‘Flash’ Gordon leads Hoosier all-stars

The Kentucky All-Stars didn’t have to face Indiana’s Mr. Basketball last summer when Greg Oden, considered the best high school player in the nation, missed both games of the rivalry because of a wrist injury. Even without him Indiana whipped Kentucky twice. The boys from the Bluegrass won’t get a pass on meeting up with Indiana’s Mr. Basketball this summer, and he’s another superstar.

Eric Gordon (shown at right) of Indianapolis North Central, is the Hoosiers’ top player and one of the best guards in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Indiana University signee has an NBA-type body to go along with tremendous athletic ability. He was an overwhelming choice as Indiana’s Mr. Basketball. According to Pat Aikman of the sponsoring Indianapolis Star, Gordon received 91.1% of the votes. Only Damon Bailey (95.3%) in 1990, and Oden (91.5%) last year won by a bigger margin in Hoosier history.

Gordon averaged 29 points in leading North Central to a state runner-up finish. He shot 46% from three-point range, and 88% from the foul line. He originially commited to Illinois, but changed his mind when Kelvin Sampson replaced Mike Davis as IU’s coach.

Kentucky figures to have a hard time ending a five-game losing streak against Indiana when the all-star teams meet June 16 in Bowling Green and June 23 in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers have several other Division I prospects, including four Purdue signees, lead by 6-3 E-Twaun Moore of state champ East Chicago Central.

Here’s the Indiana all-stars roster:

• Michael Bizoukas, Munster 6-1 15.1 ppg (DePaul)
• Nate Blank, Terre Haute North 6-5 19.0 ppg (undecided)
• Ben Botts, Muncie Central 6-0 14.5 ppg (Iindiana-Purdue Fort Wayne)
• Bryan Bouchie, Washington 6-10 15.5 ppg (Valparaiso)
• Eric Gordon, Indy North Central 6-4 29.0 ppg (Indiana)
• Zach Hahn, New Castle 6-1 18.7 ppg (Butler)
• Clint Hopf, Forest Park 6-9 18.0 ppg (Evansville)
• Matt Howard, Connersville 6-7 23.1 ppg (Butler)
• Rob Hummel, Valparaiso 6-8 15.7 ppg (Purdue)
• JaJuan Johnson, Franklin Central 6-10 20.6 ppg (Purdue)
• Eshaunte Jones, Ft. Wayne North 6-4 27.7 ppg (Indiana)
• Scott Martin, Valparaiso 6-8 22.2 ppg (Purdue)
• E’Twaun Moore, E. Chicago Central 6-3 21.9 ppg (Purdue)
• Jeff Teague, Pike 6-1 21.5 ppg (Wake Forest)

Coaching changes that could cause chaos

Perry Central boys’ basketball coach Al Holland (shown at right in one of his seven Sweet Sixteen appearances) resigned this week so he could become coach at arch-rival Hazard. In some people’s minds, that’s like Rick Pitino going from Kentucky to Louisville, without the side trip to the Boston Celtics. (I doubt that the folks in Hazard like being cast in the role of U of L in this scenario.) Holland doesn’t see the move across town as that drastic because he has several lifelong friends in Hazard, but he does admit that “it’s always been a good rivalry.” And it’s sure to get even more heated now.

Holland’s job change prompted me to imagine what coaching switcheroos in the state might cause the most amazement and anguish among fans. Here’s a sampling. If you’ve got some you’d like to share, send them along.

• St. Xavier football coach Mike Glaser says ta-ta to the Tigers to become coach at Trinity.

• Trinity football coach Bob Beatty shoves off from the Shamrocks to become coach at St. X.

• Danville football coach Sam Harp jumps ship on the Admirals and climbs aboard at Boyle County.

• Pleasure Ridge Park basketball coach Dale Mabrey says adios to the Panthers to become a Fairdale Bulldog.

• Tates Creek baskeball coach Joe Pat Covington and Commodore football coach Mark Willoughby cause widespread apoplexy when they go as a package deal to Lexington Catholic.

• Mayfield football coach Joe Morris, who bleeds Cardinal red, twists everybody’s mind when he takes over at Paducah Tilghman’s Tornado.

• Highlands football coach Dale Mueller switches blue loyalties by going to Covington Catholic.

