Rick Riley Artcle on ESPN.com

[BBall_Junkie]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I will take you word for it, but it just makes me wonder. And I really do not put much stock in media rankings when many of these teams do not play other big time teams across the country. That is about as valuable as a preseason poll on college football. It is mostly based on reputation and not what you really accomplished.

Peace

somewhat true... but they have travelled around the states and played in at least two and I think three tournaments around the country this year with many premier schools as invitees and destroyed all of them... You have never seen a group of players on one team with the quicks and hops that they have up and down their line up. I have seen teams that have 2 or three players on their HS team with that kinda of talent but not 8 or 9 like Yates has... Houston bball is stout.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BBall_Junkie

somewhat true... but they have travelled around the states and played in at least two and I think three tournaments around the country this year with many premier schools as invitees and destroyed all of them... You have never seen a group of players on one team with the quicks and hops that they have up and down their line up. I have seen teams that have 2 or three players on their HS team with that kinda of talent but not 8 or 9 like Yates has... Houston bball is stout.

I understand they play some good talent and they travel, but they do not play a lot of the top players all the time. That would be nearly impossible unless states just threw out their standards and allowed teams to play as much as they can. I am just saying this because even our top teams only play so much outside of the area. And many like Derrick Rose is now a big time NBA player and All-Star and they were not highly ranked nationally as a team. And they beat Oak Hill in a game in Chicago. Just saying rankings are great, but that does not mean they could not be beat. And I think the truth is where these kids go for college (or pro) and what impact they have. That is a better barometer if you ask me about the quality of talent they play. And one of the reasons I say this is also I see some really good players that are not even that big time go to college and become very special players like at the college ranks and you hardly heard of them. Let alone the others that are making a big impact like Sheron Collins of Kansas and Jon Scheyer of Duke. I do not know that they would blow teams out around here consistently by scoring 100 points. Maybe I am wrong, but just a guess.

Peace

[BBall_Junkie]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I understand they play some good talent and they travel, but they do not play a lot of the top players all the time. That would be nearly impossible unless states just threw out their standards and allowed teams to play as much as they can. I am just saying this because even our top teams only play so much outside of the area. And many like Derrick Rose is now a big time NBA player and All-Star and they were not highly ranked nationally as a team. And they beat Oak Hill in a game in Chicago. Just saying rankings are great, but that does not mean they could not be beat. And I think the truth is where these kids go for college (or pro) and what impact they have. That is a better barometer if you ask me about the quality of talent they play. And one of the reasons I say this is also I see some really good players that are not even that big time go to college and become very special players like at the college ranks and you hardly heard of them. Let alone the others that are making a big impact like Sheron Collins of Kansas and Jon Scheyer of Duke. I do not know that they would blow teams out around here consistently by scoring 100 points. Maybe I am wrong, but just a guess.

Peace

Agree with most of what you said. However Houston can name many big time D1 players and some NBA talent as well. And I am not so sure they wouldn't consistently hang a 100 on teams in your area either... I maybe wrong as well but there is no way to tell. My whole point was to say that your suspicion of the quality of basketball in the area based on this anomaly is poor is unfounded (really bad sentence structure but it is late and I don't have the energy to fix it)

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BBall_Junkie

Agree with most of what you said. However Houston can name many big time D1 players and some NBA talent as well. And I am not so sure they wouldn't consistently hang a 100 on teams in your area either... I maybe wrong as well but there is no way to tell. My whole point was to say that your suspicion of the quality of basketball in the area based on this anomaly is poor is unfounded (really bad sentence structure but it is late and I don't have the energy to fix it)

I know Houston has good basketball. But they are putting a 100 consistently on many teams. Or blowing them out by over 100 points. It just makes me wonder that is all. It does not mean much of anything, I just find it odd.

Peace

[Raymond]

I worked a game last year between the top AAU team from the Houston area and the top AAU team from Chicagoland. Single most athletic game I ever officiated. Most "posterized" dunks I ever had in a game. Houston had a kid who missed a couple of dunks because he was jumping too high.

[Amesman]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I worked a game last year between the top AAU team from the Houston area and the top AAU team from Chicagoland. Single most athletic game I ever officiated. Most "posterized" dunks I ever had in a game. Houston had a kid who missed a couple of dunks because he was jumping too high.

one of those games where defense was "but a rumor," eh?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Amesman

one of those games where defense was "but a rumor," eh?

Not the greatest defense, but they weren't playing matador defense. The offensive talent was just outstanding.