High School Basketball Forum: Poplar bluff mules basketball

Replies (42)

• I think you have 3 more years of that coming.

  -- Posted by crackerjack on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 7:41 AM

• I think you're right cracker.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 8:33 AM
• 

  Yep... if the spotlight was any bigger it would be daylight!

  -- Posted by Haterade on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 9:14 AM
• 

  Thought this blog was about a TEAM! Look like it's turning into the Hater's Corner! The next person will say that you're better off without him! LOL Embrace the team leader or future leader. Don't assassinate him!

  -- Posted by JustSpeakingTheTruth on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 9:22 AM

• Mulepride,

  I understand what you are saying. I for one am very critical of a player on your team because people from YOUR fan base claimed him being the greatest in SEMO and that was before he took a single shot in varsity action. He has GREAT potential.

  I for one was quick to point out Willie Lucas on your team. He is an outstanding high school basketball player. I do believe once you guys get the PG position under control, sky will be the limit for your team. Your right, it isn't one player. But that one player is having to do an awful lot for your team. And yes he's a freshman.

  -- Posted by Redsandguy on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 9:28 AM

• by get the PG position under control...do you mean go out and get someone else to "move in"?!?

  How bout develop your own!

  -- Posted by bootheelball on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 9:44 AM

• It doesn't matter if they develop a point guard or not they play no Defense what so ever and that's not going to change.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 10:32 AM

• Mulepride,you're right it is about TEAM ball. IMO I believe their growing as a team, much better than they where when the year started. But personally I think every team around here has improved throughout the year, it's a process. They'll even be better next year.

  Bootheelball, your right. Houston and Anderson have to really work hard during the summer to fill that void, and I believe they will..

  Justspeakingthetruth- I'm with you, he's the most hated kid on this site, but one thing for sure he stays on their mind. Just using it as motivation, as long as God and his family has his back whatever they post doesn't matter.

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 10:43 AM

• Bigelw, why is everything about PB is negative. How do you know what's going to change. Apparently your son was the perfect player, all you do is bash kids. Why do you even bother watching them if you hate what you see.

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 10:48 AM

• Geez they just beat the Jayz, a top area team! The Mules are a good team, a bit inconsistent but so is just about every team this year!

  -- Posted by cirithungol17 on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 10:59 AM

• The whole SEMO Conference is up and down. Anyone (for the most part) can beat anyone on any given night.

  -- Posted by bluffguy697 on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 11:09 AM

• Bootheel,

  I was trying to be nice about it when saying PG under control. The "most hated" kid, which are not my words by any means, is having to do everything. Having a PG being developed within PB's system would greatly improve his play. Yes it is a team and he and Lucas cannot do it all.

  Tmarlo, I'm hard on Leech because you and other posters say he is the best in the area. I'm not being mean when I am referring to you saying this either. I'm just stating the kid can ball. No doubt about it. However, where he lacks is where is not getting help from his team and makes him look worse than he really is. Having to shoot 30 times in a game, exaggeration I know, to get 30 points is not ideal. Like I've stated, him playing on a different team with capable players all around him everyone would see the kid rise. He's having to play 1-4 positions and not because of his own fault.

  I for one knocked his defensive skills. I can say I was incorrect and apologize to the kid. I think he shows flashes of brilliance; however, he's having to conserve energy to make it 4 quarters because he's having to play so much and do so much for the team. Yes anyone can say that Thatch, Dyes, and Young play almost the whole game; however, those guys aren't having to play 1-4 positions at all times. Those other 3 can come out of the game for an extended period and their TEAM not hurt that much. I cannot say the same for Leech and PB.

  -- Posted by Redsandguy on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 11:29 AM

• redsandguy...maybe he should have stayed at c'ville.

  His game should not be hated...and if he was at c'ville i dont think he would be getting hate!

  IMO a lot of flack comes from the move and the speculation of the influence involved in it all!

  -- Posted by bootheelball on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 11:36 AM

• Bootheelball, the kid moved from C'ville before his 7th grade year was done. IMO I believe he's in a great situation, class 5, playing the Semo conference. It's a lot of people that likes the kid, I believe the hate comes from people who wants him playing for their school.

  Red- I get what your saying, and you are correct. But IMO I do believe he's one of the top players in the conference, you just mentioned all the thing he has to do. A lot of coaches in the conference believe he is also. He's the only freshman that every team actually game plan for, double teams,box and 1 he's been seeing it all year.

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 12:37 PM

• I agree, maybe he should've stayed at CVille. I do not know the circumstances on the move and I do not know who does. Was it for sports or was it for his family moving to find employment? I do not know this and I won't speculate. However, I will speculate that Leech will not be donning the PB Mules jersey his senior year. I just believe that he will be sporting a new jersey before it is all said and done. Does that mean he's going to a prep school? No, but it could mean that he would be moving to another school within the area. That is my opinion. Take it for what it is worth.

