SVC Outlook for Upcoming Season

[fulltilt]

Unioto Too much talent
Paint Valley Up and coming not much of a bench
Adena Got one of the top players in league back but has to sit first half
Piketon Will decide the league can upset anyone on any night
Zane Trace Lost one of top players in league not enough scoring besides Mowery
Southeastern Have had some players leave and some that are undisciplined.
Huntington Rebuilding Not enough talent to compete with upper half
Westfall Rebuilding not enough talent

Unioto should make a good tourney run if they stay healthy and Paint Valley in D4 should go a long way in tourney.
Some teams that play a weak schedule won't want to play Adena or Piketon in tourney trust me.

[blue1]

I agree with Unioto. They have a lot of talent and will probably go 13-1 in the SVC. I think Piketon, PV, and ZT will battle it out for 2nd place followed by SE, Adena, Huntington & Westfall.

[kram]

Any scrimmages taken place yet?

Piketon took on Ironton St. Joe last night. Played decent, you can tell that it is early. Also, this is the first time the whole team has played together. If they can continue to head up from here, the sky is the limit with this team.

[AdamSchefter]

Has to be Unioto as the favorite the only question is can they go perfect in the league which realistically they have a shot to do. PV and Piketon 2 teams to really watch out for and ZT will always be dangerous as long as they have Mowry playing for them.

[SVCFan]

Huntington has to be the favorite now, right?!?

[goodsoccer8]

Conference play is picking up and there have definitely been some interesting results. Here are my top surprises thus far:

1. Southeastern beats Paint Valley in second SVC game.
To me, Paint Valley is going to struggle with depth all season. Playing Saturday matchups is going to be an achilles heal for them. After having given Unioto their best shot, the Bearcats didn't have the legs to run with the Panthers the next night.

2. Westfall over ZT.
I don't think anybody expected to see this result in the opening slate. The Mustangs have done well this far at showing the can score with the best of the league. A lack of depth, again, shows on these back to back nights.

3. Unioto over Piketon.
A place where Unioto is certainly not much of a favorite as history will tell you. The shermans outright dominated the first half of the game. The defense Unioto was able to play battered and shocked the ball handling of the Redstreaks. Unioto was able to run and score off TO's leading the a massive half time lead they wouldn't give up. Positives for the Streaks lie in Brewster scoring double digits in both halves totalling 22 points. Without Southworth for the first half, Brewtser was the target defensively and he showed adversity. Piketon was able to close the deficit late to make the score more respectable, but this was all Unioto from tip to horn.

All of those things in mind, I think it's time for a week 2 individual update.

My top players around the league thus far are:
Mowery
Hosley
Brewster
Anderson
Cartee
Swingle

Next up:
Corcoran
Cottrill
McCloy
Shanks
Thomas
Boltenhouse

As much as individual performances go, these kids can really dominate a stat sheet. One thing that I like to include in my evaluations is value to their team, success in wins, and other points often looked over. The reason why I placed the first group (not in any ranked order) is simple. Take them out of the mix and the team drops off the map. Mowery is the anchor of ZT and draws enough attention to make the rest of the team better. Hosley is Unioto's only true post player with Isaac Wheeler still out from transferring. His presence down low and scoring off offensive rebounds is something Unioto can not do without. With Brewster, I see him playing more and more like Evan Legg every game. Less long ball, more driving, mid range shots, and facilitating. Could see a triple double out of him before the year ends. Anderson is my surprise for this list. His performance in a win against ZT is huge. The scoring he provides make the Mustangs an offense that not many expected to be so hot to start the season. Cartee at SE is another case of a must have player. Alongside Miles, he's a shooting and scoring threat that the Panthers simply need to complete the backcourt. Swingle in Bainbrigde is in for a great 4 years. He's shown that he is an elite player with his rebounding totals and his scoring numbers. More than the points, its how they're coming. At Unioto, most of his points came outside of the paint and he presence was always evident. When Huggins comes to watch, you have some talent.

