This week's edition (dated March 5) of the best publication in sports journalism has a local angle. Former Scotch Plains-Fanwood standout and Courier News girls basketball Player of the Year Hillary Klimowicz is featured in a full-page spread on Page 65 of Sports Illustrated.
The article is part of SI's "Portrait of a Powerhouse" profile on Division I athletics, and includes two photos of Klimowicz. The College of New Jersey sophomore is also featured in the bottom right-hand corner of the cover.
The story details Klimowicz's decision to transfer to TCNJ after a very successful freshman at St. Joeseph's in Philadelphia. Klimowicz made the move to pursue other academic interests that she could not have if she continued playing Division I basketball.
There is also a quote from former SPF coach Lori Gear McBride, now the coach at Colby College in Maine.
My colleague Jerry Carino first wrote about this story in his weekly column on Jan. 13. While there is nothing in the SI article that Jerry did not have, it is still worth picking up.
If you missed Jerry's story, this is the link again.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
What you might not know about the Shabazz situation...
OK, OK. You've read about all you can handle on the top-ranked Shabazz girls basketball team getting disqualfied from the state tournament.
BUT...here is a little something you still might find interesting.
Remember the 21st regular-season game Shabazz played against Linden last Thursday? The one that put the school over the NJSIAA's limit of 20 and led to the DQ? Two reliable sources told me this week that Linden tried to cancel/reschedule that game but was told no by Shabazz officials.
Linden was coming off a Union County Tournament overtime loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Wednesday and did not want to play less than 24 hours later.
That only sours the situation even more, of course. Shabazz had an out and did not take it.
BUT...here is a little something you still might find interesting.
Remember the 21st regular-season game Shabazz played against Linden last Thursday? The one that put the school over the NJSIAA's limit of 20 and led to the DQ? Two reliable sources told me this week that Linden tried to cancel/reschedule that game but was told no by Shabazz officials.
Linden was coming off a Union County Tournament overtime loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Wednesday and did not want to play less than 24 hours later.
That only sours the situation even more, of course. Shabazz had an out and did not take it.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Shabazz Shakeup & State Stuff
In case you missed it, the Star-Ledger is reporting that powerhouse Shabazz is facing possible disqualification from the NJSIAA tournament for playing too many regular-season games. Shabazz's fate will be decided at a special committee meeting in Robbinsville on Monday, according to the article.
This is HUGE NEWS.
First, my reaction is that this is a ridiculous situation. It's not like Shabazz over-scheduled to reach .500 and qualify for states. It is one of best programs in the country, has a premier talent in Georgia Tech-bound Iasia Hemmingway and is just trying to get the exposure deserved. A good thing for girls basketball. But it would be just like the NJSIAA to penalize them and hurt their own tournament. If Shabazz is DQed, whoever wins the Tournament of Champions deserves an asterisk by their title. I think the school/coach/AD needs to be punished somehow, but do not take the tournament away from the hard-working players or the fans who love to watch this team play.
Second, this changes the entire state picture. Several other teams -- none local -- become serious Tournament of Champions title contenders. On a local level, it must feel like Christmas for Voorhees and South Plainfield. The second and fourth seeds, respectively, in Shabazz-dominated North Jersey, Section 2, Group III will become favorites to win a sectional title. Both have had great seasons, but neither is capable of upsetting Shabazz. A Voorhees-South Plainfield sectional final would be a treat for all to see. They met in the state tournament last year, with South Plainfield winning a tight one. Both teams have only two losses this season.
Also, here are links to the Courier News state preview package. It includes a section-by-section breakdown, eight seniors to watch and a main story on the senior class' last chance to bring its first sectional title to the area. I was really thrilled with how the main story came out. The best stories are the ones where the quotes do the talking, and these girls did not disappoint.
Section by section
Senior resumes
Main story
Finally, I'm still loving the ongoing player and coach of the year debates. Voorhees' Carmen Cook seems to be the people's choice for coach of the year. As for my picks...I'm not telling yet. We need to sell All-Area sections.
This is HUGE NEWS.
First, my reaction is that this is a ridiculous situation. It's not like Shabazz over-scheduled to reach .500 and qualify for states. It is one of best programs in the country, has a premier talent in Georgia Tech-bound Iasia Hemmingway and is just trying to get the exposure deserved. A good thing for girls basketball. But it would be just like the NJSIAA to penalize them and hurt their own tournament. If Shabazz is DQed, whoever wins the Tournament of Champions deserves an asterisk by their title. I think the school/coach/AD needs to be punished somehow, but do not take the tournament away from the hard-working players or the fans who love to watch this team play.
Second, this changes the entire state picture. Several other teams -- none local -- become serious Tournament of Champions title contenders. On a local level, it must feel like Christmas for Voorhees and South Plainfield. The second and fourth seeds, respectively, in Shabazz-dominated North Jersey, Section 2, Group III will become favorites to win a sectional title. Both have had great seasons, but neither is capable of upsetting Shabazz. A Voorhees-South Plainfield sectional final would be a treat for all to see. They met in the state tournament last year, with South Plainfield winning a tight one. Both teams have only two losses this season.
