Boyd County Roundball Classic ( a.k.a Wig out for Andrew Wiggins night one)

All photo credits go to Boyd County
Roundball Classic

Last night, D1-skilled players and Joe B. Hall, as well as other salivating recruiters with an agenda and a school to sell, made their way to Summit for the Boyd County Roundball Classic. Now,  obviously for the locals, the main selling point and draw was the All-World, uncommitted, and Big Blue target Andrew Wiggins and his band of merry men from Huntington Prep, just a stone's throw away from the suburban Ashland neighborhood.

Wiggins did what everyone wanted to see him do, show his skills and put people on posters. Folks, this kid is as advertised. He is that good.
The game didn't quite break down into an AND1 Mix Tape Tour, like many folks wanted it to. To he contrary, it was a highly contested game between two great teams, Prep and Walnut Hills (Cincinnati), that was probably, with the talent on the floor, already on a MAC or Conference USA level. Ok, that might be kinda' stretching it out there, but you get the idea.

Walnut Hills was an afterthought to the crowd in attendance as most were proudly sporting their finest UK memorabilia, and even the Boyd County (host school) student section was more lively during the Prep game than they were their own, which proceeded it. That is a shame ,too. The Lions picked up an impressive win over Shelby Valley. However, we all know what this night and weekend is for: Wig out for Wiggins.
Walnut Hills brought a lively section of their own fans with them, and a student section who had me laughing more times than not with their chants. In a clever retort to Wiggins, who no matter what was chanted his way did what he wanted and when he wanted in this game,  the Walnut Hills kids channeled their best 1980's era wrestling crowd and started the 'USA!USA!" chant, directed of course at the Canadian Wiggins.
It was funny. It was cute. It was NOT effective.
Of course, that same student section would start taking shots at the UK partisan crowd with chants of "FSU" and doing the tomahawk chop. Once again, I had to laugh.

Seriously, UK partisan crowd is not doing the turnout last night justice. With Joe B. Hall signing everything from t-shirts to restraining orders, and everywhere you looked a sea of blue surrounded you, you would have not been far off by wondering who was going to be the 'Y" during a media timeout. And of course, the obligatory "C-A-T-S Cats, Cats, Cats!" battle cry found it's way to echo off every beam and bolt in the Boyd County Gymnasium.
Just a little word of advice to those kids from Walnut, though: When your chants are not working at all and you are behind on the scoreboard, and you keep chanting the same chant, you don't look near as clever as what you might think you do. But you're kids, you'll learn. Oh, and don't chant over-rated at the end of a game when you have just LOST. Think about it, you are actually dogging your team more than the one your teenage-angst riddled venom is intended for.

The sheer size difference in these kids and our modestly sized 16th Region kids is astounding... The skill that goes with it is just as awe-inspiring.

However, with all the UK hoopla, mother's promising their first born for this kids signature on UK paper, and the countless teenage girls who probably at one point in the night had thoughts of marrying Wiggins, I am afraid another great player got lost in the lights and glitz of the Huntington Prep machine.
That was Dantonio Wingfield Jr, from Walnut Hills. Son of the senior Wingfield of Cincinnati Bearcat fame and NBA notoriety. Wingfield is a tough, physical player and may have not been better than Wiggins , proved to a sea of mostly blue onlookers that he could indeed hang with Andrew, and provided some flash of his own. Flash in the way of just being a solid basketball player with a great game IQ.
Wingfield is committed to Ohio University.
All in all, it was a great night of basketball all around, that was kick-started by a great Huntington-St.Joe/BC girls game that should not be overlooked in terms of the excitement it provided the crowd, who was yet to really start filing in for the Express. That game was a make-shift showcase for St.Joe's Mychal Johnson, who finished an inspired performance off with 36 points.
The crowd was fairly large last night, but plenty of good seats were available and you could sit comfortably in the one that you had. By no means was it as full as the glory days of Frank Lee vs. Marty Thomas, or the OJ Mayo and Rose Hill Show, as those really packed the gym, but it was a large crowd that gym hasn't seen  in years. Tonight, John Calipari is expected to be in attendance so be prepared for secret service pat-downs by the event staff (a.k.a. the football coaches) and people throwing themselves at Coach Cal.
But seriously, no disrespect, but did you really think people were going to fight there way to get Nick Cronin's signature? Good coach and all, but he's no Cal... or Joe B.
Huntington Prep plays Arlington(FL) Country Day at 7 tonight in a game that will be televised on WSAZ MY Z TV (Channel 15 on Armstrong), making it possible to drool over the kid in your recliner tonight. Boyd County will follow that game, but I am almost 1000% certain that the TV crews will be well on their way back to Huntington by tip-off of that one.
Quick side note, Arlington's mascot is the 'Apaches", which makes them my favorite high school ever by default.