Post by FLHoya on Aug 6, 2011 22:17:45 GMT -5
KENNER LEAGUE SEMIFINALS -- August 6, 2011
The Kenner League keeps topping itself.
I thought we'd run out of craziness after Thursday's three-overtime DCX-Hoop Magic marathon, or yesterday's last-second victory in the intense Tombs-Team Turner matchup...but the Kenner League had even more in store for the packed house at McDonough in this afternoon's semifinals.
I had a moment or two ahead of today's games to reflect on this year's Kenner League.
I arrived 20 minutes minutes before 2:00pm only to find the gym wasn't yet open for spectators. It's the kind of thing that happened about once a weekend in year's past at the Kenner League. The Nike Pro City Summer League waits for no one...except a girl's volleyball camp! This time though, it was actually a bit strange, because it had been so long since the KL junkies all milled around the lobby together.
We get on the Kenner League a lot for its many eccentricities: the perennially last-minute schedule releases, geriatric officials, pediatric scoreboard operators, hot dogs that should bear the skull and crossbones, frequent schedule delays, and whatever it is Curtis Symonds is yelling about. But truth be told, this summer's league has been remarkably well run. I even stopped using the joking "You're NOT GOING TO BELIEVE this!!!" tweets about game delays after the second weekend, because pretty much every game this summer has run on time (surely the technical foul penalty for tardiness is working!). Lest we forget, of course, that the games are free of charge (Kenner League once or twice several years ago tried charging a nominal admission for the playoffs, but who were they kidding).
As I overheard one fan say to his buddy as they were walking out: "Man, that was worth admission!"
Indeed, it has been worth admission this summer. The quality of basketball in the Kenner League has been off the charts this July and August. Many years, the average Kenner League game is a mess of gunners, turnovers, and endless fast breaks--defense usually optional. This year, we've seen a lot more games in the 60s, a function of greater defensive effort and teams that play more together on offense. Some teams run--Team Takeover being a prime example--but the bread and butter this summer has been halfcourt play. The rare high scoring games like Clydes-DCX today come as a result of well-executed offense, rather than defenders jogging back up court.
The Tombs roster, needless to say, has been a boon from the beginning for Hoya basketball fans. Interest in the Kenner League always seems to rise based on the number of incoming freshmen competing, so it was always going to be a popular summer with the Frosh Five (their sometimes Twitter term, not mine) competing on the same team. You get the feeling that you're watching a team develop before your eyes when you take in a Tombs game. Their summer league schedule has unfolded like a season: Jabril Trawick dominated the first week, Otto Porter slowly worked his way into the groove of all-around performances after arriving with Tyler Adams in week two, and then Mikael Hopkins began to emerge as a more authoritative inside presence after Adams' injury.
Of course, it hasn't been all pleasant for Hoya fans--in three consecutive weekends, three Hoya frontcourt players went down with increasingly serious injuries, and none have competed since. Fortunately, at least with Nate Lubick and Tyler Adams--who both put in full conditioning workouts on exercise machines prior to and during the Clyde's game--there looks to be a short road to recovery. Moses Ayegba was walking around McDonough with a leg sleeve/wrap/brace in a good mood today, but his status is much less certain.
Still, the Kenner League keeps topping itself.
A three overtime game on Thursday night. A back and forth slugfest with trash talking and 11 technicals on Friday night. And today, in the semifinals? Even better.
Cue the music:
U2, "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
CLYDES 102 DCX 91 (OT)
I had a feeling it was one of those days when Austin Freeman in the first half hit a carbon copy of his turnaround dagger from last season's Villanova game.
Austin's performance--the summer league version of so many of his second half scoring outbursts in the Blue and Gray--propelled the Clyde's to the finals over DCX in a well-played offensive showcase.
Once again, the hired guns held the key to the game.
In what had been a back and forth contest, with countless lead changes--the largest lead I can remember was 67-60 DCX, and Clydes erased it with a 7-0 run--DCX looked to have struck the final blow when they led by 5 with under a minute to go on a steal and dunk. But Austin Freeman had the final word for Clyde's.
Of course, perhaps the officials had the first word here. Freeman looked to have benefitted from a very questionable reach-in call that sent him to the line for three free throws with 48 seconds remaining. AFree hit the first two, but the third bounced out. Aaron Bowen came away with a steal, and seconds later Freeman calmly swished home a three pointer to tie the game. In just 12 seconds, DCX's lead was gone.
So was their composure. Instead of holding for the final shot (there was a 0.7 second difference), DCX settled for a contested jumper from the corner that was nowhere near the mark and left Clydes 17 seconds to work with.
It was aways going to be Jeff Green shooting for the win, wasn't it? Green held it...and held it...and held it up near mid court, before backing his defender towards the three point line. A fall away from the top of the key was no good, and we had ourselves another overtime game at McDonough.
