Big Things Poppin' (Later Tonight)

There wasn’t too much burn this morning, as Coach Wright and his staff dissected the team’s defensive approach for the majority of the two hours. But there’s always a method to the madness with Wright. Rumors are that during the second chapter of today’s double session, Team USA will run against some local players including Duke’s Gerald Henderson and Villanova alum Jason Fraser. We also expect to see UNC Coach Roy Williams in attendance to support his stud shooting guard, Wayne Ellington.

Even with the limited action, Ellington gave the crowd something to ogle. During warm-ups, he and SG Derrick Low traded shots at the same basket. Wayne was ridiculous, stroking twenty-one consecutive jumpers from elbow to elbow. Low held up his end too, knocking down nine in a row. Plain and simple, these guys are good.

(Ellington is poised to start at the 2 in Rio)

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However, POM honors (Player of the Morning) go to PG Scottie Reynolds. As the only player familiar with the Jay Wright experience, Reynolds didn’t seem disturbed by his interjections. While most everyone else struggled to get into some sort of flow, Scottie’s game (and his mouth) were off and running. After yesterday’s half-court hedge from C Roy Hibbert on Reynolds, the little-man knifed in between the 7-footer and another defender to break into the lane for a pretty leaner when the same situation arose.

(Scottie Reynolds, left, a guy who rarely looks flustered)

PG Drew Neitzel gave the usual gritty performance in the AM. He hit a long three from the wing with a man in his face to put his team up. On the other side of the ball, he got caught on a screen and switched over to guard PF Joey Dorsey on the block. As any guard should have in that situation, Neitzel put his body in front of Dorsey’s and wrapped both of his arms behind to hold the big fella and prevent him from getting position. Two possessions later, he went back on the offensive, zipping a pass to G/F Kyle Weaver at the rim, who then dropped it back to PF D.J. White for a monstrous slam. G/F Bryce Taylor made the whole thing possible by diving on the floor for a loose ball.

Dorsey is making a push to surpass PG Eric Maynor as our favorite player at the Trials. While everyone on the floor keeps a straight face when Coach Wright speaks, Dorsey is all smiles. Going through the motions on an out-of-bounds play, Wright told Dorsey that if he catches the ball at the elbow, he sure as heck doesn’t want Dorsey taking that shot. The big man laughed and made the crowd into his audience, joking that “He’s killin’ my confidence man!” Minutes later Dorsey caught a pass at the elbow with 2.4 seconds to play in a tie game. He took the shot. Wright was mad – but only for a minute, as he couldn’t stay angry with the forward.

Practice is closed tonight - which means that we can expect some serious scrimmaging. Remember, the roster still needs to be trimmed from 14 to 12. We'll be back later with updates on the possible cuts and more.

Attitude Adjustment

Without sixteen of the original thirty players at the Trials, the already spacious Gooding Arena looked a whole lot less crowded this afternoon. The remaining fourteen made it through three days of grueling practices and furious competition, and can now look forward to the real challenge – winning it all. Coach Wright dictated the tempo of today’s practice, teaching the subtleties of the “Quick” offense (a high ball screen from a post player for a pick and roll or three-pointer from a “replacing” wing) and preaching the ethos of USA basketball: not giving the opponent a darn thing. He villainized the competition down “there,” telling the players how “they” run certain plays, implying a certain subversive intent. He drew upon the conventional perception of American basketball players as unable to shoot and defensively lazy, mobilizing his players to dig deeper and drive their bodies beyond the frenetic pace which has characterized the Trials so far.

