RunninRebels

Prayers for the Vidor player who was injured. Word in the stands was that he was previously diagnosed with a torn ACL and was still trying to play. Please tell me that information is incorrect!

Wait a second...I thought Vidor beat Kelly last year???

Memorial is gonna be just fine. Nederland is a good basketball team and their second best player is from....Port Arthur. Kelly has another two that could and should be playing for us. This group of sophomores is gonna be good. No shame in the results so far this year. Coleman is not another Boutte or Gamble, but he's a solid coach and we got some good young coaches on staff too. You'll see.

So you are saying that LCM "cheated" Vidor out of points? Usually that goes by the official book and each team keeps their own book to make sure everything is correct. Surely Coach Williams did not allow that to happen?

Losing Ballou hurts bad....I think worse than many of you are predicting. Easily the best defender on the team and really the only penetrator. Personally, I think Nelson has the highest ceiling out of those options at the 1, but probably the biggest wildcard as well. I like Miguez and the big boy, but Jaylan Ballou does a lot for them.

How is Vidor doing in the Nederland fall league?

There can't be many 7'3 high school kids in the world. Where'd he come from and what grade will he be in? Is this a 7'3 kid that will be able to do anything more than be 7'3 or is Coach Knowles gonna have to teach this baby giraffe how to walk first?

Williams is a real nice dude, but Larry Sterling is much better basketball coach.

I wasn't all that impressed with Anthony Boutte when he was at Memorial. You can throw out freshman basketball win/loss records all you want, but I think a broomstick could win at the under levels with the cats in PA and Desoto. Seems to me that his daddy's name got him a couple of jobs and the entitlement from that may have caused some friction with the head coaches there. Also, why do you think it's so important to coach out of the area? They got this new thing called television where you can like watch games and pause and rewind them to look at what other teams do. I'm also hearing about this internet deal where you can actually get film and tape and listen to other coaches talk. Oh and there are these things called clinics too. Maybe one day we'll have all that in Southeast Texas. You're a good friend to your buddy I think, but ain't nobody buying what you're selling, partner.

I am curious to see how this aspect of basketball has grown.  Can I get a list of local (non-Houston) teams?

"5:30    Second Baptist  vs  HCYA  -  A pair of possible transfers could seriously boost SB vs the Homeschooled bunch feat. North Carolina recruit Justin Jackson 6'8 f 2014." These possible transfers to Second Baptist anybody we might know?

Nederland guys...your world's greatest coach had the ball with 2 seconds left, calls timeout, draws up a play, and manages to lose in regulation?  That would NEVER happen to Coach Lee at Central.

Nederland's under level football teams are .500...

Nash, I'm seeing first hand how you and DickieV ruin most threads on here.  Maybe its not as much his fault as I originally thought.  You guys invented the game of basketball out there in Sour Lake so what I'm about to say will probably be old news to you, but I'll say it anyway. Defense is played by staying between your man (or the ball) and the goal.  That means when a player has a tendency to go right and a tendency to pump fake, a good defender will take that into account and stay on the ground.  Nothing about that is a difficult concept, yet not many high school basketball players do that consistently.  Therefore, it is simple.  I never said the kid was easy to stop. Then again, what do I know about basketball?  I don't even have that many posts on an internet message board!

He plays hard and he's crafty and he's physical.  That's why he's the area's best basketball player.  And I never said it is easy to stop him, but it is simple.  Defense, especially post defense, is somewhat lost in this area.  Now the real question is does anyone know how to stop his dad?

You stop Weisbrod by taking away his right and staying on the ground.  He will spin and spin and spin again, but he will eventually end up to the right.  He's truly about 6'2 to 6'3 so a good defender ought to be able to stay on the ground to affect his shot.  Just my opinion.  He is the best post player in the area, though.  Best overall player, as well.

I base this on production from the last season.  I don't follow high school kids around on the AAU circuit and I'm sure the bigs from Central and PAM will certainly have brighter futures, but I didn't see it last season.  Also, there is a reason I don't have two players from any team on this list.  Each of these guys is who I consider to be "the man" on his team.  Other coaches game plan for them.  They still get theirs.  They still get the rock and take the last shot at the end of the game.  I respect that mentality far more than secondary guys who benefit from the following list.  In no particular order: TJ Stewart- Crosby Garrett Green- Livingston Colton Weisbrod- Nederland Torian Lott- PA Mike Zeno- West Brook Quindarius Paige- West Orange Stark Garrison Mitchell- Central Jordan Hunter- Ozen Devonte Johnsoh- Hardin Jefferson Chris Elam- Silsbee

That list is the list of people who filled out applications.  Submitting a resume and not filling out the application is a good way to get an interview without it being published.  Just fyi...

