Was over at the Anderson Athletic Complex on the campus of St. Thomas on Thursday afternoon to catch their Thursday afternoon practice. Head Coach Ruth Sinn along with assistants Chris Dalhed and Joshua Hersch were gracious hosts as they made me feel at home.
The theme for today's practice was "Win The Day" - each drill has an opportunity to win it! After getting stretched out with the usual routines, the Tommies went right to work working on ball handling and passing drills. These may seem like normal blah affairs but in reality these small things are critically important to the overall success of the team. From a turnover standpoint, they are absolutely crucial. Dalhed mentioned to me during this session that the turnover ratio was better last season than the season before. And, make no mistake about it - the Tommies do the small things well.
Coach Sinn keeps moving things along; she has the team transition into what she calls her "toughness series" which are definitely tough. One of the drills has 3 players at a basket whereby a player has to tip the ball off the glass six times before tipping the ball in the hoop for an easy put-in. Another drill in this series is called "Mikan work" for Minneapolis Laker legend George Mikan where the players have to put the ball off the glass for a basket while under the basket; definitely tough but players such as Maggie Weiers and Taylor Young do it with ease.
Sinn also has the team do the usual offensive and defensive work as well and it's no secret that the Tommies can be absolutely suffocating with their defense. Naturally, the returning veterans look comfortable and at ease with this work while the new faces need a period of "adjustment" before they feel comfortable. "Think basketball" as Sinn likes to call it. Despite the losses of the MIAC's 3-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson along with Carolyn Dienhart to graduation (along with Sarah Smith and Haley Loesch), this team has more than enough weapons to make another run at the conference title along with a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Outtakes - Sinn pooh-poohed the notion of the Tommies being infalliable despite running roughshod over conference opponents last year. She noted that the "peaks and valleys" the team went through last year were markedly better than the year before and she hopes to make that wavy line even smaller this season. Sinn was quick to concur to my notion that it was a travesty that GAC was left out of the NCAA Tournament this last March and that the conference has to take decisive steps that would allow more non-conference games (a MIAC/WIAC Challenge would be an EXCELLENT way to help open things up a little bit). From my perspective (and I didn't ask Sinn about this), it's difficult to say right now who the starting point guard will be although I can say that former Eastview standout Jen Dockter should get her chance somewhere down the road. Also impressive is junior Kelly Brandenburg who keeps getting better and better. The junior was probably the best 6th player in the league last year and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she starts this year. What else can you say about the dynamic junior duo of Weiers and Young? Weiers is hands down the best post player in the conference and Young the most dynamic and gifted player as well. While going through another stretch of MIAC play unblemished might be a bridge too far, they certainly have enough talent and tools to win the conference again and perhaps win the whole ball of wax as well. The Tommies do have an incredibly tough opening slate of games, however. They open up in Decatur, Illinois against MIAA powerhouse Calvin and then host school Millikin the weekend of November 16/17. Then the following Monday the Tommies host WIAC powerhouse UW-Steven Point so we'll find out a lot about this team early on.
Los Angeles Rams
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
St. Olaf Practice 10-17-12
Made the trek down to Northfield Wednesday afternoon to take in St. Olaf's practice at their Skoglund Center facility. The starting time was 3:15 and I got there perhaps 20 minutes before things were slated to get going and already most players were out on the floor working on various aspects of their game. After greeting junior Maddie Ehrich; now finally healed after nearly a year's worth of re-hab, I then located both Head Coach Dave Stromme and assistant coach Mike Ludwig. Stromme and I talked about last year and how it ended on a downer with the opening-round playoff loss to St. Mary's and the potential for this year's squad. In my mind, I thought the biggest thing for this team is the consistency issue; i.e., doing well at home but then turning around and losing on the road to lesser teams. Stromme broke it down further to shooting issues saying that they had games last year where they shot barely over 20% from FG range which obviously won't get the job done anywhere.
The first thing that caught my eye when I got myself situated in the gym was the number of new faces this program has - considering the fact that St. Olaf did not graduate anyone from last year. Last year when I attended St. Olaf's practice Stromme had perhaps ten healthy bodies to go with. This time around he has almost double that which is a good thing to have, IMHO. Interestingly, Stromme has a nice Colorado pipeline in place now as he has at least three players who hail from the state (it could be more than that; will know when he has the official roster up). I've already mentioned how Ehrich is now back and fully healthy. Now, junior post Elise Raney is well on the way to full recovery from knee surgery which is huge for this program. After being out on several occasions last year from nagging knee problems, Raney now appears poised to be an integral part of the formidable St. Olaf front line that includes seniors Erin Haglund and Ashley Menzel. Another young lady who has returned from the walking wounded is junior Brit Webber who was hit with the ACL bugaboo the year before. Both senior PG Mackenzie Wolter (who will likely be the best PG in the conference this season IMHO) and fellow senior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue are looking healthy and as strong as ever. Just as important, both players are excellent leaders in every sense of the word for this relatively young team.
