Final Thoughts

GLH writer reflects on another weekend at Breslin

27 March 2007

greatlakeshoops.com

The 2007 MHSAA state finals missed some things. It missed the great class A games between Saginaw Arthur Hill, Okemos, OLSM and Detroit Redford. It missed the great individual performances of Jonathon Jones, Dar Tucker, Corperrayle Harris, Tajuan Porter and Anthony Crater. It missed the dynasty that is Detroit Renaissance. It missed Tory Jackson’s post-game comments.

That’s not to say that it didn’t offer some things of its own. What it did offer was a great working definition of dominance and affirmed the axiom, “live by the three, die by the three.”

Dominance defined

Saginaw High held a clinic at the Breslin Center.

What the Trojans did in March was shore up the belief in many minds that this Saginaw High team is one of the best ever in class A. Neither the semi-final or final were in question as Saginaw cruised to a 22-point victory over the second best team in the state in Detroit Redford.

During the season it was understood that Saginaw High was sitting on something special. After a successful 2006 season and with the loss of only one significant player, Larry Wright, the Trojans were primed for a big season despite being ranked behind cross-town rival and returning champ Arthur Hill.

But, as the season progressed, it became clear that Saginaw was a team on a mission.

“We have the players, the athletes, the size, the speed – we just don’t have the title,” explained Lou Dawkins to the media after a 60-43 victory over Ann Arbor Pioneer.

Consider the mission accomplished, Coach.

Saginaw was in control of every game from beginning to end. The pressure of their guards prevented teams from getting comfortable in their half-court sets. If they were lucky enough to get there, then Saginaw’s big men were waiting. To make matters worse for opponents, role players like Tristian Calhoun and Robert Clark began to play their best basketball of the year.

And who will ever forget the oh-so talented Draymond Green [left]. Green destroyed Detroit Redford and pretty well secured his name on the ballot for Mr. Basketball next season. Teams and basketball fans were introduced to a 6’7” 220-pound center/point guard-combo that dominated games from every angle.

To anyone other than those living under rocks, Saginaw is the best basketball town in the state; great teams are no surprise in Saginaw, but The High was something different. They were dominance personified.

Live by the three, die by the three

It’s just too enticing. There’s something about that arc that basketball players can’t get enough of. Maybe it’s the fact that it earns one an extra point; maybe it’s the sound a crowd makes every time one is hit from deep. Whatever it is, the three-ball is treasured by all.

Life:

If someone told me that Bath would beat Saginaw Nouvel with Kody Kokx and Brett Monroe fouled out and Eli Redman limited, relatively, to 13 points, I would have called them crazy.

How would you like to be Coach Warren Wood and know that you probably executed your game plan in limiting two of the top big men in class C to under 20 points, and yet still lost? Who could have guessed Mark Schneider [right] and Brett Monroe, before he fouled out, would shoot a combined 10 of 14 from three-point land? Saginaw High would have struggled with a team shooting that kind of percentage.

I expected Bath to win the state title, but I didn’t expect them to do it with Mark Schneider leading the way.

When your best shooters have the hot hands and are taking good shots, then the three-ball alone can win a game. Scratch that, it can win a state title.

Death:

I think all twelve players on Saginaw Nouvel’s roster attempted a three-pointer in the fourth quarter. In a tight game like that there is only one Panther that needs to shoot the long ball and that’s Mitch Mulcahy [left]. If you’re wide open for a three, there’s probably a reason for it.

Flint Southwestern is another team that could stand to learn this lesson, or namely Anthony Crater [below, right]. Crater is not a jacker, at least he hasn’t played that way all season long. He’s only taken 3-pointers when he’s wide open or in a clutch situation.

Against EGR he was pulling them left and right, even when his team was up. And they weren’t even spot up threes or wide-open ones. They were from NBA range or off the dribble and with Kelvin Grady’s hand in his face. On one attempt Crater air-mailed it from NBA range while being closely guarded; luckily, Grady did the same thing a few possessions earlier to offset the miscue.

