BeantownHoops Blog

Final Fall League Notebook
The best game I saw this Fall was between Girls #6 Fenway and Girls #5 Andover.  The game was played with high intensity on both sides and the star players for both teams were outstanding.  Oh yeah, it went into overtime on a controversial foul with no time remaining.  For the record, I had a good look at the play and I did think there was a foul…. Congratulations to #21 Acton-Boxborough for winning the Fidelity House League, #1 Lynn English for winning the Medford League, #10 Madison Park winning the DOT House Playoffs, and Girls #6 Fenway winning at the DOT as well…. A lot of sideline chatter all Fall about the size of the courts in the Fall Leagues.  I mentioned this in my first notebook how it really affected offensive spacing, but more importantly I think that the lack of a shot clock affects these games more and the teams could really benefit from it come season time…. I just love watching players play hard all game in the off-season.  Talented or not, only good things can happen when players and teams play hard.  Props to Brima Rogers of Concord-Carlisle, AJ Prince of Waltham, Marco Coppola of Watertown, and Greg Kelley of Newton North.  In the games I saw them play these guys never took a play off…. A lot of people asking me about the rankings for the season.  I will actually have two polls in the season.  One based on what I see and what I hear from coaches, players, and fans in the know and the other will be a Power Ranking system based on the RPI that college basketball uses.  The RPI factors in home and away wins and strength of schedule to take away any personal bias.  Stay tuned for both during the season….Oh yeah, no changes in the pre-season poll until the first game is played…. With practice beginning next week, we hit that brief lull in the season waiting for the first game to happen.  One suggestion for parents who think that their son and daughter are Division One talents:  go see a local college team play.  I have been fortunate as a head coach and now as a member of the media to be court side or a few rows back to watch college basketball and t.v. does not do these athletes justice.  Watching them in person, you realize just how big and fast the players are at this level.  I’ve always felt, and college coaches will back me up here, skill is very important, but if you don’t have size and speed to go with those skills your son or daughter is not playing DI…. Another feature to keep an eye on will be our Western Massachusetts basketball report which will feature player profiles and top teams in Western Mass….. Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving, the season starts soon!
Games of the week (11/21/09):  Dorchester House Playoffs
DOT House Playoffs Recap:
Girls - #12 Cambridge defeated #3 Lynn English, #10 New Mission defeated #4 Arlington Catholic, #12 Cambridge over #10 New Mission, #6 Fenway defeats #12 Cambridge in the Finals.
Boys - Brookline  defeated #25 Watertown, #3 Newton North defeated Brookline, #10 Madison Park defeated Charlestown, #21 New Mission defeated #3 Newton North, #10 Madison Park defeats #21 New Mission in the Finals.
Girls - #5 Andover v. #6 Fenway
Boys - #22 New Mission v. West Roxbury
#6 Fenway’s Ellison and Cox outduel #5 Adover’s Gomez-Martinez and Boudreau
by beantownhoops.com
In a match-up of top ten teams and big time guards, it was #6 Fenway upsetting #5 Andover 54-47 in overtime at the DOT House playoffs.  Andover’s Natalie Gomez-Martinez’ ten first half points and Nicole Boudreau’s seven points paced the Golden Warriors as they took a four point lead late in the half 24-20 .  However, Fenway’s duo of Khadijah Ellison and Kayla Cox responded by adding twelve and seven points respectively to cut the lead to 24-23. 
In the second half, Fenway’s defensive pressure picked up and the end result of a 9-2 run was a six point lead with twelve minutes left in the contest.  The game went back and forth from that point on with the four stars trading baskets.  With two minutes left it looked like Andover was in control with a four point lead and the ball, but an ill advised shot gave the Panthers possession and that’s when the real fun began. 
Cox would free herself up and make a three-pointer while being fouled and the four point play tied the game with 1:30 left.  Gomez-Martinez would miss a runner on the ensuing possession and Fenway was able to get the ball inside and draw a foul.  After making one of two free throws, Gomez-Martinez pushed the ball up with thirty-eight seconds remaining, but an errant pass was stolen by Ellison.  Fenway called a time-out, but had none remaining.  Boudreau made both technical foul shots to give Andover a 46-45 lead with ten seconds left.  Fenway fouled immediately and the Panthers missed the front end of a one-and-one.  Cox pushed the ball up the floor and found Ellison open at the top of the key for a three and the win.  The shot clanked off, but she was fouled on the play.  Ellison missed the first, made the second, and then missed the third to send the game into overtime.
In the overtime session, Fenway hit back-to-back three’s in their first two possessions and Andover would get no closer the rest of the contest.  Fenway’s Khadijah Ellison finished with 16 points and Kayla Cox tallied 15 pts. in the victory.  Andover’s Natalie Gomez-Martinez would finish with 18 pts., 5 ast., and 4 stls. and Nicole Boudreau added 14 points in the losing effort.
Fenway’s win put them in the championship game over #12 Cambridge who upset #3 Lynn English earlier in the day.  In the final, the Panthers were able to take care of Cambridge to secure the championship at DOT House.
#22 New Mission’s defense too much for West Roxbury
by beantownhoops.com
The Titans led wire to wire against a good West Roxbury team and prevailed by ten points 38-28 in the DOT House playoffs.  West Roxbury was forced into hurried shots and found no driving lanes available all game as New Mission held them to only two points for fourteen minutes in the second half.  The Titans defense forced eighteen turnovers and outrebounded the Raiders by twelve. 
New Mission made it to the championship game by defeating their next opponent, #3 Newton North, but fell to #10 Madison Park to finish in second place at the DOT House.
Fall League Notebook #3

