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Mid Summer Thoughts

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Post  Tuesday and Friday Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:49 pm

- PSU has hired Damien Strahorn for the head basketball coach. Strahorn seems to have a nice resume. He has New England ties with playing and asst. coaching at Colby College in Maine. Tough luck for the NH native coaches who also applied for the PSU job. I did find it strange that PSU didn't have a great sense of urgency in filling this position.

- The more I see West play in summer league the more I like what new coach Dan Bryson is doing with the program. He has the West siders playing with passion and conviction. They are all pulling for each other and are jelling as a team. West had a rough ending to their season last year. They need good things to happen in bunches at the start of the season. The most important thing will be to sustain a good karma throughout the season with commitment to the class room and the team. The West basketball players will be very important in making West feel like the WEST BLUE KNIGHTS OF MANCHESTER. I wish Coach Bryson the best in keeping the West basketball program running smoothly.

- Dover is definitely setting their rotation for the upcoming season with their commitment to summer league. They have a nice 1-2 inside outside punch with Al-Darraji and Faustino. Mejia is an intriguing player who could set the tone for the Green Wave this season. If he can score near or above double figures then Dover will be a very tough team in Division 1. I would take Mahan on my team any day. The more I see of him the more impressed I am by the way he controls the pace of the game for the Wave. He is a tenacious defender. If he scores along with Mejia Dover will have one of the more balanced starting fives in Division 1.

- I had a chance to catch the Londonderry girl's team at the Summer Slam Tournament at SNHU tonight. They will certainly be one of the top 1 to 3 teams in Division 1 this season. They have height, athleticism, offensive skill, a tenacious press and one of the deepest teams in the state. Fagula has the Lancerettes playing with a purpose. Cloutier and Butterfield are omnipresent in the paint. They have a pretty good incoming freshman class, including a point guard named Simpson, that will get some nice minutes on varsity, if not a starting place or two. If you have a chance get out and watch this team. They will be a very watchable team.

- Memorial girls will be formidable this season. Their starting 5 lead by Gendron and Elozivic is solid. Memorial's achiiles' heel will be lack of depth. They just can't go 8 or 9 deep like Londonderry can. Memorial can certainly finish in the top 5 during the regular season. Only time will tell if they can develop a 7th or 8th player to help with minutes.

- Everybody seems to be forgetting about the Winny girls with summer league talk. They do have Corcoran and Sullivan as 2 of the top returnees. People say they graduated too much from last year's team. I say that is correct. I will tell you the Winny girl's JV team went undefeated the last 2 years and won 2 state titles. Something tells me Coach Beattie will relish having his team talked about very little by the pundits. This will serve as motivation for a strong program that won't go quietly this season.

- Something interesting happened at the Summer Slam Tournament. It was billed as a "HS Girl's BB Tournament", but the Rivals, coached by Scott Hazelton, had a team entered in the tournament. I have nothing against an AAU team going against HS teams. This is a summer tournament and the games don't count. It's the way the Rivals and the tournament officials represented themselves that surprised people. They were listed as the "Owls" in the schedule, not the "Rivals." Just get the information out front as to who will be playing in the tournament. Don't come in under the veil of another name when you enter or receive a team into a tournament. This comes off as seedy and this is why coaches, fans and opposing players were rubbed the wrong way. On the front page of the Union Leader right above the American flag they still have the Daniel Webster quote printed every day which says:

"There is nothing so powerful as truth."


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Post  basketballtime Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:07 am

Who is on that team? Isn't the Owls the team name for Timberlane H.S.? Does that mean he has girls on the team from Timberlane or he just thought he would name them after a H.S team? Either way I don't really see a huge problem with it personally? I think it's great for the rest of the H.S teams to play against solid competition during the summer and get the most out of it win or lose. I mean it's not like this is for a title is it? If we are going to get our panties all up in a bunch over that then maybe we should say no to teams like BG and the rest of the private schools that play during the regular H.S season that would make more sense to me.

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Post  EBlessNHSP Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:37 am

I tend to agree with BBalltime...what's the big deal here. So he named his team something else. I really don't think he would have renamed a team to 'hide' their true identify. I mean we're talking NH basketball here, when Scott Hazelton shows up with his 6' 8" 225 lb frame shows up in a gym most people know who he is around here. He's kinda hard to miss.

If there's one thing I remember from coaching, doing things like that on purpose is not the way to keep a parent base happy and proud, and keeping parents happy is half the battle sometimes, especially when they pay your bills. So I doubt it was done maliciously or with any intention to hide who they were. I know he's got a couple of former Timberlane players on his staff...
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Post  Tuesday and Friday Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:04 pm

Just call a heart a heart or a club a club. If your team is the Rivals, don't insult people's intelligence by naming them the "Owls." AAU season is done. What do the Rivals have to gain by entering a "HS Basketball Tournament" instead of an AAU Tournament. So, they win 4 games by a combined 100 to 120 points. Are the Rivals' players getting better playing their AS team against HS teams?

