LOOKING BACK

 The Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament was full of surprises and exciting basketball.

There was no surprise as far as Scott County was concerned. Coach Billy Hicks appears to be molding his Cardinals into a state championship contender.

As Redhound Coach Tony Pietrowski pointed out in his post-game interview, this is the kind of team coach Hicks likes to coach, The kids of Scott County are all around 6’2” and are interchangeable to positions on the floor.

Coach Hicks team is very mobile and very aggressive on defense and although Clay County fought their way to an early lead on the Colonels, Scott County responded and posted a convincing win over the Tigers. Scott County was never really challenged on their trip to the championship.

Coach Tony Pietrowski’s Redhounds fought their way into the finals, but were unable to pull off the upset of the Cardinals.

You have to admire the fight of the Redhounds as they never quit or never gave up.

The game in the semifinals was a classic as North Laurel jumped ahead early and threatened to blow the Redhounds off the floor, but gritty play from Brody Freeman, Travis Smith, Taylor Jones, Hunter Sizemore and Matthew Taylor literally snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Certainly, if this tournament is any indication parity has arrived in the 13^th region.

Clay County considered by many as the favorite to win the region was thoroughly beaten by North Laurel in the consolation game.

The team that impressed me with their athletic ability and raw talent was Whitley County.

Jordan Akins is in my opinion at the top of the list of best players in the region. Justin Goins, the Petrey boy and the Harris boy are all good players. Certainly they have the talent.

North Laurel is extremely well coached and has a good nucleus of players as well. Coach Jim Conway does an excellent job preparing his team and makes good in game adjustments,

It was the Redhound coach, Tony Pietrowski, who made the adjustments to pull out the win over North Laurel.

The job John Calipari is doing is phenomenal again this year as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Before ESPN undoubtedly put a sock in the ‘General’s” mouth, all Bobby Knight could do was take cheap shots at Coach Cal. Local writers such as the Herald-Leader’s Jerry Tipton, John Clay and Mark Story are ready to pounce on any opportunity to sling mud in the coaches direction.

Coach Cal is now 46-5 without a hint of impropriety. This year’s team may well advance farther than last year. Coach Rick Pitino has been at Louisville nine seasons, certainly long enough to build and establish a program. Coach Cal recruited new players each of his two seasons as coach at UK, so how do they stand head to head? Cal two wins, Rick zero.

From the decade of the 90s, this week’s player from the past is Derrick Bennett.

Very possibly the most athletic Redhound basketball player ever at Corbin. Derrick had a tremendous vertical leap and a picture prefect jump shot.

Derrick Bennett always a Redhound.

As my athleticism has dictated through the years, I have migrated from basketball to softball to golf to billiards and finally I have entered the Rummy League at White’s Pro Billiards. The Rummy player of the Year 2010 is Richard “Pup” Giles.

I am not too good of a rummy player, but I love their hot dogs, Happy New Year to all!