Pelphrey, Higgs, LeMaster among Hall of Famers

Paintsville basketball legend John Pelphrey, and football stars Mark Higgs of Owensboro and Frank LeMaster of Bryan Station are among 12 people who will be inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame next spring. Bob Tripure, who coached Henry Clay to state titles in baseball and girls’ basketball, and Lexington Catholic to a Sweet Sixteen championship, is also among the honorees.

The newest Hall of Fame members will play in a golf outing on June 17 at the Marriott’s Griffin Gate Resort. Induction ceremonies will be April 25, 2009 at the Lexington Convention Center.

The Class of 2009:

Pat Doyle: Led North Marshall to the 1959 state basketball title, and was named Mr. Basketball that year.

Nate Dusing: A multiple state champion swimmer at Covington Catholic, and set a national record of 47.10 in the 100 butterfly that still stands today.

Betty Dwyer: Active as a player, coach, official and athletic director in Jefferson County, including volleyball and track coach at Angela Merici and Holy Cross.

Robin Harmon Newsome: Basketball star at Sheldon Clark, led the Lady Cardinals to four consecutive state tournaments and was the state’s top scorer (32 ppg) as a senior. Also coached at Sheldon Clark, and is now the school’s atheltic director.

Mark Higgs: All-State running back at Owensboro, rushed for a then-state record 6,721 yards and led the Red Devils to the Class 4A finals in 1983. Went on to play in the NFL.

Joe Kroh: Has coached St. Xavier to 17 state tennis titles, including three individual champs and 11 doubles champs. As an athlete at St. X, won the individual state cross country title in 1959, and was part of the Tigers’ state title teams in 1959 and ‘60.

Frank LeMaster: Star athelte in football, basketball and baseball at Bryan Station, and went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.

Marty O’Toole: State champion swimmer at St. Xavier, was part of four consecutive state title teams from 1954-57. As coach of the Tigers, he guided them to state swimming championship every year from 1989 to 2008.

John Pelphrey: A three-time all-state basketball player, led Paintsville to three consecutive state tournaments (1985-87) and was named Mr. Basketball. Had 2,477 points and 1,318 rebounds in his career. Played for UK, and now coaches Arkansas.

Jeff Perkins: Somerset’s all-time leading scorer in football, an all-stater and prep All-American in 1968. Now principal at Somerset.

Ken Shields: Played basketball and baseball at Covington Catholic, and went on to become northern Kentucky’s winningest boys’ basketball coach with a record of 460-257 while at St. Thomas and Highlands. His teams won five region titles at Highlands. Went on to coach at Northern Kentucky University.

Bob Tripure: Only coach in state history to win state basketball titles at two schools. He led Henry Clay’s girls to the Sweet Sixteen crown in 1991, and Lexington Catholic to the championship in 1999. Was an assistant at Henry Clay when it won the boys’ title in 1983. Also coached Henry Clay to 1983 state baseball title.

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1965

Butch Beard, who led Breckinridge County to the state basketball title, lets it be known through a family attorney that he would be interested in going to UK, but he has already signed a conference letter of intent with Louisville. A few days later, the Beard family says it won’t try to void the agreement, and Beard is bound for U of L . . . Eddie Sellier, a Lafayette assistant football coach, is named head coach of the Generals . . . Kaye Beard, a 14-year-old freshman at Campbellsville, wins the first girls’ state golf tournament sanctioned by the KHSAA. She shoots 78-83 at Shawnee Golf Course in Louisville . . . Bennie Smith of Owensboro wins the boys’ title at Seneca. George Moore of Berea is second. George Cadle of Middlesboro and Paul Schultz of St. Xavier tie for third . . . Tommy Wade of Lafayette wins the boys’ state tennis title . . . Madison Central, led by ace Jimmy Cain, has the most wins (27) going into the state baseball tournament that also includes Ashland, Bowling Green, Fern Creek, Hancock County, Heath, Highlands and Middlesboro.

