I'll Be a Son of a Shark

[CoachC]

Jan 8: Ike is named conference player of the week. There have been weeks when he was probably more deserving and DIDN"T get it, so he had it coming.

[CoachC]

Back home, but it doesn't get any easier. Despite losing their last game on the road to our next opponent, the Chanticleers, the Keydets are a very good basketball team as their 32 RPI indicates. They have good scoring balance among their perimeter people, and their big guys hit the boards hard.

We need to rise from the under-achieving mediocrity we've been playing in and turn this ship around. This conference race is looking to be a war, and we can't afford another early loss.

The good news, with the students returning to campus we have very close to a sell-out for this one and it may well be sold out by game time as only a handful of tickets remain. It's about time.

We played very well at both ends for the first 17 minutes of the game before our defense fell asleep and our offense turned the ball over in 3 straight trips in the final 3 minutes. We escape the first half with a 40-38 lead.

Except for that 3 minute lapse at the end of the first half, we played Bulldog basketball in this one, shooting 49.1 from the field, holding them to 38.2. We also turned them over 22 times with 16 steals. The only thing we didn't do very well in this game was rebound (27-35,6-11), but we were able to pull away early in the 2nd half and it was pretty much over after that.

Battle had just 4 points, but 6 asts, 2 rebs, 2 stls, and just 2 TOs
Felts had 10 pts, 2 asts, 5 rebs, 2 stls
Jeffers got his touch back and led us with 21 pts on just 13 shots, and had 3 stls.
Moore did a little of everything as usual, and his 5 steals really got the crowd roaring behind us.
O'Conner was very good again with 19 pts, 5 rebs.

Brown didn't have an eye-popping game off the bench stats wise but played well. Sanders got back into my good graces with 14 pts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, and a block off the bench. A needed win against a very good basketball team. Now to see if we can bottle it up and take it on the road.


Final:

G-W 76 VMI 54

[CoachC]

Jan 12: O'conner suffered a slight wrist sprain late in the game and is day to day. It's not too bad, and he shouldn't miss our next game, but may not be able to play his usual minutes. The way 'Zilla is playing right now, that's still a tough break.

Presbyterian won on the road vs Radford, and Liberty defeated the Big Blue Chickens to remain undefeated in conference play and share first place by two games. We are in a 6 way tie for 3rd.

[CoachC]

Jan 13: We are 10th in the nation in assists, (Presybterian is 4th, and is also 4th in the nation in scoring, with High Point 8th), 5th in steals, 6th in turnovers, and still 1st in forced turnovers at 19.8.

Chris Battle is 3rd in the league in assists.
Felt is 9th in the league in assists, 7th in steals, 8th in ft%.
Jeffers is 2nd in scoring, 1st in minutes played, 2nd in steals, 9th in 3p%, and 9th in FT%
Moore is 4th in steals.
Godzilla is 9th in scoring and leads the league in rebounding and FG%.
Sanders is 3rd in the league in steals.

[Wayne23]

Frustrating to lose a 3OT game.

[CoachC]

very, since we had a lead late in both of the first 2 overtimes. This team is underachieving and it's irritating.

[CoachC]

Another road game against another potential contender. The Chickens are much better than their record indicates. Their 2 conference losses have been on the road to VMI and Liberty. They like to run and we need to punish them for it. If we want to start re-establishing ourselves as the team to beat in the conference it has to start now. We need our first road victory in the conference. Not sure how many minutes 'Zilla can play tonight. we need someone to step up off the bench. Brown will start tonight in O'Conner's place. We'll use 'Zilla as best we can. His wrist is wrapped up tight and not sure how it will affect his shot.

Our halfcourt defense was no great shakes in the first half, but we did turn them over 12 times on 7 steals. 'Zilla was able to give us 9 high quality minutes off the bench. The wrist wrapping didn't seem to alter his shot at all, but we saw on the sidelines that he grimaced every time he caught the ball or grabbed a rebound. A very satisfactory first half though sees us leading 42-34. Hopefully we can tighten up the defense better in the 2nd half.

