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Huck's Corner Return to TedSilary.com Home Page
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 usually owns Puck when it comes to making picks during FB
season, though that didn't happen this time -- smile). He will make reports on games he
sees. |
FEB. 19
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 81, Kennedy-Kenrick 61
Do my eyes deceive me?
Am I dreaming? Shake me! Give me a pinch! Yes, it did happen, stats galore in a
Burr tilt. Like my mom always says – good things come to those who wait. And for
this statman it’s been a long time coming since the Burrs put forth this kind of
offensive firepower. Lets chalk it up as an end-of-the-season present for the
guy who sits along the baseline. For the Burrs let's call it a nice way to end a
frustrating and very long season. Put it this way: At one point this season the
Burrs had as many as eight seniors dressed for a game (discounting those who
were ineligible). However, on this Senior Day, for one reason or another, only
three were in uniform and acknowledged. The team that produced a mere 29 points
and could manage one field goal from eight different players just two days
earlier EXPLODED with nearly three times Friday’s output by throwing 81 up on
the scoreboard. They actually placed four players with multiple field goals,
with two guys combining to make nineteen between them. "Who ARE these players?"
That's
what I said to myself when the Burrs executed three consecutive possessions to
start the game, resulting in three made treys. Yes, they had nine points a
minute-and-a-half into game, which was more than any entire quarter on Friday
night. West (8-17, 2-12) pretty much controlled throughout and the Wolverines
(11-14, 2-12) only really threatened on a few occasions. Sr. WG Chris Mayo,
who was kept out of the Carroll game on Friday, ended the season on a high note
by pumping home a career-high 30 points. He scored 24 of his points in the
second half. He finished 9-of-15 from the field and 12-of-19 from the line. He
also snatched 13 rebounds, while mixing in two each of steals and assists. He
really played with energy today and it was good to see him end his career with a
win. Freshman PG Rob Holloman had what may have been a record-setting day
for a freshman in Philadelphia schoolboy hoops history. The 5’7”, 140 lbs (just
guessing)
frosh erupted for 28 points. When talking to Ted and West coach Bill
Ludlow about the accomplishment both were hard-pressed to think of anyone
else that could have matched this feat. Ted noted that former Dougherty player
and current CL official Bob Pembleton posted 25 points in his varsity
debut. Anyhow, if anyone who reads this remembers such an outing please pass it
along to Ted or myself. Overall, he shot 10-for-14 from the field, including
4-of-5 from downtown, and 4-for-8 from the line. Today, he just had an extra
gear and none of the Wolverines could keep up. Routinely he dashed in and out of
K-K defenders for acrobatic scores on drives. He also failed to commit a single
turnover in the game. It was quite an impressive performance by the youngster!
Sr. F Maurice Seawright saved his best game for his last by notching 13
points and 4 rebounds. The other Burr senior that played was football star
John Maddox (5 boards). Soph 6’5” F Eric Brennan contributed 5
assists and 3 rebounds. Jr. G Mike Williams blocked four shots for the
Burrs. Twice he zipped out on K-K shooters to deny three-point attempts. West
shot extremely well from the field going 27-for-49 (55.1%). They also went to
the charity stripe 35 times; including 27 trips in the second half. The
Wolverines, who have quite a few talented and young players, displayed some good
things and some very bad things today. I’ll start with bad, not to be negative,
but more so to emphasize how important it is to control your emotions during a
game. Early in the fourth quarter the Burrs held a modest nine-point lead at
59-50. For a lack of a better phrase this is when all hell broke loose. Moments
earlier some of the K-K coaches were pointing out the discrepancy in team fouls.
Then, the scoreboard read 59-53 (really 59-50) when the refs went to the table
to clear it up, K-K’s Head Coach Mike Fink said sarcastically, “The score
is wrong, but the fouls are right, it’s still 10-to-2.” Whap, technical #1! West
was already at the line, but Mayo sank the two techs first. Then, Holloman
missed his two foul shots, only to see Mayo gather in the offensive rebound,
score, and get fouled by K-K’s soph 6’4” WG Dwayne Davis. The play took
place down the far end, but Davis must have said something really inappropriate
to referee James Smith because he was slapped with an ultra-fast tech.
Unfortunately, it didn’t sop there and to quote Ted, some serious
“knuckleheadism” took place next. Davis started to chase after Smith and then
whipped the ball at him (pushed it with two hands like a basketball pass) with
considerable steam on it, right by his head. There lies technical #2 for Davis
and #3 for K-K in a matter of seconds. He had to be restrained by multiple
teammates and coaches before they got him out of the gym. When the dust had
cleared the Burrs’ 59-50 lead expanded to 67-50. Ballgame!! These actions by
Davis were a no-no to the zillionith degree! Apparently, the tension between
the two started in the JV game when Smith slapped Davis with a tech there.
Unbelievable! These kids need to realize that this isn’t a neighborhood league
and it’s not the NBA, so keep your mouths shut and just play the game, no matter
how bad things appear to be going for you. Hopefully, the kid can learn from
this experience because I’ll tell you what, he can play a little. Before his
antics he scored 14 points, while hitting 4-of-8 from distance. At one point he
connected on four straight treys. He already has nice range and a strong body
so future marksmanship from deep is certainly not out of the question. I could
easily see him having games of five, six, seven and beyond made threes in a
game. However, you need to be on the floor to do this, not in the locker room
when your team is still playing. Overall, I noticed quite a few (not all
though) bad attitudes with the K-K players. At one point Fink summoned a younger
player to enter the game and the kid blatantly and disrespectfully waved him
off. Not good!!! Like I said, it’s unfortunate because they have some talent and
it is young talent. If they can keep this core in tact then good things could
happen down the line. Still, after what I witnessed today earning a playoff spot
in a league like the one they play in is still a long shot unless some major
adjustments are made. One of the more talented Wolves is soph. PG Courtney
Stanley, who possesses oodles of physical skills. Today he contributed 12
points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks. He sees the floor well and looks to
shoot the ball decently from the outside too. I was discouraged with his
2-for-10 outing from the line though. Not so much that he missed the shots, but
to me it look like he just quits when he goes there and throws up half-hearted
attempts. Relax! You miss one, fine, no biggie, go get the next. Jump-jacking
sr. 6’2” F Scott Marston was active with 12 points (6-for-11 FG’s), 9
rebounds, and 4 steals. I think he could help a D-3 program down the line. He is
very quick and athletic. Jr. F Tim Bowman chipped in with 14 points, 5
assists, and 5 rebounds. I like this kid some and think with a good summer he
could be a solid CL player next year. He seems to make good decisions while on
the floor. The only thing that I noticed that was a negative was that at least
three times he pulled up for jumpers with a foot on the line. To me it’s the
worse shot in basketball. If you’re going to shoot it from that far, then make
sure you get credit for three if it goes in. The JV officials never showed up
so kudos to Smith and Darrell Giter (Sorry if misspelled, I had trouble
reading the book) for pulling double-duty. Back to Holloman and a funny exchange
we had during the game. Prior to the game I approached Rob and told him that
in between football workouts this summer (he was a headliner on the Burrs undefeated freshman
team) he needs to work on his foul shooting. I told him that he
has already showed that he can get to the line, and now all he has to do is
become a 75% free throw shooter to be a successful CL point guard. He definitely
agreed. Then, during the game he gets to the line for the first time and did
what he has done on so many other occasions before. He took the ball from the
ref and rushed a shot with no purpose/system, badly missing. He immediately
looked in my direction as I sat along the baseline in his field of sight. On his
second attempt he took a deep breath, relaxed some and down it went. He smiled
widely at me as he left the line. Later in the half he went to the line again,
bearing a big grin on his face. He sank both and was smiling/laughing in my
direction. Remember, he’s just a freshman, but it was cracking up my boy Matt
“Cauls/Lefty’s son” McCauley and myself. Hey, first half he went 3-for-4,
75%, right? In the second half, when shooting at the opposite end and yours
truly no longer looking, he went just 1-for-4. Like I said Rob, spend some extra
time practicing on this skill this summer because I’m not going to follow you
all over the gym, smile! Something tells me he’ll get there someday.
JAN. 23
CL SOUTH
Kennedy-Kenrick 53, West Catholic 43
Just last week the Wolverines ended a 53-game winless streak in Catholic
South play with a one-point triumph over Carroll. They followed that game with a
loss to Neumann-Goretti and a new streak begun. However, this streak lasted
considerably shorter as K-K bested the Burrs for their second league win of the
season. The victory keeps K-K’s playoff hopes alive as they sit just one game
behind Bonner and O’Hara at the midway point of the season. Meanwhile, the loss
was extremely damaging to the Burrs’ second season hopes. The Wolverines (11-7,
2-5) roared to an 18-10 lead after one quarter and kept the Burrs at arm’s
length for the most part thereafter. K-K shot a very efficient 6-for-8 from the
field, included in this was a 3-for-3 showing from both beyond the arc and from
the line in that initial quarter. This K-K squad is young and fairly athletic.
