Thursday, December 29, 2005
I'm on vacation right now, as I have been for over a week, and I am watching ESPN's retrospective on the best games of 2005. Their coverage is wide-ranging and includes events that can't really be called games--a boxing match came in at No. 5, for example. But the best game I've seen recently has zero chance of making ESPN's highlight show, or even the local news, for that matter. That's because yesterday, at 7:00pm CDT, I attended the Proviso West Holiday Boys' Highschool Basketball Tournament, in Hillside, IL. I accompanied my father-in-law (Al) and two brothers-in-law (Mark and Christopher), all of whom are annual attendees of the tournament. What I saw there convinced me that, from here on out, I'd be making the yearly trip there with them.
Among college basketball fans in my neck of the woods, there is mild controversy surrounding a particularly talented local basketball player and his recent choice to attend Duke University, where he will play basketball (presumably on scholarship) for coach Mike Kryzewski. This would normally be a cause of celebration for the young man, whose name is Jon Scheyer, but his case is complicated for lookers-on who know that his coach is Dave Weber, brother of Illinois University head basketball coach Bruce Weber, and who feel--as I do--somewhat slighted that the boy's home state college, which this year made an appearance in the national title game and whose coach is his current coach's brother, was not good enough for him.
I grant that this feeling is completely irrational. But last night Scheyer's team, defending state champion and No.-1 ranked Glenbrook North, took on the tournament host Proviso West Panthers in a semifinal matchup, and I found myself rooting for the home team. This decision was inspired in no small part because my father-in-law is a PW grad, because it's fun to root for the underdog, and because from the opening tip it was clear that the game's referees were going to give Scheyer and Glenbrook North every conceivable call. This was the best-attended and worst-refereed high school basketball game I've ever been to, with questionable official decisions including, but not limited to, the following list:
1) Multiple "reach-in" fouls called against Proviso West when (almost every time) they attempted to steal the ball from Scheyer
2) A highly-questionable turnover call against PW on a ball I'm fairly sure Scheyer convinced the officials he had not touched.
3) A 5-second "closely guarded" call against Proviso that was made against a player attacking the basket
4) An incident involving Scheyer hitting the floor, rolling around dramatically in pain, having the trainer coming out to check on him, and then remaining in the game, despite a clearly-stated rules provision that a player requiring medical attention must come out of the game.
There were many more, but let's focus on the last piece, which involved the not-uncommon sight of Jon Scheyer dramatically hitting the floor. Christopher commented that he thought he was watching a Brazilian soccer match, with the star of the game hitting the ground so often, and usually with little provocation. At one point I asked if he'd think it was funny if I approached Scheyer to greet him, and then fell just before we shook hands. Christopher didn't think he'd get the joke, which is that we were a little skeptical that many of Scheyer's tumbles were legitimate. I'm not accusing him of taking dives, precisely--well, actually yes I am. It's a shame that basketball and swimming overlap seasons, because the kid would be a natural off the 3 meter springboard.
Be that as it may, Scheyer was the best player on the floor last night. He got a lot of calls, which got the home crowd somewhat riled up, and he made some amazing plays early on that got everybody excited. His team was also losing after the first quarter, which added a layer of intrigue. They shot poorly, including Scheyer, and were generally outhustled and outquicked by a markedly more athletic (and deeper) Proviso West team. They executed much better in the second quarter, during which Scheyer drew about 12 personal fouls all by himself, started involving his teammates, and pulled his team ahead by 3 at the break. He had 20 points at the half, but the first half was really not the story.
In fact, his play had allowed Christopher and I to remark, accurately, that he didn't look that special, that he lacked some athleticism, that his ballhandling wasn't really top-notch, that he didn't shoot lights-out. To be sure, 20 points in a high-school game is a pretty good effort. But lots of kids can put up 20 points when they get to take every shot, and indeed Glenbrook North's offense functions for Jon Scheyer just as it did for every kid who was ever the hero of his own basketball fantasy: he can take every shot, regardless of his team's readiness to rebound; he expects the ball on every possession; plays are designed for him; he is deified by the refs; he is idolized by his teammates. As I've remarked, he was the best player on the floor, but we expected a godlike performance, which failed to come even in the third quarter, during which he produced just 4 points and many head-scratching decisions, and his team found itself tied heading into the fourth. And it was the fourth that was the story.
You can take a gander at the game's box score (spoilers after the jump!) here, parse the statistics yourself, and come up with some amazing observations. For example, Proviso shot .900 in the second half. Also, both teams scored at least 30 points in the fourth quarter. What you won't find is that Proviso was up by 6 or 8 about halfway through the fourth, and they were really starting to look like they could take down the undefeated defending state champions. There was, as Al remarked, a buzz in the crowd. But it was a weird buzz, because everybody was waiting for Jon Scheyer to do something amazing. He had been merely very good, and the numerous Glenbrook fans in the crowd were getting restlessly expectant, while the Proviso fans were anxious but excited. I've never been at a game in which the home team had a comfortable lead in the last period and still you felt like the visitors had you right where you wanted them. Even as Scheyer bricked a couple of shots between 3 and 2 minutes left, and the host Panthers expanded their lead to 11 with 1:24 remaining, something electric was in the air.
