FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by FLHoya on Aug 6, 2011 0:05:31 GMT -5
The Kenner League playoffs this year have impressed. Overall, the quality of play in Summer 2011 has actually been quite good, with lower scoring averages overall reflective of an increasing emphasis on defense and more competitive matchups. Still, the four quarterfinals this week have been characterized by high intensity, solid playmaking, and rough and tumble defense. They've also, with the exception of the Takeover-Boss Auto game, been very close. In short, the quarterfinals brought the goods. Bringing the goods in the Kenner League playoffs, of course, often means bringing in the hired guns. Many years, the playoff fortunes of Kenner League squads depend as much on the coach's rolodex as their strategic acumen (they make their money somehow!). Clyde's has been a so-so team in the Kenner League, finishing at 4-4 and generally coming up short against the more talented teams. But the Georgetown connection pays dividends, and the men in blue tonight had the services of Jeff Green and Austin Freeman, both playing at a level closer to a rising junior with something to prove than a post-grad with a nice car their hoping doesn't get dented by a flying tennis ball in the parking lot. So let's go, shall we: Wu Tang Clan, "Bring Da Ruckus"CLYDE'S 90 Beyond Belief 82I have a fairly extensive DVD collection of recorded Hoya games from roughly 2006-present; Jeff Green naturally figures into many of my favorites. I can't say I've dug through the archives recently (I had a night shift job intermittantly last year, and old basketball games worked wonders at 3am on off days), and consequently I don't often get that flood of rememberance about how much of a treat it was to watch Jeff and those teams play. About 10 minutes into the game, Jeff collected a rebound under his own basket, took a few dribbles, and fired an inch perfect 40 foot bounce pass just out of a defender's reach to a cutting teammate for a layup. That'll take you back. You knew Clyde's had come to play because Jeff came to pass--his first half performance was vintage Green, without making too much of a dent in the scoreboard (truth be told, a lot of games this summer he put huge dents in the backboard with his three point shooting). Clyde's doesn't feature any regulars with star power--even if you consider Nate Lubick as such, he's been out for a couple of weeks--but they came to compete against a seasoned lineup including James Gist and Isaiah Swann... ...who by our count hit seven three pointers, easily 3-4 of which were beyond 25 feet. You know someone's on when his fellow players in the crowd are cupping their hands over their mouth in amazement. Unfortunately for Beyond Belief's cause, Swann and his teammates went ice cold as soon as they finally clawed their way back into the lead about 2/3 of the way through the second half (they'd led by 5 at the break). Beyond Belief pulled to within 1 with 4 minutes to go, but it wasn't to be. On several occasions, Beyond Belief would come up with a steal, or have an open three, or a chance to cut the lead to a single possession...nada. The dagger came when Jeff Green stole back a rebound of his own missed shot and promptly nailed a three to put Clyde's up 6 with a couple minutes to go. Clyde's advances to play DCX in the semifinals tomorrow at 2:00pm, a matchup that ensures at least one current Hoya will play in Sunday's championship. Aaron Bowen: 16 points, 3-4 2FG, 3-4 3FG, 3-4 FT, 2R, 2TO, 3STL, 2FAaron Bowen's game looks much different when he's hitting shots. You find yourself excusing the relative lack of activity in half-court offenses because...gosh darnit, it's a good looking stroke when he's in the zone. Bowen benefitted early from the precision passing of Jeff Green--one backdoor cut along the baseline, finished with a reverse layup, looked just as good as if Darrel Owens had run it back in the day. He'll fill the lane from time to time and can pad his stats with easy looks...probably 90% or more of his two point baskets this summer are from at the rim. Adding the outside game, obviously, expands his potential contribution to the team's bottom line. But I'd like see him add more on the defensive end. This was...well, not so great. Aaron got into the bad habit of swiping at his man a bunch of times, usually resulting in them blowing by him and getting to the rim, forcing help defense. It was Ole! defense in its classic form, more lack of effort than anything else. When playing time is on the line in a crowded and evenly talented roster, the little things weigh heavily. |