They’re very reminiscent to a squad you would see roaming the courts in the
Philadelphia Public League. So, because of their youth and freelancing style of
play it is not uncommon for them to get sloppy for considerable stretches. This
was the case tonight as they mixed instances of exciting and solid play with
spurts of raggedy and careless play. Like I said, the Wolverines have a wealth
of young talent, but in this game it was the performance of a veteran that
fueled the victory. The veteran that I speak of is actually just a junior in CG
Tim Bowman. Tonight, Bowman finished with 14 points (3-for-5 FG’s, 8-for-9
FT’s), 6 assists, 3 steals, and a couple of boards. In a game where players’
being under control wasn’t very prominent, this kid was. As you can see he had a
decent line throughout the stat sheet, but his most impressive stat was more
than likely the zero in the turnover column. Nice job! The teams actually
combined to commit 43 turnovers, with K-K having one more than West. The next
impressive Wolverine was probably soph. 6’4” WG/F Dwayne Davis who scored
all ten of his points in the first half. Davis came off the bench and hit his
first two treys (both in 1st QT) and then his first two-pointer too. He also
added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He didn’t always show great
decision-making skills with the ball, but I really liked the way he stroked it
and how he demonstrated a go-to-guy edge that should definitely be even more
defined before his career at K-K is through. Highly-touted soph. 6’1” PG
Courtney Stanley possesses the ‘look”, but he’ll more than likely have
better nights. He often drew the ire of Head Coach Mike Fink throughout
the game and is already being held accountable by his coach even though he is
still young and inexperienced. These lashings should help him in the long run,
just as long as he allows himself to learn from them. He ended the game with 6
points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. However, he had six turnovers and at least
half of these were avoidable if he chose the safer play, instead of the more
difficult one. I like his potential though! Sr. 6’3” F Scott Marston
provided the play of the night when he caught an inbound pass from Davis and
wolfed down an alley-oop slam while being fouled. This kid has some major hops
and this was really a spectacular play! Coincidentally, he was whistled for a
tech for hanging on the rim. This was surprising to me because like I said he
was fouled and it appeared that he only hung BRIEFLY while the Burr player
removed himself from underneath him. You’re not supposed to be slapped with a T
if you’re trying to avoid injury. On top of that I didn’t think he dangled all
that long. Oh well. The tech was called by the same ref who earlier hit West
Head Coach Bill Ludlow with one. Can you say makeup? Anyway, Marston
contributed 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. This kid can really run the
floor and like I mentioned -- skywalk. He is undersized and his perimeter skills
are not there yet, but he probably could be very serviceable to a D-3 school.
Freshman 6’5” F Kasheef Festus has that -- I will some day own the paint
potential. Already blessed with a rugged and strong body I can see this kid
doing some considerable damage in the years to come. He too struggled with the
turnovers (5), but as he gains experience I’m sure he’ll do a better job of
taking care of the ball. He did score 9 points (4-for-8 FG’s), grab 6 rebounds,
and make 2 steals. Sr. G Andrew Schell had some contributing moments and
added 5 points and 4 steals. The Wolverines managed 13 assists on their 15 made
baskets. The Burrs kept it close and got into striking distance on a few
occasions, but could never get over the hump. Probably because for the second
straight game they got little-to-no production from anyone not named sr. 6’3” F
John Maddox and sr. 6’2” WG Chris Mayo. Mayo scored 25 of his
teams 43 points on 6-for-14 shooting (3-for-8 on 3’s & 10-for-11 on FT’s) from
the field. He ended up committing 9 of his teams’ 21 TO’s. However, I thought
that on at least three or four occasions he didn’t get the benefit of a call
despite what appeared to be getting raked across the arms. Aside from this, the
kid has such a burden on his shoulders, as he is the only one on his team that
can consistently put the ball in the basket. He also added 4 steals and 3
rebounds. Maddox was a modest 3-for-6 for 6 points, collected 7 rebounds, and
blocked 3 shots. These are actually good numbers for him in my opinion and if
West could get anything from a few of the other guys, then they would put
themselves in much better position to win games. The rest of the team went just
3-for-21 (14.3%), and in the last two games this group (Aside from Mayo &
Maddox) is an unbelievable 6-for-48 (12.5%). CAN’T and WON’T win many games when
shooting the ball like this.
JAN. 21
CL SOUTH
Carroll 38, West Catholic 28
PEEE-UUU!!! I know, not a good way to start off a report that is supposed
to acknowledge/praise kids, but I’d be doing a true disservice if I began it any
other way. This game was lacking in all kinds of areas and the Burrs (1-5, 7-10)
were the main culprits. I have been around the Burr basketball team for many
years and never do I recall them not breaking 30 points. Earlier in the year
they lost to Roman 64-30, but no offense Patriot fans, but Roman is an elite
team in the city. So, I looked back on Ted’s site and the 28 points
scored was indeed a low for the Burrs over the past 66 league games. I’m almost
positive that is goes back much further and would be into the hundreds if I took
into account non-league tilts. Oh boy! This game was EXTREMELY HARD on the eyes
and it didn’t set basketball back 30, 40, or 100 years, but more like 300 years!
Sorry folks, but there is just no other way to describe it. West experienced
two very long stretches when they approached the basket it like it was
contaminated with flesh-eating disease. The first one came early, after they
lead 2-0, the Patriots scored the next ten points before West scored at the end
of the first quarter. The second prolonged drought and most devastating one
occurred after they actually tied the game at 19-19 early in the third quarter.
The Pats (1-5, 10-7) led 19-13 at half. After tying the game West watched
Carroll roll off the next 15 points over the rest of the third and a good part
of the fourth. During this stretch they missed roughly 13 straight shots. Though
the won the game the Pats were just a little better, but still can’t be happy
with their overall performance. With this being said they did get a couple of
gritty type performances. Leading the way was active and slippery sr. 6’3” F
Darrell Floyd. He set the tone early by scoring 11 of his game-high 18
points in the first half. More than a few times he used quickness and
positioning to get himself inside West players. He shot 6-for-12 from the field
and 6-for-10 from the line. He also added 10 rebounds and 3 steals. I have seen
steady improvement from this kid over the past three seasons and more
improvement might be had. D-3’s should be taking notice. The Patriots' other
headliner is sr. 6’9” C Dutch Gaitley who is bound for Lafayette. Big
Dutch was limited tonight because of a nasty fall he incurred during the first
quarter. It looked like he injured his tailbone or hip on the fall, which
occurred when he took a pass in transition and went hard to the goal before
being fouled. Gaitley missed the rest of the first quarter, all of the second,
and didn’t start the third. However, after West tied the game, and even though
he had a noticeable limp he re-entered. He actually provided a couple of decent
moments. He scored all six of his points and claimed all four of his boards
after coming back in and definitely made a difference. I was impressed with
freshman G Andre Wilburn who contributed 5 points (1 trey) and 4 assists.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this kid has a bright future. Carroll’s two other
decent outings came from a couple of bench players. Jr. WG Shamus McNulty
(5 points) knocked down a big trey early in the fourth quarter and scrapped for
a couple of steals. Jr. 6’4” F Mike Walther was active during Gaitley’s
absence and pulled down 6 rebounds. Jr. PG Pete Clancy chipped in with 3
steals. There is no doubt that the Patriots welcome a defensive tussle and they
do play hard. Offensively, it just gets hard on the eyes at times. But hey, they
did what they had, to grab their first league win. Winning the game, no matter
how it is accomplished is the ultimate goal. The Pats did do their share to see
that the game was how I described it earlier. They committed 21 turnovers and
shot a dreadful 9-for-22 from the line. For West, sr. WG Chris Mayo
scored 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting (2 treys), aside from this though things
were bad, as the rest of the team shot a frigid 5-for-31 (16.1%). All together
the Burrs were 11-for-44 (25.0%) from the field. The only Burr to show any kind
of consistent energy was sr. 6’3” F John Maddox who grabbed 5 rebounds
and made 6 steals. Amazingly, freshman 5’7” PG Rob Holloman led the team
with six rebounds, but was just 1-for-9 from the field. Soph. 6’5” F Eric
Brennan managed 4 apiece of rebounds and steals, but was just 1-for-6 from
the field. West didn’t help their efforts by committing 19 turnovers.
JAN. 19
CL SOUTH
SJ Prep 59, O’Hara 36
There is little doubt
that in the world of nature that the lion is the king of the jungle. But when it
comes to the hardwood it’s a bird of prey that rules supreme, at least on this
day that is. The Hawks (16-1, 5-1) put on an absolute CLINIC in dismantling the
upset-minded Lions (10-7, 3-3). Prior to the game I thought O’Hara, with their
deliberate style of play, would be able to hang with the Prep for while. And
though the game wasn’t a must for them, I know they had to believe that it could
serve as a good measuring stick in determining how far they have come. As you
can see, after today’s misfortunes there is still plenty of work to be done.
