LJ BB: Scrimmages

La Jolla's Alex Pitrofsky (left) battles for the ball

in a tie-up with Grossmont Nov. 27.

(Photos by Ed Piper)



 

Nick Hammel is a baller.

I just read John Fogerty's autobiography, as well as part of the unauthorized story of his band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. What I didn't know previously, and took away from my reading was that Fogerty's entire life is music.

My application here is that someone can be a member of a team, or they can be an athlete who lives and breathes the sport.

Hammel, while combining football with his basketball skills, seems to be leaning toward the latter. In La Jolla's preseason scrimmages at Grossmont High Fri., Nov. 27, the junior showed one of his skills he has had for a while, driving to the basket.

Another skill he brings to the varsity is his outside shooting. He missed a couple of shots from the outside, then hit a three, not shying away after the misfires.

That gives the LJHS artillery three or more outside threats this year: Tony Coan, an absentee Friday, Hammel, and Reed Farley. Another new member of the varsity besides Hammel who isn't afraid to put the ball up from the outside is lefty Quinn Rawdin, but he was absent from the scrimmages over Thanksgiving weekend.

Viking players huddle. Assistant coach Demiral

Huseyin (far left) helps coach the Viking big men

and others.

Coach Paul Baranowski also employed Hammel handling the ball, which gives La Jolla some versatility along with Farley. Eddie Parker set up the offense, as well. This helps diversify LJHS from being a "one-man band", which Fogerty knew about in his CCR days.

In the initial scrimmage Friday morning in a cold Grossmont High gym, La Jolla wasn't tested in out-scoring a weak Santana contingent in two quarters of refereed play, 53-11.

In a second scrimmage against host Grossmont, the Vikings did play a proficient opponent and showed they are capable, out-scoring the Foothillers, 30-25, in the two quarters of the multi-team practice. 6'6" Alex Pitrofsky got to face off for part of the scrimmage against Grossmont's Tommy Rutherford. Rutherford, 6'9", was Player of the Year as a junior in the Grossmont Hills League, averaging 24.4 points and 21.5 rebounds.

Pitrofsky doesn't always get to face big men who are capable like Rutherford. But, with Grossmont rotating 15 players, Alex only saw Tommy, headed to UC Irvine next year, for part of the contest.

Baranowski is going with a slimmed-down roster of only 10 players this year, after a normal of 13 or so in past years. Morgan Albers showed he has been working on being more physical in going to the basket. The goal isn't perfection, it's progress.

Charlie Gal's default setting when he gets the ball on offense near the basket is to go to the hoop. That's something we haven't really seen recently in such a young player who is a big man. He's aggressive in going for the ball. Daniel McColl, another front court man, was gone to Europe on a family vacation--how dare he?--but he and Gal will provide some new punch to be physical, helping out Pitrofsky in the middle.

Bijan Hashemi showed a willingness to work within the team framework. Parker took multiple shots from the outside, which gives LJHS more weapons. Eddie looks assured on the court, giving the Vikings some confidence and leadership to add to that of Farley's.

Having 10 players doesn't leave many sitting on the bench for many minutes. You don't have the hard-working senior who isn't that talented but who earns a spot on the team sitting there. This would seem to be a slimmed-down hardhat crew, with potentially eight or more contributing on a regular basis.

The Vikings looked pretty solid. After the opening romp against Santana, not being tested, they fell behind to Grossmont, then played it kind of like a regular season game in strategizing to keep their lead over the Hillers in the last minute. The two teams were tied 25-25, then LJHS pulled ahead to stay, outscoring Grossmont by five points.

Farley, as usual, looked in midseason form. What are you going to say about Reed, who plays AAU ball alongside his Viking contributions? He was spot-on on a trio of threes. Baranowski didn't show off the alley oop play that brings Reed to the hoop for a slam opportunity, but this is only preseason.

We'll see what fireworks happen Tuesday night, Dec. 1, in the Vikings' season opener in the Bill Walton Basketball Festival at Petco Park. Game time is 7:20 p.m. La Jolla plays the feature game that night against Walton's alma mater, Helix. The venue will have a court specially laid on the infield surface, with stands on the basepath from first base to second base, sitting in right field, according to a drawing distributed in the media. We'll have to hope that the recently-rainy weather cooperates.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper