LOOKING BACK

 I really enjoyed the past two weeks of basketball at Gilliam Gym as Coach Tony Pietrowski took the opportunity to work with the kids that will lead his team into the 2012-’13 season.

I feel the strength of the Redhounds will be their depth. The large part of their depth will be in the backcourt where Coach P will have some kids that handle the ball well and are excellent defenders.

Coach P has a lot of flexibility in running a man-to-man defense or full court traps or half-court traps. Zack Farley, Hunter Grubb, Trevor Hill and Caleb Magnet are leading the way with Andrew Johnson, Kevin Goins, Donnie Wilson and injured Joey Shelton providing immediate and very competent help from the bench. The junior varsity also offers guard help from names like Kenny Hopper and Corey Taylor.

Although the Redounds are guard heavy it is not to say the ‘Hounds are one-dimensional.

Robbie Igo will now be a senior and he can be a driving force for this team by asserting himself both offensively and defensively. Kory Morris along with Igo will provide an inside presence for the Redhounds.

Shelton’s injury cut short his opportunity to play, but he can be very effective from the inside or out.

Another player whose playing time was cut short by injury was Zack Ingle, big Zack stands about 6’3” and weights about 240 pounds and is a sophomore. Before his injury I watched him and was impressed with his mobility.

All in all, I feel Coach Pietrowski feels confident when he looks ahead to the season that will be here before you know it.

Coach John Calipari, as everyone knows, realized what the potential was at the University of Kentucky and he was able to develop an approach that would lead the Wildcats to a national championship in just three short years.

Coach Cal’s accomplishment is completed by the coach’s recruiting of outstanding players from Chicago, New York, Oregon and the other venues that are considered hot beds of basketball.

Please do not misunderstand, I feel Coach Cal is the best coach in college basketball.

When you think back to the coach to whom the arena was named, Coach Adolph Rupp, you can come up with recruits from Lake Charles, Louisiana, which sent Cotton Nash to Kentucky to play for Coach Rupp. Batavia, Illinois sent Dan Issel to be an All-American. Bill Spivey cane from Georgia and Alex Groza was from Ohio.

Those are just a few of out of state players and there are others.

But all and all, Coach Rupp was able to build a dynasty with great in state talent like Cliff Hagen of Owensboro, Jerry Bird of Corbin, Wah Wah Jones of Harlan, Johnny Cox from Hazard, Bill Lickert from Lexington and Phil Grawemeyer from Louisville and many more who were call for the most part were at the school for four years.

Darius Miller had a terrific career at Kentucky and I hope he and Doron Lamb go in the first round of the NBA draft.

Anyone you listen to will tell you they would like to see the one-and-done changed to require the players to go at least two years. No one does anything to change it.

I look forward to the NBA draft Thursday night. Anthony Davis, by all accounts will be selected first by New Orleans and Michael Kidd Gilchrist as a second or third pick.

I remember Sam Bowie as a cannot miss selection with Michael Jordan as a three or four choice. Do you see any similarities?