NCHS Handles Moline 60-40 To Reach Sweet 16

The Normal Community Ironmen played aggressive, fundamentally sound defense and withstood a sizable Moline home crowd advantage to tip the Maroons 60-40 on Wednesday night.

The Ironmen jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held the edge for the entire game, maintaining a 24-18 cover at the half.

In the second half the NCHS road-weary fans and cheerleaders watched their players use crisp passing to break the press and the half court zone. While the defense turned in a comparable half, the offense stretched the lead to 25 midway through the fourth quarter.

Normal extended its record to 25-6 on the season, and plays East Saint Louis on Friday night in the sectional championship game.

McDonald Tabbed To Lead NCHS February 8

Newton County High School assistant sophomore boys basketball coach Joe McDonald has been asked to serve as head coach for one game on Tuesday, February 8 in Dixie.

The road contest against the Edison High School Bulbs was originally scheduled as a home game, but had to be postponed when the EHS bus driver was detained by lion-related injuries.

The conference game had to be rescheduled, with February 8 being the viable alternative. Since that date coincides with the head coach's obligation as keynote speaker for the International Foundation for the Deaf annual conference, the temporary promotion came to fruition.

McDonald's debut will be the second generation to take the helm. McDonald's father coached over a dozen high school teams to winning records in fourteen years.

"It's exciting to be part of the tradition for NCHS and the family," McDonald said. "The way to honor both is to provide the same quality Steelworker basketball, in execution and teamwork, that we've coached all year."

NCHS Wraps Up Tournament At 3-1

The Newton County High School Steelworkers finished a successful Martin Luther King Holiday Classic basketball tournament in Ritztown with a split of games on Monday.

Facing the Squaws of Nipperton in the morning game, the team almost literally handed their opponents the lead with ten turnovers in the first quarter alone. Most of the miscues were errant passes that turned into fast break points for Nipperton.

"My favorite was the pass on the fast break that sailed over the backboard," assistant coach Joe McDonald quipped.

Satellites aside, the sophomores got their game under control. After falling behind by as many at 15, they made an impressive fourth quarter rally to trim the lead to seven with three and a half minutes left before rediscovering their flair for miscues down the stretch.

"We're averaging about 18 turnovers a game," said the head coach afterward. "If we convert six of those into points, we'd be winning games going away. It gives us room for improvement, which is what we want in the second half of the season."

Nonetheless, NCHS did continue to shoot impressively from the free throw line overall, finishing around 70% for the tournament.

The second game was a matchup with the Jartmouth Screaming Mooses, a scraggly-haired bunch from the Chicago suburbs. The Steelworkers' point guard Manny Duzwell had his best game of the event, unloading 15 points on an assortment of driving layups and free throws. They dominated the glass, giving up nearly zero offensive rebounds, and held them to just 19 first half points. In the second half they were far more generous, allowing over thirty points and clinging to a dwindling ten point lead in the final minutes. When at last a desperation game-winning three pointer missed the mark, Newton County could embark on the long snowy bus ride home with high heads and a 12-2 record on the season.

NCHS Practice #27

15 minutes Mikan (16 in 30 secs), reverse Mikan (14 in 30 secs), 3 man weave, penetrate and score from all 9 R&R spots (top, wings, corners... as in 5 out. Tops and bottoms, as in 4 out). Start in triple threat during R&R spots.

10 minutes D station. 2 v 2 wing-wing help and recover.

5 minutes shell drill. 5 v 5 shell RB. First team to 3 D boards wins.

8 minutes BLOB Cross.

7 minutes SLOB EP and Celtic.

10 minutes post-perimeter. Perimeter feed "post" and react to defender - Laker cut high, low, or adjust to corner.

10 minutes 2 v 0 power dribble.

10 mins 5 v 5 must do power dribble before shoot.

NCHS Whips Donkeys

The Ritztown High School tournament served up an easy opponent for the Newton County High School Steelworkers in game two, and the Steelworkers opted to take it easy on them in the first half.

