Here is a listing of his game summaries from 1995-1996.
The Confer Clippers nearly battled their way to their first win of the season in a 51-41 loss. If you missed this game, you missed the Clippers' best game of the season. The first quarter started out a bit slow and they appeared headed towards another blow out defeat, with Parke-Davis I jumping out to a 9-2 lead. However, this time Confer fought back, cutting the lead to 11-10 by the end of the first quarter. Confer continued to open the lead throughout most of the second quarter on some nice combination scoring between Allen "Stilt" Ano and Ian "Wildcat" Jones. Unfortunately, the sprint would end with Confer seeing their final lead of the game at the end of the half: 21-20. Co-coaches Jones and Carter were pleased with the overall performance of this first half and then made what turned out to be a fatal decision: switch from the zone defense to a full court press and zone (if time to set it up). While the strategy seemed sound as Parke Davis I was playing without any substitutes, it ultimately backfired as Parke Davis was able to break the press time after time and get some easy layups. Despite the layups, the Wildcat was able to continue to drive on Parke Davis to attempt to keep the game within reach. Unfortunately, the Clippers were unable to score during the first half of the third quarter. Despite Bench Coach/Disabled Player Stuart "Devil" Collis' efforts to attempt to get the stars in at the end and try and win the game, the 19-8 run that Parke Davis had in the third quarter proved to be the undoings of the Clippers.
Notable Notes and Interesting Happenings:
It is rumored that the Confer Clippers should have lost by a score of 53-41. The team statistician found a third quarter basket by Parke Davis that was never credited to their team. Team statistician, Michael "Bulldozer" Donovan is amazed and confused of this discovery despite bench protests that the alleged "mystery" basket was counted by Donald "Springboy" Adamek and the Devil. On a similar note, the statistician's assistant is rumored to have been drunk and away from his duties for approximately 1:30 of the game. Only 3 points were scored by the Clippers during that period so they were given to the scoring king, "Wildcat" Jones. Allegedly, the statistician's assistant, Dan "Dwinn" Winningham, left his materials in his drunken stupor with his girlfriend. Footage during this 1:30 were of a baby fan (later identified as Kayla Fuller, daughter to Dann "Animal" Fuller of the Clippers) cheering for the team. Sources say that Dwinn has been severely reprimanded and such negligence in the future will lead to dismissal.
Notably missing from the Clippers line up was Jon "Ever so" Fine, Dan "Eeyore" McPherson, and Stuart "Devil" Collis. Fine allegedly had the flu and McPherson had defected to coach his own team. The Devil was bench coaching again and was frequently heard to issue such statements as, "Allen is open underneath," "Get the ball to Ian outside," and "Get up, get up, get up and press." Rumor had it that the Devil nearly substituted himself into the game on his recovering dislocated shoulder due to the absence of guards. However, the Devil did not have any shorts available and would have been unable to sub in. Temporarily notably missing was Jason "The" Boss. The Boss showed up half way into the first quarter, entering with an unknown woman, whom shall be called Ms. Y. Coaches Carter and Jones have allegedly spoken with Boss and are currently deciding whether he shall be fined or not.
Donald "Springboy" Adamek was overheard complaining to Bench Coach Collis about receiving too much playing time during this game. Coach Collis was stunned since Springboy had complained about receiving not enough time in Game 3. The interesting fact is that Springboy played 16 minutes in game 3 and only one more in game 6. One can only suppose that his playing time should be 16 and a half minutes, at least in Springboy's mind.
Here are the complete stats, including opponents summary, from game 6:
CONFER (41)
FG FT REB
MIN M-A M-A O-T A PTS F
Jones 29 10-31 0-0 1-6 4 24 3
Ano 21 4-6 0-0 4-9 0 8 4
Carter 18 2-9 0-0 1-1 0 4 2
Donovan 20 1-4 0-0 3-4 1 3 0
Boss 15 1-4 0-1 2-2 0 2 1
Adamek 17 0-3 0-0 0-6 0 0 1
Fuller 20 0-4 0-0 0-1 0 0 2
Elkins 20 0-3 0-0 1-4 1 0 0
Totals 160 18-61 0-1 12-33 6 41 13
FG%:.317 FT%:.000 Three-point goals:5-20,
.250 (Jones 4-13, Donovan 1-1, Carter 0-5,
Elkins 0-1).Blocks 1 (Ano).Turnovers:26
(Jones 8, Elkins 5, Carter 4, Fuller 3,
Adamek 2, Boss 2, Donovan 2).Steals:15
Jones 6, Adamek 3, Carter 2, Ano, Boss,
Elkins, Fuller).Technical Fouls:None
PARKE-DAVIS (53)
FG FT REB
MIN M-A M-A O-T PTS
Total 160 23-67 2-9 25-46 53
1 2 H 3 4 F
Confer 10 11 21 8 12 41
Parke-Davis 11 9 20 19 14 53
Note, official score was 51-41, but scorekeepers
failed to award Parke-Davis a basket in the 3Q.MVP: Despite 3 turnovers in the first quarter by this MVP and nearly getting yanked by bench coach Collis for this (who later refrained due to a 7 point run by the individual), once again Co-Coach and All-Star Ian "Wildcat" Jones gets the honor for supplying over half of the Confer offense.