Crater also with time winding down in the first half launched yet another NBA-range three with a hand in his face while Erik Fields, probably their best spot up three-point threat, was wide open in the corner. Although Fields was a little cold on the night, that shot is still a better bet.

I know one of the only ways to beat a 2-3 zone is with the long ball, but SWA already had it beat with Leviante Davis inside and Tyrone Ward at that vulnerable free throw line area, so why the sense of urgency?

This is not to say that Crater can’t shoot or score, in fact he’s become very reliable from downtown this season, but it is not his strength. Crater is the best passer and one of the best ball-handlers in the country, what would be wrong with sticking to running your team and letting them do the scoring? After all, it got you this far.

Simply put, that pesky but attractive half-circle engulfing the key earned Bath a title and killed any chance for Southwestern and Nouvel.

Additional musings

-Take a look at the road Ann Arbor Pioneer’s 6’6” center Matt Pettit [left] took to get to the Breslin. He had to face Jackson’s Darryl Stinson , a double-double guy, then Okemos’ duo of Dennis Means and Anthony Ianni. From there it gets worse facing probably the toughest low post threat in the state with Holt’s Paul Crosby. Then finally, Saginaw’s bruising post of 6’10” 255-pound Josh Southern and 6’7” 220-pound Draymond Green. I don’t think a single player in the state had a tougher individual road in the playoffs. Battle-tested doesn’t begin to describe Pettit.

-I have to say I was a little disappointed in Mr. Basketball Corperrayle Harris [right]. I would have voted for Dar, but I didn’t complain when the Detroiter won. He’s a great player, but something seemed to be missing in the finals, even before his injury against Warren De La Salle. There’s no questioning this kid’s talent. He’s cat quick, ultra athletic at 6’5” and comes equipped with sticky hands. But the lack of a left-hand, the dribbling with his head down and turnovers created doubts that weren’t there initially after the voting.

-There are actually two culprits in Nouvel’s loss. It’s not just poor 3-point shooting, but poor free throw shooting. Nouvel had several chances to build on their lead and later to cut into Bath’s, but just couldn’t convert. When you’re down, there is nothing better than stopping the clock and putting points on the board. Maybe if kids weren’t busy jacking 3-pointers in shoot-arounds and instead practicing the freebies then Nouvel would be the state champion.

-I felt for the refs in the EGR versus Southwestern game. The post was a complete mess. You had SWA’s physical presence with Leviante Davis[left], DeMarkus Bracy and Tyrone Ward battling against the ultra-soft Justin Anyijong. There were times where I felt Anyijong was being hacked with no call and times where I felt Davis’ size was being held against him when posting up against the paper-thin Anyijong. I feel confident that they evened out in the end; but, again, it was a mess.

-Tristian Calhoun [right] has been on my radar since last year in round one of Saginaw vs. Arthur Hill. I have always preached that Calhoun is a legit 6’5” with ups to spare and a legit wing game, and against Pioneer he made an honest man out of me. Coach Dawkins noted the same thing in the post-game press conference, which leaves me wondering why he didn’t get more playing time. Although it’s pretty hard to question Coach Dawkins’ results. I’ve got a hunch I’ll see him playing two years of JUCO before moving on to a division one program.

-Any return trips? I think Saginaw High has a great chance to be back. Draymond Green will be enough inside and the guards will be sick with Daniel West, Mike Green, Courtney Washington and Will Marlow. Southwestern’s move to class A may throw a monkey wrench in those plans. They return an equally talented core with Crater, Ward, Fields and Bracy. When does the season start?

-I don’t see either Nouvel or Bath coming back. Nouvel is a great team, but Tim Ryan [right] was their engine and I’m not convinced they can replace him. Bath is in a little better shape with the return of Eli Redman, Mike Hawkins and Mark Schneider, but they’re definitely not a lock. Kokx, Monroe and Chaffee will be sorely missed.