Riordan v Serra
- Thread starter SF_Mikey
- Start date
Wow is all I can say after watching that game on the livestream (Thanks @jordan24 ). Serra was so much smaller than Riordan, yet Serra outrebounded them by 10-12. Here are some thoughts:
1) Small theory I have is that Riordan may not be hustling hard to get rebounds because they expect Mor Seck to get them all. That isn't going to happen. Hes going to get a ton, but they need to help him out on the boards. I saw so many putbacks by Serra, it's quite possibly what cost Riordan the game.
2) The WCAL isn't going to be as cut and dry as I thought it would be. A lot of really good teams, where anyone can beat anyone on any given night (give or take a few teams). Overall this was hopefully the first of many entertaining WCAL games.
3) Where was Riny? I didn't watch every minute of the game, but I watched most, and I hardly saw him out there. I get he may not be as refined as the other guys, but the upside with him is greater than almost anyone else on the team sans Mor Seck.
4) Riordan was on a pretty long break before playing this game, so there was def. a little rust and it was obvious. Jeilani hit some clutch shots, but overall Serra was just a little too much for the Crusaders.
1) Small theory I have is that Riordan may not be hustling hard to get rebounds because they expect Mor Seck to get them all. That isn't going to happen. Hes going to get a ton, but they need to help him out on the boards. I saw so many putbacks by Serra, it's quite possibly what cost Riordan the game.
2) The WCAL isn't going to be as cut and dry as I thought it would be. A lot of really good teams, where anyone can beat anyone on any given night (give or take a few teams). Overall this was hopefully the first of many entertaining WCAL games.
3) Where was Riny? I didn't watch every minute of the game, but I watched most, and I hardly saw him out there. I get he may not be as refined as the other guys, but the upside with him is greater than almost anyone else on the team sans Mor Seck.
4) Riordan was on a pretty long break before playing this game, so there was def. a little rust and it was obvious. Jeilani hit some clutch shots, but overall Serra was just a little too much for the Crusaders.
Clark and Monroe are studs! Hit some very tough shots. Out coached by an assistant coach. lol
No excuses...Serra won the game fair and square.
Spot on, SF_Mikey. Serra outworked Riordan and seemed to get all the 50/50 balls and lots of offensive rebounds. Not sure why both Monroe and Clark aren't playing the entire 4th quarter, especially in a close game. You think the rotation patterns would have been figured out by now.
Big wake up call for both the players and especially the coaching staff. Bryce and Jelani have to work so hard to get good looks. Couple better quick hitters as well as some high low action to take advantage of the frontline should also be looked at. Bottom line tonight Serra was tougher and outworked Riordan on the boards. Hit some clutch shots and that technical for hangin on the rim was HUGE as Riordan had just taken the lead and basically gave it right back on the two free throws and the ensuing 2 point basket. Great start to the WCAL season so far.
Renard posted in another thread, but I just don't get the Coach's sub rotation. Wholesale subs in the first half with Riordan still not untracked. I would account Riordan's sluggish play in the first half to their 2 week layoff. Credit goes to Serra for winning almost every 50/50 ball. Not sure why Je'Lani did not start or why he did not play the entire 4th. If you need to rest him, take him out in the last minute of the 3rd. Also, the Crusaders were not going with the hot hand. I don't think Clark missed a 3. Bryce struggled tonight, and would have thought he would have looked to his teammate since he had the hot hand. Every offensive play that had quick hitting passes to the open man scored for RIordan. When Riordan went with all dribble, that helped out the Padres defense. The WCAL teams have a good book on the Riordan guards and it showed . You have to get other players involved and move the ball forcing Serra to play D. Serra's role players knew exactly what they were doing. Riordan's role players looked lost missing their defensive assignments leaving several Padres wide open. I was impressed by the lesser talented Padre guards and wings as they were fundamentally sound in their change of direction, pump fakes and moving without the ball.
A wakeup call for the Crusaders players and coaches. Maybe not qualifying for the Open would be a good thing.
Great game Padres!
A wakeup call for the Crusaders players and coaches. Maybe not qualifying for the Open would be a good thing.
Great game Padres!
