Articles – Page 2 – The Young Veteran

Game 2 of 37 George Washington @ Maryland

Maryland wins a tough one against local rival George Washington

Maryland had their hands full from the get go. Personally, I thought GW would hang around for a bit, but then Maryland would pull away with their size and depth. It looked like that was beginning to happen until James Bishop’s jumpers finally started falling. Maryland almost blew a late twelve point lead in the final five minutes. GW got as close as 66-64, until Maryland finally won 71-64. Hats off to GW they played very well. Maryland still has to figure out how all of their pieces fit.

Ricky Lindo Jr. came back to College Park on a mission. The senior played extremely well. He showed his skills more consistently throughout the game than when he was a terp. Lindo can do a little bit of everything. Has a decent handle, good length, versatile defender and has been developing his three point shot as well. Lindo finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks and shot 3-5 from three. If he didn’t get into foul trouble who knows how this game could’ve went. Connecticut transfer Brendan Adams also had a solid game. He started fast and eventually tapered off to let Joe Bamisile carry the load. Adams was super tough driving the lane. He takes contact well and plays tough defense. He finished with 14 points and four rebounds.

The star of the night was Joe Bamisile. Bamisile was fun to watch. Honestly, I haven’t seen many guys go at the crowd like he did. If it we’re packed in the stands (which once again it was no where near it) The booing and “Joe you suck” chants would’ve been deafening. Bamisile delivered though. Hitting jumpers free throws and lay ins. All while egging the crowd on. He also had a nice windmill dunk on a breakaway. The Virginia Tech transfer finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. James Bishop struggled shooting big time. Fatts Russell did a nice job annoying him and forcing him to take very tough jumpers. He had a late flurry of baskets and finished with 13 points on 5-16 from the field and 0-5 from three.

This is a game where Maryland should’ve dominanted by even more in the paint. Qudus Wahab was having his way in the first half, but I guess the terps forgot that. He only played 24 minutes and just didn’t seem to get the ball enough. With that said he finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Feed the big man.

Fatts Russell had a solid night, and helped pick up the slack for the poor outside shooting. Maryland was 3-20 from three. Ayala was 0-6. This was probably an anomaly shooting wise, but time will tell. Russell may be one of the fastest and quickest players I’ve seen on the court with the ball. He has a knack for making tough layups and draws fouls with ease. On defense he was solid again. Shutting Bishop down for majority of the game. Russell finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two steals. Donta Scott never really seemed to get in the flow of the game. Lindo did a solid job on him, but he still had seven points and ten boards.

Hakim Hart is a glue guy. Doesn’t do anything to hurt the team, but does a lot of little things that add up. He makes correct passes, plays tough defense and can score an occasional bucket if need be. Hart finished with nine points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block.

The Colonials are going to be a lot better than people think. They have solid guards. The big problem will be lack of depth and size.

Up next for me is Game 3 of 37 Vermont @ Maryland on Saturday.

Game 1 of 37 Quinnipiac @ Maryland

We’re back!!! Finally college basketball is back. I haven’t been able to attend a college game in person since March 8, 2020 when Maryland beat Michigan to share the Big Ten title with Michigan State and Wisconsin.

I was pretty surprised however with the lack of attendance. Yes, I know we are still pushing through the pandemic and all of that. But, it was still surprising to me. I guess it will come in time.

Well this game featured a Maryland team ranked #21 with some expectations of making a deeper run into March. They got senior transfer guard Fatts Russell from Rhode Island and junior center Qudus Wahab from Georgetown. Both will provide different options that the Terps clearly didn’t have last season.

Maryland had their way with Quinnipiac all night for the most part winning 83-69.

Russell is a lightning fast guard at 5’11 165 pounds. He looked like he may have bulked up some as well. Russell provided a few scoring bunches on breakaways or from attacking from the perimeter. His first step is explosive and fast. However, the question will be his outside shooting. He’s a tough defender and moves his feet extremely well. A real pest on ball. He finished with 12 points and 4 assists.

Wahab is 6’11 and 240 pounds. He looks every bit of a traditional 5. He has the ability to hit from mid range and looks comfortable doing so. He is strong in the post, but I would like to see him keep the ball higher more consistently. He also tends to fade a lot when taking jumpers while backing an opponent down. With that said, he was making them but I would like to see him more on balance. Wahab finished with 17 points, six rebounds and 2 blocks.

Quiinipiac’s stars of the game were junior shooting guard Matt Balanc (no not Matt LeBlanc, doubtful Joey has hops like Balanc) and senior shooting guard Tyrese Williams.

Balanc is already up for dunk of the year as he absolutely destroyed Russell on a breakaway. Russell sized him up and Leblanc definitely got the better of him. Balanc also showed an ability to get shots off and attack the basket at will. He will be someone to keep an eye on for sure. He finished with 25 points, three rebounds and five steals.

