 |
Huck's Corner
Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He
is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal.
Puck is not even close. Huck owns Puck when it comes to making picks during FB season --
smile). He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com. |
JAN. 30
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 64, Bonner 62
In a very
spirited contest the Burrs (14-4, 5-2) overcame an early deficit and slipped past the
Friars (6-13, 2-6) in the late going. The Burrs trailed 56-54 with less than two minutes
to play and received a couple of huge plays from sr. WG Hakeem Townsend (7 rebs, 3 steals). First, he hit
a right-corner three for a one-point lead, and then, as the Friars raced down court the
ball was jarred loose, heading towards the endline under his own basket. Townsend saved
the ball and all in one motion, spun, and then heaved the ball towards the other basket.
The ball found a wide-open sr. WG Rob Latimer
near half-court who coasted in for an uncontested layup. This gave the Burrs a 59-56 lead.
With :23 seconds left, sr. PG Kyle Whalen iced
the game by converting both ends of a one-and-one, thus giving the Burrs a 63-59 lead.
These were two clutch free throws from a kid who saw only brief playing time early in the
game. The Friars hit a three-pointer to draw within two as the final horn sounded. Leading
the charge for the Burrs was sr. 6-4 WG Marshall
Taylor. Taylor finished 5-for-9 on FG’s for 16 points. He also added 8 rebounds,
8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Late in the third quarter, after a steal in the
backcourt he went in for a two-handed slam. However, he was called for a technical for
hanging on the rim. Weak! I have four words for this call, LET THE KIDS PLAY! The only
positive thing that came from this sequence was that the slam and then subsequent tech got
the crowd really into the game. Townsend dialed long distance on four occasions, going
4-for-9 on threes and adding 16 points. Thirteen of his points came in the second half and
many proved to be critical. This kid can be the wild card for the Burrs. He is without a
doubt their best standstill shooter and when he gets in the flow, watch-out!
The Burrs needed everything they got from him because the reliable Latimer did not have
his A game. He finished with just 10 points and was plagued with foul problems all
evening. He did score six fourth quarter points and knocked down four of his last five
foul shots. Soph 6-3 WG Chris Mayo played a
strong game. He also reached double-digits with 10 points and added 7 rebounds (4
offensive). He played great on-the-ball defense throughout, making it extremely difficult
for the Bonner guards to get into their offense. Jr. 6-3 F banger Derrell Hand hustled for six points and five
rebounds before fouling out. The Burrs once again played without soph 6-4 F John Maddox who is still saddled with a bum ankle.
West, usually a solid foul shooting team was down right miserable tonight. They managed to
convert on just 15-of-29 (51.7%) for the game. The Friars who were playing for their
playoff lives came out motivated and held a 20-13 lead after one quarter. Actually, their
largest lead swelled to eleven, at 26-15, but the Burrs battled back to within two before
the half. Leading the way was jr. 6-6 F Carlos
Monroe who knocked down five consecutive shots in the opening stanza for 10 points.
For the tilt, he scored a game-high 27 points (13-for-22 FG’s) and cleaned the glass
for 15 rebounds. This kid continues to improve and showed a soft touch from 10-feet and
in. For him to reach the next level I like to see him improve his ballhandling and his
range on his shot. If he dedicates himself the sky could be the limit. Frosh PG Jeff Jones continues to play well for the
Friars. He added 16 points (7-for-9 FT’s) and 4 rebounds. This kid looks to be
improving each time out, which should lead to some bright days ahead. Sr. WG Rasheed Jones gave his team some quality minutes
off the bench. He chipped in with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists and played with much
confidence. Sr. 6-4 F Randy Reid continues to
dip in and out of the radar screen. Tonight, he scored eight points, but attempted only
four shots. After such a solid sophomore campaign and a very good junior season he’s
been somewhat of a missing link for the Friars. He suffered through a lot of foul trouble
in this one. This win did wonders for the Burrs playoff hopes and seriously damaged the
Friars dreams of getting to the big dance. There was a fairly large and energetic crowd on
tap for the game. Early on, they were treated to the sound of the whistle. There were 21
fouls called in the first half and overall, 40 fouls were whistled.
JAN. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Fels 62, Mastbaum 51
This game
featured two of the top three scorers in the city with Fels’ sr. 6-5 WG Dionte Christmas (25.2 ppg) and Matbaum’s sr.