Partially drained by a rough game against Ziegfried High earlier in the day, the Workers treated defense as optional for several first-half stretches and couldn't seem to solve cross-court screens that opened up clean layups. As a result, the Ditchfield Donkeys accumulated 19 points by the break, after failing to break 15 until the fourth quarter of their opening game.

"That was not Steelworker basketball," said the NCHS head coach among other comments with the calm of a man covered by fire ants.

The half time tongue-lashing worked. With temperatures in the four-court dome falling in the late afternoon as the heater shut off, Newton County froze Ditchfield's offense to the tune of a 1-point third quarter.

With a 15 point lead to start the fourth quarter, the entire bench saw significant minutes. The closest thing to drama was when Bert Watcher inadvertently felled his own teammate Willie Makit with an ill-fated knee to the groin.

The 2 1/2 hour bus trip home was a joyful one, capping a day that begin with a departure from the NCHS lot at 8:45 a.m., and the team arrived home by 10:00 p.m. Following an off day Sunday, the team will make the same round trip on Monday for another double-header.

The Steelworkers yield just 38 points per game, well below the team goal of 50.

"We're pleased to be 11-1, but more focused on getting better as players, people and a team," the coach added. "Our teams have peaked before at this point. We're halfway done, and need to find our way to the next level."

Wooden He Be Happy

"I always thought the repetitiveness of what they did, the fact that they looked the same and played the same every year, was admirable." - Geno Auriemma, women's basketball coach of NCAA-record Connecticut Huskies with longest consecutive game winning streak

"No matter what the game, we have a focus. If they're really good as shooting threes, we don't want them to get those off... it's always about the little things, about being as good as you can be on every possession. It's not about the score." - Maya Moore, star senior Connecticut player

"The Huskies almost always play with intensity and fundamental soundness. Everybody flashes to the ball, so they rarely get trapped. They play man-to-man defense but double-team and help so energetically that they appear to be playing a matchup zone. They box out so forcefully that opponents' misfires sometimes hit the court, and all of them hit the floor in pursuit of loose balls, after which they rush to help each other up with an urgency that suggests firemen getting victims out of a burning building. They even have a system to help bench players keep their heads in the game. Every season one reserve is charged with springing up and high-fiving the rest of the team after a made three-pointer."

Auriemma was talking about UCLA coach John Wooden's teams, who hold the men's record with 88 consecutive wins. It looks like he's built a pretty admirable program himself!

NCHS Soars Over Gargoyles

Newton County High School used intense team defense and selfless quality passing to pin down the Pintville Gargoyles quickly on Saturday night.

The scouting report on Pintville was not in their favor entering the night. They'd lost to both Mayan and Saltville convincingly, both teams that Newton had handled easily. Yet the Steelworkers took nothing for granted, pitching a shutout in the first period 10-0. They were customarily stingy on the defensive boards, but surprisingly dominant in offensive rebounding as well, hoisting 26 shots in the first two quarters on a variety of short-range chip shots and put backs.

Pintville missed all of their three pointers, and were shaky enough with the ball that NCHS extended its ball pressure further out into the passing lanes than usual.

The team's improvement over the first half of the season was seen plentifully. Guard Bert Watcher led the ledger in points for the first time, typifying a well-spread scoring attack. Likewise his teammates took advantage of defensive overplay and found each other on back cuts to the hoop for easy layups. The ball was worked around patiently rather than hoisting quick shots. Defensive players kept their feet grounded rather than reaching or jumping for cheap fouls.

The discipline on both ends of the court resulted in a steadily increasing lead - to 15 points at the half, 20 by the third quarter and 23 by the end.

The sophomore squad heads into a two week winter break with a 7-1 record playing its best ball of the season.

"We've got a tough January ahead of us," the coach said afterward. "We need to make sure we get in our cardio and shooting to stay sharp."

Workers Devour Puppies

Newton County High School overcome a short roster to come from behind to victory against the Mayan Puppies on Tuesday night.