Nederland is always going to be good with Brian English running the program.  What they won't be is big or fast or quick and that will be a problem.  Nederland's rise has come at a time when some of the other schools in the area have been down.  The general consensus is that Beaumont is about to finally get another big wave of talent.  It will be interesting to see how the district plays out the next couple of years. I do think some, not all, Nederland fans are a bit naive about the future.  Next year will be another good one with everyone returning.  The JV group you guys are hanging your hats on finished 5th this year in the district.  The freshman group is solid.  The 8th grade group is pretty good.  Nowhere in the program, that I've seen, is there a true big kid or a true point guard that can break people down. I hope this isn't offensive.  I am really looking forward to see who wins 20-4A next year and in the future.  I'm a Port Arthur guy so I tend to want the Beaumont schools to lose to Nederland.  Lincoln NEVER did.  On another note, good luck to Ozen tonight in Katy. 

I am surprised that this has not been mentioned.  Nederland has a huge advantage at home.  Call it a good student section, call it gym familiarity, but they also seem to get the calls in the Dog Dome.  I'm not taking anything away from a great team and program.  They've just elevated to that HJ level where it seems like they get the benefit of the doubt at home. Nederland ALWAYS does well at home and they went on the road Friday and played poorly (by their standards) and still got a win.  That's what great teams do.  There is no shame in it, but let's not make excuses like jet lag and lack of effort.  They did not have a good game. As to this Ozen game, the Dogs should roll.  They won't play two bad ones in a row and this time the game is at home.  Additionally, Ozen is not great this year and Nederland is just flat out better. On a side note, get there early and come see the Ozen JV.  Great guards, great size, and solid shooters make this group the best JV I have ever seen and I'm not sure they aren't better than their varsity.  No exaggeration.

I know that everyone has been playing scrimmages, but I can't believe we haven't seen any scores.  Memorial whipped Little Cypress Mauriceville on Friday.  Anybody got any other scores?

Who looked good?  Can we get a Bluedove All-Tournament team?

Temple put him back in to spread the floor and help ice the game.  It's not as if they stayed in the full court run and jump.  Furthermore, you can't blame the kid for wanting to dunk on a breakaway.  How about you question the kid who pushed him in the back?  I understand and somewhat commend the toughness of not wanting to get dunked on, but in a twenty point game you don't risk injuring someone.  

I can't put out a list of twenty five, but I can throw out a 1st team, 2nd team, 3rd team scenario.  I'll do it with five on a team the way it should be done, rather than an all-district team of 30 guys. 1st Team SETX: PG Earl Bray, Port Arthur Memorial SG Brennan Doty, PNG SF Chris Cunningham, Nederland PF DC Stallworth, Silsbee C Kelvin Smith, Nederland Everyone in this group is not necessarily in position, but I think these are the best five in the area. Second Team: PG Garrett Gustaffson, HJ SG David Green, Ozen SF Hunter Gonzales, LCM PF Shawn Prudhomme, HJ C Dionte Forney, Nederland Third Team: PG Kelton Gaines, Silsbee SG #2 Livingston.  I want to say Jacory Thomas, but that could be way off. SF Kristin Smith, Central PF Prentice Lane, Silsbee C Jeffrey Ieans, Ozen There should probably be one or two from West Brook on this list and maybe another from PA, but I just haven't seen much 5A basketball this season.  Sorry in advance.  A few guys are a bit out of position, but I tried to take what I thought were the best five and put them together and then do the same with the second and third teams.  HJ guys, I know you will say Prudhomme will be higher, but I don't think he's there yet.  With that said, everyone ahead of him is a senior.  Flame away!

I might would take Lamar PA over Lamar, too.  Put it this way, Lamar would not have won the last YMCA league this summer.  Granted, J'Covan and several ex-college players were in that league, but that is how weak they are for a Division 1 team.  Anthony Miles is probably the best player on that squad and he wasn't even rated by rivals.  Charlie Harper was a two star recruit.  Yates matches up just fine and if you don't believe me, go watch them play.  Wait til they get to about the third round of playoffs when they catch someone with a pulse, but it's worth the drive to Houston.  I'm not gonna bother wasting the gas driving to Montagne again this year...