WG Marion “Buddy” Rose (24.4 ppg)
sharing the spotlight. I expected an all-out duel between these two scoring machines, but
to my surprise neither player got completely on track and before long their holsters were
low on ammunition. Rose started out decently, but two silly fouls early in the third
quarter sent him to the pine with his team up 34-27. The Panthers (10-7, 4-5) would never
recover and Fels (12-3, 5-3) ended the quarter on a 13-4 run, and a 40-38 lead. A lead
they would not relinquish. Fels ended any doubt on who would come out on top when
Christmas and sr. WG Dawud Lyons connected on
back-to-back alley-oop plays. First, after a steal, Lyons unselfishly tossed the ball up
at the rim for the slightly trailing Christmas who finished with a two-handed slam. Then,
on the next possession Christmas returned the favor when he found Lyons streaking down
court. He perfectly hit Lyons in stride who caught the ball in mid-air and nicely laid it
in off the glass. These two players have been a terrific one-two punch for Fels all
season. Today, neither of their shooting eyes were straight, but both did enough to seal
the win in critical league game. Christmas really struggled from behind the arc and was
almost always short, finishing just 1-for-8. Overall, he shot 7-for-16 for a team-high 17
points. However, he did sweep 12 rebounds. He also added 4 assists, 3 steals, and a couple
of blocks. Despite the rough shooting day I thought he demonstrated a quick first-step,
good court presence, and a solid feel for the game. Lyons, who will be featured in a story
by Ted, struggled from the field as well, going
just 4-for-14 and 9 points. He did help elsewhere though, contributing 5 rebounds, 7
assists, and 7 steals. Five of his points and much of his other stats did come late and
were keys to the win. Sr. F Fareed Williams (7-for-12
FG’s, 14 points) was a force while on the court, but he picked-up too many iffy
fouls. He committed his fourth 65-feet from the basket on a backcourt reach. He did hustle
for 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Jr. PG Lamar Thomas
(10 pts, 5 rebs) and sr. WG Marcus Welch (10
points) share the unsung hero award. Thomas was a pest throughout and Welch hit nothing
but nylon twice when it counted. They combined to shoot 6-for-11 from the field and
6-for-8 from the line. This is the kind of production you need from your second-tier
players, especially when the headliners are struggling. For Mastbaum, Rose was solid
early, but foul trouble really took him and subsequently his team out of the game. He did
manage to net 21 points (6-for-15 FG’s, 3-for-5 3’s). I have to think he is a
better foul-shooter than he showed, just 6-of-12. He missed four of five in a critical
fourth quarter stretch and I have to think that some of this, at least to a degree, was
caused by his lengthy spell on the bench. He committed his third foul far from the basket
and then fourth on a three-point attempt by Christmas, who at the time was just 1-for-6.
You have to let him make one, especially when your team counts on you so heavily.
Offensively, he showed a sweet stroke and some quicks along the baseline. He reminds of
former Lincoln scoring machine Gary Mills
(’01). He does so in that he has that scorer’s mentality, same body-type, and
that he is a combination guard. He’s not a pure point and is a little small to be
considered a wing, but nonetheless he should be able to help a D-2 or D-3 school
somewhere. I left impressed with jr. 6-6 ultra-slim F Tariek Belcher. Today, he scored 15 points
(7-for-10 FT’s), snagged 8 rebounds, made 4 swipes, and swatted 6, not a bad day at
the office. If he loves the game then he should spend a lot of time in the gym this
summer, and possibly a little in the weight-room. He just oozes athleticism, but needs to
work on specific areas of his game. For instance, offensively he has difficulty creating
his own shot and isn’t quite strong enough to bully defenders on the block. All of
this could change with some hard work. Sr. 6-4 F Kevin
Spencer (7 pts, 4 blocks) brought plenty of Windex with him and cleaned the glass for
13 rebounds. I liked his hustle and tenacity. Sr. PG Brandon Ruff hustled for 3 rebounds, 4 assists,
and 3 steals. Mastbaum can look no further than themselves for this setback. They had
21turnovers and shot just 16-for-30 (53.3%) from the charity stripe. Fels attempted 27
more shots than the Panthers. These teams met in the non-league portion of their schedule,
Fels won that one as well, 66-57. This was my first-ever trip to Mastbaum to cover a game.
The bleacher seating capacity at this gym is zero. That’s right, zilch, fans are
required to stand along courtside on one side of the gym behind a rope being held up by
four or five pylons. Gotta luv the Pub! Speaking of the Pub, the game was delayed because
of only one referee. They put five minutes back on the clock to wait, but he never showed.
Warren Gillis ended up working the game alone
and did a fantastic job. He should be commended for his efforts. Being a referee can be a
thankless job, but that was not the case today. I covered game with tedsilary.com reporter
Jack “Jack in the Box” Crouse and
his buddy, Mike Grant. Both are football
players at La Salle. Both did a great job today and had fun doing so. It is good to see
the future of tedsilary.com getting that Pub experience at such a tender age. It can only
do wonders and they won’t be wet-behind-the-ears for very long. Well, we can only
hope that is the case, because you never know when Tom
“Puck” McKenna will be in the area.
JAN.
25
CL SOUTH
Bonner 57, O'Hara 36
This contest was played in rapid
fashion, taking just over an hour to complete. Despite this, the game still didn’t
end soon enough for the young Lions. After a sluggish start by both teams the Friars
(6-12, 2-5) finally seized control during the latter stages of the opening quarter. Then,
they used an 11-0 run during the first five minutes of the second quarter to build a more
than comfortable 21-5 lead. O’Hara (5-12, 2-5) would never recover. Leading the
charge for the Friars was jr. 6-6 F Carlos Monroe
who just toyed with the smallish Lions all afternoon. He shot 10-for-16 from the field and
3-for-3 from the line for a game-high 23 points. He also collected 13 rebounds (7
offensive), plucked 6 steals, 2 assists, and a block. Many of his baskets came off of
put-backs or after feeds into the post in a high-low set. He did send a buzz through the
crowd after he took a pass from sr. CG Andrew
Thornton (3 assists) and sent home a thunderous one-handed slam. Monroe has plenty of
skill and talent. At times he runs into difficulties with what I’ll call attitude
issues. Today, he did not exhibit anything close to a negative reaction. The only other
Friar to reach double-digits was intriguing frosh PG Jeff Jones who scored 10 points. He missed some
early treys, but ended-up connecting on 2-of-6 from distance. However, all of the shots he
took were in the flow of the offense. Today, I witnessed a much more under control player.