Injury Report: Stuart "Devil" Collis (day to day, right shoulder dislocated), Jon "Ever So" Fine (day to day, influenza).
AP Ann Arbor, Clague School - On December 12, we got to truly witness the Confer Clippers Basketball Team in action. However, the game left no joy in Mudville (or Conferland for that matter) as the Clippers lost 63-45. The Confer Clippers final team includes the co-coaches, Ian "Wildcat" Jones and Dean "Chameleon" Carter and nine of the finest that Confer has to offer in: Stuart "Devil" or "6:30" Collis, Michael "Bulldozer" Donovan, Allen "Stilt" Ano, Jason (The) Boss, Jon (Ever so) Fine, Dan "Eeyore" McPherson, Dann "Animal" Fuller, Donald "Springboy" Adamek, and Todd "Grifter" Elkins. The Clippers were matching up well to the taller Waldenbooks II squad throughout the first half. After the first quarter, the Clippers were ahead 14-10, with nine points coming from the co-coach, Chameleon. One of those three pointers came at the first quarter buzzer! Clipper hallmarks during this quarter: First foul went surprisingly to the Devil but so did the first air ball. The first shot and three pointer made go to the Chameleon. For the majority of the second quarter, the Clippers retained their lead, only to go down by two or four at the end of the half. The Clippers did not appear able to score as an imaginary lid was placed over the basket. However, the defense and several lane violations by the Waldenbook squad kept the Clippers in the game. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the Chameleon lost his three point touch, putting up two air balls to end the half. The third quarter would determine the game, though. The Clippers seemed out of sync in this quarter, committing several turnovers when players were not looking for the pass or coming back to the ball. The Clippers continued their cold streak and racked up nine quick fouls, forcing both the Wildcat and Stilt out of the game in foul trouble. The shorter and less talented team that replaced them simply was no match for the Waldenbook squad. End score: 63-43. Highlights: Chameleon 3 pointer shot that went in at the first quarter buzzer. Two powerful blocks by Stilt. A breakaway 2-1 run by Springboy and Devil that unfortunately ended in a travelling call. Most unusual moment: Foul called on red 13, pointing at the Devil when ref meant green 13. Both teams were confused, thinking that Waldenbooks had the foul (which was the end result) and the Devil walked in a circle wondering how he could have gotten his second foul in the first quarter when he had somebody go over his back. The ref rectified the error after a short while.
Here are the stats for the game (as accurate as possibly can be due to several statisticians and what appears to be wrong figures in both turnovers and assists):
Michael "Bulldozer" Donovan:
0-3, 2 offensive rebounds, 1 defensive rebound, 2 fouls, 1 turnover
Dan "Eeyore" McPherson:
0-3 (0-1 3pt range), 1 foul, 2 turnovers
Todd "Grifter" Elkins:
0-0, 1 offensive rebound, 1 defensive rebound, 3 fouls
Jon (Ever so) Fine:
3-3, 2 defensive rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers
Ian "Wildcat" Jones:
5-14 in 2 pt range, 1-3 in 3 pt range, 3-6 FT, 2 offensive rebounds,
4 defensive rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, 4 fouls, 1 turnover
Allen "Stilt" Ano:
1-5 in 2 pt range, 0-0 in 3 pt range, 1-6 FT, 3 offensive rebounds,
9 defensive rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 blocks
Dann "Animal" Fuller:
0-2 in 2 pt range, 0-0 in 3 pt range, 1 offensive rebound, 1 assist,
2 fouls
Stuart "Devil" Collis:
1-2 in 2 pt range, 0-5 in 3 pt range (3 attempts in last min),
1 offensive rebound, 1 defensive rebound, 1 steal, 1 assist, 2 fouls,
2 turnovers (Hm. Talk about all around stats....)
