How good will Nederland be next year?

[Topdog]

I know things at the top will probably stay the same with Ozen taking the top spot, but after that I really like the Bulldogs chances.  I know Central has some good athletes and a star returning, but Ned has pretty much eveyone back and a star also.  I think the rest of the district shakes out with Nederland getting the second spot, followed by Central and Livingston.  After that I think its anyone's guess. 

[Guest WB42]

They have the talent but do they have the chemistry?  Will they play team ball????  Will the star(s) play both ends of the court?  All questions that need to be yes by next year or they will underperform again! 

[BMTSoulja1]

I know things at the top will probably stay the same with Ozen taking the top spot, but after that I really like the Bulldogs chances.  I know Central has some good athletes and a star returning, but Ned has pretty much eveyone back and a star also.  I think the rest of the district shakes out with Nederland getting the second spot, followed by Central and Livingston.  After that I think its anyone's guess. 

You're trippin, man. Ozen and Central will have the top spots locked.  I see anyone else fighting for the 3rd and 4th spots. Neberland will probably get 4th behind Livingston. BTW, I was impressed by the Hammond kid.  Is he comming back?

[Topdog]

Yes, Hammond is coming back as well as the Newcomer of the Year Dionte Forney.  Along with those two, Ned has a solid group of seniors all with varsity experience.  That is why I think Ned will take their game up a level.  I know Central will be athletic and tough like always.  We almost had y'all last year, I think this is the year we get over the hump.

Who does Central have coming back besides Gulley?  I know the tall kid inside was young last year, can't remember his name though?  How many starters will be back for the Jags?

I know Ozen has about 3 starters back in the PG, inside kid, and Moten.  Don't know how they stand after that. 

[BMTSoulja1]

We have Philip Jefferson, offensive machine Gulley, the 6'8" kid will be a sophmore next year.  Our team was young.  They were full of underclassmen.  I look for us to compete with Ozen for the district championship.

[texasrm25]

Topdog, can you handle the truth about Nederland? Unfortunately for Nederland and Coach English, your playoff hopes run right through the middle of Vidor. Win all of your other games plus beat or split with Vidor and you are in the playoffs. Nederland had a great preseason and a great start to open district play until they lost a close game to Vidor by two and then with a playoff spot on the line, lost to Vidor at the Dog pound by 10. Coach Robertson has out coached English every time they have met. In games with Vidor since English has been at Nederland, 0-4 against Vidor. Nederland is not returning all of their starters, depending on which line up you go with. Buddy Cooper who was a starter in a lot of games and had plenty of playing time will not be back. You do have a good group of players returning. But so does Vidor. Nederland will have their hands full trying to stop Chad Simms and Jared Williamson. So far I have not seen any indication that this is going to happen any time in the near future. So the bottom line Topdog is for Nederland to figure out how to beat Vidor and win the games they are suppose to. The same core players have been playing each other for the past two years and Nederland has not had much luck so far. The question I have for you  Topdog is this. If you cannot beat Vidor, a team you do not believe will finish in the top 4 in this district, how are you planning on beating Central, Livingston and finishing in 2nd place. Please do not tell me that you plan on beating Vidor because your summer league team has done so well against them, because this is just not the case. Chris Hammond is a good player but... and Dionte Forney is only good if he...never mind

  How will Vidor do this next season? A lot better than last season, they came in fourth, while Nederland was 5th.

   You asked the question and put this discussion out there, so tell me please how you expect me to believe Nederland will come in 2nd when they cannot even beat Vidor? Saying it and doing it are two different things.

[NHS83LU87]

texasrm25,

You make some valid points.  Not having Cooper in the lineup actually will make Nederland better.  With four teams going, I think both Nederland and Vidor will be in the hunt for a playoff spot.  They compete very well against each other and it will be fun to watch.  Don't underestimate either team. 

[team first]

i agree with nhs i believe both teams will be making a strong run at the playoffs.

[TopDawG52]

Livingston will change this District they don't have much Basketball skills but they are very Quick and Smart. they will make the playoffs.. along with

Ozen

Central

Livingston

then it goes

Vidor

Nerderland

and the rest is up for grabs.

[texasrm25]

  Nederland will have as good a shot of making the playoffs as any. Half the district will be going next season. All they have to do is not come in too close to the bottom on the pile.

[ForeverADog]

How will being without Cooper in the lineup help Nederland? He played harder and with more passion than any other player on that team. He was also their best defender. Pitts is decent but not near as quick. Nederland's problem the past two years was that they played as five individuals, played with no intensity on defense, and would fall apart once they got behind. They have not lacked any in talent. Those are all mental things that they need to improve on. 5 are better than 1 if 5 act as one. English also needs a playoff run this year. he has been grooming this group of seniors for two years and benched some seniors some minutes. It better finally pay off. But with four teams going Nederland has the talent to finish second but if they let their ego get in the way they can finish last. I think they get the third spot behind ozen and central. I also think this is the year they beat vidor once. They can match them from 3 point range for the first time since English started coaching there. That has really hurt them against vidor. But if this team reaches their full potential there is no reason nederland shouldn't win its first playoff game in school history! Go Dogs!