The big buzz this weekend was our pre-season #1 Lynn English losing big to New Mission and St. John’s Prep at Basketball City yesterday.   I was going to cover Lynn English and Somerville at the Medford Boys Club Fall League when I heard about their brutal schedule yesterday.  They played at 8:30 am at Basketball City, 2:00 at Medford, and then back to back games at 4:00 and 5:00 at Basketball City against two solid teams.  They will have to regroup and prove that they deserve to be a top ranked team or else their reign as number one will be short lived…..The Middlesex league should be one of the most competitive leagues this season.  Lexington and Woburn are ranked #8 and #9 in our poll respectively and Watertown showed me this weekend that they may have lost a lot, but they play extremely hard and know how to play successful team basketball. Belmont was without their star player in yesterday’s loss to #4 Cambridge and just ran out of gas in the second half, but the Marauders showed as well that they will be right in the thick of things when league play begins…..It still just the pre-season, but St. John’s Prep has defeated #4 Cambridge and #1 Lynn English in fall league action.  I watched them play Waltham at Fidelity House a few weeks back and they didn’t impress, but it looks like they have their core players back and they are playing well.  Look for SJP to move from our Second 10 and into our Top 10 when the regular season starts….Freshman Donaizha Fountain of New Mission is going to be an outstanding player.  She is still learning the game, but she has good size, quickness, and a fundamentally sound jump shot already. She will be a big time prospect if she continues to improve in the next three years….A.J. Prince of Waltham had an impressive eight offensive rebounds yesterday in their win over Arlington.  Prince is a 6’0” guard and just kept attacking the glass and running down balls, not bad for a guard….#3 Newton North had an impressive win over #5 Andover in the Dorchester House playoffs.  They will play the winner of the Watertown/Brookline game on Saturday.