  Again, I have said it before, I think him playing somewhere else would do wonders for him. If he stayed at CVille, his team might beat Charleston this year in Districts. I was an advocate of him moving to Charleston because he would get better, but I am going against that idea now because of Danny retiring. Sikeston is the more logical choice. They have a steady team year in and year out. He doesn't have to be the PG. Heck Sikeston is graduating a SG this year. What he lacks is defense because he cannot physically withstand both ends of the court for 4 qts and not coming out of the game.

  Again, I need to reiterate this, I am not saying the kid should move, but if it's for primarily basketball purposes only...he needs to find another venue because his TEAM will not be anywhere near a state title while he is there. I said this on another thread and got smashed. Do not sit here and tell me that that is not what kids are thinking about. Because that is absolutely what they are thinking about. How can I get this team to the championship?

  -- Posted by Redsandguy on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 12:42 PM

• My problem is not with Leech, but all of his handlers like Tmarlo and his AAU coaches. He is doing exactly what he has been taught to do, it's about scoring the most points, dribbling the ball in ways that show your talent. He has not been taught to play defense or to spread the ball around which would make it easier on him to not be doubled and tripled all the time.

  His talent is evident to anyone who has seen him play. How far he goes will depend on how quickly he can get away from the people who are doing him no good and work on his weakness.

  By the way it was nice to see Leech and Al Young at the Sikeston-Caruthersville game.

  -- Posted by SHS59 on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:02 PM

• SHS- your problem is he's not with Sikeston. If he was with Sikeston, you wouldn't care what I post.

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:07 PM

• SHS, how do you have a problem with his Aau coach ( Corey Frazier ). He's a hell of a coach and trainer. He's coached and currently train pros, what the hell do you do?

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:11 PM

• lol I love this site.

  -- Posted by PBMuleFan on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:17 PM
• 

  Don't worry about SHS, he is just an all day, every day head up the butt Bulldog fan. He did the TV broadcast for YEARS and never gives respect or appreciates anything but SIKESTON. He isn't going to ever see your side or anyone else for that matters side unless it is about how AMAZING the Sikeston Bulldogs are!!!!

  He thinks he knows everything about AAU scene when what he might know is the little team leagues like MAYB which are only about team building and not there to assist the player making the needed adjustments to play at the next level. MAYB is basically just a glorified church league for kids who don't get the most minutes on their HS team. Sure a lot of the teams have these teams, but the better players are out playing in a larger scene.

  Don't worry about him at all!!!

  -- Posted by Kool-Aid (OH YEAHHH) on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:48 PM

• Corey hasn't been his coach yet but when he is he will teach the kid alot because he is a very good coach. I don't go to many games becasue i can't hardly stand to watch them.They don't play and haven't played any D since Frazier left and they still don't so why all the sudden after what 4 years it's going to change. They will come down make 1 pass and jack up a shot late in game when they have a lead they don't value the ball, they don't help on d. I could go on and on why i don't like to watch them play. It's like nobody out there knows game situations and apperantly nobody lets them know either. It's the Willie and Leech show and that's it. Well your not going to beat very many good teams when you don't play D.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:50 PM

• I'm surprised that Poplar Bluff doesn't play better defense. The HC played at Portageville; if a player didn't play 'D' he wouldn't play very much under coach Jim Bidewell.

  -- Posted by gianthook on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:57 PM

• So Bigelw, your problem is not with the kid , it's with Will Durden.

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 1:58 PM

• Tmarlo,

  I agree with you that he is one of the top 5 in the SEMO area right now. I said he was not at the beginning of the year and stand by that statement. I think that he has earned his way up to being one of the top 5 at this time. I disagree with you to the effect that he is in a good situation right now. The only positive to where he is playing high school ball is that he is in the SEMO conference, not class 5.

  I believe SHS59 is right as well, to a certain extent. I think he does dribble when he has the ball but he needs to because he is trying to create a shot for himself. I do not necessarily agree that he is all about putting up the most points though. I have seen him play a few times this year and he is quick to give it up when he is not the best person to be shooting the ball or having the ball in his hands.

  Tmarlo, I did not know Corey Fraizer was his coach though. I thought that he is about to be his coach. I did not know he has coached him in the past. I believe that Fraizer will put a little more emphasis on his defensive side of the ball, like SHS59 is trying to refer to.

  This kid has so much untapped potential. I really do believe that. He does not need people like myself or anyone else trying to discourage him. I hope he read my posts at the beginning of the year. He has used whatever for motivation. I hope he continues to use everyone's doubts of him. What I do know is that give this kid about 30 more pounds of muscle and sky will be the limit for this kid. He has a great IQ for the game and a good AAU coach helping pave the way for him.

