Mid-Major Madness: FanPosts

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

2011-08-10T19:40:16Z

JERSEY CITY, NJ - The story titles for these articles are not that easy to come by. When I heard my officiating partner was Julio Gomez, whom I've had the pleasure to work with in the past, the title was a natural. The same as the Spring of '72 hit by Paul Simon. Actually Hamilton Park is not really a school yard but it is within walking distance of St. Anthony's and McNair High Schools. And partner Julio thought the title fit perfectly.

This past Friday we worked a triple header together. Two grade school tournament quarterfinals followed by a high school quarter. The scores :

Grade School :

Junior Friar's 38 Jersey Jayhawks 33
Future Ironmen 50 JC Boy's Club 27

High School :

St. Anthony's 52 Middletown (NJ) 43

The Future Ironmen, incoming freshmen to Don DoscoPrep showed a lot with their transition game and overall ability to play together. They were impressive indeed. The marquee game easily was the high school contest. A New Jersey Shore based team, Middletown had size and the ability to dictate tempo. They ran a lot of motion, zoned defensively and proved a tough test for top seed St. Anthony's.

The park was filling up by game time. Among those were noted prep talent evaluator Tom Konchalski as well as St. Anthony's Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley and assistant Ben Gamble. Hurley and Gamble watched by the baseline fence while assistants Tom Lalicata and Ed Malloy ran the team.

Yours truly had the opening toss. it went straight and high. Good because you do not want to start a game, particularly one of this stature, with a garbage toss.

Middletown got out to a 13-8 lead. They are patient, not bothered by pressure and working well inside. Eventually that Friar pressure results in Middletown turnovers and transition opportunities. St. Anthony's begins to capitalize and takes a narrow lead into the half.

Bringing the ball out for the second half, Konchalski gives a thumbs up. We have been friends three decades but Tom is always a straight shooter with his assessment. Simply, if he doesn't think you are doing the job he will let you know.

The third quarter sees St. Anthony's get some separation and get the margin up to ten points. It's still anyone's game but the Friars seem to make that big play and get the neededdefensive stop at the right time. St. Anthony's wins a hard fought game. A pleasure to officiate as the game saw talented players performing at a high level with no complaints, not even from the coaches.

The Middletown coach is young and a Kansas fan always wearing a Jayhawk shirt when coaching. He remarked how he felt the game was like a three point contest but "when St. Anthony's gets that run they finish you. we didn't want them to get it but they did." Still, Middletown showed a lot on their end. Impressed again with Jerome Frink of St. Anthony's the senior forward, about 6-7, hit the boards and ran the floor well in transition. Frink continues to impress every time out.

Finally, coach Hurley meets and speaks to the Middletown players and coach. He is rather informal but all attention is on him as the group hangs on every word.

Middletowncame up short on the scoreboard. But giving a solid performance plus hearing coach Hurley's advice and wisdom, definitely sent them home feeling like winners.

Hamilton Park : Winding Down and the Friars

2011-08-02T02:04:27Z

JERSEY CITY, NJ - On Friday it was indoors to School 7 as thunderstorms reared their ugly and moist head. On tap for the officiating were two grade school and a high school contest. Scores follow the jump.....

St. Michael's 47 Jersey Jayhawks 41

Holy Trinity CYO 45 Junior Friars 30

High School:

St. Anthony's 40 Dickinson 27

Playoffs are set to start on Wednesday. In the grade school division, St. Michael's appears the class of the group. They were challenged by a good club, coming from fifteen points down early to make a serious run.

Holy Trinity is one of the better and gradually improving clubs in this league. They did a solid job handing the Junior Friars a double digit defeat.

St. Anthony's and Dickinson are less than a mile apart geographically. From the talent and notoriety standpoint there is a wide gap. Still, the Rams of Dickinson battled gamely and made it a tough go for the Friars.

