For the second time in three years I watched a boys basketball team lose a game they could have won, should have won. The loss wasn't because of bad luck, questionable calls or simply being less talented. Instead, the obvious reason was that one particular player who was exceedingly outclassed was allowed to remain on the floor despite missing three- pointer after three- pointer and getting destroyed by a superior athlete almost every time he tryed to advance the ball against a tough man-to-man fullcourt press.
I drove to Coppell to watch the game between #1 3 A Dallas Madison and #5 Argyle. I picked this game when I read in the Dallas paper that Argyle had beaten soundly two 4-A powerhouses in warmup games, one of which was Dallas Kimball 56-43. So it looked like a potentially good matchup.
The game was a contrast in styles. Madison relied on quickness and tough fullcourt defense, while Argyle's strengths were skill and the best player on the floor, a 6' 4" do everything player. But they had one obvious weakness with a 5'8" slow, cold shooting point guard who hit one of seven or eight long shots and committed at least eight or ten turnovers throughout the game. Most of them due to being defended by a much quicker player. Despite these circumstances, he was left in the game almost the entire first half, and only missed about half of the third quarter mostly because the coach allowed the stud to bring up the ball instead of the point guard. And this switch in strategy led Argyle on a 13 point comeback.
At the very end of the game Argyle regained the lead by one with under 2 and a half minutes to go when the pointguard, who had been out for several minutes, reentered the game. The stud brought down the ball and began working the offense. After five or six passes the ball landed into the hands of the pointguard who instantly threw up a 3 point shot missing widely and losing the possession. On the transition Madison shot two FTs, sinking one and tying up the game with under 25 seconds left. After a timeout I watched the coach directly speaking to the pointguard intensily, but left him on the floor
. Argyle worked the ball up the court under intense pressure and scored with 15 seconds on a great high pick-n-roll for the stud, hitting a 15 foot jumper. The sea of Argyle red went ballistic. After a Madison timeout, they ran a simple high pick of their own for guess who's man, that's right the pointguards. He easily penetrated , dished and after two shots scored a two footer with 3 seconds left. Madison won by two.
Stopping at Taco Bell afterwards, I asked five young men wearing Argyle caps and shirts if the player inquestion was the coach's son. They looked at me with a frown and said that he was not the son of the coach, but rather a powerful schoolboard member. I said that's a shame and they added that it had been going on all year.
Argyle had several players on the bench better than this player, including a tall freshman who scored five or six threes, and another guard who was not having the same problems. They also had two post players who when allowed on the floor swept the glass. It was sad. The team was so good, good coaching was apparent despite the situation mentioned. The game plan was good enough to upset the number one team in the state had this particular player stayed on the bench in those critical moments.
What would you have done? Try to give your team the best chance of winning, or play a trustee's son in order not to anger him? I saw this identical scenario in San Saba two years ago in a game between Miles and Snook. Snook, the less talented team upset a real good Miles team who was shot in both feet(figuratively speaking) by one ball-hogging thirtyfoot three- point shooter who must have shot ten threes and of these four or five were airballs.
It was so obvious and pathetic. And it was also sad for the rest of the team, many of whom collapsed on the floor afterwards until they were helped by grieving mothers and girlfriends.
Again, what would you have done? You might want to know if you think you'll ever coach....
I drove to Coppell to watch the game between #1 3 A Dallas Madison and #5 Argyle. I picked this game when I read in the Dallas paper that Argyle had beaten soundly two 4-A powerhouses in warmup games, one of which was Dallas Kimball 56-43. So it looked like a potentially good matchup.
The game was a contrast in styles. Madison relied on quickness and tough fullcourt defense, while Argyle's strengths were skill and the best player on the floor, a 6' 4" do everything player. But they had one obvious weakness with a 5'8" slow, cold shooting point guard who hit one of seven or eight long shots and committed at least eight or ten turnovers throughout the game. Most of them due to being defended by a much quicker player. Despite these circumstances, he was left in the game almost the entire first half, and only missed about half of the third quarter mostly because the coach allowed the stud to bring up the ball instead of the point guard. And this switch in strategy led Argyle on a 13 point comeback.
At the very end of the game Argyle regained the lead by one with under 2 and a half minutes to go when the pointguard, who had been out for several minutes, reentered the game. The stud brought down the ball and began working the offense. After five or six passes the ball landed into the hands of the pointguard who instantly threw up a 3 point shot missing widely and losing the possession. On the transition Madison shot two FTs, sinking one and tying up the game with under 25 seconds left. After a timeout I watched the coach directly speaking to the pointguard intensily, but left him on the floor
. Argyle worked the ball up the court under intense pressure and scored with 15 seconds on a great high pick-n-roll for the stud, hitting a 15 foot jumper. The sea of Argyle red went ballistic. After a Madison timeout, they ran a simple high pick of their own for guess who's man, that's right the pointguards. He easily penetrated , dished and after two shots scored a two footer with 3 seconds left. Madison won by two. Stopping at Taco Bell afterwards, I asked five young men wearing Argyle caps and shirts if the player inquestion was the coach's son. They looked at me with a frown and said that he was not the son of the coach, but rather a powerful schoolboard member. I said that's a shame and they added that it had been going on all year.
Argyle had several players on the bench better than this player, including a tall freshman who scored five or six threes, and another guard who was not having the same problems. They also had two post players who when allowed on the floor swept the glass. It was sad. The team was so good, good coaching was apparent despite the situation mentioned. The game plan was good enough to upset the number one team in the state had this particular player stayed on the bench in those critical moments.
What would you have done? Try to give your team the best chance of winning, or play a trustee's son in order not to anger him? I saw this identical scenario in San Saba two years ago in a game between Miles and Snook. Snook, the less talented team upset a real good Miles team who was shot in both feet(figuratively speaking) by one ball-hogging thirtyfoot three- point shooter who must have shot ten threes and of these four or five were airballs.
It was so obvious and pathetic. And it was also sad for the rest of the team, many of whom collapsed on the floor afterwards until they were helped by grieving mothers and girlfriends.
Again, what would you have done? You might want to know if you think you'll ever coach....