And that's went the hired guns fatally shot DCX. Midway through the three-minute overtime with Clyde's up three, Austin Freeman swished another three from the same spot as his tying shot in regulation. After a DCX miss, it was Green's turn to load up, and he fired one home from downtown. Another DCX miss, and Freeman left no doubt with a third consecutive three to give DCX and insurmountable 99-87 lead in under a minute's time.
Clyde's advanced to the championship game, and by doing so ensured that at least one current Hoya (Aaron Bowen) would be around for the end of the Kenner League.
Aaron Bowen: 13 points, 3-5 2FG, 2-5 3FG, 1-2 FT, 6RB, 2A, 2STL, 3T, 3F
This was Aaron's best offensive game since the very early games of the summer. I say this because he finally returned to successfully using his athleticism to make plays.
It's been well established this summer that Aaron can finish fast breaks or reverse layups on back door cuts, but so can just about any Georgetown player. When it comes to a halfcourt offense, he's too often been reliant on jump shooting and jump shooting alone. When he did try and go off the dribble or shot fake earlier in the summer, he seemed out of ideas.
Today, Aaron on a few occasions was able to attack the rim with authority off the dribble, and his reverse off-hand finish while being clobbered at the rim was something we hadn't seen all summer from Aaron. What's more, he used the pump fake in the corner and went drive and dish...another rarity for him this KL.
He's still good on the break of course, but in addition to throwing down and alley oop, he also led a good transition from rebound to bounce pass and finish for Austin Freeman.
Defensively--still not impressing. He's far too prone to let his man blow by, and at least in KL isn't following up as well as he could be after the initial swipe and miss. Needs to get much better at keeping his man in front of him,
Markel Starks: 24 points, 6-8 FG, 3-9 3FG, 3-5 FT, 2RB, 4A, 1BLK, 2TO
Markel evolved of the course of the summer from a drive and dish player (in the first game his bread and butter was a top of the key screen and a drive/dish from the paint) to a pull-up shooter. This reflected an increasing aggressiveness to his game. I wouldn't say "assertiveness" though--think of it less as taking a game over and more as recognizing that he needs to shoot more when given a chance.
I think Markel may well be the best pull up shooter on the squad. He makes some awfully tough shots off the dribble, including in transition--he nailed a really difficult 17 foot shot slightly off balance and contested on a break in the second half. He really wants that pull up. Even for a guard of only modest height, he's definitely not afraid to pull up even when contested, which adds an extra versatility to his game, provided he can take his man of the dribble with that shot threat present. I'm not sure Markel to what extent Markel has the first step to blow by defenders...although when he gets on the move he has good change of pace and likes to use that to get to the rim.
When I tally up the stats for the summer, one thing that I know will stand out from preliminary looks--Markel has by far the best assist to turnover ratio of any Georgetown player who might play the 1 or 2 position. He does quite well limiting turnovers. We'll talk later with Jabril Trawick about how limiting turnovers is probably just as or more critical than making big plays.
Henry Sims: 20 points, 10-15 FG, 0-2 FT, 14 RB, 4A, 2T, 1BLK, 3F
It looked early on for all intents and purposes that Henry was going to have another of his games where he struggles against a stronger or more savvy defender. The McDonough crowd ooooooooooooohhhhhhh'd its appreciation when Jeff Green on two consecutive possessions sent Henry Sims shots packing with extreme prejudice (he packed the ball and actually sent Sims backwards).
Henry responded well as the game went on though...and his isn't an "overtime wonder" box score like you sometimes see--he didn't convert a FT all game nor did he score in overtime.
His post game overall was quite diverse. He got some good mileage from a running hook and his go to post move--a jump hook from about 4-5 feet. Henry was good with both hands and from either side. Later, he expanded his game to include a face up jumper from the baseline at 8ft and then out to 16ft, and mixed things up even further by passing out of his running hook for an easy layup.
The recurring question I have about Henry: will he stop being so gosh darned clumsy!?!?!?
I'm joking a little bit, but I can't help but think that one of the limitations of Henry's game comes down to the simple fact that he's kind of a goofy, awkward fella. Against bigger, stronger centers he struggles to establish good position and keep from getting pushed out on the block. When the jump hook gets off balance or fades away, the shooting percentage declines accordingly. Likewise, though Henry has a solid rebounding game overall, he bumped into teammates a few times and generally over the summer probably lost 1-3 boards a game just by getting pinballed around.
Henry could go any number of ways this season. I know I'm the type that says once a player gets to his junior year in Kenner, he is what he is...but Henry (as always) could either turn out to be a plus face up center with smooth range to 15-16 feet and occasional monster dunk ability, or he could continue to be the enigmatic string bean who only occasionally flashes his offensive gifts. You often see both Henrys in the same game.