Having seen riordan 3 or 4 times this year
I think they have a really good team. lets face it in the WCAL there are some REALLY
good coaches at mitty, bellarmine,sacred
heart, you better be able to adjust on a fly
make snap in game adjustments or you
will find yourself in a dogfight even with a lesser talented team.A team like serra has played the same way for YEARS and those kids are bought in from day 1 they are going
to defend there tails off and grind you
down on offense so establishing your teams tempo is a must against them.One early
League loss is not a big deal but could serve as a wake call to the coaching staff and players.
I think they have a really good team. lets face it in the WCAL there are some REALLY
good coaches at mitty, bellarmine,sacred
heart, you better be able to adjust on a fly
make snap in game adjustments or you
will find yourself in a dogfight even with a lesser talented team.A team like serra has played the same way for YEARS and those kids are bought in from day 1 they are going
to defend there tails off and grind you
down on offense so establishing your teams tempo is a must against them.One early
League loss is not a big deal but could serve as a wake call to the coaching staff and players.
Disappointing loss for the Crusaders last night. Serra came ready to play and played a full 4 quarters of well-executed basketball.
A very nice surprise to see a near full Crusader Forum considering it was still Winter break and no band which easily adds 1000+ (lol!)
The two week layoff and a very rare off night by Bryce Monroe made it all the more difficult to overcome a fired up and scrappy Padre squad. Riordan appeared a half step slow in their play and Serra was going all out and playing with a purpose. WCAL is going to be a doozy this season. Hang on!
A very nice surprise to see a near full Crusader Forum considering it was still Winter break and no band which easily adds 1000+ (lol!)
The two week layoff and a very rare off night by Bryce Monroe made it all the more difficult to overcome a fired up and scrappy Padre squad. Riordan appeared a half step slow in their play and Serra was going all out and playing with a purpose. WCAL is going to be a doozy this season. Hang on!
It’s been a long time since I have posted on this site. I am a east bay resident these days, last 7 years to be exact. But I am still a WCAL first type of guy, unfortunately starting a family makes it difficult to get out to some great games.
Thanks to Jordan, Renard, Larry Legend and Kiddman(you are amazing) for keeping us all updated.
First thing I was confused of is when Riordan took 2 weeks off. Could you imagine Duke taking two weeks off before the ACC season started. The WCAL is and always has been recognized as the second best league in the state. I think the number of state titles, state appearances, between all schools speaks for itself.
I can speak from experience, when you are the talk of the league, from days of watching my boy Fontana while attending SH, and the Kately Tofi days, one thing is for sure, everyone wants to knock you off period.
Therefore to win the WCAL, Riordan states title year they did not, takes a combination of great coaching, preparation, and players buying in 100 percent.
One guy above asked what happened to Coach Forslund. Great question. My alum blew it twice when they had the opportunity to hire him, anyone that lets that man slip is crazy. He is a preparation specialist, and to win in the end at the state title level, it takes tremendous preparation and on the fly adjustments to win the big one. He was pretty darn good at that and it’s too bad he is not part of the staff this season.
Lastly I look forward to continue reading all the WCAL posts, that Jordan is awesome to start. Look forward to getting back to my floor seats in Sacramento that until that starting a family thing kicked in was cut short 4-5 seasons ago. As well as my golf game, LOL. Hopefully I get to see WCAL schools represent at State. Had the pleasure to see Serra, my alum SHC, St Francis, Mitty, and Riordan on a intimate level represent since 1996. Keep it
up. It takes a combination of all things going right to win a state title. Cause trust me, Riordan was a heavy underdog against Aaron Affalo, Gabriel Pruitt, Darius Sanders and a very athletic support squad and pulled it off cause the coaching on down was superb. Yes the game is a tad different these days. But offensive sets and great defense helps tremendously to take down the giants all of nor cal face from Souther California.
Take Care, and Go WCAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And good luck to all Nor Cal teams as the season rolls on.
Thoughts. Good game. Serra earned it. Hats off to them.
1. Two weeks off during xmas/new years. Hurt Riordan. Timing was off. Serra played on Monday night in Marin. Riordan played exactly 2 weeks ago Dec 21.. Riordan is a strong second half team. In every game they played, they were strong in 2nd half. Last night, It didnt kick in, until the 4th quarter.