Dickinson relied on motion offense and zone defense. They did not want a transition game but St. Anthony's still found opportunities to force tempo and accelerate the pace. Legendary St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley took in the game with his assistant Ben Gamble. They sat in the stands while assistants Ed Malloy and Tom Lalicata ran the club.

The St. Anthony size and conditioning took its toll the final eight minutes as the friars opened the contest up, Even with a limited squad in numbers and minus a few key players, the Friars were a tough opponent.

Dickinson has used the Hamilton Park league to their advantage. Coach Sean Drennan also watches from the stands and lets his assistants run the club. What he see is a young squad competing, getting some wins and improving every night out. Which it what Summer ball is all about. s officiating partner George Mioran said, " I'm not surprised Dickinson gave them a tough game. They're Jersey City kids and won;t back down." Well put indeed.

Continued thanks to number one fam Mr. Daly, supplying the scorer's table (and officials) with bags of candy. Also 'Commissioner' Pat Devaney for suggesting a post game stop at Boulevard Drinks. The best hot dogs in Jersey City. Maybe the best around.

Hamilton Park : We Hit Triple Digits!

2011-07-24T23:32:10Z

Jersey City, NJ - The three figures were not reserved for a team lighting up the scoreboard. In fact for a good part of our three games on Friday the scoreboard was not functioning. Thee figures refers to the mercury. An incredible slap by Mother Nature of 108 degrees. Yes, that is 108. Add to it a temperature humidity index of 117. Really now, is there much difference between 108 and 117? Not much at all.

Our game times to officiate were 4,5 and 6 p.m. League and officiating coordinator Pat Devaney said the games would go on outside. "It's an outdoor league," he said. No retreat to the AC of School 7 in the Heights. Beside, Devaney pointed out, there was plenty of water and the "sun goes down around 6." Where, Iceland ? Actually, Devaney had a valid point as that star 93 million miles away from us does start to dip below the treeline around 6 p.m. The scores :

Junior Friars 31 J.C. Boy's Club 26

St. Michael's 43 Trinity CYO 35

Snyder 55 Bergen Catholic 35

First two were grade school games with the high school contest wrapping up our 'trifecta'. A few notes :

Needless to say, water and/or gatorade following each quarter. It not only refreshed but was instrumental in getting us through the three games.

Game two a coach was looking for a three second call. As officials we are taught the three second is "a garbage call." You will see it called but not too much.

After the first game, Junior Friar coach Ed Malloy, a St. Anthony's High School assistant, made it a point to say thank you to your 'author' and partner Scott for "working hard on a brutal day."

St. Michael's, arguably the best team in the 8th/9th grade division, had just five players. They were enough to get the W.

Game three, as expected was the fastest. nyder, despite having five players, relentlessly pushed the ball. They ran away from an improving Bergen Catholic group.

Halftime of game three, a Hudson Catholic fan who takes in the action here, asks if I am writing about this night. How can you not tell this tale....

For a game and a half, time was kept by a stop watch at the scorer's table. Jersey City experienced a power outage. And for that duration, it seemed all you heard was the sound of police sirens and fire whistles.

Game three had a true 'mid-major' emphasis. The respective coaches both starred at mids. Shelton Gibbs of Snyder played for St.Peter's while Bergen's Billy Armstrong ran the point at Davidson.

Post Game(s): A refreshing Blue Moon at the Hamilton Park Ale House down the street more than hit the spot.

Hamilton Park : Trifecta Thursday

2011-07-08T15:16:00Z

Granted the headlines are a stretch. At any rate Thursday saw a full slate of six games, two grade school and four high school, with action moved indoors to School 7. Officiating assignments, called for the last three, all high school contests.

The Scores :

Newark Tech 53 Lincoln 36

Snyder 41 St. Joe's (Metcuhen) 38

Lincoln 30 Paramus Catholic 22

Impressed with.....

Newark Tech. They have size, speed, run the floor well and are the beneficiaries of sound guard play. Little wonder they have only one loss here. That to undefeated St. Anthony's.

