District 4a This Year

[81booger]

Seen Oneida a few times. They are very young for the most part (no seniors) and they still struggle with on the court decisions at times. Shooting% and turnovers are the two things that is really hurting them right now. Turnovers will improve with experience, shooting% will improve as they learn better shot selection, (and I believe their coach will see that the shot selection improves).They are starting 5 jrs most of the time and playing 3 soph a lot with different combinations trying to find that right five. Team is better than record would indicate, they have played some very good teams to start the season. I see them as a solid 3rd or 4th place team with a shot at knocking off anyone in their District.

[superdaveosborne]

After watching some games I believe that the district looks like this.

 

1. Clearly Coalfield Best returning players

2. ???

3.???

4.???

5.Wartburg Lost PG and all State Tourney players except Fountain next time they are able to win big 2011-2012 I'm calling it first you cant win big there every year gotta rebuild!

6.Sunbright Needs to learn how to win...could start tonight with Wartburg

7. Jellico Very bad needs to work to get better for next year

 

Everyone else looks about the same. IMO Oliver Springs is very lucky to be 2-0 in the district and does not look like a very good team they wont be great again for some time. Sunbright is much better and could make the region and they better do it this year with what they will graduate. Oakdale is going to be strong at the end an should challenge for the 2nd spot plus they will keep everyone and should be very strong again next season. Oneida is going to be ok and I'm hearing their coach will be back after Christmas remember young team and will be good once they come together for the next 2 seasons. Wartburg is IMO the wild card they look like they can score and should be a good defensive team come tourney time, but I don't think they have the horses to win big once they get there they could be the odd team out in tournaments simply because of how much they have lost similar to Oliver Springs.

[coalfieldjacketfan96]

Superdave,

 

I agree with most of what you've said. The points on Oliver Springs and Wartburg are true I. I will say this though I don't think any team wants to play them in a tournament given what each has done the last couple of years. Both have very good coaches and good players just not dominant ones ie Armes WB Christopher OS but I could see them upsetting some when Feb gets here. I think that it will take WB 2 years to rebuild after looking at their roster some good looking underclassmen. OS may be back in 1 definately in 2 we will see. Thats something we don't talk about as much on here but teams at the A level must go through this process unless you are Clarkrange or Jackson and you have the pipeline going lol!

 

I'm really proud of the Lady Jackets they are playing well right now and look like they will roll to the regular season crown if they can stay healthy. It just goes to prove coaching is about 30% of it if you have better players then you will win sometimes in spite of your coach.

[kazam37]

CJFan96......you would be surprised to find out that the Jackets might be good BECAUSE of their coach, not dispite her abilities. Teaching kids how to play within a system ain't everything it is cracked up to be. I know we've all heard this one....if you can do a better job, get a degree and apply for the job. Until you sit on the sidelines and call the shots....I'm sure your opinion isn't appreciated very much by the current coaching staff.

 

Kaz

[coalfieldjacketfan96]

Kazam,

 

I'm not a big fan of the coach. But even if I was I still think that if you give great talent to an ok coach then they will win. That is usually why a team falls on hard times, its due to their lack of talent. Take our Football Situation at CF if the Henry's had the players that Coach K has had in years past then they wouldn't be under fire. Talent wins at the A level you could put any coach in 4-A in charge of CRANGE and they would have won state last year....why? because they are better coaches than Lamar Rogers NO WAY, it would be because they had the best talent in the state and all are at least OK coaches.

 

Now a coach does make a difference and can help a team win a few from time to time with less talent and score an upset, but in the end the best talent wins out 95% of the time.

[kazam37]

Some valid thoughts......although those players that Lamar Rogers has.....what makes them a great team was their ability to understand the intricacies of his system. Yes, there were some very good players on that team, but Lamar has won multiple championships.....often with teams far less talented than last years group. Coalfield does have a good group of players, but if they succeed, IMO, it will be because they played the way the coach wants them to in her system. Also, they need to be very careful not to make it the other way around and start playing outside of the system cause that can certainly screw up the equation. Remember this too: Clarkrange is Lamar Rodgers. He built that little dynasty. Championship teams are often an extention of a championship coach......you can't have one without the other.

 

Oakdale - Oneida tonight.....both teams need this one bad. Easier to find your way out of a "smaller" hole, and trust me....they are both in a hole right now. Winner of this one, IMO, finishes in the top four by the end of the season.

