Operation: First Look (my report)

[Quality Is Job 1]

I enjoyed the event, which was free to Billiken Club members and the Blue Crew and closed to the public. It was neat, and I hope they make some refinements and present it again next year. It should be an annual event.

For those complaining about the showcasing of the women's team, I must say that you didn't understand the intent of the event. It was MARKETING. I think I appreciated MOST about the evening that the women's team was introduced and I got my FIRST LOOK at them. While I will probably never enjoy women's basketball as much as men's basketball, my first look at the women's team drums up some interest on my part, and I may well make a concerted effort to attend at least one of their games this year. That was the point.

While I have a long way to go to be able to identify the players on the women's team, I like what I saw and think the team will be pretty good. At the very least, it should make the postseason again, though I admit I have no reference point of comparison.

The evening was a dress rehearsal of sorts. Besides the women's and men's squads, the cheerleaders and Baby Blues were part of the action, as was the mascot. (Next year they should add the band.) With the possible exception of the dance squad, no one was in mid-season form. If anything, this pre-exhibition showcase lets everyone know how much further they have to go without having anything count against them.

Coach Soderberg was disappointed with the effort of the men's team in the scrimmage. During practice afterward, he lit into them more ferociously than a drill sergeant yelling at his or her charges during boot camp (err, basic training). He asked them who they think they are and told them they haven't accomplished anything yet, just because they played in front of people. He implored them to play harder. He said that for 11 days of practice, with the exception of when they practiced at Parks College Wednesday (darn, not Savvis), they'd played hard for them, but he was very disappointed with their first effort in front of people.

While I appreciate how demanding Brad is of the team and believe it will make the team tougher and more competitive, such that I think they could very well exceed my expectations (but probably not his), I feel I must counterbalance him by playing "good cop" to his "bad cop." Unlike some others who've reported on First Look here, I was not displeased with the scrimmage. For one thing, I don't think the players prepared to play quite the same as they will when they play a game. Yes, it was something of a dress rehearsal, but it wasn't the same. In what game will they be walking around among the fans handing out giveaways and hobnobbing and then be introduced and asked an informal, off-the-wall question? That's not much of a way to prep for a game, so I will give the players a pass this time for "taking it easy" and not treating the scrimmage like a real game. Well, it's a pass for the players this year, but next year it will be on the coaching staff. I have no problem if Brad wants to demand that the players treat the scrimmage like a game, but I think that it's his responsibility to prepare the players for the difference. This was a thing done for the Marketing Department and I don't think the Basketball Operations Department was particularly thrilled about the setup. Well, chalk this one up as a learning experience. Next year, if they have something like this, Brad will have to warn the players that what they will experience prior to the scrimmage will be unlike anything they'll experience before a regular game and that after the festivities are over, they have to refocus and think, "This is a game." Then the assistant coaches have to be cognizant of what's going on on the court and if they see the effort is half-hearted and dress rehearsal-ish, then call a timeout and "inspire" the players the same way Brad would during a sluggish start to a regular game (in other words, if the effort was as sluggish as Brad said it was, then the assistant coaches in charge of the split squads bear as much responsibility as the players). Probably everyone except Brad thought First Look was just for fun and didn't expect full competition. I certainly wasn't expecting the player to fully compete against each other (indeed, I didn't even think there was going to be a scrimmage until I got there), but I have no problem with Brad's expecting the players to COMPETE against each other. Next year it should be better, now that everyone has one under the belt.

Now, about the scrimmage. The White squad comprised (starters) Izik Ohanon, Chris Sloan, Ian Vouyoukas, Josh Fisher, and Phillip Hunt and (reserves) Bryce Husak and Wendell Bennett (a walk-on). The Blue squad comprised (starters) Reggie Bryant, Justin Johnson, Ross Varner, Darren Clarke, and Anthony Drejaj, (reserve) Ian Mooney (the other walk-on), and (injured hold-out) Tom Frericks. Brad Soderberg was the lone referee (unlike the women's scrimmage, which had three regular officials). I believe Jason Grunkenmeyer coached the White squad and Anthony Beane coached the Blue squad. The defense appeared tough and shots were hard to come by, and it was typical of the grind-it-out style we've seen from the Billikens recently. The Blue squad won 20-18. I kept record of scoring by individual players. Don't ask me about rebounds and assists, as I've never been able to keep track of all those things at once. (I kept stats in high school but have lost that discipline, besides the fact that there are three people to gather all the stats. Furthermore, it helps to have charts, as opposed to a blank sheet of paper.)

Scoring:

White:

Ohanon - 7 points (three field goals and one free throw)

Sloan - 7 points (3 FG, including a three)

Husak - 2 (FG)

Vouyoukas - 2 (FG)

Blue:

Clarke - 10 (2 threes, a FG, and 2 of 2 FT [actually he hit one that they counted as two])

Bryant - 6 (3 FG)

Varner - 2 (FG)

Mooney - 2 (FG)

Observations: Ohanon dominated early, but he tweaked his ankle. When he returned to the game, the Blue squad put Drejaj on him, and AD wouldn't allow him to do anything. Sloan took over late. Bryant plays smooth, free, and easy. Clarke looks to shoot and he has a promising future as a Billiken. Fisher missed one three and didn't look to shoot much. My memory of the scrimmage is fading rapidly, but I'm excited about getting the season underway.

[davidnark]

>For those complaining about the showcasing of the women's

>team, I must say that you didn't understand the intent of

>the event. It was MARKETING.

I understood the intent of the event, but I didn't find it to be effective marketing.

[Newberry]

Watching the womens team last night was horriable!!

they wont be any good this year, I mean Pizzotti won last year but but that was one year, last night she wasnt even coaching either of the teams, her assts did, they look like they knew what they were doing, I dont know there names, the guy with gotee and the black guy. Those 2 actually look like they knew what they were doing unlike Pizzotti all she does is rant and rave on the side lines like [edited by moderator]! At least she could have reffed the game like Soderberg did. The only way the womens team could win if those 2 were coaching the team, I am sorry to say

the men looked bad but they look more intense in other practices though, they will be alright not great not bad either just okay, next year will be the year. They wont be as bad as the ladies team or I mean the Jillikens!!

[Quality Is Job 1]

Why did you repost this vitriolic crap? I wish you would take your vendetta against Jill Pizzotti and the women somewhere else. Someone needs to lock you in a closet somewhere until you agree to join the 21st Century!

[CentFLBilliken]

nm

[tseugnekillib]

(deleted)

thicks's note: tseugnekillib, I hear you loud and clear! I apologize for my indiscretion. I made the correction, but I hope it wasn't too late.