I have a question for the Ryle faithful...how does Ryle beat Holmes, Lafayette, and Highlands but lose to Desales and Buckhorn?

 

It seems the biggest thing for them this season has simply been getting over the hump late in games. They have I believe 4 losses by 3 or fewer points and 5 by 4-7 points.

I have a question for the Ryle faithful...how does Ryle beat Holmes, Lafayette, and Highlands but lose to Desales and Buckhorn?

 

It seems the biggest thing for them this season has simply been getting over the hump late in games. They have I believe 4 losses by 3 or fewer points and 5 by 4-7 points.

 

Inconsistent coaching.

They always looked bored to me, I think they would just like to get out and run instead of the half court set's. When they do this they look unstoppable,when they run the half court offense they look very beatable.

I commented earlier in the year that coach Henley is very stubborn when it it comes to the type of offense that he prefers to run. I think that he knows that come tournament time there will be situations that require Holmes to be very deliberate especially when teams try to slow the pace down and throw various types of zones at them. I think we all know that this Holmes team is much more suited to a fast paced game even though they will turn the ball over a lot in playing that way. Without consistent outside shooting they will be forced to try to work the ball down low and take advantage of their athleticism. He will let them run when the game dictates that style but he wants them to be able to back it out and work for the good shot. IMO coach Henley probably enjoys these games in that it allows him to get the team refocused and ready for post season. Let's give them a chance to see if they can make another run. It won't be easy but he has to find a way to work Avery back into this rotation that looks to be 8 deep with Hayes, Herndon and and now Avery coming off the bench, but he does have a solid month to do this. There are some big games coming up and I for one am looking for Ricardo to show some of the leadership traits that he gets praised for on this site. The last 2 games he has seemed to lose some focus which may have allowed for his foul trouble. Then again maybe he is trying to do too much on his own. what do some of the rest of you think in this regard?

I commented earlier in the year that coach Henley is very stubborn when it it comes to the type of offense that he prefers to run. I think that he knows that come tournament time there will be situations that require Holmes to be very deliberate especially when teams try to slow the pace down and throw various types of zones at them. I think we all know that this Holmes team is much more suited to a fast paced game even though they will turn the ball over a lot in playing that way. Without consistent outside shooting they will be forced to try to work the ball down low and take advantage of their athleticism. He will let them run when the game dictates that style but he wants them to be able to back it out and work for the good shot. IMO coach Henley probably enjoys these games in that it allows him to get the team refocused and ready for post season. Let's give them a chance to see if they can make another run. It won't be easy but he has to find a way to work Avery back into this rotation that looks to be 8 deep with Hayes, Herndon and and now Avery coming off the bench, but he does have a solid month to do this. There are some big games coming up and I for one am looking for Ricardo to show some of the leadership traits that he gets praised for on this site. The last 2 games he has seemed to lose some focus which may have allowed for his foul trouble. Then again maybe he is trying to do too much on his own. what do some of the rest of you think in this regard?

 

I do agree that Henley is looking at the big picture and is trying to develop some depth for down the road. Even though they did lose this game to Ryle, he used it as an opportunity to shuffle his bench in and out of the game. The game was sacrificed in the process, but not because of this. Ryle stayed focused and took advantage of it being somewhat of a practice game for the Bulldogs. Some of the hustle and flow was cramped for the Bulldogs in the process. Bulldogs certainly could've won it though if they would've put as much effort into the game as the Raiders did. Ryle scrapped harder for every loose ball and rebound more than Holmes did for the entire game which is what ultimately decided this game. Practice game or not, the Bulldogs still need to cease all 32 moments of a game, not just some of them. Their seniors need to set the pace for a good work ethic for the entire game. If they slack at all it spreads to the rest of the team. I'm sure they feel like they can do it when they need to, but you ultimately build better team strength and character, in the long run, staying focused even when you don't think you have to. You can strut about your prowess before and after a game, but it's when the clock is ticking is when it counts the most.

I do agree that Henley is looking at the big picture and is trying to develop some depth for down the road. Even though they did lose this game to Ryle, he used it as an opportunity to shuffle his bench in and out of the game. The game was sacrificed in the process, but not because of this. Ryle stayed focused and took advantage of it being somewhat of a practice game for the Bulldogs. Some of the hustle and flow was cramped for the Bulldogs in the process. Bulldogs certainly could've won it though if they would've put as much effort into the game as the Raiders did. Ryle scrapped harder for every loose ball and rebound more than Holmes did for the entire game which is what ultimately decided this game. Practice game or not, the Bulldogs still need to cease all 32 moments of a game, not just some of them. Their seniors need to set the pace for a good work ethic for the entire game. If they slack at all it spreads to the rest of the team. I'm sure they feel like they can do it when they need to, but you ultimately build better team strength and character, in the long run, staying focused even when you don't think you have to. You can strut about your prowess before and after a game, but it's when the clock is ticking is when it counts the most.

