SOC I 2010-11

[Lightle04]

Eastern is very,very deep this year and lots of athaletic bigs trust me they are the team to beat this year !

[Livin LRG]

I saw clay play this summer and to be completely honest i dont think they stand a chance, i understand they were missing some ppl but they looked so unorganized like they've never seen a basketball b4. Im still saying eastern is going under the radar right and ppl wont even see it comin, but notre dame might give them a challenge but eastern will be able to do it.

how can you expect a varsity team to function if all they have is 1 or 2 ''actual'' varsity players all summer and the rest are jv and freshmen players??
im not taking anything away from Eastern, they are very talented and beat Clay everytime they played over the summer, im just sayin when the rest of the clay squad gets together and they play it will be a completely different game

[Lightle04]

And u make a great point it's hard to make an accurate guess when not all the teams players are not there but that's the case with all the teams includeing eastern and they still beat everyone pretty much this summer and they were short players as well

[Eaglesnest]

Eastern is very,very deep this year and lots of athaletic bigs trust me they are the team to beat this year !

Lightle04

I was told that the paint would by far be the weakest area for the Eagles this upcoming season as they only had 1 or 2 kids over 6 foot tall? Granted, I did not catch any summer ball to see if someone had grew???? With the loss of Wheeler and Montgomery and McVey to graduation, who are all of these athletic bigs?

Did Eastern finally hit the foreign exchange student jackpot...lol? the transfer jackpot......lol

Anyhow, after reading the posts on here and with what other schools have returning, this is my pre-season picks....

1. Clay
2. Green
3. Eastern
4. Symmes Valley
5. NotreDame
6. Western
7. New Boston
8. East

I think Eastern has some upcoming talent. But, it is rare for soph's to dominate the varsity ranks and the Eagles will have to have 2-3 sophs and several juniors with no varsity experience play VERY WELL for them to win the league. Clay and Green are big and have nearly all of their teams back from a year ago. Clay and Green should have a big advantage in the SOC1 in the paint this year as both have multiple players in the 6-5 range.
Good luck Eagles (and Indians except against the Eagles). Go prove me wrong and go back to back!

[Lightle04]

Picket 6'2,cisco 6'3, watkins 6'3, lykins6'2 and the first 3 run and jump like deers with lykins being big and strong a bruser in the poast that's 4 good sized and very , very capable players no one in our league that I have seen this summer and I saw Clay, Notre dame, New Boston has the depth or athletes to run with them ! But that's just my oppinion.

[Lightle04]

1. Eastern 2. Notre Dame 3. Green 4.western 5. Clay 6. Syms 7. New Boston 8. East

[Eaglesnest]

Picket 6'2,cisco 6'3, watkins 6'3, lykins6'2 and the first 3 run and jump like deers with lykins being big and strong a bruser in the poast that's 4 good sized and very , very capable players no one in our league that I have seen this summer and I saw Clay, Notre dame, New Boston has the depth or athletes to run with them ! But that's just my oppinion.

Eastern's boys must have grown or someone is dreaming....lol

Pickett was maybe 6 foot last year (although all of Beaver has been hoping he would shoot up and bulk up)

Cisco was maybe 5-11 last year (although he is a good rebounder for his size)

Lykins was may be a little over 6 foot (but i agree with you he has much potential due to his body)

I myself have seen Watkins over the summer and there is no way he is any taller than 6foot or 6-1 at best (he has always played more of a 2 guard).

I do agree the eagles depth should be an advantage. But, compared to the size of Clay and Green, I don't think (but hope I'm wrong) the Eagles will have the advantage inside. Time will tell and I am pulling for the eagles to have another great season.

[halftime]

My early season prediction is going to be:

1. Clay
2. Green
3. Eastern
4. Notre Dame
5. Symmes Valley
6. New Boston
7. East
8. Western

That's just from what people have said on here and from what I have seen. I'm sure it will change before season starts.

[Big Pete]

Those of you picking Green's big men to do something this year are wrong,because they are not playing this year ! SO SAD!!!!.

[rockyraccoon]

Those of you picking Green's big men to do something this year are wrong,because they are not playing this year ! SO SAD!!!!.

What happened?

[The Player]

why is everyone on here acting like how big a post player matters i mean it helps but only a little. I personally think that it depends on the skill level and hustle that is put out by a player that shows how a big man plays. a 6 footer can gurad a 6-5 with problem if they actually try.

