The first and only meeting between these two this year at Somerset is sure to be a dandy. McCreary Central (18-6, 8-4) and Somerset (11-12, 9-5) were both preseason top five teams in the region, and either team is capable of making a run at the championship. With the game at Somerset, I think they have a little edge... but, if they're not shooting the ball well, McCreary can beat them down.

 

I'll go with the BriarJumpers in a close one.

 

Somerset 68-66.

I will also have to take Somerset in this one due to the factor of it being at the Briar Patch! I also feel Tyler Bourne will have a big game in the post for the Jumpers...Somerset 54-49

Should be a good game. I look for it to come down to which team shoots the ball the best from the outside. I will take the Jumpers in the patch by 3. Somerset 59 McCreary 56.

Should be a good game. I look for it to come down to which team shoots the ball the best from the outside. I will take the Jumpers in the patch by 3. Somerset 59 McCreary 56.

 

If it comes down to shooting, I think McCreary has the edge. Inside play and rebounding... McCreary doesn't do so well.

Somerset should have the rebounding edge but they fall asleep some games. I believe rebounding will decide the winner, whoever gets the most will win the game. Somerset can shoot the 3 but some games they are off, if they do well they can win big. But an average night it will be a close game, Somerset should control the inside on offense, on defense they will need to limit McCreary's penetration.

Somerset by 5.

Are the Jumpers still playing the 2-2-1 press back into the 2-3? I thought I read somewhere that they were going to play more man to man defense this season.

In preseason they played some man to man and did pretty good with it. Once the season started they tried man to man at first but it didn't work out too well and they have gone almost exclusively to zone.

Old habits are hard to break. Coach Thacker is like Denny Crum when it comes to his system on Defense. I think the loss of Chris Adkins has hurt the Jumpers this season as well. That guy knows some basketball and was a huge asset on the bench.

Old habits are hard to break. Coach Thacker is like Denny Crum when it comes to his system on Defense. I think the loss of Chris Adkins has hurt the Jumpers this season as well. That guy knows some basketball and was a huge asset on the bench.

 

You are dead on with that one. Thacker promised a more uptempo game and he has continually let teams with less athleticism stay in games with the Jumpers because he depends on his 2/3. Adkins was the only decent coach on the staff.

I will also have to take Somerset in this one due to the factor of it being at the Briar Patch! I also feel Tyler Bourne will have a big game in the post for the Jumpers...Somerset 54-49

 

Bourne can't be a factor if the offense continues to run through John Cole. I would guarantee that he is shooting far less than 35% on the year. If I were coaching the Jumpers Tyler Bourne would touch the ball at least once on every half court possession or the guards would come out of the game. What is Price and Cole's combined FG %? I would be willing to bet the house it isn't anywhere close to Bourne's. The Jumpers look good for a quarter or a quarter and a half. Then the coach takes possessions off, and the team takes possessions off. Then, a lead is blown and Thacker doesn't have the answer by himself in a close game. PERIOD

Bourne can't be a factor if the offense continues to run through John Cole. I would guarantee that he is shooting far less than 35% on the year. If I were coaching the Jumpers Tyler Bourne would touch the ball at least once on every half court possession or the guards would come out of the game. What is Price and Cole's combined FG %? I would be willing to bet the house it isn't anywhere close to Bourne's. The Jumpers look good for a quarter or a quarter and a half. Then the coach takes possessions off, and the team takes possessions off. Then, a lead is blown and Thacker doesn't have the answer by himself in a close game. PERIOD

 

Not sure about Cole but Prices field goal percentage is 45% Bournes is 60% but that is expected because he is a post player.. Last time i checked, 45% isnt bad at all.. Cole does take some questionable shots at times, but also does a lot of good with his quickness and ball handling..

But not to take anything away from Bourne because i completely agree with you on the fact that he should touch the ball every possesion! He is quick and can make the mid range jumper as well as score down low.. I've never seen anyone work harder than him either..

But not to take anything away from Bourne because i completely agree with you on the fact that he should touch the ball every possesion! He is quick and can make the mid range jumper as well as score down low.. I've never seen anyone work harder than him either..

 

Cole's FG% is well down into the 30 range. He dribbles entirely too much and stagnates the whole offense. When he tries to dribble through the defense he and Price simply take bad shots and they ignore Bourne. You are not making good sense, I don't care if Bourne is a post player and his higher FG % is to be expected, if he shoots 60% and the guards shoot 40% or less who should be taking the shots? How many times have you seen the defense stone Bourne this year? That's what I thought, the coaching staff is completely responsible for the offense not running through him. Its almost as though Cole has to prove that he is the man in basketball as well as football. The fact is the team played better when he was hurt and/or out of town.

I don't mean to completely bash Cole. He plays very hard, he just needs to develop more of a true point guard mentality, I don't think he's ever going to be a big scorer and he turns the ball over when he gets out of control. He's much better when he plays under control and doesn't force the issue.

MC 65 Somerset 60 Raiders should be able to handle being on the road after their game at Whitley last week.