(Wright speaking with Boeheim after last night's Trials concluded)

The Arena buzzed all afternoon with commendation for Wright’s coaching. I've never seen someone communicate a mentality to his players like Wright. He gave the fourteen guys on the floor an identity, one inextricably linked to a tough, defensive-minded attitude bent on flawlessness. He doesn't raise his voice when mistakes happen; he simply said that he doesn't want the "bullshit" and shows everyone how to do things the right way. Wright ran the floor with the players during a modified five-on-five, stopping play to reinforce the “ball-you-man” approach of off-ball defense. He also talked about “chesting the dribble” and “reading your man’s chest” because “international referees protect the shooter.” G/F Bryce Taylor worked as his dummy for the lesson, moving his feet quickly as PG Eric Maynor played the role of the devious international player. Wright emphasized that if Maynor were one of “them,” he would lead his dribble with his shoulder and try to jump into the American defender. Taylor had to resist the urge of the stereotypical U.S. player to “get up and punch shots,” as Wright put it. He defended Maynor by keeping his chest directly in front of him with his hands up and pulling off of him when he tried to draw contact on his shot. Both Taylor and SG Josh Carter executed this technique immaculately throughout the day.

Carter’s on-ball, fire-blanket quality defense suffocated his opponents consistently. He brought Coach Wright’s teeth-gritting defensive attitude to life by keeping his chest on the ball-handler and staying at that very close proximity without using his hands or committing a foul. Carter also made two top plays: he lured G/F Kyle Weaver into sending the ball out to the wing, and picked it once he did; minutes later he closed out and blocked a jumpshooter in the corner. After last night’s practice, Carter noted that “this weekend hasn’t been great for me shooting, but hopefully I did some other stuff so I’ll make the team.” Today’s D could have protected his spot when the roster is trimmed from 14 to 12.

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Some other notes from today’s practice: On two occasions, 7-footer C Roy Hibbert hedged on a screen at the top of the key, shuffling with PG Scottie Reynolds all the way to half court. Watching Hibb hustle back to his man in the post was a beautiful thing.

Thankfully, the shooting woes have curtailed. SG Wayne Ellington swooshed a three on a catch-and-shoot. On the other side of the floor, Kyle Weaver caught the fire, followed by a Josh Carter 3 and then a fourth successive longball from Bryce Taylor.

F James Gist played his way onto this team with freakish athleticism and a serviceable jumper. He sprung off the baseline for a two-handed slam in which both of his hands were around the top of the square on the backboard. Later, he came down the floor and followed an Eric Maynor miss with a rim-rocking tip-dunk. As with PF Joey Dorsey, these plays are the ones etched into our memories and make it easy to forget the turnarounds he hit from the high post.

Bryce Taylor continues to impress on both sides of the floor. Georgetown Assistant Coach and Haverford alum Robert Burke ’88 recalled Taylor’s performance against the Hoyas last season: “Bryce Taylor might be a better defender than people realize. He guarded Jeff Green at points and can stack up against opponents at number of different positions. He’s a really talented guy that a lot of people on the East Coast don’t know about.”

The Last Episode

When the Trials convened, Coach Jay Wright established that he did not want battles for spots on the roster to overshadow battles for playing time. “It’s better for us to see some practice now thinking about what type of team we’re going to be and how we’re going to play rather than practice and after it think about who’s going to make the team,” noted Wright after tonight’s session. Frankly, it appeared that Wright’s message was very clear to both the media and the players. Tonight’s concluding episode of the Pan-Am tryouts looked a whole lot like a start to the next chapter. A group of players have established themselves as a cut above the rest in their individual play and most importantly, their cooperation with the other players who are headed to Rio. Thus when the Tommy T look-alike, Jim Boeheim, pensively sat and watched for the last time, his decisions were basically already made for him – between those who synched with their teammates and those who were still trying to locate their own game.

(Doesn't Boeheim, center in reddish shirt, have that Quaker look?)

SG Derrick Low jived with everyone on the floor. Whether it was PG Sherron Collins finding him spotting up on the break or getting the ball on a kick-out from any number of big men, Low was the reliable shooter this team has been looking for. With time expiring, PG Eric Maynor took one dribble off of a screen to the top of the key, and looking like he was about to rain in the same shot that he beat Duke on, he ‘ooped it to PF Richard Hendrix for the flush. But Maynor left too much time on the clock. In less than the five seconds on the clock, the blue squad inbounded to Low who pumped SF Tasmin Mitchell into the seats before stepping through and draining the game-winning 3 à la G Gerry McNamara.