The Hawks played almost flawlessly and had a textbook second quarter. O’Hara
didn’t score their first basket, a three-pointer by sr. WG Anthony Walters
until very early in the second stanza. This made the score 14-6 Hawks. Then, the
Prep made their next eight shots (four – 3’s) and rang up a 20-0 run and a 34-6
lead – Hay-Suess!!! The Lions scored the final basket of the half and the score
at recess was 34-8. Game, set, match!! Now, I don’t enjoy watching one team
pound the other so convincingly, but the basketball the Hawks provided during
this 20-0 run was nothing short of brilliant. And this was the case on both
ends of the court. The Prep shot 8-for-11 (making all four treys) in the second
quarter. It’s just a real pleasure to get a chance to watch a team execute so
precisely like they did today. There wasn’t a hint of selfishness or any sort of
momentarily lapse on their part, and this was very refreshing. It was just
another day at the office for Nova-bound sr. 6’4” F Reggie Redding.
Today, he notched 16 points (7-for-12 FG’s, 2-of-3 on 3’s). I just love the way
this kid sees the court and passes the ball. He almost always finds the open
teammate. These skills led him to six assists, while adding 5 boards, 5 plucks,
and a couple of swats. Great line! Soph. 6’5” F Larry Loughery led the
Hawks in scoring with 18 points (9-for-13 FG’s) and rebounds with seven. He also
added two apiece of steals and assists. The more I watch Larry the more
impressed I am with him. He is starting to show some of the skills that will
allow him to be the Reggie or former Hawks standout Mark Zoller for the
Hawks in the next two years. I’m not sure, he’ll definitely reach their level of
prominence, but he certainly has a chance. Today, he did a couple of things that
got my attention. Early on he calmly sank a 17-foot baseline jumper (It was good
to see that range). Then, off a feed from Redding he caught, took a small step
and then went up for a two-handed slam. I’ll be honest, but it surprised the
stats (Because of the family nature of this site I didn’t want to use the word I
normally would, smile!) out of me. Sr. sniper Dave Stefanski hit three
straight first half triples and finished with 10 points and 4 assists. Love the
confidence he shows every time the ball leaves his hands. Jr. PG Matt Griffin
(5 points) is a tough nut. He’s like a little bulldog out there and doesn’t mind
scrapping for loose balls and such. He contributed 5 assists and 3 steals to aid
the cause. Sr F Mike McCauley and soph. F Jim Mower each scored
four points and once again added some of the little things that don’t show up on
the stat sheet. The Prep shot 26-for-44 (59.1%) and only turned the ball over
FIVE times. Talk about being efficient. The Lions played hard, but couldn’t
muster any kind of offensive consistency. The Hawks made it extremely difficult
for them to get a quality look and they spent quite a few possessions just
running their offense, but not getting anywhere near the basket. Things hit rock
bottom in the second quarter when on three successive strips down the court they
launched air balls. In a team sense, their lone bright spot came towards the
end of the third quarter when they rung up a 12-2 run to cut the lead to 42-24.
They would draw no closer. For O’Hara, sr. PG Chris Myers (2 treys) and
soph. 6’6” F Mark Wedderburn both scored 8 points to lead the way.
Wedderburn showed some flashes with 2 blocks and 4 rebounds. All of his points
came in the second half and he was successful on all three of his shots in the
game. Sr. 6’3” F Pat Kirby and Walters never got on track. They combined
for just 6 points, on 2-for-11 shooting. They each added four rebounds apiece.
Sr. F Scott Taylor knocked down two third quarter threes. It was good to
see jr. F TJ Long have some success late. He connected on both of his
shots (One was a nice tip-in) for four points. I coached TJ in the UDHL baseball
league and he is a solid kid. One of the referees today was Bob “Notre
Dame Harvey” Sumner. Earlier in the week I saw ND Harv out and he told me
that he would be working the game today. I asked what time it started and he
told me 3:45. Well, I got there with a minute left on the pre-game clock and a
shade before 3:30. Now I know why I never ask him what report time is at
Keenan’s Irish Pub in the summer time. ND and I are part of the fabled B Team
(3:00-to-9:00 shift) at Keenan’s. It’s a wonder why I always beat him there!! Me
at a Prep game can only mean one thing, compiling stats with Coach D and
his trusty band of assistants. Went rather smoothly today, like Prep’s team did.
In fact, the biggest screw-up (Not really a screw-up) probably came from the
Prep’s clock operator, Mr. ? Dillon (Sorry, I forgot his first name, but
he is the father of former Prep manager Ned Dillon). The fourth quarter
begun, but the clock was not yet set. So, multiple people yelled, CLOCK!!! I
took full responsibility for the confusion by saying he probably got distracted
by all of the bantering going back and forth between myself and Coach D. The
poor guy had to sit in between us. Anyhow, after that I expected Coach D. to
pick up his share of the blame, but instead he blurted out—“BANTERING! Who did
you learn that word from?” Saying it with a big smile on his face, and making
sure I acknowledge that it was a particular English teacher at good ol’ West
Catholic H.S. for Boys. I told him, you did, along with the words--- rebound,
assist, charge, foul, etc, etc…….
JAN. 16
CL SOUTH
Neumann-Goretti 86, West Catholic 52
For N-G this was the sandwich game in a stretch of three games in
four nights. Yesterday, the Saints (10-4, 4-1) slipped past national power
Montrose Christian (MD) in a showcase game in Springfield, MA, and on Wednesday
they will take on Inter-Ac power Episcopal Academy. This much anticipated clash
will take place at the Palestra and be televised by ESPN2. So, with that in mind
it would be easy to forgive the Saints if they produced a less than spectacular
performance against the Burrs (7-9, 1-4). This is exactly what happened too, at
least for a couple of minutes and five possessions. N-G’s first five times with
the ball produced a pair of turnovers and three missed shots. Then, the Saints
unleashed an assault reminiscent that of the Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV in the early
90’s. In what looked like a layup line, N-G scorched the Burrs by hitting their
last eight shots of the first quarter and their first six attempts in the second
quarter. Yes, they made 14 straight shots. Incredible! The Saints eventually led
39-24 at halftime and then increased that lead to 63-40 heading into the fourth
quarter. N-G shot 15-for-21 (71.4%) from the field in the first half. Hotter
than grandma’s baking sheet! They cooled off some in the second half, but still
made 31-of 56 (55.4%) for the game. Before I get into individual stuff I need to
mention that the game may have been bittersweet for the Saints. Late in the
first half jr. PG Antonio “Scoop” Jardine (Syracuse recruit) injured his
left arm/wrist while driving hard to the hole. It took place at the far end of
the court and there were a mass of players obstructing my view a little, so I’m
not sure exactly what happened. From my vantage point it looked like WC’s sr. F
Maurice Seawright tried to take a charge. It’s possible that he may have
arrived a touch late, thus undercutting Jardine a little. Jardine exploded off
the floor, so when he hit the ground he did do with considerable force. No foul
was called on the play, nor do I think it was an intentional or dirty play on
Seawright’s behalf. However, I will say that a whistle of some sort should
probably have been blown. In fact, the refs let the teams continue to play and
it wasn’t after two missed West shots that and the Saints coming back down the
floor that play was finally halted. When in the game Jardine scored 8 points,
including a lovely drive and finish and a nice step-back pull-up along the
baseline. He also dealt 7 assists, made two steals, and grabbed 2 rebounds. Many
of his dimes were shiny! I don’t want to speculate, but the injury didn’t look
good. X-rays and a determination of the severity of the injury will more than
likely take place tomorrow. After speaking with Ted, he mentioned that
Scoop was going to be looked at by the Sixers’ team physician. An appearance by
Jardine in Wednesday’s game versus Episcopal appears to be a real long shot.
Let’s just hope that it’s not too serious and he is back out there in the very
near future. However, the loss of one of their teams’ brightest stars didn’t
slow down the Saints even a little. Setting the tone early was St. Joe’s-recruit
sr. WG Derrick Rivera who pumped home nine of his 20 points in the first
quarter. First, he hit a long right-wing trey. I still love the lift this kid
gets on his jump shot. Shortly thereafter, Rivera finished emphatically with an
explosive alley-oop off a pass from Jardine. This was a big-time play! Rivera is
unbelievably bouncy and is constantly on the move. For the game he finished
7-for-12 (1 trey) from the field and 5-for-5 from the line. He also had 4
rebounds and 2 assists. Sr. F 6’5” Earl Pettis lead all scorers with 21
points (3-for-6 from distance). He also converted 8-of-11 from the line, while
grabbing 10 boards and making 3 steals. Pettis has a nice all-around game and I
like how he lets the game come to him. For the most part he shows good patience
at the offense end. He scored 17 of his points in the two middle frames. Jr.
6’9” C Rick Jackson (Syracuse recruit) really set the tone defensively
with his inside presence. He made three of his six swats in the opening quarter.
This seemed to really play a part in the Burr mindset as they were continually
looking over the shoulders for the hulking Jackson. His presence also made the
Burrs rush shots and take wild shots from in close. Jackson does a tremendous
job of staying on his feet. He certainly realizes that he’s going to be the
tallest player on the court in most games and keeps this mind, not allowing
himself to go for ball fakes. No need to when you’re the tallest player out
there. His offensive game also seems to be blossoming this year. He finished
with 14 points (7-for-14 FG’s), with mostly all of these coming from in close.