Also, here are links to the Courier News state preview package. It includes a section-by-section breakdown, eight seniors to watch and a main story on the senior class' last chance to bring its first sectional title to the area. I was really thrilled with how the main story came out. The best stories are the ones where the quotes do the talking, and these girls did not disappoint.
Section by section
Senior resumes
Main story
Finally, I'm still loving the ongoing player and coach of the year debates. Voorhees' Carmen Cook seems to be the people's choice for coach of the year. As for my picks...I'm not telling yet. We need to sell All-Area sections.
Friday, February 23, 2007
I want more feedback
In response to some reader inquiries, I am considering more than a handful of players for player of the year. Not just 3. Not just 5. Each candidate has different strengths. Some more valuable. Some more talented. Some better scorers. Some better all-around. But I do love hearing your thoughts. Maybe something you say will stick with me. So keep those thoughts coming.
Also, what about Coach of the Year? There are not nearly as many candidates as last season when I could have picked almost any of the 36 local coaches. That was an anomaly. I don't see anyone as a lock here yet, but I do see 3-4 people who stand out. Any thoughts on this matter?
I went a perfect 7-for-7 in picking games this week. Unheard of. All it means is I'll probably go 0-4 in my county finals predictions. In case you missed it on the podcast or in the scouting reports, I picked Voorhees, Westfield, Immaculata and South Plainfield to win their respective finals.
Also, what about Coach of the Year? There are not nearly as many candidates as last season when I could have picked almost any of the 36 local coaches. That was an anomaly. I don't see anyone as a lock here yet, but I do see 3-4 people who stand out. Any thoughts on this matter?
I went a perfect 7-for-7 in picking games this week. Unheard of. All it means is I'll probably go 0-4 in my county finals predictions. In case you missed it on the podcast or in the scouting reports, I picked Voorhees, Westfield, Immaculata and South Plainfield to win their respective finals.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Comments Response
First, C.O., your point is well-taken. I do blog about the SCT far more than the other county tournaments for two reasons.
1) It is the furthest along -- we already know the final.
2) No matter who wins, it is local vs. local for us. That can't be said for the Hunterdon/Warren, Middlesex or Union County Tournaments.
Second, for all of you who are picking Somerset County first-team and Somerset County Player of the Year on my blog, the debate is great. I read it, and I love it. But don't forget the Courier News is All-Area. My first team could -- and likely will -- have players from Hunterdon, Middlesex and/or Union counties. Same could be said for my Player of the Year. The Star Ledger breaks it down by county.
Enough of that.
Wednesday is a monster tournament day for girls basketball. I promise to be very very busy. As requested, here are my predictions, starting with Tuesday's UCT semifinal.
Wesfield 50, Elizabeth 39: Too much Erin Miller. Too much Diana Venezia, who is becoming an inside force as a freshman. Too much under-control ball-handling by Gabby O'Leary. All of it will take Elizabeth out of its game.
Wednesday:
UCT semifinal
Scotch Plains-Fanwood 58, Linden 46: SPF has taken both regular-season meetings and I expect more of the same. Forwards Jackie Law and Kaylin Jaichon gave Linden trouble when the teams met earlier this month and -- again -- I expect more of the same.
Prep B final
Rutgers Prep 62, Gill St. Bernard's 50: This is a chance for Gill St. Bernard's to get that staple victory needed to solidify a 19-3 season. If the Knights don't get it -- and I don't think they will -- they still have far exceeded all expectations this season. Rutgers Prep pretty much owns the Prep B final, anyway. Maybe they should rename it the "Rutgers Prep B final." Bad joke.
GMCT semifinals
South Plainfield 62, Perth Amboy 60: This is an upset. Everyone is expecting to see Perth Amboy play Piscataway in the final, but veteran-laden South Plainfield is tough. The Tigers beat up South Brunswick twice this season, and are winners of 12 straight games. Perth Amboy's size could South Plainfield trouble, but one thing I've always liked about this team is that every girl plays with strength and speed well beyond what you would expect from her size. The fighters win a nailbiter.
Piscataway 66, New Brunswick 59: Piscataway needed a wake-up call and got one in the third round against North Brunswick. Now the defending champion appears destined for its third straight trip to the finals. New Brunswick has the ability to stay with almost anybody and I think this game will be close, but staying with Piscataway is easier than beating Piscataway.
Hunterdon/Warren semifinals:
Voorhees 51, Belvidere 33: The closest quarterfinal is this tournament was decided by 17 points. I've said before, this really could be a three-team tournament between Voorhees, North Hunterdon and Hunterdon Central, where the top seed gets a bye into the final against the semifinal winner. It's hard to say who will be Voorhees' top player in the game. It seems to be someone new every game, but one thing is for sure: Voorhees will do what it does best -- win.
Hunterdon Central 49, North Hunterdon 45: As you can see, I'm very close to picking North Hunterdon in this game. The Lions win against Immaculata last week was very impressive and I'll take it as a sign that this team is clicking at the right time. I've been kind of surprised by North's up-and-down play this season, but a bi-county championship and upsets of its top two rivals would be a storybook ending. I can definitely see it happening, but Central is one team not usually prone to upsets. The Red Devils always play good defense, understand the emotion that goes into rivalry games and -- most importantly -- read my paper and probably my blog. They probably want the extra motivation of me picking against them. Sorry girls.