[arrowman]

I agree with "the player" post play is not a height specific position. It is a footwork position. Those that master the art of the seal, pivot, and finish can creatively score in the paint. However, with a significant height advantage a player can still be effective without proper footwork. (eventually they match up against a like sized defender and are rendered ineffective) Defensively a smaller defender can employ many tricks to keep the bigger post from receiving the ball in a scoring position. Most of these techniques involve false pressure, quick feet, and a desire to stop the offense from feeding the post close to the rim where height plays an even larger role.
Ohio scoring legend Geno Ford, like his father Gene) was a master at getting big (wide not tall) in the post and was able to finish creatively enough that the 12" difference, he gave up to most defenders was neutralized.

[Lightle04]

That's what I'm saying Easterns bigs are going to be a real match up problem for the rear of the league to big for smaller teams and to fast for bigger teams and enough of them to contest shots and not worry about foul trouble

[Eaglesnest]

That's what I'm saying Easterns bigs are going to be a real match up problem for the rear of the league to big for smaller teams and to fast for bigger teams and enough of them to contest shots and not worry about foul trouble

Lightle04,

I think you are right that Eastern's post guys will have a speed advantage over the teams with genuine 'bigs." But, I still say all things being equal a 6-5 post will be more productive than one that is 6-0 in the paint.

[BK937]

Picket 6'2,cisco 6'3, watkins 6'3, lykins6'2 and the first 3 run and jump like deers with lykins being big and strong a bruser in the poast that's 4 good sized and very , very capable players no one in our league that I have seen this summer and I saw Clay, Notre dame, New Boston has the depth or athletes to run with them ! But that's just my oppinion.

Eastern's boys must have grown or someone is dreaming....lol

Pickett was maybe 6 foot last year (although all of Beaver has been hoping he would shoot up and bulk up)

Cisco was maybe 5-11 last year (although he is a good rebounder for his size)

Lykins was may be a little over 6 foot (but i agree with you he has much potential due to his body)

I myself have seen Watkins over the summer and there is no way he is any taller than 6foot or 6-1 at best (he has always played more of a 2 guard).

I do agree the eagles depth should be an advantage. But, compared to the size of Clay and Green, I don't think (but hope I'm wrong) the Eagles will have the advantage inside. Time will tell and I am pulling for the eagles to have another great season.

I'm now gonna say Pickett is probably 6'3. Cisco is 6'2 1/2. Lykins has shot up to 6'3. Watkins 6'0.
Pickett hasn't touched a single weight it doesn't look like. He has all the length he could really ask for at that age. Cisco is busy with soccer and hasn't been playing basketball. He had some natural athletic jumping ability and was working on his vert. But, I don't see him coming back with it.. Lykins looks like he just keeps packing on weight every summer. Lykins is lucky that it seems that hes stretching out. He needs to work on his speed. I don't know how he gets off the floor like he does. I heard Watkins has been working at home. It looks like he has been hitting weights. He's gotten bigger since the last time I saw him.
If all these guys worked hard then it would equal out to them feeling Wheeler and Montgomery's spots. There's 4 that could do damage instead of 2. Hopefully the coach realizes what he has in them. He needs to start demanding Pickett to hit the weights. Especially, get Lykins in shape. These are the 2 bigger bigs. Cisco and Watkins are the running bigs.. Cisco the 4 man. Watkins has 3 man written all over his body. Athletic as can be and I'm waiting to see what's going to happen this season. With all 4 definitely. All of these guys are my friends and I'd love to see them win the S.O.C. once again.
They have it on the roster

[Livin LRG]

Graham and Porter will probably be the best bigs in the league this year, they play well together, if clay can learn to play team ball and watch their TO's they can compete with anybody

[Lightle04]

U r very right that's the trick for alot of the teams in our league this year

[Lightle04]

Clays guards have to step it up on the deffensive end and keep other guards out of the paint so those bigs don't get in foul trouble if they do that and don't turn it over on the other end then u are right clay has the horses to win and or contened for the league

[Lightle04]

I think notre dame with the kid that transfered from east Bradford I beleave will be a good team this year as well

[a_c_m]

Rocky, you obviously haven't made it out of southern ohio. Thats all I can say. Sure maybe the SOC 1 will be competitive within itself, but against other area conferences, and especially compared to schoolds around the state...its going to be very weak...Maybe in the past but I'm talking about THIS year...so I have one last thing to say ""LOL"

What school do you support? Are you aware that the SOC I has some of the smallest schools in the state as far as enrollment goes? Most anywhere they go in the District playing non league games, the other schools are much larger overall.