Dave gave me a practice itenerary of all the things that the team would be covering in this day's practice. He has the team start out working on some of the finer points of the game (dribbling, passing, short jump shots). What's really amazing when you watch one of Stromme's practices is how he's constantly shouting out instructions on how his players should be doing things properly. He aptly borrowed a quote from the greatest college basketball coach that ever lived, John Wooden (who, of course, coached at the best public university in the world, UCLA) when he said "Be quick but don't hurry." Another thing that Coach Stromme stressed to his squad is that "we HAVE to be faster" which I would concur to. But, unlike last year, he's got the talent to do just that. The other thing that stood out to me was how he manages to keep practice close to being on time; i.e., he has start times listed on his itenerary when he wants to focus on certain items and he does just that. Another item that Stromme made a special emphasis on was lay-ups; specifically uncontested lay-ups. "Don't miss uncontested lay-ups - make it important!" After moving to the south gym around 4:30 to allow the men's team to use the main floor, Stromme had a special rebounding ring placed on the rim cylinder so the team could focus on rebounding and boxing out. After some more defensive work, the team wound things down with free throw shooting as the team cheered after each FT made.
Outtakes - Just the number of new faces - and healthy returnees, has changed the dynamics of this team considerably. While the loss of sophomore Sheridan Blanford to an ACL injury was a downer (and she was doing mostly stretching/flexing at practice while wishing she could be out there with her teammates), having Raney, Ehrich, and Webber back fully healthy or nearly so is just simply HUGE for this squad. Another key senior returnee, Kirstee Rotty, will be with the team again once volleyball season is completed. So now, not only does St. Olaf have the regular chain-gang group back, Stromme now finally has depth at BOTH the frontline and backcourt positions which is a luxury he didn't have last year. That said, I think this St. Olaf team likely has the best chance of not only challenging UST for league honors but also being a team that can get into the "Big Dance" as well. Again, consistency will be the key for this team. They can't afford to have lapses on the road like they had last year at Augsburg and Macalester. Being that this is the last go-around for seniors Mackenzie Wolter, O'Donoghue, Haglund, Rotty and Menzel, if they're going to reach the lofty goals they've set for themselves than this is the year they absolutely have to do it. While Stromme obviously realizes the potential this squad has, he also expects strong challenges from both Concordia and SMU.
The first thing that caught my eye when I got myself situated in the gym was the number of new faces this program has - considering the fact that St. Olaf did not graduate anyone from last year. Last year when I attended St. Olaf's practice Stromme had perhaps ten healthy bodies to go with. This time around he has almost double that which is a good thing to have, IMHO. Interestingly, Stromme has a nice Colorado pipeline in place now as he has at least three players who hail from the state (it could be more than that; will know when he has the official roster up). I've already mentioned how Ehrich is now back and fully healthy. Now, junior post Elise Raney is well on the way to full recovery from knee surgery which is huge for this program. After being out on several occasions last year from nagging knee problems, Raney now appears poised to be an integral part of the formidable St. Olaf front line that includes seniors Erin Haglund and Ashley Menzel. Another young lady who has returned from the walking wounded is junior Brit Webber who was hit with the ACL bugaboo the year before. Both senior PG Mackenzie Wolter (who will likely be the best PG in the conference this season IMHO) and fellow senior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue are looking healthy and as strong as ever. Just as important, both players are excellent leaders in every sense of the word for this relatively young team.
Dave gave me a practice itenerary of all the things that the team would be covering in this day's practice. He has the team start out working on some of the finer points of the game (dribbling, passing, short jump shots). What's really amazing when you watch one of Stromme's practices is how he's constantly shouting out instructions on how his players should be doing things properly. He aptly borrowed a quote from the greatest college basketball coach that ever lived, John Wooden (who, of course, coached at the best public university in the world, UCLA) when he said "Be quick but don't hurry." Another thing that Coach Stromme stressed to his squad is that "we HAVE to be faster" which I would concur to. But, unlike last year, he's got the talent to do just that. The other thing that stood out to me was how he manages to keep practice close to being on time; i.e., he has start times listed on his itenerary when he wants to focus on certain items and he does just that. Another item that Stromme made a special emphasis on was lay-ups; specifically uncontested lay-ups. "Don't miss uncontested lay-ups - make it important!" After moving to the south gym around 4:30 to allow the men's team to use the main floor, Stromme had a special rebounding ring placed on the rim cylinder so the team could focus on rebounding and boxing out. After some more defensive work, the team wound things down with free throw shooting as the team cheered after each FT made.