Games of the week (11/14/09):  Fidelity House Fall League and Dorchester House Playoffs
Fidelity House
#4 Cambridge vs. Belmont
Arlington vs. Waltham
Dorchester House
Watertown vs. Xaverian (Boys)
New Mission vs. Hull (Girls)
#4 Cambridge too strong for Belmont
by beantownhoops.com
#4 Cambridge put in a total team effort to defeat Belmont 83-56 at Fidelity House.  The Falcons had seven players in double figures and their defensive pressure caused fifteen turnovers for Belmont.  Cambridge took a 27-12 lead after the first quarter, but Belmont hung tough in the second quarter and cut the lead to seven on Sophomore Sam Musler’s driving lay-up.  However, the Marauders would get no closer as Cambridge went on a 16-4 run in the fourth quarter to take a twenty-seven point lead and the margin of victory.  Both teams will play their last league game next Sunday with Cambridge playing Burlington at 6 p.m. and Belmont playing Winchester at 7:10 p.m.
Prince leads Waltham over Arlington
by beantownhoops.com
A.J. Prince’s 20 points and eight offensive rebounds paced Waltham as they defeated Arlington 70-51.  A back and forth affair in the first quarter was broken wide open in the second quarter when Waltham went to a full-court pressure man defense and took a fourteen point lead with 1:17 left in the half.  “I felt that our defensive pressure was the key to the game.  We just kept playing hard and stuck together all game.  It was a good win for us,” said Prince.  Waltham would take a twenty-three point lead in the fourth quarter before settling for their nineteen point win.  Arlington will play at noon next Saturday and Waltham will play after them at 1:10 to conclude their league play.
Watertown cruises by Xaverian
by beantownhoops.com
Junior guard Marco Coppola had 18 points and four steals to lead Watertown to a 63-48 victory over Xaverian in the first round of the DOT House playoffs.  Xaverian had no answer for Coppola who scored on an array of drives to the basket and from the perimeter.  When the Xaverian defense collapsed on him, the rest of the Red Raiders stepped up from the arc hitting nine three pointers for the game.  The game was tied at nineteen with five minutes left in the first half when Watertown picked up its pressure defensively and went on a 16-2 run to take a 35-21 lead at the intermission.  Xaverian would get no closer than twelve points in the second half and had thirteen turnovers for the game.  Watertown will continue in the boys bracket of the playoffs next Friday at 7 p.m. against Brookline who defeated Boston LA in an earlier game.
#10 New Mission Girls too much for Hull
by beantownhoops.com
With star guard Niesha Kelly sidelined by an ankle injury, fellow Senior Miesha Reynolds stepped up and had 19 points and 7 steals to lead #10 New Mission over Hull 43-25.  The Lady Titans full court trapping defense was stifling and it led to twenty-seven turnovers for Hull.  Freshmen Donaizha Fountain was solid for New Mission contributing 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.  The first half was dominated by New Mission  as they took an eighteen point lead 25-7 heading into the break.  The Lady Titans had it on cruise control in the second half and played Hull even to maintain its halftime margin and the final score.  Hull was eliminated with the loss, but a bright spot was forward Ashleigh Condon being named to the All-League Team.  New Mission continues in the playoffs next week with games beginning at 10 a.m. at the Dorchester House.
Fall League Notebook #2
I caught the last few minutes of the Lynn English Girls game (vs. Somerville) and the Lady Bulldogs are going to be a tough team to beat this season. When the Beantownhoops.com pre-season girls rankings come out, look for them to be a Top 5 team…..Greg Kelley from Newton North was very impressive in their loss to Lawrence, Yale is very fortunate to get him…..Staying with Newton North, 6’7” Junior Tevin Falzon will be a big pick-up for a DI school. He is still growing into his body and has a good skill set for his size, keep an eye on him this year…..There were some big losses for some top teams with Cambridge and Newton North falling in close games this weekend. Don’t look too much into it because it is still Fall League, but big wins for St. John’s Prep and Lawrence none the less….I finally listened to all the requests made to me and made it out to the Dorchester Fall League last Saturday. It is an impressive group of teams in the league, but one thing I have noticed is that all the leagues are competitive. Fidelity House and the Medford Boys Club are running solid leagues as well and as long as the teams are getting something out of it, in my opinion, there is no one league better than the next.
Game of the week (11/7/09):  Dorchester House Boys Fall League
Newton North vs. Lawrence
Lawrence steals a victory from Newton North
by beantownhoops.com
A monster effort by Newton North’s Greg Kelley was not enough as Lawrence pulled out a close one in OT, 57 to 52 at the Dorchester House Fall League.  The Yale bound big man finished with a game high 29 points and added 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals, but it was the quickness and relentless pressure of Lawrence that eventually wore down the Tigers.  Lawrence got off to a quick start with the help of four Newton North turnovers and took an early 4-0 lead.  It wasn’t until Kelley and 6′7″ junior Tevin Falzon put together back to back scores did Newton North finally take the lead 17-13 with 3:28 left in the first half.  Lawrence had no answers for the two big men inside and the Tigers had a nine point lead 34 to 25 with nine minutes left in the game.  The pressure and intensity then picked up for Lawrence and after a third straight turnover led to six consecutive points the game was tied at forty-eight.  In the overtime period, Lawrence outscored Newton North nine to four to secure the victory.  Lawrence finished the game with twelve steals which lead to fourteen points.  Falzon added ten points and six boards for the Tigers.  Both teams start the playoffs next Saturday with Newton North facing Andover at 4:00 p.m. and Lawrence squaring off vs. New Mission at 8:00 p.m.
Dorchester House Fall League Playoff Schedule for November 14, 2009
8:00  Girls  Lynn English vs. Milton
9:00  Girls  Cambridge vs. Archbishop Williams
10:00 Boston LA vs. Brookline
11:00 Girls Arlington Catholic vs. Newton North
12:00 Watertown vs. Xaverian
1:00  Girls New Mission vs. Hull
2:00  Milton vs. Boston Latin
3:00  Girls Somerville vs. Andover
4:00  Andover vs. Newton North
5:00  Girls Fenway vs. Fontbonne
7:00  Madison Park vs. BC High
8:00  New Mission vs. Lawrence
9:00   West Roxbury vs. CM
10:00 Boston Trinity vs. E Skills
11:00 Avon vs. Winthrop
Fall League Notebook #1
Here is some news and thoughts from the last couple of weeks of covering the local fall leagues:
Is every team in the fall league missing at least two key players?….Look out for Brima Rogers of Concord Carlisle, not many scorers are enthusiastic about playing defense and he is….I have met many young coaches the last couple of weeks which is great for our sport.  I hope their athletic directors and administrations support them and allow them to develop their programs….O.K. I’ve heard your input and I got the message, the DOT House has a great fall league and I will be covering games there this weekend….Please coaches no more 2-3 zones in the fall league!  If your team plays it as their primary defense great, but if not, it is just making it more work for you to teach your man fundamentals once the season starts….I will always admire teams who play hard in the off-season.  I think it is a good reflection of how dedicated players are to the program and how well their coaches have trained them, great job by Arlington Catholic last Sunday of doing this….I hope some of these players in these leagues will check their ego at the door once the season starts, if not, it is going to be a long season for some coaches
Games of the Week (11/1/09):  Fidelity House Boys Fall League

