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SMC 2018-19

Oct 16, 2013
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I know it is a little early. But already ready to start hearing for next season. Even though conference was down this year. They are still losing a lot of talent mintz, straughn, day, cotrell, thomas, clark, phillips, younce, parker etc. Although some of the guys are in a totally different category than others, they all meant a great deal to their respected teams. The makeup for the conference will look a lot different. There is a lot of young talent. I still forsee the top being similar. I think even with what cherokee lost they still have a few capable ball players that can compete for another title. The lossiah boys and santa maria were all crucial parts of this years team. Although hayesville lost cotrell they essentially return everyone else plus add 2 very talented 8th graders that I believe will see immediate playing time. Swain will return the best big man in the conference in bradley. They have enough other capable pieces to fit around him. Murphy lost a little bit. But dorsey, abling, nelson are 3 athletic guard that could help this team be a top tier team. Rosman has lost d thomas. But his brother hooper should pick up a lot of the slack. He has ability to be the best guard in the conference. Wont have a lot of talent around him, but will have a pretty good upcoming freshman point guard. Robbinsville will return orr and had a great jv team. Seems like they dont have a lot of great players but always find a way to compete and knock off teams higher than them. Andrews is the sleeper i believe. They will have arguably the best pg in the conference in ellis. Plus the holloway kid that plays guard has also got some game. The also return all 3 of their bigs. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the year they start to climb under maennle.

Girls side i believe murphy and cherokee remain ahead of the pack. With robbinsville, hayesville, and rosman making up a second tier. I think swain falls off a little with andrews being about the same.
 
Cherokee will still be dominate . To much coming back . Swain might have best big man but he plays at the 3 point line . Murphy will be better . Andrews should be much improved with the best player being a soph now. Rosman had Thomas boy who is very solid.
Girls should be Cherokee they return all but 2. And the 5 fresh will be older. Murphy still has a very good team and Robbinsville returns a ton
 
Cupboard far from bare in Cherokee, they are still favorite on the boys side. But I also think next year will have about the same playoff results on the SMC boys side. Hayesville and Andrews should also both be pretty good next year, then really good the next few years afterward.

In girls, same top 3, not sure what order but all 3 should be capable of doing damage in the playoffs.
 
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Rumors, rumors rumors, word on the street is 2 of Cherokee kids headed to Christ school. 2 of my Tigers headed to private schools. 1 to Christ and one to Carolina Day. Will have to wait and see if they go.
 
Andrews wont have the best pg that will be reserved for Hayesville, the two 8th graders that have coming up will step into starters roles from day one and the pg will be the best pg in the conference for the next 4 years. High expectations for young players yes but they will most likely both be first team all conference for 4 years
 
Rumors, rumors rumors, word on the street is 2 of Cherokee kids headed to Christ school. 2 of my Tigers headed to private schools. 1 to Christ and one to Carolina Day. Will have to wait and see if they go.
Who's the other kid supposedly transferring? I doubt the validity just seems like off season gossip just my opinion.
 
Mintz and point guard for Cherokee. Thomas and upcoming freshman whitmire for Tigers. I know for Tigers those 2 were looking hard.
 
Andrews wont have the best pg that will be reserved for Hayesville, the two 8th graders that have coming up will step into starters roles from day one and the pg will be the best pg in the conference for the next 4 years. High expectations for young players yes but they will most likely both be first team all conference for 4 years
Wow! I think I may shoot Roy and Coach K an email and give them a heads up.
 
Wow! I think I may shoot Roy and Coach K an email and give them a heads up.
That's hilarious. Like I said in another thread next year Hayesville better win 1A championship with the way they have talked those boys up.
 
Go ahead and let Roy and coach K considering they are probably already aware or at least there staff members are of the post player as he is already getting high major attention.
 
Go ahead and let Roy and coach K considering they are probably already aware or at least there staff members are of the post player as he is already getting high major attention.
Can these kids just not play without having to live up to the hype? Grown adults are putting targets on these kids before they even step on the court. If these kids are good then they'll show it.
 