Donald "Springboy" Adamek:
0-2 in 2 pt range, 0-0 in 3 pt range, 1 defensive rebound, 2 steals,
1 turnover
Jason (The) Boss:
1-1 in 2 pt range, 1 offensive rebound, 1 foul, 1 turnover
Dean "Chameleon" Carter:
1-6 in 2 pt range, 4-11 in 3 pt range, 2 fouls, 5 turnovers
Injury Report: The Chameleon and Bulldozer both suffered head contusions but should be ready to play again by the Clippers next game on Jan. 9.
MVP: Ian "Wildcat" Jones - The co-coach was the entire Clipper offense for most of the third and fourth quarters.
AP Ann Arbor - Monday night, Slauson High School was the sight of the first mighty exhibition battle for the Confer Clippers. The Clippers took on a much younger and more physical (hard to believe, isn't it?) Commie High squad. The game was a tight battle until after a couple minutes into the fourth quarter when the Commies broke away. Despite a valiant attempt to come back, the Clippers lost 50-44. Details follow.
Seven conferites and one friend of conferite appeared for the game. The starting line up was: Jon Fine (aka Mr. Fine), Jason Boss (renamed Boss from Enforcer due to similarity in name), Stuart "Devil" Collis, Ian "Green" (non-conferite), and Todd "Grifter" Elkins. On the bench were Allen "Stilt" Ano, Ian "Wildcat" Jones, and Dan "Eeyore" McPherson. The game started with much confusion by both sides. The Clippers could not seem to break the 3/4 court press nor could the Commies figure out the strong zone that the Clippers played early, created by Green. The main production player of this quarter was Green, who scored many points on solo runs. There were some highlights, including a Devil pass to Grifter that left Grifter with a two inch shot that he missed (Stilt having recorded the assist once Devil found the inside man). The quarter ended with Clippers holding a 10-8 lead!
The second quarter witnessed a streak by the Commies that put the game at 18-10 until Stilt and Wildcat came off the bench. Wildcat production was at his norm, spectacularly high. The Wildcat twisted and turned for many a 1 on 3 layup or pull up small jumper. Stilt was having more luck on the defensive glass, pulling down several a Commie miss. However, his luck on the otherside was not so good. Stilt phrased it best by telling the Devil, "When I wished you the hot hand, I took whatever heat that I had and gave it to you so I have little left." In this quarter, the Devil came up with three loose balls, getting a couple assists to the Wildcat. At the half, the Clippers were down two but hopes were high. In the third quarter, the game got really tight. Both Green and Wildcat (aka Ian squared) lit up the scoreboard from the free throw line and many layup drives. By the end of the third quarter, the score was tied up at 38 all. However, in a bizarre maneuver in the beginning of the fourth quarter, both Wildcat and Stilt were replaced by Devil and the Boss. Almost immediately, Clipper communication went to hell (for that matter, it was only the Devil that pointed out that six people were on the floor on the original substitution) in a handbasket. The zone also loosened up or was completely ineffective in getting to the open man as the Commies started racking up three pointers (some arguably that were over the line). The score quickly became 50-38. Wildcat then came in, which got the score back to 48-42. However, communication problems continued for the Clippers.
Somehow, Stilt never got back into the game to help the inside game for the Clippers. Also, with the exception of one three point attempt by the Devil, which went in and out, nobody attempted three pointers close to the game end. Mr. Fine had the ball in three point land and despite being yelled at by teammates to shoot, held on to the ball. Clearly, such last minute situations had not been anticipated by the Clippers and need much work.
After the game, it turned out that the basketball game was not the only game that was going on. Apparently some high school girl asked Todd if the Devil had a girlfriend. Grifter told the girl that he thought that the Devil was married. As a second choice, she asked Grifter's name, and he wisely replied that his name was Bill, he was 13 and not from the Ann Arbor area. When the Devil was told of all this, he had his ego massaged really well. However, he was soon to be crushed. When another of the Commie spectator girls accidentally took the Devil's basketball, he called to her, saying, "Excuse me, that's my basketball." She replied, "I'm sorry, SIR, here you go." Needless to say, the Devil was astounded that he could be called sir and had his ego shot to hell. MVP: Wildcat - When he was in, the Clippers were a whole different team. Communication was better, shooting percentages went up, ball movement improved (but still was not wonderful), and the game flow was much better each time the Wildcat got on the floor.