1975

Sayre’s Bill Hoppe and Juan Masi win the state tennis doubles title in Louisville . . . On the day of the semifinals of the state baseball tournament, two of the participating players are taken in the major league draft. Elizabethtown shortstop Mark Bradley is a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tates Creek catcher Chuck Ross is a second-round pick (and the 29th choice overall) of the Milwaukee Brewers . . . Tates Creek is without its best hitter, Bo Fucci, who has missed the last half of the season with severe hepatitis . . . Tates Creek beats Grayson County 3-0 in its state tournament opener behind Billy Knight, who improves his pitching record to 10-0, and also delivers a bases-loaded triple. E-town ace Tim Brandenburg, a junior lefthander, beats Tates Creek 6-0 in the semifinals. He allows only two hits and strikes out 13. Two days later E-town beats Somerset 9-2 for the state title. Brandenburg pitches another complete game and has 13 more strikeouts.

1985

Susan Sloane, who just finished her eighth-grade year at Sayre, wins her third consecutive state tennis title. She is rated the No. 1 player in the nation in the 14-and-under age group. Sayre junior Rafer Leach wins the state boys’ title . . . Henry Clay’s Wendy Anderson and Courtney Jones take the girls’ state doubles title . . . Tates Creek football coach Roy Walton says he will coach the girls’ basketball team for one year in place of Brad Switzer, who will be suspended for a season for using an ineligible player. Walton coached the Lady Commodores to a region title in their first season (1975) . . . The Kentucky All-Stars boys’ basketball team, led by Tony Kimbro, Mike Scott, Barry Goheen and Derrick Wilson, is scheduled to meet a team of junior all-stars, including Rex Chapman, Frank Persley, Felton Spencer and Scott Draud. The exhibition game will be a fund-raiser to finance a trip to Europe for the junior stars . . . Owensboro Catholic beats Pleasure Ridge Park 7-2 to win the state baseball title.

Booing celebrity golf

Where in the world is Matt Lauer? In lots of bunkers, I hope.

Tony Romo, I pray you get blitzed by triple-bogeys.

Justin Timberlake, may you feel like singing “Cry Me a River” after a few four-putts.

I usually don’t root against golfers — the game itself dishes out enough cruelty — but this is different. I’m booing the decision to feature Lauer, Timberlake and Romo in Golf Digest’s U.S. Open Challenge at Torrey Pines in a few weeks.

During last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Tiger Woods said that a 10-handicapper couldn’t break 100 under such demanding conditions. NBC, the United States Golf Association, and Golf Digest took Tiger’s quip and ran with it. They announced a contest to select a few Regular Joes who would test this year’s U.S. Open course, Torrey Pines, at its toughest 7,600 yards. NBC will film every shot, and have its analysts, including the acerbic Johnny Miller, critique the golfers. NBC will present it as a one-hour show the weekend of the U.S. Open.

I was under the impression that four regular guys would be chosen. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

John Atkinson, a 38-year-old eight-handicapper from Omaha, Neb. — was picked in voting conducted on-line by Golf Digest. The rest of the foursome was stacked with the aforementioned celebrities: the host of NBC’s Today Show (don’t you love synergy?), an NFL quarterback and a pop singer.

Why? Because NBC is looking to lure casual golf fans and boost its ratings. This will be more about giggling on the greens with millionaire celebrities than it giving weekend hackers a window to the world of U.S. Open golf.

Real golf fans would rather watch guys they can relate to, like Atkinson, not Lauer, Timberlake and Romo. I don’t watch Clint Eastwood or Ray Romano or Kenny G hack it around in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

I’ll probably watch the one-hour special. I’ll be rooting for Atkinson, feeling his pain as he flails away in the deep rough and four-putts a few of the glass-slick greens.

But I’ll be rooting against Lauer, Timberlake and Romo. I know, I know. There is no crying in baseball, and there is no booing in golf.

Except in this case.

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1961

Flaget wins the state track championship behind sophomore star Sonny Alexander, who wins the 100 and 220, and anchors the first-place 880-relay team. Campbellsville’s Mickey Brown wins both hurdle events and the high jump . . . Kentucky Military Institute sophomore Tom Parkhill shoots a pair of 76s to win the state golf title at Fort Knox. Ron Acree leads Waggener to the team title . . . Anderson County’s football program announces it has purchased a new $1,500 electronically operated scoreboard . . . Lafayette’s Sonny Hutchinson, who threw a no-hitter against Shelby County earlier in the regional baseball tournament, combines with teammate Tommy Hatfield to no-hit Liberty in the region finals. Loran Wagoner and George Cheatham hit homers for the Generals . . . Georgetown High baseball star Dickie Rawdon is regarded as one of the top catchers in the state.

