BIG WEEK FOR COVINGTON’S DB GUYS
Nice way to step up for a pair of former Covington athletes with the initials “DB” – onetime UK basketball point guard Dicky Beal, the Holmes High alum, and Derrick Barnes, the current Detroit Lion linebacker headed to the NFC championship game Sunday in San Francisco.
Beal was one of the 1984 Final Four/Mideast Regional champion UK Wildcats honored in the 40-year reunion at Rupp Arena Saturday. The crowd was reminded, of speedy point guard Beal’s heroics in the Mideast Regional where he was named Most Outstanding Player for his play in wins over Louisville and Illinois to send the Wildcats to Seattle, where they fell to Georgetown in the Final Four.
What made Dickie’s senior season so special was how he came back from being sidelined with knee surgeries the previous two years. Coach Joe B. Hall, Melvin Turpin and Bret Bearup from that team have passed away from a 29-5 team that featured Sam Bowie, Jim Master and Kenny Walker. Here’s the link to the halftime ceremony: 1983-1984 Men’s Basketball Team Halftime Ceremony (youtube.com). And here’s the link to the players’ press conference: 1983-1984 Kentucky Men’s Basketball Presser – Kenny Walker, Jim Master, Sam Bowie (youtube.com).
Barnes, a 24-year-old, three-year veteran out of Purdue after his Holy Cross days, was the hero of the Lions’ win Saturday with his game-clinching interception against Baker Mayfield that earned Detroit a playoff win over Tampa Bay. And allowed him to salute his son in the stands near where he made the interception. “A dream come true for me,” Barnes said. Here’s his postgame interview link: Detroit Lions LB Derrick Barnes talks about his game-winning interception (youtube.com).
DO YOU WONDER ABOUT THINGS SOMETIMES?
Well, so do we. Like in the latest Ninth Region RPI rankings from the KHSAA that lists the top five teams in this order: 1) Newport; 2) Lloyd Memorial; 3) Covington Catholic; 4) Boone County; 5) Cooper. What’s so interesting about this, you ask? Well, No. 5 Cooper (13-7 without star scorer Andy Johnson, back next week) has beaten No. 2 Lloyd (14-5), No. 3 CovCath (15-5) and No. 4 Boone County (13-5) — all ranked above the Jaguars. And will play No. 1 Newport (17-3) Feb. 13. Maybe someone should alert the RPI folks. Although we’re not sure how much that will matter. No. 3 CovCath has beaten both teams above it – Newport and Lloyd. Doesn’t seem to matter.
UK AND COVCATH, SOME SIMILARITIES
Looking at the two upsets Tuesday – UK’s loss at South Carolina and CovCath’s to Cooper – we’re seeing some similar problems for young offenses. Like maybe depending too much on perimeter shooting without being able to score inside and not being able to handle physical pressure and muscle-up defenders who won’t allow the young guys to run free and take advantage of their speed.
Obviously UK’s freshmen can fly but they’ll have to be able to stop people and get the ball back in order to be able to use their speed. Half-court games against veteran teams with serious physicality are not to their advantage, despite three seven-footers who haven’t exactly become low-post scoring threats.
Which is where these teams are not alike. CovCath has a 6-foot-9 skilled senior who can rebound and block shots better than anyone the Ninth Region has seen in years in Caden Miller. He’s also No. 5 in the state in field goal percentage with 134 out of 194 attempts (69.1 percent).
But against Cooper, Miller – with a nice touch around the basket — got just seven shots (hitting six) while three other Colonels got more shots out of the offense, firing up a total of 30 while hitting just 13.
Three Cooper players also got more shots than Miller. With games against Highlands and Ashland Blazer this weekend, it will be interesting to see if CovCath starts figuring out how to go to Miller more.
HEADING HOOPS STATS HERE
If Newport and Lyon County win their first two games in the All “A” Classic Thursday and Friday setting up a semifinal matchup Saturday in Corbin, it will be a test of two different styles for sure. Lyon County, with 90.6 points a game, is No. 1 in the state in scoring. Newport, allowing just 52.0 points a game, is among the leaders in defense despite not slowing the ball down. But how that 38.6 points-a-game differential between what Lyon County scores and Newport allows will probably decide this one.
Staying in the team stats category, Lloyd Memorial remains atop the field goal percentage leaders with 93 of 218 (42.7 percent). And with 36.3 rebounds a game, Ludlow’s Panthers are No. 6 in the state.
Individually, Holy Cross’ Luke Arlinghaus, despite converting 93.1 percent (67 of 72) of his free throws is now No. 2 behind Calloway County’s Eli Finley, who has played just three games, but hit all 23 of his free throws.
Two Northern Kentucky lefthanded big men are No. 5 in their categories with CovCath’s Miller in field goal percentage and Villa Madonna’s 6-foot-7 Henry Thole in rebounding at 14.8 a game (251 in 17 games).
Not as many leaders in girls’ stats. Highlands’ Marissa Green is No. 6 in field goal percentage at 65.3 (124 0f 190). And Ryle is No. 9 in free throw shooting at 73.8 percent (144 of 195).
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.