• Arlington Catholic vs. Lexington
• Concord Carlisle vs. Burlington
• Arlington vs. Acton-Boxborough

Scrappy Arlington Catholic defeats Lexington
by beantownhoops.com

In a game where both teams were missing key members, it was an undersized, scrappy Arlington Catholic team defeating a much bigger Lexington squad 57-49.  Brian Shea’s three pointer early gave AC a 6-0 lead which it would not relinquish the rest of the game.  Lexington was able to cut the lead down to four with 1:40 left, but they would not get any closer as AC was able to make their free-throws down the stretch to secure the victory.  John Mattera led AC with 11 points.
Rogers dominates in Concord Carlisle win
by beantownhoops.com

Brima Rogers had a huge game scoring 29 points with 7 steals and 6 assists to guide Concord Carlisle to victory over Burlington 66-63.  The junior point guard had sixteen of his points in the first quarter alone and was a menace on the defensive end.  Timely three-point shooting by Burlington trimmed the nine point half time lead to three with 1:36 left, but an offensive rebound and put back after a missed second free-throw gave CC the lead and the margin of victory.  Rogers fouled out of the game with 45 seconds left, but his teammates were able to finish it off for him.  It’s that kind of team effort which Rogers feels could help the team have a successful year.  “I think we can have a good regular season and make a nice run come tournament time.  I love the system we play in and love playing for Coach (David) Cohen.  I just want to make the transition to being a leader and a team player so we can achieve our goals,” said Rogers.
Acton-Boxborough cruises past Arlington
by beantownhoops.com

In our featured game, A-B jumped out to an 11-0 lead and had a 19-4 lead after the first quarter.  They were on cruise control the rest of the way defeating Arlington handily 64-44.  Junior guard Sam Longwell and Sophomore big man Kevin LaFrancis were integral parts of a huge second quarter run in which Arlington scored only six points.  A-B was well-balanced and played unselfishly all night and Arlington had no answer for LaFrancis in the paint who finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds.  A-B’s lone loss in the league was to Cambridge and will face Arlington Catholic at 7:10 p.m. next Sunday.