The next group features suprises in Boltenhouse, and some player who haven't started as expected in 2014. Last years POY in Corcoran has already put up 26 at Logan, but has gone as low as 5 at Piketon. His play is much different from last season in that Unioto plays 8 kids, 5 of which can really shoot the ball. Corcoran is finding himself competing more with his teammates for the scoring title than the rest of the league. Cottrill, in my opinion, is the most complete guard in the league. Standing 6 foot 4, he's able to snag boards, see over pressure, and pass well. Add in his ability to shoot and defend and you have a great and quiet combination for success. McCloy for the Bearcats is adjusting to being short again. Fighting swingle for points and boards is an adjustment he will make soon and get back to his averages of 17 and 13. Shanks at Huntington is just too inconsistent thus far for me. His scoring has been high, then entirely too low. He's got a stretch game that gives most teams a match up problem. If he can get his scoring up to where it was, look to see him near the top of the leaderboard. Thomas at Adena has been great so far. Providing the bulk of the offense for the Warriors. The reason why he comes in on the second list is simply adenas lack of competition. A big game Tuesday against Unioto will give him the chance to make a statement. Boltenhouse is exactly what mowery needed. A security blanket to prevent 4 quarters of double teams. His scoring and rebounding have been impressive to say the least. I'm interested to see how he plays against PV and Unioto, two outstanding rebounding teams.

Some early upsets and some slow starts individually have made the first week interesting. I hope that players and teams are able to make the right adjustments and provide us with the competitive race were used to. My favorite (before the game Tuesday) remains Unioto. Their performances against PV and Piketon have been statements to their depth and ability to play against size. If they're able to get out of Frankfort with a W, they're in the clear for a while.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY BASKETBALL WATCHING!!!

[chef_piketon]

The back-to-back scheduling of league games on weekends makes the entire program from cheerleaders, coaches, players, and parents hostages on weekends.

[JIMMY THE GREEK]

My Streaks have to find a rhythm and start playing to their potential. I'm confident the tide will turn.

[theburgtheword]

Boltenhouse from Zane Trace has always had great skill. He is finally getting to show it this year.

[SVCFan]

The back-to-back scheduling of league games on weekends makes the entire program from cheerleaders, coaches, players, and parents hostages on weekends.

I think it makes sense and I prefer it that way. Weeknights for non-league. Probably bigger gates. Friday/Saturday games always feel bigger than Tuesday games.

[SouthGallia#1 in bball]

The Greek thinks Unioto is the favorite, but I'm not sure about the "Gold Ball" or running everyone off the court. They tend to struggle a bit at ZT, Adena, and here at the "Oven" in Pike County. :122245
Time will tell....if they indeed win the SVC, I would like to see them advance a little deeper in the tournament. DII is always tough in the SE; but if they're good as everyone is saying, that shouldn't matter this year. I will get that "Home Cookin" going when they visit the Streaks!

Struggled again with wins of 40, 26, and 35 at those schools. Closest league game has been 11 with only one game being within 6 points in the last 4 minutes.

This was the best the SVC has been in the nonleague in years. Should have 4 Sectional winners (Unioto, ZT, PV, Piketon/SE) and Adena could make a run if they can come together. Go SVC!

[bellyoption]

Real question is who is going to win SVC Player of the Year. I think there are 3 or 4 kids that are deserving of the honors. But my guess is they will do a Co POY like they did for the girls. I'll go ahead and say that I hate when they have a Co POY.....I'm all for awarding the players, but you have to pick a single winner.

[fulltilt]

Corcoran
Overly
Mowery
Cartee
Stratton, McCloy, or Brewster. Tough decision there

2nd team
2 from above
Thomas
Boltenhouse
Shanks


COY Hoops no brainer 22-0
POY Corcoran/Overly Another tough decision Lets see where the politics fall. Some players have better scoring averages but shoot 10 or 15 times more per game with way worse FG %
This will be one of the toughest 1st team and POY decisions in a long time. Hard not to give it to a player from a 22-0 team that won the league by 4 games.

