12/13 #2 Vinton County @ #9 Athens

[HoopsHotHead]

I will take Athens.....but you can bet Coach Combs will have his team ready.....

Lutz wins it at the buzzer!!!.........58-56(Athens in the UPSET!!)

[Ground Buck]

VC is very talented overall & the best defensive team VC has had in awhile, but we lack a true elite defender to give Lutz issues. Bartoe can cause some issues but lacks size with Lutz. Yates can use his length, but Lutz is a too quick. As long as VC rebounds well, they'll have it sealed for about a 10 point game. But if Athens gets offensive rebounds, like last year @ VC, it'll be close.

58-48 in favor of VC with VC pulling away due to free throws. Lutz will drop 25 points. At least.

Lutz will be too much for any defender VC has. He'll score as many as he wants. The question will be can VC shut down the other Athens players. We know VC has a huge coaching advantage, but just as in the past including the Joe Burrows years, a chair could coach the Athens teams and the results would sometimes be better with the chair.

[93Bulldog]

VC is very talented overall & the best defensive team VC has had in awhile, but we lack a true elite defender to give Lutz issues. Bartoe can cause some issues but lacks size with Lutz. Yates can use his length, but Lutz is a too quick. As long as VC rebounds well, they'll have it sealed for about a 10 point game. But if Athens gets offensive rebounds, like last year @ VC, it'll be close.

58-48 in favor of VC with VC pulling away due to free throws. Lutz will drop 25 points. At least.

Lutz will be too much for any defender VC has. He'll score as many as he wants. The question will be can VC shut down the other Athens players. We know VC has a huge coaching advantage, but just as in the past including the Joe Burrows years, a chair could coach the Athens teams and the results would sometimes be better with the chair.

I find it hard to believe any player can score as much as they want against Bartoe. Even Lutz, who is a fantastic player.

Why the huge coaching advantage? Because of experience? Cozart is (2-0) as a head coach. He has the best all time winning percentage of any coach in the TVC! lol

[Raider6309]

This is a very deep and athletic Athens team. I was surprised how good we became in one year. Athens is big, athletic, deep, and has the best player in SEO. Dickleman and Hynes are tough. Both are legit 6'4 football players

[Truth&fiction]

Lutz is quite the player but the truth is so is Barton. They should cancel each out if matched up. After that VC has the advantage IMO because of a number of reason. Should be a good game and one of the early statement games. Keys to the game will be who plays the toughest defense and foul trouble . High octane game .VC has the coaching advantage . Good luck to both teams with injury free game !

[bradvcfan]

Is the game on radio or streaming

[pfloyd]

... it should be a barn burner imo ... no one will run away and hide in this one ... the matchups are some of the best you will see all season - Bartoe vs Lutz ... Naylon Yates/Derick Jones who will matchup with these VC standouts? Saltzman/Hynes/Chubb/Cozart for Athens ... 6-8 Damron for VC vs Dickelmen in the paint ? Damron is much improved AND playing within himself for VC - THAT might be a key - keeping the 6-8 Big Man IN the game , in the paint to take away the inside or at least "alter" the inside game of the Bulldogs ... heck it doesn't matter what it looks like on paper - "W's" are earned on the court ... I'm ready with napkins, pencils , my Shriner Program for rosters - that's all I need ... I may have to buy some Twizzlers for this one !!!

[93Bulldog]

Is the game on radio or streaming

Game can be heard live on 970WATH & 97.1FM or streamed on 970wath.com

Here is the link ... http://970wath.com/

[93Bulldog]

... it should be a barn burner imo ... no one will run away and hide in this one ... the matchups are some of the best you will see all season - Bartoe vs Lutz ... Naylon Yates/Derick Jones who will matchup with these VC standouts? Saltzman/Hynes/Chubb/Cozart for Athens ... 6-8 Damron for VC vs Dickelmen in the paint ? Damron is much improved AND playing within himself for VC - THAT might be a key - keeping the 6-8 Big Man IN the game , in the paint to take away the inside or at least "alter" the inside game of the Bulldogs ... heck it doesn't matter what it looks like on paper - "W's" are earned on the court ... I'm ready with napkins, pencils , my Shriner Program for rosters - that's all I need ... I may have to buy some Twizzlers for this one !!!

Saltzmen is a no go. Probably still a few weeks away.

Hines on Damron for sure. (if Athens pays man) But honestly, Athens plays a lot of zone, Floyd. So probably won't see a lot of one-on-one matchups.

[pfloyd]

I look for VC to mix in a lot of zone as well with Damron in the middle - trying to take away Lutz's penetration as much as possible ... going to be mirror images of each other - VC vs Athens ... it will come down to who outplays "themselves" in this one with the "BIG" difference being in the paint ... it's pretty impressive seeing 6-8 Damron throwing down dunks in warmups ... VC has 3 or 4 who put 'em down in warmups ... I hope the backboards holdup in this one LOL ...

[Raider6309]

Hynes had about 30 on that 6'8 kid last year and Hynes fouled out in the 4th lol

Hynes was 6'1 last year, now he's 6'4

[Raider6309]

What does VC start and where are the VC posters?

[Ty Webb]

Here is the latest release of the Viking Roundball Podcast. Host Carl Knox, Coach Matt Combs, and guest Troy Bolin breakdown this early season TVC Ohio Showdown between the Bulldogs and the Vikings.

http://www.dbkmediaservices.com/wordpress/vrbh121216

[Catchup13]

Hynes had about 30 on that 6'8 kid last year and Hynes fouled out in the 4th lol

Hynes was 6'1 last year, now he's 6'4

If Athens loses the league in football and basketball, will they move down to the Hocking division?

There's your lol Raider.

[Raider6309]

If Athens loses the league in football and basketball, will they move down to the Hocking division?

There's your lol Raider.

No I'm thinking MSL Cardinal

[Raider6309]

Here is the latest release of the Viking Roundball Podcast. Host Carl Knox, Coach Matt Combs, and guest Troy Bolin breakdown this early season TVC Ohio Showdown between the Bulldogs and the Vikings.

http://www.dbkmediaservices.com/wordpress/vrbh121216

Great podcast

[tvc_fan]

I look for VC to mix in a lot of zone as well with Damron in the middle - trying to take away Lutz's penetration as much as possible ... going to be mirror images of each other - VC vs Athens ... it will come down to who outplays "themselves" in this one with the "BIG" difference being in the paint ... it's pretty impressive seeing 6-8 Damron throwing down dunks in warmups ... VC has 3 or 4 who put 'em down in warmups ... I hope the backboards holdup in this one LOL ...

That sure is a bunch of Technical Fouls isn't it? Dunks in Warm-Ups???

[HoopsHotHead]

IMO, Eli Chubb is Athens second best player.......and if he is not on the VC radar.....he could be the difference.....I really like is attitude and game....very nice player.....should be the game of the night

[93Bulldog]

IMO, Eli Chubb is Athens second best player.......and if he is not on the VC radar.....he could be the difference.....I really like is attitude and game....very nice player.....should be the game of the night

Eli is still very young, but has huge upside. I'm not sure he is even 16 yet. But having him has me feeling confident Athens will be very good even after Lutz graduates. Cozart has improved a lot from last year as well. With both of them, combined with Hines, Maxfield, Saltzmen, Dickleman - that is a formable team and should be in the running for a league title next season.

[therealNY]

That is correct, Eli is 15. He will be a force to be reckoned with once he settles down with varsity ball. The future of Athens is bright, which is hard to say haha.