Can we say, they sold their soul for football? Other than the Fangman kid how many other standouts of that basketball quality has there been at Beechwood?

 

Romes was a fantastic hoops player there.

 

With McKenzie and Maus being Hoops kids only you would think they would develop quicker. Estrella may also be a hoops only kid.

Can we say, they sold their soul for football? Other than the Fangman kid how many other standouts of that basketball quality has there been at Beechwood?

 

Beechwood has started a player who went on to play college ball in their lineup every year for the last 6 or 7 years. That really is the biggest difference this season. Fangman is at a school in Indiana. Beuttel is playing at Transylvania. Romes was a stud at Mt. St. Joe's. Nick Hall and the younger Romes' were very good basketball players. If Beechwood had a shooter, they would be much more competitive. Plus they are playing a tougher schedule this year so that impacts the record.

As Clyde likes to point out, football players picking up a basketball. A big part of Beechwood's success the past few years along with great coaching by Shumate is they have at least one, if not two guards, who focused completely on basketball and can shoot with the best of them. Fangman, Hall, Beuttel, Romes ... Beechwood doesn't have anyone like that this year. Without looking at the shooting stats, I would guess they are in the 30%'s somewhere as a team shooting percentage. If you can see the quarter by quarter box scores, you will probably see in many games a quarter where they score 2 or 4 points. Add in turnover issues and it can be ugly. They are a very offensively challenged team. If Estrella gets open looks and is having a good night, then they can hang in there against tougher opponents. Beechwood has to hope as the season goes on and the football players get more court time that the shooting gets better.

 

If I were the coach, I would continue to press and try to get easy baskets off turnovers. Otherwise, slow the game down and try to use the one advantage that Beechwood should have against almost every team in the region - size. Beechwood can go 6'5" across the back line. There are very few teams in region 9 this year that can put two 6'5" guys on the court at the same time, let alone 3. I would put the big boys on the block, find the mismatch and pound it inside every trip down the court. Put Maus at the high post and hope he finds his shooting touch again. Kick it back out to Estrella if they double down and hope he hits the open 3. And if I didn't say it enough, do a lot of hoping for improvement offensively.

 

Or was it playing Heritage, Silver Grove, Villa, Calvary, etc. every night??

Or was it playing Heritage, Silver Grove, Villa, Calvary, etc. every night??

 

If you are talking strictly about the record, sure that makes a difference. I am talking more about the actual play on the court. This team will have to play well to beat the single A teams, just like Ludlow the other night. I am not knocking Ludlow but the last few years Beechwood has beaten those 1A teams by 30 points. This year, it will be a challenge to win those games. It really is very simple. They don't have one consistent offensive scoring threat. If you can't put the ball in the basket, you can't win.

Romes was a fantastic hoops player there.

 

With McKenzie and Maus being Hoops kids only you would think they would develop quicker. Estrella may also be a hoops only kid.

 

True, there are several hoops only players. The three above and Baker Prewitt who starts at guard doesn't play football. Richardson, one of the guards coming in off the bench doesn't play football. There are others who are primarily basketball. In fact, if you look at the whole roster, this team probably has more basketball only players than any at Beechwood in quite a while. Shumate was working all these guys to focus on basketball. But 3 of the top 7 players - Nussbaum, Cruse and Vocke - are football players. I agree that more was expected from Maus and to a lesser extent McKenzie.

 

You have to say also that not having Shumate hurts. He is an excellent coach.

What percentage of the points per game last year belonged to Fangman?