I'm not sure what we'll see in the real games, but I'm interested to find out.
The Kenner League keeps topping itself.
I thought we'd run out of craziness after Thursday's three-overtime DCX-Hoop Magic marathon, or yesterday's last-second victory in the intense Tombs-Team Turner matchup...but the Kenner League had even more in store for the packed house at McDonough in this afternoon's semifinals.
I had a moment or two ahead of today's games to reflect on this year's Kenner League.
I arrived 20 minutes minutes before 2:00pm only to find the gym wasn't yet open for spectators. It's the kind of thing that happened about once a weekend in year's past at the Kenner League. The Nike Pro City Summer League waits for no one...except a girl's volleyball camp! This time though, it was actually a bit strange, because it had been so long since the KL junkies all milled around the lobby together.
We get on the Kenner League a lot for its many eccentricities: the perennially last-minute schedule releases, geriatric officials, pediatric scoreboard operators, hot dogs that should bear the skull and crossbones, frequent schedule delays, and whatever it is Curtis Symonds is yelling about. But truth be told, this summer's league has been remarkably well run. I even stopped using the joking "You're NOT GOING TO BELIEVE this!!!" tweets about game delays after the second weekend, because pretty much every game this summer has run on time (surely the technical foul penalty for tardiness is working!). Lest we forget, of course, that the games are free of charge (Kenner League once or twice several years ago tried charging a nominal admission for the playoffs, but who were they kidding).
As I overheard one fan say to his buddy as they were walking out: "Man, that was worth admission!"
Indeed, it has been worth admission this summer. The quality of basketball in the Kenner League has been off the charts this July and August. Many years, the average Kenner League game is a mess of gunners, turnovers, and endless fast breaks--defense usually optional. This year, we've seen a lot more games in the 60s, a function of greater defensive effort and teams that play more together on offense. Some teams run--Team Takeover being a prime example--but the bread and butter this summer has been halfcourt play. The rare high scoring games like Clydes-DCX today come as a result of well-executed offense, rather than defenders jogging back up court.
The Tombs roster, needless to say, has been a boon from the beginning for Hoya basketball fans. Interest in the Kenner League always seems to rise based on the number of incoming freshmen competing, so it was always going to be a popular summer with the Frosh Five (their sometimes Twitter term, not mine) competing on the same team. You get the feeling that you're watching a team develop before your eyes when you take in a Tombs game. Their summer league schedule has unfolded like a season: Jabril Trawick dominated the first week, Otto Porter slowly worked his way into the groove of all-around performances after arriving with Tyler Adams in week two, and then Mikael Hopkins began to emerge as a more authoritative inside presence after Adams' injury.
Of course, it hasn't been all pleasant for Hoya fans--in three consecutive weekends, three Hoya frontcourt players went down with increasingly serious injuries, and none have competed since. Fortunately, at least with Nate Lubick and Tyler Adams--who both put in full conditioning workouts on exercise machines prior to and during the Clyde's game--there looks to be a short road to recovery. Moses Ayegba was walking around McDonough with a leg sleeve/wrap/brace in a good mood today, but his status is much less certain.
Still, the Kenner League keeps topping itself.
A three overtime game on Thursday night. A back and forth slugfest with trash talking and 11 technicals on Friday night. And today, in the semifinals? Even better.
Cue the music:
U2, "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
CLYDES 102 DCX 91 (OT)
I had a feeling it was one of those days when Austin Freeman in the first half hit a carbon copy of his turnaround dagger from last season's Villanova game.
Austin's performance--the summer league version of so many of his second half scoring outbursts in the Blue and Gray--propelled the Clyde's to the finals over DCX in a well-played offensive showcase.
Once again, the hired guns held the key to the game.
In what had been a back and forth contest, with countless lead changes--the largest lead I can remember was 67-60 DCX, and Clydes erased it with a 7-0 run--DCX looked to have struck the final blow when they led by 5 with under a minute to go on a steal and dunk. But Austin Freeman had the final word for Clyde's.
Of course, perhaps the officials had the first word here. Freeman looked to have benefitted from a very questionable reach-in call that sent him to the line for three free throws with 48 seconds remaining. AFree hit the first two, but the third bounced out. Aaron Bowen came away with a steal, and seconds later Freeman calmly swished home a three pointer to tie the game. In just 12 seconds, DCX's lead was gone.
So was their composure. Instead of holding for the final shot (there was a 0.7 second difference), DCX settled for a contested jumper from the corner that was nowhere near the mark and left Clydes 17 seconds to work with.
It was aways going to be Jeff Green shooting for the win, wasn't it? Green held it...and held it...and held it up near mid court, before backing his defender towards the three point line. A fall away from the top of the key was no good, and we had ourselves another overtime game at McDonough.
