Beechwood 58 Highlands 54 (OT)

[Voice of Reason]

I think if you ask the coach for the Birds and the players individually they would all probably tell you it was a bad night. Too many turnovers and some standing around out of that zone defense when Beechwood shot. Always tougher to box out when your in a zone rather than man-man. I thought both teams seemed to turn it over right a lot and especially right after they would create a turnover.

 

How about when Grote has the ball out front and he starts sizing the defender up? That is a thing of beauty how he crosses over and takes his man down the lane. He squares those shoulders up and slices in there for a really nice drive and he either lays it off the glass or finger rolls it in. This is something Highlands struggled with as a team overall last night and that was creating shots for themselves. With Stephen K hardly touching the ball and when he did he was generally blanketed and the rest of the Birds not being able to create a solid shot I thought it attributed to the low point output. The only time I really saw someone create a good shot for themself was when Dill got the ball at the elbow and take his man all the way to the hoop for a layin. Grote was the only other player who seemed to get a decent shot off when he was being guarded. Just an observation. And credit should be given to the Beechwood players for exerting pretty good defense.

 

I wasn't at the game but let me take a guess ... Stephen K was guarded by Romes? Romes is a shut down defender so if SK had a bad night, it may have been Romes D that caused it if my guess is correct.

[the Hulk]

I wasn't at the game but let me take a guess ... Stephen K was guarded by Romes? Romes is a shut down defender so if SK had a bad night, it may have been Romes D that caused it if my guess is correct.

 

Romes did shut him down, but both Romes and SK were in foul trouble. SK had a short part of the 3rd were he scored about 6 in a row for the Birds, but then the ball went back to Grote.

[Eta Rho]

Someone save me a small slice of the crow pie. Beechies record to date hadn't impressed me enough to think they were as strong as what Eta was claiming, but this game shows he was on target and I was simply building up an appetite for humble pie. Congrats to Beechies on a nice win!

 

Glad someone has jumped on board and finally realized I was pretty dead on about them and not just chirping them up to be something they weren't.

[Qryche11]

I wasn't at the game but let me take a guess ... Stephen K was guarded by Romes? Romes is a shut down defender so if SK had a bad night, it may have been Romes D that caused it if my guess is correct.

 

Romes is a very good defender and was guarding SK but Highlands could have run him off some picks and got him the ball more. He did take a lot of entry passes but quickly got rid of it for some reason. He is a very unselfish kid and IMO needs to be a little more selfish. Both he and Grote need to be this way in order for the Birds to step up to the next level.

[TAC]

AJ Smith was the MVP of this game IMO. Everybody has been saying he isn't much of a factor but I think he played the best out of anybody on the floor IMO. are there any stats for this game?

 

 

 

Didn't the smith boy sit out of hoops for a year or two to focus on baseball?

[Eta Rho]

Didn't the smith boy sit out of hoops for a year or two to focus on baseball?

 

Yea. He didn't play last year. Not sure about his soph year.

[Nkysportsblog]

I think if you ask the coach for the Birds and the players individually they would all probably tell you it was a bad night. Too many turnovers and some standing around out of that zone defense when Beechwood shot. Always tougher to box out when your in a zone rather than man-man. I thought both teams seemed to turn it over right a lot and especially right after they would create a turnover.

 

How about when Grote has the ball out front and he starts sizing the defender up? That is a thing of beauty how he crosses over and takes his man down the lane. He squares those shoulders up and slices in there for a really nice drive and he either lays it off the glass or finger rolls it in. This is something Highlands struggled with as a team overall last night and that was creating shots for themselves. With Stephen K hardly touching the ball and when he did he was generally blanketed and the rest of the Birds not being able to create a solid shot I thought it attributed to the low point output. The only time I really saw someone create a good shot for themself was when Dill got the ball at the elbow and take his man all the way to the hoop for a layin. Grote was the only other player who seemed to get a decent shot off when he was being guarded. Just an observation. And credit should be given to the Beechwood players for exerting pretty good defense.

 

My point is, I agree Highlands didn't look that good, but I don't think that's because it was an off night. I think off nights can usually be attributed to the other team, and I would definitely say last night's performance was due to playing Beechwood.

 

I thought the zone was a bad idea for Willie, but it was probably to keep Romes from getting to the basket as no one was quick enough to stay in front of him and it resulted in Steve K and others getting fouls. If you go zone then you don't rebound as well, but you slow Romes down a little bit from driving to the basket every possession. Kowolonek was shut down by a good defender. It happens.