Included in this was a wicked two-handed slam to get the Saints on the
scoreboard. Rounding out the starting line-up for the Saints is athletic soph.
6’4” F Jamal Wilson. He chipped in with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2
assists. Sr. PG Frank Biondo (2 assists) took over when Scoop went down.
Biondo, who serves as the sixth man, might see more minutes if Jardine misses
any extensive time. Tonight, he scored 7 second half points and connected on
every shot he took—a trey, a lay up, and both foul shots. If Biondo gets the
start in upcoming games, then look for jr. WG Mark Hatty (3 pts on a
trey, 3 rebounds) to take his place as the sixth man. Soph. G Tyrell Taylor,
the younger brother of former West star and current LaSalle player Marshall
Taylor, showed some scoring prowess in garbage time by depositing seven
points. For the most part it was a tough night for the Burrs. They shot 29.9%
from the floor by missing 47 of their 67 shots. Included in this was a dismal
1-for-15 showing from the arc. Sr. WG Chris Mayo was aggressive
throughout, but often got wild on drives to the hoop. He led the Burrs with 18
points, but shot just 7-for-23 (0-for-7 on 3’s). He did hustle for 10 rebounds
(5 offensive). The next best Burr was frosh. PG Rob Holloman. He scored
13 points (5-for-14 FG’s) and pilfered four. On a night when few Burrs were
tough, this kid was an exception. He was EASILY their toughest player, even
though he probably only stand 5’7” or so and weighs about 125 lbs. Fear and
timid doesn’t appear to be in his vocabulary. He made a few gutsy moves in the
lane amongst traffic. Sure, he may have taken a couple of ill-advised shots
(Even had two or three spill out on him), but at least he shot the ball with
confidence and played like he belonged. Soph 6’5” F Eric Brennan managed
8 points and 3 assists. Seawright hustled for five rebounds, as did sr. F
Courtney Jackson. Sr. F Roosevelt Ben grabbed three offensive boards
and made three steals early. Sr. F. John Maddox looked a little better
tonight and managed 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in just his second game
of the season. The Burrs once again played without jr. G Jerome McRae as
he recovers from the injury just above his eye.
JAN. 15
CL SOUTH
SJ Prep 58, Bonner 37
After an encouraging first half and a decent beginning to the
third quarter the Friars (8-7, 2-3) upset bid came to screeching halt in just
few brief moments in the latter part of the third quarter. The Hawks (15-1, 4-1)
did what all good teams do when they find themselves in a close-knit game with
an inferior opponent. They buckled down defensively, preventing few if any
quality looks, and then reeled off multiple possessions of offensive potency to
create some separation. Prep led just 34-30 with under three-minutes left in the
third quarter. However, they ended the quarter with an 11-0 spurt which left
little doubt on who would walk out of Bonner’s gym with the W. Sr. 6’4” F
Reggie Redding (Villanova recruit) got it started with a trey to make it
37-30. Then in the last 43 seconds of the quarter the Hawks scored eight points
for a 45-30 advantage after three. This sequence went like this; another made
Redding trey, followed by a Bonner missed shot. Next time down Redding came up
short on another three, but soph. 6’4” F Jim Mower (7 boards) crashed in
for the O-board, then kicked it out to sr. WG Dave Stefanski for his
fourth of six bombs on the day. Holding for a final opportunity the Friars
turned it over and then Redding made them pay with leaning 12-foot jumper at the
buzzer. That’s it, lights out! Ultimately, the Prep ran off a 20-to-2 run and
watched their lead swell to 54-32. Redding, who was coming off one of his least
productive games in a long time (scored just 4 points versus Carroll Friday
night), was back to his usual self today. He finished with 23 points (8-for-17
FG’s, 2-for-7 on 3’s, & 5-of-7 FT’s), 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. He was
especially on early, scoring 15 of his points in the first half. I can’t help
but emphasize that fact that this kid does so many things well on the basketball
court. Rarely do you see him out of control and he is usually extremely
efficient. Though not blessed with blazing foot speed or oodles of athleticism,
it is rare that this prevents him from accomplishing what need to be
accomplished. In fact, you’ll often find him using this to his advantage, as he
routinely lulls opponents to sleep before unleashing the strike. Stefanski got
far too many quality looks and made the Friars pay by sniping for 6-for-12 from
distance. All 18 of his points came from the arc, as he missed his only 2-point
attempt. He always seems to be under control when firing and exemplifies ideal
form. Warning to future opponents – Do not leave him! As most of his makes today
came at just the right time for his team. I distinctly recall his second trey
from the corner coming down with some serious moisture on it. Boy did that shot
have some air under it! Moments later he launched from distance and shot it so
high that it hit a speaker hanging from the roof. Bonner doesn’t have that low
of ceiling. My point is that when you have this kind of arc on a shot, then
you’re always going to give it a reasonable chance of finding a home. Soph. 6’5”
F Larry Loughery only scored 5 points on a 1-for-7 outing from the field,
but he did plenty of the little things to help his club. He finished with team
highs in rebounds (9), assists (5), and Blocks (2). He also added 2 swipes. I
continue to be impressed with tenacity in the paint. Also, his assist total
gives evidence that his floor game is improving. It will be interesting to see
him next year when Redding and Stefanski leave and his scoring becomes much more
needed and important. Jr. PG Matt Griffin (6 points) was feisty all game
long. He dealt four assists and pilfered five. This kid’s expression hardly
changes during the game. I like how he allows things to come to him and rarely
do you see him force the issue. Unsung sr. 6’3” F Mike McCauley chipped
in with four points and 4 rebounds (3 offensive). Not asked to do a ton, his
value usually lies on the defensive end and in the little things department.
Mower claimed all seven of his boards in the second half. Serving as the Hawks’
sixth man, Mower usually enters the game a minute into the second quarter. This
was again true today, but his stay on the court was short-lived as he quickly
found himself next to head coach Speedy Morris after an apparent
defensive lapse. He was guarding Bonner sharpshooter jr. 6’6” Tim Vanderslice
and when he left him during a pick-and-pop, Slice made him pay by burying the
three of a pass from star jr. WG Jeff Jones (Maryland recruit). It was
obvious that this drew the ire of Speedy. The result — just one more missed
three-point attempt by Vanderslice for the rest of the game. The Hawks turned
the ball over three times early, added another one shortly thereafter, and then
that was it until the waning moments when subs committed two more miscues. Six
turnovers are going to win you a lot of ballgames. The Prep shot 8-for-22 from
beyond the arc. The Friars had plenty of energy early. They were playing
competitively, smart, and together. This lasted for about the first 21 minutes,
but from this point on things got unglued and any sort of cohesiveness was few
and far between. The high scoring Jones finished with just 15 points on 5-for-13
shooting. He managed only one make from distance on six attempts. The Prep,
especially Stefanski did a really nice job of not allowing him to get the ball
in comfortable positions. Despite the below average output in the scoring column
I did think Jeff did a better job of letting the game come to him and getting
his teammates more involved. He collected 6 rebounds and had three first half
assists when the game was close. Vanderslice provided a spark off the bench and
scored 11 points on 3-for-4 (2-of-3 on 3’s) shooting from the field. He also hit
all three of his foul shots. It looked like he regained some of his confidence
that has been missing lately and he appeared really relaxed on the shots he did
take. The problem though was that he had a difficult time getting the ball in
good scoring position for long stretches, thus shot attempts were scarce. The
Prep paid especially good attention to were he was at all times. If Bonner is
going to capture that last playoff spot that just need to get more production
from sr. 6’7” C Brian Campuzano. Today the big guy missed his only shot
and could only manage one rebound before fouling out. This can’t happen! Sr. WG
Denny Coyne hustled for 5 points (1 trey) and 6 rebounds. Freshman 6’6” F
Elijah Thompson showed some promise in the running and jumping areas. He
appears to have a chance to be a decent player down the road. He missed all four
of his shots, but did block 2 shots and grab 3 rebounds in limited minutes. Jr.
6’4” F Robert Wyley missed the game with an irregular heartbeat. I didn’t
get any further information on how long he would be out. Hopefully this is a
correctable issue and Robert gets back out on the court quickly. Head Coach
Brian Daly continues to sub liberally and all 14 Bonner players played.
Obviously some of this was due to the blowout proportions the game reached in
the late stages. Still, 11 Friars played when the game was still in question.
Bonner shot 8-for-16 from the field in the first half, but just a wintry 4-of-22
after recess. I sat at the far left corner of Bonner’s gym so I could hang out
with Prep statman Joe Donahue. It’s ALWAYS enjoyable to have Joe close by
for stat-keeping purposes, not to mention the abundance of laughs he provides.