Resilience of teams in game two. Snyder got out to a 10-1 lead but St. Joe's never got rattled. They stayed with their system and ultimately built a seven point lead of their own. Down the stretch, Snyder of Jersey City maintained composure. Following a St.Joe's travel, Snyder had the ball on their own endline with four seconds left. After a time out, a long pass was thrown to the right of the court. The Snyder guard took it released a 30-footer that banked in at the buzzer. Snyder coach Shelton Gibbs then smiled as he added in jest "just as I drew it (the play) up."

Lincoln showed resilience of their own. Down 4-0 early to Paramus Catholic, the Lions rattled off 18 straight points. They led 18-5 at the half. Controlling tempo, they ran a variation of Princeton offense to eat clock and create scoring opportunities inside. Paramus Catholic made a late run but never seriously threatened. For Lincoln it was their first an well deserved win of the HP season.

Final note....Scorers table was late putting up two points for St.Joe's midway through their game. A parent or two hollered 'change the score, change it!'. Parents and/or fans do not know we work off the official (score) book. If there's a discrepancy we check the book or books at the end of the quarter. Score table personnel have a tough job that demands precision and concentration. At Hamilton Park we have the best with the likes of league director Pat Devaney as well as Randy and Regina. I am remiss leaving anyone out. Needless to say we as officials appreciate their outstanding work which allows our games to go smoothly. Do they make mistakes ? Yes, at times, as do officials players and coaches. No one is perfect. Least of all complaining fans who do not understand the work and expertise involved on the table.

Hamilton Park : Day after the Fourth Edition

2011-07-06T19:18:14Z

After a Fourth of July weekend respite, the league got back in action with a six-pack. That is, six games on the outdoor court at Hamilton Park. Officiating called for the first three of the afternoon/evening.

The scores :

Junior Ironmen 63 Jersey Shore Warriors 45

Junior Ironmen 55 Jersey Shore Warriors 36

St. Anthony's JV 48 Dickinson 42

The first two, grammar school division (actually 8th/9th grade) games , were not a misprint. Nor was Bill Murray on hand for a replay of "Ground Hog Day'. The regular schedule had the Ironmen and Warriors meeting. There also necessitated a makeup between these teams as a June game was postponed due to a bomb scare at School 7. For convenience sake as suggested by league director Pat Devaney, the two teams agreed on a doubleheader. The results, as noted showed the Ironmen in control both contests.

Jersey Shore is an AAU club from the shore area of Monmouth and Ocean counties. For out of state readers, trust me, it has nothing to do with the reality show except having a similar name. The players and coaches of the Warriors work hard and exhibit good sportsmanship. No foul mouths, bad attitudes , filth or similar antics that seem to get the attention of the Jersey Shore reality show followers.

The Ironmen are headed to Don Dosco Prep in the Fall. Known for its national power football , Bosco has a strong basketball program in its ow right. And with the addition of the talent on the Junior Ironmen, basketball will continue to excel at the Ramsey, NJ school.

Best of the three games was the last. St. Anthony's JV sealed a close game with clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.

Another fair representation of basketball fan came out for the games on a warm but pleasant night. Among them were Mike Reilly retired McNair coach. Mike is a hoop junkie who loves the NIT having seen his first game in that tournament in the Fifties back in the 'old Garden'. Another McNair rep, AD Hugh Dwyrer was also on hand. Making the rounds while taking in the games was Damel Ling. A former St. Anthony's assistant and Marist girls coach,Ling is now an assistant at powerful St. Patrick's in Elizabeth.

Impressed with...The way the Junior Ironmen got out in transition and stiol shared the ball on the break. Another point in the zone offenses teams are running. Simple but effective.

Action resumes with weekday games from 4:30 through 8:30 at Hamilton Park. School 7 in the Heights in case of rain.

Hamilton Park : Outdoors at last !

2011-07-02T14:17:16Z

The sixth officiating assignment at Hamilton Park and it's the first time out for yours truly on the outdoor courts.Three games are on tap. The first two were grammar school with a high school contest wrapping things up. The court is in HamiltonPark which is located three blocks from the Holland Tunnel and close to St. Anthony's High School.