Playing at home in front of a crowd of fifty, including a few who weren't related to the players or coaches, the Steelworkers had the best seats in the house for a pair of quick three-pointers in the opening minutes.

"I saw a fair amount of walking going on out there... we're done with that now, right?" demanded the coach.

The barrage of marksmanship only peaked the tide of momentum against Newton County as they fell behind 10-2. The team was without starting point guard Manny Duzzwell (magic act mishap) and clutch guard Justin Sane (funeral for hamster) and was unable to penetrate the Pups' zone defense.

Fortunately emergency point guard Wade Forgreen planted two treys of his own to swing the game permanently in the Workers' favor. Showing unprecedented sharpshooting, NCHS proceeded to drain over 50% of their outside shots to negate the complete absence of a post game. Even Reed Morbooks found the bottom of the net from the left corner as the first half horn sounded, his first career triple, to nudge his team ahead 24-22 at the half.

A halftime adjustment set up a high-low post game that paid dividends early and often. Forward Russ Shower found open shooters on the wing and under the basket with regularity, and was perfect from the free throw line. Guard Jack Klantern provided crucial minutes of defensive muscle against the lead Puppy, and his teammates spread the offensive firepower with four players between 7 and 11 points.

By the end of the game, what originally looked to be a yawner of a contest turned out to be nearly so - in favor of the resilient Steelworkers, who capped a 16-point turnaround from the early deficit.

"We didn't panic," said assistant coach Joe McDonald. "We showed the toughness that's our motto, and the selflessness to make us tough to beat."

NCHS Practice #19

Five minutes full court ball handling. Everyone start with ball on the baseline.

- Drive to quarter court, do 2 reverse pivots (i.e. a 360 degree turn), continue to half court dribbling with opposite hand. Turn around, switch hands, come back.
- Same thing, but do spin move at quarter court. Carry the ball with you through the spin, don't switch hands before the spin.
- Same thing, but do any move you want. Vary speed and direction as you dribble.

Eight minutes Transition trips 3 v 0. All starts with rebound, outlet pass. Third man sprints ahead of the ball to the wing so that outlet man dribbles as little as possible.

- Up to the wing, into the post, score it
- Up to the wing, pass back to point, then back cut to score
- Up to the wing, pass back to point, who drives toward wing side and hits wing in circle movement for shot
- Up to the wing, into the post, Laker cut

Seven minutes 4 v 4 full court - R&R movements in transition

Fifteen minutes 3 v 0 R&R. Lines at the point and each wing.
- Circle movement
- Baseline adjustment (note that opp wing falls to corner)
- Pass and cut - no shot until 4 passes
- Pass and cut - pin screen for best three point shooter
- Pass and cut - back screen for best post

Ten minutes 3 v 3 v 3, white orange skins. Half court.
- Team that wins the possession stays on, loser comes off
- Most points wins, others 5 push-ups

Twenty minutes games to 8
- Offense run any R&R set
- Defense run any set

NCHS Practice #18

Seven minutes of Last Man Standing. Everyone around the hoop. Shot goes up. Rebound and you're out - go shoot free throws. Last man left on the court runs a sprint.

Feed the post - 2 v 2 on wings and in post. Post thinking - score myself, feed post buddy, Laker cutter/re-locate, look opposite. Wing thinking - can hesitate before cut unless man is immediately out of position.

Newton County Outgrapples Bears

After traveling 90 minutes north by bus the day after a snowstorm blitz, Newton County High School's basketball team thought it had passed safely through the worst of the climate. Unfortunately, the real siege began after tip-off against the Bears of Bephis & Budhed Community High School.

Undersized BBCHS came out with a mauling brand of defense condoned by the local referees, egging he Steelworkers into a half dozen early turnovers and a pair of fouls on the starting point guard.

"We lose track meets," said the NCHS coach. "For half a game we decided to run one anyway."