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by FLHoya on Aug 6, 2011 0:06:28 GMT -5
Where to begin? Let's start with 53 seconds remaining in the game, the score tied at 77 after Otto Porter has stolen a pass and converted a breakaway dunk. Tombs goes all out on the next defensive possession, bringing two and then a third defender over to set what was almost a perfect trap right at the halfcourt circle. The Team Turner guard, trapped between three defenders and the halfcourt line, loses control of the ball momentarily, and pivots backwards into what appears to be a sure turnover and layup at the other end, when Jabril Trawick is called for a questionable blocking foul... ...which is a problem, because it's his ninth foul. The personal foul rule is one of Kenner League's little idiosyncracies, along with the often-called but seldom-understood illegal defense technical foul. Basically, in Kenner League players don't foul out, at least that I'm aware of. Instead, if a player should reach seven personal fouls, that seventh foul and each of their subsequent personal fouls results in a technical foul and one free throw shot for the opposing team. The offending player is still eligible, and the technicals keep accumulating with every foul. Naturally, this was an inopportune moment for Jabril's third "personal foul" technical. Nolan Smith hit the technical, as well as the two bonus free throws, and that could have swung the game for Team Turner. Except that it didn't. TOMBS 81 TEAM TURNER 80A full month of basketball--nine games worth--and I still haven't seen Jabril Trawick smile. The common talking point on Jabril is that he plays angry, with a chip on his shoulder, a ball of intensity known for trash talking along with tenacity. This was hardly Jabril's best game of the summer, but I don't think any game has more of his imprint on it than tonight's. Jabril and Nolan Smith jawed at each other the entire night. This was not the friendly-challenge type of taunting that Jeff Green employed against Tyler Adams and Mikael Hopkins. I get the impression neither player is a big fan of the other's after this game. Within 10 minutes, both Trawick and Smith had been given a very stern warning by an official (who threatened to toss them if they kept going at it), and Smith would later pick up a formal technical foul...and that's before he himself hit the seven foul limit and added another on top of it. Yep, Jabril Trawick and Nolan Smith combined for 17 fouls in a Kenner League game. The sum total of the trash talking was that Jabril played with an intensity akin to Forrest Whitaker in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" after his car was wrecked. I joked that if this were an old timey movie, he and Nolan would be in the parking lot settling things with a snappy choreographed dance number backed up by their teammates. Or, perhaps the knife fight scene in "Beat It": Michael Jackson, "Beat It"The intensity wasn't confined to Jabril and Smitty. Indeed, by my count there were six technical fouls in regulation besides the personal foul limit penalties...starting with Rodney's T two minutes into the proceedings. I wouldn't say the game was marred by the occasional pull-aparts, hold-me-backs, exasperated complaining, and sassback (to be fair, the officiating was highly iffy)...it was just played with a palpable intensity. The Team Turner roster matched the intensity of the game. Coach Rodney is a noted Hoya killer in the Kenner League playoffs, and obviously has a rolodex to rival any of his coaching bretheren. Team Turner tonight featured Smith, Mamadou Diane, Dino Gregory, Sean Mosley, and Aaron Ware among a deep roster. Tombs featured...well, nobody special, really. Max Kenyi took Tyler Adams' place in the starting lineup, and the only real Playoff Wonder for the men in purple was a big bodied center from NC A&T (who, to be fair, was pretty money). What made the challenge so great for the Tombs (the CasualHoya recapper and I before the game jointly installed Team Turner as a 2-to-1 favorite to win) was that Rodney always throws the kitchen sink at an opponent. Team Turner frequently uses a 2-2-1 press, and tonight was no different. In the first half, Tombs got punished for several long, flat passes across court when beating the press...a 10-0 Turner run gave them their only notable lead of the first half, 30-28. Rodney had more tricks up his sleeve: during the first half, Turner played a few possessions of zone defense, which is about