The Scores :

St. Michael's 60 Bayonne 40

Holy Trinity CYO 36 Jersey City Boy's Club 24

Dickinson HS 53 Snyder HS 44

St. Michael's was very impressive with their three point shooting and their ability to look for each other. The team chemistry is outstanding. "They have been playing together about three years," said Carlos Cuerto a basketball skills instructor very familiar with the program. Cuerto, in fact, is a former St.Anthony's star who played his college ball at Richmond.

League director and officiating coordinator Pat Devaney reminds us the players must have their shirts tucked in. Pat also points out s player with an ornamental wristband. "you are a veteran (official), didn't you notice that ? ," Pat says in a light hearted tone. I point out that in basketball coaches should send their players on the floor properly equipped to play a game. In girls lacrosse we have a stick check and look closely for jewelery. That is a different situation. Again, we are watchful in basketball but entrust the coaches to ensure their players are properly equipped. Guess , at times, that is asking a lot.

Before leaving, watched a bit of the fourth game of the night (six were on tap). Two undefeated teams, St.Anthony's and Newark Tech were squaring off. At the quarter St.Anthony's enjoyed a thirteen point lead. The Friars are going to be a very tough out in this competitive circuit.

Crowd was pretty good at Hamilton Park. A Friday evening to start the Fourth of July weekend didn't hurt. League does draw better here between the regulars and interested passersby strolling through the park. League play resumes on Tuesday.

Dickinson has a young team but has three wins early in the season. Coach Sean Drennan expected the competitive summer league to be a 'learning experience'. Nothing wrong with getting some wins while your kids learn.

Hamilton Park in Bayonne

2011-06-30T01:17:49Z

BAYONNE, NJ - The threat of thunderstorms sent the Hamilton Park league indoors last Tuesday. Marist High School is in Bayoone and hosted the five games. Officiating called for work in the opening pair.A Jersey City league stopping in Bayonne ? Well, Marist is just three blocks from the Jersey City border and it is better than a cancellation.

. The gym affords a good sized court, room on the baseline (which helps from an officiating standpoint) but no air conditioning. That latter point is one to consider as the mercury is in the high eighties and the humidity is, in a word, oppressive. The scores:

Future Ironmen 61 Holy Trinity CYO 28

Dickinson 35 Lincoln 34

The first game is a grammar school contest. The Future Ironmen are those players headed to Don Bosco Prep in the Fall. Bosco is known for its national power football program but the basketball has been strong in its own right. Holy Trinity has a few good players but a CYO group (usually drawing from one parish or town) is going to have trouble matching up with a team drawing players from several different locations.

The Ironmen drew first blood with their full court pressure. They built a comfortable first half lead and in the latter two quarters still kept playing hard even with the reserves on the floor.

For Holy Trinity, a continued learning experience as the league is presenting them with challenges each night out.

The second game was more a half court affair between two Jersey City schools. This was a high school meeting and the players and coaches of both teams face each other during the regular season and are familiar with their opposition tendencies and personnel. Dickinson leads 20-19 at the half. The Rams grab a few early leads but Lincoln answers each time. The final 16 minutes plays out in similar fashion. Lincoln has a one point lead when a Dickinson player, penetrating to the basket with 1.5 seconds to go, is fouled. He calmly sinks both shots and after a time out Lincoln could only throw a long pass that missed its mark considerably.

Officiating finished, it was time to watch some of game three St. Anthony’s and Bergen Catholic before heading on the road.

Notes : St. Anthony’s led Bergen by 20 at the half. The difference between a marquee national power and a good, solid local program. Kyle Anderson, a multi-talented forward , looked very good for St. Anthony’s.

Bob Hurley, the hall of fame coach, was in attendance. Many coaches, like St. Anthony’s’ Hurley, will sit in the stands and observe as their assistant(s) run the team.