Areas for the Clippers to improve: Ball movement - With few exceptions, the ball was being taken up the court by the wrong person, one person was trying to do too much, and/or once the ball got to half court, the ball tended to only get passed once or twice for a person to take one shot without sufficient personnel to rebound. When the ball was moving better, the ball would get by the first trap and would leave a large hole to the inside. Four people would be left to take out three. Surely someone could find an open shot in this scenerio. Rebounding - The Clippers do suffer from a lack of size and jumping ability with the exceptions of Stilt, Wildcat, and the Boss. However, the Clippers seem too content to try and take one outside shot and fall back without trying for the rebound. Whether this was due to great boxing by the Commies is unknown. Limited time offense - Here, the Clippers seemed completely loss. They simply did not know or understand (or both) how to use the clock efficiently and when to take the three pointers.
All in all, despite the negatives just listed, this game was a strong step in the right direction for the Clippers. They fought an equal or better strength opponent and kept them in check for most of the day, even for the first quarter where their best player and tallest player were out for most of the time. The team has potential and I'm looking forward to future reports on their exhibitions, such as this one, and games in the regular season.
AP Ann Arbor - The Confer Clippers (so named for their resemblence to the football penalty, not the basketball team) once again battled the Burns Park Marauders on their home territory this past Friday. The battles were brutal. A large, healthy Clipper cast showed at the many games. Players included: Stuart "Devil" Collis, Allen "Stilt" Ano, Michael "Bulldozer" Donovan, Ian "Wildcat" Jones, Alex (aka Purple), Jason (aka Enforcer), Todd (aka Grifter), Dan (non conferite), and another non-conferite whose name escapes me. A game by game summary shall soon follow, relating the details of the several battles that took place between these arch-foes....
Game 1 - This game could best be summed as anti-climatic. The Clippers put the Devil, Bulldozer, Ted (non-conferite), and Purple on the floor. The Clippers started off hot, taking a 3-2 lead off of some excellent outside shooting by the Devil. Rebounds, the few that were to be had in this early opening were mostly handled, as expected by Purple. The game showed promise at 5-5, the Devil still hot from the outside but the remainder would show the Marauders completely shutting down the Clippers. Dave, the Marauder, started covering the Devil up close from the outside, thus shutting down the outside game. The Clippers seemed to give up at this point. Players stopped moving and the Devil was forced to give up two turnovers on risky passes. Furthermore, the ball stopped moving and no inside shots were attempted, with only one or two exceptions when Dan subbed in for Ted. Final score: Marauders 12 - Clippers 6. Confer MVP: Devil (due to 3 points in 4 attempts and lack of any outstanding player).
Game 2 - This was perhaps the most exciting game (of the 4 on 4 games) of the day. The Clippers sent, arguably, their most powerful four man team to the floor (that was available) - Enforcer, Stilt, Wildcat, and Grifter. The game was a see-saw battle that eventually ended in a 12-10 victory for the Clippers. Stilt was an effective scorer from the inside, Enforcer took the vast majority of the rebounds for the Clippers, and Wildcat made the vast majority of his breathtaking moves (although not scoring as often as normal from the inside with his several spinning and seemingly invertibraic moves), and Grifter moved the ball around for equal good scoring opportunities for all - so good, in fact, that the Enforcer scored twice (once from the outside, even)! No subs were taken during the entire game by the Clippers, while the Marauders made one. While it is a shame to name anyone the MVP for this game, due to the wonderful team work during this game, I shall have to give the award to the person that made the game winning shot, since it is so rare when the Marauders are beaten by the clippers: Ian "Wildcat" Jones.
Game 3 - A scrimmage between the game 1 Clipper team and the game 2 Clipper team. This game could best be described as a good joke. Devil's squad, badly outsized and outclassed, were destroyed 12-3. The game was tied once at 1-1 on another Devil outside shot (after the first one ended in an airball). Once again, the Clipper game 2 squad moved the ball and used all players well. Completely contrary, the Clipper game 1 squad suffered from lack of trust with Ted and Dan attempting many 1 on 4 shots from horrible positions. Only when Purple subbed in for Bulldozer, did the game 1 squad get another couple of points, coming from better ball movement and an inside shot by Purple. The only thing truly interesting about this game was an alleged confrontation between the Devil and Wildcat. Wildcat apparently was dissatisfied with some contact by the Devil when the Devil was chasing a loose ball. Later, Wildcat apologized to the Devil for losing his cool but the Devil replied, "I had not even noticed you were angry." Any tension that might have been between the Devil and Wildcat quickly disappeared after these statements. MVP: Allen "Stilt" Ano - The man's size allowed too many easy inside shots and was too much for the smaller game 1 squad.