1973

UK signs high school basketball recruits Larry Johnson of Union County, Merion Haskins of Taylor County, and Gary Utz of North Harrison (Ind.) . . . Lafayette’s Myra VanHoose wins her fourth consecutive state golf title, and the Lady Generals take the team title. Lafayette’s Terry Mayes is runner-up to VanHoose, and another teammate, Becky Henley, ties for third . . . Phil Gray, who quarterbacked Tates Creek to the Class 2A football title in the fall, signs with Kansas State Teachers College . . . Tates Creek wins the 2A state track title. David Sawyer leads the way by winning both hurdle events, and is on the victorious 880-relay. The Commodores’ Gary Moore wins the 220, and Stanley Mitchell takes the 100. Moore and Mitchell are also on the 880 relay.

1986

John Hampton of Harrison County, Freddie Maggard of Cumberland and Chris Swartz of Bath County are featured as three of the state’s top athletes. All of them stars in football, basketball and baseball . . . Montgomery County’s Ben Lane wins the regional golf title at Woodford Hills, beating Frankfort’s Swain Beard in a playoff after both card 71s . . . Twins Chris and Trina Schimmoeller lead Woodford County’s girls to the sectional title. Chris wins both hurdle events and the long jump; Trina takes the high jump, is on the winning 1,600 relay, and and is second in the 400 . . . Tates Creek beats Bryan Station 12-10 in the region baseball finals. The Commodores win on Brantley Adams’ grand slam (the ball bounces off the glove of a Bryan Station outfielder and over the fence). “In 21 years of coaching, I’ve never seen an assisted grand slam,” Tates Creek Coach Ron Cole says . . . Montgomery County is looking for new coaches in football and boys’ basketball after Pat Dale and Julian Cunningham step down, respectively.

A father’s view of basketball recruiting pressures

When Nathan Popp was a 6-foot-6 sixth-grader in Shelbyville, he got a letter from the University of San Francisco telling him about its basketball program.

When Popp was a 7-foot eighth-grader, UK fans recognized him when he attended games at Rupp Arena.

When Popp was a freshman at Shelby County, he was Rick Pitino’s guest at UK’s Midnight Madness in 1991.

Mike Popp, Nathan’s dad, has been reflecting on those dizzying times lately while reading and hearing about the hot-topic issue of UK Coach Billy Gillispie getting commitments from eighth-graders and freshmen.

“It’s just getting crazy,” Mike Popp said. “How can an eighth-grader or freshman, I don’t care how mentally tough he is, live up to all the expectations and handle all that pressure? He’s already branded. Every night he goes out for the next few years, he’s gotta get 20 or 25 points or people are going to ask what the hell’s wrong with him.”

Mike Popp has regrets about how he handled his own son’s journey through the recruiting process when he was a high-profile prospect at a young age.

“Looking back, the one thing I’d do different, I’d try to keep him away from everybody. Not smother him, but keep him away from the media and not let him get over-exposed. I think all that overwhelmed him and unnerved him.

“My thinking was to go ahead and get him accustomed to all the attention, so when he was a junior and senior (in high school), he’d be used to it. But it backfired. He became more introverted. He was in a tough situation on and off the court. When you’re 7-foot, you can’t hide. He just really wanted to be one of the crowd, but there was no way.”

Mike Popp remembers early in Nathan’s high school career when the two of them stopped by Pitino’s office at UK. “Rick told me, ‘Do your best to keep everybody away from him.’ But his advice went in one ear and out the other. I thought my system was better. But I was wrong. It was stupid of me to put him through it like that.”

Nathan transferred from Shelby County to Lexington Catholic for his last two years of high school. He never developed into the big-time college prospect he was projected to be. He wound up going to North Carolina-Greensboro, then transferred to Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. His dad said Nathan is now a substitute teacher in Shelby County, and working for his Masters in special education.

College basketball recruiting was an animal to be dealt with in the 1990s, but it has since devolved into an untamed monster. And Mike Popp can’t understand why parents want to expose their kids to the dangers before they have to.

“Gosh dang, there’s talent out there with (high school) juniors and seniors,” he said. “I don’t know what the rush is. Let’s let kids be kids first. The first time one of these young players goes out and doesn’t dazzle somebody, everybody’s going to be negative. It’s just crazy. What it comes down to is that all of the kids really become just a piece of meat.”