Williams, who struggled shooting last season, looked very comfortable last night. He was pulling up from very deep and looked solid in the catch and shoot situations as well. Would like to see more versatility on offense. More aggressiveness towards the rim, but maybe that will come later this season. Williams finished with 19 points and went 5-9 from three.

Other players I was interested in seeing like Eric Ayala and Xavier Green made impressions as well. Ayala is a scoring combo guard. He will be leaned on heavily to score and he should deliver this season in my opinion. I like his game, but want to see if he can get others involved more and step up his defense as well. Green looked every part of a versatile wing defender. That will be his role on Maryland.

For Quinnipiac senior center Kevin Marfo struggled. He’s an undersized big at 6’8 245. He struggled with Wahab and Julian Reese’s length inside. Of course he makes sure he rebounds and did the little things, but he was blocked several times at the rim. One thing that stood out to me was his ball handling and passing as a big. I wasn’t expecting that. Marfo finished with two points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The other player was senior G/F Jacob Rigoni. The Australian native is Quinnipiac’s all time leader in three pointers made. Consistent shooter, and when he actually attacks the lane he is a crafty finisher. He struggled shooting going 1-8 from three in this game. That was more of anomaly. This is by far his best skill. He finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists.

Of course I am mostly interested in watching the Senior’s due to my scouting service But If ever interested I can provide my perspective on other players as well.

On to the next game which is George Washington @ Maryland on Thursday night.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 17 George Mason vs George Washington

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 17

George Mason vs George Washington

March 9 – George Mason vs George Washington

After passing out the night before at 12:15 a.m., after a couple beers and watching some of the Wizards game, I got up around 8:30 a.m. Pretty solid amount of sleep. More than I normally get. I got the kids some cereal and I had some coffee. We then started watching the Wizards game while on the couch! This time consisted of a lot of weird questions that you would expect a three and a five year old to ask. “Is santa claus family?”, “Is God family?”, “Can God see us naked?”. Fun times with the little ones. I also explained to them how Bobby Portis got fouled at the end of the game and the refs missed the call. I then explained Portis should have been shooting foul shots to take the lead. I explained foul shots to them. My son Junior said, “Hey we get shots too, just not the same kind of shots”. He was talking about needles at the doctor, not alcohol. Lets put that out there right away. My wife woke up around 10:20 a.m. We are a team. We take turns sleeping in on the weekends. Once my wife woke up we watched some of an episode of “The Kitchen”, before I had to get ready to leave for Washington D.C. I left for the game at 12:15 p.m. Traffic was pretty typical for a Saturday on the beltway. I arrived at the parking garage at 1:35 p.m. I walked a couple blocks to the arena and entered. After finding my seat, I had a few minutes to eat a couple of pieces of Domino’s cheese pizza in the media room before the game started.

The game was never really in question. George Mason has very good guard play. They like to play a quicker tempo than George Washington is comfortable with. They also have better athletes by a pretty big margin. George Mason won 81-65.

For Mason I was interested in seeing Otis Livingston II. He is a smaller point guard that has been a mainstay for the last four years. The senior had relatively quiet 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. It seemed like he could have taken over, but decided to get his other younger guard the chance to shine more. Freshman guard Jordan Miller was a perfect six of six on the day. The lengthy, 6’6 left-hander is a dangerous driver and plays both sides of the ball. He has the physical tools to develop into a well-rounded prospect. He had 17 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Justin Kier was also very solid. He can score or be a factor as a distributor. Kier had 13 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

George Washington is a team that lacks athleticism and a bonafide scorer. The man that led them in scoring was their sixth man Justin Williams. Williams is an undersized 6’4 guard/forward. He is just constant energy and effort. He will get loose balls, rebounds or make the correct basketball play. Williams is a great teammate and plays the game with passion. Without him on this senior day it would have been very embarrassing for the Colonials. Williams had 18 points, five rebounds and three steals.

After the game I walked a couple of blocks to the parking garage and then battled D.C. and beltway traffic all the way home. The game ended at about 3:45, and I arrived home at 5:15. Overall it was pretty solid timing. I picked my wife and kids up from the house and we went to the bowling alley for my brother in law Kody’s party. I bowled two bad games, ate some cardboard bowling alley pizza and some surprisingly good garlic french fries. We returned home and the rest of my night was watching some basketball and having a few more IPA’s.