Games 4 - 6 were a blur to this reporter. The confer team consistently put up strong battles but were also consistently beaten. The reason that games 4 - 6 were such a blur were that subs were being made frequently and furiously. Game 6 even witnessed Marauder, Tim, on the side of the Clippers. Allen "Stilt" Ano, playing in this formation with Grifter and the Devil was heard to say, "Wow! This is so nice, having real outside shooting on my team." Other notable quotes from these games were, "Gee, Stu, we should call you Windex" referring to the Devil coming down with several rebounds, unlike normal. "I made an inside shot," by Devil referring to making his first inside (and only) inside shot of the day of the three he took, also referring to his inverse shooting accuracy when he gets closer to the basket!
Game 7 - This was a true classic treat for this reporter. Several players being too tired to continue, 4 brave Clippers took on 3 Marauders. The starting Clipper team in this full court 3 on 3 game was the Wildcat, Devil, and Grifter. The Bulldozer sat on the bench. The game was a true thriller. The lead see-sawed the entire game, ending in a disappointing 14-12 loss for the Clippers. Highlight of the game: Devil blocking a shot at the 12-12 mark. MVP: Wildcat - His frequent bursts of speed and his wonderful inside game due to his feline acrobatic acts, made the game truly a battle that just fell short of victory.
The strike is over and I am back. Last Friday was no ordinary MS basketball day. It was a day of great transition. Puppy "I can't shoot 'til 6:30" Paws showed up for the first time in 3 weeks, claiming partial recovery from the high ankle sprain, with an ankle brace on. Allen "Stilt" Ano showed up without his ankle brace. Dean "Hook" Carter (So named for the many more hook shots that he takes, even more than the Paws.) ended up spraining both of his ankles. Four games were played in one hour. For the first three games, teams were: Stilt, 6:30, and Grifter versus Ian, John, and Hook. Surprisingly, despite Paws' slow play and inability to drive on John, the teams were relatively evenly matched. Ian's team eeked out the first game, led by his phenomenonal cat-like ability to bend, twist, and turn in every direction while allowing just enough of his body to remain in enough of a position to put the ball in the hoop. There was much fine ball movement by this team and the crippled Paws could not keep up. However, after swiping some of John's water, a new Paws showed up for game two. Oops. Just noticed a misprint. Grifter was on Ian's team for the first three games and Hook was on Stilt's team for the first three games. Anyways, the renewed Paws started to test his ankle and began jumping slightly higher than a "Bulldozer" Donovan jump. His shot started to come alive (although eratic, throwing up two air balls in this game) and his speed, slightly increased. Rumor has it that he even scored a shot from underneath the hoop on a rebound. However, we're still looking at the replay to check that it was he. During this game, Stilt was able to shoot and score from the outside, leading his team to the victory over Ian (and this can be meant literally 'cause his teammates didn't help much in the scoring department for that game). Game 3, however, was a reversal. At one point, the score was 7-0, until Paws and Stilt came alive for a small spurt, bringing the score to 8-6. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late as the Ian squad woke up and won. Hook, complaining that he could not move much due to ankle sprain number one, wanted to cover Paws, who was now beginning to loosen up and score well, but still couldn't move much. Thus, John was traded for Paws. Paws made the basket from the top of the key for the ball, and proceeded to knock down just about every other shot he took, even an ugly hook after watching Hook miss on a similar ugly hook shot. After this game ended in the new Ian's team favor, this reporter left due to a writing deadline. MVP: Ian - who needs a nickname....
The reporter having arrived late on the scene (muttering something about Allen always being late, so why couldn't he) could not see many of the early games. However, he did get to watch three games. In two of the games, the Devil was paired with Allen, Matt (I'm a med student) Moore, and two guys that this reporter cannot remember the name of. The opposition was Ulysses (or Dwinn depending on who was holding the camera), Ian, Donovan, John, and Jeff. Jeff pestered the Devil for much of the first two games. Devil, claiming that he was high on adrenline (something about no longer being a law student), however was on the defensive prowl, making 3 steals early and coming down with many rebounds. His shooting, however, left much to be desired. Ian, being covered by Allen, was his normal spectacular self and Allen quickly tried to pawn Ian off on one of his teammates. Allen then ended up covering Ulysses (to which Ulysses said something like, "Yeah, like I'm going to score now"). Dwinn was a big help to Ian, scoring several times from the inside. John, also helped Ian on the fast break. As a consequence of all this, the Devil's team wound up losing both games. In the third game, teams were Devil, Donovan, Allen, John, and Matt versus Ian, Dean, Ulysses, and the two guys who's names I cannot remember, and Jeff. Devil was relegated to covering Ian due to all of his adrenaline. Amazingly, Ian was held to only one point during the first 9 points of Ian's team. Allen was quickly injured when he "accidentally" stepped on Ian's foot during a drive. Speculation states that Ian got under him on purpose to discourage the Devil's side. However, the Devil's team rallied around their injured comrade. A sub came in and the Devil's team actually hedl the lead for much of the game. However, Ian would eventually break out. After another rebound by the Devil, the Devil's adrenaline worked against him and he coughed the ball back up to the Ian-meister. Ian laid it up for a quick point. The game would soon end on another Ian drive.