Football alignment gets tweaked

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Board of Control this week approved a draft alignment for football that would make a few changes for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Bryan Station, currently in Class 5A, would move up to 6A because of increased enrollment. The Defenders would be in a District 8 with Clark County, Madison Central and Scott County. Lexington’s other 6A schools — Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Dunbar and Tates Creek — would make up District 7.

Other notable changes:

• Bullitt Central would move from 6A to 5A, joining a district that has Doss, Iroquois, John Hardin and Waggener.
• Shelby County would stay in 6A but move from District 8 to District 4 that has Fern Creek, Male and Southern.
• Harlan County (a new school) that will play in 3A this fall, will move to 5A after that. It will be in a district with Clay County, Letcher Central, North Laurel, Perry Central and Whitley County.

Here’s the complete draft alignment that will be sent to member schools for feedback:

CLASS A

• District 1: Ballard Memorial, Crittenden Co., Fulton City, Fulton Co., Mayfield
• District 2: Beth Haven, Bethlehem, Caverna, Lou. Holy Cross, Ky. Country Day
• District 3: Beechwood, Bellevue, Bishop Brossart, Dayton, Ludlow, Walton-Verona
• District 4: Bracken Co., Eminence, Frankfort, Gallatin Co., Trimble Co.
• District 5: Berea, Fairview, Lexington Christian, Nicholas Co., Paris, Raceland
• District 6: Campbellsville, Clinton Co., Lynn Camp, Williamsburg
• District 7: Harlan, Hazard, Jenkins, Pineville
• District 8: Allen Central, Betsy Layne, Paintsville, Phelps, Pikeville, South Floyd

CLASS 2A

• District 1: Caldwell Co., Heath, Murray, Reidland, Trigg Co.
• District 2: Fort Campbell, Hancock Co., Owensboro Catholic, Todd Central
• District 3: Glasgow, Green Co., Metcalfe Co., Monroe Co.
• District 4: Bardstown, Danville, Fort Knox, Washington Co.
• District 5: Carroll Co., Christian Academy of Louisville, DeSales, Owen Co.
• District 6: Cov. Holy Cross, Lloyd, Newport, Newport Central Catholic
• District 7: Bath Co., Morgan Co., Prestonsburg, Shelby Valley
• District 8: Corbin, Knott Central, Leslie Co., Middlesboro

CLASS 3A

• District 1: McLean Co., Muhlenberg South, Paducah Tilghman, Union Co., Webster Co.
• District 2: Adair Co., Butler Co., Edmonson Co., Hart Co., Russellville
• District 3: Central, Elizabethtown, Moore, Shawnee
• District 4: Henry Co., North Oldham, Spencer Co., Western Hills
• District 5: Casey Co., Garrard Co., Jackson Co., Somerset, Taylor Co., Wayne Co.
• District 6: Breathitt Co., Estill Co., Magoffin Co., Powell Co.
• District 7: East Carter, Fleming Co., Lewis Co., Mason Co., Russell, West Carter
• District 8: Belfry, East Ridge, Pike Central, Sheldon Clark

CLASS 4A

• District 1: Calloway Co., Hopkins Central, Lone Oak, Muhlenberg North
• District 2: Allen Co.-Scottsville, Franklin-Simpson, Logan Co., Russel Co., Warren East
• District 3: Atherton, Breckinridge Co., Fairdale, Valley, Western
• District 4: Bullitt East, LaRue Co., Marion Co., North Bullitt
• District 5: Bourbon Co., Franklin Co., Harrison Co., Pendleton Co.
• District 6: Boyle Co., East Jessamine, Lexington Catholic, West Jessamine
• District 7: Bell Co., Knox Central, Madison Southern, McCreary Central, Rockcastle Co.
• District 8: Boyd Co., Greenup Co., Lawrence Co., Rowan Co.

CLASS 5A

• District 1: Christian Co., Hopkinsville, Ohio Co., Owensboro
• District 2: Barren Co., Bowling Green, Grayson Co., Warren Central
• District 3: Bullitt Central, Doss, Iroquois, John Hardin, Waggener
• District 4: Anderson Co., Grant Co., Jeffersontown, Oldham Co., South Oldham
• District 5: Cooper, Covington Catholic, Dixie Heights, Highlands, Holmes, Scott
• District 6: Ashland Blazer, Johnson Central, Montgomery Co., Woodford Co.
• District 7: Lincoln Co., Mercer Co., Pulaski Co., South Laurel, Southwestern
• District 8: Clay Co., Harlan Co., Letcher Central, North Laurel, Perry Central, Whitley Co.

