Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 I went down to West Pine Gym this afternoon and watched the team play some street (ahem!, pickup) ball for around 90 minutes. I kept "score" in my notebook. I caution readers not to draw any conclusions from these numbers, for they are meaningless. I include them only for fun and reference. The squads: Squad 1: Josh Fisher Darren Clarke Izik Ohanon Ross Varner Tom Frericks Squad 2: Anthony Drejaj Reggie Bryant Chris Sloan Justin Johnson Ian Vouyoukas Squad 3: Phillip Hunt Wendell(?) ? -or- Frank Drejaj Kevin Shortal Ian Mooney Bryce Husak Games: 1. 1 over 2, 16-15 2. 1 over 3, 15-11 3. 2 over 1, 16-13 4. 2 over 3, 16-6 5. 2 over 1, 16-10 6. 2 over 3, 17-14 7. 1 over 2, 16-13 8. 1 over 3, 26-12 Note: I couldn't really tell what the goal was, as far as the score goes. I don't know if they were going to 10, counting every basket as one point, if they were counting two-pointers as 1 point and three-pointers as two points, or if they were counting two's as two and three's as three and were going to 16. Furthermore, since I didn't know the scheme, whether a shot counted for two or three was simply my judgement. I was up in the balcony and couldn't always tell definitively whether the player was on or behind the line. Notes, observations and "evaluations": Chris Sloan - Appeared to play small forward, primarily....shot looks fluid....led all scorers with 32 points in six games....scored 10 in Game 4 and 11 in Game 7....flourishes on transition chances. Anthony Drejaj - Played point for his squad....hit three three-pointers....HATES to lose...chatters a lot and has fun out there....scored 25 points in six games. Izik Ohanon - Much improved....scoring somewhat better in traffic around the basket....had one eye-popping fingerroll for a transition basket in traffic in which he started his drive from beyond the arc, jumped at the free-throw line, and hung in the air before scooping the ball through the hoop (wish I could have gotten it on film!)....scored 24 points in six games....operated on the block on occasion. Frank "White" Drejaj - Older brother of Anthony....played at Manhattan for two years from '98-'99 and played his last two seasons at a very good Div II school in the Northeast....visiting his brother this week....referred to as "Frank White" by some of the Bills because they call Anthony, "The white guy from New Jersey"....is a few inches taller than Anthony....good perimeter shooter....scored 12 points in three games (sat out Game 4)....says he learned his skills from his little brother (yeah, right!). Reggie Bryant - Smooth, athletic slasher with a very good outside shot...can score off the dribble and on turnaround fadeaways....scored 22 points in six games. Josh Fisher - Same ol' Fish....played point for his squad....lets the game come to him....likes to take over late....notched 10 points in Game 8, including two three-pointers....hit three threes overall....21 points in six games. Ian Mooney - Trying to walk-on....just met most of the players today, I think....about 6-4 or 6-5 (just guessing)....is from Texas....hard worker, hustler....got some hard-earned baskets down low....scored 10 points in three games (sat out Game 8)....I hope he makes the team. Ross Varner - I was pleased by his performance....don't leave him open, because, he'll knock down the shot, period....20 points in six games, including four three-pointers....scored eight points in Game 8....got married this summer. Darren Clarke (Capital D) - a good, all-around guard with hops....more of a shooter than a slasher...decent ballhandler....a bit lanky now - needs to put on muscle mass....knocked down three three-pointers....19 points in six games. Kevin Shortal - Walking on again, but apparently will have to make the squad....knocked down three three-pointers....11 points in four games. Tom Frericks - I'm still not quite sure what to make of Tom....has some nice low-point moves....appears to be shorter than 6-9....scored 12 points in five games (sat out Game 8). Bryce Husak - He's very tall and mobile....needs to add weight....I can't speak on his offensive capabilities yet....there has been some question as to whether the players think he should be redshirted, but it seems telling to me that he was relegated to anchoring the walk-on squad....six points in four games. Justin Johnson - I like JJ....he's athletic and has a good shooting stroke....doesn't appear quite ready to be an impact high-major player yet (but he's just a freshman)....doesn't handle the ball particularly well (it seems slippery when he has it), and when he gets the ball, he seems anxious, hurried, in a rush....I look forward to when he has the confidence and coolness of a seasoned veteran....had one nice two-handed dunk after Bryant drove into the lane and dished it off to him in Game 3....scored eight points in seven games (took Mooney's place on Squad 3 in Game 8)....he'll do quite a bit of damage during his Billiken career, but don't have high expectations for him for this season. Ian Vouyoukas - he's a presence in the lane....blocked or altered a number of shots....scored eight points in seven games (took Frericks' place on Squad 1 in Game 8). Phillip Hunt - didn't score in three games (sat out Game 8) Wendell - the players didn't know his full name....wore a St. Anthony's jersey....about 6-2, strongly-built....decent ballhandler....scoreless in three games (sat out Game 6)....trying to make the team as a walk-on. Final words: Don't ask me about rebounds, assists, blocked shots, steals, or defense, because I couldn't watch for those things. Also, one scrimmage doesn't mean much. I talked to Coach Soderberg in his office after the scrimmages were over, and he cautioned me to not trust anything I saw during the scrimmage, because things will change when the coaches start working with them, one month from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Sloan scored a lot in the Vashon summer league, too. Kid must be eating his spinach. Ian Mooney played for Austin St. Michaels just in case anybody was wondering. Sounds like a parochial school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 http://www.stmichaelsacademy.org/athletics...ball/mooney.htm Looks like his school won some championship last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenTX Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Austin St. Michaels is an average sized priv school by TX standards. Probably around 500-600 students (if that). Their "championship" was competed soley against private school around or under that enrollment...so the competition he faced probably wasnt the best. The best HS bball in TX is in Houston..Austin is not known for producing many talented college players. I know they faced my alma mater a few times, I don't remember any standouts or heard in the last few yrs of any standout players. Anyways, I can try to find out more from my old HS to get some more inside scoop on this kid. On a more serious note...Ian's older brother Brendan went to SLU from 2001-2002, before dying from meningitis (sp?) it was major news locally in STL and TX...so that is probably how Ian came to SLU or heard of SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Was that the case of meningitis right around Christmas that year? Tragic in that most kids now are getting immunized for that type of meningitis before enterring college, with the Menomune vaccine. I mention this case often in the office when speaking with families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 interesting post. it only feeds the fire of my fear of this squad that there might be a real drop off in talent and production when you get to our inside players. from your post, it almost sounds as the most productive inside player out of fericks, varner, ian, johnson and husak would be varner. now if that prospect doesnt concern folks? i tend to agree with coach soderberg though. the coaches will force the style of play to change dramatically, and all the more reason we need to harness our predictions and hopes until early december at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 "from your post, it almost sounds as the most productive inside player out of fericks, varner, ian, johnson and husak would be varner" It was a pickup game, Roy. Varner wasn't playing inside, he was shooting from outside, like he's been doing at pickup games for the past two years. Kenny Brown rarely scored in pickup games because the guards would settle for jumpers instead of passing him the ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 i sure would have felt better if thicks comments were more in the vein of "so and so altered every shot" or "no one was getting any rebounds away from so and so" or, "so and so just totally shut down the lane. he was a wall" or "while the guards didnt look inside much, whenever so and so got the ball it was automatic". instead we got comments like, "I'm still not quite sure what to make of Tom" or "needs to add weight....I can't speak on his offensive capabilities yet....there has been some question as to whether the players think he should be redshirted, but it seems telling to me that he was relegated to anchoring the walk-on squad" or "doesn't appear quite ready to be an impact high-major player yet (but he's just a freshman)....doesn't handle the ball particularly well (it seems slippery when he has it), and when he gets the ball, he seems anxious, hurried, in a rush.." or "don't have high expectations for him for this season". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
former_d1 Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Roy, I need us to win. I have already been by the valleytalk.net board to tell the sms fans to get ready for a foot up the butt in dec. Am I going to have to enroll at slu to make this happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Well thicks did say this about Ian "Ian Vouyoukas - he's a presence in the lane....blocked or altered a number of shots" He isn't into hyperbole so I doubt the gushing samples you wrote would ever come from his keyboard about any player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 yep, that was the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Nice job and thanks thicks ..... Again, I will offer the same caution I made to broy or whomever last year .... as the noted Coach Soderberg said what we see here means nothing. Last year, or the year before, someone was gushing over these events and