Ten Best: Delhi Charter stays undefeated, beats Sterlington
Small school basketball can produce some pretty compelling surprises, and I got to see one of them in Delhi Charter. I walked in the gym and was immediately surprised by Delhi Charter’s athleticism, which proved to be the determining factor…
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Continue ReadingSmall school basketball can produce some pretty compelling surprises, and I got to see one of them in Delhi Charter. I walked in the gym and was immediately surprised by Delhi Charter’s athleticism, which proved to be the determining factor in the 64-45 win over Sterlington.
Most Impressive: Delhi Charter guard Desmond Longino. On his dribble-drive into Sterlington’s zone (more on that in the Best Offensive Adjustment later), he showed flashes of great midair body control and some midair acrobatics in getting a layup off in traffic. Athleticism like that doesn’t hide, and it didn’t tonight.
Play of the Game: Fourth-quarter hustle puts game away. Delhi Charter is keeping up its fullcourt press (more on that in the Best Defensive Strategy) in an attempt to put the game out of reach with 5 minutes left. J’Quan Polly forces a loose ball and immediately dives to the floor. Somehow he wrangles it free just long enough to flick a quick chest pass – all while still on the ground – to a streaking Desmond Longino. A Sterlington guard had no choice but to commit a flagrant foul, with the ensuing free throws putting Delhi Charter up 18. The score and time remaining was enough, but the dejection Sterlington couldn’t help but show at the time really put this game out of reach.
Best Rebounder: Sterlington’s C.J. Colvin. When he sets his mind to be a good offensive rebounder, he isn’t going to run into too many people in 2A that can keep him from doing so. Sterlington made this thing interesting at some point in the third quarter and most of that was due to his offensive rebounding creating opportunities. However, continue reading for another side of this development…
Best Defensive Performance: Delhi Charter forward Chris Murphy. When he was in the game, Sterlington’s chances at an interior game were subdued: that applied to both forwards trying to rebound and guards trying to drive.
Best Point Guard: J’Quan Polly, Delhi Charter. Normally you’ll see a best passer kind of category here, and Polly certainly applies there, but I expanded the category a little bit because Polly did a lot more than just pass: he did all the things a coach wants his point guard to do. He was an excellent ball handler when pressured, he played defense with high energy at the top of the Gator press defense, he was simply excellent.
Best Offensive Adjustment: Delhi Charter attacking Sterlington’s changing zones. Delhi Charter built its lead in no small part due to finding lanes to dribble-drive into Sterlington’s 2-3 zone – obviously from the wing where the break would be in an NBA 3-point line, since that’s where the natural break in that zone lies. The Gators routinely found ways to dribble into the lane and made tough layups once they got there; in response, I noticed Sterlington switch to a 1-2-2 in the fourth quarter to change the calculus of the whole thing a little bit. Delhi Charter seemed unphased, still finding ways to drive into the lane and keep its scoring pace in the fourth quarter.
Best Defensive Strategy: Delhi Charter pressuring Sterlington’s guards. If Sterlington’s primary ball handlers can just get the ball across halfcourt, there are obvious weapons like shooter Jaylon Naron or the previously mentioned Colvin to put points on the board. Herein lies the problem: those ball handlers are still a bit green behind the ears and can make mistakes in the face of pressure. Delhi Charter’s press not only created turnovers before the halfcourt line, but also kept Sterlington’s offense for reaching much of a rhythm for a significant portion of the game.
Best Meaningless Play: C.J. Colvin’s postgame dunk. As the teams were making their way to the locker rooms and kids were pouring onto the court to play, one of them handed the Sterlington forward a ball around the 3-point line. He proceeded to take a couple of steps, bounce the ball off the floor tomahawk-style and alley-oop it to himself, making an athletic jump up and slamming it home. It was probably the most athletic play made in the gym that night and it took place a full minute or two after the game ended. What a shame.
Best Tweet: Sterlington adding another big man? Last year’s Panthers were fueled almost exclusively by guard Jaylon Naron and forward Semaj Colvin, both of whom were juniors.
Here’s the catch: Colvin is a safety of Sterlington’s football team (2016 state champs!) and clearly has his sights set on playing collegiate football, collecting offers from several smaller schools in recent months. He did not play summer ball with the basketball team, focusing on adding weight for the football season. There was plenty of reason to question his presence on the 2016-17 basketball team, but he tweeted during the game that he is going to play his senior season of basketball. If he stands by it, Sterlington’s ceiling as a team just lifted exponentially.
Best Story to Watch Going Forward: How long can Delhi Charter stay undefeated? This win put the Gators at 8-0 going into a 10-day layoff before what should be its toughest test to date: Simsboro. Winning there would mean a perfect non-district slate before going into District 2-1A play with a rematch against crosstown rival Delhi (the two played in the season opener and Delhi Charter won by 4).