George Washington (Atlantic 10) 69 - Boston U. (America East) 59

In the home opener for new BU coach Patrick Chambers, the Terriers couldn’t find consistent shooting from the 3 pt. line all night and fell to GW 69-59.  BU finished the game shooting 5-27 from the arc and only shooting 64% from the free-throw line.  Both teams showed early season jitters as they combined for twenty-four turnovers and 30% shooting in the first half.  The Colonials also outrebounded the Terriers twenty-three to seventeen  and took a six point lead into the break on Freshman guard Lasan Kromah’s three-pointer at the buzzer.  GW was able to get inside the BU defensive interior all night and they took what looked like a commanding 48-35 lead on Tim Johnson’s lay-up with 10:14 left in the game.  The Terriers would respond with an 8-1 run to close the gap to six on Senior Corey Lowe’s strong drive to the hoop.  However, the Colonials would execute down the stretch and make their free-throws to post the ten point victory. 

The loss dropped BU to 0-2 on the season while GW improved to 2-0.  Jake O’Brien of BC High finished with 5 pts., 6 rebs., and 5 blks., while Newton North’s Corey Lowe had 21 pts.  John Holland had a double double with 24 pts. and 11 rebs. to finish as the high scorer for the Terriers.  The Colonials were led by Lasan Kromah’s 17 pts.  Next up for Boston U. will be a trip to Puerto Rico to play in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff where they will face Kansas State of the Big 12.  The next home game will be November 25th versus city rival Northeastern.  Tip-off is at 4 p.m.

Take this quiz and find out.

Answers will appear at the bottom of this page.  You either get it right or wrong, no partial credit here.  Give yourself a point for every correct answer.

1.  Can you name every team and mascot in your favorite high school team’s league?

2.  What is the difference in length between a standard high school court and college court?

3.  Name the colleges of the five current starters on the Celtics.

4.  Name the state champions in all boys divisions last year.

5. Name the state champions in all girls divisions last year.

6. What is the NFHS?

7. Who invented the game of basketball?  In what city?

8. How many retired numbers are there for the Celtics?

9. Name the basketball conferences of Boston U, Northeastern, Boston College, and Harvard

10. What does AAU stand for?

Scale

9 - 10 points:  Starting Varsity

7 - 8 points:  Varsity player

5 - 6 points:  JV player

3 - 4 points:  Freshmen team

1 - 2 points:  Still learning the game

Quiz answers
1.  You are going to have to look this one up and be honest with yourself!
2.  10  feet.  The standard high school court is 84 feet and the standard college court is 94 feet.
3.  Ray Allen - UConn, Rajon Rondo - Kentucky, Paul Pierce - Kansas, Kendrick Perkins - did not attend college, Kevin Garnett - did not attend college
4.  Division I - St. John’s, Division 2 - Milton, Division 3 - Watertown, Division 4 - Cathedral
5.  Division I - Central Catholic, Division 2 - Notre Dame Academy, Division 3 - Swampscott, Division 4 - Millis
6.  National Federation of High Schools
7.  Dr. James Naismith, Springfield, Mass.
8.  22
9.  BU - America East, Northeastern - CAA, B.C. - ACC, Harvard - Ivy
10. Amateur Athletic Union

Brie Malone of Springfield Central will be playing collegiate basketball next year for Holy Cross.  The 5′7″ shooting guard is the #3 ranked girls player in Massachusetts and is ranked #140 nationally by ESPN U. You can read an article about her signing in The Republican newspaper by clicking here.