• Bell County football coach Dudley Hilton leaves the mountains and high-tails it north to Highlands.

PRP’s Benson gets a shot as UK walk-on

In Dale Mabrey’s 26 years as Pleasure Ridge Park’s basketball coach, the closest the Panthers have come to having a player sign with the University of Kentucky was when Cats Coach Eddie Sutton offered Andy Penick a scholarship in 1989. Long story short, Sutton got fired before Penick’s senior season, and the Panthers’ all-state guard wound up going to Michigan State. Mabrey thought he was having deja vu earlier this spring when UK Coach Tubby Smith, who had asked PRP’s Kerry Benson (shown at right scoring in the 2006 Sweet Sixteen) to join the Cats as a walk-on, up and moved to Minnesota.

But this story had a happy ending for Benson. New UK Coach Billy Gillispie and assistant Jeremy Cox, who has known PRP assistant Larry Kihnley for years, re-invited Benson to Lexington as a walk-on. “Kerry’s always dreamed of playing for Kentucky,” Mabrey said. “Now he’ll get the chance.”

Benson, a 6-foot-6 perimeter player who had scholarship offers from Iona and Morehead State, averaged 15 points this season, but he suffered a severely dislocated toe on Jan. 30 and was sidelined for three weeks. “He came back after that, but he wasn’t the same player,” Mabrey said. “He kind of hobbled down the floor.”

Mabrey thinks Benson has a chance to develop into a contributor at UK. “He knows he’s in for the long haul, and that he’ll have to out-work a lot of players if he’s ever going to get on the floor,” Mabrey said. “He’s 6-6 with Superman-length arms, he handles the ball well, passes it well, has a nice shot, and can slash to the basket. His potential has barely been tapped.” Benson started as a junior for PRP’s Sweet Sixteen semifinal team, and totaled 29 points and 11 rebounds in the tournament.

Munsters basketball: ouch!

Channel surfing a few nights ago, I came across a TV Land rerun of the Munsters. It caught my eye because it was about Herman Munster, the Frankenstein-look-alike, trying his hand at basketball and getting a college scholarship offer in the process. The Westbury College coach and his assistant (shown at right with Herman) mistook Mr. Munster for Moose Mallory, a tall, talented prospect from Kentucky. Moose, played by Robert Easton, and his dad Pop Mallory, played by Pat Buttram (better known for his role as Mr. Haney on Green Acres), were portrayed as “Kentucky hillbillies.” The episode originally aired in January, 1965, and I’m sure I saw it because I was a big fan of the Munsters. I only wish I could remember if, as a 13-year-old, I was insulted by Kentuckians being stereotyped as such backwards, dim-witted “hicks.”

Steffphon Pettigrew/Frank Ramsey

From the (e)mail bag, a few thoughts from Joe Burgess, who is puzzled by UK’s reluctance to offer Mr. Basketball Steffphon Pettigrew (right) a scholarship. (Pettigrew told the Elizabethtown News Enterprise that he has narrowed his college list to Western Kentucky and Xavier, and hopes to make a decision this week). Here’s part of the email from Mr. Burgess:

What this message is about is the apparent knock on the kid because he averaged (33.6 points and 13.4 rebounds) playing under the basket — that at 6-5 he’s not big enough to play small forward at a major top-tier school such as Kentucky . . .

That’s can’t be the problem, unless basketball coaches ain’t as smart today as Adolph Rupp was. You remember Frank Ramsey (left) . . . a two-time All-American . . . probably the most famous sixth man in NBA history . . .
Ramsey played center for Madisonville High School as a senior in 1948-49. Played forward with some duty as center in 1947-48. Played guard in 1946-47. At 6-3 he was one of the tallest players on the Madisonville team. Played under the basket because he had to — as Pettigrew did at Elizabethtown.

Rupp took a high school forward-center and turned him into one of the best guards in the history of UK basketball — a future NBA Hall of Famer . . . So what’s the problem with Pettigrew and his convesion to a shooting guard at a big-time school? He can apparently score from out on the floor if his winning the three-point shooting contest at the Derby Festival All-Star game means anything. He apparently is a heckuva rebounder, as was Ramsey, a real bonus in a shooting guard. Does he not have the promise in 2007 to what Ramsey had in 1949? Or are the biggie coaches — and not just Kentucky’s — and the so-called national high school talent raters and the basketball writers not as smart (or able) as Rupp was?