Sean Drennan of Dickinson and Don Bosco’s Kevin Divierio were other head coaches taking up ‘bleacher residence’ and observing their teams. Drennan has college experience having assisted and been a head coach on the Division III level.

Former Davidson notable Billy Armstrong was on the bench directing Bergen Catholic. St. Anthony’s was directed by Tom Lalicata . He spent a number of years at St. Mary’s in Jersey City but that school closed recently and he was a welcome addition to the Friar staff. Two other St. Anthony’s assistants Brian Coleman and Ben Gamble were also in attendance and made it a point to come over and say hello.

League play runs Monday through Friday through the Summer. Four or five games are contested each night.

Back with more updates soon.

Hamilton Park : Indoors Again

2011-06-21T01:05:24Z

One of the beauties of the Hamilton Park Summer League is the outdoor court location. Summer is the time to play ball outside which makes the league special. To keep the schedule moving however and avoid dreaded rainouts, games are moved inside.

The past Friday games were staged at McNair Academic High School, a long three pointer (plus) from the outdoor court. McNair has great air conditioning. On a humid Friday, we had none. In its infinite wisdom the Jersey City Board of Ed. decided to test the unit, not April, but May during a heat waver. It didn't work. With a month of school left, the board and city decided not to repair. Go figure. Just another part of the 'lore and legend' of the Jersey City schools.

Back to the games. Two were on tap officiating wise. They were grammar school games. Both contests the winners were the Junior Friars. They are eighth graders headed to prep power St. Anthony's in the Fall.The two games were closely contested as the Friars defeated the Jersey Jayhawks then Bayonne.

To no surprise St. Anthony's is very talented. There is a post player, about 6-8 and a left handed shooterwith a nice move on the blocks. Overall, the Junior Friars have speed and athleticism as well as a sense of what is expected on both ends of the floor and a willingness to learn. They weather serious challenges from the Jayhawks, a good AAU program, and local team Bayonne, an impressive unit in their own right.

Why is St. Anthony's so powerful through the decades ? Talent is a certainty. Add coaching, as expected, plus a quality of playing hard on both ends of the floor. Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley directs a program where each of his assistants share and teach his philosophy. The freshman coach is directing the Junior Friars in the Summer. Again, he is in a teaching mode and even with a game in hand the final minute, fundamental errors will not be tolerated.

Post game the Junior Friars are instructed to gather all their water bottles, clean up and "leave their bench the way they found it." High school begins in three months for the Junior Friars but already their St. Anthony's education has begun.

Final Night at Linden

2011-06-17T02:45:00Z

The last evening of the Linden team camp started with some confusion but everything worked out in the end.

My games were the early ones, 5 and 6 PM. Naturally the New Jersey Turnpike refused to cooperate so I was about three minutes late for game one. Partner Fred Gaines tipped it off and got the teams, St. Pat's and Linden (two elite programs), off and running.

Working the first quarter when assignor Dennis Allocco shows. He wonders if I got there early and covered for him. I said that my email said the assignment on Thursday was at Linden High School. Turns out the email came through literally scrambling tonight's assignments and courts (thanks AO'Hell'). Dennis said go to the Rec Center, Linden Assistant Marty Luc confirmed I should be there. Got in the car and drove the mile or so to the center on John Street. Get there and two officials are already working. The gentleman on the scorer's table calls Marty and at the half we sort things out. I will work the second half of game one and all game two and will be finished. One official stays with me and the other is off until 7 pm and the third set of games.

Everything settled we get into a game tied at 20 at halftime. St. Pat's B team is facing East Orange. It is a competitive game but East Orange is more active on the glass . That is a big factor in their 38-34 victory.

Game two is the full (worked) contest:

St. Joe's(Metuchen) 58 Ridge 44

Expected a close one and was not disappointed. The score is deceptive as a dominant fourth quarter allowed St.Joe's to pull away. Ridge has been strong in New Jersey circles the past few seasons. Some of those better players are graduated but there is talent on hand and like St.Joe's, they do a nice job of playing together. Both teams move the ball well and can hit the perimeter shot. The difference is St.Joe's had the effective inside game which made a huge difference. Number 25 of St.Joe's is having another excellent night. He is about 6-7, very athletic, can put the ball on the deck and has a great basketball IQ. One St.Joe's assistant said he is a junior with a good amount of mid-major attention. St.Joseph's of the A-10 however, is particularly interested.

