2004-2005 High School Basketball Thread!

[CubsSuck1]

Or we just made them look bad..

[Xero]

Or we just made them look bad..

[CWSGuy406]

My team has lost two in a row, to Bremen (very poor first half, down 14 going into the second half, cut it to three, but couldn't finish the job), as well as Stagg (played OK in the first half and took a three point lead, then Stagg puts up 32 in the third quarter, dominating us).

 

The game we all look forward to -- Hillcrest -- is on Friday. If there's ever a chance to beat them, now's the time. My team is so f***ing pissed, we've played real poorly the last two games, and we're coming back home, to what will be a pretty packed house. Hillcrest plays HF on Saturday, so they are surely overlooking us Bengals, looking ahead to playing against Julian Wright and gang.

 

On a side note, check in tomorrow's Star/Southtown -- I'm hoping I got put into the paper (my buddy got put in the paper and he only had two points) -- I hit a tre-bird as the seconds died down in our loss to Stagg.

 

Man, my points per minute are through the roof, not to mention a 100% shooting percentage from beyond the arc (1 for 1)...

[southsider2k5]

From the Trib, an interesting write up on Greg Oden, the prep phenom from Lawrence North HS in Indianapolis.

 

Greg Oden is a 16-year-old high school junior with a 3.9 grade-point average and size 19 shoes.

 

From head to foot, this 7-foot, 250-pound prodigy has his act together.

 

 

 

 

But by the time he graduates from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, his brainpower will be pushing him one way, and his feet will be pointing him in a different direction. Should he pursue his education and play basketball in college or should he go to the NBA right away and make a megabucks deal with a shoe company?

 

"I want to go to college," Oden insisted last Thursday after making his national television debut in a made-for-ESPN2 game put together by Skokie's Paragon Marketing Group at Butler's venerable Hinkle Fieldhouse. "I don't know exactly where yet, but I know what I want to do.

 

"I'm OK in math (an A student) so maybe I'd major in accounting. Playing in the NBA would be the ultimate goal. But I have to work on everything and I can do that in college."

 

For accountants, it's all about the bottom line. And it doesn't take a college accounting degree to see the NBA has much more to offer monetarily than a scholarship that might be worth as much as $150,000 in room, board, books and tuition over four years (depending on where he decided to go).

 

Oden doesn't figure to get the $90 million, seven-year shoe deal the most recent successful high school phenom, LeBron James, got after signing a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers calling for $4.02 million in his first year. However, Oden's shoe market value has been estimated at $25 million on the low end and $50 million on the high end if he is the No. 1 draft pick in 2006, as 6-10 Southwest Atlanta Christian star Dwight Howard was in 2004 with the Magic.

 

"His upside is Alcindor-like," said college basketball TV analyst Bill Raftery, harkening back to the 1960s when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a kid named Lew Alcindor playing high school basketball in New York at Power Memorial.

 

Raftery's observation came as he watched a Lawrence North practice before Thursday's game between Oden's team, Indiana's defending big school state champion, and the defending Missouri large school state titlist, Poplar Bluff.

 

Led by North Carolina-bound 6-9 power forward Tyler Hansborough, Poplar Bluff gave Lawrence North all it could handle until late in the fourth quarter. But Lawrence North scored the last 14 points to win 56-40.

 

During the first half the ESPN2 audience had to be wondering what was so special about Oden. Giving scant evidence of his pregame averages of 20 points and eight rebounds, he took only two shots, made one basket and had only one rebound. But in the second half he put on a slam-dunk show to finish with 16 points, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from the foul line. He also contributed five rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal to the victory. Oden scored eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter Saturday as his team rallied from 10 to beat Snider and improve to 6-0.

 

Oden said he considered this victory over Poplar Bluff (3-2) a bigger deal than the triumph in the 2004 Indiana Class 4A championship game.

 

"This was on national TV," he said. "Other teams got to watch and see what we have. I tried to act like that and all the pregame stuff didn't bother me, but it really did get to me.

 

"You have to let emotion come out. When the crowd got into it, I got into the heat of the moment and played my game. They were double-teaming me and my coaches just told me to shoot quick shots."

 

Coach Jack Keefer's Warriors use a trapping, pressure defense, push the ball up court and thrive on fast breaks. The key to the running game is another junior considered a potential college superstar, point guard Mike Conley Jr., son of the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump. Against Poplar Bluff, Conley offset 3-for-10 shooting with 12 assists, three steals and six rebounds.

