Dan Weber's Just Sayin': Never too early for some basketball, lots of schedule stuff here - NKyTribune

OK, we know it’s just Week 3 in high school football here right now but we thought you might like an early look at basketball. Never too soon for that in Kentucky – high school or college.

Putting on his best Wildcat face, Newport Coach Rod Snapp growls in encouragement. (File photo)

And take a look at the different ways some of the top boys’ high school teams around here are approaching the upcoming season. For starters, check out how Newport’s Rod Snapp was lining up for what he’d hoped would be top prospect Taylen Kinney’s junior season before Taylen left for the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta. There are 28 games already listed with travel to Marshall County – a Dec. 6 trip of some 300 miles one way – for a game against a team from Dallas, Tex. And that’s just the start.

The Wildcats will be heading to Louisville Fairdale for the King of the Bluegrass and to Lexington Catholic before and after Christmas Dec. 19 through Dec. 30 for a pair of four-game tourneys, annually the best in Kentucky. Then it’s back home to face one of the nation’s top prep programs in Montverde (Fla.) at the Griffin Elite in Erlanger Jan. 12.

Then Jan. 14-18, it’s the three-game Ninth Region All “A” Classic at Dayton which will be followed by the All “A” Classic State Tournament at the Owensboro Sportscenter for another five days Jan. 22-26.

But the travel and the quality challenges don’t end there. On Feb. 1, the Wildcats will head to Northeast Ohio, for a matchup with Cleveland St. Ignatius at Smithville.

Now you might think that’s enough but not by a longshot. Newport and Covington Catholic will hook up Friday, Feb. 7, at CovCath at 7:30 p.m. And then the next day, Newport will head to suburban Chicago and the home of one of the nation’s perennial prep powers, Proviso East in Maywood, for a game at 8 p.m.

Just did the math on the Newport schedule. Of the 32 games (counting the four at the All “A” Classic Newport won last season), only five are home games – two in December, one in January and two in February. Forget calling them Wildcats, they’re the ultimate Road Warriors.

HOW ABOUT COVCATH?

Looks like the Colonels, in new coach Jake Thelen’s debut season for the former UC assistant and CovCath alum, will be pretty much on the road to start as well, playing 10 of their first 11 games this season away from the friendly confines of the CovCath gym in Park Hills. Thelen will succeed Scott Ruthsatz and his unprecedented two state championships after Scott’s exceptional tenure at CovCath. The Colonels open locally at St. Henry where the Ninth Region’s newest coach takes on Dave Faust, the Ninth Region’s all-time winningest coach.

The lone home game in all of December has Lexington Catholic here Saturday, Dec. 7. But the rest of the month has CovCath at Scott County for the three-game Billy Hicks Tournament, Dec. 10-14. The only local game is at Simon Kenton, Tuesday, Dec. 17. Then it’s on to the Queen City Christmas Classic at McNicholas to take on Lebron James’ old school – St. Vincent St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) followed by Louisville Ballard, Dec. 20-21.

NKU fans rush the floor after last UC game at Truist (File photo)

Right after Christmas, the Colonels will be flying off to Sarasota, Fla., for the three-game Sarasota Ram Jam with three opponents to be determined Dec. 27-30. But never fear, they will be back home Friday, Jan. 3, for the 100-Year Anniversary Game against Lloyd Memorial as CovCath finishes up with 11 of their final 20 games at home. Only a two-game trip to Montgomery County Jan. 10-11 for the Woody Crum Classic will take them out of town.

Finishing strong, the Colonels host both Cincinnati St. Xavier (Saturday, Jan. 4) and Moeller (Tuesday, Feb. 11) at home as well as Cooper (Wednesday, Jan. 22) and Kentucky state No. 1 Great Crossing with 7-foot-1 UK-bound Malachi Moreno Saturday, Feb. 1.

How about region runner-up Cooper, you ask. Let’s just say that Tim Sullivan’s guys are at the opposite end of the scheduling spectrum from Newport, as far as the KHSAA scheduling website. Just one game is listed right now – Jan. 4 against George Rogers Clark in the eight-team Tim Short Auto Classic in Winchester at GRC. Although CovCath has them listed for that Jan. 22 game. Again, stay tuned.

WHAT ABOUT NKU HOOPS?

Just checked the first three games listed for the NKU men and the Norse are not messing around. Darrin Horn’s guys open at Florida State, Monday, Nov. 4. Then follow that up with a Friday, Nov. 8 game at defending Big Ten champion Purdue.

But the third big-time November opponent is the one that will have NKU fans fighting for Truist Arena tickets. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Cincinnati’s Bearcats will return to Highland Heights where they played their home games for two seasons when their on-campus Fifth-Third Arena was being renovated. And where NKU experienced one of the great moments in Norse hoops history two years ago with that 64-51 upset of UC in front of a near-capacity crowd in Highland Heights.

Don’t have a lookahead for the Thomas More men yet. But have one for the new-look NKU women’s program under Jeff Hans, the NCAA women’s winningest coach who came over in the offseason from Thomas More. The Norse women head to Lexington and as they’re calling it now, “historic Memorial Coliseum,” for a Nov. 7 matchup against the UK women and their new coach. Not a bad way to get the new Hans era going at NKU.

Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.