reporting how much IO was doing, or how much better Fisher looked or Sloan or whatever. This is against each other in a "small" gym ... this is not against firebreathing UC or UofL defenders on a hostile court with fans screaming this or that ... pro or con. In reality, its all the typical "fix" us Billiken junkies want, need and crave at this time of year. Again, thank you Mister Thicks. What I will find interesting will be thicks prediction for this team as far as record is concerned. Don't need that now, thicks. I would say that thicks is one of our most positive boosters on this board and does seem to be more upper than lower as someof us (me included) are. What I interpret from the post is that no dicernable help is readily available at first blush. Does that mean this is correct? Who knows. But there is a considerable need staring us in the face .... the middle, the strength on the diamond, needs to be replaced. Perry and Brown are gone. That is sizable herat (among other things), sizable leadership, and sizable lane bulk that need to be replaced. The upside of what we seem to have right now is the unknown .... Ian, JJ, Reggie, Frericks, Husak, Drejaj (at the point) .... the downside is what we know .... Varner, Sloan, Fisher (at the point) .... the season hangs in the balancing of those two items into a squad that can win night-in and night-out. Or maybe win more oftern than not. Still, I am concerned of the Morris' defection ..... six "new" players and nary a true point among them. Unfamiliarity with each other, with the sytem, and with unfamilairity controlling and distributing the ball makes me cautious right now. Saint Louis University is not a program that can jsut "reload." But this year would be great if we develop our current roster, and add the Polk/Meyers/Liddell/Shaw group for next year. But frankly, I'm getting tired all over again with "next year." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 broy, don't get too excited about pre-season pickup games either way. Every year I attend one pickup game and stay for about 15 minutes. The games are always the same, only the new faces are worth seeing. A typical pickup game starts out basically as a 3 on 3 game between the perimeter players, while the four bigs jog from free throw line to free throw line. From there the game deteriorates. The worst Billiken pre-season pickup game player in history, or at least going back to the Ron Ekker teams, imho was Dave Ferguson (sp?). When Fergie's entered the game it changed from a 3 vs 3 event to a 1 on 5 showdown. Regarding post play, my recall is that Brown and Braun together averaged somewhere around 40 minutes per game and generated a total of 10 pts and 8 boards per game. Neither KB or CB even made the 3rd all-conference team. If this year's post players don't better those numbers I'll buy you dinner at Belleville's finest steak house (do we have a steakhouse in Belleville?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 the finest steakhouse in belleville? hmmmmmmmm. i think you are safe there! :-) (unless andria's counts outside of fairview) btw, tseugnekillib, i was at the sportsplex with my daughter last nite and on the next court, the high school boys 3 on 3 league was going on. got to see gibault beat triad handily and then west was just dominating east and that was without mcpeak and price. i think jb jones has gotten even better. he and sargent were dominating. sargent though was out of control too much, but i think jones is better than ever. he should be getting recruited. west had another two other kids that were surprisingly very good. an inside player, i think his name was will jones, that was a little taller than sargent and way more physically stronger, i.e. the inside help mcpeak needs, and then a guard that i did not know that was hitting consistently from the outside. my gosh, west is loaded. mccrary's kid was just getting eaten alive all nite long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXhoopman Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 I had the privelege of seeing the St. Michael's team play some games last year. The team was a great "team" with a few standouts. Mark Shepherd their center signed to play with Texas Tech in the 2004 season. After seeing them play, the real impressive player was Mooney. You can take whatever it says on paper about this kid and throw it away. He is simply a player. I first saw him at a public school tournament in Austin where he made all-tournament and averaged like 30 pts and 15 boards a game against 4 and 5A public school competition. He played between a 3 and a 4 on the squad. St. Michaels also played some teams that went deep into the public school tournaments such as Killeen Ellison, Houston Cypress Creek, and Denton Ryan. In a few of the private school games I saw, Mooney and the starters only played a half due to lopsided scores. I came into check up on whether this kid was playing ball, so please keep me updated as to his play in pickup and whether or not he makes the squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 If he is as good as you think he is, then he'll make the team. We're pretty thin at the small forward this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.