The other standout two-guard, Wayne Ellington, consistently brings the best out in his teammates by freeing himself from defenders on quick cuts. G/F Bryce Taylor fed him on a backdoor cut for an And 1 reverse lay-in. He manages to get almost two full steps of separation from defenders when coming off of baseline V-cuts.

(Ellington splitting two defenders for an aerial lay-in)

After Taylor found Ellington on a number of occasions, he came back in his next shift as the beneficiary of PG Scottie Reynolds’s dishes. They started their run with a give-and-go BT 3-ball. Reynolds has been the most vocal man on the floor since the moment everyone walked in the doors of the Gardner Center. He let out a solid “uuhhh” when Bryce drilled that three. Reynolds also has some great nicknames for his teammates. He abbreviates PG Mario Chalmers’ name to “Rio,” which I initially thought he called him because he was destined to make the team. He calls Wayne Ellington “Weave”. Not sure what that one’s all about.

The bell tolls for fourteen to live until tomorrow’s announcement.

Judgment Day AM Notes

G/F Bryce Taylor rattled off seven straight points during the first scrimmage of the day. He may have solidified a spot for himself in demonstrating the one thing lacking from his game: consistency. He swooshed a couple three’s, and when defenders closed out on him, he drove baseline and dunked convincingly with two hands.

The torrid pace of the scrimmages really helps to showcase the athleticism of these players. Taylor, F James Gist and PF Joey Dorsey get off the ground with such quickness that help defense can’t get over in time to contest their dunks.

(Dorsey, #28, climbing the ladder once...)

Dorsey is positively the most electric player out there. While many other players soar into the air for the strong but plain two-handed dunk, Dorsey takes pride in abusing the rim. His dunk of the day was a double-pump that he threw down behind his head. The guy leaves nothing to be desired.

(JD swatting our boy, #10 Eric Maynor)

But frankly, Dorsey's showmanship might work against him at times, causing coaches and scouts to overlook his fundamentally solid post moves. He nabbed one from the Big Fundamental (Tim Duncan) today when he faced the basket off the low block, stepped through and spun PF Jon Brockman to clear space for an easy reverse lay-in.

PG Sherron Collins is officially the fastest person on the floor. For everyone who played Sega Genesis, Collins actually looks like Sonic the Hedgehog when he takes off in transition. His legs are a total blur underneath his stocky frame, and once he gets going, he shoots up the floor.

Our support of PG Eric Maynor’s campaign to make the team has probably reached the point where it’s foolish to even try to look impartial. He wowed the crowd a couple of times last night with accurate bullet-passes to cutters in the lane. However, it’s implausible to say that he could beat out PG Drew Neitzel, PG Mario Chalmers or PG Scottie Reynolds for a job at the point. Neitzel might be the sneakiest passer of them all. He lies through his body language, squaring up to a teammate on the wing only to throw a bounce pass to someone cutting on the baseline.

While SG Chris Lofton continues to be a disappointment, SF Tasmin Mitchell and SG Josh Carter made late pushes for their cause. They passed well with C Roy Hibbert around the basket and both played smartly when guarded by either slower, bigger opponents or by the smaller and quicker guys. Mitchell went after PF Maarty Leunen on consecutive trips down the floor, knocking down a J and then shimmying with his back to the basket before throwing in a baby hook.

(Mitchell, #12, hits a fadeaway from the corner over Oregon's Maarty Leunen #37)

Josh Carter’s really smooth stroke begs comparison to the former LA Laker, Jamal Wilkes. In addition to having wonky release points, both guys can unpredictably score a deluge of points. A four-time NBA Champion, Wilkes was known as someone who could catch fire and drop 30 on a given night. Likewise, Carter sunk eight 3’s against Nebraska earlier this year as part of a 26-point game. Cornhusker coach Doc Sadler said after, “How the heck do you let Josh Carter get eight 3’s? That’s ridiculous!”