Go ahead and let Roy and coach K considering they are probably already aware or at least there staff members are of the post player as he is already getting high major attention.
Do you hear what your saying. This just cracks me up.
 
Hayesville people do you get down off that mtn much. Hate to break it to you, but kids from the mtn get looks and offers but typically not from Duke or UNC. Kids like your talking about are good not taking anything away but they are a dime a dozen compared to what comes out of the bigger schools.
 
Go ahead and let Roy and coach K considering they are probably already aware or at least there staff members are of the post player as he is already getting high major attention.
I’d be willing to bet that you are the stat keeper. I’ve learned on here that stat keeper usually equals Daddy. U tha baby Daddy?
 
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Hayesville people do you get down off that mtn much. Hate to break it to you, but kids from the mtn get looks and offers but typically not from Duke or UNC. Kids like your talking about are good not taking anything away but they are a dime a dozen compared to what comes out of the bigger schools.

The mountains have put out more high major level college players than people give them credit for (from the older legends like Tommy Burleson and Brad Daugherty to more recently people like Jenis Grindstaff, Rashad McCants, Trent Strickland, Lee Scruggs, David Weaver, Christian Moody, Jackson Simmons). Not saying these kids are that level, but it's not totally unheard of. But when you are talking about 8th graders...kids stop growing, get hurt, discover girls/parties/etc and lose focus, move away, focus on a different sport, or otherwise don't pan out for myriad other reasons, so this hype is way premature.
 
The mountains have put out more high major level college players than people give them credit for (from the older legends like Tommy Burleson and Brad Daugherty to more recently people like Jenis Grindstaff, Rashad McCants, Trent Strickland, Lee Scruggs, David Weaver, Christian Moody, Jackson Simmons). Not saying these kids are that level, but it's not totally unheard of. But when you are talking about 8th graders...kids stop growing, get hurt, discover girls/parties/etc and lose focus, move away, focus on a different sport, or otherwise don't pan out for myriad other reasons, so this hype is way premature.
Are any of these guys from are division? And my point not a lot of kids from SMC will get looks from Duke or UNC. Doesn't mean we dont have talent. I'm just saying we are a dime a dozen in basketball.
 
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Burleson. And five of them are from 2A schools in the mountains. Of course it's true that unless a kid is from a basketball factory like Oak Hill/Christ School, or one of a very few public schools like Dudley or Kinston, they are probably a once in lifetime talent for that school if they are getting that kind of attention. The point I was getting is two-fold, I guess: 1) every name I mentioned probably heard "nobody from [Franklin/Smoky/East Henderson, etc] gets recruited by big-time schools," and that was a true statement until that one kid did. But because there is always that chance you never want to say never, especially when you're talking about deflating kids' dreams (plus maybe a better approach to point out it's possible but incredibly rare to light a fire); HOWEVER 2) it's almost impossible to predict that a kid will be that once in a blue moon talent when they're still in middle school, because there are 1001 ways for a promising middle school kid to go off course. As far as the Hayesville kid goes, could a 6-4 8th grader who already dunks and hits 3s in games turn into a big time college player? It's possible, if he keeps growing, keeps his nose clean, stays in the gym, and avoids injuries. But there's also many ways it doesn't pan out.
 
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I’d be willing to bet that you are the stat keeper. I’ve learned on here that stat keeper usually equals Daddy. U tha baby Daddy?
That is an odd comparison! Actually the Hayesville stat keeper is also a football coach and not the father of either one of the rising 8th graders. So there goes your theory!
 
not the stat keeper or a coach just a well informed individual who follows smc sports very closely. My opinion of Day from cherokee was that while not as skilled as Cottrell he had the athleticism to play at a high D1 level based purely on basketball. He seemed to have many off the court issues and then it all culminated with his injury. The two Hayesville kids will be very good, the pg if he can grow to be 6 foot he will end up at a smaller D1. The big kid is currently 6'5" and if he grows to be 6'8" or taller will end up at power 5 school with his athleticism and skill he possesses.
 