P.S.: No, all of this did not come out of my head. I talked with Frank on the phone and he verified his high school positions year by year . . . .

‘Hidden jewel’ football prospect

Frankfort football coach Craig Foley thinks his senior-to-be star E.J. Fields (right) might be “one of the hidden jewels” in the state next season. Foley said Kentucky, North Carolina State, Duke, Troy State and Cincinnati have offered Fields a scholarship. Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and Stanford also are showing interest. Fields, a 6-foot-3, 175-pounder, was a dual threat at quarterback for the Panthers last season. He ran for 1,147 yards (averaging almost 10 yards a carry) and 14 touchdowns, and threw for 664 yards and 9 TDs. Fields is a speed-burner. He won the state title in the 400-meter sprint last spring, and has a 10.7 clocking in the 100 this year. UK is recruiting him as a wide receiver/defensive back.

Kentucky’s top football prospects

Male’s Dexter Heyman, a 6-4, 220-pound lineman, is projected to be the top college prospect in Kentucky high school football next season. Heyman, whose brother Earl is a lineman at the University of Louisville, is rated the best senior-to-be in the state by scout.com.

Lexington has three players on that list, pictured left to right: Tates Creek lineman Kyle Bryant, Henry Clay wide receiver Aaron Boyd and Bryan Station running back Terrell Combs.

Among the other top seniors-to-be who earned recognition last post-season: Somerset wide receiver John Cole, Trinity lineman Sam Robey, Pleasure Ridge Park lineman Brandon Newman, Bowling Green wide receiver D.L. Moore and Marshall County running back Alan Williams.

For a look at scout.com’s list of Kentucky’s top prospects for next season, click on: kyfootball

For a look at scout.com’s list of the nation’s top prospects for next season, click on: nationfootball

All-star basketball tryouts

Tryouts for the Kentucky All-Stars basketball teams will be held at Georgetown College Friday and Saturday, but the rosters won’t be announced until next Thursday in Bowling Green. Mr. Basketball Steffphon Pettigrew of Elizabethtown and Miss Basketball Rebecca Gray of Scott County are guaranteed spots on the teams. Ron Bevars of North Hardin is the boys’ coach. Randy Napier of Perry Central is the girls’ coach. Jeremy Anderson of Warren Central, Douglas Beaumont of Male and Tristan Jones of Clark County declined invitations to the tryouts for various reasons.

The Kentucky-Indiana games are June 16 in Bowling Green and June 23 in Indianapolis.

BOYS’ INVITEES

• Davin Anderson, Doss
• Rashad Basey, Jeffersontown
• Twany Beckham, Ballard
• Kane Belcher, Pendleton Co.
• Riley Benock, Meade Co.
• Kerry Benson, PRP
• Nick Britt, Warren Central
• Jeff Brooks, Doss
• Jamie Case, Belfry
• Sean Clark, Greenwood
• Josh Clemons, Ohio Co.
• Thomas Coleman, Jeffersontown
• Matthew Daniel, Rowan Co.
• Zack Fain, West Jessamine
• Matt Fraliex, Caldwell Co.
• Luc Graves, Allen Co.-Scottsville
• Johonne Hamilton, Ballard
• Jordan Hammonds, South Laurel
• Mike Hester, Simon Kenton
• Justin Hicks, Hazard
• Austin Hill, Holmes
• Josh Hurd, Simon Kenton
• Tanner Jacobs, Trinity
• Jaron Jones, Bryan Station
• Preston Knowles, Clark Co.
• Jamie McCarty, Johnson Central
• Jeffrey McClain, Fulton Co.
• Andre Miller, Central Hardin
• Spencer Perrin, Boyle Co.
• Steffphon Pettigrew, Elizabethtown
• Ty Proffitt, South Laurel
• Greg Rice, Holmes
• Shawn Savage, Bowling Green
• Reggie Smith, Fairdale
• C.J. Trotter, Christian Co.
• Robert Troutman, Bullitt East
• Justin Vitatoe, Clinton Co.
• Terry Walker, Fort Knox
• Matt Walls, Scott Co.
• Ryan Whitaker, Bell Co.