Outtakes - Just the number of new faces - and healthy returnees, has changed the dynamics of this team considerably. While the loss of sophomore Sheridan Blanford to an ACL injury was a downer (and she was doing mostly stretching/flexing at practice while wishing she could be out there with her teammates), having Raney, Ehrich, and Webber back fully healthy or nearly so is just simply HUGE for this squad. Another key senior returnee, Kirstee Rotty, will be with the team again once volleyball season is completed. So now, not only does St. Olaf have the regular chain-gang group back, Stromme now finally has depth at BOTH the frontline and backcourt positions which is a luxury he didn't have last year. That said, I think this St. Olaf team likely has the best chance of not only challenging UST for league honors but also being a team that can get into the "Big Dance" as well. Again, consistency will be the key for this team. They can't afford to have lapses on the road like they had last year at Augsburg and Macalester. Being that this is the last go-around for seniors Mackenzie Wolter, O'Donoghue, Haglund, Rotty and Menzel, if they're going to reach the lofty goals they've set for themselves than this is the year they absolutely have to do it. While Stromme obviously realizes the potential this squad has, he also expects strong challenges from both Concordia and SMU.
Anoka-Ramsey Practice 10-16-12
Was up at Anoka-Ramsey's Tuesday afternoon practice to catch a glimpse of the team to see how they're coming along so far. Actually, just going in the building was an eye-opener in itself as they've done considerable renovation of the facilites there. They have a brand-new fieldhouse/practice facility (which the team utilized on this day) along with a totally new lobby area and a VERY nice new weight room/workout area which is still not done yet. The main gym is slated to get new bleachers as well so when all is said and done, it's safe to say that Anoka-Ramsey will have state of the art facilities which is what you would expect for a program that has had the success that Anoka-Ramsey has had over the last several years.
After getting acquainted with the team, head coach David DeWitt held a pre-practice team meeting in one of the conference rooms upstairs (very nice new facility as well). Here, Coach DeWitt outlined some of the guidelines for his team to follow - both on AND off the court - and it's no surprise that Anoka-Ramsey has had continued success with DeWitt leading the way. Some of the points that stand out include:
(1) Never lie, cheat or steal.
(2) Don't whine, complain or make excuses.
A. Excuses are for losers.
B. Winners find way to be successful!
C. No matter how bad things may appear to be, somebody else has it worse.
(3) Communication is the key!
A. You must be able to communicate well with your teammates.
(4) Defense is the key - and our identity!
A. It is the hallmark of what we do.
B. In the early part of the year, it should be ahead of the offense.
C. Anticipation is critical to playing great defense.
D. Secure the defensive rebound!
(5) You play to be the best!
(6) Crash the boards!
A. It's a mentality that MUST be learned.
After that great pep talk, it was then time to head back down the stairs and into the new fieldhouse/practice facility as the team was able to spend 10-15 minutes getting loosened up and hitting some shots before Coach DeWitt assembled them for drills. The first few drills emphasized setting screens properly and position work as well. The focus then shifted to passing and this consisted of the time-tested weave, fundamental passing, SST (start stop turn) plus the 3-line push as well. It was during this time that Coach DeWitt had to admonish his team; particularly his post players to "PLAY HARD!" The reason for this was because assistant coach David Alto had the task of using a pad to bump against post players coming down the floor preparing to post up and Coach DeWitt; not happy with performance of his post players, told them "You'd better make him take two steps back when you post up!"
The second half of practice focused on the trademark of Anoka-Ramsey success - defense. The drills done here were labled as 4/4/4, cover down, "imaginary" defense, 4 on 2 - ballside/helpside, and then some 5 on 5 - both "shell" and live. Coach DeWitt is simply passionate when it comes to defense and he stresses some of the little things that help a player be the best defender she can possibly be. He stresses that you have to be able to sprint to the area where the ball is - not simply shuffle over. "Keep your hands up" is another phrase that was heard more than once.
