NCS D1 2nd Round
- Thread starter MoneyTeam0115
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Bay Valley League took it on the chin last night. 5 teams in and only 2 remaining. Antioch was impressive last night and DV has had some poor coaching since Bamberger took off and this team is no different. Antioch led from the get go, made better adjustments at halftime and such a nice victory for the Panthers. Riva had his team ready to play and they will be ready come Friday Night. Freedom, another disappointing end to there season and Liberty played tough but not enough to get over the hump. Heritage finally got it going and disposed of an overrated and poorly coached team in El Cerrito, all hype and no results.
Antioch will need to take the air out of the basketball and slow down the most explosive team in the area, not to mention the one of the best coaches in the business. I think it will close for a while but the Gaels should pull away but should be a nice game.
James Logan and Castro Valley might be a great match up, both athletic, long and can play at a nice pace. Logan's guards might be the difference and they can shoot in better from behind the arch. Logan wins but closer then most might think. Not sure why this game isn't at Logan and has been moved to Chabot? Huge disadvantage to Logan.
Clayton Valley @ Heritage- Wow, what a match up, 10 vs. 2 but two really good teams. I will be at this game and think Heritage might have a slightly deeper bench which might be the difference in the end. Bamberger is one of the best coaches that can identify what a team is doing and make a change without wasting a timeout. His halftime adjustments might be as good as I've seen. Cruickshank is one of the best in the business. He's beena winner everywhere he's been and his team play with his passion for coaching. Very under the radar coach, so please make it out to this game and see his team get after it. Heritage is deeper, faster and can pressure the ball on the defensive end, I also like how 4 to 5 guys rebound at all times. This game won't be easy but Heritage should win.
San Leandro @ DLS, This game will be closer then most people think, just like I told everyone about the Berkeley game. DLS is not a scoring machine, they try to grind you on the defensive end of the court and catch you at your weakest point. They do everything well but nothing great and San Leandro is physical enough to give them problems and try and dictate tempo. DLS will have the coaching advantage but San Leandro's bench might be able to keep them in this one with fresh legs. Spartans will but by 8-10.
Antioch will need to take the air out of the basketball and slow down the most explosive team in the area, not to mention the one of the best coaches in the business. I think it will close for a while but the Gaels should pull away but should be a nice game.
James Logan and Castro Valley might be a great match up, both athletic, long and can play at a nice pace. Logan's guards might be the difference and they can shoot in better from behind the arch. Logan wins but closer then most might think. Not sure why this game isn't at Logan and has been moved to Chabot? Huge disadvantage to Logan.
Clayton Valley @ Heritage- Wow, what a match up, 10 vs. 2 but two really good teams. I will be at this game and think Heritage might have a slightly deeper bench which might be the difference in the end. Bamberger is one of the best coaches that can identify what a team is doing and make a change without wasting a timeout. His halftime adjustments might be as good as I've seen. Cruickshank is one of the best in the business. He's beena winner everywhere he's been and his team play with his passion for coaching. Very under the radar coach, so please make it out to this game and see his team get after it. Heritage is deeper, faster and can pressure the ball on the defensive end, I also like how 4 to 5 guys rebound at all times. This game won't be easy but Heritage should win.
San Leandro @ DLS, This game will be closer then most people think, just like I told everyone about the Berkeley game. DLS is not a scoring machine, they try to grind you on the defensive end of the court and catch you at your weakest point. They do everything well but nothing great and San Leandro is physical enough to give them problems and try and dictate tempo. DLS will have the coaching advantage but San Leandro's bench might be able to keep them in this one with fresh legs. Spartans will but by 8-10.
El Cerritos was hyped? When? Why take shots at the program. They had a bad year that started poorly with the big kid not playing. Frankly a 2 seed should dispatch of a 15 more easily than Heritage did.
EC Coach Mike Booker is one of the best coaches in the area. They just didn't have the talent as they did in years past.
I agree. I certainly didn't hear much hype about EC this year. I'm not sure anyone expected them to actually beat Heritage.
EC lost a lot of talent the last couple of years. Look at how well Pridgett and Johnson are doing at the next level and the big kid opted football. Just a down year. Not a big deal.
I will kindly disagree. He's had some of the best talent over the years and always underachieves. He's one of the nicest coaches I have met over the years but I think he's not into the grind. His full time job and coaching doesn't allow for scouting and really watching game tape on there opponent. I have seen so many mistakes that were clear to everyone in the gym but not to him and his players and I have NEVER seen him go scout his opponent, never. I see coaches at just about every game I attend and I see more basketball games over the years, then just about anyone, luckily I am still married and my wife is supportive of my love for the greatest game on earth.
Hype was meant for over the years, this year is a somewhat of a down year as far as talent but mainly underachieving program.
I believe El Cerrito has had some talented teams in the recent years and won a ncs
D 2 title just 2 years ago beating a good Montgomery team with the big kid
Paulson in the middle.The problem with El Cerrito has been trouble in staying
in a league they changed leagues a few years ago and now must compete with
Salesian and st pat's is going to present quite the challenge.The point I do agree
with scout on I watch alot of high school basketball and see many staffs at
games scouting (mostly ebal coaches and bval everywhere)and I don't
see El Cerrito's staff out much I do think his guys play hard and totally
respect him as a coach. That is huge in this day and time and I believe
coach booker is dealing with a personal injury as well that may limit his
ability to get out to games in his defense.We can always be critical of coaches
X's and O'S in terms of wins and losses but at the end of the day you can see he
loves his players there is discipline in his program and he moves guys
On to college.