That's a lot of picks by someone not very good at picking games. I'd be happy with 5-2.
1) It is the furthest along -- we already know the final.
2) No matter who wins, it is local vs. local for us. That can't be said for the Hunterdon/Warren, Middlesex or Union County Tournaments.
Second, for all of you who are picking Somerset County first-team and Somerset County Player of the Year on my blog, the debate is great. I read it, and I love it. But don't forget the Courier News is All-Area. My first team could -- and likely will -- have players from Hunterdon, Middlesex and/or Union counties. Same could be said for my Player of the Year. The Star Ledger breaks it down by county.
Enough of that.
Wednesday is a monster tournament day for girls basketball. I promise to be very very busy. As requested, here are my predictions, starting with Tuesday's UCT semifinal.
Wesfield 50, Elizabeth 39: Too much Erin Miller. Too much Diana Venezia, who is becoming an inside force as a freshman. Too much under-control ball-handling by Gabby O'Leary. All of it will take Elizabeth out of its game.
Wednesday:
UCT semifinal
Scotch Plains-Fanwood 58, Linden 46: SPF has taken both regular-season meetings and I expect more of the same. Forwards Jackie Law and Kaylin Jaichon gave Linden trouble when the teams met earlier this month and -- again -- I expect more of the same.
Prep B final
Rutgers Prep 62, Gill St. Bernard's 50: This is a chance for Gill St. Bernard's to get that staple victory needed to solidify a 19-3 season. If the Knights don't get it -- and I don't think they will -- they still have far exceeded all expectations this season. Rutgers Prep pretty much owns the Prep B final, anyway. Maybe they should rename it the "Rutgers Prep B final." Bad joke.
GMCT semifinals
South Plainfield 62, Perth Amboy 60: This is an upset. Everyone is expecting to see Perth Amboy play Piscataway in the final, but veteran-laden South Plainfield is tough. The Tigers beat up South Brunswick twice this season, and are winners of 12 straight games. Perth Amboy's size could South Plainfield trouble, but one thing I've always liked about this team is that every girl plays with strength and speed well beyond what you would expect from her size. The fighters win a nailbiter.
Piscataway 66, New Brunswick 59: Piscataway needed a wake-up call and got one in the third round against North Brunswick. Now the defending champion appears destined for its third straight trip to the finals. New Brunswick has the ability to stay with almost anybody and I think this game will be close, but staying with Piscataway is easier than beating Piscataway.
Hunterdon/Warren semifinals:
Voorhees 51, Belvidere 33: The closest quarterfinal is this tournament was decided by 17 points. I've said before, this really could be a three-team tournament between Voorhees, North Hunterdon and Hunterdon Central, where the top seed gets a bye into the final against the semifinal winner. It's hard to say who will be Voorhees' top player in the game. It seems to be someone new every game, but one thing is for sure: Voorhees will do what it does best -- win.
Hunterdon Central 49, North Hunterdon 45: As you can see, I'm very close to picking North Hunterdon in this game. The Lions win against Immaculata last week was very impressive and I'll take it as a sign that this team is clicking at the right time. I've been kind of surprised by North's up-and-down play this season, but a bi-county championship and upsets of its top two rivals would be a storybook ending. I can definitely see it happening, but Central is one team not usually prone to upsets. The Red Devils always play good defense, understand the emotion that goes into rivalry games and -- most importantly -- read my paper and probably my blog. They probably want the extra motivation of me picking against them. Sorry girls.
That's a lot of picks by someone not very good at picking games. I'd be happy with 5-2.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Baseball: Barnes' big break
Somerset Patriots first baseman/outfielder Larry Barnes has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to the Baseball America minor-league transactions page.
Manager Sparky Lyle first tipped me off to this move in December, saying the Dodgers had contacted him about Barnes. I tried calling Larry a few times this offseason, but he never responded.
Barnes, a California resident, told me at the end of last season that he could not return to the Atlantic League for personal reasons, so this last big break comes at a good time for the 32 year old.
Barnes hit .272 with 17 homers and 83 RBI in 122 games last season and was an Atlantic League all-star. He spent the 2003 season in the Dodgers organization and appeared in 30 major-league games.
Manager Sparky Lyle first tipped me off to this move in December, saying the Dodgers had contacted him about Barnes. I tried calling Larry a few times this offseason, but he never responded.
Barnes, a California resident, told me at the end of last season that he could not return to the Atlantic League for personal reasons, so this last big break comes at a good time for the 32 year old.
Barnes hit .272 with 17 homers and 83 RBI in 122 games last season and was an Atlantic League all-star. He spent the 2003 season in the Dodgers organization and appeared in 30 major-league games.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Unlikely SCT final
After everything played out at Montgomery High School on Saturday, fans were left with a very traditional No. 4 Immaculata vs. No. 7 Montgomery Somerset County Tournament final.
It's certainly a breath of fresh air for a tournament which has earned a reputation for sticking to form. Only so many years in a row can the top two seeds meet in the final.
There are those who would argue that it is better to see a matchup of the top two teams during the regular season, but instead you will be getting a matchup of the hottest two teams in the county right now.