And then all the sudden it exploded.
With 1:24 left and the score 71-60 in favor of PW, Scheyer dribbled fullcourt, took a 3-pointer at the top of the key, made it and was fouled on a highly questionable call. He drained the freethrow and it was 71-64. He then promptly stole the inbounds pass, made a layup and was fouled. Made freethrow, 71-67. Total elapsed time, :02. Things get a little fuzzy here, because this game was not on TV, as I've said, and I wasn't taking notes, but all of a sudden there was another steal and Glenbrook North was within 2. Proviso took a timeout, and everyone was just stunned. I was literally speechless--it was like watching a movie unfold right there in person. The Panthers righted the ship a bit with a few steals and freethrows of their own, and then Scheyer answered with another fullcourt drive and long three. Then he did it again, this time from at least NBA-range, and the Glenbrook contingent was going nuts. The Panthers were up by just 4 after some more made freethrows, there were about 20 seconds left, and Scheyer was dribbling downcourt all by himself once again. Just to the left of the top of the key, he was greeted by two defenders, split them, and launched a 28-foot three offbalance. Swish.
The place went nuts when this happened--Glenbrook fans were beside themselves with glee, Proviso fans could not believe this was happening in their gym, and people were looking up at the scoreboard to see how many points one person could score in 84 seconds. As it turns out, the answer is 18, at least for Jon Scheyer, and it was not to be enough. Proviso forced some great turnovers, there was a highly questionable offensive foul call that went against Scheyer (!), and the Panthers made enough freethrows to seal the victory, 85-79.
Scheyer wound up 13-30 from the field and 6-8 from 3-point range for a total of 52 points, 28 of which came in the fourth quarter. Both were tournament records. He outscored every team who played in the tournament that day--except Proviso West. Rare is the sporting event that delivers on the promise of sports--high-level play, excited fans in a packed house, passionate players and coaches, a big upset, a touted player showing you why he's so well-known. Add to this a brisk pace (no commercials!) and a total of $10 paid for 3 games attended, and I'm not sure I'll be able to find its equal any time soon. Not that I can think straight yet, anyway.
Among college basketball fans in my neck of the woods, there is mild controversy surrounding a particularly talented local basketball player and his recent choice to attend Duke University, where he will play basketball (presumably on scholarship) for coach Mike Kryzewski. This would normally be a cause of celebration for the young man, whose name is Jon Scheyer, but his case is complicated for lookers-on who know that his coach is Dave Weber, brother of Illinois University head basketball coach Bruce Weber, and who feel--as I do--somewhat slighted that the boy's home state college, which this year made an appearance in the national title game and whose coach is his current coach's brother, was not good enough for him.
I grant that this feeling is completely irrational. But last night Scheyer's team, defending state champion and No.-1 ranked Glenbrook North, took on the tournament host Proviso West Panthers in a semifinal matchup, and I found myself rooting for the home team. This decision was inspired in no small part because my father-in-law is a PW grad, because it's fun to root for the underdog, and because from the opening tip it was clear that the game's referees were going to give Scheyer and Glenbrook North every conceivable call. This was the best-attended and worst-refereed high school basketball game I've ever been to, with questionable official decisions including, but not limited to, the following list:
1) Multiple "reach-in" fouls called against Proviso West when (almost every time) they attempted to steal the ball from Scheyer
2) A highly-questionable turnover call against PW on a ball I'm fairly sure Scheyer convinced the officials he had not touched.
3) A 5-second "closely guarded" call against Proviso that was made against a player attacking the basket
4) An incident involving Scheyer hitting the floor, rolling around dramatically in pain, having the trainer coming out to check on him, and then remaining in the game, despite a clearly-stated rules provision that a player requiring medical attention must come out of the game.
There were many more, but let's focus on the last piece, which involved the not-uncommon sight of Jon Scheyer dramatically hitting the floor. Christopher commented that he thought he was watching a Brazilian soccer match, with the star of the game hitting the ground so often, and usually with little provocation. At one point I asked if he'd think it was funny if I approached Scheyer to greet him, and then fell just before we shook hands. Christopher didn't think he'd get the joke, which is that we were a little skeptical that many of Scheyer's tumbles were legitimate. I'm not accusing him of taking dives, precisely--well, actually yes I am. It's a shame that basketball and swimming overlap seasons, because the kid would be a natural off the 3 meter springboard.