It was a pretty busy weekend overall. This was my last regular season game and could be the last game I attend in person this year.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 17 – Minnesota vs Maryland

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 17
Minnesota vs Maryland

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 17

Minnesota vs Maryland

March 8 – Minnesota vs Maryland

After work I made a stop at my favorite liquor store “Christo’s Discount Liquors”, in Glen Burnie. This is the same liquor store that sponsors a soccer team that had a magical run in the US open cup a few years ago. When I was there I picked up a couple of variety pack IPA’s by Heavy Seas and Flying Dog. Both are local Maryland craft breweries. After that I picked up my kids from my brother in laws house. That is where my mother in law was watching the kids. I then went home to prepare to leave for the game. I was still waiting for a credential. I thought that it might be mailed, but it wasn’t. I called the location where I normally pick up my credential and they said that they did not have one for me. I then called and emailed Keith Sneddon of Maryland, and received an email immediately saying they will have a credential at the location for me. I was on my way. It was around 5:15 p.m. when I left. I traveled the back way to I-295 from my house. I know how terrible the road is right now because they are working on it, and it was also sleeting/snowing again. It seems like every game I go to this season it’s either raining or snowing. Crazy. So, I get almost all the way to the location and I decided to double check my email. Good thing I did. I got an email saying my credential will be at media will call instead of the other location. I was running late, which seems to be a theme for me this season. So, I made a quick and inspired left turn onto campus in the bad weather. Pretty ballsy move since I was quickly approaching an intersection. When I arrived at the Xfinity center and I was settled it was only 6:43 p.m. By the grace of God I made it before the game. I then took some pre game notes and ate a half of roasted chicken salad sandwich, pasta salad and half of a roast beef sandwich. I would finish the rest at halftime.

This was a big game for Minnesota and Maryland. For Minnesota they sit on the bubble, but closer to the good side than the bad. Maryland is trying to gain some momentum before heading into the conference tournament and improving their seed for the NCAA tournament. They started the process in doing this by winning 69-60 and it wasn’t really that close. This game was all Maryland from the start. Jalen Smith played one of his better games for Maryland. Stix, as he is known, is still developing his game on both ends. He can do a little bit of everything, but he really needs to work on his body. He will probably test the NBA draft waters to get some advice before returning to school. Stix had 19 points, 3 three-pointers, eleven rebounds and three blocks. If Maryland wants to play deep into March Stix is one of the huge factors for them as a freshman. Bruno Fernando had his usual eleven points and eleven rebounds. Bruno has an energy that no one else on the court can match. He is an all time hype man. Think Lil Jon, just 6’10 and 240 pounds. Anthony Cowan got going for the terps as well. He had 21 points and five assists. Cowan has been very streaky this season. It will really come down to his play to how far Maryland goes.

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Minnesota just struggled to score. If Amir Coffey is struggling to score or create Minnesota will lose. They just don’t have enough creators or playmakers on offense. Coffey was stifled early. He only had six points in the first half. He eventually finished with 23 points and six assists. Coffey had a good run to close the gap midway into the second half, but it wasn’t enough. He is a very streaky jump shooter. He is at his best when he attacks the land uses his length and size. Jordan Murphy had foul trouble throughout the game. He never really got to exploit the matchups as much as Minnesota wanted him to. At 6’7 and 250 pounds he is a tough task to guard in the post, but since he doesn’t have much range to extend the defense it can be a problem when the opposition has solid bigs. Murphy did make two three-pointers in the game, but he only had made four on the season. So my point still stands. Murphy is an intriguing prospect.

After the game I waited around to attend both press conferences. Richard Pitino’s was pretty short and cut and dry. He knows his team sits in a decent position, but would benefit greatly from another win. As I was waiting for Mark Turgeon’s some local journalists were talking about a few things and I heard the name Steve Buckhantz brought up. Buckhantz is the play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards. I have grown up listening to him. His partner Phil Chenier was replaced on the broadcast this past season. Now, news has come out that it looks like Buckhantz will not return next season. I will sure miss his signature “Dagger!” call.

After the press conference I walked out to my car, which was in the important people lot, right in front of the arena. I have never parked this close. It was awesome baby with a capital A (channeled my inner Dickie V there). On my ride home I listened to music and sports talk. When I arrived back home around 10:20 p.m. everyone was in bed. I then went into my man cave downstairs to watch the Wizards game I had recorded. I have a projector down there; so, it’s a pretty cool setup. I drank a couple of IPA’s I picked up from earlier in the day and then started nodding off. I didn’t finish the Wizards game. That would have to wait for the morning. I retired for the night around 12:15 a.m. I can’t keep up with the young guns anymore.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 16 – Michigan vs Maryland

March 3 – Michigan vs Maryland

Lucky me. Once again I was blessed with the opportunity to sleep in. Remember, I went to sleep at like 2 a.m. My wife got up with the kids probably around 9 a.m. I slept until 11:20 or so. Now, once you have kids you never sleep straight through the night. It’s impossible. There is an internal clock that is always going off at random times. This could be for a number of reasons. I blame it on the times of waking up at 4 to 4:30 to give the kids a bottle; or, when I worked at a liquor distributor and had to wake up around the same time. Nevertheless, I slept in! I woke up and had a shower. I ate some potato soup with the family, and proceeded to watch “The Kitchen”, on Food Network. Look….. I either watch sports or food shows. That’s what I live by. You can judge however you want.