GIRLS’ INVITEES

• Whitney Ballinger, Carroll Co
• Whitley Briggs, Fairdale
• Hope Brown, North Hardin
• Elizabeth Campbell, Sacred Heart
• Kendra Carroll, Paintsville
• Cati Cowan, Somerset
• Courtney Danis, Montgomery Co.
• Nicole Dickman, Notre Dame
• Jessica Doran, Graves Co.
• Lateidra Elliott, Ballard
• Chloe Elam, Russellville
• Jessica Fortman, Russell
• Thia Gholson, Assumption
• Rebecca Gray, Scott County
• Melly Heaton, Caldwell Co.
• Clarissa Houston, Union Co.
• Ashley Howard, Magoffin Co.
• Paige Jackson, Clay Co.
• Eileen Kennedy, Assumption
• Shannon Klei, Newport Catholic
• Amy Kurtz, Nelson Co.
• Emily London, Lexington Christian
• Kristen Madden, Perry Central
• Brittany Manns, Magoffin Co.
• Stephanie McCullah, Whitley Co.
• Wendi Messer, Knox Central
• Amber Morrison, Shelby Co.
• Whitney Odom, Apollo
• Chinwe Okoro, Russell
• Ashley Prince, Owensboro
• Emily Queen, Rose Hill
• Haley Ratliff, Pike Central
• Whitney Seals, Raceland
• Keyla Snowden, Lexington Catholic
• Bethany Spillman, Barren Co.
• Amy Swisher, Franklin-Simpson
• Laura Terry, Rose Hill
• TJ Thomas, Barren Co.
• Lindsay Waters, McCreary Central

Hoops stars Mackey, Miller to get full exposure

Bud Mackey of Scott County and Darius Miller of Mason County (shown at right going against each other this past season) are projected to be the front-runners in the race for Mr. Basketball next season. Rick Bolus’ High Potential Recruiting Service rates Mackey and Miller 1-2 in his “Kentucky Top Rising Prospects for 2007-08.” In the coaches’ voting for the Herald-Leader all-state team, Miller edged Mackey as the top junior. Mackey has commited to Indiana. Miller is undecided on a college.

Both players will get full exposure next season, including a showdown between each other in Maysvill the second week of January. That’s only one of several high-profile games they’ll play. Scott County Coach Billy Hicks and Mason County Coach Chris O’Hearn will test their teams against some of the best competition in the nation.

Reigning state champ Scott County will open the 2007-08 season at state runner-up Ballard, then go to the Marshall County HoopFest where it may be matched against Chicago Simeon. The Cardinals will play in the City of Palms tournament in Fort Myers, Fla., the week before Christmas, and the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the week after. A trip to Springfield, Mass., for a Basketball Hall of Fame game against St. Anthony (N.J.) is scheduled for Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Back home Scott County’s opponents will include 11th Region rivals Bryan Station, Henry Clay, Lafayette, Lexington Catholic and Madison Central.

Hicks, now the winningest active boys’ coach in Kentucky with 684 wins, said somebody told him he’s a lock to reach 700 next year. “When I heard that I said, ‘Have you seen our schedule?’ We’ll be lucky to win 16 games next year.”

Mason County’s 2007-08 schedule includes a trip to Hawaii for a Nike-sponsored tournament the week before Christmas. “I’ve never been there before, and it’s one of the 15 things I wanted to do before I die,” O’Hearn said with a laugh. When Mason County returns from Pineapple Paradise, it’ll play in the Fifth Third Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic. “We might have a little jet lag,” O’Hearn said. The Royals will play host to Scott County and Mackey the second week of January. They’ll also entertain Bryan Station and Henry Clay, and are booked in the Nissan on Nicholasville Shootout at Lexington Catholic, and the Kentucky Prep Classic in Montgomery County.

Bolus rates a couple of Rose Hill Christian sophomores-to-be — 6-foot-8 Dakota Euton and 6-4 Chad Jackson — among his top 12 players for next season. Here’s his dandy dozen, with their school and the class they’ll be in next school year:

1. Bud Mackey, Scott County (Sr.)
2. Darius Miller, Mason County (Sr.)
3. Dakota Euton, Rose Hill (So.)
4. Scotty Hopson, University Heights (Sr.)
5. Chad Jackson, Rose Hill (So.)
6. Aaron Morris, Madison Central (Sr.)
7. Victor Moses, Henry Clay (Sr.)
8. Shelvin Mack, Bryan Station (Sr.)
9. Clark Stepp, June Buchanan (Sr.)
10. Darnell Moore, Madisonville (Sr.)
11. C.J. Penny, Anderson County (Jr.)
12. Tyler Brown, Apollo (Sr.)