D 2 title just 2 years ago beating a good Montgomery team with the big kid
Paulson in the middle.The problem with El Cerrito has been trouble in staying
in a league they changed leagues a few years ago and now must compete with
Salesian and st pat's is going to present quite the challenge.The point I do agree
with scout on I watch alot of high school basketball and see many staffs at
games scouting (mostly ebal coaches and bval everywhere)and I don't
see El Cerrito's staff out much I do think his guys play hard and totally
respect him as a coach. That is huge in this day and time and I believe
coach booker is dealing with a personal injury as well that may limit his
ability to get out to games in his defense.We can always be critical of coaches
X's and O'S in terms of wins and losses but at the end of the day you can see he
loves his players there is discipline in his program and he moves guys
On to college.
I don't think they underachieve, they won NCS last year. And in years past they made it to the finals but could never get past the loaded Odowd teams, and I think they also lost to a really good San Marin team that had Stuart Wesonga.
Round 2 predictions
Dublin by 16 over Antioch, the only real mismatch that I see in round 2.
Logan by 2 over Castro Valley, CV plays hard and can catch fire from 3, would not be surprised to see CV upset them.
Heritage by 8 over Antioch, they split during the season, but don't see Heritage losing this one at home
DLS by 4 over San Leandro, San Leandro will defend, they are big and athletic which will cause DLS some problems, but big back court advantage to DLS plus playing at home, don't see the big upset here.
Currently 2 EBAL, 3 BVAL and and 3 WAC Foothill league teams remain.
Dublin by 16 over Antioch, the only real mismatch that I see in round 2.
Logan by 2 over Castro Valley, CV plays hard and can catch fire from 3, would not be surprised to see CV upset them.
Heritage by 8 over Antioch, they split during the season, but don't see Heritage losing this one at home
DLS by 4 over San Leandro, San Leandro will defend, they are big and athletic which will cause DLS some problems, but big back court advantage to DLS plus playing at home, don't see the big upset here.
Currently 2 EBAL, 3 BVAL and and 3 WAC Foothill league teams remain.
They had a good team last year and would have been better if Carlos Johnson had stuck around for his senior year.
Some great insight above and I can see both sides of the EC thing. Booker does have a passion for coaching and he certainly does love his players, no doubt about that. I would have to agree on the x's & o's and I too attend many games over the season and don't see him grinding away like other coaches. Mellis is either coaching a game or scouting his next opponent, Tressler at Albany is doing the same thing, Walker @ St. Pat's is a big time grinder & Fields at Berkeley is always out and about but Booker seems to either have his assistants do it, which I haven't seen or he rely's on game exchange with his fellow coaches. Underachieve or overachieve, it's a fine line but he is dedicating his free time to coach youths and turn them into young men, my hats off to him.
NorCalScout, don't know why you felt the need to come on here and start questioning playoff team coaches? If these teams are in the playoffs, their must be something working, not just rolling the ball out! I don't know who you are, maybe a former coach, maybe not, but until you coach in a community like El Cerrito or Antioch, where the family dynamic and support Is quite different then in let's say the Ebal, you should maybe just congratulate the programs for their success instead of ripping the coaches.
Last thing, how is EC overrated anyways?
Last thing, how is EC overrated anyways?
Prymetyme, first off, I don't feel the need to question, just giving my honest opinion. I played, coached at the varsity level and was a referee for 15 plus years and was in the association that worked El Cerrito games throughout the years. He's a fine man, one of the nicest in the business, which I mentioned above but think he just lacks the grind that it takes when you don't have the talent that he's had in previous years. I am not talking about the last 2 or 3 years, I am going back further. What are there so called "signature wins?" Campo was a nice overtime win and I saw that game and I also saw a crazy win at Albany. 12-16 is a bad year, they gave up over 1,800 points this season & they play zero defense.
What he does, how he dedicates his time and what he means to his players you can't measure but I just don't see him grind like other highly successful coaches in the business. Prepdaddy makes some great points, Mellis is a grinder, Walkers are grinders, Ashmore, Jones, Bamberger, Richie, Jones, Costello, Torres, Cruickshank, Page & Fields are all grinders. They scout constantly, I see them at games when they aren't playing and always during the non-league games, they watch tape and prepare there teams to help give them a much needed advantage & I just don't see it from this program. I have reffed his games quite a few times and he's extremely professional, very hard on his kids and wants the game to played the right way, no issues there at all. Maybe it's coming across hard or very critical and if so, I am sorry, no ax to grind here at all. I have seen more high school basketball then most and from time to time I tell it how it is and I guess that's something I might need to work on.
What he does, how he dedicates his time and what he means to his players you can't measure but I just don't see him grind like other highly successful coaches in the business. Prepdaddy makes some great points, Mellis is a grinder, Walkers are grinders, Ashmore, Jones, Bamberger, Richie, Jones, Costello, Torres, Cruickshank, Page & Fields are all grinders. They scout constantly, I see them at games when they aren't playing and always during the non-league games, they watch tape and prepare there teams to help give them a much needed advantage & I just don't see it from this program. I have reffed his games quite a few times and he's extremely professional, very hard on his kids and wants the game to played the right way, no issues there at all. Maybe it's coming across hard or very critical and if so, I am sorry, no ax to grind here at all. I have seen more high school basketball then most and from time to time I tell it how it is and I guess that's something I might need to work on.
Fair enough, I just know coaching high school basketball is becoming more and more difficult due to AAU, student buy in, and the entitlement complex these kids have developed. I appreciate all coaches, good or bad, playoffs or no playoffs, for the efforts they continue to put forward!
