Today was a classic example of a grinder game, the second of back-to-back games. Yesterday, it was fluid, unselfish, en fuego offense (did we hit 10 3-pointers?). Today, it was about defense over 94 feet of hardwood. I get on you as a team about so many things, it's easy to forget that you held today's opponent to less than 30 points. It wasn't because of dominant defense under the basket; we got killed on the boards. It was because you were willing to work hard all over the court, forcing tons of turnovers and scoring off those turnovers by the Blue Devils.
I knew we might have a letdown offensively today, as any team would on back-to-backs. We scored more in the first half yesterday (41 points) than we did all of today. But the overall effort was very good anyway, and I love that. So there's one more game, next Saturday, and the 15U season is over for NJB All-Net. I wish we had a shot at the teams in the highest playoff pool because we can beat any of them — Kapolei, OTB, whoever.
For now, let's enjoy what's left of the weekend and the coming week. We'll practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. As always, primary focus is on shooting. I believe fully that all the repetitions will pay off when we play in summer tournaments (Kona Stingrays, NJB All-Net) and the fall CAL League, and when everybody plays for their school teams in the winter. Heck, all the shooting reps have already paid off. We shot the ball so well the past couple of weeks. Sweet!
Since CAL has decided to hold off on the 15-under division until August, I am going to contact high school coaches and arrange for exhibition games in June and July for our Thunder. We might play varsity summer league teams. We might play JV summer league teams. Wherever we go, we'll pay for the referees and scorekeeper. Add up the cost and it's roughly the same as playing in a league, so be prepared to do some traveling, everybody. If you have a list of preferred schools you'd like to play against, let me know. Nothing is set in stone, but I'm going to ask a lot of coaches no matter what.
Schedule
Tuesday
>> 5 p.m., Practice, Stevenson Middle School courts
Wednesday
>> 5 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park
Thursday
>> 5 p.m., Practice, Stevenson Middle School courts
Friday
>> 7 p.m., 17U Thunder vs. Force, Kilauea Gym
Saturday
>> 1 p.m., 15U Thunder, Palama Settlement Gym
>> 7 or 8 p.m., 17U Thunder, Palolo Gym
>> 7 or 8 p.m., 17U Thunder, Palolo Gym
Note: If 17U wins the Friday game, we play 8 p.m. If 17U loses the Friday game, we play 7 p.m.
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