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Bentley University has picked up a top recruit in Jasper Grassa from Lynn Classical.  The 6′0″ 185 lb. guard averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.1 apg, and 4.8 rpg as a Junior for a strong Lynn Classical team.  Look for Grassa to lead his team again this year and to have them in contention for the Northeastern League title.Here is the press release regarding Grassa’s signing:

Lynn Classical High School’s Jasper Grassa has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Bentley University next year on a full scholarship. Jasper made a verbal commitment several weeks ago after visits and meetings with both Coach Lawson and Coach Bettencourt.

“I am very excited about attending Bentley next year. The academic reputation of Bentley University played a major role in my decision, as well as the opportunity to work with and play for Coach Lawson and Coach Bettencourt. I see this as a great opportunity for me to continue to play a game I love and receive an outstanding education that will prepare me for my future.” said Grassa.

“Bentley competes in the Northeast-10, one of the most competitive Division II Conferences in the country.” The Falcons are one of the premier programs in Division II, having made it to the Sweet Sixteen three straight years.

At Classical, Jasper plays for his father, Head Coach Tom Grassa. “I think Jasper’s strengths are a good fit for Bentley’s high octane style of play.”

Jasper also played for the Boston Warriors North on the AAU circuit. Last summer, in Orlando, Jasper helped lead the Boston Warriors North to the National Super Showcase title over the NJ Roadrunners and Duke recruit Kyrie Irving.

Mark Papas, the director of the Boston Warriors, has only praise for Jasper. “Jasper did it the old fashion way, he earned it. He went and played every play of every game as if it was for the national title. Coach Lawson will be getting a competitor.”

“The Warriors program gave me the opportunity to compete in a variety of tournaments and showcases that allowed college coaches to see me play.” said Grassa

Now that the recruiting process is complete for Jasper, he looks forward to preparing for his final season at Lynn Classical.

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Senior Niesha Kelly  has been the cornerstone of a very successful New Mission program and is ready to guide her team deep into the playoffs this year.  She is also in a unique position to help one of the most talented freshman in the city, Donaizha Fountain.  When Niesha was a freshmen, New Mission standout Brittany White helped mentor and tutor Niesha and helped her become what she is today.   “Brittany really taught me good habits on and off the court, how to be disciplined, and how to always work hard,” said Niesha. She has taken these lessons and has already given them to the talented freshman.  “Niesha has already helped me with my rebounding and working on my left hand.  I just want to follow in her footsteps and continue to work hard like she does,” added Donaizha.  Athletic Director Cory McCarthy had nothing but great things to say about the two.  “Niesha is a fine example for all of the girls on the team and Donaizha has all the same qualities.  It also helps that they have similar games and personalities.”

The girls have big aspirations this season and winning the city and state titles will be the ultimate team goals. Niesha is a top level recruit and will be playing in the Big Apple Tournament in New York over Christmas break.  However, her role as a mentor is something that cannot be overstated.  Many seniors see star freshman as a threat, but Niesha learned from Brittany and now Donaizha is doing the same.  Look for this talented duo to achieve their team and personal goals together.

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In another earlier poll, I asked the question, “What is the best zone to play?”  Here were the results:

Match-up zone 45%

Man defense will always be better than any zone  32%

2-3 zone 14%

3-2 zone 5%

1-3-1 zone 5%

I have ran a match-up zone in the past and it was very successful allowing my teams to win some big games.  Don Chaney at Temple popularized the zone and they were always a tough out come tournament time.  Just recently with the zone being allowed in the NBA, we are seeing teams run the 3-2 match-up for key possessions and as a way to mix it up.  If you don’t know much about the zone, essentially it is a switching man defense with heavy emphasis on your team’s close out ability.  Jim Boeheim at Syracuse runs the 2-3 match-up and will even trap the corners.  It also helps that Coach Boeheim recruits long players don’t have very far to close-out on shooters.  If you have thought about playing a match-up, look at the checklist below and see if your teams has the tools necessary to implement it:

1.  Does your team talk on defense?  If they don’t or you don’t emphasize it, don’t read any further!

2.  You have to have tough wing players who are willing to play against bigger post players and be aggressive on the boards.

