Of course,
it's not just basketball season in Kentucky.
So, I predict that there is at least one of the
118 teams still with a shot at making the
2012 PNC/KHSAA Boys' Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournament that is coached by a parent who was up a lot of last night, trying not to look or sound nervous in front of his kids while listening to a weather radio in an interior closet of his home. And I predict that coach had to drink an extra cup or two of coffee today just to keep plugging through sixth-period study hall, and I predict that he's going to have to concentrate a little harder this evening to keep up with stuff like substitution patterns and timeout counts and that he's going to have to be a little more careful to not get too heated with one of his players or an official. And, even though he'll definitely be sorry when his team loses and is (one and) done for the rest of the year, I predict that he's still going to feel pretty darned thankful that losing a regional quarterfinal was the worst thing that happened to him in the last 24 hours.
The regions in action tonight:
First Region, at Murray State University's CSFB Center--The 2011 regional champ and 2012 favorite, Marshall County, tips at 7:45 Central against Graves County.
Second Region, at Madisonville-North Hopkins Senior High School--The 2011 state champ and 2012 improbable regional participant, 8-21 Christian County, tips at 7:30 against Webster County.
Third Region, at Owensboro Sportcenter.
Fourth Region, at Western Kentucky University's E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
Fifth Region, at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown.
Eighth Region, at Henry County High School in New Castle.
Ninth Region, at Northern Kentucky University's Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights.
11th Region, at Eastern Kentucky University's Alumni Coliseum in Richmond.
12th Region, at Pulaski County High School in Somerset.
13th Region, at Corbin's The Arena.
14th Region, at Knott County Central High School in Hindman--Can Cinderella Buckhorn keep it going, at 5:30 p.m. Central against Wolfe County?
15th Region, at the East Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville.
16th Region, at Morehead State University's Johnson Arena--Terrific Aaron Snyder report in
The Daily Independent after defending 16th champ Rowan County's 54-49 win over Westwood Fairview last night: Adam "
Wing knows a thing or two about hot streaks – the senior nailed a well-documented 12-for-13 3-pointers in last season's state tournament semifinals and finals combined. He got a taste of being on the other side ... Terry had Wing baffled, so he went to his coach for reassurance. 'I went up to coach Thacker, and he said, "Son, you're playing as good as it gets,"' Wing said."
And the regions that are off tonight:
Sixth Region, at Louisville Atherton High School and Bellarmine University's Knights Hall in Louisville--
GoHeath has been saying all along that Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park and Jeffersontown would be a good game,
and, indeed, ...Seventh Region, at Bellarmine's Knights Hall--
There will be a new regional champ.10th Region, at Montgomery County High School in Mount Sterling--Finally starts Thursday.