2. You cannot out Serra, Serra. Playing slow methodical half court ball. Riordan needs to play fast. Fast as they can. Fast breaks were few and far between. First of Serra out rebounded Riordan. Which is embarrassing. Rebound drills for the first hour of practice on Monday for the entire team? Second. When they rebounded. Oftentimes the ball was not moved up. Passed up for easy plays and or scores. Too much dribbling.
3. There needs to be more ball movement on offense. As good as Byrce and Jelani are. If there isnt a 3rd or 4th scoring option its gonna be a long season. This is on the players and trusting each other And sacrificing. [I have a shot. But maybe Johnny has a better open shot].
4. No one play. A tech. A missed shot determined this game. It was just a bad vibe from the start. And Serra played hard. Riordan did as well. But Serra executed and or capitalized off of Riordan's miscues.
If you would have told me that Antonio, Serras best player to me, would be 1 for 9 with 4 turnovers and only 7 points. I would have picked Riordan by 20. The Sophomore from Serra played well. Made key shots early. He will be the Padres next big time player in the future. Next year and the next.
Anyway, that's just how the game goes. On to the next game, Tuesday night against Sacred Heart. And while small in stature, they do play hard.
1. Two weeks off during xmas/new years. Hurt Riordan. Timing was off. Serra played on Monday night in Marin. Riordan played exactly 2 weeks ago Dec 21.. Riordan is a strong second half team. In every game they played, they were strong in 2nd half. Last night, It didnt kick in, until the 4th quarter.
2. You cannot out Serra, Serra. Playing slow methodical half court ball. Riordan needs to play fast. Fast as they can. Fast breaks were few and far between. First of Serra out rebounded Riordan. Which is embarrassing. Rebound drills for the first hour of practice on Monday for the entire team? Second. When they rebounded. Oftentimes the ball was not moved up. Passed up for easy plays and or scores. Too much dribbling.
3. There needs to be more ball movement on offense. As good as Byrce and Jelani are. If there isnt a 3rd or 4th scoring option its gonna be a long season. This is on the players and trusting each other And sacrificing. [I have a shot. But maybe Johnny has a better open shot].
4. No one play. A tech. A missed shot determined this game. It was just a bad vibe from the start. And Serra played hard. Riordan did as well. But Serra executed and or capitalized off of Riordan's miscues.
If you would have told me that Antonio, Serras best player to me, would be 1 for 9 with 4 turnovers and only 7 points. I would have picked Riordan by 20. The Sophomore from Serra played well. Made key shots early. He will be the Padres next big time player in the future. Next year and the next.
Anyway, that's just how the game goes. On to the next game, Tuesday night against Sacred Heart. And while small in stature, they do play hard.
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Thanks for the kind words HSWIZARD73 and great hearing from you. Don't be a stranger!
That's funny ...its not his time to lead. Je'lani and Bryce are the leaders of this season's Riordan team. Players have to mature as people and team members. Stop with the animation when things do not go right, finger pointing, fighting, make it through practice together. It's going to be ups and downs. I will state this again...everything in life is about consistency. Riordan has not had a consistent lineup or consistent rotation and in defense of the Coaching staff some of it is due to player immaturity. Pick a rotation and stick with it so guys will know where one another is on the court and guys will learn their roles and hopefully accept their roles and thrive in those roles.
I took down my previous posts so not to be divisive. I will sit down and watch film with anyone if they want. I am not going to say that Serra outcoached Riordan but I personally saw the flaws in our game that Serra exploited. I saw our flaws in wins.
You can't play fast and get out on the break if you aren't rebounding. Good teams can play at any pace and adjust.
Serra scouted us well and put in a great game plan that was visible to see. Some of our players stand around after shots are taken or we leak out. Serra crashed the boards knowing this. They ran a dribble drive continuity offense last night and their staff engrained into their players mind to jump stop and pump fake everytime because on film Riordan jumps to block everything. How many charges has Riordan taken this season?
Last Season Riordan pretty much had the same amount of time off but this season is different than last with younger players as oppose to a senior heavy team last season .
