Are You Ready For Some B-Ball?

In basketball, I find that the line between fantasy and reality is often blurred. For example, let's look at the infamous Miami Heat. When the Heat acquired the three biggest free agents on the market (Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh), everyone assumed that they were unstoppable. The hype was built to an unbelievable level, especially as the NBA Tip-Off approached. And what did all of the waiting basketball fans get to see? They got the pleasure of seeing the Miami Heat fall flat on their faces to the aging, but talented Boston Celtics. Over the next few weeks, the Heat were the perfect picture of "bleh." Even with the most bedazzled team in the NBA, the Heat couldn't escape the extreme mediocrity that plagued them.

Now you may ask what this has to do with the guys and how their season is playing out...

Don't think for a second that I'm calling the guys mediocre. As a matter of fact I think they're playing very well. My point is, the expectations for the Heat were that they would go undefeated, beating every team by 20 or more. And obviously, the Heat didn't follow up with those results. I think going into this season, CHS Eagles fans had similar expectations. With all 5 starters returning (plus all of the top reserves), why wouldn't the Eagles contend for a state championship this year? In fact, why shouldn't they easily defeat every single team they play? Well, folks, I've got some news for you. Unless you're the UConn Huskies women's team, you aren't going to win every game. Every team has its off-nights, and so does every player, especially in high school when the players are finding the strengths and weaknesses of their game. But enough of this, let's talk about our Eagles...

The Eagles are going into Christmas break with a solid 5-3 record that boasts wins over St. Charles High and Hannibal, and features losses to Fort Zumwalt North, Imagine College Prep, and Parkway West. And even though it isn't technically mid-season, I think we've seen enough to evaluate what the Eagles are doing well and what they need to improve. Let's start with the positive...

Positive

Forcing the Issue: The Eagles have always had one consistent strength...their fastbreak. They're a fast-moving team that pushes the ball and is great in transition. And of course, there's no exception this year. Teams are having major problems stopping the Eagles from running the court. Coach Dave Meers has the guys in shape and running wild. No problems here. Moving on.

The Front Lines: When your five starters are producing, you're always going to be a step ahead of the competition. And that's exactly what the Eagles have in every single game they play. The Eagles starting five are starting off the year rolling. Here's the starting five's stat line (all numbers are averages per game)...

Andrew Frank: 11.6 points, 3.5 assists, 40% 3-point shooting
Adam Glenville: 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 32% 3-point shooting
Blake Meers: 16 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks
Brendan Norwine: 4.8 points, 2.9 steals, 36% 3-point shooting
Ben Pickett: 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds

Do the math and the Eagles starters are averaging 52 points a game. Even casual fans know that in a lot of high school basketball games, you won't even see 52 points scored by a team. When five players can collectively put 52 points on the scoreboard, you're team is gonna be dangerous. And that's what the Eagles have.

Bonus!: The Eagles reserves are starting to contribute. Lance Lehmann is showing that he can provide help on the offensive side of the ball. His shot still needs a little bit of work, but as a sophomore, it's already much better than a lot of people playing varsity basketball right now. He's going to be a great shooter soon. Robby Wilkinson adds a defensive presence on the floor and is a solid passer. A.J. Wynn and Jordan Norwine are doing a good job of backing up Brendan when he needs a rest. Zach Wetzel, a known shooter, hasn't had many looks yet but he's as reliable as anyone when he gets open shots. Freshmen Evan Marcks and Deantrell Prince are also starting to see good minutes.

Making it rain (or snow): If theres one thing the Eagles have struggled with in the past few years, it's outside shooting. This year? Not so much. The guys have showed up to this point that not only are they going to challenge their opponents with their fast style of play, but they have a threat present with their outside shooting. From behind the arc, the Eagles are shooting 31%, a good percentage considering they were 0-15 in the first two games. And even though there aren't stats to record other mid-range and long-range two-pointers, the Eagles have been able to consitently knock these shots down when it counted. And it's not only that their shooting is good, their shot selection is excellent. The boys don't force threes. They take the open looks. Their successful threes come from quick passes and good ball movement, which is something the Eagles seem to have a lot of this year. If the Eagles can boost their 3-point percentage just a little bit, they'll be an even more dangerous team then they are now.

Now for the negative. Luckily theres only one outstanding spot, with the addition of some turnover issues. But the most extreme negative is, you guessed it...

Negative

Cashing In: The charity stripe. That is going to be the key to the rest of the season for the Eagles. Let's break this down...
The Eagles have shot 184 free throws this season. They've made 96, compiling a 52% average. They shoot an average of 23 free throws a game and make an average of 11.
Now let's imagine that the Eagles shot 70% from the charity stripe, a pretty good percentage. Then they would make 16 a game, adding 5 points to their average per game. That automatically erases the loss to FZN and changes the dynamics of the other two losses, games which were close in the final quarter of the game (the Imagine game was close in the final minutes.) In order to win big games, the Eagles need to make those free shots. This prevents their opponents from playing overly-aggresive defense in close games, opening up more shots and probably swinging the momentum to the Eagles in certain situations.

Like I said, the Eagles are playing pretty well. Realistically, the Eagles could be 8-0. The loss to FZN was a heart-breaking loss on a shot that should have gone in. The losses to Parkway West and Imagine were games that were closer then their scores let on. The Eagles just missed a few opporunities. But, like I said, it happens. What defines a team is how it reacts when it faces adversity. And the CHS Eagles have done a great job of following losses strong.

Looking at the Eagles expectations for this year, I would say this; I believe they're meeting expectations. And they're getting better. The boys have displayed flashes of dominance in many of their wins and really outplayed some of their opponents in their losses. As they continuously get better, the Eagles will show that they're ready to surpass those expectations that many people set for them. January and February are heavy months for the Eagles. This is when the Eagles will show everyone the team they can be. And just like the Heat are doing now, the Eagles are going to start dominating. If you're an Eagle fan, now is the time to start watching.

Merry Christmas from CHS Hoops! Thank you for the support!