Today’s highlight would have to be the chunk of pretzel he fired out of his
mouth that landed on the screen of his trusty laptop. I told him that all of
pretzel eating was interfering with keeping quality stats. I also said that the
last time I saw a pretzel bite that big I was the Marple 10 -- He agreed on both
fronts. Also providing a helping hand was former Prep manager Ned Dillon.
Ned stationed himself to the right of me, wisely keeping another living organism
(Me!) between himself and Mr. D. Thanks for the assistance Ned, much appreciated
and good luck at St. Joe’s!
JAN. 13
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 54, Bonner 49
Yes, this was only the fourth game of the league season for the
Burrs (7-8, 1-3), but they were fully aware that a loss tonight would be
extremely damaging to any kind of playoff hopes. So, with that in mind they
fought tooth and nail with the visiting Friars (8-6, 2-2) and came away with the
MUST win that they needed. Offensively, the teams struggled in the opening
quarter and when it ended the score was tied at six. From there on though, the
play ascended, and overall the fairly sizeable crowd at the Burrdome was treated
to a pretty decent game. A game that saw each team take its turn at an
occasional momentum-seizing spurt. However, with the game knotted at 30-30 at
the end of three, it was the Burrs that ultimately unleashed the game-deciding
run (19-to-9) during the early stages of the fourth quarter. Behind the
sparkling play of sr. 6’2” WG Chris Mayo (More on him to come) the Burrs
were able to withstand some shaky foul shooting and hold on at the end, but not
with out a scare. With under a minute to play the Burrs led comfortably 52-43,
but Bonner star jr. WG Jeff Jones (Maryland recruit) converted
back-to-back three-point plays the old fashioned way and cut the West lead to
52-49 with 7 seconds left. After a timeout, the Burrs attempted a long pass from
underneath their own basket from soph 6’5” F Eric Brennan to Mayo.
Brennan, the quarterback on the Burr football team, fired the pass deep into the
Bonner backcourt, narrowly escaping the low ceiling of the Burrdome. The ball
ended up flying out of bounds, but Mayo was tripped by Bonner’s sr. G Chima
Soribe and a foul was called. Luckily for the Burrs too, because I’m 90%
confident that Mayo would have never reached the ball. Consequently, this would
have given the ball back to Bonner underneath the Burrs’ basket with a chance to
tie. Anyhow, the Burrs caught a break and Mayo calmly sank both freebies for the
five-point advantage. Obviously, I’ve been around the Burrs all season, but the
more I watch Mayo play, the more I become impressed. With so many quality names
in the CL this season, this kid has quietly flown under the radar screen as one
of the league’s more productive players. I see no reason why he shouldn’t be a
D-2 college player, and even Head Coach Bill Ludlow feels that it is
possible that some low 1’s should sneak a peek. Tonight, he scored 25 points on
9-for-15 from the field and 7-for-12 at the line. He absolutely took the game
over early in the fourth quarter, where he made all four of his shots from the
field and scored 11 points in total. He possesses a skill in the lost art
department too, and that is the ability to use the glass on medium range
jumpers. Make no mistake folks, but these shots are planned. Also, his strength
and quickness allow him to be an above-average defender. He also finished with
the game with three apiece of rebounds, assists, and steals. No other Burr had a
fantastic game, but a few had solid-to-beyond solid contributions. Brennan ended
with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. His most timely bucket came in the
form of a trey and immediately followed a Jones’ three-pointer to push the Burr
lead back out to five during their fourth quarter flurry. Sr. F Maurice
Seawright in essence played his best game of the year and contributed 8
points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He had a few nice finishes off passes along
the baseline. Freshman PG Rob Holloman has the look of a goody. Seeing
his first extensive minutes he held his own in a big game. He scored 8 points,
but his most eye-popping stat was just the one turnover he committed in 27
minutes of action. Not an easy thing to do at West and on their small court,
especially for a player that is still rather green. Sr. 6’4” F Courtney
Jackson hustled for 4 points and 6 rebounds in limited minutes after a
couple of Burrs fouled out. He hit two free throws early in the fourth when the
game was tied and this was very encouraging. Sr. 6’5” F Roosevelt Ben
chipped in with 3 boards, 2 steals, and 2 swats. The Burrs got the services of
football star sr. 6’3” F John Maddox (West Virginia recruit) for the
first time tonight. John didn’t light the stat sheet up, missed his only shot
and could only manage two steals in the other stat columns, but he did give
Jones some trouble early with sticky defense. He ended up fouling out when he
picked up two fouls (one on a charge) in a matter of seconds with 2:51 left in
the third quarter. Though I think John will contribute more in the statistical
sense than he did tonight, his value will probably be noticed more so on the
defensive end, where he is very capable of giving the best of offensive talents
trouble. West played without a starter in jr. CG Jerome McRae who sat out
with stitches above his eye from an injury suffered in practice the day before.
For the Friars, Jones was a one-man show for large stretches. He scored 20 of
the first 24 Friar points and finished the game with 31 points. He shot
11-for-28 (1-of-8 on 3’s) and 8-for-8 from the line. Jones is blessed with
incredible offensive skills and can score from anywhere on the court. He is
especially adept at shooting off the dribble and getting to certain spots on the
floor. I also like the way he uses his body to create space (sometimes a little
too much) and then to draw contact, allowing himself the opportunity to get to
the line. This kid as a serious scorer’s edge and he knows what he’s doing in
that sense when the ball is in his hands. However, if I have a concern,
especially for an ACC-level player, it is his inability at the moment to make
his teammates better, as well as doing some of the other things that would make
him a more complete player. Tonight, he did grab a modest five rebounds, but
only had one assist. For a player that has his hands on the ball so much I would
like to see this number increase. I think it would not only serve Jeff better as
he progresses in his career, but also serve the Bonner team better. I’m sure
he’ll improve on this as he and his game matures. As for the rest of the Friars
not much was achieved. Their second scoring option is jr. 6’6” F Tim
Vanderslice (5 rebounds, 2 assists), who does possess a nice outside touch.
However, on this night he could get nothing to fall and shot just 1-for-10 from
the floor for 4 points. I wouldn’t mind seeing Slice move in a bit closer when
the outside shot fails to go down. He does have some height, so some inside
success could probably be had. Sr. 6’7” F Brian Campuzano managed 6
points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks. More production should probably be had from
him too. He needed to realize that he was the biggest player on the floor. I
though his tentativeness held him back from further production. In this game,
first-year coach Brian Daly used ten players and in my estimation that
was at least two too many, maybe three. To his defense many of the fringe kids
exhibit the same skill level. But I’m more or less talking about getting kids in
the flow of the game and sometimes that becomes difficult when using so many
players. I thought that jr. 6’4” F Robert Wyley (4 points, 6 rebounds, 2
steals) probably could have used a few more minutes. He has some bounce in his
step and athleticism to go with it. Twice he used his quickness to score on put
backs. The Friars kept themselves in the game with an excellent showing from the
charity stripe (14-for-15). As good as they were from the foul line, that’s how
poor they were from distance, shooting just 1-for-15. Many former Burr football
and basketball players were in the house to cheer on their former school.
Current Notre Dame gridiron player Derrell Hand was among them. I noticed
that he appeared to be slimmed down some and he told me that he’s currently at a
lean 280 lbs. Must not have too many KFC’s in South Bend, smile!!!
JAN. 2
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 64, West 30
With about 20 seconds
remaining roughly a third of the lights went out in the Burrdome; for West (6-6,
0-1) it didn’t happen soon enough. There were many stretches in this contest
that were extremely difficult on the eyes, even when the lights were shining. By
just looking at the score one can tell that the Burrs brought far less than an
A-game, but even the Roman (11-1, 1-0) faithful would have to admit that their
team didn’t play well either, despite the 34-point spread. The Burrs did
something in this game that these eyes never witnessed before and it wasn’t
good. West committed more turnovers (34) than they scored points. Phew! The
reasons for this run far and wide—lack of a confident/seasoned floor general,
the closet-like feel that the Burrdome often exudes, and quite simply sloppy and
ragged play. However, playing a BIG part in all the Burr miscues was the
suffocating and swarming nature of the pressure the Cahillites put on the Burrs
once they got over halfcourt. Believe me when I tell you, but it looked like
Roman had seven, or eight defenders out there at times. This Roman squad in
terms of overall quickness and athleticism is as good as I have seen in a while.
They were extremely active with their hands, as they almost routinely got their
paws on passes and drives to thwart West opportunities. The Cahillites made a
resounding 24 steals in the game. Many of these swipes led to easy buckets,
especially in the late going. Believe it or not, but halfway through the third
quarter Roman owned just a 28-17 lead. The Burrs, with an opportunity to get
within double-digits, failed, and then Roman ended the quarter with a 12-0 run
to seize total command. Offensively, most of Roman’s success resulted from the
steals and turnovers. They were sluggish to say the least in a half-court set.
Capitalizing often in transition was sr. 6’6” F Mike Ringgold who scored
a game-high 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds (5 offensive), and made three steals.