as foreign a concept in Kenner League as team rosters. The evil genius move of the night, though, circles us back to Jabril Trawick. Rodney knew what was up with Trawick and Smith, and he took full advantage. He initially tried to get Smith to back off, suggesting that Jabril was the kind of player who feeds off the emotion. But he recognized Jabril was going too far on the anger scale and losing his edge, so Turner eventually went at Trawick, especially as his foul total mounted. The topper, though, was Rodney actually taking matters into his own hands: there was definitely some trash talking along the sideline, especially during free throw attempts. I don't blame Rodney for a second--it was a great strategy to throw Jabril off. I'll get into that in a bit. No matter what Rodney tried though, nothing took Team Turner over the hump. For most of the second half, Tombs held a one possession lead. It was truly nip and tuck for the entire last 15 minutes, and the intensity level never dropped. Naturally, then, the fouls began to mount, and played a critical role in the game's conclusion. Let's pick it back up with 2:40 remaining, game tied at 73, as Nolan Smith commits his 8th foul. Greg Whittington hits the technical and one of two for the foul, putting Tombs up 75-73. An illegal defense call gives one point back, and Nolan Smith scores on a tough floater to put Turner ahead 76-75 with 2:04 to go. Tombs goes inside on their possession but can't convert. A series of near steals culminates in Turner inbounding with 1:31 left, whereupon Nolan Smith draws Jabril Trawick's 8th foul and hits the technical FT. It's still only a 1-and-1 for Turner, however, and Smith misses the front end...the ball falling to the deck before Turner reclaims it, up 77-75 with 1:20 left. Otto Porter then makes the type of play that has so many Hoya fans giddy about his potential, disrupting a perimeter pass with his long wingspan and coasting in for a tying dunk with 1:05 remaining. The subsequent possession produced the near-steal and Trawick's 9th foul...Turner converted all three shots, and led 80-77. Tombs went to an unlikely offensive hero--who had spent several long stretches on the bench in the second half--on the next possesion. Mikael Hopkins posted strongly and exploited a size mismatch to get to the line; not the most reliable FT shooter of the bunch, he calmly hit both shots to pull Tombs within 80-79 at 37.7 seconds left. Another round of near-steals ensued as Tombs applied heavy pressure, and the ball went out of bounds to Team Turner with 25.5 seconds left. Turner tried to slip the inbounds pass for a cheap basket, but Tombs' rent-a-center cleanly blocked the shot under the basket, and the ball bounced off Team Turner out of bounds. Tombs took it up with 23 seconds to go, down 1. No one around me expected Tombs to play for a last shot, and indeed they went right back to their mismatch. Hopkins posted strong down low, but he short-armed his layup attempt under good, heavy defensive pressure. He yanked down the offensive board in traffic, but his put-back attempt rolled off. The NC A&T Aggie gathered the board and floated up a five footer...no dice...but on the fourth effort, Hopkins rose above the crowd and tipped the ball in with 5 seconds left. Nolan Smith raced up the court, but his runner from just inside the three point line was short at the buzzer, and Tombs survived one of the craziest, most insane Kenner League games you'll ever read about. Was it as good as the 2006 Tombs-Clydes epic? I thought it'd be hard to ever top Jeff Green going for 34 and three teammates scoring 24 apiece...but Jabril Trawick and Nolan Smith might've had the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins of personal fouls battle tonight. With this crazy victory, Tombs advances to tomorrow's semifinals, where they will take on Boss Auto at 3:20pm. |
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FLHoya
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Post by FLHoya on Aug 6, 2011 0:08:07 GMT -5
Jabril Trawick: 14pts, 5-6 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 4-7 FT, 2RB, 3A, 2TO, 2S, 9 FOULS
Here's a critical question I'm left with: did Jabril play better once he really got angry?
I'm not sure. I do think there's a correlation between Rodney trying to get in his head and the big burst in Jabril's personal fouls. He committed a ton of very hard fouls in the second half...not that he doesn't always do that...but I've noticed in a few games this summer that Jabril can go a little too far over the edge.