Outtakes - Coach DeWitt has some very good incoming freshmen coming into this group; most notably Kelli Schramm who hails from Mounds View HS. She played one year at UW-Eau Claire before sitting out last season so that is a fantastic "get" for this program. I can visualize her playing either the "3" or "4" spot (she's that versatile) but she can post up as well. The other one that caught my eye is Park Center standout Nicole Schaub who played an integral role (along with her younger sister Hannah who is now a sophomore at Park Center) in the Pirates run to the Section Finals the last two seasons. Schaub is a pure shooter who can terrorize opponents if left open on the perimeter. It will be interesting to watch these two along with the other newcomers mesh with the returnees. Speaking of returnees, you would normally have to think that Anoka-Ramsey was primed for an easy repeat trip back to the National Tournament - that is until sophomore standout Maria Loughlin went down with a knee injury early in the fall that drastically changed the dynamics of this talented squad. From what I can tell, Coach DeWitt is not even close as far as settling on someone to inherit the coveted PG spot although he may have an idea in the back of his mind. Last year I said that a return trip to the National Tournament was probably "a bridge too far" considering all the great players he had lost from the National Championship team. Well, I was obviously wrong on that one although they had to survive a big scare in the Region Tournament. The thing about this year's squad is that it (in many ways) mirrors last year's team: They are not big by any stretch but they make up for that with unbelievable quickness and athleticism. The think tank here would have to surmise that, without question, they'll be one of the top two teams in the MCC. Beyond that, when it comes to the Region Tournament, my guess is that they'll have a harder row to hoe and their margin for error will be that much smaller. When I asked Coach DeWitt about all this he replied, "All I care about is my team being the very best they can be. Whether that includes Nationals or not I don't know."
After getting acquainted with the team, head coach David DeWitt held a pre-practice team meeting in one of the conference rooms upstairs (very nice new facility as well). Here, Coach DeWitt outlined some of the guidelines for his team to follow - both on AND off the court - and it's no surprise that Anoka-Ramsey has had continued success with DeWitt leading the way. Some of the points that stand out include:
(1) Never lie, cheat or steal.
(2) Don't whine, complain or make excuses.
A. Excuses are for losers.
B. Winners find way to be successful!
C. No matter how bad things may appear to be, somebody else has it worse.
(3) Communication is the key!
A. You must be able to communicate well with your teammates.
(4) Defense is the key - and our identity!
A. It is the hallmark of what we do.
B. In the early part of the year, it should be ahead of the offense.
C. Anticipation is critical to playing great defense.
D. Secure the defensive rebound!
(5) You play to be the best!
(6) Crash the boards!
A. It's a mentality that MUST be learned.
After that great pep talk, it was then time to head back down the stairs and into the new fieldhouse/practice facility as the team was able to spend 10-15 minutes getting loosened up and hitting some shots before Coach DeWitt assembled them for drills. The first few drills emphasized setting screens properly and position work as well. The focus then shifted to passing and this consisted of the time-tested weave, fundamental passing, SST (start stop turn) plus the 3-line push as well. It was during this time that Coach DeWitt had to admonish his team; particularly his post players to "PLAY HARD!" The reason for this was because assistant coach David Alto had the task of using a pad to bump against post players coming down the floor preparing to post up and Coach DeWitt; not happy with performance of his post players, told them "You'd better make him take two steps back when you post up!"
The second half of practice focused on the trademark of Anoka-Ramsey success - defense. The drills done here were labled as 4/4/4, cover down, "imaginary" defense, 4 on 2 - ballside/helpside, and then some 5 on 5 - both "shell" and live. Coach DeWitt is simply passionate when it comes to defense and he stresses some of the little things that help a player be the best defender she can possibly be. He stresses that you have to be able to sprint to the area where the ball is - not simply shuffle over. "Keep your hands up" is another phrase that was heard more than once.
Outtakes - Coach DeWitt has some very good incoming freshmen coming into this group; most notably Kelli Schramm who hails from Mounds View HS. She played one year at UW-Eau Claire before sitting out last season so that is a fantastic "get" for this program. I can visualize her playing either the "3" or "4" spot (she's that versatile) but she can post up as well. The other one that caught my eye is Park Center standout Nicole Schaub who played an integral role (along with her younger sister Hannah who is now a sophomore at Park Center) in the Pirates run to the Section Finals the last two seasons. Schaub is a pure shooter who can terrorize opponents if left open on the perimeter. It will be interesting to watch these two along with the other newcomers mesh with the returnees. Speaking of returnees, you would normally have to think that Anoka-Ramsey was primed for an easy repeat trip back to the National Tournament - that is until sophomore standout Maria Loughlin went down with a knee injury early in the fall that drastically changed the dynamics of this talented squad. From what I can tell, Coach DeWitt is not even close as far as settling on someone to inherit the coveted PG spot although he may have an idea in the back of his mind. Last year I said that a return trip to the National Tournament was probably "a bridge too far" considering all the great players he had lost from the National Championship team. Well, I was obviously wrong on that one although they had to survive a big scare in the Region Tournament. The thing about this year's squad is that it (in many ways) mirrors last year's team: They are not big by any stretch but they make up for that with unbelievable quickness and athleticism. The think tank here would have to surmise that, without question, they'll be one of the top two teams in the MCC. Beyond that, when it comes to the Region Tournament, my guess is that they'll have a harder row to hoe and their margin for error will be that much smaller. When I asked Coach DeWitt about all this he replied, "All I care about is my team being the very best they can be. Whether that includes Nationals or not I don't know."