He was a pest on defense and posted 5 steals. His most impressive moment happened in the
second quarter when he ripped the ball out of the hands of an O’Hara player from
behind and along the baseline. He then raced the length of the court, bobbing and weaving
past multiple O’Hara defenders, got into the lane and dropped off a lovely pass to an
open teammate for an uncontested lay-up. It was an indication of the athleticism this kid
possesses. I foresee many more good moments for this kid in the years to come, especially
after he acquires a better understanding of the game. Jr. PG Mike Heppler was an efficient 3-for-4 (1 trey)
from the field for 8 points. Sr. F Jordan McCauley
chipped in with 4 assists. Sr. 6-4 F handyman Randy
Reid added 6 points, 3 rebs, 2 assists, and 2 steals. The Friars made 16 steals in the
game and shot well from the field (25-for-51, 49%). This Bonner club has struggled for
stretches of the season, but this was a good road win and a complete team effort. Now,
with five home games in the second half of league play, they’ll try to make some
noise and get into the playoff race. The Lions never got on track and offensively were
abysmal throughout. They turned the ball over far too many times with 22 and though they
ran their offense patiently, rarely did they get quality looks. Many of their turnovers
were unforced and careless. Their inexperience really showed in this one. Their lone
senior 6-4 F Matt Campbell struggled mightily.
Usually a reliable threat from the arc, today he connected only once and went 1-for-7 on
threes for the game. Jr. WG Mark Concannon
scored 7 of his team-high 9 points during a quick stretch at the end of the second
quarter, which seemed to give his team a much-needed lift, but they were unable to build
upon this at the start of the second half. Soph PG Chris
Meyers scored all 8 of his points from the charity stripe (8-of-10 FT’s).
Promising soph 6-3 Pat Kirby (5 rebs) scored
five first quarter points, but went scoreless thereafter, in fact he only managed one shot
in the final three quarters. Soph CG Anthony
Walters (6 pts, 3 rebs) showed some energy off the bench. In the first half the Lions
could only manage two more field goal attempts (13) than turnovers (11). This just
won’t get it done. For the game they connected on just 10-of-32 shots ( 31.3%) and
went a dismal 2-for-15 from distance (13.3%). Brrrrr, somebody close the door! There was a
good crowd on hand for this neighborhood affair. Though the game proved to be far from
competitive they were treated to a fun moment late in the contest. Bonner jr. F Kevin Ward, beefy to say the least, threw himself
out-of-bounds trying to save a loose ball. He actually ended up rolling over before
propping himself up just inches from the bleachers. The crowd applauded his efforts and
Kevin playfully acknowledged the response with a smile and a wave as he trotted back down
court. Ward is a headliner on the Friar baseball team with immense power in his stick. The
way this kid hits the ball the Bonner monastery and back of the school could be in for a
long year.
JAN.
18
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 84, Kennedy-Kenrick 50
The
Burrs (12-4, 3-2) sprinted to a 26-8 advantage after the first stanza and were on cruise
control the rest of the way. On the defensive end the Wolverines (1-14, 0-5) did not
provide much resistance. West got good to great looks on nearly every possession. They
shot 30-for-51 from the field (58.8%) and even knocked down 10 treys on 17 attempts
(58.8%). The rather easy victory gave every member of the team an extended chance to play.
Every available Burr (soph F John Maddox missed the game with a sore ankle) hit the
score sheet. No Burr played more than 19 minutes and none played less then 10. Leading the
charge were sr. WG Rob Latimer and sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor. Latimer had a
near perfect game shooting 8-for-9 (2-for-2 3’s) while dropping a game-high 20
points. Taylor scored 13 of his 18 points in the opening moments of the third quarter. He
shot 5-for-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from distance. He also added 5 rebounds, 5
assists, and 3 steals. The performances from Latimer and Taylor have been commonplace this
year, but in this one some of the other lesser known Burrs put up decent numbers. Sr. PG Kyle
Whalen (3 rebs) dropped 8 dimes, while scoring a modest 8 points. A few deep reserves
also got a chance to frolic in the rout. Sr. PG Coty Duckett scored 10 of his 11
points in a three-minute span at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the
second. He hit three consecutive threes, and on the last one he drew a foul and then
completed a rare four-point play. This was a nice moment for a quality kid. Sr. 6-6 F Joe
“Big Joe” Marshall added 9 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Twice, he caught the
ball in the post and scored on rather nice moves. The types of moves you might see from a
more experienced player. Granted it was done against much smaller players, but nonetheless
it was fun to watch and better yet, good to see Joe have success. Sr. F Danny Johnston
hustled and tied Taylor with a team-high 5 rebounds. In Duckett, Marshall, and Johnston
Head coach Bill Ludlow has three kids who know their playing time will be limited.