CLASS 6A

• District 1: Apollo, Daviess Co., Graves Co., Henderson Co., Madisonville, Marshall Co.
• District 2: Central Hardin, Greenwood, Meade Co., Nelson Co., North Hardin
• District 3: Butler, Manual, Pleasure Ridge Park, St. Xavier
• District 4: Fern Creek, Male, Shelby Co., Southern
• District 5: Ballard, Eastern, Seneca, Trinity
• District 6: Boone Co., Campbell Co., Conner, Ryle, Simon Kenton
• District 7: Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Dunbar, Tates Creek
• District 8: Bryan Station, Clark Co., Madison Central, Scott Co.

This week in Kentucky high school sports history

1964

Westley Unseld, who led Seneca to the state title and was named Mr. Basketball, says he will enroll at the University of Louisville. Unseld’s mother says her family has “the greatest respect for the University of Kentucky, and we appreciate everything the people around Lexington have done” But, she adds, the main reason her son didn’t come to UK was because he didn’t want to be the first black to play in the Southeastern Conference . . . Bryan Station’s baseball team improves its record to 26-2 with a win over Camargo. Brothers Denny and Randy Cox both hit homers for the Defenders . . . Ed Luxon of Model shoots a 71 to win region medalist honors at Juniper Hills. Terry Hulette and Bill Pulliam each card a 72 to lead Frankfort to the team title . . . Lafayette wins the state track title as Bob White sets state record s in the 120 and 180 hurdles. Lafayette Coach Buck Dawson says he is leaving the Generals to take a coaching job at Boyd County. Jack Flandreau of Paris sets a state record in the pole vault (13-feet, 9-inches) .

1974

Jeff Fitch of Woodford County, who won three state wrestling titles in a row and won his last 114 matches, is one of 50 high school wrestlers in the nation named to the National Interscholastic Wrestling Honor Roll . . . After Owensboro basketball star Kenny Higgs signs with LSU, he says, “I wanted to go to the University of Kentucky, but they wouldn’t sign me, so I’m going to LSU where I can play against Kentucky” . . . Petersburg, Va., high school star Moses Malone says UK is still among the colleges he’s considering . . . Lafayette’s Robert Jones, Charles Johnson, Mike Barna and Ralph Johnson set state record in the 880 relay in the state track meet. Tates Creek’s Stanley Mitchell, Bob Brautigame, Steve Wilson and Mike Phillips set a state mark in the mile relay . . . Boyle County heads into the regional baseball tournament led by Paul Orberson, who has a 7-1 pitching record and is hitting .450 and has 31 stolen bases.

1984

After Lafayette’s Mike Quammen shoots a 76 in the first round of the state golf tournament at Fort Knox and is in second place, he says, “I’m here to win it, and I’m confident I will win it.” Sure enough, Quammen shoots another 76 and wins the individual title. Steve Flesch ties for second and leads Covington Catholic to the team title . . . Lori Oldendick of Boone County wins the girls’ title at Elizabethtown Country Club . . . Lafayette’s Melissa Coleman wins the 100, 200 and 400 sprints, and runs a leg on the winning 1,600 relay to lead the Lady Generals to the region track title . . . Harrison County wins the sectional baseball title with a 2-0 win over Campbell County. Keith Tolson, a junior lefthander, pitches a four-hitter for the Thorobreds, who earn a spot in the state final four in Paintsville.

Tates Creek hires Breeden as boys’ basketball coach

Wayne Breeden, who has a knack for leading teams to the Sweet Sixteen, is the new boys’ basketball coach at Tates Creek.

Breeden has coached at Owensboro the last two years, and taken the Red Devils to the state tournament both years. In his other high school coaching job, he took Ashland Blazer to the Sweet Sixteen twice, in 1993 and ‘96. The Tomcats were state runners-up to Paintsville in ‘96.

“Why would Wayne Breeden want to come to Tates Creek?” he asked after being introduced as the Commodores’ coach at a Tuesday press conference. “Because we can be the best. We’re going to produce winners on the court and off the court. We want to compete with the best, and we want to go back to Rupp Arena not only as a spectator. We want to go back there as a participant.”

Tates Creek has been to the state tournament only one time in the 42-year history of the school. The Commodores were state runners-up to Fairdale in 1991.