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
St. Kate's Opening Practice - 10-15-12
I started off this new season with a trek over to the St. Paul side of town to take in the very first practice of the season at St. Kate's. I was anxious to get back to St. Kate's because I wanted very much to meet their new head coach, Sean Pinkerton who was hired earlier in the year and subsequently took over the reigns from former head coach Gary Rufsvold when he decided to step down from the position late this last summer. Pinkerton previously was the head coach at Morrisville State College and also was an assistant at both New York-Canton and Heidelberg before that so St. Kate's definitely has someone who has solid experience. Pinkerton's assistant coach this year is Zack Vogelsberg who has previously been an assistant at both SMU and Bethel so he has someone who knows and understands the "ins and outs" of the MIAC well.
I got there early enough to get myself situated and get introduced to Pinkerton who was an incredibly gracious host. I was disappointed, though, when I was looking around at the squad getting warmed up and did not see two faces that I would normally have expected to be there - Jule Muegge who was a standout as a freshman last season and Adele Simerson-Wallfred who is a senior this season. Muegge, as I later found out, has decided to concentrate on track and field which is something I did not count on and, for Pinkerton especially, is a huge void considering the potential that Muegge possesses. Simerson-Wallfred's absence is a disappointment as well being that she is a senior and I think it's something she'll regret down the road.
In any event, it was intriguing to watch this team get going. One of the more interesting aspects of Pinkerton's approach in practice is how he gets the team to the center of the court when he yells "circle!". The player (or players) who are late in getting to the circle on the center of the court automatically have to do five push-ups. Not taxing by any means but it stresses team unity and togetherness. The team spends the first few minutes doing a variety of flexing/stretching/light running drills to get fully loosend up. Afterwards, Pinkerton has the group doing a whole gamet of drills that includes the following:
(1) First, a 3-on-2 halfcourt drill is done that actually utilizes the whole floor and it would appear that the main emphasis on this one is to defend agains transition opportunities.
(2) Next is a drill whereby the players use the glass for rebounds and they then get the ball on the way back down for an easy kiss off the glass and into the basket. Not as easy as it looks. Pinkerton has the team do some sprints afterward.
(3) Next is a 3-man weave that is finished with layups. Pinkerton is not entirely happy with the team's performance in this drill and has them do some more sprints before resuming this drill.
(4) A 4-on-4 half-court drill is done that emphasizes ball movement plus defense and positioning. This drill is then modified where the offense then attacks the basket; i.e., doing perimeter work THEN attacking the rim.
(5) The next drill has three players going down the court with one finishing with a layup. Then, going the other way it turns into a 2-on-1 transition drill where a long pass is used to simulate a fast-break opportunity.
(6) The next drill is a shooting drill where one group of players are lined up to shoot along the baseline while the other group is positioned along the perimeter to shoot from the elbow. The drill is continually modified whereby each group keeps moving into different shooting positions.
(7) The next drill involves two groups; one on each end of the floor dribbling between chairs and finishing with a layup. This drill is then modified whereby the chairs are moved from the right side of the court to the left side of the court
(8) The next drill is interesting as it employs using mini-basketball that are actually heavier than regulation balls. Two balls are used and players are positioned in various places on the half-court. The emphasis here is precise passing and movement. The drill is modified as overhead passing and chest passing is used. Not as easy at it looks.
(9) The next drill has two players who go down the floor together after taking a rebound off the glass. After one player finishes with a layup then then go back the other way with way to finish off with a rebound as well. But this is not as easy as it would appear as this drill is modified that allows for the second to get points as well.
10. The last two drills involve both hal-court and full court to emphasize quickness and precise passing.
Lastly, sprints are done after each FT attempt. Pinkerton tells the team "You'd better be sure to make FTs this year.