Everyone on this board knows I am Forslund guy but this is Coach Curtin and his staffs team. Riordan is 9-2 with many opportunities in front of them. I pray that pride and panic doesn't deter them from their team goals. I look forward to the game to game adjustments.
I took down my previous posts so not to be divisive. I will sit down and watch film with anyone if they want. I am not going to say that Serra outcoached Riordan but I personally saw the flaws in our game that Serra exploited. I saw our flaws in wins.
You can't play fast and get out on the break if you aren't rebounding. Good teams can play at any pace and adjust.
Serra scouted us well and put in a great game plan that was visible to see. Some of our players stand around after shots are taken or we leak out. Serra crashed the boards knowing this. They ran a dribble drive continuity offense last night and their staff engrained into their players mind to jump stop and pump fake everytime because on film Riordan jumps to block everything. How many charges has Riordan taken this season?
Last Season Riordan pretty much had the same amount of time off but this season is different than last with younger players as oppose to a senior heavy team last season .
Everyone on this board knows I am Forslund guy but this is Coach Curtin and his staffs team. Riordan is 9-2 with many opportunities in front of them. I pray that pride and panic doesn't deter them from their team goals. I look forward to the game to game adjustments.
Chess, but your absolutely correct. One game into conference play. Long way to go. What they learn from this is crucial though.
I'm just calling it as I see it.
So what did the team work on the past 2 weeks? Big men not blocking out, jumping in the air trying to swat shots on the opponent's first move, rather than staying on the ground with hands straight up in the air and moving their feet. Still saw lots of defensive lapses leaving shooters wide open. In general, I just don't see a toughness/nastiness in the bigs, much less the entire team. They should be DOMINATING. Coach Tofi was a beast in his playing days and was hoping that quality would be instilled...And when they do go strong and get fouled - it's brick city at the line. All the bigs should be practicing free throws. No excuse for Mor as he lives on campus! Ayalar asked about Riiny - was hoping for a breakout senior season, but he rarely gets playing time.
Lastly, the Crusader Forum has a state of the art scoreboard. Why aren't the players, scoring fouls info listed?!? USE IT!
This team has all the talent and upside, and yes, they do have target on their backs. The players and coaches need to take this as a challenge and answer back! Losing to an assistant coach is not acceptable.
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100% correct. Could be just what the crusaders needed. Certainly a win would be nice but how a team bounces back from a setback will set the tone for the season ahead. And it’s a long season and there will be others who get knocked off as well. That is why I love that league.
The unspoken question with the unrelenting focus on Riordan and its galaxy of touted individuals: Without a star player with even a sniff of a hoops scholarship in the offing, how good is Serra?
There might be something to the team with lesser players and better coaches will be beat the team with better players and lesser coaches.
First the Toronto Raptors now the Serra High team.
First the Toronto Raptors now the Serra High team.
Great question. All I can say is they play hard and understand their roles as a team. Refreshing to see teams like that. I had the pleasure of coaching Big Muti and Julian. If they can execute their game plans as they did last night they will be a tough out.
You got me smiling and shaking my head. Your right on but ...honestly no but's!
In the end, to win consistently in the WCAL, you have to be efficient in the half court, on both ends of the floor. It's the opposite of what we are forced to swallow during the chaotic, no-preparation, no-attention-to-detail AAU season. Players have to buy in. They do so at Mitty, Serra, Bellarmine and a few others. Not sure about Riordan. The jury is still out.
I did a quick google search on the “assistant coach”. According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, Carson has been Rapp’s assistant for 13 years, been an assistant at Chico State, College of the Siskyous and assistant to his brother on those loaded McAteer teams. I also think he played college basketball. If he was on the riordan staff three years ago, Joey might not be the head coach
No disrespect. There is a lot of coaching going on in some AAU programs. Your only going off what you see in some these local start ups...a lot of good Coaching in the Area...SF Rebels, Oakland Rebels, Soldiers , Team Lillard, Bay Warriors just to name a few but I agree with you on the JURY.
With all due respect, the AAU scene is not a hotbed of devotion to the half court approach. Not even close. If anything, it's the opposite. That does not translate to the top programs in the WCAL.
