Call it the Pupule Ohana Blueprint. Back in the 1990s when Coach Paul still had a some speed and hops, our team in Kona was the smallest by far. I was the tallest guy (5-10 3/4). But we had quickness and aggression, smarts and skill. So we (John Anderson, Fast Eddie Dias, Victor McDaniel, Randy Morris) would press these teams in the adult league and they would wig out. Steals and threes all night. We'd build a good lead by halftime.
Then, in the second half, we'd spread the floor, Four Corners style and pull these big guys (almost every team had couple of guys in the 6-5 to 6-8 range) out of their zones. It almost always worked. They would chase us out way past the 3-point line and we'd drive right past them, dish the ball for layups or just do a U-turn and reset. The big guys hated us but we did what we had to do to finish games smart and strong.
That team, for several years, finished among the top 2 in the league almost every time.
For our 17U, the past two games have provided all the evidence. We play great in the first half. Our press and 3-point shooting just kill people.Then we fade in the second half. (We led Pearl City 35-22 at halftime, lost the lead and rallied to win 56-51. Against Kalihi Valley, we led 27-15 at the half and were outscored in the second half 31-11.)
So instead of continuing something that falters in the second half, the game plan will be to go full throttle in the first half, then pull back in the second half, regain some juice in our legs and finish strong.
We did the same thing a couple of years ago with our 15U and it worked out better. Telling Keanu Vela that we would slow things down in the second half until the 10-minute mark was never easy, of course, but we did what we needed to do with just seven, eight guys. We'll do the same tonight and for the rest of the 17U season. I think ...
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