After practice finally concludes, I am invited Pinkerton's office to discuss the team and the MIAC. Pinkerton readily acknowledges that he has an uphill struggle but it doesn't seem to faze him at all. When asked what must be done to bring the team along and keep improving, Pinkerton says he lists three short-term goal (1) defense, (2) taking care of the ball/winning the turnover margin, and (3) rebounding. Pinkerton then rattles off where St. Kate's needs the most improvement - (his knowledge of St. Kate's and national numbers is stunning) and also relates how he made major improvement at his previous head coaching spot. The Wildcats may not win a lot of games this year but St. Kate's has an awfully good head coach who knows how to get things done.
I got there early enough to get myself situated and get introduced to Pinkerton who was an incredibly gracious host. I was disappointed, though, when I was looking around at the squad getting warmed up and did not see two faces that I would normally have expected to be there - Jule Muegge who was a standout as a freshman last season and Adele Simerson-Wallfred who is a senior this season. Muegge, as I later found out, has decided to concentrate on track and field which is something I did not count on and, for Pinkerton especially, is a huge void considering the potential that Muegge possesses. Simerson-Wallfred's absence is a disappointment as well being that she is a senior and I think it's something she'll regret down the road.
In any event, it was intriguing to watch this team get going. One of the more interesting aspects of Pinkerton's approach in practice is how he gets the team to the center of the court when he yells "circle!". The player (or players) who are late in getting to the circle on the center of the court automatically have to do five push-ups. Not taxing by any means but it stresses team unity and togetherness. The team spends the first few minutes doing a variety of flexing/stretching/light running drills to get fully loosend up. Afterwards, Pinkerton has the group doing a whole gamet of drills that includes the following:
(1) First, a 3-on-2 halfcourt drill is done that actually utilizes the whole floor and it would appear that the main emphasis on this one is to defend agains transition opportunities.
(2) Next is a drill whereby the players use the glass for rebounds and they then get the ball on the way back down for an easy kiss off the glass and into the basket. Not as easy as it looks. Pinkerton has the team do some sprints afterward.
(3) Next is a 3-man weave that is finished with layups. Pinkerton is not entirely happy with the team's performance in this drill and has them do some more sprints before resuming this drill.
(4) A 4-on-4 half-court drill is done that emphasizes ball movement plus defense and positioning. This drill is then modified where the offense then attacks the basket; i.e., doing perimeter work THEN attacking the rim.
(5) The next drill has three players going down the court with one finishing with a layup. Then, going the other way it turns into a 2-on-1 transition drill where a long pass is used to simulate a fast-break opportunity.
(6) The next drill is a shooting drill where one group of players are lined up to shoot along the baseline while the other group is positioned along the perimeter to shoot from the elbow. The drill is continually modified whereby each group keeps moving into different shooting positions.
(7) The next drill involves two groups; one on each end of the floor dribbling between chairs and finishing with a layup. This drill is then modified whereby the chairs are moved from the right side of the court to the left side of the court
(8) The next drill is interesting as it employs using mini-basketball that are actually heavier than regulation balls. Two balls are used and players are positioned in various places on the half-court. The emphasis here is precise passing and movement. The drill is modified as overhead passing and chest passing is used. Not as easy at it looks.
(9) The next drill has two players who go down the floor together after taking a rebound off the glass. After one player finishes with a layup then then go back the other way with way to finish off with a rebound as well. But this is not as easy as it would appear as this drill is modified that allows for the second to get points as well.
10. The last two drills involve both hal-court and full court to emphasize quickness and precise passing.
Lastly, sprints are done after each FT attempt. Pinkerton tells the team "You'd better be sure to make FTs this year.
After practice finally concludes, I am invited Pinkerton's office to discuss the team and the MIAC. Pinkerton readily acknowledges that he has an uphill struggle but it doesn't seem to faze him at all. When asked what must be done to bring the team along and keep improving, Pinkerton says he lists three short-term goal (1) defense, (2) taking care of the ball/winning the turnover margin, and (3) rebounding. Pinkerton then rattles off where St. Kate's needs the most improvement - (his knowledge of St. Kate's and national numbers is stunning) and also relates how he made major improvement at his previous head coaching spot. The Wildcats may not win a lot of games this year but St. Kate's has an awfully good head coach who knows how to get things done.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Another Season Is Upon Us!!
Well, here we go again....Just a little less than an hour away from the official October 15 start time for practices for DII & DIII teams. And, just like last year, I'll be at some different practices this week to check things out (am still trying to line some things up as well). I realize you can only take so much from the opening practices but I'm really more interested to see who's back and who's new as well. And it helps that I'm on vacation this week (YEE HAAAH!).