I should clarify when I say high D1 level, I mean in a power 5 conference school, not necessarily Duke or Carolina. He had the height and athleticism to play a role at some point at a school in the realm of wake forest, ole miss some of the not power schools but in the same conference still. Yet he would be borderline and with his off court behavior he wouldnt have a chance. I was referencing his pure basketball ceiling pre-injury.
 
No offense to Day, but I've never seen a basketball player in the SMC who could play at an ACC school, including Day.
 
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No offense to Day, but I've never seen a basketball player in the SMC who could play at an ACC school, including Day.

I can think of at least one female who starred in the ACC not too long ago (although time is relative, I guess). But as far as guys, do you mean play as in make the team or play as in get on the court? There have been plenty who were good enough to walk on, including at least one from Andrews who did at UNC.
 
I can think of at least one female who starred in the ACC not too long ago (although time is relative, I guess). But as far as guys, do you mean play as in make the team or play as in get on the court? There have been plenty who were good enough to walk on, including at least one from Andrews who did at UNC.
I would assume he is referring to scholarship male players as there have been multiple female scholarship ACC players.

I would think someone like Pickens would've been in the mix for an ACC scholarship (but not at the UNC/Duke level though) as a slightly undersized 2 guard for the time (6'3) had he solely focused on basketball.
 
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Agree about Pickens--I've heard stories of him putting on a show at the old Prep Stars camp. I also know that Mike Cottrell had ACC offers but chose WCU because he wanted to play for his dad. But in the last 30 years, in guys, he's absolutely right.
 
Both Cottrell boys could have played at a lower level acc school not sure about scholarship offers but definitely could have made the team and probably at some point contributed.
 
Both Cottrell boys could have played at a lower level acc school not sure about scholarship offers but definitely could have made the team and probably at some point contributed.
No way at all. Both are over their heads at small D1 schools. Please come down off the mountain and watch basketball every now and then. Geez.
 
Not from the mountains in fact my brother played D1 in another sport, and in his graduating class was the future big ten player of the year in basketball. I know good athletes, I never said either Cottrell would be scholarship guys, I said they could make the team and do not say they are over there heads especially when one hasn't even played a single yet.
 
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I don't believe so, but he was on the roster from 98 to 2000. Anybody who can get a mid-major D1 scholarship--as well as most guys who can get D2 or D3 playing time--has more than enough talent to walk on at a power school. Choosing walkons really more comes down to grades, character, and attitude.
 
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Both Cottrell boys could have played at a lower level acc school not sure about scholarship offers but definitely could have made the team and probably at some point contributed.

What "lower" level ACC school are you talking about?
 
I don't believe so, but he was on the roster from 98 to 2000. Anybody who can get a mid-major D1 scholarship--as well as most guys who can get D2 or D3 playing time--has more than enough talent to walk on at a power school. Choosing walkons really more comes down to grades, character, and attitude.
Thanks Observe I remember him walking on at State but didn't know how long he played and if he earned a scholarship.
 
Both Cottrell boys could have played at a lower level acc school not sure about scholarship offers but definitely could have made the team and probably at some point contributed.
I agree with these points. I wasn't the biggest Cottrell supporter but the guys could play. They had connections and skill, which is a good combo. I do not see why they couldn't try for out for an Major D-1 and possible make a roster. I agree that they might not get a scholarship offer but could be like a Jackson Simmons type and eventually earn one. And like you said it might not be a blue blood program like the Dukes or UNC, but you have programs like Wake Forest, VT or heck even Clemson. I just believe with the cost of college and other factors, a mid-major would offer more. No one wants to be in massive debt from going to school. If a mid-major offers more money or a free ride you have to weigh your options. I mean for the majority of college students, they are struggling financially to graduate. Now you take the same students, but now athletes and tell them any free time would be dedicated to practice and games. Add the possibility of playing meaningful minutes and the fact a bench warmer still does everything a starter does, then these factors become clearer. Just throwing out my thoughts.
 
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