I'd never in a million years change how he plays. Hoya fans will discover soon that Jabril's personality is unlike any player we've had under JTIII...makes Chris Wright "going green" look like an altar boy. The intensity fuels his play and makes him go.
I just think he needs to go slower sometimes. I thought in the first half his passing was a bit off, especially trying to make plays in close quarters. Turner's press speeds the game up and causes mistakes, and once in a while it would've been good to pull things back and be a little more efficient. He tends to over-play--this is across several games--and is prone to unforced turnovers (his A-TO ratio this summer is pedestrian, not that it matters in Kenner, but by comparison, Markel Starks' is quite good)
And despite the iffy passing at times and the (too) high foul load, he pulled off two jaw-dropping plays in the second half. On the first, after Nolan Smith had bested him on one end, Trawick swiped the ball one-on-one from Smith at half court, and drove for a dunk. Seconds later, Smith was nailed for a technical foul. Score one for West Philly. Later, Jabril collected a rebound, drove coast to coast, probably traveled once or twice, but basically wove through the entire defense with some outrageous dribbling skills, and layed the ball in. Rodney furiously called timeout, and dozens of people actually jumped up and cheered, giving Trawick a standing ovation going into the timeout, something I haven't seen at Kenner on that level since the 2006 Tombs-Clyde's game.
You know though, despite being a technical foul risk, he never changed his aggressiveness on defense, always challenging his man way out by halfcourt.
And let's be honest, who's going to complain about a Hoya who goes after a Dukie like that?
Greg Whittington: 20 points, 5-8 2FG, 1-2 3FG, 7-11 FT, 5RB, 1A, 5TO, 4STL, 2BLK, 1F
Lost in the hullabaloo over Trawick-Smith and the finish was Greg Whittington's performance. Greg was all over the court tonight, turning in probably his most complete performance of the summer. To be fair, he was a bit too careless with his passing at times, and he wasn't much of a scoring threat from the field in the final minutes of the game, but he still impressed with his versatility and effort.
Early, Greg was maximizing his length by generally being a pest on defense, netting a few early steals. What's amazing about the freshmen class of Hoyas is that a number of pairs share the same common attributes, and they'll often switch off games where they stand out. Case in point: both Greg and Otto are similar height, lanky, long-armed, and love playing passing lanes. Otto stood out here over the past few games, but tonight Greg took over on the larceny beat.
I thought he mixed up his offensive game better than any previous contest tonight as well. Early on--first few minutes--it was all about the jump shooting, and he looked to be on fire. But later, he made several really good off-ball cuts and gave himself clear lanes to the basket...I liked how he worked the weak side and slashed diagonally, getting several looks around the baseline. At one point, he posted Nolan Smith up and used the size advantage to score an easy basket.
It's tantalizing and vexing at the same time...so many similar and talented players, how do you (and can you) fit them all into a rotation?
Otto Porter: 12pts, 4-8 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 4-8 FT, 10RB, 4A, 2TO, 3STL, 2F
Tombs' press breaking skills were probably a C+ at best tonight, but I do think Otto Porter is ideal in press break situations as the central figure at the half court line. Otto can receive the ball in a gap, pivot, and will almost always make a solid pass, indeed many times make a spectacular pass.
His offensive game wasn't as refined tonight, and he very seldom had the chance to work his mid-range and/or fadeaway skills. Instead, as the second half wore on in particular, Otto was very active on the offensive glass. If the offense isn't working, might as well use that length to some good. I liked that in this game of all of 'em, he really embraced the dirty work when it mattered.
One caution--he was too careless tonight in the backcourt on defense, gambling many times for cheap steals. It's good he's using his length to be a pest, but against a high-tempo team like Team Turner, whiffing usually means an easy shot attempt in short order.
Mikael Hopkins: 13pts, 6-10 FG, 1-1 FT, 6RB, 3TO, 1BLK
There was a great sequence early in the second half when Mikael Hopkins drew two straight fouls on different Team Turner defenders by backing them down strongly in the post and forcing a blocking foul. This was probably Hopkins' strongest post game of the summer, and the first to my eye where he really embraced being a back to the basket center and exploiting mismatches. And these weren't the smallish players he blocked into oblivion in Week 1: Turner has a decent if not bulky front line. Hopkins really went after it, posting strong and making strong moves.