First off, I want to apologize for not doing a very good job over the last few months as far as reporting stuff is concerned. Of course, I was at the Mid-Town YWCA Summer League reporting the results of games I was able to catch but had really hoped to finalize some things from this last season; i.e., the Minnesota Girls HS Tournament and the All Star game in April. Unfortunately, being busy with the tennis kept from doing what I wanted to do so I hope to rectify that this time around (will keep mum on this for now but I have some plans to avoid this mess the next time).
On a much more positive note, I'm excited that I'm going to be adding both audio and pictures to my blog as well. This has been a long time coming, IMHO, and I'm hopeful that this will add another area of intrigue to my efforts. Things are still in the crawling stage with this but, thanks to my good friend Tony Geer I've got some exciting things planned. I will also be helping out with the webcasts at Bethel games again this year which I enjoy immensely.
So yeah, I'm ready. Actually, I was already at the University of Minnesota's pre-season press conference featuring both Head Coach Pam Borton and sophomore standout point guard Rachel Banham (I realize that they're D1 of course but I try to cover what aspects of womens hoops that I can). The jury is still kind of out on this group and, although the returners will be a year older, there's a lot of new blood coming in as well to add to the mix. Oh, and don't forget that the WNBA Finals got underway tonight as well with Indiana pulling off an improbable 76-70 win on the road to take a 1-0 series lead. Hopefully, the Lynx can regroup and get this turned around (an I think they will.).
Buckle up - here we go!
First off, I want to apologize for not doing a very good job over the last few months as far as reporting stuff is concerned. Of course, I was at the Mid-Town YWCA Summer League reporting the results of games I was able to catch but had really hoped to finalize some things from this last season; i.e., the Minnesota Girls HS Tournament and the All Star game in April. Unfortunately, being busy with the tennis kept from doing what I wanted to do so I hope to rectify that this time around (will keep mum on this for now but I have some plans to avoid this mess the next time).
On a much more positive note, I'm excited that I'm going to be adding both audio and pictures to my blog as well. This has been a long time coming, IMHO, and I'm hopeful that this will add another area of intrigue to my efforts. Things are still in the crawling stage with this but, thanks to my good friend Tony Geer I've got some exciting things planned. I will also be helping out with the webcasts at Bethel games again this year which I enjoy immensely.
So yeah, I'm ready. Actually, I was already at the University of Minnesota's pre-season press conference featuring both Head Coach Pam Borton and sophomore standout point guard Rachel Banham (I realize that they're D1 of course but I try to cover what aspects of womens hoops that I can). The jury is still kind of out on this group and, although the returners will be a year older, there's a lot of new blood coming in as well to add to the mix. Oh, and don't forget that the WNBA Finals got underway tonight as well with Indiana pulling off an improbable 76-70 win on the road to take a 1-0 series lead. Hopefully, the Lynx can regroup and get this turned around (an I think they will.).
Buckle up - here we go!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Playoff Action For Wednesday 8-8-12
6:00 P.M. Semifinals
Winona St. 53
The Graduates 41
UST 50
Husky Nation 48
7:00 P.M. Consolation & Championship
Consolation Game
The Graduates 43
Husky Nation 42
Championship Game
UST 44
Winona St. 43
As you can tell by judging from the scores, some excellent, excellent fun games to take in tonight. The semifinal game between St. Thomas and St. Cloud State was a back and forth affair with the Tommies having to hold on for dear life coming down the stretch. The Huskies had chances and simply couldn't hit the big bucket when they most needed it. The consolation and championship games were just as good if not better. The Graduates, after dropping their semifinal to Winona State, surprised the St. Cloud State squad as they were in control for most of the contest. But the Huskies made a late charge only to fall just short - again. The Graduates were an intriguing group this year led by the likes of former Hamline players Stephanie Robinson, Steph Rice and Nikki Klinck along with former Bethel standout (and reigning MIAC MVP) Taylor Sheley. I like this St. Cloud State team as well and I think they have some good things ahead of them. In the Championship game, the Tommies got off to a quick start and appeared to be in control of things as the second half got underway. But the Warriors made their comeback bid and got neck and neck with the Tommies coming down the stretch. But, just like St. Cloud State, they couldn't find the big bucket when they most needed it in the closing seconds as the Tommies took home the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League championship.
