Jerry West

@Hawks18 I was told today that Lumberton's girls coach accepted a job at Boerne Champion.  I guess the boys assistant had hired in a Buna for the Girls Head position but resigned before the ink could dry to go back to Lumberton to take over the girls spot.

@Cherokee88 I think as long as Sutherland is coaching in that district he is the favorite.  Joubert a close second.  I also liked McDonald at OF but the addition of Wilson to Buna will keep them competitive.  Buna has been fortunate to have a good coach, good to see them go get another one.

Don't know if many of you have read the book King Cotton.  It's a great book on Buna basketball and how legendary Coach Cotton Robinson led them to 7 State Championships.  I don't know if Buna will ever see another State Championship again.  Is considered an elite high school coaching position amongst coaches these days, or just a small town that had a good run in the 50's?  

Sad if small town politics is running him out.  I know that he will be a great addition no matter where he goes.  Hopefully he stays in basketball, does anyone know where he is heading?

Any more word about who's leaving or filling.  Heard today that Tarkington Boys job is now open.  My daughter who's a teacher told me that coaches/teachers are leaving the profession everyday at an alarming rate.  Is it worth coaching/teaching anymore for a 50k job and it takes you 100k to get your degree/certification.

There are a lot of great coaches around Texas and SE Texas has a lot of them.  Most of us know who the best coaches are and the rising stars.  I wonder what everyones top basketball schools in the area are.  Maybe not currently but the most potential that has the most fertile ground with athletes, administration and community support.  Below are my top 5, what does everyone else have?

Silsbee

Beaumont United

Hardin-Jefferson

Beaumont Westbrook

East Chambers

@AggiesAreWe it's posted on their HS website and on coaching website I still belong to.  It surprised me to, I think he's done a good job with the athletes that he has from the outside looking in. 

What Coaches are moving in Boys Basketball or getting promoted.  None of the below are very appealing for me to come out of retirement but will there be any big moves?

Chester

Vidor 

Colmesneil

I agree with @AggiesAreWe WOS controlled the tempo but defensively and offensively which surprised me.  The biggest surprise was HJ's inability to do anything on offense, 37 points I would not have guessed that from when they played Nederland this year.  It seemed like only 2 players from HJ could handle the pressure.  #23 from WOS is one of the best players I have seen offensively this year.

I was finally able to see the video after my grandson showed me yesterday.  I have not been a big fan of Coach Mitchell but after seeing this I have lost all respect for him as a coach.  I can't believe that he is allowed to run a basketball program with gimmicks like this.  I have zero issues with four corners or slowing the pace down, but this is a mockery of the game.  

The time he spent working on this he should have spent working on other weaknesses that his team has.  Coaches like this usually do not have an identity.  A identity is full court man, zone defenses or whatever they do that is great.  Instead they constantly change what they do based off their opponent.  Get an identity and become great at what you do with your personal instead of changing all the time for your opponents.  If you coach like that then you're running a scout team instead of a Varsity level basketball team.

@whsalum can HJ hold off Livingston in Livingston is the question.  I didn't see the game they play Livingston at home but seems that could be a game that could allow Livingston to finish second if they win.  What do you think, can HJ beat them at their place?

54 minutes ago, Cardinal 1 said:

Coaches call out players actions, attitudes, and play all the time. How else do you think players get assessed or recruited? Speaking on your own players openly is a no no my friend. I don't coach at HF and as far as HJ players, I believe I've given them their credit for a well played game and Coach Davis for executing a solid second half plan. Keep in mind, in 4 months for several of these players they will no longer be considered kids at all but young men. There's no protection from criticism, consequences of actions, or mulligans for mistakes. Certain emotional actions can cost you your life or your freedom. I don't coach just to win games and trophies, but to save lives. So yes I'm very critical when a kid allows their emotions to go to far because I know where that can lead as I personally have 3 former players serving a total of 100 years in prison behind their emotional responses. 

 

Coaches call out players all the time, at practice/locker-room/games.  The social media public forum is not the place for it IMO.  Yes there is more important things than basketball and getting these young men ready for the real world is the end state.  I don't have a dog in this fight but I have been in a lot of gyms over the years and I know athletes are not only influenced by the coach on the side line these days.  Many parents, AAU coaches, grandparents, etc can set the tone in a gym like it or not (Yes I do know where their head should be).