Despite this, he gets nothing less than 100% from them, whether it’s in a brief
appearance during a game or in daily practice sessions. It’s this approach that will
build the characters of these three kids. The positive attitudes these three individuals
show should be commended. Their contributions to the team won’t necessarily show up
in the stat sheet. However, on a good team they can be just as important as being the
leading scorer, top rebounder, or best foul shooter. Understanding their roles and being a
positive influence on the team will undoubtedly help these youngsters become better
basketball players, but more importantly it will help them be better people. You guys have
a lot to be proud of, so keep up the great job. The
Wolverines are in the midst of a dismal season and will be hard-pressed to enter the win
column again this season. Sr. CG Amarildo Matos is talented, but has to do
far too much on this club. Today, he shot 7-for-15 from the field on his way to a
team-high 18 points. Matos, who is quick, does a good job of stepping into the passing
lanes. He had 5 steals, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. At times he tries to do too much and
committed 7 turnovers. Many of his teammates have trouble keeping up with him. He could do
more than help a D-3 school. Something tells me if he had the chance to play on a more
competitive team his game would skyrocket. One player who does keep up with Matos is jr. F
Tom Amenta. He showed good work ethic and determination in scratching and clawing
for his 17 points. He shot 5-for-11 FG’s and 7-for-10 FT’s. This kid looks to
show a positive attitude and good court demeanor despite his teams’ miseries. As Ted
mentioned in an earlier report many of the Wolverine players have a JV look to them
facially and bodywise. Sophs PG Brian Organtini (6 pts), F Zack Molyneaux, WG Andrew Schell (3 steals), and frosh WG Tom
Mahoney (5 pts) fit this mold. All of these kids saw significant time, which should
benefit them in years to come.
JAN.
15
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 74, Washington 57
The
Eagles (5-5, 2-3) didn’t arrive to Bartram (7-5, 5-0) to 3:07 for the 3:15 start. By
the time they got dressed and went through warm-ups it was 3:33. At the start of the game
it appeared that the Eagles were still on the bus trying to find their way inside the gym.
Dazed and confused the Eagles fell behind 21-5 early in the second quarter. From this
point on the game was evenly played, but unfortunately for the Eagles the rules don’t
allow for a team to get a practice quarter in before the score really counts. The Maroon
Wave, playing their third game in as many days, used balanced scoring and were never
really threatened throughout. Sr. CG Maurice Wood
led the way with 20 points. He shot 7-for-17 FG’s, and 5-for-6 FT’s in the game.
He certainly kept me busy in the other statistical categories. He finished with 9 dimes, 5
rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Many of his assists were lovely, as he drew defenders
close and then dished to an open teammate for a lay-up or dunk. He seems to thrive in the
open court, but did struggled somewhat in half-court sets. He committed far too many
turnovers with eight. I wouldn’t necessarily call Wood a pure point-guard, nor a pure
two-guard, but I would call him a solid basketball player, who would be more than capable
of helping a D-3 program. Sr. WG Tywain McKee (3 rebs, 3 steals) somehow got up
just eight shots in the game, making five of them (2-threes). He also went 5-for-5 from
the line and chipped in with a quiet 17 points. McKee, in the skills department, is
probably Bartram’s most talented player. He plays under control and lets the game
come to him for the most part. His frustration level rose a degree or two early in the
fourth quarter after he scored a bucket and was fouled. He immediately bellowed at a
teammate to get him the ball more often. Jr. 6-5 F Daziah
Miller was once again patrolling the lane and the baseline, and dropped 16 points on
8-for-12 from the field. Included in this was a wicked two-handed slam in transition.
Miller also added 7 boards and 3 blocks. He is an intriguing prospect for the Maroon Wave,
however he’ll need to work on his ball-handling and perimeter skills to reach his
full potential. Sr. 6-7 C Chris Seaborn (10
points, 8 rebs, 3 blocks) threw down not one, not two, not three, but four two-handed
slams. This kid oozes athleticism and in the pre-game shoot-around he showed a decent form
and nice touch on some mid-range jumpers. His best days are ahead of him and a lot of that
probably has to do with the fact that I don’t think he realizes his potential right
now. I say this because his basketball IQ doesn’t appear to be in check at the
moment. Again, he found himself spending time on the bench for an uncommon reason. He was asked to sit by the referees for constant
jawing between himself and a GW player. Last week he drew tech for hanging on the rim
after a dunk, he almost crossed that line again today, but the officials opted to look the
other way. Jr. PG Marquise Carrington hustled
for 5 assists and 4 steals. He played hard on the defensive end and looks to have decent
ball skills. GW has a fistful of players between 6-4 and 6-7. However, you can have all
the height in the world, but if you don’t have a point guard to run your team it
won’t do you much good. Right now, that is a major problem for the Eagles. Sr. 6-6 C Byron Gaddy bruised and bulldozed his way to 20
points (9-for-18 FG’s) and 16 rebounds (10 offensive). Like his team he started slow,
and wound up scoring all of his points in the final three quarters. Many of his offensive
boards came off his own misses, ala ex-76er Moses Malone. In fact, at times it looked like he
was doing it on purpose. A few times he showed good hands and footwork before laying the
ball off the backboard for scores. D-3’s should be banging down his door; it appears
to me that we might just be seeing the tip of the iceberg. Jr. WG Corey White (3 assists, 2 steals) was the only
other Eagle in double-digits with 10 points. He struggled with his shot going just
4-for-13 from the field. I think this kid would flourish with a steady PG in the line-up.