Breeden said he and his family (wife Patti and daughter Jillian) consider Central Kentucky “home.” Breeden has ties to Tates Creek. He did his student teaching at Tates Creek Junior High more than 20 years ago.

Breeden worked on the college level as a graduate assistant under Kentucky coaches Joe Hall and Eddie Sutton, as an assistant at George Mason under Rick Barnes, as an assistant at EKU under Mike Pollio, as a head coach at Lindsey Wilson, and as an assistant at Morehead State under Kyle Macy.

In seven years as a high school head coach he has an overall record of 170-60.

Breeden, a native of Mount Washington in Bullitt County, will succeed Eric Williams at Tates Creek. Williams was a Commodores’ assistant before moving up to replace Joe Pat Covington, who left for an administrative job at Scott County last summer.

The O.J. Mayo mess: spread the blame

If you were surprised by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” report alleging that O.J. Mayo received money, clothes and other gifts when he was playing high school and college basketball, you live a sheltered life as a sports fan.

We all saw this coming.

We all, in a way, are partly to blame.

The O.J. Traveling Circus first pitched its tent in Kentucky when Mayo was a seventh-grader playing for Rose Hill Christian in Ashland.

The first time I saw him play, in January of 2002, Mayo nailed a last-second three-pointer to give Rose Hill a win over Ashland Blazer on a Sunday afternoon before 4,500 fans in Boyd County Middle School.

Afterward, Mayo signed autographs for more than a few adults who didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed about seeking the signature of a 14-year-old hoops star. (I was relieved when his dad wouldn’t allow O.J. to be interviewed. It didn’t feel right to be asking a seventh-grader about his cross-over dribble.)

Over the next few years, as O.J. hopscotched from school to school — from Rose Hill to Cincinnati North College Hill to Huntington, W.Va. — he became a national sensation, and he had an entourage to prove it. It was fun watching him work his magic on the court, but it was disturbing to watch his “handlers” circle around him like vultures off the court.

While he led Rose Hill to the Sweet Sixteen, North College Hill to two state titles, and Huntington to another state championship, O.J. was always a bigger story than his team. For the most part, he handled all the attention like a pro (which, to some extent, he may have been if this ESPN report is true). He was polite to interviewers and mostly complimentary to his opponents.

I can only imagine how Mayo lost touch with reality when he enrolled at Southern Cal and was part of the glitzy celebrity scene in Los Angeles.

It seemed inevitable that the seamy side of his stardom would eventually come to light. That’s the way it works in our culture.

So now we play the blame game.

O.J. is no innocent. He’s a smart guy. If he accepted money, clothes and other stuff, he knew it was wrong.

But it’s the adults who are most culpable. The agents who schemed to get their hooks in him when he was a kid, hoping for a milllion-dollar payoff. The schools that turned a blind eye to what was going on while their athletic departments raked in the cash from SRO crowds and TV rights. The fans who idolized him and gave him a feeling of entitlement.

The media were at fault, too.

We fed the hype machine, and thus helped create the O.J. persona. We helped turn a prodigy into a professional long before he had the maturity to handle what was thrown at him.

It’s a sorry mess, and a lot of people have a reason to say they’re sorry.

Odds against playing college and pro ball

Attention all you parents who think your little Johnny or Jenny is going to grow up to play NCAA or professional sports: Make sure your kids are hitting the books more often than they’re hitting a curveball. Make sure they’re focusing on their GPA more than their PPG.

I came across some interesting numbers in a recent issue of STACK magazine, which is targeted at high school athletes:

BASEBALL

134,477 – number of high school seniors playing baseball

8,219 — number of NCAA freshman positions in baseball

600 – number of NCAA athletes drafted into pro baseball

9.4% – percentage of NCAA athletes who transition into pro baseball

.45% – percentage of high school athletes who eventually transition to pro baseball

BASKETBALL

156,096 – number of high school seniors playing boys’ high school basketball

4,735 — number of NCAA freshman positions in men’s basketball

3% – percentage of athletes who transition from high school to NCAA basketball

44 — number of NCAA athletes who transition into pro basketball

.03% — percentage of high school athletes who eventually make it to pro basketball

FOOTBALL

306,227 — number of high school seniors playing football

17,501 — number of NCAA freshman positions in football

3% – percentage of athletes who transition from high school to NCAA footbal

250 — number of NCAA athletes drafted into pro football

.08% — percentage of high school athletes who eventually transition to pro football