At the buzzer that is it for my assignment. A rewarding week overall. A slight bit of confusion early but staging four games a night at four different sites from Monday through Thursday is not easy. The Linden staff did a great job and were very gracious hosts for the event.

The teams and coaches would love to win. More important, the week gave them a chance to see where their teams are and what needs to be addressed and corrected. For us as officials, the same points can be said and emphasized.

Linden : Wednesday Edition

2011-06-16T02:35:22Z

Tonight it was back to the Linden team camp for the 7 & 8 o'clock games. My assignment was at the Rec Center. Linden assistant coach Marty gave me the address but a certain online search sends me to Rahway.

It is 6:50, I am driving aimlessly in Rahway and wonder if the first game will be made. There is a billboard proclaiming 'Shop Rite supports local farmers'. One problem, New Jersey may be the 'garden state' but there isn't a farm to be found for miles. Oil refineries ? Yest, and pleny of them nearby. Checking the printed directions a few streets are familiar. Eventually I work my way to the center. One of the officials from the first two contests starts it up as I quickly get the striped shirt on before hitting the floor. In total about ninety seconds were missed. The scores :

Rutgers Prep 63 East Orange 52

St. Joseph's (Metuchen) 72 Sayreville 46

Rutgers Prep had outstanding guard play. They spread the floor, handled pressure and penetrated to set up kickouts to the perimeter that resulted in open threes. That they usually drained. They had a good big man, about 6-8 or so and active. One assistant told me he just attended Princeton's camp and already has Ivy League schools very interested.

Worked with an official from the Jersey Shore (the area not the reality show thank God). It was our first time working together and we had a good chemistry and consistency. On the evening we did have two technicals. In game one the East Orange coach got a T from my partner for excessive 'wordiness'. In game two we had a hard foul in transition and players involved get in the face and bump each other, double T courtesy of yours truly. Outside of those two sequences, a good and calm night.

St. Joseph's is the high school alma mater of Ernest Bynum and Jay Williams. St. Joseph's did not have anyone at that rarified level but they did have talent, depth and played well together. They had too much for Sayreville who did have a few good three point shooters.

At the quarter Sayreville trailed 23-6 and St. Joseph's put in the second unit t start the second quarter."Let's see what we do against the second unit," one Sayreville parent said with a laugh as I got ready to start the second quarter.

My toss to start game two was not good. One player seeing it said, "oh s__t." To which I said, "never mind that stuff, just play." And they did.

Ran into a familiar face spotted in the stands. Mary Coyle, who played for the Rutgers women in the early Eighties was in attendance. Had the pleasure of covering several of her games as I really got into women's basketball at that time. She is AD at Rutgers Prep and coaches the girls team. Her son was one of those excellent Prep guards alluded to earlier. We chatted a few minutes between games. Just amazing as you never know who you will run into at these events. And from an officiating perspective, you never know who is watching.

The Whistle hits Hamilton Park

2011-06-15T02:22:26Z

The Hamilton Park Summer League, a competitive high school circuit calls Jersey City home. Under the auspices of official assignor and 'commissioner' Pat Devaney, the league is one of the more competitive and better organized ones in the area.

Tonight called for an assignment of the 5 and 6 o'clock games. The league calls Hamilton Park (catchy, right ?) as home. An outdoor court in the park not far from St. Anthony's High School and the Holland Tunnel. On nights when the weatherman will not cooperate the league moves indoors. Tonight we are at School 7 in the Heights section of the City, a few miles north of Hamilton Park.

My partner is Joe Hatfield, a good official I enjoy working with. Joe played for the legendary Bob Hurley at St. Anthony's and despite being over 50, still refers to his former mentor as 'Mr. Hurley'.