Right now, he is the one that handles the ball a good bit of the time and I think this
takes away from his game, witnessed by the 7 turnovers he committed. He is without a doubt
a more natural wing player. When I first took a look at jr. 6-3 F Dominique Curry I said to myself, that kid has a
D-1 football body. Then, I realized that he does indeed play football. Wow, what a terror
he must be on the gridiron!!! Today, he was up and down, but did have a solid third
quarter. He scored seven of his nine points in that frame. He also added 5 rebounds, 4
assists, and 2 steals. He has the perfect body to be a defensive force on the hardwood. I
like to see him learn the nuances of playing defense and then see what kind of havoc he
could wreak. Jr. 6-7 F Pat Martin (5 points, 5
boards) is raw, but has decent possibilities for the future. Early on he was non-existent,
he later showed some positive energy in the second half. Then, early in the fourth after
chasing down a loose ball along the baseline he severely sprain his right ankle. He was
sprawled-out on the floor for a few minutes and then carried back to the bench. I suspect
that he may land on the shelf for a while, but we wish him a speedy recovery. D-3’s
and 2’s will need to track his progress during the next year. The teams combined for
23 turnovers. Bartram shot 17-for-26 from the field in the second half, 65.4%. I would
venture that fifteen of these buckets were scored within five-feet of the basket.
JAN.
9
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 40, O'Hara 38
I could have
sworn I took 95-South to get to this contest, but when it was over it just reeked of a
Northern Division affair. For long stretches the game had a ‘root canal’ feel to
it. It was long, unpleasant, and very uncomfortable to sit through. Quite frankly, I bet
the Lions (4-8, 1-1) would have wanted it no other way. O’Hara came in with a modest
three-game winning streak and were looking to add to it. To their credit they did
everything they could to unseat the more talented Burrs (11-2, 2-0). West led throughout
the first half and took a 23-18 lead into the intermission. Then, early in the second half
behind the sharp shooting of sr. 6-3 F Matt
Campbell the Lions hung tough and the Burrs found themselves in a battle. West led
just 32-30 after three-quarters and the game was nip-and-tuck throughout the fourth. West,
sr. 6-4 WG Marshall Taylor put the Burrs up
40-36 on a driving finger-roll with just over a minute to play. Then, O’Hara soph PG Chris Meyers drew the Lions within two at 40-38
with a runner in the lane. After the Burrs missed a one-and-one the Lions took over with
:15 seconds left. The Burrs had a foul to give and used it with :05.6 left. On
O’Hara’s last play they eventually found jr. WG Mark Concannon streaking down the lane. He lost
the ball in traffic, but was able to save it before it went out-of-bounds. He nicely
shoveled it to soph 6-3 F Pat Kirby who was
standing about 6-feet from the basket uncovered. Appearing to have rushed his shot, it
sailed and went harmlessly off the backboard without hitting the rim, and into the hands
of a Burr as the buzzer sounded. I think he may have had a brief second to gather himself
before releasing the shot, but it just wasn’t to be. The Burrs relied heavily on
Taylor, who scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the first half. He shot 9-for-21 from
the field (2-threes), grabbed 6 rebounds and swatted 3 shots. He had a huge block late in
the tilt. Playing a large part for the Burrs in the second half was soph. 6-4 F John Maddox. He gathered-in 8 of his 9 rebounds (5
offensive) in the second half. He also blocked three shots; all within a forty-five second
span during the third quarter. Maddox won’t fill up the score sheet, but he plays
hard and smart while constantly going after the ball. Sr. WG Rob Latimer (12 pts, 5 rebs) didn’t have one
of his better games. Yes, he was the only other Burr to reach double-digits, but he
didn’t always make the proper decisions. Too many times he tried to weave himself
through the O’Hara zone without any luck. He either turned the ball over or had a
weak shot blocked. He needs to do a better job of seeing the court. Yes, he has the
uncanny ability to slice through defenses, but needs to realize that it won’t always
be available. This is when he should kick the ball to the wing or pull it out. Sr. WG Hakeem Townsend did some decent things early. He
finished with 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. However, after he missed his first
couple shots he began to sulk and his game did the same. He needs to realize that you
don’t need to be constantly draining treys to be a contributor. There are other
facets of the game that are just as important. The rest of the Burr supporting cast was
non-existent. West did a good job of taking care of the ball and had just 9 turnovers.
They had a poor shooting night from the field going just 16-for-49 (32.7%) and even more
miserable shooting night from three-point land (2-for-17, 11.8%). The Lions who turned the
ball over ten times in half number one settled down and would only turn it over one more
time in the game. This and a patient offense helped them stay in the game to the very
final buzzer. Campbell, who went scoreless in the opening half hit for 8 quick points
during the third quarter. He finished with 12 points (3-for-7 threes) and five rebounds. I
kept waiting for him to hit the go ahead three that would doom the Burrs but it never
happened. He did hit a three in the fourth that tied the game from well behind the arc at
the top of the key. No other Lion scored in double figures, but a few others did play
well. Kirby (7 rebs, 5 blocks, 2 steals) was all kinds of active in the lane. This kid is
fundamentally sound and he seems to have a good basketball IQ. He’ll need to get
stronger, but his future should be bright. Meyers was troubled by first-half turnovers
(six), but settled down after the intermission. He committed no turnovers in the second
half and finished with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. This kid is scrappy with a capital S.