Since this reporter's newspaper is on strike, we will not be able to post MVPs nor show at next week's basketball until the strike is resolved. See ya in a couple.
11 people actually showed to bask in the heat and basketball glory. This reporter suffered mild asthma problems while watching the m:sers attempt to play ball. Guest appearances were made by Matt Moore (Niwanda), and a couple of his friends. Dr. Strangelove, Puppy Paws (apparently now taking a younger view of life with this new pseudo?), Allen, Ian (chances of showing are slim), Donovan, Purple (I'm not showing, really!), John, Grifter all showed, too. Some would argue that this group would have to be crazy to play ball in 98 degree heat with a 120 heat index. However, I think these fine souls represented what's best in playground basketball - the willingness to go on despite all overcoming odds. (Is it getting thick in here or is it just me? :) ) The games were slow, stopping at every 5 points. Nobody seemed able to move except Ian. Even Purple was visibly tired and unable to jump about as much as normal. Consequently, the MVP must be Ian. See you all on Friday.
7/7/95, Burns Park, Ann Arbor was a day for all the giants to get back together. No, it is not the ones who supposedly play baseball in San Fransisco. Nor are they the ones that are misnamed New York rather than New Jersey, where they really play football. These giants are the regular ms basketball players. The Devil and "Bulldozer" Donovan returned after a three week absence. Allen returned after missing the previous week. Grifter, however, despite saying that he would show, was noticeably absent. Furthermore, that donkey that thinks he's blue even though he's gray (Eeyore) was also missing for the umpteenth week in a row. John eventually showed around 6:30 (when Devil went cold as opposed to hot - it was an inverse Devil-day). The first two games had teams of Ian, Devil, and Bulldozer versus Allen, Dwinn, and MC. Speed and sharpshooting versus height and bulk. Both times, height and bulk proved they were too much for the sharpshooters. Of course, much of that might have had to do with the fact that Allen was scalding hot! He could shoot from the outside, the inside, tip, and score when fouled. There was simply no stopping the man. He frustrated the good ball movement and shooting of the sharpshooters to no end. Furthermore, the Devil had a difficult time being picked several times by Dwinn and having the ball merely tossed above his head several times to MC when the Dwinn pick wasn't working. The Devil decided to start anticipating the ball a bit more and hence got burned a few times but did come up with several turnovers. MC was also heard to say that the "Devil is starting to break through some picks," although even the Devil wasn't sure how. In those first two games, Donovan also had the bank shot going in for him when shooting from the outside. However, as expected, the smaller team was out rebounded and was their eventual demise (besides the outstanding Allen shooting).
The next two games were the following teams: Allen, Devil, Donovan, and Ellie (yes, the shrimp was back) versus Ian, Dwinn, MC, and John. It was another game of mismatches. Devil was placed on Ian and Ellie on John. John and Ian would combine for most of the points as Ellie could not keep up with the speedy John and after the first three points, the Devil could not adequately match up with Ian and his many moves. However, before those three points, the Devil had a couple steal break aways for easy layups - one of which just wouldn't go in but was gracefully followed up by Ellie. Soon after, the speed would wear down the old Devil and Ellie was nowhere to be found on John. Dwinn and MC had little to do. As the evening wore on, Allen, Devil, and Donovan all went ice cold. No hoop would go in as much as they tried. ball movement started to cease as everyone tried to jump start the scoring. However, it was a lost cause as the second game was a 12-4 (or was it 2?) loss. The first game was much closer (13-11) due to a non-tired Devil and better ball movement. The telling sign of the second game was three tips by Allen, and none going in despite being inches from the hoop.
MVP for the 3 on 3 games - who could doubt it? Allen
MVP for the 4 on 4 games - John. Without his presence, Ian would have been
doubled and tripled. His extra speed helped Ian break open and they were
a terrific assist-shooting tandum. Simply unstoppable.