[NHS83LU87]

My point about Cooper was only a response to a previous post.  It has nothing to do with him as an individual player. He played hard hard all of the time.  I wish him the best but don't believe that his graduating is going to hurt Nederland's program.  It's just an opinion but I believe there will be a better chemistry next season.  Don't try to make it personal. 

[texasrm25]

ForeverAD what do you mean Coach English "better make the playoffs"?

  I thought Cooper was a good player for the Nederland team and will be missed and that Nederland will not be a better team with out him. Nothing at all personnel here because I do not have a kid playing on the team, just an observation.

  I am a Vidor fan and try to make the Nederland-Vidor games if I make any at all. As far as I know they have all been very close. But I do not think Nederland will beat Vidor this coming season. If they were going to beat them at all it would have been this past season. It did not happen. Nederland knows that the Vidor group can beat them and the Vidor group know they can beat Nederland so that is a very sticky thought to get out of your head. The only cure for Nederland is to beat Vidor, which is possible but not likely.

  I really liked Cooper. A lot of fun to watch.

[Guest Penny]

ForeverADog, I'll tell you one thing, it may be the only thing I know about Nederland basketball.  If those kids don't play team ball, play defense for each other, hustle for loose ball, play unselfishly... for Brian English, they won't do it for anybody.  At some point, and I've reached that point, you have to look at the kids and ask yourself if they're willing to put selfishness aside and do what the team needs.  Time will tell if they're willing to do that.

[texasrm25]

Penny-correct me if I am mistaken here. Just an obervation from an outsider. It seems as though the Nederland faithful were more than happy to get rid of Coach Williams because many believed he was the source of most of their basketball woes. English was suppose to be the solution for that problem. After 2 years of English and still not close to a playoff spot the focus seems to have turned from the coach to the players. I do not know because I am not there. But some of you who talk like you are close to the team use words like lazy, selfish, not playing with intensity, big egos among others, to describe your team.

The blame game at Nederland seems to have turned away from the coach to the players. Am I wrong to make such an assumption?

[BLUEDOVE3]

Penny-correct me if I am mistaken here. Just an obervation from an outsider. It seems as though the Nederland faithful were more than happy to get rid of Coach Williams because many believed he was the source of most of their basketball woes. English was suppose to be the solution for that problem. After 2 years of English and still not close to a playoff spot the focus seems to have turned from the coach to the players. I do not know because I am not there. But some of you who talk like you are close to the team use words like lazy, selfish, not playing with intensity, big egos among others, to describe your team.

The blame game at Nederland seems to have turned away from the coach to the players. Am I wrong to make such an assumption?

I saw Nederland play only once last season and in my own personal observation (and only one game), I noticed one player in particular playing somewhat selfishly. I wasn't sure at first but after reading the forum, my observations may have some validity.

[Guest Penny]

I'm not into the blame game, I like to look at facts.  Fact is that English has proven to take kids and create a team basketball environment.  He did that when he played, he did that at Vidor.  I haven't been to enough games to play the blame game even if I wanted to.  In Nederland you had a class of skilled players, a couple of whom started as sophomores, they are supposed to be the turnaround of Nederland basketball.  It hasn't happened, yet.  I said time will tell.  I think if those kids buy in to what English is coaching and play team basketball, they will be successful.  I don't know individual kids and their temperaments or level of selfishness.  I was really just responding to the threatening tone in Foreveradog's post.  "English better make a playoff run this year..."???? What's that supposed to mean.  If the kids don't play together, regardless of their individual skills, they will not win in this district.  Just a fact, my post is more of a challenge than a critique.  I think the kids have it in them to repond.

[texasrm25]

Good answer Penny.

  Bluedove, Nederland does not need a scapegoat or a whipping boy. We are not looking for excuses.

[Razor]

I did make several Nederland games last year and here is my two cents...this particular group has talent, but they need to learn how to play together...to say they haven't been close to the playoffs is incorrect as well...this team had a legitimate shot to make it last year, but fell apart down the stretch...English has made Nederland basketball much better, it just had a long way to go from where it was...that is not a knock on anyone, but simply put, basketball was not relevant at Nederland at all until Brian came over...now it is, and I suspect that you will see Nederland in the playoffs very soon...English knows how to build a program and he realizes that you have to start by generating interest in the game and program and getting the younger kids playing as well...this never happened before in Nederland, but I would venture to say that there are more kids in Nederland playing basketball than ever before and that is from age 7/8 on up.

The player to watch IMO next year is Forney...he will be a soph, but the kid has HUGE potential...if they can put team above self next year, and I know Brian is preaching that, then they will be pretty good next year and, I suspect, in the playoffs.