Concannon (8 points) hit two early threes. Soph CG Anthony
Walters played hard off the bench and looks to be in the mold of a Craig Haywood, who graduated from O’Hara last
year. The Lions didn’t have a
particularly good shooting night either going just 13-for-39 (33.3%). Head Coach Buddy Gardler isn’t exactly playing with a
full deck. This isn’t a knock on him or his team, but right now the Lions are young
and inexperienced. With that being said he got a lot out of his kids tonight and they are
playing hard. I expect them to remain this way for good parts of the year. They might
suffer through some road woes, but expect a battle when you face them in their own place.
JAN.
8
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 62, Olney 60
Bartram’s
(5-4, 3-0) jr. 6-5 F Daziah Miller scored on a
short shot in the lane off a beautiful feed from sr. CG Maurice Wood with 1:02 left for the winning
basket. The Trojans (12-1, 2-1) suffered their first defeat of the season, but did so
after multiple chances to tie or even take the lead in the final minute. Olney’s sr.
PG Andrew Jerry (twice), sr. 6-3 WG Shakir Johnson and sr. WG Kevin Presberry all missed contested runners in
the lane on four separate possessions. Lastly, sr. WG Jarrick Long badly missed on a hurried,
off-balanced 30-foot three-point attempt at the buzzer. There appeared to be some contact
on the shot, but no foul was called. It would’ve been interesting to see the
crowd’s reaction if the whistle had sounded. Chances are that fireworks may have
erupted and not just between the two teams, if you know what I mean. The Maroon Wave made
things difficult for themselves in that last minute because of a foul on an illegal
screen, a traveling call, and missing the front-end of two one-and-ones. Sr. 6-2 WG Tywain
McKee (4 rebs.) led the Maroon Wave with 14 points. He shot 6-for-11 from the field (1
three). McKee is an interesting prospect. He showed very good quickness in getting the
ball back off the glass for buckets against taller defenders. However, he’ll need to
get stronger and he disappeared for long stretches in the second half, just four points on
four shots. After starting the game a mere 1-for-9, Miller deposited his last five shots,
and went 4-for-4 in the fourth quarter. He was very active along the baseline and pulled
down 12 rebounds. Wood also reached double-digits with 12 points. He seemed to be forcing
things early and fell short on nearly every shot he took. On most of these shots he had a
hand his face. He did finish nicely on a couple of reverse lay-ups in traffic. He dealt 6
dimes and pulled 4 boards in the game. Sr. 6-7 PF Chris
Seaborn (7 rebs., 3 blocks) is long and athletic, but he’ll need to channel his
emotions to be successful. He actually reached double-digits with 11 points in limited
duty. He picked-up a tech and his third foul when he hung on the rim and slapped the
backboard after a two-handed slam. Needless to say he found himself on the bench for the
rest of the half. This kid is still raw, but I sense a decent amount of talent. His
body-type is quite similar to that of former Northeast star and current LaSalle University
player Steve Smith. Sr. 6-4 F Rhafique Price (6 pts), who got additional minutes
because of Seaborn’s departure came up with a few huge fourth quarter plays. He
scored a bucket and knocked down two foul shots, then he swatted two shots late
in the game. This Bartram squad has potential to make some noise in the PUB. Aside from
Simon Gratz there doesn’t appear to be any other heavyweights, so a run to the semis
is definitely within reach with a spot in the final not out of the question. This was
probably Olney’s stiffest challenge of the season and though they lost I like what I
saw. Their main problem today was that they couldn’t keep star sr. F 6-5 Erik “Ugs” Adams on the court for long
stretches of the game. He picked up his third and fourth fouls about a minute apart in the
third quarter and had to go to bench with 4:20 remaining in the quarter. His team went up
by seven moments after he went to the bench, but they would not score again in the
quarter. Bartram ended the stanza on 7-0 run, and trailed just 47-46 heading into the
final quarter. He scored four early points in the fourth, but picked up his fifth foul on
a questionable call with 4:00 remaining. While trying to get position in the post he was
whistled for the foul before his team even got into their offensive set. After the game
Head Coach John Rech told me he hated to see
his star player disqualified on such an iffy call. I’d have to agree with him, but I
thought the officiating was good, as they let the kids play, except on this play of
course. Adams is an ultra-quick jumper and VERY active around the basket. He finished 12
points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks. I loved his demeanor on the court, as he just played the
game. Never did I notice him say anything to an official or Bartram players. Presberry
crammed 11 of his 15 points into the first quarter and really got things going for the
Trojans. However, he slowed considerably after that and was not much a factor. Jerry is
super-quick with the ball and has a knack of getting into small places. He finished with
12 points and 5 assists. Jr. 6-6 F Kevin Riley
has serious springs witnessed by a high-flying one-handed breakaway slam in which he took
off just inside the foul line. Plagued by foul trouble early he came to life in the second
half. He scored all 8 of his points in the second half. He also added 11 rebounds (6
offensive) and 5 blocks. If this kid spends a lot of time in the gym this summer he could
turn himself into a major force next year. Long hustled for four rebounds and four
assists. Sr. F David Fleming had a productive
game off the bench with 6 points and 4 rebounds. This Olney squad has a very favorable
schedule the rest of the way and it wouldn’t surprised me if they ran the table. With
Adams and Riley patrolling the middle and Jerry providing a steady influence on the
perimeter a deep run into the playoffs may be had. An only-in-the-PUB moment occurred in
the fourth quarter. When Adams was whistled for his fifth foul he immediately left the
court, but seconds later he came back out. The Bartram scorekeeper (official book) only
had him for four fouls. However, his own team had him for five. He stayed on the court as
Bartram shot their one-and-one. During this an exchange ensued between Bartram Head Coach Lou Biester and his scorekeeper. They appeared to
be yelling at one another, obviously Biester knew that Adams was Olney’s best player
and it would be key for his team if he fouled out. Then, the scorekeeper bellowed, “I
do have him for five now," so the horn sounded and he was asked to leave the game.