I've about had it with this schizophrenic team. Unable to get stops combined with a 2nd half shooting funk killed us.Turning them over 20 times had almost no effect. We'll hold 4 practices a day working on nothing but defense until they hold somebody under 50% from the field on the road. Even our first half rebounding advantage disappeared into smoke in the 2nd half. These guys want to lose? well one more loss they are all getting benched.

'cept maybe Godzilla. Even injured he gave us 10 pts 4 rebs off the bench in 19 minutes.

Battle had 9 pts, 6 asts, but turned the ball over 4 times.
Felts had a decent game with 17 pts, 5 asts, 2 stls, but turned the ball over 4 times playing the point.
Jeffers had 15 pts, 3 rebs, 3 stls, and it wasn't at all a good game for him.
Brown did a decent job starting for the first time this season with 4pts, 7 rebs.
Sanders had 6 pts in 20 minutes off the bench but needed to do more.
Bobby White did a decent job with 4 pts, 4 rebs in 14 minutes.

nobody played in the man to man.

Final disgusting score:

G-W 67 CC 74

[CoachC]

Jun 15: during this morning's scrimmage I tell everyone on both the white team and the scouting team that every time they get scored on they owe me a lap around the gym. Lots of laps were run.

Liberty lost a high scoring game at High Point. Presbyterian remains undefeated after a home win alone in first place.

[CoachC]

Jun 16: we get a verbal commitment from:

6'8 228 lb HS Sr. Forward Carl Joseph

The most talented of our recruits this season, Joseph is a quality inside scorer with length and shot blocking potential. He'll have to work a lot harder on rebounding and defense though. It still remains to be see if he will make academic requirements for enrollment.

[CoachC]

During the grueling practices coming into this game I let it be known we will play no zone tonight other than the Amoeba. If anyone gets in foul trouble they will play until they "I" decide they are winded, or until they foul out. If I see anyone tug on their shirts, I'll take them out, but they'll never get back in. If we wind up with the last 5 guys on the bench in the game in the 2nd half, so be it. I'm disgusted, and I tell them they should be disgusted with themselves.


In the first half we play 7 players double figure minutes. we play man throughout. no one has more than one foul in the first half. We shoot over 57% from the field and hold them to 31 %. We turn them over 17 times with 12 steals. We have a 26 point lead at halftime.

I spend the time in the locker room yelling at them about our piss-poor rebounding (13-21,3-10). I tell them if they ever want to hear me stop yelling they need to play better. There is no reason to get out-rebounded by that margin. Kevin pulls me aside and asks me if I've lost my mind. I say, "No, they are better than this! I know it, you know it. It's about damn time they figure it out, too!"

11:32 up by 23. Still have only played 7 players. I yell at them for letting them cut into the lead.

at 3:22 and a 27 point lead I finally go to the bench. I don't want to, because I'm not happy, but good sportsmanship demands it. Damned sportsmanship.

we out-shoot them 47% to 38% for the game. We turn them over 23 times with 13 steals. We get out-rebounded (32-41, 10-15) and I'm not happy. I tell them we'll be continuing the double length practices this week working on rebounding drills since some people still seem to not put in a winning effort.

I'm most disappointed in 'Zilla who had just 4 pts, 3 rebs in 26 minutes. The big reason we lost the battle of the boards. I tell him to go injure his wrist again because he plays better. Not fair, I know... but this entire team needs their ass kicked.

Battle had 14 pts, 5 asts, 2 stls and just 2 tos in 24 minutes.
Felts had 20 pts, 4 asts, 4 rebs, 3 stls and just one turnover in 35 minutes.
Jeffers had 18 pts, 3 asts, 4 rebs, 3 stls in 31 minutes.
Moore the stat-sheet god had 10 pts, 4 asts, 10 rebs, 3stls, and 2 blks in 27 minutes for a double double

the only two guys off the bench during the crux of the game Brown (4 pts, 2 asts, 5 rebs in 21 minutes) and Sanders (6 pts, 1 stl in 23 minutes) gave help but Sanders in particular should have given more in the minutes available.

No one off the bench in the last 4 minutes convinced me they want more playing time.

I'm not happy. We will continue with the same idea in the next game. 7 players, 35 fouls to give.... no zone. play til you drop

Final:

G-W 80 Winthrop 61