Are Pinewood and Etiwanda the two strongest teams at the WCJ

[ClayK]

Just a note: Miramonte lost to Carondelet in great part because Carondelet had so much more size. Their three bigs combined for 45 rebounds in a four-point win.

 

[Azanna]

True that seniors make a difference and Carondelet has been starting 5 seniors (the 5 juniors who started the previous season) However I think it's only fair to point out that just as in the prior season when it was crunch time in the game reserve players ( as in both season who could be a starting player or two) were on the floor providing the significant impact that helped make the difference. That and the fact that hopefully this Carondelet coaching staff is seeing what the previous staff didn't see. And that is size is a luxury and not a necessity.Teams like MM, Clovis West, Pinewood, and several others have been winning and/ or representing in big tournament games and Open State championships without a lot of size. It's great to have 3 or 4 tall players. But not really necessary to put them all on the floor at the same time. It's better to rotate size in when needed. Hey it doesn't matter what the coaching staff does in games Clet is obviously favored in. They can put 5 bigs on the floor at the same time and they're gonna win anyway. But if they want to take the next step ( and win a game or two in the Open Division tournament) they will need to figure out size won't intimidate or slow down Open Division level teams. So they will need to get away from a fascination with size. And put speed, heart, and playmakers, on the floor regardless to their size. And get scoring contributions from more than one or two players as they've have built a habit of doing under the prior coaching staff. That and just one or two other small details will make the difference. And for the most part I think the present coaching staff has picked up on the other small details therefore there's no need at this time for me to point them out.

I will point out the fact that Carondelet had some very good guard contributions in the Sacramento game which helped aid Ali Bamberger. And two of those guards were juniors Jayme Blackard, and Annie Bonderer. The starting guards Emily Howie and Erica Miller also played well for Clet. And Nat Nicolosi provided good support as well when in. It was good to see Kamani Holloway (also a junior) playing well in the Sacramento game. Hey I don't care how good you are "you can't ball from the bench". Glad to see several good players were rotated in to provide the speed, heart, and the spark Clet needed to match up with the speed, heart, and playmaking ability coming from Sacramento. Coaching can make all the difference in the world. And it certainly helped Clet in the Sacramento game. Congratulations to Carondelet on a great "team" effort.

My God, what are you talking about?????? Sounds like a bunch of Rambling Gibberish.

 

[Paytc]

My God, what are you talking about?????? Sounds like a bunch of Rambling Gibberish.

Yeah right... What's Too short's favorite word? The truth and real words can't be faded.

 

[Paytc]

Just a note: Miramonte lost to Carondelet in great part because Carondelet had so much more size. Their three bigs combined for 45 rebounds in a four-point win.

Each game is different. You use size when it works or when it is needed. My point was having size does't always work. And it doesn't slow down teams that make you look big and slow. CLet had the same size or perhaps more and lost to Pinewood by 30 last season. As Pinewood ( a much smaller team) were quicker to the ball and just ran them. And Sacramento had a size disavantage and just used their heart, brain, and quickness. And would have won the game if Clet didn't get more speed players on the court. And I didn't see the game but Clovis North I heard didn't have the size Clet had but also had them beat. Remember the key is "win anyway" not one way. Any way that is working in the particular situation.

And my point is they're not gonna use size (alone) to beat any Open Division opponent. Because it's never worked in the past. Size is a luxury of course it's good to have. But it's even better to know when and how to use it.

And being that you Clay are on the MM coaching staff, I don't expect you to be concerned with seeing Clet finally win an Open Division game or two. So I just smile at your comments.

 

[mkbgdns]

Just a note: Miramonte lost to Carondelet in great part because Carondelet had so much more size. Their three bigs combined for 45 rebounds in a four-point win.

which is why I think MM will have a hard time matching up w an opponent of size/skill inside. a single close result doesn't necessarily indicate a 5-5 split in a 10-game series. "ranking", particularly the AI kind, emphasizes the body of work, but matchups have a major impact on a single result.

good news: in Norcals, you only have to beat each opponent once, one at a time.

 

[Paytc]

which is why I think MM will have a hard time matching up w an opponent of size/skill inside. a single close result doesn't necessarily indicate a 5-5 split in a 10-game series. "ranking", particularly the AI kind, emphasizes the body of work, but matchups have a major impact on a result.

good news: in State, you only have to beat each opponent once, one at a time.

True. And it's about getting the most out of all you have. And if you have more to offer on the bench it can help you when what you have on the floor isn't effective at the moment. Or in a particular game. Remember it's not just one regular game come March. You also have to take into account the one or each "big game" pressure. It's win or go home. And size doesn't automatically mean a player steps up and plays well under pressure just because of their height. Small players have hearts equal to and in many cases larger than taller players. And a player's brain ( on the floor) isn't always bigger because of their height. And a players size doesn't always determine the number of mistakes they will make when under higher amounts of pressure.

I'm not knocking big or small. What i am saying is neither is automatically all that.

Again my main point is getting the most of "all" you have. Not only relying on or trying to win one way. Or in this case "going big." Or looking intimidating at first glance, or good on paper. And my concern is the post season. It's win or go home. And size "only" never has and never will be the determining factor. Heart, basketball IQ, hustle/quickness, and the ability to play well under pressure are all more important than size when determining who will win an Open Division game.

And as I have been quoted saying in the past "most girls don't jump." "Size means more in the boys game than it does in the girls game".

Example: You won't see small players make it onto an NBA team as often as a small girl/ woman has a chance to make onto a WNBA team.

 

[Paytc]

Does anyone have some feedback on the Carondelet vs Clovis North game? I have heard it was a very close game that could have went either way. I wasn't able to make it to the game. Is there any video footage out there? Or even someone with good feedback. What won the game for Carondelet? Or what loss the game for Clovis North?

You shy and/ or timid folks can email me at bahps1@netzero.com