Congratulations!! You are the Champions!!

The LSU boys won one trophy when they finished in first place with a 10-2 record.  Last night they completed the job and won a second trophy when they beat Marquette 37-20 at the Bragg School in Chester to win the playoff championship trophy.

LSU coasted to victory last night after taking a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The lead was extended to 23-8 at halftime and 31-12 after three quarters.  In the fourth quarter, we were able to experiment by starting the fourth quarter with a five man team of all fifth graders, who held their own against the Marquette starters.

The sixth graders finished the game by running out the clock for the most part over the last four minutes of the game.  Will Howes, Walter Rivas and Jesse Milesnick played their final minutes in the fifth and sixth grade division.  Will put the icing on the cake by hitting  a free throw with 1.8 seconds left.

Walter Rivas led all scorers with fifteen points.  Seven of the nine LSU players who played scored points.  The victory was a fitting end to an exciting season.  Congratulations to the LSU players and thank you to the LSU families for your support of the team.

The Hottest Team versus The Best Record

Tonight's matchup between LSU and Marquette features the league's hottest team (Marquette) against the team with the best record (LSU). It also features a contrast in styles between a star-driven offense (Marquette) and a team oriented approach (LSU).

Marquette, 9-4, enters the game with a six game winning streak. They have an average margin of victory of 4.4 points and have scored a total of 426 points in 13 games. Most of those points have been scored by one player. Indeed, Marquette's star player scored 56 of the 67 points that Marquette scored against LSU in the two head-to-head matchups.

LSU, 11-2, enters the game with a four game streak, but that is not our longest winning streak. Between the only two losses of the year, we won seven straight games. Our average margin of victory is 8.7 points and we have scored a total of 479 points in 13 games. LSU boasts two players who average scoring in double figures, and a third who has broken into double figures three times this year. Our current winning streak is the product of full participation by all ten players in both the offense and the defense. Everyone on the team is capable of scoring at any time. Everyone on the team has the confidence to take andmake a good shot.

Game time is 6:30 PM at the Bragg School. Please arrive by 6:10 for pre-game warmups.

Marquette Wins Semi-Final Game in OT

Marquette beat Texas 38-35 in overtime to earn the right to play top-ranked LSU i,n the finals.  LSU beat Marquette handily - by eleven points - in the first matchup.  Marquette got its revenge in the re-match by beating LSU by four points in an ugly contest marred by too many referee whistles.  Marquette, 9-4, relies on one scorer, who scores three-quarters of the team's points.  LSU, 11-2, relies on all ten players.  Indeed, nine of the ten players scored in LSU's impressive semi-finals triumph over Notre Dame.

Nine LSU players score 40 St. Patty's Day Points!

Dateline Chester.  Black River Middle School.  Chester League 5th and 6th Grade Boys Semi-Finals.  Final Score:  LSU 40, Notre Dame 31.  So much for the luck of the Fighting Irish!

Luck wasn't enough when nine LSU players scored points.  With Will Howes defended by four players at most times, the other players stepped up.  Jake Wagner netted a season-high six points to supplement several steals and rebounds for his best game to date.

It wasn't easy in the beginning as Notre Dame came out prepared.  Their offense hit on all cylinders, and their quadruple team of Will Howes put gave them a 9-4 early lead.  Then came the "Posse Plus" who reeled off six straight points to give LSU a 10-9 advantage at the end of the first stanza.

After a tight second period, the score was tied at fifteen.  Then Notre Dame flew right into the heart of the Bermuda Triangle.  The Bermuda Triangle defense stopped the Notre Dame attack, and propelled LSU to a 14-5 third quarter advantage, and a daunting nine point lead.

The passing and team play continued through the fourth quarter.  Notre Dame just couldn't breath through.  "They played like champions tonight," said Borough Council Candidate Kathy Howes, who was in attendance, "they played like a team."

Star Notre Dame Center Andrew Martin led all scorers with nineteen points.  LSU point forward Walter Rivas led the Bayou Bengals with eleven.

Murphy LaFerle to Bring Luck of the Irish - and defense - on St. Patty's Day

It may not have dawned on LSU fans yet, but we are playing Notre Dame - "The Fighting Irish" - on St. Patrick's Day this Tuesday.  That might seem to indicate that the Luck of the Irish would be against LSU.  But it only seems that way.

LSU has a better connection to the real-life Fighting Irish than anyone on the Notre Dame Boys Basketball Team.  And that lucky charm is none other than Murphy LaFerle.  Murphy's mom comes from a big Notre Dame family.  Indeed, Murphy's grandfather was the voice of Notre Dame football for many years.  With a strong Notre Dame Fighting Irish pedigree, the name Murphy was no accident.

But Murphy does more than just bring the luck of the Irish to LSU.  Much more.

Murphy has emerged as a one of the strongest defenders on the team, if not the entire league.  He has developed a knack of stealing the ball from the other team's offense.  Somehow he knows how to anticipate a pass and to intercept it.  Murphy uses his strength and speed to pull down rebounds and get into the right place at the right time.  

Murphy is one of the Fabulous Fifth Graders and one of LSU's unsung heroes.  Odds are that Murphy will make a play on St. Patrick's Day that will put LSU over the top against Notre Dame.

