"I thought Mark (Rawdin), even though he didn't play a lot of minutes, played well," said La Jolla basketball coach Paul Baranowski, looking back at the win over Mission Bay Feb. 17. "I thought Gaynor (Blackmon) played the best ball (he has played recently). He didn't turn the ball over."
Commenting on the seven players he employed against the Bucs, Baranowski said, "The rotation gets smaller the later in the season you get. The kids understand it, even though they may not like it."
The veteran coach explained the rationale for who plays in the rotation: "You have to be able to execute the plan. It's about more than size, ability, or buy-in, but who can actually execute the game plan."
Part of that plan against Mission Bay was limiting turnovers.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
Thursday, February 19, 2015
LJ BB: Playoff outlook
CIF Division II playoff seedings depend on what happens on the final day of the league season. However, La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski says the Vikings could go as high as the sixth seed with a win over Cathedral Catholic at home, or as low as the 12th seed with a loss.
"If our season ended today, our opponent would be Bishop's," said Baranowski Thurs., Feb. 19, the day before the finale against the Dons. "Even though they're (presently) the eight and we're the nine, because we beat them head-to-head we would get the home game. That's my understanding."
That's all nice, but it's before the slate of games the final day, Fri., Feb. 20, that will determine final seedings. Those will be announced Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21, after CIF meets and chops bait.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
"If our season ended today, our opponent would be Bishop's," said Baranowski Thurs., Feb. 19, the day before the finale against the Dons. "Even though they're (presently) the eight and we're the nine, because we beat them head-to-head we would get the home game. That's my understanding."
That's all nice, but it's before the slate of games the final day, Fri., Feb. 20, that will determine final seedings. Those will be announced Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21, after CIF meets and chops bait.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
LJ BB: Cathedral preview
Cathedral Catholic narrowly defeated Lincoln Tues., Feb. 17, while La Jolla was upsetting Mission Bay. The Dons look destined to finish as runner-up to St. Augustine for the Western League boys basketball title, splitting their two games with the Saints in league play. St. Augustine has only lost one game, Cathedral two in league play.
"Cathedral presents some unique problems," said Viking coach Paul Baranowski, looking ahead to his team's regular-season finale on Senior Night at home Fri., Feb. 20. "Number one, they all shoot the ball well. Two, they're long.
"They're capable of turning it over just on their length."
The coach said La Jolla will have to replicate its performance of low turnovers against the Buccaneers, eight, versus their usual of 16 or so. The Vikings played almost error-free ball in the first quarter, when they were playing over their heads and jumped out to an early 11-2 lead. Mission Bay actually outscored the Vikings in the second and fourth quarters. Still, La Jolla stayed within themselves and their pattern offense.
"We're going to have to be extremely patient. We're going to have to see some extra emotion," he said. With Senior Night, there will be a big crowd. There is a doubleheader, with the girls varsity playing first at 6 p.m. So emotional introductions of all seniors from the boys basketball team, girls basketball team, and cheer squad will take quite a bit of time and ratchet up the sentiments.
La Jolla witnessed this last week at University City, when UC introduced all its seniors from the three squads plus dancers. The ceremony was lengthy, so LJHS's boys basketball team retired to their team room and returned to the floor after the ceremony for a re-warmup of 10 minutes before tipoff. They won that contest. That's a good portent.
Baranowski was asked if he will start all seniors. "I honestly haven't decided," Baranowski said. "I want to honor the seniors. I also want to do what's best for the team overall."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
"Cathedral presents some unique problems," said Viking coach Paul Baranowski, looking ahead to his team's regular-season finale on Senior Night at home Fri., Feb. 20. "Number one, they all shoot the ball well. Two, they're long.
"They're capable of turning it over just on their length."
The coach said La Jolla will have to replicate its performance of low turnovers against the Buccaneers, eight, versus their usual of 16 or so. The Vikings played almost error-free ball in the first quarter, when they were playing over their heads and jumped out to an early 11-2 lead. Mission Bay actually outscored the Vikings in the second and fourth quarters. Still, La Jolla stayed within themselves and their pattern offense.
"We're going to have to be extremely patient. We're going to have to see some extra emotion," he said. With Senior Night, there will be a big crowd. There is a doubleheader, with the girls varsity playing first at 6 p.m. So emotional introductions of all seniors from the boys basketball team, girls basketball team, and cheer squad will take quite a bit of time and ratchet up the sentiments.
La Jolla witnessed this last week at University City, when UC introduced all its seniors from the three squads plus dancers. The ceremony was lengthy, so LJHS's boys basketball team retired to their team room and returned to the floor after the ceremony for a re-warmup of 10 minutes before tipoff. They won that contest. That's a good portent.