  -- Posted by Redsandguy on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 2:02 PM

• Well it's up to Durden to make sure they're playing D. But it's also on the kid to at least have a clue about game situations especially Leech since according to alot of people his basketball IQ is so great. That doesn't mean i'm bashing on him but more on the people who say it. He is offensely good and is only going to get better and i don't expect him to have have an all around game at his age but the last thing he needs is people telling him how great he is at everything basketball when he still has a ways ot go. He'll be a high caliber player in the future no doubt.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 2:32 PM

• Bigelw,

  I say he has a high IQ because he does know the game. I was not there to witness the instance you are referring to. I am referring to the games I have seen firsthand. He does have a great IQ for the game and he is constantly getting better. Not the best player but he is working his way up.

  -- Posted by Redsandguy on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 2:41 PM
• 

  Wonder where T-Roll is? Some on here sound A LOT like him, but from somewhere else?

  APPARENTLY?!?!

  -- Posted by Kool-Aid (OH YEAHHH) on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 3:02 PM

• BIGEL will always be a PB hater. He even goes to every game just to hate on them. Beats anything I've ever seen!

  -- Posted by LeBum on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 3:11 PM

• Durden didn't recruit BigEl's son to to play at Three Rivers..that's the story. He's hated Three Rivers and PB since. But like I said, he goes to both team's games just to cheer against them!

  -- Posted by LeBum on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 3:15 PM

• I'm thinking he's only a 9th grader. He has a lot to learn and I'm sure he will. By the time he's a junior he will probably be one of the best players in our area. Was going to say best but remembered Fred will be a senior.

  -- Posted by TFA on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 4:01 PM

• Leech is already one of the best. He has the most "potential" in the area and it's not even close. That being said I would only rank him in the top 10 at this point due to his lack of defense, rebounding, etc. By the time he's a junior and senior, he may be a 5-star recruit.

  -- Posted by LeBum on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 4:07 PM

• If u consider going to 4 games this year and maybe a total of 12 or so games over the last 4 years going to all the games then ur right. And yea I hate TRC because how they did my son. Wanted him then didn't then 2 days before season started trying as hard as they could to get him to play and he told them no. Hey,it worked out Mac went to Hutch and went 5-1 against TRC while he was at Mac.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 6:52 PM

• Oh yea I've only been to 2 TRC games in last 2 years also when they play Mac.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 6:54 PM

• Well it's obvious by all these posts that my point was totally missed. There are 12 players on the team, obviously this is the talent coach had to choose from and all 12 help make each other better. So just because some kids on the team don't have as much talent as others or are not as basketball savvy it's not their fault if we lose and it's not their parade if we win. It's a TEAM. As adult we should know by now these are kids and they make mistakes. Hell as adults we do to. Maybe before we want to criticize a player we should check in the mirror to see the imperfect person staring back and realize who are we to judge. Let's root all 12 to the districts.

  -- Posted by Mulepride on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 7:40 PM

• Careful, mule pride. Common sense isn't taken very well on this board.

  -- Posted by jwhitlock on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 7:47 PM

• They lost to Kennett nuff said

  -- Posted by ThatGuy7173 on Tue, Feb 23, 2016, at 10:44 PM

• Exactly

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 8:02 AM

• And what's your point. Just as in all sports you wanna win all your games but the playoffs is when it counts. Confidence and defense will prevail.

  -- Posted by Mulepride on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 8:38 AM

• A couple responses to some posters

  Tmarlo, I am not picking on him, as I said I am picking on his handlers. I can also say that I am not picking on him because he is not from Sikeston. If he were to move to Sikeston he would play a better game or not play at all.

  You are right about me not knowing Corey Porter. I don't know him except from reports on the internet. But since we now know that Corey has not coached him I am not saying anything about him.

  Kool-Aid

  You appear to know a lot about me, (if any of it is true,) the one thing that I will tell you is that I have been a Sikeston fan longer than most of you have been alive. I have seen it all, the good, the bad and the ugly over the past 60 years attending basketball games in Sikeston.

  As to your suggestion that I don't know anything about AAU, how would you know? What I don't know about is MAYB. Maybe you could enlighten us about this church league program. If it is what you say it is (team building) I'm all for that.

  -- Posted by SHS59 on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 8:45 AM

• Great win for Kennett.

  PB ft 13/17

  Kennett ft 26/38

  -- Posted by Tmarlo on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 8:50 AM

• Home court advantage just like when PB played Charleston the other night. There were several questionable calls in the 2nd half. I actually do think PB has a better shot to win districts this year. Jackson seems to be struggling some but Scott usually has them prepared when districts comes around.

  -- Posted by BIGELW on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 9:03 AM

• difference in FT attempts was Kennett attacking basket. PB has 2 players and I mean 2 players. That's it. Leech kid will be high D-1 prospect. 6'5 shooting guard that can stroke it, and still growing.

  -- Posted by bball79 on Wed, Feb 24, 2016, at 10:40 AM