Immaculata's Lindsay Melone played a notch above everyone else in the semifinals -- and that's saying something when you consider the caliber of player on the court with and against her -- and almost singlehandedly carried her team into the final. She did get a helping hand from close friend and teammate Caitlin Bay. The leading 3-point shooter in the county drilled two timely fourth-quarter daggers.
Hillsborough's tandem of Kelsey Kutch and Ebony Jones had great days on the boards, combining for 19 rebounds, but neither was a big offensive factor down the stretch. Kutch only attempted one fourth-quarter shot.
Montgomery continues to impress me when I see the team play in person. The ball movement and unselfish play is really something unique. Sophomore point guard Marcia Voigt's range just keeps getting deeper and deeper. There is something going special going on with this team. That feeling of us-against-the-world plus an overwhelming sense of confidence has produced three straight tournament wins. Of course, I've picked against Montgomery in all three of those games. Thankfully, the girls are still talking to me.
Disappointment for Franklin. You could hear it in coach Art Tooles' voice after the game. Tooles has done a fabulous job resurrecting this program during his six years at the helm, but this one had to hurt. It's Franklin's second loss in the semifinals in three years, and the third time Franklin has lost to Montgomery this season. You just can never get an accurate read on this team.
It's certainly a breath of fresh air for a tournament which has earned a reputation for sticking to form. Only so many years in a row can the top two seeds meet in the final.
There are those who would argue that it is better to see a matchup of the top two teams during the regular season, but instead you will be getting a matchup of the hottest two teams in the county right now.
Immaculata's Lindsay Melone played a notch above everyone else in the semifinals -- and that's saying something when you consider the caliber of player on the court with and against her -- and almost singlehandedly carried her team into the final. She did get a helping hand from close friend and teammate Caitlin Bay. The leading 3-point shooter in the county drilled two timely fourth-quarter daggers.
Hillsborough's tandem of Kelsey Kutch and Ebony Jones had great days on the boards, combining for 19 rebounds, but neither was a big offensive factor down the stretch. Kutch only attempted one fourth-quarter shot.
Montgomery continues to impress me when I see the team play in person. The ball movement and unselfish play is really something unique. Sophomore point guard Marcia Voigt's range just keeps getting deeper and deeper. There is something going special going on with this team. That feeling of us-against-the-world plus an overwhelming sense of confidence has produced three straight tournament wins. Of course, I've picked against Montgomery in all three of those games. Thankfully, the girls are still talking to me.
Disappointment for Franklin. You could hear it in coach Art Tooles' voice after the game. Tooles has done a fabulous job resurrecting this program during his six years at the helm, but this one had to hurt. It's Franklin's second loss in the semifinals in three years, and the third time Franklin has lost to Montgomery this season. You just can never get an accurate read on this team.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Life of a hoops coach
My colleague Jerry Carino did an excellent job chronicling the strenuous life of a basketball coach during the winter season in this story.
Here are two other quotes from Hillsborough coach Jim Reese that didn't make it into the story, but are still pretty telling. Reese used to coach boys back in the day, but is now the second-longest tenured coach in Somerset County.
"I heard (UConn women's basketball coach) Geno Auriemma at a clinic say, 'Girls will learn your offense the way you want them to learn it because they know if they don’t the final score will be 0-0 ... Guys will screw up the offense if they know they're not supposed to get the shot. They’ll break it off and it becomes every man for himself."
"One thing I do miss is the crowds and the excitement of a packed gym. Frankly, it (girls hoops) just doesn't draw. We’ve been very good for a number of years and we still don’t draw like the boys. I would play doubleheaders all year long just for the excitement of it."
My thoughts: I love the idea of the doubleheaders. It works for the Somerset County Tournament semifinals and in rare spots throughout the regular season, so why not incorporate more of it? Plus, those 5 p.m. girls start times would make my life a whole lot easier.
Here are two other quotes from Hillsborough coach Jim Reese that didn't make it into the story, but are still pretty telling. Reese used to coach boys back in the day, but is now the second-longest tenured coach in Somerset County.
"I heard (UConn women's basketball coach) Geno Auriemma at a clinic say, 'Girls will learn your offense the way you want them to learn it because they know if they don’t the final score will be 0-0 ... Guys will screw up the offense if they know they're not supposed to get the shot. They’ll break it off and it becomes every man for himself."
"One thing I do miss is the crowds and the excitement of a packed gym. Frankly, it (girls hoops) just doesn't draw. We’ve been very good for a number of years and we still don’t draw like the boys. I would play doubleheaders all year long just for the excitement of it."
My thoughts: I love the idea of the doubleheaders. It works for the Somerset County Tournament semifinals and in rare spots throughout the regular season, so why not incorporate more of it? Plus, those 5 p.m. girls start times would make my life a whole lot easier.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Mass Media
If you picked up Thursday's print edition of the paper, you probably saw my brief Somerset County Tournament preview. If not, here is a copy of my weekly notebook.
If you listened to my weekly Podcast with Jerry, then you heard my predictions for the game.
Here is the podcast.