Soon after, during a timeout referee James Smith (maybe??)
and his partner chuckled over the incident, he then glanced over at me and said, “You
had five, right?” Yes I did!!! Earlier, Smith had to have an Olney rooter removed
from the game for constantly arguing calls, not to mention using some shady language.
Again, he looked me way and noted, “I warned him.” Yes you did!!!
JAN.
6
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Episcopal 69, Chestnut Hill 43
I found
some spare time this afternoon and decided to scoot on up to City Line Avenue for this
Inter-Ac affair. I knew going in that it was highly unlikely that the Blue Devils (4-10,
0-2) would hang with the formidable Churchmen (14-0, 2-0) for very long. However, they
were game for a half and only trailed 25-18 at the intermission. EA Head Coach Dan Dougherty hardly could have been pleased with
his team’s performance in half number one. They showed little patience on offense and
far too many times found themselves jacking up threes. Star soph. 6-5 Gerald Henderson had a half he soon forget. After
nailing his first shot, a trey, he then missed his next seven shots (3-threes) from the
field and his only four fouls shots of the half. I doubt you’ll see this too many
more times, the kid reeks of big-time talent. I just think he pulled the trigger a little
early on some of his shots, instead of letting the game come to him. Picking up the slack
for Henderson was super-soph counterpart 6-4 WG Wayne
Ellington, who is as silky as they come. He scored 14 first half points and look
pretty doing it. Twice he rose up and with beautiful form knocked down threes. The
Churchmen used a 9-0 spurt to start the second half and never looked back. With 4:16
remaining in the game Henderson threw down a monstrous two-handed slam off a feed from
Ellington that was truly spectacular, giving the Churchmen a more than comfortable 62-26
lead. Coach Dougherty immediately called for a timeout and pulled his starters off the
court. Doing some quick math that’s a 37-8 run in the second half, leaving no doubt
that whatever Coach Dougherty said at halftime did more than work. Ellington (6 rebs., 2
asst., 2 steals) added eleven more points to his total and finished with a game-high 25
points. He shot 11-for-14 from the field (2-for-3 on 3’s) and let me tell you
something; this kid isn’t just shooting lay-ups. His mid-range game is as polished as
I’ve seen at this level. He gets a tremendous lift off the floor and his release is
as smooth as butter. The scary thing is that he is just a sophomore, watch out!!!
Henderson (9 pts) made his only two field goals and both foul shots of the second half,
obviously playing at a more patient pace. Though the scoring was down he did many other
things that were eye-catching. He finished with team-highs in rebounds (9) and assists
(6). His ball skills improve each time out and though he had a rough shooting day it was
good to see him have a comfortable feel on the perimeter. Oh yeah, did I mention his slam?
It was utterly ridiculous and worth the price of admission. Which of course was nothing,
like all Inter-Ac games. Quietly, as Henderson and Ellington steal the show, sr. WG Brian Shanahan lays in the weeds and when the
final buzzer sounds he almost always has between 14 and 16 points. Today, he shot 7-for-11
(3-for-7 3’s) and deposited 18 points. He also added 4 assists and like always was
the unquestionable leader of the Churchmen. He will play a vital part in EA’s quest
for an Inter-Ac crown. Don’t you just love the blue-collar energy jr. 6-3 F Joe Rosati provides? On a team with two
super-sophomore players bound to one day play HIGH Division-1 basketball this kid just
accepts his role and plays it to perfection. He has no problem getting his elbows and
knees scraped up for the team. It’s this same attitude that allows him to excel on
the football field. This afternoon he scored a modest 8 points, but his other numbers is
what his coach and team appreciate the most. Like today when he chipped in with 4
rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks. He was his typical self late in the third
quarter when dove across the floor for a loose ball, gathered it and then found Shanahan
for a bucket from the seat of his pants. His team was up by 20 points at the time. Jr. PG Dylan Brown rarely shoots, making his only
attempt, but dealt 4 dimes and went without a turnover. Frosh 6-7 F Mike Nealis is very raw, but has time to
develop. He showed good form and knocked down a couple of 10-foot jumpers late in the
game. Episcopal had just 8 turnovers for the game, and four of these came in mop-up duty
in the late stages. Episcopal launched 13 threes in half one, then only two in the second
half. This led to an 18-for-23 (78.3%) shooting performance after the intermission. They
were 28-for-46 (60.9%) for the game. The Blue Devils played hard, but just didn’t
have the horses to hang for more than a half. Leading the way was jr. CG Julian McFadden, he scored 13 of his team’s
18 first half points. He struggled in the second half and wound up with 16 points and 4
assists. He did a nice job early of running around screens and freeing himself for some
quality looks. He knocked down 4-of-13 three-pointers. The EA zone did a good job of
pushing him further away from the basket in the second half. Sr. PG Chris McInerney (5 asst., 3 rebs.) was next with
six points, but they came late on a couple of threes. He looks to be a solid floor leader
and kept his squad composed in the early going. The Blue Devils got hardly any inside
production, jr. 6-4 F Scott Dziengelski battled
for 4 rebounds. With the game already in doubt the Blue Devils unleashed an assault from
distance knocking down five straight treys. For the game they actually shot 10 more threes
than twos. They were 10-for-27 from three-point land for the game. They did a fairly good
job of taking care of the ball and only committed 10 turnovers.