[goodsoccer8]

Please excuse my while I laugh at the thought of this being a race. There is one clear cut favorite and that is Unioto. The hardest part of the SVC for Hoops this year is trying to figure out when to sub. He's going to have 5 or 6 kids who could start on any other team in the league. This team has a stacked preseason schedule featuring multiple D1 caliber athletes and state playoff programs. The Sherman's aren't prepping for a shot at the SVC, they're prepping for a shot at districts and state. Factor in returning POY in Nick Corcoran with his excellent and veteran classmates Nick Overly, Kyle Strange, and Alek Adkins. The respectable underclass will feature veterans Erique Hosely (looks twice as strong from a year ago with football lifting) and Cole Cottrill. its also been rumored that Austin Houser will play this year solidifying the post game and providing the size Unioto is missing. New to the action this year will be freshman Logan Swackhammer who, in my opinion, will be used to run transition PG and lock down any guards in the area. I look to see Unioto and Corcoran repeat at 14-0. In addition, the program Matt Hoops has with him is staggering. Its reasonable to believe that Unioto Varsity, JV, and Freshman could ALL go undefeated in conference play.

With that being said, the league's 2-5 slots are a toss up. I look to see Adena coming in at the 2 spot based on the guard play of Jonathan Thomas. Followed by Piketon at 3 with runner up POY Wyatt Brewster assuming he remains healthy. 4 spot goes to PV. You can't teach size. They'll have plenty. My 5 slot is ZT. Word on the street is the team will go without Hutton and Petzel due to potential in primary sports giving Mowery 100% of the weight. They'll win the easy games and grind out a 30 point Mowery night to sneak a couple wins to finish in the mix.

Rounding out the bottom are SE Westfall and Huntington based on lack of consistency. Who will play the big in Richmondale? Who will play guard in the hills? Does Westfall have the depth to compete? Also, new coaching systems are still getting settled in for the kids at some schools.

My awards
POY- Nick Corcoran
COY - Matt Hoops
Defensive POY - Mason McCloy

1st Team:
Corcoran - U
Brewster - P
McCloy - PV
Mowery - ZT
Thomas - A

2nd Team:
Hosely - U
Miles - SE
Shanks - H
Hall - A
Cottrill - U

Best Games:
Unioto at Adena
Unioto at Piketon
(If an impossible upset were to happen, it would be here. Unioto struggles both locations historically)
Every game played between ZT, SE, Piketon, and Adena

Just slightly off in the rankings and may only miss one or two of the first team selections. Not too bad for a very competitive season both in and out of the conference for the SVC

[blue1]

Yea, not sure about all of the individual awards, but your biggest messup was Zane Trace's prediction. You predicted them 5th and they came in 2nd place by 2 games. I don't think many gave them much of a chance, however it looks like they proved a lot of people wrong after being predicted 5th or 6th in their conference.

Well, I guess you picked Adena for second and PV for fourth. Those were a little off;)

[JIMMY THE GREEK]

The Greek thinks Unioto is the favorite, but I'm not sure about the "Gold Ball" or running everyone off the court. They tend to struggle a bit at ZT, Adena, and here at the "Oven" in Pike County. :122245
Time will tell....if they indeed win the SVC, I would like to see them advance a little deeper in the tournament. DII is always tough in the SE; but if they're good as everyone is saying, that shouldn't matter this year. I will get that "Home Cookin" going when they visit the Streaks!

Struggled again with wins of 40, 26, and 35 at those schools. Closest league game has been 11 with only one game being within 6 points in the last 4 minutes.

This was the best the SVC has been in the nonleague in years. Should have 4 Sectional winners (Unioto, ZT, PV, Piketon/SE) and Adena could make a run if they can come together. Go SVC!

We at jimmy the greek...will eat the crow. Unioto was/is by far better than we thought. We are happy for them and wish them much success in the tourney.

[BlueDuck]

Kudos to UHS, for winning the Gold Ball, ZT for overcoming the loss of 4 starters from a year ago, and Piketon for battling back after a slow start.

I am still scratching my head at the struggles of SE, PV, and Adena. I expected more from each. SE has a solid nucleus and good coaching, Paint Valley has two 1000 point scorers and a near 7 footer, and Adena brought in one of the area's top athletes, only to have a better record the first 10 games without him. Hopefully these teams can find tournament redemption.

[danicalifornia]

Co-POY Corcoran and Mowery
COY Hoops

1st team
Corcoran
Mowery
Cartee
Brewster
Overly

2nd Team
Shanks
Stratton
Thomas
McCloy
Boltonhouse

3rd Team
Miller
Cottrill
Hosley
Southworth
Wyman

Honorable Mention and Official Listing at WKKJ