But for those of you who don't have 35 cents to spare or sound on your computers, here are my thoughts and predictions on both games:
No. 1 Hillsborough vs. No. 4 Immaculata: When you make predictions, the team you pick against tends to think it is an indictment on them. That you are saying "This team is no good." That's usually not true, and it is especially not true here because both teams are very good. I think this game is a lot more even it first appears. The teams split their two regular-season meetings with each winning on the other's court. Now it's a neutral court at Montgomery. With Watchung Hills out of the tournament, I'm a little worried the Raiders may think they already have the tournament won. Senior Kelsey Kutch said everything to the contrary when I asked her, however. I like Immaculata in this game -- but I like Immaculata a little less than I did 24 hours ago after hearing about its loss to North Hunterdon on Thursday night. Maybe that's the spark/wake-up needed.
Immaculata 50, Hillsborough 49
No. 7 Montgomery vs. No. 3 Franklin: Neither of these teams have ever been to an SCT final. That has to change unless they somehow tie or Watchung Hills is allowed back into the tournament. All kidding aside, the story line here is very unique. Montgomery is the lower seed but not the underdog. The Cougars are playing on their home court and won both regular-season meetings with Franklin.
Sometimes in sports, one team is just a bad matchup for another team. I think that might be the story here. Montgomery passes the ball around the court in a way that would make James Naismith smile, and if the ball is not being dribbled, it is harder to steal it. Franklin loves to win in ugly fashion. Franklin needs to manufacture some easy transition points off steals and if Montgomery keeps the turnover total low, it will be hard to do that.
Sounds like I just made a case for Montgomery to win the game, right?
But I am a strong believer that it is extremely difficult for one team to beat another three times in the same season. Look no further than Montgomery's win against Watchung Hills last week. The Montgomery sophomores are very talented, but still one year away.
Franklin 48, Montgomery 43
Other quick thoughts: 1) South Plainfield is playing like the best team in the GMC Tournament right now. Everyone is anticipating a Perth Amboy-Piscataway final, but these Tigers may crash that party. 2) Westfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood appear on a collision course for the UCT final. Westfield won both meetings, and SPF has a far richer recent tournament pedigree. 3) With Pennington moving up to Prep A this season, Rutgers Prep is a lock for the Prep B title. The Argonauts will probably face Gill St. Bernard's, which lost to Ridge on Thursday. Rutgers Prep beat Ridge by 16 just a few weeks ago.
If you listened to my weekly Podcast with Jerry, then you heard my predictions for the game.
Here is the podcast.
But for those of you who don't have 35 cents to spare or sound on your computers, here are my thoughts and predictions on both games:
No. 1 Hillsborough vs. No. 4 Immaculata: When you make predictions, the team you pick against tends to think it is an indictment on them. That you are saying "This team is no good." That's usually not true, and it is especially not true here because both teams are very good. I think this game is a lot more even it first appears. The teams split their two regular-season meetings with each winning on the other's court. Now it's a neutral court at Montgomery. With Watchung Hills out of the tournament, I'm a little worried the Raiders may think they already have the tournament won. Senior Kelsey Kutch said everything to the contrary when I asked her, however. I like Immaculata in this game -- but I like Immaculata a little less than I did 24 hours ago after hearing about its loss to North Hunterdon on Thursday night. Maybe that's the spark/wake-up needed.
Immaculata 50, Hillsborough 49
No. 7 Montgomery vs. No. 3 Franklin: Neither of these teams have ever been to an SCT final. That has to change unless they somehow tie or Watchung Hills is allowed back into the tournament. All kidding aside, the story line here is very unique. Montgomery is the lower seed but not the underdog. The Cougars are playing on their home court and won both regular-season meetings with Franklin.
Sometimes in sports, one team is just a bad matchup for another team. I think that might be the story here. Montgomery passes the ball around the court in a way that would make James Naismith smile, and if the ball is not being dribbled, it is harder to steal it. Franklin loves to win in ugly fashion. Franklin needs to manufacture some easy transition points off steals and if Montgomery keeps the turnover total low, it will be hard to do that.
Sounds like I just made a case for Montgomery to win the game, right?
But I am a strong believer that it is extremely difficult for one team to beat another three times in the same season. Look no further than Montgomery's win against Watchung Hills last week. The Montgomery sophomores are very talented, but still one year away.
Franklin 48, Montgomery 43
Other quick thoughts: 1) South Plainfield is playing like the best team in the GMC Tournament right now. Everyone is anticipating a Perth Amboy-Piscataway final, but these Tigers may crash that party. 2) Westfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood appear on a collision course for the UCT final. Westfield won both meetings, and SPF has a far richer recent tournament pedigree. 3) With Pennington moving up to Prep A this season, Rutgers Prep is a lock for the Prep B title. The Argonauts will probably face Gill St. Bernard's, which lost to Ridge on Thursday. Rutgers Prep beat Ridge by 16 just a few weeks ago.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Baseball: Front office shakeup
The Somerset Patriots officially cut ties Tuesday afternoon with the architect behind their past two Atlantic League Championship teams.
Adam Gladstone served as the Patriots director of player procurement -- which means he was responsible for all player transactions -- from 2003-2005. He then co-founded a player procurement company (Baseball And Sports Associates) that ran all baseball operations for four Atlantic League teams -- including the Patriots -- last season.
