Acres53

I meant top notch 

That last part was for your Pear Orchard (Ozen) friend. We all know that when Both cities have schools positioned to compete at their peak levels  ( athletes AND coaches ) that it is notch HS sports. Which is what made the Golden Triangle the football capital and help contribute to at least 18-20 basketball state championships from this area. 

Well now you ain't winning until you have a system and a attitude that is conducive to winning, which I  mentioned in the first part of my post. PORT ARTHUR has NEVER been short on basketball ball or football talent, they've had other issues. Anybody in this area that plays Memorial in any thing always has one eye on them hoping they never get it together, because WHEN  they do Bmt and Mid County won't be able to hang. So talk all you want you know it's the truth. I'm out.

Memorial has talent and a new coach implementing not only a new system but a new attitude, there will be ups and downs.  Once the door closes to all the kids leaving or just not wanting to  play at Memorial  and the pride comes back they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Varsity- Legacy 82  Sabine Pass 45.

JV- Legacy 59  Sabine Pass 45.

They are a 6a school with 6a athletes that much is true, but if they are going to REALLY compete for Regional Supremacy they better get a mercenary or two to help get past Houston. A boost in Academic opportunities could help.

I'd never make that move. I think it would be easier to get kids from PA to Nederland, than to try to skim from Central /Ozen.

Maybe they need Communications or Culinary Arts programs to increase recruitment err I mean interest.

There is a reason, that the NBA has a D- league now, and it aint about the level of money it brings in.  Its about trying to maintain a certain level of product. A league with a 2 round draft can't find 60 players a year that are ready to play Out of the 10's of thousands that are AAU alumni. ( Watch out for the fundamentally sound Europeans and South Americans)  Maybe a lack of PROPER training in the formative years is causing NBA and college coaches to look elsewhere. Oh todays player can  run and jump but they can't pass, cut, move, rebound ,defend or execute a simple offense with out trying to isolate. High school and College coaches should be falling out all across the country trying to break bad habits. I  love Basketball and I love to watch kids play and AAU has its place but its not as high on the shelf as you all think.

So you see no difference, and AAU has become so invasive that high school ball looks, feels and sounds like AAU to you? Should they  let the AAU coach do the job year round?  If your love for AAU is that all encompassing maybe they should do away with HS ball and play AAU year round.

Not once did I say AAU was a waste my point is Some AAU players pick up bad basketball habits and develop poor competition etiquette. And faced with competing with (teammates) for shots  are more focused on scoring and trying to make some highlight reel play, than trying to become REAL basketball players who can excel in all aspects of the game. The game is more than physical and definitely more than just offense. There comes a time when someone runs faster or jumps higher. And on those nights when the ball just will not go in for you  what else can you offer to your team.

Sabine Pass vs Bmt Harmony Science : Cancelled.

Changed with the times as in allowing kids to play the way they want to play. Just because you can score a basketball doesn't make you a basketball player. Any coach who tries to coach a high school team like coaching AAU would not have a job very long. Some of the kids have no respect for the GAME (Effort, teamwork, sacrifice) for the Officials good or bad calls; their opponents players,  coaches or fans. I have been around, played and watched basketball for a long time and today's high school and AAU players would have their milk money taking from them by some of those Lincoln, Hebert, BCP and Silsbee teams albeit in a very aggressive and respectful manner.

To piggyback off of 5gallon there are elements of AAU that are good but there are things that are  not conducive to making High school players or High school basketball better. I am a basketball junkie and AAU has its place, but in most cases it is better suited to be the roof and not the foundation.

You can teach anybody anything but if a kid doesn't recognize or acknowledge the Importance of playing defense, then that lesson is for naught. Most kids want to #1 score 20 points , then #2 win the  game. But they fail to realize if you score 20 and the guy you're guarding scores 25 and your team loses what did you accomplish. 

Playing by AAU rules any and probably ever High School team would struggle to compete. AAU has Unlimited practice time, no school constraints and the fact that you can have your pick of kids from any geographical area certainly makes it  easier to build a team. The comparison is not even apples to oranges, but more like apples to watermelons.

IMO, in AAU the stakes are not as high compared to High School in regards to team vs individual. Defense is talked about but not  taught or EMPHASIZED as much as it should be. A lot of kids  don't understand that if you can't OR won't play defense you are not a basketball PLAYER you are just someone playing basketball.

FINAL : Tournament Championship.  . Sabine Pass 52.  Bob Hope  24

Halftime :  Sabine Pass 26  Bob Hope 6.

Final : Boys Harbor  61  PLA JV 18.

Good Samaritan  56  Sabine Pass  JV  37

Sabine Pass  61  Boys Harbor  50.

PLA JV 41  Sabine Pass JV 34

Sabine Pass 80. Good Samaritan 49.

Final : Spurger 59 Sabine Pass55