This is likely the last time all the attendees will be on the floor together. We’re not sure whether the roster is going to 16 or 12, but if you’re looking for predictions, here are 14 guys who we think will survive to tomorrow:

Roy Hibbert, Drew Neitzel, Mario Chalmers, Scottie Reynolds, Wayne Ellington, Derrick Low, Josh Carter, Tasmin Mitchell, Bryce Taylor, Shan Foster, Brandon Costner, Joey Dorsey, D.J. White, Eric Devendorf

Special thanks to Haverford’s own Dorothy Labe for these great action shots.

Waking up from the Nightmare on Elm Street: Day Two PM

As fate would have it, Friday the 13^th was a crazy day of basketball in the Gooding Arena. The morning session was Freddie Krueger ugly. Both Jonathan Tannenwald of Soft Pretzel Logic and Dick Weiss echoed our concerns about the level of play in their respective blogs. But when the Pan-Am’sters came back at 5 PM for round two, they salvaged the day. Like the end to any nightmare, somebody woke up. Three white team guards, PG Drew Neitzel, SG Eric Devendorf and SG Wayne Ellington were the first to stir. Right out of the gates, Neitzel hit a three off the dribble. Devendorf found Ellington on a back door cut for a reverse lay-up to set the Tar Heel guard off on a cascade of points. He drained a 12 footer from the baseline, followed it with another mid-range jumper and then put the white team on top comfortably with a spot-up three.

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Practice remained hotly contested from that point forward. SF Bryce Taylor dove head first after a loose ball at center court, only to be buried underneath a massive scrum. Coach Wright loved the energy, stepping onto the floor to join everyone on the bench who stood up in applause.

(Taylor's body was eventually excavated from the pile)

However, the competition for that possession was child’s play in comparison to the ongoing war for the roster spots of the guards. Ten guys are in the hunt, all vying to play the 1 and 2 – and determining the ones with the inside edge depends mostly on who you ask. During yesterday’s opening ceremonies and today’s morning chapter, the guards really seemed to be pressing. Washington State coach Tony Bennett remarked that it was clear just how hard everyone was trying. But their effort didn’t necessarily translate into points – that is, until tonight.

Ellington was the first to break out of the slumber, showing the coaches and scouts alike that he can blow by quicksanded defenders who do a better job watching his explosive first step than staying with it. But he doesn’t need to take the ball to the tin – he just separates and elevates for his smooth shot. Tonight’s performance probably seats him as the favorite two-guard.

However, Eric Devendorf can’t be too far behind. Ignoring his connection to selection committee head Jim Boeheim for just a moment, Devendorf garners respect from everyone in the arena for the manifestation of his attitude in his game. He truly embodies his David Ortiz beard and tattoo-covered arms. It’s not a chip on his shoulder, but an inherent toughness that drives him to seek the ball and respond whenever his man puts the ball in the basket on the other end. He and Big East rival PG Scottie Reynolds had a few heated trips when guarding each other, in which neither wanted to give the other any room to breathe. When Reynolds slinked off of him or didn’t make it back in time on a fast break, Devendorf buried a couple of baseline jumpers.

(Eric Devendorf looks like a G and plays like one too)

Of these ten guards – Ellington, Devendorf, Reynolds, PG Sherron Collins, PG Mario Chalmers, Neitzel, SG Derrick Low, SG Chris Lofton, SG Josh Carter and PG Eric Maynor, we were most impressed with Maynor, and he yet again concludes the night’s tip sheet. Pat yourself on the back if you called him a sleeper going in to the Trials. While Chalmers and Collins are the no-doubt two best guys to start a fast break, they didn’t have Maynor’s composure in transition or in a half-court set. His distribution was extraordinary; he hit PF Jon Brockman for an ‘oop, found the big man again for an open jumper and then set up Alonzo Gee for two three’s. Maynor even created assists where they had no business being. After his defender closed out on him, Maynor swung the ball to Jon Brockman, who despite being a career 0% three-point shooter, swooshed one from downtown.

Unfortunately, it looks like SG DeMarcus Nelson’s run is over. He has a serious wrap around his right wrist and thumb, which prohibited him from participating in today's second session. While we don’t have the official diagnosis yet, the words “4 to 6 weeks” came out of his mouth after the night cap.