 

For five years Oden and Conley have been teammates on an AAU team coached by Mike Conley Sr. They also played together at Craig Middle School after Oden moved to Indianapolis from Terre Haute in 2001 and they have been varsity starters since their freshman year at Lawrence North, on the outskirts of Indianapolis. A 21-3 record in 2002-03 prefaced last season's 29-2 state title run.

 

Keefer has been coaching high school basketball for 33 years, the last 29 at Lawrence North. The school opened the year he became its coach and the team's record was 8-13. Last season's state title was his second, the first coming in 1989.

 

Over the years Keefer has coached many future college players and some who have made the pros. His most notable success story is 1990 graduate Eric Montross, the 7-foot hulk who became an All-American at North Carolina and played for six NBA teams.

 

Because of Oden and Conley, Keefer says this team is unique.

 

"I haven't started a lot of freshmen," he said. "Usually your seniors dominate, but Greg and Mike are a little special. They have been a major part of our team for two years, and even as freshmen they had a large bearing on our success.

 

"Greg gets all the attention because he's so tall, but Mike is a major player himself. Mike is only 6-1, but he has his dad's hops and dunks very easily. Before Mike leaves, he probably will break our school record for steals and assists. Without Mike at point guard we could get beat every night. He can get Greg the ball. If Greg can't get the ball, we can't win."

 

Unlike Conley, Oden doesn't have a family sports legacy. Neither of Oden's parents were noteworthy athletes, according to his mother, Zoe, who was divorced from his father, also named Greg, before moving from Buffalo to Indiana.

 

"I was going to be a track star, but when I was 14 I was racing in the street and fell and broke my hip," lamented Zoe, who works as a rehabilitation technician at an Indianapolis hospital to support Greg and his younger brother, Anthony, a 6-8 freshman on the Lawrence North JV team.

 

Keefer believes Oden is more advanced than Montross at the same stage, and Montross owns 11 of Lawrence North's school records. In one game he had 43 points and 22 rebounds.

 

"Greg's offense will only get better," Keefer said. "He may eventually be a forward. He has a good 15-foot shot; he just doesn't do it in games. And you'd be surprised how well he puts the ball on the floor. He knows he has to get stronger and he's beyond belief in the way he works with weights--he got an A-plus in weight training.

 

"He's not a LeBron James, but he's the closest thing to him. I have boxes of letters from people just wanting his autograph. The poor guy can't go anywhere without people bothering him for autographs.

 

"When he graduates from high school, someone will say: `You're the No. 1 pick [in the NBA draft]' and somebody else will walk up to him with a whole bunch of money and a shoe contract. He wants to go to college; that's what his plans are. But his mother might step in and say: `Let's take a look at this.'"

[greasywheels121]

I would love to see that guy in college, that'd be big for the game. I just don't see that happening though. It'd be nice to be proved wrong on this though.

[whitesoxin']

Last night my school increased their record to 6-0 on the year and are now ranked 15th in the state. This is impressive because they weren't ranked pre-season, not even in the local top ten. This team wasn't expected to do much because last year's team lost in semi-state, but lost four starters to graduation. Two of my friends have stepped in as sophmores and helped the team to an undefeated record so far. The next game is Friday night, hopefully they keep the undefeated record.

[Yoda]

Last night my school increased their record to 6-0 on the year and are now ranked 15th in the state. This is impressive because they weren't ranked pre-season, not even in the local top ten. This team wasn't expected to do much because last year's team lost in semi-state, but lost four starters to graduation. Two of my friends have stepped in as sophmores and helped the team to an undefeated record so far. The next game is Friday night, hopefully they keep the undefeated record.

Yea, I read that on the morning newspaper. You know, my high school (Calumet) is facing your team, but I’m not sure when. Do you know? And if you do know, will they be playing over there at Valpo or over here where I’m at?

[Rowand44]

Stevenson is still undefeated

[whitesoxin']

Yea, I read that on the morning newspaper. You know, my high school (Calumet) is facing your team, but I’m not sure when. Do you know? And if you do know, will they be playing over there at Valpo or over here where I’m at?

I'll see when they play you. If it's at Valpo, I'll go for sure. Maybe we can meet up if you can hitch a ride over here?

 

Edit: The game is on Saturday 01-22-05 at 7:30 in Valpo. Maybe I'll see you then? How's Calumets team this year?

[Yoda]

I'll see when they play you. If it's at Valpo, I'll go for sure. Maybe we can meet up if you can hitch a ride over here?