One of those teams, the Lancaster Barnstormers, won the Atlantic League championship. The other three missed the playoffs.
Instead of retaining BASA's services, the Patriots will ask pitching coach Brett Jodie to pull double duty this season and serve as the team's chief player personnel source.
That's a lot of responsibility to place on Jodie, who is only two years removed from his playing career.
There were plenty of kinks in BASA's system last year -- the Patriots were down to eight healthy position players for two September games against Long Island -- but Gladstone proved himself a capable baseball mind when he brought in the players that led Somerset to championships in 2003 and 2005.
An inability to sign key players when needed was a major reason last season's team missed the playoffs, but it was not the only one. Still, manager Sparky Lyle and his players did not hold back in placing a majority of the blame on the player shortage.
"How are you going to be competitive when you have one company running four teams?" second baseman George Sandel said in September. "Last year (2005), when we had Adam Gladstone working just for us, when we needed something, we got it."
I'm thinking: Jodie is going to do a great job. A slow start is inevitable as he adjusts to balancing two full-time jobs, but he is not far removed from baseball circles. He knows plenty of agents and former teammates, and that's what player procurement is all about. Connections.
As for BASA, the company will survive just fine. The Bridgeport Bluefish have signed on for Gladstone's services this season. In all, I think it's a win-win for all parties involved.
Update: I wrote in Thursday's story that Adam Gladstone did not return my phone calls seeking comment for this story. While I still have not had the opportunity to speak with him, I did receive a voicemail explaining he is working in the Dominican Republic this week. I may hear from him soon. Stay tuned.
Adam Gladstone served as the Patriots director of player procurement -- which means he was responsible for all player transactions -- from 2003-2005. He then co-founded a player procurement company (Baseball And Sports Associates) that ran all baseball operations for four Atlantic League teams -- including the Patriots -- last season.
One of those teams, the Lancaster Barnstormers, won the Atlantic League championship. The other three missed the playoffs.
Instead of retaining BASA's services, the Patriots will ask pitching coach Brett Jodie to pull double duty this season and serve as the team's chief player personnel source.
That's a lot of responsibility to place on Jodie, who is only two years removed from his playing career.
There were plenty of kinks in BASA's system last year -- the Patriots were down to eight healthy position players for two September games against Long Island -- but Gladstone proved himself a capable baseball mind when he brought in the players that led Somerset to championships in 2003 and 2005.
An inability to sign key players when needed was a major reason last season's team missed the playoffs, but it was not the only one. Still, manager Sparky Lyle and his players did not hold back in placing a majority of the blame on the player shortage.
"How are you going to be competitive when you have one company running four teams?" second baseman George Sandel said in September. "Last year (2005), when we had Adam Gladstone working just for us, when we needed something, we got it."
I'm thinking: Jodie is going to do a great job. A slow start is inevitable as he adjusts to balancing two full-time jobs, but he is not far removed from baseball circles. He knows plenty of agents and former teammates, and that's what player procurement is all about. Connections.
As for BASA, the company will survive just fine. The Bridgeport Bluefish have signed on for Gladstone's services this season. In all, I think it's a win-win for all parties involved.
Update: I wrote in Thursday's story that Adam Gladstone did not return my phone calls seeking comment for this story. While I still have not had the opportunity to speak with him, I did receive a voicemail explaining he is working in the Dominican Republic this week. I may hear from him soon. Stay tuned.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
State Tournament Pairings Announced
After hours of feverishly clicking refresh on the NJSIAA Web site, I stumbled upon the girls basketball pairings at about 7:30 p.m -- and it was worth the wait.
Plenty of local versus local matchups to choose from both in the opening round and down the road.
Here is my initial though on each of the local sections:
Central Jersey Group IV: Disappointed to see Hillsborough and Hunterdon Central on opposite sides of the bracket. I was hoping for a rubber match, but I'll settle for a possible Hillsborough-Montgomery quarterfinal. It's always tough to beat the same time three times in one season.
Central Jersey Group II: Governor Livingston coach Dave Boff and Somerville coach Corby Swan are old friends from their days as college assistant coaches in Pennsylvania. Now they get to match wits for the first time in a sectional quarterfinal. New Providence got the top seed in this section, and rightfully so.
Central Jersey Group I: Middlesex had sectional title hopes before the season. An up-and-down season can be salvaged if somehow those expectations are met, but it is not going to be an easy round as the eighth seed. Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division rivals Piscataway Tech and Dunellen meet in a sectional quarterfinal.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV: Lots of local flavor here. Third-seeded Piscataway opens with Plainfield and could face Westfield after that. I'm thrilled about this, because I need a legitimate excuse to see Piscataway a few more times. Fourth-seeded Watchung Hills catches a tough break with an opening round game against Skyland Conference foe North Hunterdon. It's a rematch of a Dec. 19 game won by the Warriors.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group III: Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Shabazz will not be meeting in the sectional final for the sixth straight season. A quarterfinal matchup between the two seems highly likely, however. Fourth-seeded Voorhees seems never to lose, and is my early pick to face Shabazz in the sectional final.