I left for the game at 2:15, for the 3:45 tip in College Park. Well it started sleeting basically. So I-295 was a lot of fun. People really can’t drive in any type of weather. It could be too windy, too cold, too hot, too sunny or too dark. It doesn’t matter people suck at driving, especially in this area. I picked up my credential at a location on campus and then parked in the parking garage. The walk was about five minutes or so to the arena. I have arrived. I grabbed a water, two cheeseburger sliders, some tortilla chips, and then made my way to my seat. I was just happy that I was in the building. Keith Sneddon, a communications director for men’s basketball for the University of Maryland, squeezed me in. It was much appreciated. It was Maryland’s 100 years of basketball celebration. There was a ton of legends in the building. Gary Williams, Tom McMillen, Steve Blake, Drew Nicholas, Lonny Baxter, Tony Massenburg, and Melo Trimble just to name a few. It was a huge game and nationally televised. Michigan had their own celebration planned.

The game was pretty back and forth throughout. Michigan eventually took the lead for good midway into the second half. They started making some three’s late and that is what put the terps away. The crazy part about this game was that both teams starting five’s scored in double figures. Ignas Brazdeikis was the player that Maryland struggled with the most. At 6’7 215, he showed an ability to attack the rim and draw contact, or pull up for jumpers. Darryl Morsell just couldn’t do enough to stop him. Iggy beat him off the dribble regularly. Iggy fed into the crowd big time. They were chanting “you are ugly”, during foul shots. Mark Turgeon had the PA announcer tell the students not to do that cheer. They listened, but were still booing and verbally going at him all game. Iggy was blowing kisses and acted like they weren’t loud enough. He finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. The big Jon Teske had the task of slowing down Bruno Fernando. He made Bruno work and was a real obstacle for Bruno down low. Teske is developing his jump shot and starting to add some range to it. He made one three pointer out of six attempts, but the potential is there. He needs to add some lift and arc to his shot to do so. Zavier Simpson is a player that was transported from like 1940. He is a throwback point guard. Zavier is a past first guard and a lockdown defender. He rarely looks to score. When he does score it’s likely from a running hook shot to the right side of the basket. Now this hook shot is not Kareem’s. Kareem would catch the ball in the post, maybe make a move or dribble and go up. Simpson is literally driving from the perimeter to a specific spot and then kissing the ball high off the glass. It’s some crazy muscle memory voodoo going on there. Like seriously, how much has he shot that shot? (Patrick Ewing reference). Simpson made like three or four in the game and they were all clutch shots near the end of a shot clock.

To me the game was attainable for Maryland. The one player that they really ride or die by struggled mightily. Anthony Cowan could not buy a bucket. He was 4-15 from the field and 1-7 from three. That is not going to get it done. He also had 4 turnovers and four fouls. It just wasn’t his day. Bruno was effective like his usual self. He had twelve points, ten rebounds and six blocks. No shot is safe around him in the paint. He can cheat and be exposed in the post at times though. Overall Maryland just didn’t play disciplined enough on defense. They were bad in the pick and roll with Simspon, and Iggy just cut them up on drives.

After the game I debated going to the press conference, but it was about 6 p.m. on a Sunday and I had pizza waiting for me at home! I met up with my Dad to give him a ride back to his vehicle back at our church in Glen Burnie. He rode to the game with a group that goes to Maryland games from our church, Faith Baptist Church. We walked to the garage on campus, waited a solid 15 minutes to get out of it and then waited another 15 minutes to get off campus. After all of this and talking about the game with my dad on the ride home, I arrived at my house around 7:35. This big basketball weekend for me was capped off with some truffle fries, pizza and whiskey and coke. SOLID WEEKEND.

Side Note – Red Panda was the halftime entertainment. ELECTRIC CITY.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15

Saturday Doubleheader

March 2 – Game 1 – New Hampshire vs UMBC

So, I was fortunate enough to get to sleep in before my big day of basketball. I slept until 10:30 or so. Now granted this was after I had already been woken up by my kids countless times, but the wife got up with them this time! My morning was pretty basic. I had some coffee, cinnamon toast crunch and a shower before I left for UMBC around 12:30. Tip-off was at 1 p.m. I arrived literally during player introductions. I am getting pretty good at timing things. Or so I think. See what happens later…..

