LOOKING BACK

 How quickly the seasons seem to roll by, it seems like yesterday the Corbin Redhounds were kicking off football season, and now it is time to turn to basketball as the Redhounds lost in the second round of the playoffs to Louisville Central, 62-7.

Saturday we will be treated to a high school basketball extravaganza at The Arena.

The Redhounds opponents will be the Barbourville Tigers of Coach Dinky Phipps. The Cats Pause rates the Tigers fifth in the 13th Region. Coach Phipps has Jordan Hildebrand and transfer student Tanner Broughton leading the way for potentially one of his better teams in several years. The game is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Saturday morning and should be very competitive.

The Redhounds of Coach Tony Pietrowski I am sure are ready for game days to begin. I am very impressed with the potential of Coach’s P’s team. Travis Smith will lead a team with a good balance of talent.

The season of 2011-’12 should be very competitive in the 13^th region. You have to consider Harlan County a favorite with all five starters returning from last year’s team. I will give the Black Bears a slight edge over Corbin with Bell County, Clay County, Barbourville and Knox Central close behind.

 College Hoops

I am very excited about the college basketball season with the exception of having to listen to the whiney analyst Jimmy Dykes of ESPN.

Dykes quickly denounced the SEC as being inferior after Mississippi State and Vanderbilt each lost home games over the weekend. Dykes needs to check the calendar. I don’t think any of the Big East teams or ACC teams want to go strolling through Starkville or Nashville in January or February. That is not to mention Gainesville, Tuscaloosa or Lexington.

I enjoy listening to knowledgeable analysts like Jay Bilas or even Dick Vital if you listen to what he says and not how he says it. Bobby Knight is probably the most knowledgeable if he would only tell you what time it is instead of how to build a watch.

At any rate it is going to be a great year to watch the bouncing ball.

The Corbin Redhounds are going to have a couple of new faces on this year’s edition of the Runnin’ Redhounds as Victor Berezutchi, a foreign exchange student from Brazil stands around 6’4” and weighs about 210. Victor is a very good ball handler and passer, and also has a nice jump shot and can take to the basket strong.

The second new face is Eric Jones. Eric played as a sophomore on the junior varsity two years ago, but did not play as a junior. Eric is an excellent perimeter shooter, handles the ball well and is a good defender.

I believe there will be three football players that will now be joining the team. Hunter Grubb, a 6’1” junior, Taylor Waddle, a 6’2” sophomore and Zach Henson, a 5’11” sophomore.

I believe Coach Pietrowski is going to dress as many as 17 players for varsity competition.

The regular season for the Redhounds will begin December 2 with the ‘Hounds hosting Knoxville (Tn) Catholic.

The “Hounds will then go on the road to play Clay County on Dec. 6. The Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament will be played a week earlier this year on Dec. 19-Dec. 22.

I know Scott County will be back this year, as well as Evangel Christian out of Shreveport, Louisiana, with Trey and Trent Taylor, the two sons of all-time Redhound great Greg Taylor and wife Mickey.

Danny Reasor called me Friday evening from his brother, Charlie’s house in Nashville. Danny and Charlie were obviously paying penance for something they did wrong by attending the Kentucky-Vanderbilt game. It was a good thing what they did wasn’t real bad or they would have had to attend the Kentucky-Tennessee game.