Second-seeded South Plainfield gets two bad breaks:
1. Because Shabazz -- arguably the best team in the state -- is seeded third, South Plainfield will have a tough road to the sectional final.
2. Even advancing to that semifinal matchup with Shabazz will be tough, because the Tigers could have to face New Brunswick -- the only team to beat them this season -- in its first game.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group II: The Bernards Mountaineers will go only as far as Catherine Carr can carry them. I say it stops against Rutherford in the sectional quarterfinal.
North Jersey Non-Public A: Immaculata played a grueling early-season schedule and, because of it, gets the lowest seed in the section. We'll see just what those early losses did for this group's toughness. Sixth-seeded Pingry is in its third straight tournament, but a win will be hard to come by.
North Jersey Non-Public B: Gill St. Bernard's earned the top seed by beating up on everyone in its conference. The Knights looked very vulnerable in a Somerset County Tournament, however. It will be interesting to see which team shows up for this tournament.
Plenty of local versus local matchups to choose from both in the opening round and down the road.
Here is my initial though on each of the local sections:
Central Jersey Group IV: Disappointed to see Hillsborough and Hunterdon Central on opposite sides of the bracket. I was hoping for a rubber match, but I'll settle for a possible Hillsborough-Montgomery quarterfinal. It's always tough to beat the same time three times in one season.
Central Jersey Group II: Governor Livingston coach Dave Boff and Somerville coach Corby Swan are old friends from their days as college assistant coaches in Pennsylvania. Now they get to match wits for the first time in a sectional quarterfinal. New Providence got the top seed in this section, and rightfully so.
Central Jersey Group I: Middlesex had sectional title hopes before the season. An up-and-down season can be salvaged if somehow those expectations are met, but it is not going to be an easy round as the eighth seed. Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division rivals Piscataway Tech and Dunellen meet in a sectional quarterfinal.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV: Lots of local flavor here. Third-seeded Piscataway opens with Plainfield and could face Westfield after that. I'm thrilled about this, because I need a legitimate excuse to see Piscataway a few more times. Fourth-seeded Watchung Hills catches a tough break with an opening round game against Skyland Conference foe North Hunterdon. It's a rematch of a Dec. 19 game won by the Warriors.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group III: Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Shabazz will not be meeting in the sectional final for the sixth straight season. A quarterfinal matchup between the two seems highly likely, however. Fourth-seeded Voorhees seems never to lose, and is my early pick to face Shabazz in the sectional final.
Second-seeded South Plainfield gets two bad breaks:
1. Because Shabazz -- arguably the best team in the state -- is seeded third, South Plainfield will have a tough road to the sectional final.
2. Even advancing to that semifinal matchup with Shabazz will be tough, because the Tigers could have to face New Brunswick -- the only team to beat them this season -- in its first game.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group II: The Bernards Mountaineers will go only as far as Catherine Carr can carry them. I say it stops against Rutherford in the sectional quarterfinal.
North Jersey Non-Public A: Immaculata played a grueling early-season schedule and, because of it, gets the lowest seed in the section. We'll see just what those early losses did for this group's toughness. Sixth-seeded Pingry is in its third straight tournament, but a win will be hard to come by.
North Jersey Non-Public B: Gill St. Bernard's earned the top seed by beating up on everyone in its conference. The Knights looked very vulnerable in a Somerset County Tournament, however. It will be interesting to see which team shows up for this tournament.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Party like it's 1999
Prince performed at the Super Bowl, and then Catherine Carr did her best rendition of one of his biggest hits Tuesday night.
Carr scored 27 points against North Plainfield when she needed 28 to become the first girls basketball player in Somerset County history to reach 2,000 points for her career.
She played a terrific all-around game (seven steals, six rebounds, five assists), but missed a free throw that would have given her the milestone with 21 seconds remaining.
Here is the game story:
http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/SPORTS03/702070362
What I think is particularly interesting is the way North Plainfield defended Carr in the final minute -- there were five defenders on her when she attempted her last shot of the game.
I know this move enraged at least one Bernards fan, and I also have a problem with it.
I understand the pride factor involved, and that no coach/team wants to be on the opposite side of history. But if you cannot stop it from happening within the normal flow of the game, then so be it.
In other words, North Plainfield did not guard Carr with five players in the third quarter when the game's outcome was still somewhat in doubt, and it should not be guarding her with five players in the final minute.
The game should not be played differently because her next point makes history. It disrespects James Naismith.
That said, Bernards was trying overly hard to help Carr get to 2,000. When was the last time a team leading by 10 called timeout with 15 seconds remaining? Obviously, coach Joe Milde was trying to draw up a play for Carr.
That's not exactly the normal flow of the game, either.
I understand he was trying to get it out of the way for both Carr's and his team's sake, but both sides should've just let things come naturally.
At least Friday night against Somerville will not be as much of a hold-your-breath moment. Carr probably will reach 2,000 in the game's first two minutes.
Hopefully, the Bernardsville residents will come out to support her. I don't care if you know nothing about basketball. A girl from your town is being celebrated for a rare achievement, and she deserves much better than the 50 or so people in the stands Tuesday night.
Carr scored 27 points against North Plainfield when she needed 28 to become the first girls basketball player in Somerset County history to reach 2,000 points for her career.