LSU to Face Notre Dame in Semi-Finals

Notre Dame vanquished Villanova 27-24 today in Chester to set up a rematch with LSU this Tuesday in Chester.  Notre Dame now sports a 7-6 record.  LSU is 10-2.  

The cross-town rivals have played three regular season games and one pre-season scrimmage.   The scrimmage ended in a tie.  Notre Dame won the season opener by two points.  LSU has won the last two matchups by five- and nine-point margins.

The winner will advance to the finals against the winner of the Tuesday semi-final game between Texas and Marquette.

Town Team Final Update

Several of the LSU players played on the Peapack-Gladstone Town Team in the Recreation Intertown Basketball League ("RIB"). The RIB is run by the Somerville Recreation Department. During the eight game season, the Peapack-Gladstone team played teams from Somerville, Readington, Bound Brook, Manville, Bedminster and Bernardsville.

Despite the fact that all seven of those towns are much larger than Peapack-Gladstone, the P-G team compiled a winning record, winning five and losing three. We beat Bound Brook, Manville, Readington, Bedminster and Somerville. We lost to Bernardsville and twice to Middlesex.

Participation in the RIB league gave the boys a chance to play against some better competition. For most of them it was their first step into the world of "travel" basketball. Congratulations to all of them on their success.

The Final Standings: We're Number One

1.  LSU (10-2)

2.  Marquette (8-4)

3.  Texas (7-5)

4.  Notre Dame (6-6)

5.  Villanova (5-7)

6.  Louisville (0-12)

First Round:  Texas vs. Louisville; Notre Dame vs. Villanova

Semi-Finals:  LSU vs. Notre Dame/Villanova winner; Marquette vs. Texas/Louisville winner

Finals:  TBD

Congratulations to Coach Lane!

With Coach Pat at home sick, we needed an assistant coach for tonight's final regular season game.  The choice was obvious:  We needed a good organization man who bleeds LSU purple.  There was only one man for the job:  Assistant Coach Brandon Lane.

With Coach Lane on the sidelines, LSU brought balanced attack to the Dickenson School, taking an early 11-2 lead, and holding on to the lead all night against a tough, well-coached Villanova squad.  Seven different LSU players scored.  Will Howes led the way with fourteen point, including two long three-pointers and four from the charity stripe.  Walter Rivas chipped in six as LSU rolled to a comfortable 32-28 victory.

 

With the win, LSU finishes the regular season with 10 wins and 2 losses in sole possession of first place.  Congratulations to Coach Brandon Lane.  This won't be the last game he wins as a player or a coach.

Updated Division Standings

The standings are updated through last night's games. They are as follows:

1. LSU (9-2)
2. Texas (7-4)**
3. Marquette (7-4)**
4. Notre Dame (6-6)++
5. Villanova (5-6)++
6. Louisville (0-12)

Notes:

LSU has clinched the division championship and the number one seed in the playoffs.

**Texas is now seeded second because they win the tiebreakers. Texas has beaten Marquette twice. However, Texas faces Marquette tomorrow. Whoever wins that game will have an 8-4 record and the second seed, and therefore a first round bye.

++If Villanova defeats LSU tomorrow, their record will rise to 6-6 and place them in a virtual tie with Notre Dame. Villanova wins the tiebreaker with Notre Dame, having defeated Notre Dame in two of their three meetings.

Playoff Schedule

The league announced the playoff schedule today.  LSU earned a first round "bye" by finishing the season in first place.  We will play a semi-final game on March 17 at 6:30 at Black River MS.  LSU's opponent TBD.  If we win that game, we play in the finals on March 19 at 6:30 at the Bragg School.

Please clear your calendars for those dates and times.  Please invite friends and family to come support LSU in its quest to win the tournament!

Updated League Standings: LSU on Top

The League has updated the standings for our division.  They are as follows:

1.  LSU (won 9-lost 2)

2.  Marquette (won 6-lost 4)

3.  Texas (won 5-lost 4)

4.  Notre Dame (won 6-lost 5)

5.  Villanova (won 4-lost 5)

6.  Louisville (won 0-lost 11)

The "Bermuda Triangle" Defense

Yesterday, I explained the nickname "shark tank" and how it applies to our zone defenses.  Another nickname that applies to one of our zone defenses is the "Bermuda Triangle".

The Bermuda Triangle is one of LSU's zone defenses.  It is named after the legendary area in the North Atlantic Ocean where ships, planes and sailors have allegedly disappeared over the centuries.  (See map above.)

The Bermuda Triangle is our nickname for the "Triangle-and-two" zone defense that we use on occasion.  The Triangle-and-two is a zone that you don't see often in high school or college.  It is considered a gimmick defense at those levels.  However, at the youth basketball level, especially at this level, it is an effective setup.

In the Triangle-and-two, two forwards defend the zones on the low post and one forward defends the paint.  The three forwards make up the triangle.  The two guards vigorously defend the ball handlers as they cross the half-court line.  (See diagram above.)  Since very few players, if any, at this level are able to shoot effectively from the perimeter, this defense works.