This game was the last placed team in the America East, which is New Hampshire; against UMBC, who is battling for third place. UMBC was struggling all game long. A couple of journalists that were sitting next to me were expecting a 15-0 patented UMBC run. Well, they sure took their time to do so. New Hampshire went scoreless for like eight minutes mid way into the second half, to about the two minute mark. UMBC was down by as much as 18 at one point. Brandon Horvath, a slender 6’10 200 forward, led the charge. Horvath 13 points and made nine free throws to close the gap. The game was capped off by Jose Placer. Placer hit a game winning three with just 2.4 seconds left. Before that UMBC was 2-19 from three. During this span UMBC pressured New Hampshire and they had no answer. They turned the ball over 20 times and struggled to get into their offense. New Hampshire is a young squad and it showed. Leading the way for them was point guard Marque Maultsby. Maultsby had 15 points, four steals and four turnovers. Senior guard Jordan Reed had 10 points, five rebounds and three turnovers.

UMBC escaped in this one. They have been battling injuries all year, but the consistent senior Joe Sherburne was once again the main constant. Sherburne finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

After the game, I left as soon as I could. Of course it was raining. I believe it has during every trip to UMBC this year. I rushed home so I could eat some of the wife’s loaded bake potato soup. I had to pick up some sourdough bread on the way home. I stopped by Panera Bread and they were fresh out, so I went to Food Lion, which is closer to where I live. Objective complete. I got home and watched some of the UCF vs Houston game I had recorded. Then I ate some soup while watching some Kid’s Baking Championship with the family. I watched more of the UCF vs Houston game, then departed around 6:15 for the nightcap at Loyola MD.

Game 2 – Lehigh vs Loyola MD

So, I thought I would have plenty of time to get to this game. Remember earlier in the day I was thinking man I’m good at this timing thing…… Wrong. Loyola is located in the middle of Baltimore city. There is no easy way of getting there. Waze, my gps friend, took me right through the middle of downtown. I was supposed to arrive at 6:57 for the 7 p.m. tip. Well, I did arrive around that time. I had to park, then go to will call to pick up my credential. Needless to say, I walked in 25 seconds after the tip off. Objective not complete.

Lehigh came into the game looking to end the season tied at the top of the Patriot League standings. Loyola was trying to finish top eight. Well, Loyola played extremely well on senior night. They controlled the game from the start and won by a final of 92-73.

Lehigh was led by their normal trio of guards. The two seniors, Kyle Leufroy and Lance Tejada, combined for 30 points. Leufroy is a steady shooting guard that has the ability to play some point in small doses. He has a solid three-point jumper and is a good mid range shooter as well. Tejada likes to use his quickness to blow by defenders and cause chaos in the lane. He also has the ability to shoot from three. Junior point guard Jordan Cohen displayed his great vision all night. He is a knockdown shooter as well. Cohen finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Lehigh has a solid trio on the perimeter. They just lack overall size as a team. However, big man Nic Lynch did provide solid minutes in the paint. He had 13 points, twelve rebounds and three blocks.

For Loyola they also excel in guard play. Freshman Jaylin Andrews exploded for 21 points and hit five three-pointers. He will be a player to keep an eye on. He has good size and length at 6’4 for a shooting guard. Point guard Isaiah Hart delivered 18 points and seven assists. Hart cut his turnovers down this season and is going to be a factor for Loyola the next couple of years. The consistent Andrew Kostecka chipped in 19 points. Kostecka seems to shoot better with a hand in his face. Some guys are just like that. He is also a pest on defense. He uses his quickness and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes and ball handlers regularly.

Once the game was over I ran out a soon as possible. I went home and my kids were already put in bed. I got home around 9:45p.m. My kids keep waking up super early on the weekends, like 7 a.m. This is earlier than they wake up for school. Maybe we should let them stay up super late on the weekends…. Nah, sounds too risky. The rest of my night consisted of some IPA’s, leftover Chinese food, “Friends”, “This Is Us” t.v. show, finishing the UCF vs Houston game, watching some of the Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga game and a little bit of the UFC fights. So, yeah I didn’t go to sleep until 2:30 a.m.!

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 13 – Delaware State vs Coppin State

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 13

February 25 – Delaware State vs Coppin State

Once again I have been very busy. This was the first game I have had a chance to go to since February 6 at UMBC. In this time period I had several things go on. As is usual for me. Of course there’s Valentine’s Day, which is also my daughter Winter’s fifth birthday. So we did a family birthday, as well as celebrating Valentine’s Day as a family; and just chilled and watched some of the movie “The Indian in the Cupboard”. She also had a huge friends party at a trampoline place for kids. There was like over twenty kids, a bunch of pizza, a pretty sweet ninja turtle cake and a ton of gifts. Sounds like a decent amount of stuff right? Oh, yeah my wife’s birthday was yesterday also. We went to Cheesecake Factory and then went to see the new movie, “How to Train Your Dragon : The Hidden World”. February is always a little crazy for me and of course its during the middle of the conference schedule for college basketball. But, hey at least all of this isn’t in MARCH MADNESS. That would have been very bad timing for this guy!