This kid thrives on the run and along the baseline. He is extremely quick and
agile. I hear low D-1’s are in pursuit and they should be, though his perimeter
game still needs some refining. Right now it looks like he does what his team
needs him to do, so future success in this area is hardly out of the question.
On a roster littered with long, lean, smooth, and athletic swingmen, jr. 6’3”
Bradley Wanamaker just might be the cream of the crop. However, tonight we
saw little of what Brad is capable of because of early foul trouble, followed by
a touch of frustration that led him to press some in hopes of recapturing the
time he spent on the pine. He missed his first ten shots (2-for-13 FG’s in game)
with a handful of them coming from in close. He did score 7 of his 8 points
during a quick fourth quarter flurry. Included in this was a rim-rattling wolf
in transition. You got the sense that he unleashed a lot of his earlier
frustrations on the slam. He also added 6 boards and 2 apiece of steals and
assists. This kid is very talented; so don’t expect too many more sub par
performances. Sr. PG Raymond “Noodles” Sims had a so-so outing. He did
score 10 points (4-for-4 FT’s) and pilfered seven, but overall his floor game
was shaky at best (just 2 assists). He also committed 8 of the 21 Roman
turnovers. This is far too many for a kid whose talents suggest that he could be
a low D-1 player. In one sequence during the first quarter he turned the ball
over four times in five possessions. This quickly got him a brief stint on the
bench. I’ll attribute some of the TO’s to the wild nature of the game, but I
still think that he sometimes goes out of his way to make the sensational/flashy
play, instead of the easy one. On a positive side, I really like the way he
handles the rock and the intelligent pressure he puts on the opposing point
guard. He’s a lefty with a strong body, so I imagine he’ll continue to garner
some decent looks for the next level. Make no mistake about this though; I
believe that he more than likely holds the key to how much the Cahillites
challenge N-G and SJP for CL supremacy. What I mean by this is that if Roman
can get a solid floor game from him on a nightly basis, then there is no reason
why they shouldn’t be able to play with anymore into the late stages of a big
game at a minimum. Jr. 6’2” WG Brian Wanamaker, Bradley’s twin brother
is very active defensively and even looks to have developed some offensive
polish to his game. He hustled for 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 assists
for a nice all-around line. He is a role player with some skill and he could be
very instrumental in Roman’s success this season. Sr. 6’3” F Rockeed McCarter,
a D-1 football prospect rounds out the Cahillite starting five. This kid just
oozes energy off the glass. He lifted his team early on when he scored 7 of his
9 points. He also added 3 blocks, while six of his seven rebounds came at the
offensive end. Promising soph 6’3” F Will Kirkland chipped in with 6
rebounds and 2 steals in some active minutes off the bench. His twin brother
Wes is another Roman reserve with potential. Jr. 6’3” F Mark Reeves
snatched six boards in just four minutes of action in the latter stages.
Personally, I like this group of Cahillites much more so than some of their more
recent teams in terms of challenging for the top spot. No, they’re not a team
without deficiencies, as outside shooting (22-for-61 (36.1%) FG’s and 0-for-5
from arc) could pose a problem at some point, but I really like the way they get
after it. One thru twelve you would be hard-pressed to find a more athletic or
quicker team than them. Not much to say about the Burrs in this game, but some
praise has to be given to sr. 6’2” WG Chris Mayo and how hard he played.
He scored his teams’ first 13 points and finished with 15 for the game. He did
so with a respectable 6-for-13 shooting performance despite having multiple
Cahillites running at him every time he touched the ball. No other Burr hit the
scoreboard until soph. 6’5” F Eric Brennan put back a shot with 4:23 left
in the THIRD quarter. Brennan finished with 6 points, 4 boards, 3 steals, and 3
swats. West played without jr. CG Jerome McRae who had oral surgery
earlier in the day and was told not to play by the surgeon.
DEC. 22
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 46, Academy Park 44
On Dec. 16 the Burrs were (0-4) and preparing for their fifth game of
the season that evening against International Christian. They ended up beating
IC for their first win of the year. Since then they have also beaten Wood and
McDevitt. Tonight, they slipped past the Knights (3-6) for their fourth win in a
week’s time and now sit at the .500 mark (4-4). Sure, the competition hasn’t
been overwhelming, but three of the games were on the road and for a team
just/still learning to play together this is a nice accomplishment. They have
much to be proud of, for it would’ve been really easy for them to bury their
heads and feel sorry for themselves. Things had a serious defensive tone early,
as West led 6-4 after one quarter. In that stanza the teams combined to shoot a
less than spectacular (4-for-20). Things heated up a little over the next
quarters and the Burrs had a 32-26 lead heading into the final stanza. The
fourth quarter was a far cry from the ho-hum play of the first three quarters.
During the second half of the final quarter the teams began to trade baskets
that turned a once subdued crowd into an extremely spirited and loud audience.
To this point the Burrs' zone defense had shackled AP’s leading scorer sr. WG
Roger Thomas into a 0-for-5 night. Then, seemingly out of nowhere he hit
back-to-back corner treyballs to give the Knights a 41-40 lead. With just over a
minute left, West sr. WG 6’2” Chris Mayo drove into the lane for short
runner. The shot missed, but remarkably Mayo soared over a Knight defender to
tip home his own missed shot. This was a sensational play and it gave West a
43-41 lead. Shortly thereafter, soph. 6’5” F Eric Brennan was fouled on a
drive and in clutch manner sunk the two freebies for 45-41 lead. AP’s next
possession produced a misfire and Mayo was fouled with 18 seconds left. However,
he missed the front-end of a one-and-one and off the rebound Thomas dribbled
down and canned a NBA-distant three with 11 seconds left to make the score 45-44
West. After a timeout West tried a long pass to Mayo that was nearly
intercepted, but the ball caromed right to Mayo, who was fouled with 5 ticks
remaining. This was a two-shot foul as AP was over the limit. Mayo could only
convert one to put West up two, 46-44. After the make on Mayo’s second shot
Thomas dribbled hard up the middle of the court and let fly with a running,
contested three-pointer that was off well to the right at the buzzer. Once again
Mayo was a chief headliner for the Burrs, and for the fourth time this year he
managed a double-double. Tonight, he went for 20 points and 11 rebounds (10
boards in 2nd half). He was much more aggressive and assertive tonight. In fact,
he single-handedly kept the Burrs afloat in the first half. The Burrs other star
tonight was Brennan, who played despite hurting the ring finger on his right
hand prior to the game. It was obvious that the hand was painful and an
annoyance all game long. It severely limited his ability to handle and catch the
rock. Many times he caught the ball with his left hand and his right forearm.
Still, showing plenty of toughness he made more than his share of clutch plays
down the stretch. Aside from the important foul shots he deposited, twice he
took his man off the dribble, got into the lane, and scored on in-close shots.
For the game was 5-for-7 (made his last five shots) from the field and finished
with 12 points. He also dealt four assists and made two blocks. Gutsy effort
kid! Jr. G Jerome McCrae chipped in with 8 points (3-for-4 FG’s) and 6
rebounds. Jr. PG Dennis Shaw was active in limited minutes, and scored
four points, had 4 rebounds, and made a couple of steals. His play has been
improving as of late. After the poor shooting first quarter, the Burrs made
17-of-31 shots over the final three quarters. They did commit too many turnovers
(19 for the game), but some of this probably was attributed to fatigue. They
were playing their third game in four nights. On top of that the three players
that handle the ball the most (Mayo, Brennan, and McCrae) rarely left the floor
in the last two games. The Knights are much improved from last year’s club. They
have some really nice athletes and players who can run the floor. Thomas (9
points, 3-for-10 FG’s, 3-for-8 on treys) could be a nice wing player at the D-3
level. The lefty gets good elevation on his jump shot and has a strong body. I
REALLY LIKED jr. strongman 6’3” Levi Tucker. This kid was a beast on the
block and displayed a feathery touch as well. He ended with 17 points (7-for-13
FG’s) and 10 rebounds. He is definitely one to keep an eye on.
DEC. 21
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 55, McDevitt 52 (OT)
The Burrs (3-4) needed overtime to slip past the Lancers (5-3) in a
hard-fought road victory. This was the third straight win for the Burrs after
four losses to start the season. West never trailed during regulation, and had
an early eight-point lead. Later, they had a seven-point advantage (40-33) at
the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, they could not run away and hide
from the Lancers, who were gritty all night. McDevitt actually had the ball with
the game tied at 44-44. Holding for a final opportunity the Lancers threw an
errant pass that was stolen by WC’s sr. WG Chris Mayo, who drove hard to
the basket and was fouled. Mayo calmly sunk two foul shots to give the Burrs a
46-44 lead with 18 seconds left. McDevitt countered right back when sr. PG
Mike Swoyer drove swiftly down the right-side of the lane and scored on a
lay up with 12 seconds remaining. After a timeout the Burrs turned the ball over
and McDevitt got one last opportunity with 2.8 seconds left. Inbounding from
three-quarters of the court away the Lancers got the ball to sr. 6’3” F Bill
Murphy, who dribbled once and them threw up a 25-foot heave from the right
sideline. The shot missed, but it drew iron and was much closer than the Burrs
would have wanted it to be. Right off the opening tap of OT, Swoyer was fouled
on a drive and converted one of two free throws to give the Lancers had their
first lead of night at 47-46. Later, with the scored tied 49-49, the Burrs took
the lead for good on a nice baseline drive and bucket by jr. G Jerome McCrae.
