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Originally Posted by Kwak The men's basketball team do deserve that thumbs down based on their late performance. Like come on, 75% miss overall?! This season is pretty much done and seems like they either need a new coach, new players, a better team captain, or something because their losing streak is going to make our school team a laughing stock. Man, I hope the other sports team (volleyball, track, baseball, and etc.) are/will doing great.
I appreciate the basketball updates. |
kwak,
ordinarily when a team goes into a nosedive like this you call out your seniors and challenge them to step up. sadly, this year's team only has one recruited senior, hervey malone II, who ranks first in minutes played and shots taken but near the bottom (ie, 7th or 8th) of the team in all of the far more important efficiency categories of shooting (FG, 3PT, FT) as was previously noted.
it is becoming increasingly clear that our lack of a point guard who can deny penetration and impede ball distribution has been huge. the last effective point we had was jonathan williams who played two years ago. last year coach k. frequently put the all-purpose 6-7 david sybesma at point to create and it worked.
the bonus for this team was jonathan boyd walked on without recruiting money and has bloomed into the team's most effective scorer. that's the good news. the bad is he, like malone, are shooting guards who cannot physically break down the opponent's point on penetration plays. that allows the other guy to get easy baskets. it also means that you frequently have two guys who play the 2 position on the floor at the same time.
the evidence now is clear that hervey thrived as a role player in support of two superstars who have graduated but cannot handle the mantle of leadership. as an underclassman he was outright nasty as a defender, one of the best i've seen at this level. now....well, the numbers speak for themselves. and it is the team leader who is the glue who inspires the young kids to step up.
coach kamansky has few options. melvyn has been streaky. he can score 22 one night and then not show up the next. dion can be erratic in his shotmaking. and larry, a true freshman, is just months distant from playing high school ball over at montclair. he needs time to grow and learn. coach can teach but he can't play the game for the team. they have to find it within themselves to show some class, some spirit, and dedicate the rest of the season lest it crumble into the worst team coach k. ever has coached. this team was nationally ranked at the start of the campaign. it was defending regional and conference champion. and, as lakdod has noted the team can play with the best DII team in the nation, western washington.
will a leader emerge? it all begins tomorrow night at kellogg gym.