In the first half, he was floating a bit, and his defensive assignment found him out near the perimeter. But on offense, it was always back to the paint...I don't think he faced up or shot a deep hook once tonight.
On the final possession, it was always going to be Mikael's shot: Tombs cleared out one side of the floor and Hopkins sealed off quite well. His mistake was turning to his right shoulder, which brought him a little too far under the basket to go up strong...defender had the advantage of the angle. But he fought through the play and came up huge at the end.
Interesting that in two one-possession games Tombs played this summer, Hopkins ended up with the ball in his hands at the crucial moment. He committed a debatable charge on the first, but made no mistake this time.
I'd like to think that the last thing that went through Rodney's head...was to wonder how the hell Mikael Hopkins ever got the best of him.
(Look, Shawshank Redemption's been in cable rotation the last two weeks)
Hollis Thompson: 9 points, 3-4 FG, 3-4 3FG, 3-4 FT, 3RB, 1A, 2STL, 1BLK, 2F
I had the pleasure of sitting next to and chatting with Hollis Thompson's mother during the game. So I guess the recap could be kind of awkward...
...but even she said at the start of the second that her son hadn't done anything so far.
Truth of the matter, Team Turner's stacked roster limited Hollis' production. Wasn't by design or anything, he just didn't see a lot of the ball in this game.
To his credit, Hollis' best streak of production came at the exact time Team Turner made their second half run and took the lead midway through the period.
Always kind of a strange experience with Hollis and that team.
After a night like this, why not do it again tomorrow? The semifinal schedule is:
2:00 Clyde's vs. DCX
3:20 Tombs vs. Boss Auto
I'm only sorry we won't have Roderick to kick around any more.
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CaliHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by CaliHoya on Aug 6, 2011 1:16:45 GMT -5
Great writeup, FL! Have we ever had a Tombs team do this well without the presence of upperclassman Hoyas? It's tough not to get excited from these recaps. Not because of the stats, but because of the inherent grit that these freshmen seem to possess. We haven't had a similar will to succeed in the past few seasons. Given the freshmen's mentality even during the summer league, it seems a culture change is in the works!
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Post by HometownHoya on Aug 6, 2011 3:58:53 GMT -5
It's tantalizing and vexing at the same time...so many similar and talented players, how do you (and can you) fit them all into a rotation? Would you want to face a 3-2 zone with Trawick up top, Whittington and Porter on the wings, and anyone in the middle? Seeing the trap out of that defense would be so fun. Even still a 2-3 with GW and OP on the wings would be fun if the C could hold it down and the other guards could try to match Trawick's intensity. Our best defensive lineups may be 3-4 freshman. |
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 6, 2011 9:17:55 GMT -5
Outstanding recaps FL!
It must have been incredibly exciting to be there.
The thing that stands out the most to me from reading about Kenner this summer is something RDF post constantly over the years -- it's better to have guys who bring their own fire and try to refine their games/coach them to play more in control, than to have a bunch of kids who need to be motivated each game.
I'd add, when you have a energizer like Trawick/PE Jr, it makes the coaching staff's job that much easier. One (or more) fireplug(s) on the roster is a necessity at all times.
And FL... know that your recaps are ALWAYS appreciated!
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deacon
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by deacon on Aug 6, 2011 9:45:01 GMT -5
I've seen my fair share of Kenner League games over the years, but never one that was that intense late in the game. I almost felt a little guilty walking out that I didn't pay a dime to watch a game featuring that many talented players played at such a high level.
I lost a lot of respect for Nolan Smith last night. Being from DC, you would think that he would know that trash talk is part of the game and all you can do is be above it and let your game speak for itself. After the game, if dude still wants to talk and take it there, then do what you have to do. After all, we're talking about a grown man who has won a national title in college and was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft being flustered by a young man who hasn't even played a game at the collegiate level. It was weird seeing his reaction to Jabril's taunting the entire game, including his taking off of his jersey and walking off the court as if he had had enough and refusal to shake hands after the game.
