LJ b BB: How can we hang on to a dream?

How can we hang on to a dream?
                                       Tim Hardin, 1966

By Ed Piper, Jr.

The La Jolla basketball team is trying to hang on to a dream. The Vikings got the CIF Division 2 first-round pairing they expected, Valhalla (18-11) at home Wed., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.

They'll have to play with who they have, but that is saying a lot: Coach Paul Baranowski's squad has its core, with Charlie Gal and Daniel McColl underneath, and Nick Hammel, Quinn Rawdin, and Jacob Ohara on the perimeter.

Only Ohara, who has developed a lot this season, is a newcomer. Francisco Ramos provides additional ball-handling.

The Vikings don't have to go off in a corner like a bird with a broken wing. This is the future. It's not far-fetched that Behzad Hashemi, a some-time varsity player up from the junior varsity, and JV stalwarts Jacob Duffy, Evan Brown, and Nick Hulquist, among others, could play a role in La Jolla's playoff games this week.

The impassioned varsity reserves, namely Garrett Brown, McClain Thiel, and Ramos, played with heart in the Senior Night game earlier in the week.

You think of all the hours, and years, the starting core has put into basketball training and competitive game experience. Why not La Jolla? This Valhalla team, though at this point we know almost nothing about them, are not the San Antonio Spurs.

One key that Baranowski has to find is how to unlock Gal's effectiveness underneath. The last couple of games have been pure frustration for the big, 6'5" forward. He hasn't been able to score in going one-on-one against his defenders. The opponents have all watched video, and they know from the low post on either side he is going to trying to pivot and drive baseline.

Leaning his shoulder into the defender to try to butt him out of the way is only going to lead to an offensive foul. So what's a low post player to do?

The Vikings don't have the same scoring threats out front, so defenses aren't as worried about the perimeter. They can collapse on Gal.

Said Baranowski before the regular-season finale loss at Scripps Ranch Thurs., Feb. 16, "We've scripted some other offensive sets, depending on what the game dictates. We're not simplifying things, but" streamlining the offense (the last my wording of the coach's intended meaning).

La Jolla fans were pretty morose after the game, hanging around to wait for players to emerge from the visiting team room at Scripps. The Vikings had only managed seven points in the first quarter. Just terrible.

Scripps Ranch is an okay team, but not that much better than La Jolla. Then again, if the Vikings are going to play that way, maybe they are.

It didn't seem to be for lack of effort on the visitors' part. Gal seems to be playing at full tilt. The others, too.

Someone is going to have to step up. Hammel has taken the initiative the second half of the season, driving on offense, taking the outside shot. That change is visible. He has acknowledged his intention to be more aggressive.

McColl is another veteran athlete. These guys are used to playing in important games, whether basketball or football. (McColl is also on the LJHS volleyball team, while Hammel pitches on the baseball team.) McColl has been banging the boards, being aggressive in putting shots back up underneath.

The 6'2" Daniel could shoot more from the outside. He has the ability. He has shown that outside shooting touch at times.

Ohara forces the issue by driving the lane inside. At this point, and he is still young in his development, he is more effective driving than pulling up and shooting the jump shot. But he can develop both aspects of his game over time. Defenses have figured out his tendencies, because they have plenty of video to look out now after 25 games. He'll just have to adapt.

Rawdin--he's an outside shooting specialist. The day he puts the hours in the gym shooting hundreds of shots and clicks, it's going to be scary. But La Jolla needs more of that now. He had a pair of threes late in the game against the Falcons. Wednesday's game against the Norsemen would be a good time to break out.

The home squad would be helped by a larger fan contingent, making noise to give the Vikings a home court advantage. The tradition is for someone on the team to go to Facebook and spread the word. Maybe that's their homework for this weekend?