I totally agree. It has to be extremely hard to coach a team like this and I say kudos to coach Henley. He somehow finds a way to reign them back in.

I commented earlier in the year that coach Henley is very stubborn when it it comes to the type of offense that he prefers to run. I think that he knows that come tournament time there will be situations that require Holmes to be very deliberate especially when teams try to slow the pace down and throw various types of zones at them. I think we all know that this Holmes team is much more suited to a fast paced game even though they will turn the ball over a lot in playing that way. Without consistent outside shooting they will be forced to try to work the ball down low and take advantage of their athleticism. He will let them run when the game dictates that style but he wants them to be able to back it out and work for the good shot. IMO coach Henley probably enjoys these games in that it allows him to get the team refocused and ready for post season. Let's give them a chance to see if they can make another run. It won't be easy but he has to find a way to work Avery back into this rotation that looks to be 8 deep with Hayes, Herndon and and now Avery coming off the bench, but he does have a solid month to do this. There are some big games coming up and I for one am looking for Ricardo to show some of the leadership traits that he gets praised for on this site. The last 2 games he has seemed to lose some focus which may have allowed for his foul trouble. Then again maybe he is trying to do too much on his own. what do some of the rest of you think in this regard?

 

I'm not too sure "enjoy" is the right word.

 

I do agree he will use games like this to "teach", hopefully his students "learn"!

I commented earlier in the year that coach Henley is very stubborn when it it comes to the type of offense that he prefers to run. I think that he knows that come tournament time there will be situations that require Holmes to be very deliberate especially when teams try to slow the pace down and throw various types of zones at them. I think we all know that this Holmes team is much more suited to a fast paced game even though they will turn the ball over a lot in playing that way. Without consistent outside shooting they will be forced to try to work the ball down low and take advantage of their athleticism. He will let them run when the game dictates that style but he wants them to be able to back it out and work for the good shot. IMO coach Henley probably enjoys these games in that it allows him to get the team refocused and ready for post season. Let's give them a chance to see if they can make another run. It won't be easy but he has to find a way to work Avery back into this rotation that looks to be 8 deep with Hayes, Herndon and and now Avery coming off the bench, but he does have a solid month to do this. There are some big games coming up and I for one am looking for Ricardo to show some of the leadership traits that he gets praised for on this site. The last 2 games he has seemed to lose some focus which may have allowed for his foul trouble. Then again maybe he is trying to do too much on his own. what do some of the rest of you think in this regard?

 

I was thinking the same exact thing. Ricardo has scored 4 and 5 points the past two games and been in foul trouble in both which has forced Holmes to try and win down the stretch without him.

 

I've said since day 1 that Ricardo is the most polished player on the team but Elijah Pittman is their team leader and most talented. In the game against Ryle, he simply took over to get Holmes back in the game once they got down 7. He seemed to give a better effort than ANYONE else on the court and he dominated at both ends of the floor. The only problem was he got no help. He also was the vocal leader out on the floor and encouraging his teammates to step things up.

 

I realize everyone has bad games, but I don't think Elijah gets nearly enough credit and attention that he should for Mr. Basketball consideration. He gets cast in a negative light at times for being more "flashy" and having fun during games. There's more to basketball than on the court, but it's a shame this kid won't get a fair shot at Mr. Basketball. He has played like a Mr. Basketball candidate all year, being held to under 12 points just twice and those were 10 and 11 point performances.

Elijah is a stud on the court, and he knows it. He gets happy about it and loves to tell anyone around him about it all the time. He is constantly talking it up, but he never does it without a smile on his face. The kid is vocal, he is a leader, he can score inside, outside, off the dribble, and at the foul line. He can rebound the ball, block shots, get out on the press and force turnovers and come up with steals, the kid is flat out fun to watch. AND THAT IS WHAT THE ENTIRE BULLDOG TEAM DID TONIGHT, SIT THERE AND WATCH HIM. If he can get some help on a consistant basis, this team is legit, but when guys are standing around, walking up and down the court, and things like that, they are average at best. Elijah can not carry a team by himself, although he will try, it just wont happen!