The AAU season is over. It's time to put the AAU toys back in the closet.

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Post  Tuesday and Friday Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:11 pm

Jeremy reported the following on his Notebook concerning the Rivals in the Girl's HS Summer Slam:


Rivals High?
Since this is a tournament for area high school teams, I was surprised to walk in the gym and see the NH Rivals elite girls team playing on one of the courts. They were being coached by Scott Hazelton, with a an all-star lineup that included Sam Brenner, Lizzy Ball, Maddy Blais, Alex Cohen and Kaley Marston...and they were playing Hollis. Talk about a mismatch! Apparently some folks were upset that an AAU team was playing in a high school tournament, and Hazelton pulled his girls out of the tourney.

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Mid Summer Thoughts Empty Please it's sumertime basketball.

Post  basketballtime Tue Aug 03, 2010 5:04 pm

That's the problem with NH sports and some not all parents they don't want their kids to be put in a situation where they might get slaughtered by another team instead of looking at it like wow we get to play against some of the best players in the state. I can't answer for all of you but i would imagine that growing up you would have loved the challenge of getting a chance to play against the best around in what ever sport you were playing. I always embraced the challenge and knew that it would make me better if i could get on the court or field and play against the best out there. Today it seems we coddle kids way too much and don't them let figure it out on a reality basis anymore. We have all these excuses for why or child did not perform to his or her highest ability. Well here you go here is a perfect case of that. Whah whah whah and not thanks for bringing a kick azz team so we can play at a higher level today. To me thats like going into a weight room and putting on the lowest weight possible each time and then a year later complaing and whining why your not stronger and then blaming someone else for it. Please parents need to get some nuts and be able to say to their kids hey what a great opportunity for you to be challenged today and not oh poor me we have to play someone better than us today and start the finger pointing. Crying or Very sad Trust me your doing your kids any favor by doing this if anything your hurting them.

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Post  EBlessNHSP Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:07 pm

Coach in me says play the stronger competition. Especially since it's preseason (very very early preseason) and the games really mean nothing.

The future parent in me wants my child to also experience success and winning along with challenge. So it's a double edged sword.

Bottom line is the team entered, the organizers of the tourney allowed them to play...so I don't see the problem. Let them play. Let the organizers take the heat...not the girls of the "Rowls". Too bad those players playing for SH didn't get to play either...they paid to play I'm sure like every other team.
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Post  basketballtime Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:03 pm

Don't get me wrong i totally understand the whole thing about wanting your kid to win however i was tought you learn a hell of lot more about yourself win you lose. And besides i would bet any of those parents a boat load of money that there was a time that they played a weaker team and never had a problem watching their kids kick butt. And there is nothing wrong with losing as long as you give it your all and yes giving it your all does include being able to look across the field or court and say this is going to be one hell of a challenge and taking the challenge knowing that you most likely will get your butt kicked but you have your family rooting on the side line even if your down fifty on a team that is better than you. And your willing to say to yourself i hope i can one day work hard enough to be that good because you know thats what your family is thinking too. That is how you will get better and not by whimpering just because you have to play a good team.

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Post  NHsportsfan Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:45 pm

you join that league to play against other high school teams not all star aau teams. has nothing to do with coddling here.

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Post  basketballtime Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:02 pm

And when something so harmless goes that way you whine about it? How does that help the kid get tougher? You can go to an aau game sometime and play against kids that are a few years older than you and that happens in high school all the time so what should you do whine about it or take the challenge? And more importantly be a smart parent by not feeding into that garbage but encouraging your kid to step up and take the challenge.

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Post  NHsportsfan Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:12 pm

It probably just comes down to money to let another team in. It makes no sense letting a team in like that. I am not involved in the situation what so ever but can recall several times in even middle school where it happeened. You would enter a 7th grade x mas tournament and you would get a 6th grade b team an 8th grade team and an aau team all entered in the same tourney. This helps no one... Except the people making the money of all the teams playing. Losing by 50 helps no one!

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Post  basketballtime Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:29 pm

We are talking High school right? If they can't compete at the high school level without parents and kids whining about playing better high school players how good do honestly think that kid will be in high school?

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Mid Summer Thoughts Empty you only get better, by playing better competition.

Post  Big Guy Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:58 pm

Just my opinion, but I look at a team like windham who played bg in the opening round of the bst playoffs.Windham hadn't won a game all sesaon, but those kids played hard,real hard right to the final whistle.Sure they got it handed to them,but they didn't quit,I am sure their coach took something positive from that outing.That coach will have himself a nice little program in a few years if they keep up the hustle.On the flip side when guertin had their butts handed to them by chevrus {maine powerhouse} in the finals at unh earlier this summer season they could have laid down but they fought until the final buzzer.My kid took a bow to the nose{drew blood},then another to the mouth {more blood}.He wasn't the only kid from bg that had blood issues that day, it looked like they had been in a brawl after the game.On the way home my kid says "i hope we play them again".It gave me goose bumps,if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger.Especially in sports.