Friday was a hot and humid day for basketball but many of the msers showed anyways. Notably missing were Eeyore and Ulysses. However, the following people were there: Dwinn, Devil, Donovan, Allen, Grifter, John, MC, Purple, and Ian. The first set of teams (once all the m:sers showed) was: Allen, Purple, Devil, Dwinn, Donovan versus Ian, Grifter, John, MC, and that little Ellie kid. What should have been a sure victory due to size advantage (with even the Old Devil enjoying a height advantage over Ellie) turned out two be two sound defeats. In the first game, the old Devil was hot. He burned Ellie off the dribble once. Another time, the Devil actually went inside, completing the basket with a reverse layup over the meddlesome MC. The Devil's hook was hot and his passing was crisp (most of the time). With the score 10-4 in favor of the Devil's team, Donovan started crying out, "MVP! MVP!" after the Devil's last score. Devil subsequently went cold for the rest of the game. Ian, on the other hand, would have none of that chant. His game picked up a notch and he scored at least 6 of the next 8 points to lead his team to victory. His moves were simply breath-taking and spectacular. He was aided by his blocking partner in crime, MC. MC rotated off many passes to cover the shooting Devil, coming down with several blocks (including the second game where the teams were the same). He seemed to be a dark blanket that hung over the Devil - always lurking and waiting to snuff out the Devil's spark. Game 2 was much of the same except that MC blocked everyone. He simply was everywhere. Ian also continued his hot scoring assisted by Grifter who opened up Ian's game even more by becoming the outside scoring threat. Game 3 was the same teams except that Ellie and Purple had left. Devil regained his shot (and composure) before leaving at 7:20 to direct the U-M Bridge Club. In game 3, finally the Devil's team won. At any rate, there were some incidences of note: First - big collision between Ian and Devil on the last point of game one, leaving the Devil winded. Ian had dribbled around a defender and the Devil picked him up coming around. Both jumped at the same time and collided in mid-air. Neither were seriously injured. Second, the Devil gave Ellie a bloody nose with a clear shoving infraction. A foul was called. :) Third, Purple and Grifter were picked ahead of the Devil. The Devil was overheard to say to Purple, "I knew you would replace me with all that hustle and extra height." However, Purple did not live up to his pick, making few shots and having trouble getting to the ball on rebounds - usually not a problem for him.
Time for the awards. There was some spectacular play by Ian, MC, and the Devil. To shirk any from an award would be a crime. However, as noted, an MVP cannot be from the losing team. Therefore, the Devil cannot be considered for the MVP. However, he can be the losing team MVP and he is so named. The MVP should go to Ian. While MC made the blocks, he could not convert many times from the inside. Ian also was the person to shift the tides in the 12-10 victory. Without him, it would have been a certain defeat rather than tenuous victory. MC gets the defensive player award. It was simply phenomenal. He swatted down more shots than a fly swatter could swat flies. Congratulations on the awards and I hope to see you all on Tuesday.
Yes, sportsfans, Friday (so sue me if I have a life and can't post these quickly enough) was another exciting day of basketball. Many m:sers showed. The old Devil showed to try and appease the basketball g-ds. Others present were: Allen, MC, Dwinn, Eeyore, Donovan, and Dragon!. I feel obligated to report that there were others there but this reporter is getting a bit feebleminded and cannot remember them for the life of him. It was also a bit difficult to keep track of who came and left when there were so many non-conferites showing and leaving. Suffice it to say that many games were played between 5:30 and 7:45. Here are the highlights: The old Devil didn't have much to do in the way of shooting except for a 2 on 2 game versus Eeyore and in a 3 on 3 versus Dragon! The Devil was heard to comment, "Oh, wow! Finally, somebody is covering me that is smaller than me," referring to the Dragon. The Dragon did not seem to appreciate this comment and snarled. So, the Devil had to teach him a lesson. The seemingly impossible happened: the Devil posted up on the Dragon and took him to the hole on several occassions. In another game, Eeyore commented on a pass that the Devil made to seemingly nobody by sarcasm. The Devil did not like the remark so he made a perfect bounce pass through three defender's hands to the very tall Allen to get an easy point. Dwinn was supposedly awed by this play. Allen played his normal tall game. If the ball was over your head, he had it. However, the big surprise of the day was Bulldozer Donovan. He actually had a shot and some finesse that Friday. Instead of being the assist king, he let the Devil take over that task and he was putting in the hoops from the outside and inside. He was relentless on the boards, coming down with several rebounds and several points. His day was only flawed by the comment to this reporter, "Does this mean that I was good enough to be the MVP?" On that comment alone, the man should be shot for his arrogance. But, like Charles Barkley, he was right...THIS TIME and he gets the MVP for the M:Sers for last Friday. See you all tomorrow at 5/5:30.