The deficit grew to as many as eight before a few late second quarter baskets cut the lead to four at the break.

As usual the team's salvation was a stifling defense that nonetheless was occasionally victimized by dribble penetration.

In the second half Newton County sank into a less aggressive man-to-man defense that caused an air of anxiety in the Bears' offense as they struggled to find easy shots. Their penetrations disintegrated into off-balance tosses at the hoop in traffic, and the permissive officiating enabled a five-point third quarter that snapped the game into a fourth quarter standoff. The pace changed again for the better thanks to a full court trap.

The momentum changed significantly in the third, as a Steelworkers basket caused BBCHS coach T.P. Cornholio to draw a no-brainer technical foul due to excessive screeching. Leading scorer Wade Forgreen drained a pair of free throws, and later a trey and a handful of tosses from the charity stripe in the final period.

The game see-sawed by a point in the waning minutes until the Workers wore the Bears down with penetration of their own. One of their top defenders found the bench with his fifth foul. Justin Sain drove the lane on three occasions to lay in the go-ahead basket. At a critical juncture Reed Morbooks outhustled the defense on a missed free throw to get the ball back for the visiting team. When the clock read zeroes, the sophomores had claimed a 40-34 victory to run their record to 4-1.

"We were hungrier," said assistant coach Joe McDonald while munching on a LaGondola sub sandwich on the bus ride home. "What are you doing on our bus anyway?"

Steelworkers Beat Kittens

Newton County High School overcame a cold start to top the Utica Striped Kittens on Friday night.

The Steelworkers opened their first home game of the season with a case of the jitters, especially the coach. Under the errant suggestion that missed shots counted for more points than made ones, the team successfully avoiding scoring on seven of their first eight attempts, including an unguarded breakaway layup and several wholesome air balls.

By the end of the first quarter, the team had hoisted seventeen tries and connected on three. At half time, just seven of twenty-eight shots had found their mark.

Fortunately NCHS had done two things particularly well, the way that tough teams do. First, they took care of the ball by surrendering just one first quarter turnover. Second, their defense frightened the Kittens into a barrage of turnovers and limited them to one shot at a time led by Reed Morbooks' ten rebounds. By the half, they found themselves down only four points.

Once the coaching staff amended its instructions, the offense found its stroke. During one stretch the Workers drilled three consecutive three-pointers, pushing them into a lead they would never relinquish.

Key to sustaining victory was free throw shooting at a laser-sighted 88% (14 of 16).

"I guess we should have run more plays with free throw line jumpers," assistant coach Joe McDonald quipped.

When the final horn sounded, the home team had connected on 37% of its shots, enough to eke out a victory and shoo Utica out of town.

NCHS Practice #15

Twenty-five minutes of games to six or eight. Establish different rules for scoring the first basket such as:

1. Must shoot off circle movement (penetrate and kick, dump into post, hit baseline cutter)
2. Must shoot off a cut (pass and cut, back cut, Laker cut)
3. Must shoot off a backscreen or pin & skip

Ten minutes shell drill.
- Dribble help, one quick step yell "Hey!" and recover your gap
- Cutters... man should not get between you and ball

Bitty Ball Handling

Had a good conversation with bro-in-law Thad the other day, he of the college basketball career and current coaching post for our niece. He passed along a few good ball handling drills.

One ball in each hand. Dribble one ball below the waist, and the other above.

Line up a series of chairs. Dribble ahead, bring the ball over the seat of the chair whenever you reach one.

Dribble with gloves on.

NCHS Takes 2 of 3 Over Thanksgiving Weekend

Newton County High School took two out of three games at the Binghamton High School sophomore boys' basketball tournament over the weekend.

The Steelworkers entered the tournament with some untested offensive plays and a laboratory view toward the event, making the result a verifiable success.

The schedule handed them a perfect test subject in their first game against Saltville. The Snackers were literally outmanned, carrying just eight players on their bench.

"We were outheighted at three starting positions," said the NCHS coach.