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Post  Tuesday and Friday Wed Aug 04, 2010 5:21 pm

Make sure you compare apples to apples. Windham playing BG was fair game because it was HS vs HS. If the Tourney director had any Kah-Who-Nees they would've matched up the Rivals against the Londonderrys or Memorials of D1 instead of the D2 or D3 teams that were overmatched in those games. By the way- a lot of those teams fund raise to get into those tournaments. The $350 entry fee doesn't magically appear from the sky. They have car washes and fundraisers to raise money for summer and fall leagues. Take a D2 or D3 team that raised money to enter Summer Slam. They go to play the "Owls" and then see it's the Rivals when they go to the court. They lose by 40 and also it probably costs them in the pool for a chance to play more games. Seedy move by the SNHU tournament director.

If....... the SNHU Tournament Director would've been up front and told coaches they were taking AAU or AS teams into their tournament, then it would've been known up front. Again, I say, what do the Rivals have to gain by playing D2 and D3 HS teams and beating them by 30 to 40 points other than to stroke the egos of the coaching staff. This isn't about "coddling", "whining" or "sucking it up." This was a HS Tournament plain and simple. It wasn't advertised as an "open" tournament. They advertised it as a HS Tournament last year and didn't have any AAU/AS teams in it. SNHU advertised it as a HS Tournament again this year. SNHU sold their ethical soul by adding another $350 to their woman's B-Ball coffers by letting the Rivals enter under the name of the Owls. Amazing the Rivals entered every other tournament this season as the Rivals, but maybe their conscience told them to enter the Summer Slam as the Owls because it was billed as a HS tournament. At least one head coach had the Kah-Who-Nees to speak up on principle and voice his displeasure on the seediness that was transpiring. Good for that coach and shame on the SNHU Tournament Director for misleading HS teams for this tournament.

There is a clear distinction between coddling, whining and PRINCIPLE.

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Mid Summer Thoughts Empty Rivals were invited by SNHU

Post  Interested NH Hoopfan Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:49 pm

I'm not sure if you read the earlier post but the Rivals team was invited to fill out the tournament field because another team dropped out late. There is no "principle" being compromised. It is summer time hoops and a lot of times there are mismatches, don't smear the Rivals because they agreed to come up with a team so every team there would get the number of games they were guaranteed. Maybe the team that dropped out late should be getting bashed because they made the decision so late that another "high school" team could not be found to take their place.

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Post  Tuesday and Friday Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:55 pm

Your post is a fair one Int NH Hoop fan. I know the Tournament Director was probably in a bind and had to make a quick decision. The Rivals saw it as a chance to play more ball.

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Post  basketballtime Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:36 pm

It seems that your wording such as stroke their ego's leads me to believe you have something against the rivals program? Here's a thought for you what if the rivals lost the game? Would all the whining whimpering people be complaining or celebrating and what would the rivals team be doing? Seems to me these type of people have two sides to them. And if you really think about it the rivals were the ones who had much much more to lose if they lost.

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Post  Tuesday and Friday Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:23 pm

I don't have anything against the Rivals. I just think all teams should call themselves by their actual names when they enter a tournament. Trinity doesn't call themselves the Bridge St. Hill Gang when they enter a tournament. Trinity High is the name they use when they enter leagues or tournaments. It says Rivals on the Rivals' shirts, not Owls, so don't hide anything and call yourselves the Rivals and be done with it. If the Jayhawks would've entered a HS Tournament calling themselves the Spartans or the Cardinals, which is where some of their players attend HS, I'd have something against that also.

I do like the teams the Rivals produce. They play a very good uptempo fast paced game on the AAU circuit. I think it was a mistake for the RAC and the Rivals to part ways. It seems to me it will hurt the RAC more than the Rivals. I wish the Rivals well in their future competitions.

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Post  EBlessNHSP Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:42 am

...ahh you gotta love the offseason...at least it's keeping us going until November.... Smile
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Post  chicagokid43 Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:16 pm

Yeah this offseason is cool. Last week while in Orlando I watched maybe 35 basketball games. Man am I glad it is the offseason.

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Post  EBlessNHSP Thu Aug 05, 2010 3:10 pm

It's the off-season for the NHSF...not all of us have 2 weeks vacation saved up to take in some sun and Sammy A in Orlando. Tough "offseason" indeed... Laughing
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Post  Salem Bleacher Creature Thu Aug 05, 2010 5:39 pm

Man, I sure did miss football.
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Post  EBlessNHSP Thu Aug 05, 2010 6:10 pm

It's preseason for football...we don't exactly have the fan base for football here at the NHSF that we do for hoops. But there's a HS FB forum in you want to start some banter!
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