It is a time-honored tradition here on the blog where we take a look at what went well (or good) and what went wrong for our teams as we close out the basketball season.
Tonight we will start with the 7th grade boys.
Since I have been Athletic Director here at St. Mary's, I don't think I have come across another team with as much potential to do great things as the current 7th grade boys.
Year after year, sport after sport, it's the same thing that I as well as many others continue to preach.
But for whatever reason, they seem to come up just short.
Part of their misfortunes, at least in basketball, are in due part to their talent level. They have always been in the 5th division -- which is competitive -- not to the point where they are manhandled -- but on the other hand -- not to the point where they can blow teams out either.
They are stuck in the middle and I've used the comparison to the Warriors, where they aren't good enough to be good, and they aren't bad enough to be bad.
If this team dropped a division, or two, they'd win a championship. But that's not going to happen with a (5-3) record.
So what needs to happen? They just need to get better.
Two huge problems all year, transition defense, and inbounds. Both of them were atrocious to say the least in their playoff game. If either one of those were better Friday night, the 7th grade would be playing for a championship in two days.
This team has trouble getting back on defense. Part of that is because Justin is a point guard who can score and at times is not sitting at the top of the key. He will take the ball in and nobody rotates out to the point to be the last man back.
If you watch the video, it's also poor decision making on the wings, because a lot of times they crash the board for an offensive rebound they have absolutely no hope of getting.
Against such a big team, the wings need to concede the rebound if the shot doesn't go in the basket. Instead, they would take two or three steps in, and then the ball would go the other way.
Inbounds, just bad, all bad. Part of it lies on the shoulder of the passer, and part of it lies on the people not getting open.
This team lacks ball handlers, and if Justin is blanketed, this team can't move the ball.
Let's touch on the good, this team can score. Brandon T., his shot as weird as it looks, is effective shooting the ball. He was one of the few players on the team who could take the shot from the outside and make it.
When this team fast breaks, they build momentum and are hard to keep up with.
They are also a resilient bunch as they have been down double digits in games this year and have found ways to climb back into games.
But as we mention the p word with potential, we also have to mention the m word and maturity.
This team still lacks it. The team chemistry is not where it should be. They don't communicate well on the court, and at their level of play, it needs to improve.
At practice, they still goof off too much. In post game huddles, there are players that need a scolding because they are still goofing around. Sometimes they forget they are in 7th grade, and little things add up, and hurt them on the court.
One year left as the 7th graders will try to get over the hump in their final year. Since the 5th grade, they have made the playoffs every year and gotten bounced in the playoffs. In 4th grade, they were (4-4) and would've made the playoffs if it wasn't for a forfeit when two players didn't show up for a game.
Whether they move up a division or not, they are going to have to elevate their game and really earn their spot to even get into the playoffs. They are going to face the toughest task of their careers, but if any team has the potential to do it, it is the 7th grade boys.
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