And that's went the hired guns fatally shot DCX. Midway through the three-minute overtime with Clyde's up three, Austin Freeman swished another three from the same spot as his tying shot in regulation. After a DCX miss, it was Green's turn to load up, and he fired one home from downtown. Another DCX miss, and Freeman left no doubt with a third consecutive three to give DCX and insurmountable 99-87 lead in under a minute's time.
Clyde's advanced to the championship game, and by doing so ensured that at least one current Hoya (Aaron Bowen) would be around for the end of the Kenner League.
Aaron Bowen: 13 points, 3-5 2FG, 2-5 3FG, 1-2 FT, 6RB, 2A, 2STL, 3T, 3F
This was Aaron's best offensive game since the very early games of the summer. I say this because he finally returned to successfully using his athleticism to make plays.
It's been well established this summer that Aaron can finish fast breaks or reverse layups on back door cuts, but so can just about any Georgetown player. When it comes to a halfcourt offense, he's too often been reliant on jump shooting and jump shooting alone. When he did try and go off the dribble or shot fake earlier in the summer, he seemed out of ideas.
Today, Aaron on a few occasions was able to attack the rim with authority off the dribble, and his reverse off-hand finish while being clobbered at the rim was something we hadn't seen all summer from Aaron. What's more, he used the pump fake in the corner and went drive and dish...another rarity for him this KL.
He's still good on the break of course, but in addition to throwing down and alley oop, he also led a good transition from rebound to bounce pass and finish for Austin Freeman.
Defensively--still not impressing. He's far too prone to let his man blow by, and at least in KL isn't following up as well as he could be after the initial swipe and miss. Needs to get much better at keeping his man in front of him,
Markel Starks: 24 points, 6-8 FG, 3-9 3FG, 3-5 FT, 2RB, 4A, 1BLK, 2TO
Markel evolved of the course of the summer from a drive and dish player (in the first game his bread and butter was a top of the key screen and a drive/dish from the paint) to a pull-up shooter. This reflected an increasing aggressiveness to his game. I wouldn't say "assertiveness" though--think of it less as taking a game over and more as recognizing that he needs to shoot more when given a chance.
I think Markel may well be the best pull up shooter on the squad. He makes some awfully tough shots off the dribble, including in transition--he nailed a really difficult 17 foot shot slightly off balance and contested on a break in the second half. He really wants that pull up. Even for a guard of only modest height, he's definitely not afraid to pull up even when contested, which adds an extra versatility to his game, provided he can take his man of the dribble with that shot threat present. I'm not sure Markel to what extent Markel has the first step to blow by defenders...although when he gets on the move he has good change of pace and likes to use that to get to the rim.
When I tally up the stats for the summer, one thing that I know will stand out from preliminary looks--Markel has by far the best assist to turnover ratio of any Georgetown player who might play the 1 or 2 position. He does quite well limiting turnovers. We'll talk later with Jabril Trawick about how limiting turnovers is probably just as or more critical than making big plays.
Henry Sims: 20 points, 10-15 FG, 0-2 FT, 14 RB, 4A, 2T, 1BLK, 3F
It looked early on for all intents and purposes that Henry was going to have another of his games where he struggles against a stronger or more savvy defender. The McDonough crowd ooooooooooooohhhhhhh'd its appreciation when Jeff Green on two consecutive possessions sent Henry Sims shots packing with extreme prejudice (he packed the ball and actually sent Sims backwards).
Henry responded well as the game went on though...and his isn't an "overtime wonder" box score like you sometimes see--he didn't convert a FT all game nor did he score in overtime.
His post game overall was quite diverse. He got some good mileage from a running hook and his go to post move--a jump hook from about 4-5 feet. Henry was good with both hands and from either side. Later, he expanded his game to include a face up jumper from the baseline at 8ft and then out to 16ft, and mixed things up even further by passing out of his running hook for an easy layup.
The recurring question I have about Henry: will he stop being so gosh darned clumsy!?!?!?
I'm joking a little bit, but I can't help but think that one of the limitations of Henry's game comes down to the simple fact that he's kind of a goofy, awkward fella. Against bigger, stronger centers he struggles to establish good position and keep from getting pushed out on the block. When the jump hook gets off balance or fades away, the shooting percentage declines accordingly. Likewise, though Henry has a solid rebounding game overall, he bumped into teammates a few times and generally over the summer probably lost 1-3 boards a game just by getting pinballed around.
Henry could go any number of ways this season. I know I'm the type that says once a player gets to his junior year in Kenner, he is what he is...but Henry (as always) could either turn out to be a plus face up center with smooth range to 15-16 feet and occasional monster dunk ability, or he could continue to be the enigmatic string bean who only occasionally flashes his offensive gifts. You often see both Henrys in the same game.
I'm not sure what we'll see in the real games, but I'm interested to find out.