After work I had to make the daunting task of going to Walmart before the game. I made it back unloaded everything, shaved, ate dinner and then left for the 7:30 tip at around 6:25. I have never been to a game at Coppin State before. It was pretty easy to get to. It’s a very nice facility that provides a very nice atmosphere. I got into the gym around 7:05. Little did I know what I would have to endure before the tip-off. There was the women’s game before the men’s. This is fine, no big deal. It seemed like the last quarter was an eternity though. The game finished around 7:25. That is a red flag that the men’s game is obviously going to be pushed back. Well it was also senior night. So all of the senior’s were honored and pictures were taken. There was five senior’s……. So the game didn’t start until like 8:05. Needless to say, I was probably going to leave early if I felt I did what I needed to do and the game was going a certain way. Spoiler alert. I indeed left with under two minutes left and Coppin trailing by 5. Delaware State went on to win 70-60.

Delaware State lacks a lot of size. They rely heavily on their guard play. Kevin Larkin, Saleik Edwards, Pinky Wiley and Jon Mitchell all stepped up to secure the win. Larkin, a 6’5 175 guard, is tough. He hit countless big shots in isolation situations. He seems to be trying to help resurrect the mid range jumper, which is very admirable of him. Despite his lack of girth he is also more than just a capable rebounder. He finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds. Mitchell, a 6’4 210 guard/forward, was solid throughout. He never forced the issue and played with a senior poise. He’s a solid athlete and plays on both ends of the floor. Mitchell is a threat when driving the lane. He uses his strength to get to the rim and can take the contact that he draws. Edwards provides spot up shooting from three and Pinky Wiley is a steady guard that can shoot or distribute the three.

For Coppin State they struggled to get anything going on offense. They lack a true lead guard and they committed 17 turnovers on the night. Juan Dixon will have his work cut out for him in the coming years. I think he will be able to right the ship though. Even though it was senior night Coppin’s seniors struggled to make an impact besides shooting guard Lamar Morgan (6’6 200). Morgan is a shooter. He can come off screens, pull up and shoot on the move a little bit. He loves shooting the three from the top of the key. Morgan has great size for a two guard and he can probably play some small forward as well. Morgan was not enough on senior night; the guard play of Delaware State was just too strong. Morgan finished with 26 points, 5 three-pointers and 7 rebounds.

I’ve got a busy ending to the season lining up for me. I will be trying to got to as many games as humanly possible for a Dad/husband of two humans (with another on the way), three dogs and wife that works a lot of nights. It’s time for a double header Saturday!

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 12 – Hartford vs UMBC

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 12

February 6 – Hartford vs UMBC

This was my first game in a while. I have been watching games on t.v., but just have been super busy. I went to New York for a Third Eye Blind concert, and for my wife’s work event. I also went on a week-long family cruise to the Bahamas. So, I have been all over the place in the last couple of weeks. I returned from the cruise on super bowl Sunday….. That game sucked. Being a Ravens fan, or maybe a football fan in general I am tired of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots. I digress……

After another boring and typical day at work, that consisted of many podcast’s being listened to, I left to pick-up my kids from the in-laws. What podcast’s did I listen to? Thanks for asking. I had many episodes to catch up on since I was gone for a week in the Bahamas. I listened to “The Pat McAfee Show”, “Heartland Radio 2.0” and my personal favorite “Pardon My Take”. Once I got the kids I came home, cleaned up some dog piss and throw-up on the couch; then preceded to eat a quick left over Little Caesar’s pizza for dinner with the kids and wife. I bought seven pizza’s for the super bowl, so I have a weeks worth of left overs. After dinner and watching some of “Kid’s Baking Championship” with the family I put the kids in the van and headed to off to church to drop them off at Awanas. My wife was doing a free financial seminar at the church and needed to get there early, so Mr. Mom in the minivan had to take the little ones before I departed for the game. I arrived at the game around 6:30 with plenty of time to settle in. As you can see I have a very glamorous Dad life.