With 24 seconds left in OT the Lancers sr. WG Tom Maha had a chance to
tie the game, but missed the first of his two fouls shots. Thereafter, McCrae (5
assists) came up huge twice from the charity stripe to secure the win. He
converted both ends of two 1-and-1 situations at 20.7 seconds and 8.6 seconds.
The second 1-and-1 was preceded by a steal that he made to spoil a McDevitt
chance at a game-tying trey. The Lancers scored with 3 seconds left, but were
out of timeouts and the Burrs didn’t even in-bound the ball and the clock
expired. McCrae’s final six points gave him ten for the game, thus giving the
Burrs their third straight game with the same three players in double-figures.
Soph. 6’5” F Eric Brennan poured in 16 of his game-high 20 points in the
second and third quarters. He shot 8-for-16 (2-for-5 on 3’s) from the field.
Lost in the shuffle with all of the late game excitement was a critical trey he
nailed from deep in the corner to end the third quarter. This gave West a 38-33
lead. He also added 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Mayo (5-for-7 FG’s)
chipped in with 14 points and swept 13 boards (5 offensive). He also dealt 4
assists and made 4 steals. In the end his numbers were more than acceptable, but
I still think he can do more. He made his only shot of the second half, good,
but he’s their best player and I just think he can be a little more assertive at
given times. More than one shot in a half needs to be taken. He’s unselfish,
which is a good thing, but sometimes this holds him back in my opinion. I don’t
know if it’s a confidence issue or not, but this kid can play a little, and at
times I get the feeling that he doesn’t see himself as the type of go-to guy
that his team will need him to be. Maybe it was fatigue too, as he, Brennan, and
McCrae all played the entire 36 minutes. Freshman PG Curtis Drake had a
solid game and scored 8 points, knocking down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Sr.
6’4” F Courtney Jackson hustled for four rebounds and 3 blocks. The Burrs
shot 50% (20-for-40) from the field. The Lancers played hard and were into the
game throughout. They overcame a shaky start that saw them miss their first 12
shots from the field. Sr. 6’5” F Toure Wright is long and very bouncy. He
finished with 17 points (6-for-10 FG’s, 5-for-8 FT’s), 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Though he missed three freebies he did demonstrate good form. He looks like he’s
a late-bloomer, so D-3’s should take notice. Swoyer, the team’s leading scorer,
had a so-so outing. He struggled with his shooting (2-for-11) and managed just 9
points (5-for-6 FT’s). He did mix in 5 assists and 3 rebounds, and was
persistent in the late going taking it to the basket. He scored or drew a foul
on a few occasions during important times. Murphy is your typical Northern
Division banger who appears to be very strong. He’s not all blood and guts
though, as he demonstrated a little skill too. He finished with 13 points and 3
boards. Sr. 6’2” F Tom Clarke hustled for 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Maha
(8 points, 3 steals, 3 rebs) hit a loonnnngggg trey early and then deposited a
couple of timely buckets late. It was good to see Head Coach Jack Rutter
on the sidelines again. He brings plenty of passion and spirit to gymnasium and
more importantly to his players. I wish him continuous good health and hopefully
a playoff spot by year’s end. During the JV game I got to chat with former
Cardinal O’Hara football star and current Purdue player Anthony Heygood.
Ant is good buddies with Brennan’s older brother, John, who helps West
with scorekeeping duties. He expressed that everything was good in Lafayette and
that even though he saw considerable time this year that next year promises to
be even better. We wish him continual success!
DEC. 19
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 55, Wood 37
The Burrs (2-4) cruised to a 22-point victory and quite
honestly the game wasn’t even that close. The Vikings (0-6) lost a lot from last
year’s CL North regular season champion team, but this outcome, especially the
final margin, was surprising to these eyes. The game was at Wood and that is
traditionally a tough place to play. On top of that the Burrs didn’t enter the
game exactly setting the world on fire, and though the Vikings were winless in
six outings, they had been competitive to a degree with an average defeat of
just 5.7 points. Sr. G Jim Malatesta countered a three-pointer by West’
sr. WG Chris Mayo early on to knot the game 3-3, then it appeared that
Jack Frost perched himself on top of the Wood basket. In eye-popping fashion the
Burrs rung up the next 24 points for a 27-3 advantage. Nearly nine-minutes
evaporated off the clock until the Vikings scored again. They missed fourteen
straight shots during this sequence -- brrrrr, or should I say Burrrr. Whatever
the case, it got extremely frigid on that end of the court. West led 34-13 at
recess and their largest lead swelled to 27 points by the end of the third
quarter at 50-23. Head Coach Bill Ludlow got a contribution from just
about everyone who played. He had to be extremely pleased with their effort
tonight. For the first time all year you got the sense that roles were being
defined and kids were beginning to feel comfortable playing with one another.
Leading the way again for West were; Mayo, jr. CG Jerome McCrae, and soph.
6’5” F Eric Brennan. For the second straight game all three reached
double-figures. McCrae led all scorers with 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting. He
also added 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists. A big thing for this kid is
playing with confidence. When he does, he allows himself to get to spots on the
floor where he can be successful. He has been especially effective with
mid-range pull-ups and slashing/spinning moves in the lane. Brennan was next
with 13 points. He struggled with his shot early, but rebounded nicely later on,
scoring 9 of his points in the second half. He also claimed 8 rebounds and
showed some toughness doing it against a physical Viking squad. Mayo (4-for-8,
FG’s) finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. He was saddled with
some foul difficulty, but was productive nonetheless. Freshman PG Curtis
Drake scored seven points (3-for-5 FG’s, 1 trey) and had three assists. A
couple of these dimes were extremely shiny. One was a no-look, laser of a pass
threaded through the Vikings’ zone defense that found a streaking Mayo along the
baseline for a bucket. Impressive! This kid still needs some refinement, but
after only two games I really like the confidence and the sense of belonging he
exhibits. Jr. PG Dennis Shaw came off the bench and played his best game
of the year. He hustled for four points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. This is the
kind of effort that Ludlow needs from the cat-quick guard on a regular basis.
Sr. F Maurice Seawright seeing only his second action of the season since
football ended showed policeman-type skills. He actually knocked down a trey
after stepping off of the gravy train (smile) and hustled for a couple of
rebounds, assists, and a block. Nice effort! The Burrs made their headway with a
one turnover first half and an 8-for-12 shooting performance in the second
quarter. For the game they finished a respectable 22-for-46 (47.8%) from the
field. The Burrs played without sr. 6’5” F Roosevelt Ben, who will be
sidelined indefinitely with back miseries. The Vikings' two holdovers from last
year’s formidable squad are Malatesta (3-for-12, 7 points) and sr. F 6’3”
Chris Crawford (2-for-13, 9 points). And when your two most experienced
players shoot a combined 5-for-25, then you just know that you’re in trouble.
Many of their looks were clean; they just didn’t fall on this night. In
Crawford’s defense he was a late addition to the lineup after injuring his arm
in a previous game. He played with a bandage around his right elbow. Despite his
shooting troubles, I applaud his effort off the glass where he claimed 11
rebounds (6 offensive). On a handful of occasions he hustled after his own miss.
He also added 3 assists. Sr. PG John Schwartz scored 9 points and grabbed
6 rebounds (4 offensive) off the bench. He displayed plenty of grit in doing so.
The Vikes will need to get more production from jr. 6’6” F Fran Brzyski,
who went scoreless and managed just three rebounds. Wood features four prominent
members of their CL Blue championship football team on their roster. They are;
sr. F Mike Gallagher (6 rebounds), jr’s PG Pat Devlin, F Pat
McAfee, and G Kevin Lynn. Wood was an icy 10-for-50 (20.0%) from the
field. Ironically, the number of the quarter is the number of field goals the
Vikings produced in that particular quarter. Only a goofball like myself would
notice something like that, but hey, everyone's good at something.
DEC. 16
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 70, International Christian 66
This baby had a serious flavor to it, and that flavor would be none
other than—PUB!! It’s not unusual that the cozy confines of the Burrdome produce
a wild and hectic game, but this one had all of the earmarks of a game from the
other league. It had creative, but often wild play, end-to-end action with large
periods of sloppiness, wild shots (even though some were successful), a bushel
of turnovers, and even a semi-climatic finish. The teams combined for 131 shots
and 45 turnovers, whoa! So, as you can see it was far from the cleanest of
contests, but boy did it keep the statman busy, and that is always a good thing.
The Burrs (1-4) captured their first win of the year, but had to hang on to do
so. The Titans (2-2) used a 23-13 fourth quarter to make it respectable. Before
that West led by as many as 17 points, and actually had a seemingly comfortable
advantage throughout the second, third, and first half of the fourth quarter.