Top Sleeper: Eric Mosley, Fern Creek (Jr.)

Bolus also ranks a second 12:

1. Darren Ballou, Adair County (Jr.)
2. Jacob Jenkins, Manual (Jr.)
3. Tate Cox, June Buchanan (So.)
4. Arrez Henderson, Holmes (Sr.)
5. Josh Crawford, Corbin (Jr.)
6. Taylor Stewart, Lex. Catholic (Sr.)
7. Matt Thomas, Ashland Blazer (Sr.)
8. Nathan Novosel, Lex. Catholic (Sr.)
9. Nick Gagel, Jeffersontown (Sr.)
10. Landon Slone, Paintsville (Sr.)
11. Adam Decker, PRP (Sr.)
12. Aaron Watts, McCreary Central (So.)

No slam-dunk conclusions from Derby hoops

The most encouraging aspect of the Derby Festival Basketball Classic Saturday night was that the halftime dunk contest was a disaster. Just awful. If there were 30 total attempts by the players, maybe 5 were executed as planned. The fans in Freedom Hall got a little testy with all the missed jams. A.J. Stewart won, virtually by default. So why was the miserable exhibition encouraging? Maybe it means high school stars are no longer spending an inordinate amount of time polishing their dunk techniques, and are concentrating instead on fundamentals. (Nah!)

It’s impossible to glean much reliable information from an all-star game like this. Sure, it’s obvious that a superstar such as Kansas State signee Michael Beasley (23 points, 16 rebounds) has a future in the NBA. But in 48 minutes of run-and-shoot, play-no-defense basketball that featured 223 field goal attempts, there’s no way to accurately judge how a player will fit in or fare on the college level.

That said, here’s a brief review of some of the players, including UK signees A.J. Stewart and Morakinyo “Mike” Williams, and comments from Derby Classic Coach Steve Wright of South Laurel.

A.J. Stewart (shown upper right holding up a UK emblem during introductions) seemed to enjoy himself more than anybody in the Derby Classic. He smiled his way through most of the night, including the dunk contest he won at halftime. Midway through the second half he slid on his chest out of bounds trying to save a ball, and stayed there for several seconds chatting with the cheerleaders before jumping up and rejoining the action. “Stewart really loves the game, and he’s got the personality to play at Kentucky,” Wright said. “I think he’ll endear himself to the fans. He may that big forward they’ve been missing.” Stewart didn’t show much in the way of perimeter skills Saturday night or when he played a couple games at Lexington Catholic in January.

Morakinyo “Mike” Williams (shown at right stretching before the game) looked a little slow afoot, but he’s got a big body (6-11, 260) and seems to have a hungry attitude. “His skill level is going to have to go up a little bit,” Wright said. “But he’s a great big strong kid. He had a good inside game (9 points, 7 rebounds). He’s unflashy, but he’s got a big upside to him.”

Steffphon Pettigrew won the three-point shooting contest in the Derby Classic, and was runner-up in the long-range shooting contest in the Kentucky-Ohio all-star game the weekend before. “I’m trying to prove to some college coaches I can shoot the three,” Pettigrew said. “I’ve been working on it every day.” Wright was impressed by Mr. Basketball. “He can play about anywhere,” Wright said. “He’s skilled enough.” UK Coach Billy Gillispie was scheduled to watch Pettigrew play pick-up hoops in Elizabethtown yesterday afternoon. Gillispie paid a similar visit to Maysville last week and watched Mason County junior Darius Miller work out.

DeAndre Jordan, the 7-foot Texas A&M recruit whom UK fans were trying to win over Saturday night, displayed strength and finesse around the basket, and played with a cockiness you’d expect from one of the nation’s top prospects. He’s got an odd-looking outside shot, though. It’s basically a line drive, but it seemed to work on free throws (he was 4-for-4).