When mixed in with our man-to-man and our other zones, the Bermuda Triangle works.  The ball and the opposing offense may enter the triangle, but they usually will not succeed in their journey to the basket.

In the "Shark Tank"

On the LSU basketball team, we try to have some fun.  Some of our fun comes from the nicknames that we give to some of the players and to parts of our game.  One of our nicknames is the "shark tank".

The shark tank is our nickname for the paint area of the lane on our defensive side of the court.  When we array the team in a zone defense, the person whose job it is to guard the lane and its access to the basket is told to go into the shark tank.  He plays tough and ferocious (yet clean) defense.  The defender in the shark tank is the key to our success when we play in a zone defense.

Agenda for Final Week of the Regular Season

Final Regular Season Game:  Thursday, March 12 at 6:45 versus Villanova at the Dickerson School in Chester

Final Regular Practice:  Tuesday, March 10 at 6:00 at the Peapack Gymnasium.

Playoff schedule TBA.  We will enjoy a first round bye due to our division championship.

"W" Stands for Will, Walter and Winning

Some people might think that "W" stands for the middle initial of the 43rd president of the United States or for the title of the film named after him, but they would be wrong. For the LSU Boys Basketball team, "W" stands for winning while having fun.

Winning starts with a ten man team where everyone contributes. LSU sits atop the division because of the ten young men who play like tigers. It helps, too, that we have two sixth graders who already have one championship season under their belts.

This season marks the second season that Walter Rivas and Will Howes have played together on a team in the Chester League. Last year, Walter and Will played key roles in the success of the Peapack-Gladstone Bulls. The Bulls compiled a 9-1 regular season record to win the 5th and 6th grade division of the Chester League. Will was the team's point guard and leading scorer, averaging over 13 points per game. Walter was the team's leading defender, earning the nickname "the bandit" for his ability to steal the ball from the other team and start a fast break.

Walter and Will brought to this year's team the confidence born in last year's success. Their confidence has infected the other players who have pulled together to create a 9-2 record while having some fun. The team knows that it can always rely on Will and Walter to score some points and keep the team in any game.

Will and Walter have two regular season championships and nineteen wins under their belt, but they have some unfinished business: A post-season championship.

LSU Clinches First Place, 40-31

Three months hard work has paid off for LSU.  It all started after Thanksgiving with practice, then after New Years with our first game.  All ten boys showed up for practices and games and gave it their all.  Tonight they were rewarded.

LSU clinched first place in the Boys 5th-6th grade division with a convincing 40-31 victory over cross-town rival Notre Dame.

The first half was a see-saw battle between the rivals.  Notre Dame focused their energy on LSU point guard Will Howes, who drove the ball to the basket time and time again.  He forced Ethan Vieja into foul trouble in the first half, and more importantly sunk six free throws in the first half.  Using a withering back-court press over the last two minutes of the half, LSU surged to a 20-18 halftime lead.

Then the LSU defense clamped down, holding Notre Dame to 13 points in the second half, only two of which came from star Notre Dame center Andrew Martin.  On offense, Walter Rivas dominated the third quarter with six points and Ryan Lane dominated with six of his own in the final stanza.

Six LSU players scored, with three in double figures.  Walter Rivas and Will Howes scored 11 apiece.  Ryan Lane dropped in ten for his second double-digit game.  Miles Kenny (4), Noah Kleitsch (2) and Nick Liccardi (2) rounded out the scoring.

With a record of nine wins and two losses, LSU has mathematically eliminated all other teams.  Congratulations, men.  Great work!

For Miles Kenny, Winning is "All in the Family"

LSU forward Miles Kenny comes from a long line of successful athletes.  You name a sport, and I could probably name one of Miles's siblings who excels in it:  Football, lacrosse, basketball . . . 

And this is not the first season in which I have had the privilege of coaching one of the Kenny men in basketball.  Last year's Peapack-Gladstone Bulls won a trophy for the regular season championship of the 5th and 6th grade division of the Chester League.  The leader of that team was one Will "Magic" Kenny.

When we started the Bulls, we had two players named Will (Will Kenny and Will Howes).  That situation clearly demanded nicknames.  At the first practice, Will Kenny made shot after shot, to which I quipped, "I guess we've got that old Kenny magic!" which was a reference to the Will's athletic prowess and that of his family.   The nickname "Magic" stuck.  Magic Kenny led the team to a 9-1 regular season record and the league championship.

Exit "Magic" Kenny to the 7th and 8th grade team.  Enter Miles Kenny, one of our fabulous fifth graders.

Miles helps LSU win in a number of ways:  rebounding, defense, points, steals.  He brings a joy to practice and to the games.  He makes it clear that he loves to be there and wants basketball to last forever.  Once Miles called me to ask what time that our 4:30 practice would end, to which I answered:  "Midnight.  Is that OK?"

Miles immediately answered "I wish!"  In other words, Miles would be happy to come and shoot hoops and be with his team mates for hours and hours.

Miles did not get an official nickname at the beginning of the LSU practice season, but maybe he doesn't need one - he is the only Miles on the team, and his name rhymes with "smiles", which is what I see every time Miles comes into the gym.