At this point I know the young men at HF do the playing on Tuesday and Friday nights but I would be curious how many of your post are used as locker room material for other teams as well as used in HF locker rooms to continue an obvious divide.  If I had a son on this team I would probably handle it differently than a forum that SETEX and surrounding areas look at often.  More importantly I know some college coaches that look at this forum as well.  I know they can put 2 + 2 together and I wonder how many of them want to deal with these social media post in their program for 4 years.  Good luck this season, I hope you guys get it back on track 

@Cardinal 1 Your keen eye would have noticed in the second half HJ stayed in a zone.  They may have ran it as a matchup zone at times but still a zone.  More importantly as a Coach/Professional I am surprised that you continuously call kids out here on that.  All coaches know that's a no, no.  Even though you're not saying names numbers and the tech everyone knows who you're talking about.  Lastly competing with Tekoa at the State level is a lot different than UIL and is not even close.  AAU depending what Org a lot of those teams are daddy and mommy ball who coach with dadd/mommy eyes.  That does not mean there are not good Mom's and Dad's that coach but many never coach again after their sons or daughters move on.

HF just ran into the tradition of a great program and an always well coached HJ team.  @Cardinal 1 you are all over the place.  Earlier in the year you stated HJ only had 1 player and pretty much stated the rest were scrubs/rec ball players.  I saw last night two teams, one being HJ that has basketball players meaning they can make adjustments as the game goes on.  HF has hoopers who could not adjust when HJ switched from man to an extended zone.  That along with a mixture of a team put together through recruitment can't figure out how to play with each other.  At the end of the day HJ will be good at basketball next year as well and HF well they will be HF.      

@whsalum do you think that the Lions can play with the Hawks.  I'm going to watch Nederland vs Crosby if not I would make my way out there.  Lions must be solid though to beat Hamshire and Huffman.  HJ has made district look easy and Livingston not as easy so I am wondering if they can really hang with the Hawks.

@BADSANTA I haven not seen either play this year but thing it will be more than 20.  I'm thinking 88-48, I don't think Lumberton has the offense to get 50 on Silsbee.  In order for Lumberton to keep this game close they have to play the half-court game and keep it low scoring, but I don't think they have the guards to do it.

2 hours ago, Cardinal 1 said:

A coach who wants to keep the trust of his locker room will. I don't know any greats that I've studied or gotten advice from who never have. As coaches, we are human not God and will make mistakes or decisions that cost games. It happens, we're not perfect 🤷🏾‍♂️

@Cardinal 1 Hopefully HF can get it together.  I have noticed the few times I've seen them the chemistry is not always there for some reason or another.  A ton of talent on the court, I hope for their sake they can't get it together if they want to make a run.  At the beginning of the season people said HF and State in the same sentence.  At that time I thought No Way but with the few games I've seen I think they do have the pieces to play with anyone any given night.  However, their consistency has to get better, when you guys are good your good, but when your bad you guys are bad.  Make not mistake I root for all SE Tex teams but don't see you guys turning the corner until you guys put WE before ME. 

This is a shocker to me.  What’s going on with HF, did they have all their players?  Congratulations on the win to Livingston. 

7 hours ago, Who That said:

So you" have had the pleasure of seeing both these teams this year. So let me ask who do you" have winning this game and by how many.?

Silsbee by 12

4 minutes ago, BADSANTA said:

Sounds like excuses to me. 

I’m just saying they’re bad at both places and feel both teams get a lot of calls at home.  I was at the Silsbee and Lufkin game and saw for my own eyes.  It was obvious that being said I don’t have a dog in the fight, or in this case a Tiger/Hawk.

HJ doesn’t have a shot in Silsbee.  It will be good for a half but HJ will not have a shot with that chapter of Refs.  I also believe if they played at HJ, Silsbee would be in trouble with HJ’s chapter.  
 

I would like to see at a neutral sight with neutral refs.  At the Lufkin game Silsbee didn’t commit their for foul for over 13 minutes while Lufkin committed 7.  SE Texas Chapters of refs are not very good these days.  I thank god I’m retired from coaching so I’m not getting judged by these guys ok Tuesday and Friday’s.

If both of these teams win district what round would they meet in the playoffs??

Recently watched Silsbee vs Lufkin with Silsbee winning.  I know Lufkin beat HJ in OT.  Silsbee is though alone but at home they’re almost unstoppable.  I like both teams but think Silsbee by 12.  Miller and Harris are just too much.

@Cardinal 1 it was a great game and I’m not sure who’s HF’s best player is.  Watching you guys against Nederland and now HJ, I think #2 and #23 are two of the top but tonight I thought #2 was the best player for HF.  
 

I noticed #23 didn’t seem to touch the ball much in the last 5 minutes.  Also didn’t think he helped himself out on the defensive end by defending,  seems like he just wants to play offense.  #2 played both sides of the ball.  So when looking at the game we must remember to be the best player you have to play both defense and offense.  

Again both teams looked good but HJ handled the 4th quarter when they needed.  My two cents, I’m a basketball connoisseur and old retired basketball coach, not as good as the two I saw coach tonight.

Great game, Sears was Awesome and Davis caught fire for HJ.  HF played a great game but struggled with the pressure of the moment in the 4th.  Can’t wait for round 2!!!