The last time Hartford and UMBC played Hartford won at home in overtime. I watched some of it on t.v. Hartford has six seniors and all of them contribute. This was a big game for me to watch since my scouting service I provide for professional teams is for collegiate senior prospects. Hartford does not have a ton of depth, but their starting five has plenty of firepower. They are led by Irish big man John Carroll. Carroll struggled on the night. He seemed a bit off. He struggled to get things going and missed several close range shots. He was only 3-12 from the field and finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds. He also had four turnovers and four fouls. Their other big man George Blagojevic from Australia showed some versatility. He has good mobility and a decent handle for his size. This handle caused him to force some dribbles however. He finished with 13 points, six rebounds, two blocks and six turnovers. Jason Dunne the shooting guard displayed exactly what his position should entail, shooting. He made four three-pointers on the night. Several of his misses were forced up towards the end of the shot clock or were just forced in general. He has ideal size to play shooting guard at the next level. He will be able to run off screens and has a very quick release. Dunne also has solid vision and plays good defense. Travis Weatherington plays shooting guard and a little small forward. He is an interesting player. He is built like a fullback. He’s 6’2 215 pounds. Honestly probably closer to 225. His arms are like tree trunks. Weatherington is strictly just a spot up shooter on offense. He plays decent defense and is a solid rebounder as well.

The player that dominated this game was 5’10 point guard J.R. Lynch. Lynch penetrated at will for Hartford. He knew when to play fast or slow the pace. He is going to be a player overlooked for the next level just due to his size and playing at a smaller school. Lynch had 28 points, six rebounds and four assists. He also went 15-16 from the foul line. The fact that he got to the line that many times is super impressive. He drew fouls at will when penetrating the paint, and is an open court threat as well. Lynch played all 40 minutes of the game. The dude doesn’t get tired.

Lynch led the Hawks to a 70-61 win on the road. This was huge for them. It brought them to 12-12 on the year and 5-4 in conference play. UMBC fell to 14-10 overall and 6-3 in conference. This also snapped UMBC’s five game win streak. I understand Hartford lacks in depth, but I still feel that they should have a better record than this. Multiple guys on their team could play at higher levels.

UMBC was led by K.J. Jackson who had 16 points, four rebounds and four turnovers before fouling out. Arkel Lamar also chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds.

SIDE NOTE: UMBC is drawing many more fans than they use to. They have a new arena and they also beat number one seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament last season if you didn’t know…… The thing I was most impressed with was the full-fledged attacking of the refs last night. The verbal abuse from fans was something that never would have happened a few years ago. “Hey ref watch the replay so you can see how much you suck”. There were many more zingers, nothing inappropriate like you may hear at some other colleges. Its amazing how much people care about teams when they start winning isn’t it? By the way the refs were pretty bad too.

Famous Prince Street Pizza in Soho, Manhattan

My son Junior and my daughter Winter on the cruise ship

Bush Crack the Bahamian beer

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 11 – Binghamton vs UMBC

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 11

January 16 – Binghamton vs UMBC

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 11

January 16 – Binghamton vs UMBC

Another typical busy day during work and after work. At work I shoveled snow and did the all too familiar snow cleanup. I am already done with snow to be honest. I picked up the kids from my brother in law’s house. My mother in law was watching all of her grandkids there. After picking them up I brought them with me to another doctor’s appointment. This one was special. My wife is pregnant with our third child. This was the first time Winnie and Junior would get to see their new sibling on a monitor. They looked at the sonogram image on the tv monitor and were pretty unimpressed, as any typical 3 and 4 year old would be! This one will be a surprise. We have one of each so we are just going to wait until the baby is born for the shock factor. We’re pros at this now, so it won’t be much of life altering moment. We already have clothing for both sexes. We are very blessed and thankful for that.

After the appointment. I filled up my diesel truck only halfway….. It cost 50$ just to do that. Now that is called a life altering moment….. We went back home and I started to get ready for the game. The kids ate dinner. Then the wife and I cleaned our old tv stand, so I could take it to my parents. I loaded it in the truck, and threw the kids in there as well. I dropped the kids off at Awanas at my church. It was about 6:15 at this point. The game is at 7, and about 18-20 minutes away. So not too bad. I still had to unload the tv stand and glass panels at my parents however. So I didn’t get to leave until 6:35. I ended up walking into the arena during the singing of the national anthem.

The game was pretty uneventful. Just a meh America East game in the middle of the conference regular season. For Binghamton senior forward Caleb Stewart started off like a demogorgon straight out of the upside down. He had 13 points in the first nine minutes. He was hitting spot up jumper after spot up jumper. Now he only scored three more points the rest of the game, but he at least kept them in the game early. He chipped in 7 rebounds and three steals as well. Sam Sessoms was the only other offensive threat for the bearcats. Sessoms is a freshman point guard that will be a real issue for the America East for the next several years. He can create his own shot and has a good feel for the pick and roll. He had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 turnovers. The turnovers were due to the fact that literally the entire offense is put on his shoulders. He struggled this game with forcing the issue, but I think its pretty clear he will be able to handle it better in the future.