English is definitely the right guy for Nederland basketball...just remember, that his job is a very long climb to the top from where it was...he will get them there!

[BLUEDOVE3]

Good answer Penny.

  Bluedove, Nederland does not need a scapegoat or a whipping boy. We are not looking for excuses.

Did I mention a particular name? Hmm? I don't think so. But I've read several posts on here that lead me to believe that the team had one or two players playing "me-ball."  And the one game I saw last season, I saw it for myself. Too much dribbling and shots ill advised during the situation by one or two players. Now, as far as talent? Yep, they do have talent. Now the thing about English I like is this: He realizes he needs to put his guys against top talent to get better. And he's making the moves to accomplish this.

[Razor]

You are correct on that count, bluedove...to be the best, you have to play the best and Brian is doing that...this validates my previous point about Brian doing things in this program that were never done before...the results will follow

[texasrm25]

Bluedove- Did I suggest you mentioned a name? No. The truth of the matter is we do have players on this team that should shoot more than others; they are the team leaders. Hammond is that person now. After this next season I do agree with Razor that it will be Forney leading this team. He will be the go to guy team leader. The problem we have had with Chris is that his name has been spread all over this board, so by the time district arrived every team in this district knew that to disrupt the Nederland offense they had to stop Chris as much as possible. All of them tried and some were more successful than others. This only means that for this next season Chris is going to have to work harder because he knows going in he is going to get more of the same. Having a 25 point average going into district put an x on his back every game. The rest on the team is going to have to step up and take some of the pressure off by becoming more of an offensive threat. The other teams are spending way to much time and energy on one person.

  Coach English believes in this group, which has not made some of the parents of the upperclassmen very happy.  They have watched their kids sit the bench in favor of this group. For what, a 7th and 6th place finish in the district race. This is why Topdog is upset and expects to see some results from this group. They have had chance after chance while their kids have sat. We want to see some results. And like many of you I think this will be the year Nederland makes their 1st playoff appearance in school history. Just like Coach English did for the Vidor group.

  Yes Razor Nederland was close to making the playoffs last year but so was everyone else. And with half the district going this next season we will all be close to going again. There will only be one or two games that will separate those that go and those that stay home. Every game will be important.

[BLUEDOVE3]

Bluedove- Did I suggest you mentioned a name? No. The truth of the matter is we do have players on this team that should shoot more than others; they are the team leaders. Hammond is that person now. After this next season I do agree with Razor that it will be Forney leading this team. He will be the go to guy team leader. The problem we have had with Chris is that his name has been spread all over this board, so by the time district arrived every team in this district knew that to disrupt the Nederland offense they had to stop Chris as much as possible. All of them tried and some were more successful than others. This only means that for this next season Chris is going to have to work harder because he knows going in he is going to get more of the same. Having a 25 point average going into district put an x on his back every game. The rest on the team is going to have to step up and take some of the pressure off by becoming more of an offensive threat. The other teams are spending way to much time and energy on one person.

  Coach English believes in this group, which has not made some of the parents of the upperclassmen very happy.  They have watched their kids sit the bench in favor of this group. For what, a 7th and 6th place finish in the district race. This is why Topdog is upset and expects to see some results from this group. They have had chance after chance while their kids have sat. We want to see some results. And like many of you I think this will be the year Nederland makes their 1st playoff appearance in school history. Just like Coach English did for the Vidor group.

  Yes Razor Nederland was close to making the playoffs last year but so was everyone else. And with half the district going this next season we will all be close to going again. There will only be one or two games that will separate those that go and those that stay home. Every game will be important.

Okay, so what you are really saying is "Coach English needs to play my son ( err relative?) more this year, right?  Be honest!

[Guest Penny]

Texasrm, based on what I've heard about BE, I think he wants to win every game, preseason, predistrict, district, summer league, horse in the driveway... the ultimate competitor.  I think with that mentality, he plays the best players all the time... period.  Whether they're 19 year old seniors, or 14 year old freshman.  You seem a little close to the discussion.  The point you're making about Hammond is pretty silly, most decent coaches can pick out a stud when he walks off the bus, so can't see how what you're talking about makes much of a difference.  Coaches are going to go after and try to shutdown the best scorer, that's pretty fundamental.

[texasrm25]

Do you really want honest Bluedove? Okay try this for honest. Seeing one game does not make you an authority on Nederland basketball. And Penny, like it or not, Hammond is the best player on this team period. If Nederland get to the playoffs this next season it will be in large part because of Chris Hammond. I am not saying that Francis or Jordan or anyone else is any less important to this team. It will take a total team effort to make any playoff spot in this district. Chris is the only player from Nederland to get an invitation to play in the Gamble Classic. That alone speaks volumes.

  And Bluedove I do not have a relative on this team, most people think I am from Vidor. I know the Williamson's.