Indeed, Saltville had two players who were seven feet tall and weighed nearly 170 pounds. Fortunately the proximity to the basket didn't translate into skilled marksmanship, as Newton County jumped out to a 17-4 first quarter lead and cruised to a twenty point victory.

On Saturday the host Binghamton Razorblades played the Steelworkers to a draw for two quarters on the strength of aggressive perimeter rebounding. After some halftime adjustments, the vaunted NCHS defense stifled BHS to just five third quarter points.

The game's two signature moments both occurred at the baseline. In one, a diving Steelworker saved the ball inbounds, flinging it blindly to an open teammate who gunned a three-pointer. Then in the waning minutes, an NCHS player leaped for the ball, whirled mid-air and attempted to fire the ball off of an opponent. Instead he hit the referee squarely in the groin. He crumpled to the ground as if shot by a high-powered rifle, as the gym echoed with the twin noises of the official's anguished wail and the gasp of two hundered people trying desperately to hold back laughter.

The championship game played a few hours later left Newton County with the feeling of a blindfolded hunter carrying a B.B. gun while chased by wolves. More literally, they succumbed to the Wildebeasts of Newton County East by fifteen points. Primarily the Workers were undone by a coaching blunder, as the message to "hit the boards and get to the rim" was uttered so quickly that shooters misunderstood their orders to be to "hit the rim."

"Had we shot 40% from the field, the game would've been even," said assistant coach Joe McDonald, referring to the 25% clangfest. "Or better than 50% from the free throw line."

NCHS made a run to close the gap to six at one point in the second half, but NCEHS employed a unique trapping defense to disrupt the offense's rhythm. The tactic, in which defenders interlocked hands in a circle and jostled the ballhandler washing-machine style until he collapsed, was not without controversy but was overwhelmingly effective.

"We'll play these guys another time or two," said the head coach. "It's not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but that his bark is worse than his bite."

NCHS Practice #11

Twenty minutes pre-game warm-up. Each missed layup means a sprint down-and-back at the conclusion of warm-ups.

Five minutes FT shooting. 2 and rotate. Rebounder should practice boxing out, pinching down, etc.

Five minutes transitions and substitutions on FTs.
- if you're the man back, whether offense or defense, you stand by coach
- if coach calls you to sub in "on the bounce," you head to scorer table once official's bounce pass to shooter hits floor
- line up at scorer's table in crouched position, not lying on floor, not sitting on bench
- run on and run off, communicating to each other as to defensive responsibilities

Ten minutes R&R vs zone... in a 4 out 1 in alignment
- guards should align with the gaps in the zone
- so for example if facing a 1-2-2 then should have two guards high

Five BLOB vs zone "Spread"

Five minutes quarter-ending play
- point, and two at sideline extended from top of key, and two in corners
- count down from 30 seconds, count down and take shot once under 5 seconds, and all crash for tip in

NCHS Practice #10

Pre-game warm up drills:

TIps
- run in from outside, circle the court
- upon reaching half court, line heads toward right side of basket
- first man in line tosses off the backboard
- next man jumps up to catch it in the air, tosses it off the backboard
- similar tips by each player
- last man in line tosses off the left side backboard
- progress through line again

D slides
- form two lines at baseline, by each block
- first in line goes to block, faces baseline, defensive stance
- slide backward zig toward sideline, then zag back toward middle, then zig toward sideline half court
- head to other sideline, slap hands with teammate coming toward you
- go to back of line on opposite side
- progress through line on opposite side

Pass & cut layup lines (2 lines each drill)
- each drill has a passing line and a cutting line
- four sets in all
- first set is point-wing on right side
- point is passing line, wing is receiving line
- passer: makes pass, cuts, receives return pass, makes layup, gets rebound, makes outlet pass, goes to receiver line
- receiver: receives pass, makes pass, cuts across to opposite wing to receive outlet pass, passes to pass line, goes to passer line
- same routine for wing-point right side, point-wing left, wing-point left

Speed dribble layup lines (ball starts at point)
- two sets in all, one with wing on left, one with wing on right
- point makes one dribble toward wing, then makes pass to cutting wing

Feed the post Laker cuts
- two sets in all, one with wing on left, one with wing on right
- wing passes in and cuts
- post becomes outlet after making return pass

3 v 0 circle movement, wing-point-wing, jumpers off the first pass

Rebounding game: offensive players at each short corner and elbow. Make four passes, shoot, rebound

"Board" FT contest. Only count streaks of 3 or more. Longest streak wins, others do push ups.