Be that as it may, Scheyer was the best player on the floor last night. He got a lot of calls, which got the home crowd somewhat riled up, and he made some amazing plays early on that got everybody excited. His team was also losing after the first quarter, which added a layer of intrigue. They shot poorly, including Scheyer, and were generally outhustled and outquicked by a markedly more athletic (and deeper) Proviso West team. They executed much better in the second quarter, during which Scheyer drew about 12 personal fouls all by himself, started involving his teammates, and pulled his team ahead by 3 at the break. He had 20 points at the half, but the first half was really not the story.
In fact, his play had allowed Christopher and I to remark, accurately, that he didn't look that special, that he lacked some athleticism, that his ballhandling wasn't really top-notch, that he didn't shoot lights-out. To be sure, 20 points in a high-school game is a pretty good effort. But lots of kids can put up 20 points when they get to take every shot, and indeed Glenbrook North's offense functions for Jon Scheyer just as it did for every kid who was ever the hero of his own basketball fantasy: he can take every shot, regardless of his team's readiness to rebound; he expects the ball on every possession; plays are designed for him; he is deified by the refs; he is idolized by his teammates. As I've remarked, he was the best player on the floor, but we expected a godlike performance, which failed to come even in the third quarter, during which he produced just 4 points and many head-scratching decisions, and his team found itself tied heading into the fourth. And it was the fourth that was the story.
You can take a gander at the game's box score (spoilers after the jump!) here, parse the statistics yourself, and come up with some amazing observations. For example, Proviso shot .900 in the second half. Also, both teams scored at least 30 points in the fourth quarter. What you won't find is that Proviso was up by 6 or 8 about halfway through the fourth, and they were really starting to look like they could take down the undefeated defending state champions. There was, as Al remarked, a buzz in the crowd. But it was a weird buzz, because everybody was waiting for Jon Scheyer to do something amazing. He had been merely very good, and the numerous Glenbrook fans in the crowd were getting restlessly expectant, while the Proviso fans were anxious but excited. I've never been at a game in which the home team had a comfortable lead in the last period and still you felt like the visitors had you right where you wanted them. Even as Scheyer bricked a couple of shots between 3 and 2 minutes left, and the host Panthers expanded their lead to 11 with 1:24 remaining, something electric was in the air.
And then all the sudden it exploded.
With 1:24 left and the score 71-60 in favor of PW, Scheyer dribbled fullcourt, took a 3-pointer at the top of the key, made it and was fouled on a highly questionable call. He drained the freethrow and it was 71-64. He then promptly stole the inbounds pass, made a layup and was fouled. Made freethrow, 71-67. Total elapsed time, :02. Things get a little fuzzy here, because this game was not on TV, as I've said, and I wasn't taking notes, but all of a sudden there was another steal and Glenbrook North was within 2. Proviso took a timeout, and everyone was just stunned. I was literally speechless--it was like watching a movie unfold right there in person. The Panthers righted the ship a bit with a few steals and freethrows of their own, and then Scheyer answered with another fullcourt drive and long three. Then he did it again, this time from at least NBA-range, and the Glenbrook contingent was going nuts. The Panthers were up by just 4 after some more made freethrows, there were about 20 seconds left, and Scheyer was dribbling downcourt all by himself once again. Just to the left of the top of the key, he was greeted by two defenders, split them, and launched a 28-foot three offbalance. Swish.
The place went nuts when this happened--Glenbrook fans were beside themselves with glee, Proviso fans could not believe this was happening in their gym, and people were looking up at the scoreboard to see how many points one person could score in 84 seconds. As it turns out, the answer is 18, at least for Jon Scheyer, and it was not to be enough. Proviso forced some great turnovers, there was a highly questionable offensive foul call that went against Scheyer (!), and the Panthers made enough freethrows to seal the victory, 85-79.
Scheyer wound up 13-30 from the field and 6-8 from 3-point range for a total of 52 points, 28 of which came in the fourth quarter. Both were tournament records. He outscored every team who played in the tournament that day--except Proviso West. Rare is the sporting event that delivers on the promise of sports--high-level play, excited fans in a packed house, passionate players and coaches, a big upset, a touted player showing you why he's so well-known. Add to this a brisk pace (no commercials!) and a total of $10 paid for 3 games attended, and I'm not sure I'll be able to find its equal any time soon. Not that I can think straight yet, anyway.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Time was I could write a blog post about my admiration for and trust in Jim Hendry, general manager of my beloved Chicago Cubs. Nowadays he's signing career .270 hitters to 3 year deals at 5M PLUS per, and rumors are swirling that Mark F****** Prior could be moved in the right deal for Miguel Tejada. Kiss my ass, Jim Hendry. You're just another idiot jiggling the handle on the flush sending my favorite franchise down the toilet.
In other news, the world is still a very weird place.
In other news, the world is still a very weird place.