Winona St. 53
The Graduates 41
UST 50
Husky Nation 48
7:00 P.M. Consolation & Championship
Consolation Game
The Graduates 43
Husky Nation 42
Championship Game
UST 44
Winona St. 43
As you can tell by judging from the scores, some excellent, excellent fun games to take in tonight. The semifinal game between St. Thomas and St. Cloud State was a back and forth affair with the Tommies having to hold on for dear life coming down the stretch. The Huskies had chances and simply couldn't hit the big bucket when they most needed it. The consolation and championship games were just as good if not better. The Graduates, after dropping their semifinal to Winona State, surprised the St. Cloud State squad as they were in control for most of the contest. But the Huskies made a late charge only to fall just short - again. The Graduates were an intriguing group this year led by the likes of former Hamline players Stephanie Robinson, Steph Rice and Nikki Klinck along with former Bethel standout (and reigning MIAC MVP) Taylor Sheley. I like this St. Cloud State team as well and I think they have some good things ahead of them. In the Championship game, the Tommies got off to a quick start and appeared to be in control of things as the second half got underway. But the Warriors made their comeback bid and got neck and neck with the Tommies coming down the stretch. But, just like St. Cloud State, they couldn't find the big bucket when they most needed it in the closing seconds as the Tommies took home the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League championship.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League Playoff Results For Wednesday 8-1-12
Here are the results for the playoff games I was able to catch last night at the Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League:
5:00 P.M. Games
UST 48
MSU Mavericks 21
Old Tymers 59
Hamline 56
5:55 P.M. Games
Jimmies 47
ARCC Alumni 42
Husky Nation 57
St. Olaf 30
6:50 P.M. Games
CSB 39
UW-River Falls Red 38
The Graduates 55
Macalester 43
7:45 P.M. Games
Winona St. 54
Sweet Sensation 46
Concordia St. Paul 64
ARCC Black 29
The game of the night (at least from the ones I was able to catch) easily was the one in the 6:50 P.M. slot between St. Bens and the UW-River Falls Red team. This was a tight game throughout and it LOOKED as if the UW-River Falls team had the deal sealed but a Falcon player missed the back end of a 1 and 1 FT situation to give the Blazer team one more chance. CSB's Tish Alexander, seemingly trapped in the corner and in duress, threw up a prayer with scant seconds left on the clock to hit nothing but net and gave the Blazers an improbable 39-38 victory. It was, well, WOW! In the 5:00 P.M. slot, the Old Tymers team had to make a late run to stave off defeat at the hands of a scrappy Hamline team in order to move on. UST, St. Cloud State, and Concordia St. Paul made quick work of their opponents in the games I was able to catch.
So, the 8:40 P.M. games had intriguing match-ups between UST and the Old Tymers in one game and the Jimmies vs Husky Nation in the other. The 9:35 P.M. games looked to be beauts as well featuring CSB vs the Graduates and Winona St. against Concordia St. Paul in the other. If anyone reading this knows the results of any of these games, please let me know. I'll be over at Midtown next week for the semifinals and Championship/Consolation games.
5:00 P.M. Games
UST 48
MSU Mavericks 21
Old Tymers 59
Hamline 56
5:55 P.M. Games
Jimmies 47
ARCC Alumni 42
Husky Nation 57
St. Olaf 30
6:50 P.M. Games
CSB 39
UW-River Falls Red 38
The Graduates 55
Macalester 43
7:45 P.M. Games
Winona St. 54
Sweet Sensation 46
Concordia St. Paul 64
ARCC Black 29
The game of the night (at least from the ones I was able to catch) easily was the one in the 6:50 P.M. slot between St. Bens and the UW-River Falls Red team. This was a tight game throughout and it LOOKED as if the UW-River Falls team had the deal sealed but a Falcon player missed the back end of a 1 and 1 FT situation to give the Blazer team one more chance. CSB's Tish Alexander, seemingly trapped in the corner and in duress, threw up a prayer with scant seconds left on the clock to hit nothing but net and gave the Blazers an improbable 39-38 victory. It was, well, WOW! In the 5:00 P.M. slot, the Old Tymers team had to make a late run to stave off defeat at the hands of a scrappy Hamline team in order to move on. UST, St. Cloud State, and Concordia St. Paul made quick work of their opponents in the games I was able to catch.
So, the 8:40 P.M. games had intriguing match-ups between UST and the Old Tymers in one game and the Jimmies vs Husky Nation in the other. The 9:35 P.M. games looked to be beauts as well featuring CSB vs the Graduates and Winona St. against Concordia St. Paul in the other. If anyone reading this knows the results of any of these games, please let me know. I'll be over at Midtown next week for the semifinals and Championship/Consolation games.
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