She played a terrific all-around game (seven steals, six rebounds, five assists), but missed a free throw that would have given her the milestone with 21 seconds remaining.
Here is the game story:
http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/SPORTS03/702070362
What I think is particularly interesting is the way North Plainfield defended Carr in the final minute -- there were five defenders on her when she attempted her last shot of the game.
I know this move enraged at least one Bernards fan, and I also have a problem with it.
I understand the pride factor involved, and that no coach/team wants to be on the opposite side of history. But if you cannot stop it from happening within the normal flow of the game, then so be it.
In other words, North Plainfield did not guard Carr with five players in the third quarter when the game's outcome was still somewhat in doubt, and it should not be guarding her with five players in the final minute.
The game should not be played differently because her next point makes history. It disrespects James Naismith.
That said, Bernards was trying overly hard to help Carr get to 2,000. When was the last time a team leading by 10 called timeout with 15 seconds remaining? Obviously, coach Joe Milde was trying to draw up a play for Carr.
That's not exactly the normal flow of the game, either.
I understand he was trying to get it out of the way for both Carr's and his team's sake, but both sides should've just let things come naturally.
At least Friday night against Somerville will not be as much of a hold-your-breath moment. Carr probably will reach 2,000 in the game's first two minutes.
Hopefully, the Bernardsville residents will come out to support her. I don't care if you know nothing about basketball. A girl from your town is being celebrated for a rare achievement, and she deserves much better than the 50 or so people in the stands Tuesday night.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
SCT second round analysis
I saw No. 7 Montgomery vs. No. 10 Gill St. Bernards in what wound up being the least competitive of the four games Saturday. I was very impressed by Montgomery's sophomore trio of Lexee Liaskos, Macria Voigt and Laura Coletti. Montgomery ripped off a season-high 77 points, advanced to the quarterfinals and qualified for the state tournament at 9-9 all in one day.
The Cougars probably don't have it in them to beat Watchung Hills next Saturday, but this is going to be a very, very good team in the near future. Of course, the same can be said about Gill St. Bernard's and its two top freshmen -- Niya Ruth and Daisha Simmons -- but don't be surprised to see Montgomery in next year's preseason Top 10.
The real game to talk about, however, is No. 12 Bridgewater-Raritan's 36-33 upset of No. 5 Somerville. This is a great win for a program that desperately needed one. Bridgewater-Raritan started the season 0-10 and there were not-so-silent grumblings about the program's status.
But coach Jeff Coates has a winning history, and his girls really are starting to come together. Three weeks ago, there was no way BR wins this game. But a core group of previously inexperienced players now has more than half a season's worth of experience, and it's paying dividends.
The fallout is not good for Somerville. The Pioneers may be the easiest team to figure out in an unpredictable county. They have 15 wins against teams they were favored to beat, and three losses against their three best opponents. Of course, they entered this game with nothing to gain, and everything to lose. Tough spot, but maybe this team really is the product of an easy schedule. Just hard to figure out considering nearly the identical team was within one possession of going to the SCT final last season.
As for the other two games, Rutgers Prep won rather convincingly, and Bernards beat North Plainfield 39-37 on a buzzer beater by someone not named Catherine Carr.
Carr, who regularly scores more than 2/3 of her team's points, got some help from sophomore guard Dana Perotti who converted a fast break layup at the buzzer after making a steal.
The win avenged a 39-36 loss to North Plainfield on Jan. 9. The teams meet again in the regular season Tuesday when Carr shoots for her 2,000th career point. She needs 28 to reach the rare milestone.
The Cougars probably don't have it in them to beat Watchung Hills next Saturday, but this is going to be a very, very good team in the near future. Of course, the same can be said about Gill St. Bernard's and its two top freshmen -- Niya Ruth and Daisha Simmons -- but don't be surprised to see Montgomery in next year's preseason Top 10.
The real game to talk about, however, is No. 12 Bridgewater-Raritan's 36-33 upset of No. 5 Somerville. This is a great win for a program that desperately needed one. Bridgewater-Raritan started the season 0-10 and there were not-so-silent grumblings about the program's status.
But coach Jeff Coates has a winning history, and his girls really are starting to come together. Three weeks ago, there was no way BR wins this game. But a core group of previously inexperienced players now has more than half a season's worth of experience, and it's paying dividends.
The fallout is not good for Somerville. The Pioneers may be the easiest team to figure out in an unpredictable county. They have 15 wins against teams they were favored to beat, and three losses against their three best opponents. Of course, they entered this game with nothing to gain, and everything to lose. Tough spot, but maybe this team really is the product of an easy schedule. Just hard to figure out considering nearly the identical team was within one possession of going to the SCT final last season.
As for the other two games, Rutgers Prep won rather convincingly, and Bernards beat North Plainfield 39-37 on a buzzer beater by someone not named Catherine Carr.
Carr, who regularly scores more than 2/3 of her team's points, got some help from sophomore guard Dana Perotti who converted a fast break layup at the buzzer after making a steal.
The win avenged a 39-36 loss to North Plainfield on Jan. 9. The teams meet again in the regular season Tuesday when Carr shoots for her 2,000th career point. She needs 28 to reach the rare milestone.
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