More Basketball for Joe

It was a basketball weekend, for sure, for Joe and the rest of us.  In the meantime, JP studied for exams, the first of which was on Friday with the rest this week.  In truth, he probably appreciated having the house to himself for most of the weekend as we drove to Brentwood Academy and Legacy Courts for Joe's basketball games.  

Saturday morning, the glow from Friday's night's USN win over Harding quickly disappeared as Joe's Starts team was absolutely steamrolled by its opponent in a Darius Garland League game.  Although the stop counting baskets with a 20 point lead - which I think is silly - I bet Joe's team lost by at least 40 points, if not more.  

The Stars team is not a good team and, really, is a perfect example of what is wrong with youth sports.  Technically, it's a club team in the sense that the boys have to try out for it and pay to be a part of the Stars' organization.  However, the players - including Joe - are good recreational league level basketball players and there isn't anything wrong with that.  In reality, it's a money grab.

Joe's WNSL team - the Bucket Squad - played in the annual WNSL Christmas tournament at Legacy Courts in Franklin.  It's funny but I'm really going to miss watching these boys play together when it's all over.  They have been together for so long - since they were very young - and played a lot of basketball together over the years.  Fall, Winter, and Summer leagues and tournaments.  3-on-3 tournaments.  

What is really cool to see is that, now, they're at a point where they share the ball so well and so unselfishly.  Every player knows his role.  They're not the best team but they're a very good recreational league basketball team.  And, I'll say it again.  There isn't anything wrong with that.

Joe missed the first tournament game on Saturday morning because of a conflict with the Stars' game at Brentwood Academy.  The afternoon game was a laugher.  Joe's team won by 30 + points against a gross inferior team.  Lose by 40 in the morning and win by 30 in the afternoon.  That's youth basketball.

Yesterday, Joe's team played a closer game against the team they had smoked Saturday afternoon.  At least in the first half, it was close.  In the second half, I stepped in for Thomas to coach because he had to drive his youngest son, Henry, to basketball practice.  I encouraged the boys to focus on getting Cole the ball inside and I implored Cole to shoot it at least five times.  They listened and Cole listened and, suddenly, he had eight points and the offense was running through him, our big man, in the paint.  I wanted Cole to get his confidence back and, at least for a half of a game, he did.  

I was joking with Preston on the bench and we decided to call the Cole post up play "hight tide," after a silly All State Insurance commercial that seems to run non-stop on television during college and pro football games.  It was hilarious to see the boys yelling "high tide," then running a play.   More importantly, they were having fun and playing free of any pressure, which always is good to see.  It was a memorable half of basketball.

In the final game, the boys couldn't hit much early and fell behind to a team they had beaten in a close game the day before.  None of our boys was playing particularly well.  It was close at halftime, then the other team pulled away and built a lead.  Relatively late in the first half, Joe chased a boy down after a steal and grabbed him from behind as he was about to attempt a layup.  Obvious intentional foul.  A bonehead play, although the boy missed both free throws and his team missed a shot or turned it over, so no harm was done.  Joe claims that play galvanize what became a classic Bucket Squad comeback from an eight point deficit but I'm not so that was the case.

Either way, Nash took over the last two minutes of the game.  His rebounding and put back baskets cut into the lead until, finally, he drove the lane and hit a layup to tie the score.  The other team missed a shot and Joe's team ended up inbounding the ball on the sideline, in front of our bench, with 15 or so seconds left in the game.  Joe inbound it to Nash, he swung it to a wide open Pike, and Pike hit a 3-pointer!  Bucket Squad up by three points with 12 seconds left.  

The boys held on and that was that, 41 - 38 final.  Bucket Squad win.

The comeback was impressive, to say the least.  Down eight or 10 points with two minutes to play.  No panic.  Played together.  No turnovers.  Finally started rebounding and played tight defense.  It was a good team win and a really, really fun game to watch.  All in all, it was a great way to finish a weekend of 6th grade basketball.

These days are coming to a close, I know, and I'm going to miss them.  Middle school and high school sports signals the inevitable end of recreational league sports and that makes me sad.  I'm going to enjoy this one, though.