Pace, platooning and 80 ppg

After the first 9 or so games of 2014-15 season, Carleston State (Division III) started averaging 115 points per game. Not much size, not a lot of superstars. Just a lot of depth, 5-in/5-out platooning, skilled shooting and work ethic.

Back in 2010 when we started our Thunder team, our goal was to score 80 points per game. Our 17U team that year almost did it. They averaged around 65 ppg and would've had more if I hadn't made them hold the ball in the last 5 minutes of most games because we were blowing teams out.

Our 15U team was mostly 14-year-olds like Isaiah Visoria, Keanu Vela, Josh Kuroda — guards who could run, press and shoot — and they often scored 30 to 40 points before halftime. But we had only 7 or 8 players, so depth was thin and we usually didn't sustain that pace and production in the second half. They were borderline incredible much of the time, though. Scored 43 points in a first half one day against a big Kapolei team.

The difference between those teams and our teams now is simple: they worked on their shooting all the time, both at practice and on their own time. And they loved it. It was fun. Always is. Of course, those Thunder teams were in outstanding physical condition.

It's a blessing to be tall, a 7-footer maybe, and jump like crazy. But it's also a blessing to have an opportunity every day to work on getting better. I don't assume every one of our Varsity and JV teams should average 80. But I also never assume it's impossible.