Paul Baranowski, coach of La Jolla's boys basketball team, said his team's preparation for their first round CIF playoff game at home against Bishop's Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, was a matter of working on what the Vikings do best.
The veteran coach was speaking the morning of the game. His point may seem basic or obvious, but his explanation was in response to a question about how to respond to what Bishop's will throw at the Vikings.
"It's pretty hard in a timeout to start making stuff up," he said. In other words, as La Jolla has to make adjustments, depending on how the game is going and what is happening, Baranowski will tweak or emphasize certain things that his players have already practiced. A team doesn't suddenly start trying to do something it hasn't practiced or isn't accustomed to doing.
The question comes up, at least in this reporter's mind, partly because the Vikes will face certain challenges in ballhandling with point guard Reed Farley sidelined with his second sprained ankle (the most recent occurring in the loss to Cathedral Catholic Fri., Feb. 20).
Will Gaynor Blackmon handle some of those duties? "Yes, but he won't start," said Baranowski. "Morgan (Albers) will start in place of Reed."
Bishop's is known for pressuring the ball, with some quick individuals in the persons of guards Eric Yu and Connor McCroskey, and forward Justin Woodley. The Knights will also try to push the ball upcourt in transition. They're not hesitant to shoot from the outside, or go to the basket if they think they have an opening.
La Jolla would probably be the team of these two rivals that sets up its offense more and uses the 35-second shot clock to look for opportunities for shots.
Albers is not a ballhandler, so that would seem to indicate that shooting guard Ladd "L.C." Castellano will be bringing the ball upcourt part of the time, setting up the offense. It would also seem that senior guard Zach Duffy might handle some of these responsibilities, as he did earlier in the seven-game stretch when Farley was sidelined with sprain number one after the first Bishop's game.
Alex Pitrofsky, Mark Rawdin, and Owen Porter, other Vikings who often start, would have other duties. Their roles do not include handling the ball on the floor or setting up the offense.
McCroskey, a senior guard and co-captain with Yu, is kind of excitable. He reacted and got a technical foul in a game earlier this season. He is tenacious, and plays tough defense. He also wears his heart on his jersey tanktop.
Baranowski, asked about Rawdin, agreed that Mark's strength on offense is at the lower box at the edge of the key. He has worked on and learned certain moves that start with his back to the basket from the low post. He is comfortable taking a pass, putting the ball to the floor, and then wheeling into the lane. He can either stop and shoot the ball from his position on the right side of the lane. Or from the left box, he can step into the lane to shoot a jump hook or other shot.
The question comes up because in the game against Cathedral Catholic to end the Western League schedule, Rawdin positioned himself at the right elbow of the key against the Dons' bigger defenders. That's a location he doesn't usually inhabit.
"That's because he thought that was a better position," said his coach.
The unpredictability of sports and young people is the reason games like this are so enjoyable, but also so impossible to forecast. Even adults playing competitive sports are unpredictable. But with teenagers, anything can happen. There should be a large contingent of fans from each school tonight. Mia Kelley has already said her La Jolla cheerleaders will be present for the playoff game. It has an evening start time of 7 p.m., instead of the 5:15 start for weekdays league games. It will be loud. The rivalry between the two schools will exacerbate conditions.
Baranowski said this is the raison d'etre for high school sports. They are unpredictable. But there is a clear winner and loser, unlike the rest of life. It isn't a life-and-death matter, so people can suspend their seriousness about work, school, finances, health, and all the rest, and just enjoy.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
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