The score:

Bayonne 38 Jersey Jayhawks 32

Bayonne jumped out to a 12-0 lead against the Jayhawks, an AAUteam from Bergen County, about 20 miles north of Jersey City. Having been in the league several years, the Jayhawk coach knows the competition and how these games flow. There is no panic and the AAU group pulls even and ahead by a possession midway through the game.

Bayonne does not panic and uses their size to stay on the offensive glass. In the stretch their point guard proved to be a tough defensive assignment for the Jayhawks and they pulled away for the victory down the stretch.

Overall the game went well but a noticeable aspect was both team's point guards were good but had a tendency to play too fast at times. Experience and coaching will rectify that in time.

Looking forward to game two and making notes I am told by Joe we have to leave. Why ? A bomb scare was phoned in. A retired Jersey City fire fighter, Joe knows the policy and procedure in these situations and predicts two hours or longer would be needed to gain clearance to reenter the building . At this point Devaney calls it a night and in the second night of the season, already rescheduling is a priority for the 'David Stern of Hamilton Park.' At least tomorrow the forecast is 80 degrees, with no rain in sight.

Taking the Whistle to Linden

2011-06-14T02:50:24Z

It is not all tempo-free studies, analysis, covering and watching games. For over two decades, twenty three years to be exact, I have been a basketball official. Tonight called for two contests in the Linden, NJ team camp.

"bring your 'A' game", said Dennis Allocco in his email to officials working the games. Dennis is a Division I official and a good friend I have attended officiating camp with. He assigns the Linden camp and let us know the likes of St. Anthony, St. Pat's, Linden and Seton Hall Prep, just to name a few , would be in attendance. The 'camp' is more a round robin of games at different sites in Linden. Games are Monday through Thursday at 5, 6, 7, 8. Teams generally play two a night. Games are four ten minute quarters running time with stop clock on whistles the last two minutes of each half. We are at McManus Middle School. A good venue for 8th grade ball. This however is high school varsity and the players are restricted by the smaller court. We, and they, have adjustments to make. The scores :

Newark Tech 52 Middletown North 40

Shabazz 70 Raritan 38

The first game epitomized how a team could use the smaller court to an advantage. Tech wanted to get out and run. Middletown North made a concerted effort to stop transition and play zone in half court. It worked. After trailing by double digits early, North drew even in the second half and only a late spurt by Tech in the fourth quarter sealed the verdict.

The second game saw Raritan match Shabazz of Newark for a quarter before the latter ignited their lethal transition game Shabazz had a post player about 6-9 who had a few very impressive dunks then proceeded to go to the perimeter to bury three deep treys. A matchup problem indeed.

Arrived about a half hour before my games. Watched Seton Hall Prep easily dispatch of Raritan. From that game and the one worked against Shabazz, it's evident Raritan is 'playing up' this week. In other words, the coach has entered his team against tougher competition in the hopes of making them better in the long run.

Worked with a very good partner, Vinny, who does a number of high school games in this area during the regular season. First time we worked but there was a good chemistry and communication on the floor. That is priceless in officiating terms and not always achieved the first time working with someone.

Several times players received a win pass only to hear a whistle. On the line. The teams struggled early with offensive spacing but they did adjust as the night wore on.

A former player for the powerful Linden program was working our scorer's table. He did a nice job. again, a good scorer's table helps your game go so much smoother.

Coaches were very good to work for and the fans well behaved. You take those nights and 'run with them'. Back on Wednesday for two more contests.

Ridiculous Upside

2011-05-31T22:50:45Z

Hello Mid-Major Madness!

I am an Omaha resident and soon-to-be Creighton University student. As such, I am a huge fan of Creighton basketball and by extension a big supporter of mid-major programs. I just recently discovered and joined this site, and I really like a lot of the stuff here. The mid-major draft prospect coverage has especially drawn my attention of late.

