyone!

 

BUT GO GRACE!!!

[bigwes68]

I'm going with Humboldt. Too much athleticism, too many weapons, especially for the slower East Tennessee teams (not a knock on ET, just a statement of fact on the contrasting styles between East and West). And even though it's hard to beat a team 2, 3 and especially 4 times in one season, Union City has proven that they don't match up well with Humboldt. If they meet on Saturday, I think the Vikes take care of business.

[hittman13]

Union City

[WaterPoloIsBetter50]

Union City

Good post... make your pick and nothing else..seems to just take up space. you could, oh i dunno, give a reason why you think Union City will win for example

[RawRockKills]

I'm going with Humboldt. Too much athleticism, too many weapons, especially for the slower East Tennessee teams (not a knock on ET, just a statement of fact on the contrasting styles between East and West).

 

I am not trying to get anything started. This is a legitimate question that ive been wanting to know. How has it been proven that East teams are slower? How has this been made a "fact" this year?

[bigwes68]

I am not trying to get anything started. This is a legitimate question that ive been wanting to know. How has it been proven that East teams are slower? How has this been made a "fact" this year?

 

Let's just say that, generally speaking, the demographics in West Tennessee are different from those in East Tennessee. Bruce Pearl knows this -- when he first got to UT, he said that the Vols were "going to play West Tennessee basketball in East Tennessee." In the games I've seen in East Tennessee (I currently live in Knoxville), the games have been mostly played in the half court by fundamentally sound teams that relied heavily on ball control and pure shooters. In West Tennessee, the game is much faster, full-court pressure, lots of transition baskets, terrific ball movement, and a lot of games are won on pure athleticism.

 

This, of course, does not always translate into success at the state level. In 2000, Lake County went to the state tournament with a team full of tremendous athletes that weren't very good basketball players. The Falcons shot something like 28% against a big, fundamentally sound Cosby team and got whipped. But then last year, five of the six state championships (boys and girls) were won by teams from West Tennessee. Humboldt and Union City have not just great athletes, but great athletes that are also great basketball players. Humboldt has tremendous size and speed, and if they get hot from outside too, you can forget about it.

 

I just don't think the teams from East Tennessee can handle the speed and quickness of the West Tennessee teams. I may be proven wrong, but if Grace and Cosby and all the others are good enough to hang with Humboldt and Union City, then they are seriously for real.

[volfan68]

I havent seen any west teams play, but after seeing Cosby Monday I can see why there ranked #1 in the state. I for sure wouldnt take them lightly, I Will have to go with Cosby.

[bed2i]

I havent seen any west teams play, but after seeing Cosby Monday I can see why there ranked #1 in the state. I for sure wouldnt take them lightly, I Will have to go with Cosby.

 

Sure you are going to pick Cosby, you have seen them play, but have you seen anyone from west tn play. "Bigwes68" knows what he is talking about. Everyone in East TN is good; however, like big wes said, you rely on fundamentals and good shooting. West TN plays a different kind of bball; the game is so much faster and you always hear about the big names from West TN going to top schools, you dont hear much about East TN top prospects going to big schools.

[Ruckerpark]

I will have to take U/C in this one. I kno zero about east teams besides the fact i have seen them play in recent state tournies..But i cant imagine anyone playin with U/C in the state tourny unless it is humbolt..I do believe it will be a great game and i will go watch it for the 5th time this year but somethin tells me that marty and shane will have a great gameplan and will be able to knock off Humbolt for the state title..And not knockin cosby but if they beat humbolt and play U/C for the title U/C will run away with it..and for Grace i have seen you and some of the teams you where talkin about beatin and yall should have stayed at the house..I'll go ahead and say Weddle for MVP..Good luck to all teams

[allregionpatriot#3]

East Robertson will win first round.

[redandwhiteforever]

I think you can narrow it down to four of the eight teams are true contenders.

 

Union City

Grace

Humboldt

Cosby

 

You could maybe throw Clay Co in there but I think they will struggle with the athleticism of Union City if the get past Wayne Co.

 

The semi-final winner of Humboldt/Cosby vs. Grace/ER will produce the winner of State, who will more than likely see Union City maybe Clay Co.