3.  You need five good rebounders on the floor at all times.  If you just have three or four it will be tough.

4.  Closing out and containing the drive are the key defensive elements.  Your team must be able to excel at both.

5.  If you don’t know much about it don’t try it yet.  It took me a good year of watching it in action, reading about it and going to clinics until I felt comfortable with teaching the defense.  Remember the most important point about coaching, if you can’t teach it don’t do it.

There are many resources on the match-up on the internet and in books and videos.  If you want game footage of it, I could also send you some of my past teams when they ran it.  If you supply the blank dvd I would be glad to burn a copy for you.  Send any requests to webmaster@beantownhoops.com.
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In our last poll, I posed the question “What is the best man offense against a man defense?” Here were the results:

Basic Motion - 27%
Flex - 20%
Dribble Drive Motion - 20%
No system, running set plays - 19%
Princeton offense - 6%
Wooden’s UCLA - 6%
Other - 3%

The results were suprising to me because it seems like each year there is this innovative new way to play basketball. Not too long ago the Princeton offense was all the rage and many schools at the high school level were trying to implement it . I watched the tapes and read the books (Basketball’s Princeton-Style Offense: A Simplified Approach for High School Coaches) but it definitely takes time and a tremendous amount of teaching for players to get it. When I was in Chicago, I asked a member of the Northwestern University staff (Head Coach Bill Carmody is a disciple of Peter Caril) about the offense and he said that’s all they work on in practice. I don’t know of too many coaches who can commit all their practice time to it. The most recent trend has been toward the Dribble Drive Motion popularized by Vance Wahlberg and John Calipari. Wahlberg had plenty of success at the junior college level, but not so much at Pepperdine University. Calipari has had tremendous success with the offense (John Calipari: The Definitive Dribble Drive Motion Offense (DVD)), but of course he has had two first round picks in Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans running the point for him. Although the results were only a 7% point difference, it shows me that coaches are still committed to the fundamentals of offensive play: screening, cutting, movement, and crisp passing. My team in Chicago ran the Flex which received 20% of the vote, but I had a team of similar sized players and it fit them well. I still had to teach the basic fundamentals of a motion offense in order for them to get it and the principles for all intensive purposes are the same. Running set plays received 19% of the vote and I know many coaches who buy into this philosophy. It allows them to micro-manage the game and make plays which fit their players each season. As I go and watch games this season, I will take note of what teams are running offensively and will follow up on this story. Of course we all know that if you have good players, any offense works!
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Coach Mark Leszczyk has had an impressive record in his tenure at Roxbury CC.  The team was 24-5 last year and 17-1 in conference play.  Coach Leszczyk (3rd season at Roxbury) has recruited heavily in Massachusetts and I wanted to get his perspective on a number of issues from the state of the girls game here to playing basketball at a two-year school.

Beantownhoops.com: How would you describe the girls high school basketball scene in Massachusetts?

Coach Leszczyk: The basketball scene in Massachusetts has improved greatly over the past ten years or so in the suburban areas, but in the cities, whether it’s Boston, where we are located or Springfield or Worcester, local high school programs for the most part have taken a severe downturn. Coaching in the inner-city is extremely lacking in quality with some exceptions.

Beantownhoops.com: What do you like about the girls game that is different than the boys?

Coach Leszczyk: I have coached both girls and boys at many different levels, high school, AAU and college. Quite honestly I got involved in girls athletics because out of my own three children, it was my daughter who was the most competitive and took her game to a higher level. The girl’s game for the most part is more of a team game, less athletic individuality and more geared towards the team concept. Sorry guys….but the ego’s are much smaller as well!

Beantownhoops.com: What advice would you give high school coaches looking to coach in college?

Coach Leszczyk: Be careful what you wish for! Unless you are at a big time program where you have a complete staff to delegate assignments to, you are in for a life full of off the court duties. The pay isn’t what you’d imagine it to be, so if you are in it for the money you are in it for the wrong reasons.

Beantownhoops.com: What is your team’s outlook for this upcoming season?