That is because I am also an editor at Ridiculous Upside, SB Nation's official NBA prospect website. During the season Scott Schroeder heavily covers the NBA Developmental League, but right now he is in draft coverage mode. He has been churning out articles about the combine results, team work-out invite lists, and under-the-radar prospect stories. There are a lot of of quality mid-major prospects in this year's draft from top to bottom, and I think you guys will really enjoy what Scott does.

I am also officially inviting you guys to join the site. Scott does a great job, but he can't cover everything. You the fans of the mid-major programs are likely the ones who know these players best, and I would really appreciate your expertise. If you have any extra time, be sure to drop by RU to share your insights on some of these guys like Kawhi Leonard and Jimmer Fredette.

Thank you for the time, and I'll be sure to link back to MMM on RU to let our readers know the best place to come for mid-major coverage.

Quick Programming Note

2011-05-28T21:02:41Z

Hey everyone, I apologize for the slight decrease in the rate that team previews are currently being pumped out on the site. As some of you may know, I'm a sports reporter at NBC in Bismarck, North Dakota (KFYR-TV). Currently the city is in the midst of preparing for the worst flooding it has ever experienced which means that work has been excessively busy trying to cover everything, while in my personal life I am preparing to be evacuated from my apartment if the water levels get too high.

I will continue to do my best to keep getting as much content out as I can, especially the team previews which have gotten a good response as far as generating discussion. Thank you again to everyone who reads, be it once in a while or consistently, and thanks for your patience at this time.

Searching For a Formula

2011-05-10T03:51:20Z

One thing agreed on in the basketball stat analysis community is the field is still basically in its toddler stages. Baseball has been around quite a bit with their analytical break down and number crunching. Even before Bill James, whose work the past two plus decades inspired so many players, coaches and fans to look at their respective games differently, there were pioneers delving into the game in search of further understanding.

One of James' earliest contributions in the National Pastime was the Runs Created metric. A measurement regarding how proficient a player is in contributing to the success of his team. Basketball has a number of formulas out there. Many have come under criticism for a particular reason or reasons. Part of the problem in developing a player efficiency or proficiency metric is the nature of the game.

In baseball you have the matchup of pitcher versus batter. You do not have the teamwork factor to the extent of basketball. Granted, managers may request a player sacrifice a player over in a one run game but the fact is, baseball is a decided different team dynamic than basketball.

On the court you may have a player stand out on your club talent wise but have a need to fit in with your teammates and ensure they are comfortable on the floor with you. There are measurements as Synergy, which determines how well a team shares the basketball. On the individual side, outside of field goal attempts, turnovers and (lack of) assists, it is not as easy determining who might be a little selfish. Granted, a player taking over 35% of his team's shots might be a bit trigger happy. What we are talking about is identifying a player who should adopt a little more of a pass first, shoot second approach for the sake of the ballclub.

Another limitation of a player formula, and this could be said for other major sports as well, is measuring a player's 'heart'. Said player may have the numbers overall but let you down when you need him to rise to the occasion. Again, some have the talent to excel against the best but maybe that desire (heart) is lacking on a consistent basis. When he coached, Hubie Brown tried to determine this concept in his teams. He would break down the club's basic statistics against the top half of the league and another set against the bottom division. The comparison was eye opening and served as a valuable teaching tool.

The one thing those of us in statistical study can agree on is there is no perfect individual formula to date. Some swear by David Berri's Win Scores and Wins Produced. John Hollinger's PER is a favorite and TENDEX has been around before the Beatles. A personal favorite is the Manley Formula. Devised by Martin Manley who penned Basketball Heaven in the late Eighties, the Manley is basically the same as the NBA's efficiency formula. The University of Alabama Media relations department even uses it in their releases and game notes. It's easy , comprehensive and not requiring users to pursue a degree in Mathematics. The formula:

Manley EFF = Pts + Assists + Rebounds +Blocked shots + Steals - (missed field goal attempts + missed free throw attempts + Turnovers).

More, especially on the Manley, next time.