 

Kazzanity

[kazam37]

You are also right about the Henrys......they are good coaches. Right now they do not have a whole lot to work with.....in fact this year had to be the most undersized team I can ever recall being down there. Been watching the series since the early eighties.

 

Kaz

[81booger]

Oakdale - Oneida tonight.....both teams need this one bad. Easier to find your way out of a "smaller" hole, and trust me....they are both in a hole right now. Winner of this one, IMO, finishes in the top four by the end of the season.

 

Kazzanity

 

After tonite Oneida may have fell into the larger hole. Oneida played well at times, but struggled in the last 4-5 mins. I still think they will improve as season goes.

[highrock45]

coalfield beat o.s. last night i must say num 45 played a really good game os didnt look good at all great job to the lady jackets they are playung team ball this yr

[SuperFan1]

All these people keep saying this stuff about OS not being good. If I am correct they was beating Coalfield after the first quarter and very much in the game at halftime being down by around 5. Coalfield pulled away in the 2nd half but maybe a little of that had to do with OS being an inexperienced team and the free throw margin which was was like 25 to 10 (not totally sure about exact numbers). With that being said OS is getting better and by tournament time their coach will have them ready to maybe pull off an upset in the tournament.

[freshkicks00]

There are too many people and quotes from some of the people on here to even begin to respond to them individually.....however......

Coalfield I believe will come out on top this year.....saying that Coach Hines was begging the Scarborough kid to come back was just hilarious...obviously no one knows how she handles her teams, Coach Hines has never begged anyone to ever come play for her, and also someone else stating that she lost respect because she let the Scarborough girl come back on the team after the stunt she pulled is a little wrong, TSSAA has specific guidelines for tryout dates and deadlines for students who want to play. She has no control over that, but Coach Hines still had requests and additional practice time for her to complete and she failed to do so. Saying that Coalfields attitude this year is poor is not the truth, when "the attitude" isnt present in the locker room, at practice, and on the floor because "the attitude" doesnt play anymore, then your girls are drama free and getting along better. Drama will always be present though in small towns while jealousy and childlike behavior always will happen. Everyone has a right to an opinion and to state their opinions, some just choose to make absolute fools of themselves when they feel life isnt going their way for their kid...Why cant some parents and step parents realize that sometimes their kid just isnt as good as other kids? HS basketball isnt a $25 enrollment fee and promised playing time like youth league, Coach Hines just recieved an award for her professionalism, team player attitude, and sportsmanship to say she has lost respect or made wrongful statements about players that are no longer on the team? Coach Hines is like Steve Spurrier in one way, the only reason you "hear" that people dont like them is because theyre such good coaches and do such a good job at coaching and utilizing what they have in players and producing wins makes people mad. We all know that District 4A has been one of the most difficult districts to play in, with AMAZING coaches in Marv West,Coach Christopher, Fred Snow, Carmen Hines and the Dallas Davis era. Its just like SEC football, the better teams all over are in this district and its a shame that only a few can advance far into the playoff scene. Coach Hines did lead the only Coalfield team to go to state a few years ago, she must be doing something right for those of you who think its time for a "change". Enough with that though....

I see Coalfield coming out on top over a very close race between them, OZ, Oneida, and Oakdale. All other teams are capable of coming out on a top because every game between district opponents for anyone in this district is pretty much a heated rivalry. I cant wait to see what happens come February, always a very interesting tourney, there are no such things as upsets anymore in this district.

[coalfieldjacketfan96]

Freshkicks, the story I heard was that the Senior in question was asked to play JV. Wasn't she All Region the last 2 years. I'm sorry but you just don't do that, and to further complicate things it was because the other seniors voted to have her do so. That shows a major lack of leadership on the coach's part.

 

I believe that this group of players from coalfield should've been in the position the wartburg or OS girls were in the last two years. If you remember we beat Wartburg with these girls when they were freshmen and OS as Soph and beat Wartburg 3 Times Last year, but somehow haven't been able to achieve their Tournament Time Success. Instead of Tourney success we've had total meltdowns time and time again. The only reason we are winning this year is because the top teams lost key players and we returned all of ours. Tournaments expose coaches for what they are.

 

Steve Spurrier has won NC and SEC, Carmen has never won the state she isn't an elite coach! Most people don't question Spurriers coaching ability they just think he is a jerk....Only difference with Hines is that most people think she can't coach also.