Steven_A_Smith

Wow!  A couple of weeks ago everyone was talking about how dominant Ozen looked against Central and how their offense was high powered.  After dominating Vidor for most of the game( a game I attended) and losing to Livingston, they may not even make the playoffs.  'Quite frankly' I want to know, what has gone wrong?  West Orange Stark is the truth!

'Quite Frankly" I never liked AAU.  Now it seems to be a side hustle for some of the AAU coaches.  Most of the time the coaches travel free to tournaments, and dress in very nice athletic apparrel at the ball players expense.  Parents are spending lots of money ($150-$250) just for their kids to play in sub par tournaments in this area where there are no scouts in the stands.  I have a question?  What percentage of all of these kids in Southeast Texas playing AAU ball actually get college scholarships? 

Guys!  Are you kidding me?  Back home, the school who recruited the best ran the table but it never guaranteed a championship.  Despite all of the recruiting that Yates supposedly did, THEY DID NOT WIN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP this year...The other team that recruited won the state championship (LOL)...'Quite Frankly' real ball players that do not shy away from competition, want to be on teams that Win.  There is a simple recruiting philosophy for all of this rhetoric that the University of Missouri alum believe:  [b]Just Win and They Will Come[/b].  Successful programs (i.e. Katy Tigers football), will have families that move in from out of state just to be a part of the winning tradition.  The days of neighborhood talent winning big in the upper classification levels (4A-5A) are over.  Most teams that win a championship will have a transfer, a move-in, or have their AAU team all enroll at the same school.  Transfers usually happen at the basketball tradition schools because ball players/parents want to be a part of winning programs.  The other transfer scenario is having a ball player who doesn't play at one school and wants to move to another school where he can get some playing time.     

I will take OKC in 6.  'Quite Frankly', I think it will be very difficult for Miami to go in and handle OKC at home.  OKC will not be like Boston and fade in the 4th quarter.  The "x" factor is James Harden. 

I think that Central is capable of making the playoffs, but they can't rely on Mitchell running the ball nearly every down simply because he is there best player.  Everyone said that he would be bound to get hurt if he ran nearly every play and that is exactly what happened.  When will Central open up their offense?  'Quite Frankly' I think the 20-4A district title is a toss up. Vidor and Ozen have teams that believe and they have talent to make some noise.  PNG is my sleeper.

Not only did MWP not turn around to see whom he hit, but when Russell Westbrook ran after him, he turned around with his fists balled up to defend himself.  'Quite Frankly', the guy should be suspended for the remainder of the season.  He had done so much to improve his reputation, as of matter of fact, he is in Steve Harvey's new movie Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man...but this incident really shows that he is a dirty player on the floor.

In my earlier One and Done Post, I mentioned that UCLA must be greasing someone's hands to get some of those top recruits. Yesterday, they landed another player, Tony Parker, the 6-foot-9 center from Miller Grove (Ga.)who is a space eater that can finish strong with both hands. "Quite Frankly' with the addition of Parker, UCLA's recruiting haul now jumps past Pac-12 foe Arizona, giving the Bruins at least the nation's second-rated class.  Kentucky currently holds the top spot with No. 2 Nerlens Noel, No. 8 Alex Poythress, No. 14 Archie Goodwin and No. 40 Willie Cauley in the fold. UCLA is definitely Back! 

Since this seems to be a topic that often comes up in the forum, I decided to ask the members a question in regards to scheduling in high school athletics.  Does scheduling a tough or weak non-district schedule have an impact on the team's overall success?  'Quite Frankly', fans want to see tough competition, but is it necessary to win a state championship?  Coaches schedule weaker teams because they want wins on their record to pad their resume and so that they won't get ran out of town, but will the W's get their teams ready for a state championship? 

[quote name="BLUEDOVE3" post="1212733" timestamp="1334852566"] [quote author=catfever link=topic=99028.msg1212701#msg1212701 date=1334846855] Some of those big time high school players might go to different schools if the current Freshman were staying.  For instance, if Anthony Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist, Teague were having to stay in school would those other 3 ESPN100 kids still sign with Kentucky or maybe another school.  Who knows, but either way it would make things better. [/quote]It does seem like all the top ESPN 50 kids looking at the same schools. Baylor, UT, Kentucky, Okie State, etc, etc, ............ I saw a recruit mention  Georgia. I was surprised. [/quote] 'Quite Frankly', I am very surprised that Shabazz Muhammad signed with UCLA over Kentucky.  Shabazz is definitely a One and Done.  UCLA also signed Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams.  That kind of makes me think that someone's hands are getting greased in Westwood. 

What I still have not grasped yet, being an old school ball player, is that many of these kids coming out of college early really do have game.  'Quite Frankly', many people say they have to get stronger, as they said about Durant, Rose, etc. but those kids came into the Association and lit it up!  Yes, they are the exception, but I never thought a One and Done player could come in and do as well as they are today. 

[[/quote]I'm sure the NCAA is[s] plotting[/s]..errr planing right now to slow down NCAA Minor League train. Maybe 3 and done  :D [/quote] One thing about it BlueDove... Both sides will have to agree to slow down the Minor League Train and the Association will never agree.  They want all of the stars so they can make the money.

Ok guys I am relatively new to this site.  I continue to read the comments referring to HJ's schedule.  Did they really play that weak of a schedule this past basketball season?  Did they play in the YMBL tournament? 