At the same time, my level of respect for what Jabril brings to the table just keeps rising. What gets overshadowed by his athleticism, tenacity and overall skill level is just how smart of a player he is. I can't count how many times last night I shook my head in approval after a play he made not because of how aesthetically pleasing it was, but because it was the smart play to make. A post-up of a smaller defender here a pick and roll pass to Hopkins there for an easy bucket, the kid just gets it. Yes, he can be a little too aggressive at times but I too wouldn't change a thing about his approach to the game. He was the catalyst behind their win and if it wasn't obvious, he outplayed Nolan Smith in the process.
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,438
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Post by lichoya68 on Aug 6, 2011 10:03:42 GMT -5
great recap of a great game flhoya i agree with assessment of jabril THE MAN TAKES NO PRISONERS NOT EVEN FABLED DUKIES well especially fabled dukies if rodney was YELLING TO GET INTO JABRILS head i thought that acutally jabril won the over all battle this is NOT camaroon indoor there was NO phantom foul on greg oops hes wasnt even there last nite but GREAT TO SEE JABRIL STAND PHILLY UP not perfect but TOUGH to an excellent nolan smith who jabril got into HIS head imo yup silenced and ticked off the dukie GREAT INTRODUCATION TO DUKE for our young point guard and the tradition alot of maryland twerps on that roster too who are VERY talented and our youngins led by the philly warrior wooped em great tight game jabril yup lost cool a little but HE got in nolan smiths head who once came out and took his freaking shirt off and threw it down as rodney yelled rodney took HIM out to cool him PHILLY FOREVER TOUGH the future is bright and tough AND these long lengtthy guys play defense PASS rebound how many rebbies on the last missed shot to win the game at least forty five ok ok like probalby three or four NEVER GIVE UP these younins NEVER GIVE UP go hoyas three hoys team playing today at 2 and 320 sooooooo let the games begin great win for the youngins WITHOUT MR MUSCLE MAN ADAMS get well soon tyler nate and moses WE NEED YOUR BEEF ie wheres the beef on the bench wright now OG HOYAS
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RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by RDF on Aug 6, 2011 11:29:34 GMT -5
Jabril Trawick is EXACTLY what this program has needed--it's a swift kick in the ass and about time someone takes the court with only winning in mind--whether the game is a Summer League Game, pickup game, game against your family, etc....this guy GETS IT and it's something that carries over to teammates--it's leadership. When you have a guy willing to play hard and more importantly taking games seriously--that is how you transform a team from good to contending. He's got to have talent--but just the fact he irritated a very good player in Smith that much (1st RD Draft pick) is what has been missing. You can be nice off the court, on the court it should be about winning and only winning.
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MCIGuy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Anyone here? What am I supposed to update?
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Post by MCIGuy on Aug 6, 2011 11:37:42 GMT -5
I concur. I mean this summer Hopkins is suddenly playing with fire. Is that a coincidence? Maybe. And maybe Mikael was going to get there eventually. But I bet it sure helps to have a teammate like Jabril who leads the way.
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RBHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by RBHoya on Aug 6, 2011 11:58:09 GMT -5
I have never seen any of these freshmen play live, but it's impossible not to be excited about them. I like our future at the 2, 3 and 4 spots. I hope during the trip to China that III starts to learn how to best use this crew, because based on the (albeit limited) Kenner sample, it seems like they can play.
Overall this summer it seems that the freshman have been exciting and impressive, while the veterans have been kind of pedestrian (or injured).
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Aug 6, 2011 12:17:02 GMT -5
Reading this recap makes me very excited about this season. I know our guys are untested and we'll be a young team, but I think we really have a lot of upside for 2011-2012, and especially for 2012-2013.
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DanMcQ
Moderator 
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Post by DanMcQ on Aug 6, 2011 15:30:18 GMT -5
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