Fifteen minutes of Phoenix Hagen drill

Five minutes 5 v 5 with defense starting at half court.

Five minutes 5 v 0 running various R&R routines on O
- circle movement
- pass and cut
- speed dribble
- four out, one in

Fifteen minutes Naismith drill
- first to score three unanswered baskets wins

NCHS Practice #9

Twenty minutes warm up.
- Mikan and 2-ball dribbling
- Score from all 5 spots with drive and pull-up jumper from 3-4 feet
- 2 v 0 circle movement from different spots
- 2 v 0 pass and cut
- Shoot and follow

Seven minutes 2 v 2 defense. Offense at point and wing. Designated passer at other wing w/o D. Point starts with ball, passes to "passer," and sets screen for wing. Wing comes up, catches pass. Then passes back to passer and sets screen. Now original point is at point again. Play 2 v 2. Offensive rebounds = run.

Ten minutes 13, 14 defense

Fifteen minutes BLOB 5 v 5 into R&R... and SLOB Safe and 5.

Ten minutes R&R, 5 v 5 position D only

Fifteen minutes R&R, 5 v 5
- five possessions at a time
- track turnovers

Ten minutes Pressure FT drill
- split up at baskets and shoot two FTs. Return to main basket
- if made both FTs, no run. 1 miss, run to HC and back. 2 misses, full court and back.
- repeat. Double the length of running (FC, and FC twice)
- repeat. 1 miss, run HC-back-FC-back. 2 misses, run that route twice.

NCHS Practice #8

Ten minutes stop and shoot jumpers from five R&R spots.

Five minutes Indiana University passing/defensive drill. 3 v 3. Point, and each corner. Offense stays in place. Defense traps O with two men. So each defender guards two people... his man, and the man to his left. If the third man has the ball, then defender floats. Offense must wait for trap before passing. Protect the ball by "ripping it low" - hold the ball low, step with non-pivot foot from one side to another, and rip ball to that side.

Ten minutes BLOB. 5 v 0 Titan both ends, Lion both ends.

Five minutes alley drill until reach 1/2 court, then go live. No middle!

Five minutes form rebounding. 2 v 2. O at wings, D one foot in the lane. Box out long enough for ball to bounce once. Five push-ups for O rebound.

Fifteen minutes press work. 5 v 0 Kansas on both side courts. Then 14 defense.

FIve minutes free throw shooting. Make 75% or team runs.

Five minutes R&R, 2 v 2. O players one position apart. Handler can drive lane, pass, or use speed dribble.

Fifteen minutes half court R&R vs 10 defense.

NCHS Practice #6

Ten minutes R&R 2 v 2 wing-post contest.
- wing decides whether to throw into post or drive the lane
- if into post, then do high or low Laker cut, or corner relocate depending on D reaction
- orange vs white, match up in pairs
- maximum of 2 passes and 1 shot
- 3 points if wing scores (to encourage driving), 2 if post

Five minutes wing close-out drill
- 1 v 1 basically
- D one foot in lane, throw pass, close out
- 3 dribbles max, 1 shot max
- 1 point for score, 1 point if D fails to box out

Ten minutes 4 v 4 rebounding game
- games to 9
- 2 points for D rebound
- 2 points for O rebound, 1 points for basket

Ten minutes 5 v 0 transition. Keys:
- on the rebound, reverse pivot - don't just swing around and start dribbling lest you get stripped