JAN.
5
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 65, Bonner 55
The Burrs (10-2,
1-0) led wire-to-wire with their largest lead swelling to sixteen in the late stages. West
actually took control during the third quarter. After having a five-point lead at the
intermission, the Burrs used a 20-to-12 quarter to expand the lead to 48-35 after three.
The Friars (5-7, 0-1) would get no closer than eight points during the final stanza. Sr.
6-4 WG Marshall Taylor dominated the second
half while scoring 18 of his game-high 24 points. He did it in an assortment of ways. He
shot 10-for-19 from the field and 3-for-6 on treys. His prettiest buckets came on a pair
of driving left-handed lay-ups that fell-in over the tall Friar frontline. He showed his
breakdown ability with a few mid-range pull-up jumpers. He also led the Burrs in four
other categories going for 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Late in the
third quarter, off a Burr turnover he hustled back down court and from behind blocked what
appeared to be an easy Friar basket. The ball slammed off the backboard creating a buzz
throughout the Burrdome. An impressive play to say the least. Taylor, still just sixteen
(turns 17 later this month) is an intriguing prospect and is starting get a few more
sniffs from Lower D-1’s. Sr. WG Rob Latimer
hustled for 16 points and 4 assists. He scored seven quick points and got the Burrs headed
in the right direction at the outset. Much of Latimer’s game is predicated on drives,
and with Bonner having a big frontline things didn’t come easy for him. He did supply
some timely buckets nonetheless. Sr. WG Hakeem
Townsend (3 assists, 2 steals) scored 7 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. He hit
a corner three that put the Burrs back up by double-digits and for all intents and
purposes put an end to a Friar comeback bid. Soph 6-3 WG Chris Mayo (8 pts, 4 rebs) hit two long threes and
supplied constant energy throughout. Jr. 6-4 F Derrell
Hand (8 rebs, 3 assists) battled all night and played under control for the most part.
He did a commendable job against the Friar big people. The Burrs who have no true point
guard committed just 10 turnovers and in recent games have done a much better job of
taking care of the ball. They hit 7-of-14 (50%) from distance. The Friars continue to
struggle dropping their fourth straight game. Jr. 6-6 F Carlos Monroe carried his team on his back for
large chunks in the second half. He scored ten of his teams’ twelve third quarter
points. For the game he scored 18 points and snared 18 rebounds. However, he had a quiet
beginning and managed to score just five points in the first half. Monroe has
take-over-the-game ability, but I like to see him start the game with more fire. Jr. PG Mike Heppler (3-for-5 3’s) added 13 points
and 4 assists. He actually scored ten of his points in the late going. Sr. 6-4 F Randy Reid, who had a monster-game at the Burrdome
last year, appeared to be on that same track in the early stages. He had eight points
early in the second quarter, but cooled down considerably and finished with just ten. He
did supply 7 rebounds and 7 swats, but committed far too many turnovers. Frosh 6-1 PG Jeff Jones will have better nights. He appears to
be going through some growing pains at the moment. This kid has talent, but in such a
tough league the going could get rough. I suspect the Friar staff will have a difficult
decision to make soon. On whether or not to let the kid go or pull him back. It seemed
like tonight he played on a short leash, and when he made mistakes he was yanked rather
quickly. If the Friars have any hope of making the playoffs they’ll need to get
better play from jr. 6-8 F Derrick Graf.
Consistency seems to be a major issue with this kid. Tonight, he managed just 3 points, 3
rebounds, and 2 blocks. He shot just 1-for-8 from the field and missed a few bunnies. The
Burrs tallest player on the court much of the night stood at just 6-4. Graf’s
positioning on the court needs to improve. I like to see him catch the ball closer to the
basket and develop a drop-step that should allow him to succeed more frequently. The
improvement in his game that I witnessed earlier in the year was missing tonight, but
there is still time for the big fella. The Friars certainly have enough inside presence to
pose a challenge to many on any given night and though their guards are inexperienced, as
a team I think they can play better. Right now, in my opinion a stable rotation and more
importantly, defined roles of players look to be areas of concerns. Bonner turned the ball
over 17 times and this led to 14 more field goal attempts by the Burrs. Though this was
game one in league play it was huge for both teams. I thought going in that West and
Bonner would fight for the fourth spot, with Carroll possibly making some noise. The Burrs
did themselves a favor by securing this important home win, but there is plenty of work to
be done and I expect an exciting season in the CL South.