Coach Leszczyk: I never like to predict, but let me say that this is probably the most excited that I have been in a long time regarding the outlook for my team. We have a great returning class that was part of a team last year that finished ranked #9 Nationally at the Junior College level. We had a 3 point overtime loss last season which kept us from the National Tournament which still hurts to this day! This year, we have been able to address our most pressing need which was size bringing in 3 quality post players who can surely play along with 4 other freshman who have great skills. We will be once again knocking on the door for a National Title.

Beantownhoops.com: What do you like about coaching at Roxbury?

Coach Leszczyk: First of all I have a very supportive administration from the College President on down to the Athletic Director and support staff that is dedicated to their coaching staff but also to winning. Having come from another college where sports were more of a recruiting tool for the admissions department, focusing on winning is a pleasure! I also have great kids who work hard in the classroom as well as on the court, and seeing them reach their potential as young adults is the ultimate pleasure as a coach.

Beantownhoops.com: What benefits do girls have playing at the JUCO level before moving on to a four year school?

Coach Leszczyk: The benefits are huge and unfortunately overlooked by many here in the Northeast. In most other parts of the country Junior College is a natural progression for many athletes. Throughout the South, Midwest and West, Junior College athletics are extremely competitive. Many of today’s top professional athletes, Curt Schilling and Chad Johnson as examples come from the Junior College ranks. Pat Summit’s back to back 2007 and 2008 National Championship teams had two starters who were JUCO transfers. Here in the Northeast where there is more of an “elitist” attitude, many look at Junior College as failure, and prefer to spend money on Prep schools (which are virtually non-existent outside of the Northeast) to improve their college playing options. However year after year, my Junior College programs have placed more athletes at the NCAA level than any New England Prep schools on the female side. We have had countless college coaches from all over the country inquiring about our players at Roxbury on a daily basis and out of this year’s 5 sophomores, 4 will be continuing their careers at quality 4 year institutions. (One has decided that this is it as she prepares to enter studies in the medical field). Prep schools have their place don’t get me wrong, but they are not the only option for a student/athlete who may need an extra step to realize their full potential. If you are a surefire DI prospect who may just need to boost your SAT scores or GPA and will make an immediate impact at a college program then I can see the Prep school route, but that in my mind is the only example. Many athletes will go to a Prep and then sit for their freshman and sophomore years in college, waiting for their time to hit the court. At the JUCO level athletes can compete immediately at Junior College and then transition into a four year program where they are looking for an experienced college athlete to fill an immediate need.

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What a pleasure it was to watch the Celtics/Cavs game last night.  I am still mad at the NBA for allowing the team that I grew up watching, the Seattle Sonics, relocate to Oklahoma City.  But I am still a basketball junkie and watching two powerhouse teams match up on opening night was a must watch. As a fan it is easy to get caught up in the game and not really analyze it, but if you watch closely there are a lot of things high school players can learn.

1. Be patient:  With the Celtics down 15-4 early and Lebron and the Cavs clicking on all cylinders, the Celtics never panicked.  They slowly chipped away at the lead one play at a time and patiently stuck to their game plan.  The end result - a second half lead that was never relinquished and a statement win to open the season.
2. Defense wins ball games:  After the game, the TNT broadcast crew commented on how the Celtics won this game with their defense.  Yeah, Lebron scored 38, but the rest of the team did nothing.  KG and Rasheed constantly talk on defense, Rondo gets his hands on many balls which lead to steals and fast breaks, and even two guys who are considered poor defensive players, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, took charges and blocked out.  If you want to really be a player and want your team to win, you have to play defense.
3. Support your team:  It is a frustrating thing for a coach to see their bench not participating in the game.  It just looks bad and it oozes a me first mentality rather than a team mentality.  The Celtics bench is the best in the NBA.  They stand up and clap on big plays they run out to congratulate the guys on the court when their is a timeout, and more importantly they are ready to play when their number is called. If you’re a bench player who sulks and is only concerned about your individual needs you won’t be ready to play when your opportunity comes.  Be active on the bench and realize that when the team is successful so are you.

It’s great to watch NBA basketball when it is played at a high level.  Be privileged that you can watch this team play this year and make sure you take what they are doing and add it to your own game.

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