Wow!  Kentucky is making a lot of people upset with their 5 starters going to the Association.  I wonder why there is so much concern with ball players going to the Association early?  One and Done right now sure looks like a whole lot of fun...The Association will not touch it because they are making too much money off of the young players who did leave college early. 

'Quite Frankly' BlueDove3 and Dickie V One of my favorite off season quotes is "no championships are won when the seats are empty"...We as sports fans continue to make the mistake that championships are guaranteed based upon returning talent.  The most talented teams don't always win.  Ask Jack Yates this year!  OOOPS, I hope I did not strike a nerve...LOL...We forget that these ball players are 14-18 year old kids who put on these uniforms.  Did we also forget about Phi Slamma Jamma vs. NC State and Georgetown vs. Villanova? 

I had a long debate on the One and Done Rule this weekend.  I am just curious to know what are some of the opinions of forum members.  'Quite Frankly', I think it helps the NBA.

Thanks for the information Honest Abe of the tournament results but 'Quite Frankly' my friends, if you win at the park or at the YMCA by 1 point or you win by 50 points, a win is a win.  However, these are ball games played outside of the regular season...none of these games will be put in the record books.

So what were the final results of the tournament this weekend? Did HJ play Ozen?  If so, who won?  Which ball players played well?

Does anyone have the tournament schedule?  The day and times for each game?  Quite frankly... I am curious to know why Central and West Brook are not in the tournament?

[quote name="BLUEDOVE3" post="1208595" timestamp="1334080568"] [quote author=KHSAlum400 link=topic=97235.msg1208584#msg1208584 date=1334080017] [quote author=BLUEDOVE3 link=topic=97235.msg1208502#msg1208502 date=1334073477] [color=red]Unsigned seniors [/color]that are interested in playing need to call 832-493-0207 or email [email protected] as soon as possible so that final rosters can be set.  There [color=red]is no cost to the player[/color] and is [color=red]one more chance to get to play in front of college coaches to show them what you can do.  Each player will receive a free showcase [/color]jersey, play two games and have the opportunity to participate in a three point and dunk contest.  Some of the top unsigned senior talent has already signed up.  Don't pass up this great opportunity to show that you can play. [/quote] BlueDove3 Quite Frankly I think this is outstanding!  Where will these 2 games be played?

Quite Frankly: I think that J'Covan should have stayed another year.  My questions are: is his foot speed to slow to guard other players in the League and will he be able to run a team as their point guard.  I hope that he goes to an NBA team that will give him time to make mistakes on the court and to grow as a man as well as a player.  Quite frankly, I am very proud of this student athlete.  When he left Port Arthur, no one gave him a chance because of his attitude and many wondered would he go to class.  Apparently, many people did not know this young man.  One thing that I knew about this ball player is that he loved the game.  He went to the beloved University of Texas, and not only excelled on the basketball court but excelled in the classroom.  He was a 1st team Academic All Big twelve selection 2 years in a row. 

Quite Frankly BlueDove: I agree with you, I think that the mid-range jumper is a lost art.  You said Yates was not a great shooting team, but in the few times that I saw them, it seems they shot the ball really really well with the exception of the state championship game.  In the state semi-final game Yates shot 10 for 27 from 3 pt range but it felt like they shot lights out.  Making ten 3 pointers in a high school game is pretty good.  Perception is reality my friend.  The ball player Forte, from Flower Mound, shot all of those 3 pointers each day, but I ask you what did it get him?  It got him, a 5'9" 2-guard, not a point guard, with average handles, average foot speed, a scholarship to Oklahoma State University.  Who (Forte) by the way was the MVP of the 5A Championship game against the #3 and #5 players in the nation of the Class of 2013.  Should he have practiced 3's all the time? probably not, but it sure paid off for him.

Quite Frankly BlueDove3 You are Correct: Both playing in unofficial games and skill time are needed to improve your overall game.  Hopefully setx players learned how to compete by playing in Little Dribblers/YMCA and in middle school and did not wait to learn how to compete at the high school level.  But let's be honest, how many kids are actually putting in skill time?  Take the average underclassmen of this past year, of the 12-15 kids on each JV or the few returning on the Varsity team, how many are putting in the work.  I would say the "average" high school basketball player that plays summer league or AAU, may play 30 games in the summer but will not put in 5 days of skill time.  Everybody is telling the "average" ball player, to play AAU and to play summer league to get exposed when the average ball player will not get a basketball scholarship.  However, nobody stresses skill time.  Then the ball player shows up the next basketball season and their body has matured but their game has not improved.  Look at professionals like Kobe, Durant, Melo, CP3, etc...These guys to this day put up several shots a day.  I think that Summer League is good thing for coaches to try to keep their players together and having their players looking forward to the next season.

Quite Frankly... Who really cares about summer league basketball?  I know who:  The volunteer coaches who are trying to win a tournament for themselves, the parents that coach and want their kids to play but their kid has a slim chance of receiving a scholarship, or the AAU coaches who are getting paid a salary for charging parents expensive fees?  Ball players will get better by repetition.  Many ball players in southeast texas think that running up and down the court in summer league or AAU will improve their game but it actually does not do much.  Quite frankly summer league and AAU only improves confidence for kids not scholarship material.  The ball player will improve by putting in the individual work in the gym, and working on his strengths and weaknesses.