This game was painful to watch from start to finish. Both teams had to shoot around 20% and I believe NCC went around 2 for 14 from the free throw line !!!!!!!! At one point they missed 10 straight. This was like watching a 3rd grade girls game, except I don't want to insult the girls.

 

Side note Kiernan went down in the third with a knee or ankle injury. Sure hope he's ok young man has a bright future at UL

This game was painful to watch from start to finish. Both teams had to shoot around 20% and I believe NCC went around 2 for 14 from the free throw line !!!!!!!! At one point they missed 10 straight. This was like watching a 3rd grade girls game, except I don't want to insult the girls.

 

Side note Kiernan went down in the third with a knee or ankle injury. Sure hope he's ok young man has a bright future at UL

 

Good observation! I'll follow with the good and the bad for both teams. Hint: It won't take long for the good.

This is at least the 3rd year in a row where NC guards have not handled CCH's pressure and it hurt them.

 

FT shooting was putrid for NC .

 

Kiernan went down with the score tied with 3:30 left in the 3rd.

 

Somehow, despite the above, NC hung in there.

 

Ugly, ugly game.

 

Good effort, though, by both teams. They busted their humps.

Random thoughts:

 

If CovCath is the best the 9th region has to offer (and I suspect they might be) then this is a really down year for the region. I guess one saving thought is that CovCath might not be up to speed yet because of football going long so I'll hold off declaring this the worst 9th region has been overall in a long time for now.

 

It would have been interesting to see how this one would have turned out if Kiernan did not go down with the knee injury with the score tied at 24 in the third quarter. However, he isn't exactly money from the foul line so that would not have changed for NCC.

 

Now for the Good:

 

1. CovCath's guards play excellent harassing defense. Basically their pressing saved the game for them and kept them from defeat. Give them an A.

 

2. NCC's Kiernan dominated on both ends of the floor until he went down with the knee injury in the third period. Kind of strange that NCC needs him to bring the ball up the floor, but hey ride the big horse until he can't go anymore I guess.

 

The Bad:

 

1. CovCath inside game is below par which is strange for them.

 

2. NCC guard ball handling is really shaky all over the floor. Plus they can't get it to Kiernan.

 

3. NCC can't make a foul shot to save their life. And it is not like they go in and out. They clank them real bad.

 

4. CovCath is patient but sometimes you just got to let it fly and play ball. How can you be trailing in the 4th quarter against a 1 win team that can't make a foul shot, can't get the ball up the floor, has their main offensive weapon out of the game injured, has the other two big men with 4 fouls, and is playing their third game in four days?

Answer: You let them hang around because you play to not lose instead of playing to win.

 

5. If I were NCC its a little late to find ball handlers and foul shooters, so I guess you jump on Kiernan's back and see what happens. Only problem is he gets in foul trouble or injured you are probably sunk.

 

6. If i were CovCath I'd give the football guys time to get in the flow but I would also be thinking of Plan B because this team isn't going to scare anyone and if they run into a team that can handle the ball against their defensive pressure..............its party over.

 

It would have been interesting to see how this one would have turned out if Kiernan did not go down with the knee injury with the score tied at 24 in the third quarter. However, he isn't exactly money from the foul line so that would not have changed for NCC.

 

.

 

I was surprised to see Kiernan playing out high so often when no one was strong enough to guard him inside. He seems to fancy himself as a 3. Too often he had the ball above the foul line, put the ball on the floor and then dished it off. I'd have him 3 feet and in until someone proved they could stop him.

1. CovCath inside game is below par which is strange for them.

 

2.r.

 

No doubt CCH is a perimeter-oriented team right now. Even their 4s are outside guys who can shoot and put the ball on the floor. With Schult out, its even more of an outside-dominated team.

 

I'd like to see an inverted post with TJ posted up. When he gets the ball inside , you have so many options.

I was surprised to see Kiernan playing out high so often when no one was strong enough to guard him inside. He seems to fancy himself as a 3. Too often he had the ball above the foul line, put the ball on the floor and then dished it off. I'd have him 3 feet and in until someone proved they could stop him.

 

Trouble with that is NCC guards would never get it to him if he stayed low with the pressure CovCath put on them. It was almosy out of necessity to get the ball high in this game because otherwise it would just be a turnover.

 

NCC didn't even get a shot off an trailed 6-0 before Kiernan went coast to coast for 2.

NCC was 0-12 on free throws. Ugly game for both teams. Colonel Crazies were pretty pathetic as well. NCC had a nice student section my hat goes off to them.

To verify, Kiernan had a right knee injury, which had bothered him during the football season. I am not sure how serious it was.

 

As mentioned, NCC's ball handling was awful, in no small part due to the the excellent pressure by Bondick, Bovard, Roll, and Jacobs.

 

This CCH team is similar to last year's team, before Dnoll started playing well and Bovard was fully back from football. Defensively strong but offensively horrible, not having any patience. The only difference is last year other teams had to guard two guys who could create for themselves (Tierney and Jacobs) and now there is only one (TJ). Hopefully one of the shooters (Roll, Schmerge, Maile, Bondick, Bovard) will catch fire soon.

 

On a side note, Michael Grimes played very well. He has a lot of capability, but has been excellent in some games (Dunbar, St. X, Ryle) and invisible in others (Lafeyette, St. Henry). Looks like he may be the X factor to this team's success.

Weren't the Breds poor from the stripe last season? Was it last year during the "A" that they shot 50+ and missed more than a few? Hard to believe a team could miss 12 straight from 15 feet but I guess it happens.

For the record, the score was 43-36. Grimes led CCH with 13.

Weren't the Breds poor from the stripe last season? Was it last year during the "A" that they shot 50+ and missed more than a few? Hard to believe a team could miss 12 straight from 15 feet but I guess it happens.

 

Yes, they struggled from the foul line last year including the All-A game whereby I believe they missed a record number. What do you do to correct it?

For the record, the score was 43-36. Grimes led CCH with 13.

Correct, I forgot about the last two. When they're both below 50 it does'nt matter much

 

CCH REALLY neads Billy down low, someone to do the dirty work of defense, rebounding, all the little things Billy does

 

Also seemed to have no flow to the offense and Coach L seems to have 4 or 5 guys running the point at times. I hope someone fits into the role whether it's Bondick, Kurt, Rolle, TJ or Brown when he's back. They look lost out there right now.

I was surprised to see Kiernan playing out high so often when no one was strong enough to guard him inside. He seems to fancy himself as a 3. Too often he had the ball above the foul line, put the ball on the floor and then dished it off. I'd have him 3 feet and in until someone proved they could stop him.

 

Sounds an awful lot like Penick from Ludlow...

 

Although I think Penick is a better basketball player than Kiernan.

I don't know how to correct ft shooting since I've never really struggled. lol I guess hire Skip Goley sp?, he's local. Just hard to understand, you only need a ball and a hoop to practice the game's easiest shot, what gives?