Yes, it is another late recap of the Friday follies. However, a great man once said, "It is better late than never." Teams were switched around so fast and frequently that it would be meaningless to post rosters. This past Friday also must have been the most bloody/brutal of Fridays. John went out of the games before the games ever started. Then, Wolfsong tripped over Purple and she was sidelined for the rest of the day with an ankle problem. Sources say that neither the injuries to John or Wolfsong are serious. Later, Donovan tried to hold on to Allen while on a 1-1 breakaway by Allen (later referred to as the Giant) and he was shaken by the Giant. The result was that Donovan was sliced open along his whole leg and arm. Blood was spilled but no foul was called as it was Donovan's foul to begin with (that was not called). In the 4 on 3 (when Allen, Ian, and Purple were against Grifter, Devil, Donovan, and Dwinn), the old Devil was getting badly battered by Purple on the boards. Several times he complained of bumps to the face, chin, and neck. No fouls were called even though a hack on the wrist later did draw a small amount of blood. The injury was not serious and we are told that the scabs should be gone by next Friday. While the 4 on 3 was clearly in favor of the 3 players in the open court, there was one astounding event that apparently has been already written into the annals of MS basketball history. There was a breakaway by Allen and the old Devil managed to get back to defend. A trailer followed Allen but it did not appear that one would be necessary for how could the tiny Devil defend against the mighty Giant? The old Devil stood his ground before the basket, forcing the Giant to approach the basket straight on. Then, summoning all his strength, the Devil leaped at the moment the Giant began to release the ball, and smothered the shot. Donovan fell to the ground in shock. The crowd roared. The old Devil took the ball down court and after a couple of passes, he ended up with the ball and with the wounded Giant coming at him, the Devil buried a shot from the left in three-point range. The Giant was humbled. Of course, the Devil showed that his greatness was to be short-lived. After the great snuff, the Devil ran out of steam (at his old age, it was amazing that he was still standing after the 4 on 3 game) and no longer could defend or pass. His shot was eratic, also. The Devil blamed these later occurrences on his allergies and asthma. Skeptics say that the Devil just couldn't accept that he sucked the rest of the day. MVP = Purple - the man just hustled everywhere. he came up with rebounds from nowhere. He always seemed to be around the ball. Furthermore, his shot seemed to keep going in without any problems. Do note that Purple is probably the greatest liar since the Devil. Purple also came in stating that he was out of shape and sucked. His play to date has proved elsewise. See you all on Tuesday and the MS Baskeball News will be there to cover the games. Until then....
Yes, last Friday was another exciting and invigorating day on the basketball court for both the players and fans (including the very youngest of them). The day started off with the warm-ups and the choosing of teams. Allen and Ian were chosen as captains to pick their teams. Allen made the surprising choice of the old Devil (He can't shoot until 6:30) in the second round. His explanation was, "Well, I need a point guard." Teams were set for what was to be a bloodbath (literally). Allen had the old Devil, the Bulldozer Donovan, Dwinn, and Damn if this reporter can't remember the fifth versus Ian, Eeyore (I have moves and no shot), John, Grifter, and Damn once again if this reporter cannot remember the fifth. Some would have questioned Allen's choice of the old Devil after the first two trips down the court as he made what could only generously be called poor passes into opposition hands. However, all doubts were soon to be erased as the Devil's defense turned into a few fast breaks for the twirling, spinning, and unstopable Allen. Allen amazed all by even making outside shots. He was simply unstopable during the first game of the tri-header. Both teams had stifling defense. Turnovers became frequent occurences. One ball was even turned over to Kayla. Somewhere during the first game, Eeyore went down with a sprained ankle and knee. Soon after, Ian got his finger cut. (I did say that there was a bloodbath, didn't I?) The game was ended by the Devil's shot over a flying Grifter for a 12-10 victory. The second game, gave the Devil a chance to defend more than handle the ball. Dwinn and Donovan took over Allen's roll, scoring close to all of the heroes' points. The score was more amazing: 12-8. Finally, the clock struck 6:45 and it was the Devil's turn to score points. He scored four of the eight or nine of the points for the heroes but they were not enough. They finally lost 12-8 or 9. The Devil wanted to faint from the hard exercise and knowing that he had to play bridge in 5 minutes but he managed to leave the court with Eeyore. After that, this reporter lost interest and stopped reporting. I will once again report next week. To all your basketball fans and players: I look forward to seeing you soon. MVP for the past Friday: Allen Ano, who had his entire game on for the first time this year.