We expect to see the roster trimmed to sixteen by Sunday and twelve shortly thereafter. If this fabled unlucky day is a sign of things to come, the discussions in the selection committee’s conference room may become as impassioned as the battles on the floor.

The Small Forwards Are Coming

To fully appreciate our freedom in this great country, many of us will spend our July 4^th chowing down with friends and family, ogling a great display of fireworks and then reliving the real fight for independence at the theaters with the Michael Bay/Steven Spielberg instant classic, Transformers. Like many of its predecessors, this story of robot/human cooperation is about more than freedom and justifying immigration policy. Even if it’s not against giant metal shape-shifters who double as Walther P38’s, when the U.S. goes into proverbial battle against the Pan-American competition, they will need to take cue from the heroes of this July 4^th film: work together, win together.

(Tyrese Gibson, center, needs some help from his friends)

However, this motto of cooperation does not transcend the entirety of the basketball universe. The professional game has changed so drastically over the last ten years that it has left the NBA in jeopardy. These changes are embodied in the transformation of the roles of positions in the pro's, namely the small forwards. Formerly the defensive stoppers and transition scorers, small forwards served as the off-ball cog needed to complement more mechanically skilled passers, shooters and big men. Scottie Pippen was the prototypical NBA small forward, named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 10 times, and maybe best known as an opportunistic scorer, taking advantage of defenses who over-committed to His Airness.

Pippen’s focus was not on putting the ball in the basket, even if he averaged over 19 points per game on greater than 48% FG shooting in seasons that he was a starter with the Bulls. Today’s small forwards approach the game from the flip side, handling the ball and the offensive load as much as possible. Even though many of these scorers found statistical success during the regular season, they were largely MIA during the playoffs. The leading NBA small forward, LeBron James, led his Cavaliers to an astoundingly low average of 80.5 points per game over the four-game sweep by the Spurs during this year’s Finals. (80 points a game means 20 points a quarter, which is less than one basket a minute with the NBA’s 12-minute quarters.) These scoring woes exemplify the league’s problem: small-forwards are trying to take over NBA offenses. Writer Jack McCallum echoed this sentiment, reporting in last month’s Sports Illustrated that some coaches wanted to make LeBron the first cut on the 2006 Olympic team for his “inability to function in an offense without the ball.”

(Some would argue LeBron James, above, spends too much time as a ball handler.)

(Scottie Pippen, a true small forward, demonstrated his versatility on both sides of the ball.)

While small forwards comprised the largest portion of the players selected in last Thursday's NBA draft (15), a sign that the league remains off-track, there are only five players listed at that position who will be in attendance at that Pan-Am Trials. SF Tasmin Mitchell, SF Maarty Leunen, SF Alonzo Gee, SF Brandon Costner and SF James Gist all seem to uphold the standards of a small forward, playing off the ball and scoring their points via an amalgam of jumpers, transition baskets and tough hoops in the lane. Even if these five have spent their college careers as versatile off-ball contributors, expect Coach Jay Wright to drive home a team-oriented philosophy in which no one brings the ball up the floor aside from the potential PG crew of Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, Eric Maynor, Drew Neitzel, Scottie Reynolds, Kyle Weaver and maybe Eric Devendorf. “The United States hasn’t won a gold medal in the Pan American Games in a long time," said Wright. "We have got a lot of work to do. I rely on the committee to pick the team. Once they pick the team, we will try to figure out the best way for that group to play and hopefully be able to compete for a gold medal.” Wright’s equal valuing of all positions will create the balance needed to win. “I hope when we put the team together we have a mixture of an inside game, great shooters, and also some slashers,” added Wright.

It seems that these apocalyptic Independence Day movies carry with them important lessons about freedom, aliens and of course, sports. Independence Day taught us that, in addition to destroying a technologically superior army with computer viruses uploaded from a 1996 IBM laptop, our greatest asset is our ability to cooperate. Everyone sacrifices for the good of the human race - even the President jumps into the cockpit of a fighter plane.