 

The offensive problems are some of the same ones I saw against NewCath and Brossart... Two teams that are known for tough halfcourt defense.

[4pointplay]

Yea. He didn't play last year. Not sure about his soph year.

 

 

AJ hasn't played since his freshmen year to focus on baseball. I think once he got the offer from Murray State in the fall he decided to come out for basketball this season. Has added good size and depth to Beechwood.

[the Hulk]

My point is, I agree Highlands didn't look that good, but I don't think that's because it was an off night. I think off nights can usually be attributed to the other team, and I would definitely say last night's performance was due to playing Beechwood.

 

I thought the zone was a bad idea for Willie, but it was probably to keep Romes from getting to the basket as no one was quick enough to stay in front of him and it resulted in Steve K and others getting fouls. If you go zone then you don't rebound as well, but you slow Romes down a little bit from driving to the basket every possession. Kowolonek was shut down by a good defender. It happens.

 

The offensive problems are some of the same ones I saw against NewCath and Brossart... Two teams that are known for tough halfcourt defense.

 

Romes is tough going to the basket, and not really anyone from Beechwood can shoot. Add that into the fact they kept getting beat back door is why I think Willie went with the zone.

[Voice of Reason]

AJ hasn't played since his freshmen year to focus on baseball. I think once he got the offer from Murray State in the fall he decided to come out for basketball this season. Has added good size and depth to Beechwood.

 

Add in this season another new player in senior Joe Daniels coming off the bench and playing well. It shows there is probably enough talent at Beechwood to be solid year in and year out. It is a matter of getting the talent onto the basketball court. The two best basketball players in Beechwood's sophomore class aren't even playing basketball this year. Maybe the example of Smith and Daniels along with the success of the team will get more of these players onto the basketball court in future years.

[pondelon]

Add in this season another new player in senior Joe Daniels coming off the bench and playing well. It shows there is probably enough talent at Beechwood to be solid year in and year out. It is a matter of getting the talent onto the basketball court. The two best basketball players in Beechwood's sophomore class aren't even playing basketball this year. Maybe the example of Smith and Daniels along with the success of the team will get more of these players onto the basketball court in future years.

 

Who are the Sophomores for Beechwood.

[Voice of Reason]

Who are the Sophomores for Beechwood.

 

IMO ... Corey Crane and Michael Colosimo.

[madman]

Way to go Tigers! They are for real. Great win going into the "All A".

[UmayBright*but]

IMO ... Corey Crane and Michael Colosimo.

 

..and if they don't want to put in the time they shouldn't play. Joe Daniels has been a nice spot reliever but in no way been a factor in this teams success. He has only been with the team for a little over a month and still has yet to find his basketball timing.

He is the only football player on the varsity, the rest of these guys have been practicing and playing together for months and through the summer. The football players cannot expect to show up in late December and become an immediate factor for a team.

This has been a problem in the past for Beechwood basketball. Football players were given an immediate pass and special treatment. Rick Schumate has made them earn their place something coaches in the past have not done.

Keep it up Coach!!!

[Voice of Reason]

..and if they don't want to put in the time they shouldn't play. Joe Daniels has been a nice spot reliever but in no way been a factor in this teams success. He has only been with the team for a little over a month and still has yet to find his basketball timing.

He is the only football player on the varsity, the rest of these guys have been practicing and playing together for months and through the summer. The football players cannot expect to show up in late December and become an immediate factor for a team.

This has been a problem in the past for Beechwood basketball. Football players were given an immediate pass and special treatment. Rick Schumate has made them earn their place something coaches in the past have not done.

Keep it up Coach!!!

 

I am not sure about the immediate pass and special treatment comment. But agreed 100% that you only want guys committed to playing basketball ...during basketball season!!!!

 

The conflict is a lot of these guys are three sport athletes and that is tough to do in high school today. Then they choose two sports and basketball has been the one left out. However, if an athlete wants to try all three, he should not be penalized because he missed basketball conditioning and pre-season because he was playing football. If he is there as soon as possible after football and he is better than the basketball only player, then unfortunately that is just the way it is. The basketball only player shouldn't get a "pass and special treatment" because he committed totally to basketball. He still has to be the best player for the team and coach has to put his best out there.

 

My main point is hopefully more players like Daniels and Smith (first year basketballer as a senior) will decide to play basketball.Coach Shumate is doing a great job and he may be able to get more of these guys to play basketball also.

 

Finally, if we want to continue this discussion, we need to move it to another thread.