 

Edit: The game is on Saturday 01-22-05 at 7:30 in Valpo. Maybe I'll see you then? How's Calumets team this year?

I don't know... all I know is that we have a loosing record.

 

The 22nd of January is on a Saturday plus it's at night so I'll definitely be there, that is if you'll go. I'll send you a PM later on to let you know if I get sidetracked or something. But If I'm not busy that day than I'll go.

[whitesoxin']

I don't know... all I know is that we have a loosing record. 

 

The 22nd of January is on a Saturday plus it's at night so I'll definitely be there, that is if you'll go. I'll send you a PM later on to let you know if I get sidetracked or something. But If I'm not busy that day than I'll go. 

Sweet deal. I'll definitely try to make it. I go to most of the games now because I have some friends on the team.

[CWSGuy406]

Well, fellas, it's Hillcrest tomorrow night...

 

Chisoxrnd5, hope to see you there, like I said, look for the smallest white kid on the team...

 

EDIT: For anyone who cares, we lost by 18. That's not indicitive on how poorly we played, should have been a 30 point loss. Our guards played piss poorly, the refs were s***, and blah -- we played terribly.

 

I did hit a three, though...

[whitesoxin']

Valpo moved to 7-0 on the year last night and held LaPorte to 19 points in the first 3 quarters. Then they took their starters out and ended up winning 61-43 or so.

[Rowand44]

Still Undefeated............

[Brian]

Still Undefeated............

Who cares? Warren will own!

[danman31]

GBN remains undefeated going into action against also undefeated and highly ranked Thornton. I'm going to the game, which will be at Hillcrest as part of their 8 game "Shootout at the Hill", and it should be crazy. I'm pumped up.

[qwerty]

I would love to see that guy in college, that'd be big for the game.  I just don't see that happening though.  It'd be nice to be proved wrong on this though.

He is gonna be the number one pick in the 2006 draft.

[Rowand44]

Who cares?

I do.........

[CWSGuy406]

I could be wrong on this, but I'm hearing that Hillcrest has beaten HF, 65-60. Jerel McNeal dropped 21 on HF, leading them to victory. I've also heard that Wright didn't play very well, too...

 

Wow, kind of puts things into perspective. My team lost by 18 to Hillcrest, who just might be the best team in the country. And we played like s***, too. Boy, I cannot wait until we get the Hill again in January. Our team will be much better prepared than last time, I can guarantee that...

[Brian]

Warren travels to one of the toughest Holiday Tournaments tomorrow for the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. First round opponents=Lockport.

 

Should be a good one.

 

I'm down near St. Louis now. May try and stop at the game on my way home tomorrow, but that means I would have to get up before 7am. We'll see.

[raff]

be warned, the leprechaun legion will return 1/4/2005, PROVI Vs. jca

[The Beast]

Gotta respect coach Paul Runyon. Downers South is up to #17 now in the Sun Times, I believe, and Mullins has been amazing. He will be great at SIU. I was at the game vs. Argo and he had 9 steals at the half, and finished with 13 and a triple double, not even playing the 4th Q. We've got a good chance this yr. even though we are in a tough confrence with Leyden and Proviso East. Team looks really impressive and I say we go downstate this year after we just missed out last year. The Supersectional game at NIU vs. West Aurora was amazingly well played by both teams, but we came up just short.

The way he made me feel like I was retarded this year during football and coming up to the sophomore team b/c his sons up there is inexcuseable and unfair...I didn't start at OLB and switched to DL because Danny is such a deuche. I'll rip into his personal life if I have to, because he's really not that good of a coach, at least in football, not sure about Bball.

 

Thats all I have to say.

[Brian]

Warren blew out Lockport on Monday, beat Oak Park by about 15 yesterday, and then went on to lose to Simeon by 1.

They play Aurora West for 3rd place at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament at 7:30pm tonight. I know you are all eagerly anticipating the outcome.

[AssHatSoxFan]

conant is 10-0 going into the york semis

[Nokona]

conant is 10-0 going into the york semis  

Make that 11-0 after the 51-41 victory over Downers South. I was there, we struggled in the first half, i give DGS some props they run a nice Defense...but they just couldn't overcome us

 

But the game before that was the one to see. Brother Rice vs Lyons Township i believe. Triple OT, without Frasor. I got there in the 1st OT and it was wild. Brother Rice almost tied it with a 3 at the buzzer but just missed it.

 

Conant vs LT for the York championship tonight at 8 30.

 

I cant wait.