For UMBC the scoring was pretty well spread out as usual. They have many options to knockdown three’s. They hit 10 of 23 on the night. They were led by senior, Joe Sherburne and junior, Arkel Lamar. They both provide a consistency that lacks from some of the other players on UMBC. Sherburne is a smooth player. He never forces anything. As a matter of fact he should be more assertive. I’ve always thought this and he is starting to feel more comfortable in doing this on the court, but there is still more room for him to grow. Sherburne is very effective in the high post. He see’s the floor well and had some success driving the ball also. He flirted with a double-double on the night. He had 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. UMBC is a much better team when Sherburne looks to get his own. Lamar is a well-rounded player. He is a sniper with deep range from three. He also rebounds and defends very well. Arkel comes off the bench at times and that seems to suit his style of play well. Lamar looks to get shots off and make plays as soon as he enters. He is the spark that UMBC needs. Arkel finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Also, I have never seen a player that gets as much lift as he does on his jumpers. Its mind blowing……

After the game I raced home. I said good-night to the kids. It’s always nice when I can come home and say goodnight to them. This normally only happens when its an early game or a game that is close-by like UMBC. I then threw a frozen meat lovers stuffed crust pizza in the oven, had a couple of craft beers and watched some “Friends” on Netflix with the wife. She watched all of “The Office” series; so, I in turn have to watch all of Friends. I enjoy Friends and Chandler Bing, but I’m a Michael Scott guy till I die.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 10 – Wisconsin vs Maryland

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 10

January 14 – Wisconsin vs Maryland

I got off work the same time as normal, around 3 ish. I ran home really quick and then had to head off to a doctor’s appointment at 4 p.m. I hate going to the doctor’s like everyone else. I especially hate going to the doctor’s when they don’t call you into the back to see you until literally 5 p.m. So yes, the wait was an entire hour.…… We didn’t leave until like 5:35. After the appointment the wife and I picked up the little ones from her parents, we stopped by Royal Farms for gas and an 8 piece of chicken, mac and cheese and western fries with cheese and then finally we went home. Luckily the game was not until 8:30.

I left my house at 6:30 to head to College park. I picked up my credential and parking pass from the hotel on campus and zig-zagged through the back of campus to the garage, which is roughly a half mile from the arena. Not a big issue. I don’t mind walking. It was just tough because of the ice everywhere. I walked like a 75 year old with two replaced hips, just to make sure I didn’t eat it. Being a 27 year old that’s had 3 knee surgeries, 2 slipped discs in my back, 2 kids and I’ve been married for almost 8 years…… I feel like a 75 year old anyway.

The game started out very bad for the Badgers of Wisconsin. Maryland dominated the first half. They were more aggressive on offense and defense. They held Wisconsin to just 15 points and they were 0-8 from three. Only three players scored. Ethan Happ had 6, Brad Davison had 5 and D’mitrik Trice had 4. For Maryland Bruno Fernando had success in the paint. When he was doubled he would find the open man. He has vastly improved his patience in the post since last season. He still has some moments, but this game was solid. Eric Ayala had a solid half with 8 points and a couple of three-pointers. Jalen Smith had an active 7 points and 5 rebounds. Good start for Maryland as they built a 33-15 halftime lead.

The second half was much of the same early. Maryland went up by as much as 21 points. Like I said…. it was early. Then came the onslaught of three-pointers from Wisconsin. Wisconsin made eleven in the second half. Trice made three, Davison made two and Nate “Big Shot-Big Balls” Reuvers made four. Trice and Reuvers were a nightmare for Maryland in the pick and roll. Fernando was out with foul trouble for majority of the second half and Maryland didn’t have an answer on defense for the pick and pop combo. On offense Maryland stopped playing inside and out without Bruno. They ended up just scoring a ton from the free throw line. Wisconsin actually took the lead late 60-59 with two minutes left. They completed the comeback. It seemed like Maryland would just flounder away and just lose it totally in the end. They went on about a ten minute span without a made field goal in the second half. Then with a flair for the dramatic Anthony Cowan made a deep three-pointer with under a minute left to take the lead back 62-60. Maryland would go on to win 64-60.

Cowan would finish with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists. He also had five turnovers. Sometimes he is just a little wild in the lane. For Wisconsin, “Big Shot-Big Balls” Reuvers had 18 points, seven rebounds. He had two wide-open shots from deep in the last couple of possessions to take the lead but they just didn’t fall. Reuvers was playing out of his mind. I enjoyed watching him hype himself up he drain three after three.

SIDE NOTE – After the press conference, I made the long icy trek back to the garage to my vehicle. I listened to some Sirius XM radio on the way home. As I approached my house, Margaritaville by Jimmy was playing. I then proceeded to eat some fried chicken and cheese fries before going to bed a 12:45 a.m. Amazingly, it was a very good decision. My stomach felt fine at 5:45 the next morning.