The Burrs placed a trio of players in double-figures. Leading way was sr. WG
Chris Mayo with 19 points (6-for-16 FG’s, 6-for-9 FT’s), 14 rebounds, 6
assists, and 3 steals. Not bad line for the West headliner, but even he would
admit that it could have been better, especially the point total as he missed a
handful of chippies. Soph. 6’5” F Eric Brennan also finished with a nice
line. He scored 17 points (7-for-13, FG’s), grabbed 6 rebounds, dealt 6 assists,
made 4 steals, and blocked 3 shots. Brennan still appears to be shedding the
rust from football season, but it will be interesting to see how he progresses
over the next couple of months. He has an array of skills and there is much to
like. Jr. CG Jerome McCrae (5 rebounds) used an assortment of nifty
drives and short pull-ups to score 19 points (8-for-13, FG’s). As I expected he
seemed to thrive in a more up tempo game where he just had to react without
thinking too much. The good news concerning West big people, sr. F’s 6’5”
Roosevelt Ben (4 boards, 2 blocks) and 6’5” Courtney Jackson (6
boards, 3 blocks), was that they didn’t take any unnecessary perimeter jump
shots that have plagued them some during the first four games. However, the bad
news was that they went a combined 2-for-13 on in-close shots. This needs to
improve if the Burrs plan on having any success once league play rolls around.
In fact, that entire West team missed their share of layups. As a team they
attempted 65 shots; just six were from the arc and there were few mid-range
jumpers in that total. So, as you can see many of their misses were at or near
the rim. A Catholic League record might have been achieved tonight when freshman
PG Curtis Drake, seeing his first varsity action, scored his first points
just three seconds into the game. He broke free and easily scored off the
opening tap from Mayo. It’s hard to imagine another player scoring so quickly to
begin a career, especially a freshman. Drake, who also starred as the Burr QB on
their undefeated freshman team, had a decent game and showed some promise. He
finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 apiece of assists and steals. I expect
him to improve with more playing time and a couple of years from now he could
become a solid CL point guard. IC is not a Public League member, but they do
reside in Olney. They weren’t a great team by any stretch, but they had some
athletes and played extremely loose. I was really impressed with sr. 6’3” SF
Justin Kinsey, who possessed a strong/rugged body and a scorer’s touch. He
pumped home 15 of his team-high 19 points after intermission. He also added 6
rebounds and 2 steals. Other double-digit scorer’s for the Titans were jr. F
Omar Keese (11) and sr. G Reggis Burgos (10 – two 3’s). Sr. G
Keith Watkins had an active game with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2
steals.
DEC. 11
NON-LEAGUE
Ryan 36, West Catholic 34
I’m struggling to find
gentle words to describe this affair, but the best I can muster up right now is that this
was extremely hard on the eyes. Prior to the game I said that the first team to 40 points
wins. Well, not exactly, as it actually only took 36 points. The teams combined to miss 55
of 82 shots. On top of that, smooth and efficient play was almost non-existent. In the
end, Ryan (3-0) made the plays it needed to secure the win. They did so even though the
Burrs (0-3) had what seemed like a comfortable 27-18 lead midway through the third
quarter. Ryan won the game on sr. WG Mike
Varanavage’s driving lay up with just 3 seconds left. The Raiders weaved the ball around the perimeter
for 30 seconds before Varanavage made his drive to the right and then scooped a shot off
of the glass. The Burrs actually got a quality look to end the game. Sophomore 6’5”
Eric Brennan fired a length of the court pass
from underneath his own basket. The ball found junior CG Jerome McCrae (6 points, 4 assists) along the deep
left sidelines. McCrae took one dribble towards the baseline and then launched a contested
16-foot jumper that fell just a tad long. Earlier, the game was tied at 34-34 when West’
sr. WG Chris Mayo buried a highly contested
straight-on three-pointer. Mayo had not one, but two hands in his face by a couple of Ryan
defenders. The shot was a thing of beauty as it tickled nothing but twine on its way
through. This basket preceded Varanavage’s heroics and came with 37 seconds left.
Amazingly, these were the Burrs’ first and only points of the fourth quarter.
Varanavge, who had a dreadful shooting game, made a few clutch plays in the game’s
final moments. He began the game an icy 1-for-12 (0-for-7, 3’s), but connected on his
last three shots. During this sequence he made a critical steal and bucket to push Ryan’s
lead to 34-31. He was the only Raider to finish in double-digits with 10 points. He also
had a team-high 6 rebounds. He puts a nice arc on his jumper, but today was either
slightly short, or a tad long. A quality football player he does bring a degree of
toughness to the court. Sr. 6’3” F Jon
Bruce likes to roam along the baseline. Today he managed 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3
steals, and 2 assists. Sr. 6’8” C Kevin
Hudgeons picked up two early fouls and never got into the flow. He had just 4 points
and 3 blocks. I thought that sr. F Greg Williams
(3 steals, 3 rebs.) was very instrumental in Ryan’s comeback run. This kid spent a
stretch mopping the floor with his uniform during the third quarter. He picked up four
points, a couple of rebounds and assists, and a steal in a matter of minutes that really
lifted the Raiders. Ryan didn’t do much offensively (2-for-18 from the arc), but if
there is one area that Head Coach Bernie Rogers
can be proud of it was the fact that they only committed five turnovers. Meanwhile, the
Burrs turned the ball over 18 times and I can honestly say that is what did them in. For
the third straight game West had a difficult time getting off to a good start. Today, they
were a frigid 2-for-13 in the first quarter. They too only managed to place one scorer in
double-figures, as Mayo was the game’s leading scorer with 11 points. He also hustled
for 13 rebounds (5 offensive). It repeats saying, so I will, he needs to take more shots.
Today, he was just 4-for-9 (2-for-2 on 3’s), and in my opinion he should be around 14
or 15 shots a game. Sr. 6’5” F Courtney
Jackson (4 rebounds) was next in line with 8 points. Brennan added 7 points and 6
rebounds. West won the battle on the glass 31-to-19.
DEC.
8
NON-LEAGUE
Conestoga 60, West Catholic 42
The Burrs (0-2) have
had an ominous start to their season and played this one with just nine varsity members
dressed. The West roster has been decimated
by an assortment of reasons so far. The entire program took a hit when multiple, and I
mean multiple, players became ineligible at the end of the first marking period for
academic and conduct woes. To complicate matters even more, Division-I football
player, sr. F 6’3” John Maddox, has
decided not to play hoops this winter. This is a considerable loss for head coach Bill Ludlow and his staff. Another player, jr. WG Mike Williams, who could add depth to this team,
is out until January with a broken arm suffered during football season. These types of
setbacks are nothing new to Ludlow and his staff, but this year they just seem to be
happening all at once. Anyhow, the show must go on and tonight the Burrs had to travel to
Berwyn to take on a solid and experienced Conestoga (1-2) club. The Burrs shot miserably
in the opening stanza (1-for-11) and quickly fell behind 12-5. The Pioneers would keep the Burrs at distance for
the most part, but West hung in there and battled hard throughout. Early in the fourth
quarter they got to within seven, at 42-35. Still, there just weren’t enough bullets
in the chamber to stage a late in the game comeback on this night. Conestoga ended the
game with an 18-7 spurt. The Burrs headliner is sr. 6’2” WG Chris Mayo, a four-year varsity performer for
West. After a subpar performance this past
Sunday versus North Catholic, Mayo played extremely well in this game. He shot 7-for-11
(one three) from the field and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe for a game-high 23 points.
Three or four times he had lovely finishes around the basket over taller defenders. Mayo is extremely quick, and Ludlow proclaims that
he is as strong as any guard he has ever had. The
Burrs options on the offensive end are limited right now, so he may need him to take a few
more shots. The problem is that he is also their best defender, so it is going to be hard
for one player to expend so much energy on both ends of the court. On top of his scoring, Mayo also added 5 rebounds
and 5 steals. No other Burr did much of anything; like Mayo, promising soph.
6’5” Eric Brennan and jr. CG Jerome McCrae played the entire 32 minutes. McCrae
(7) and Brennan (6) were next in the scoring columns. The Pioneers have a trio of
productive seniors in WG Brendan Hager,
6’4” F Matt Fazzini, and
6’2” 250 lbs F Brandon Winters. All
three went for double-digits. Hager is a silky smooth shooter that needs little time to
hoist. He shot 4-for-5 (2-for-2 3’s) and 8-for-9 (6-for-6 in 4th) from the line for
18 points. He also dished six dimes. Fazzini (6 rebounds) contributed 15 points
on 6-for-9 marksmanship, including 3-of-4 from distance. Winters, also a
football headliner is a
bully in the paint. He
possesses soft hands and good feet. He added 13 points and 3 steals. The
Pioneers are a nice club. They are patient and deliberate on offense. They
seemingly always make the extra pass, look for each other, and take good shots.
This explains why they shot 21-for-35 (60.0%) from the field for the game. They
should be very competitive in the Central League this year.