Baranowski was asked if he will start all seniors. "I honestly haven't decided," Baranowski said. "I want to honor the seniors. I also want to do what's best for the team overall."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
LJ BB: Coach B
"We lost our minds for a second, but we didn't stay in that mode for long," said basketball coach Paul Baranowski of La Jolla's scratching and clawing near the end of their 51-50 win over Mission Bay Feb. 17. After leading 11-2 and 21-9, they were tied with 3:53 remaining in the game.
"I felt good about the way we executed the game plan," the coach said.
The Vikings led 45-40 at the end of the third quarter but trailed 49-48 with 2:40 remaining in the game.
Baranowski complimented his defenders for limiting Buccaneer Justin Moore's options. Even so, the 6'4" junior guard scored 22 points, just about his average for the season.
Regarding Alex Pitrofsky's report card, the coach said, "A lot of growth. Much more confident. Still a work in progress. He knows that, but he has made a commitment to be better. And he commits to get better every time he steps on the floor."
The LJHS coach looks forward to working intensively with Pitrofsky this summer. "I'm excited to have him for another summer to get him stronger and clean up his footwork."
The 6'6" front court man went on a family vacation right in the middle of the preleague season. Hopefully, he will be in town this December to build momentum and enter Western League play with a ton more development under his belt. He is tall, athletic, he jumps well, and isn't afraid to take the ball up high to the backboard against the likes of 6'9" Armstrong Ojunkwu of Mission Bay.
"We talk about attacking bigs," said Baranowski. "You can't let bigs intimidate because of their size. It is rare to have a clean blocked shot at the high school level." In other words, Pitrofsky needs to continue to take the ball up to the basket, and he will have a good chance of either scoring or getting a foul call to go to the free throw line.
Regarding winning two close ones in the last two contests, "Coach B" said, "I can tell you from a coaching standpoint it's much more fun to coach a game like that. To win or lose by 40--there's no fun in that."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
"I felt good about the way we executed the game plan," the coach said.
The Vikings led 45-40 at the end of the third quarter but trailed 49-48 with 2:40 remaining in the game.
Baranowski complimented his defenders for limiting Buccaneer Justin Moore's options. Even so, the 6'4" junior guard scored 22 points, just about his average for the season.
Regarding Alex Pitrofsky's report card, the coach said, "A lot of growth. Much more confident. Still a work in progress. He knows that, but he has made a commitment to be better. And he commits to get better every time he steps on the floor."
The LJHS coach looks forward to working intensively with Pitrofsky this summer. "I'm excited to have him for another summer to get him stronger and clean up his footwork."
The 6'6" front court man went on a family vacation right in the middle of the preleague season. Hopefully, he will be in town this December to build momentum and enter Western League play with a ton more development under his belt. He is tall, athletic, he jumps well, and isn't afraid to take the ball up high to the backboard against the likes of 6'9" Armstrong Ojunkwu of Mission Bay.
"We talk about attacking bigs," said Baranowski. "You can't let bigs intimidate because of their size. It is rare to have a clean blocked shot at the high school level." In other words, Pitrofsky needs to continue to take the ball up to the basket, and he will have a good chance of either scoring or getting a foul call to go to the free throw line.
Regarding winning two close ones in the last two contests, "Coach B" said, "I can tell you from a coaching standpoint it's much more fun to coach a game like that. To win or lose by 40--there's no fun in that."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
LJ g LAX: Tryouts Sat.
Senior Lauren Robbins reports that tryouts for girls lacrosse at La Jolla High are scheduled Sat., Feb. 21.
"We have two sets of tryouts on Saturday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I expect the tryouts to be very competitive, since there are two new coaches and there are a lot of very talented underclassmen," Robbins says.
"I expect that the season is going to be tough in the beginning, because it will be a lot of girls playing together for the first time, but once we play a decent amount of games together I think that we will have quite the victorious season."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
LJ BB: Balance
Mission Bay only had three players--out of only six who played--score more than three points in the Feb. 17 game against La Jolla.
Much gets made around the water cooler over how much the Vikings basketball team depends on one player. Actually, the Buccaneer case shows it's not that uncommon an issue.
For the visiting Bucs, guard Justin Moore, who averages 22.9 points a game, netted 22. Big man Armstrong Ojunkwu scored 15. He averages 9.5 points. Finally, James Burdette put in 8 points. Burdette scores at a 10.2 ppg clip.
Which is all to say, you're not always going to have scoring evenly balanced in the prep game. Players are young. It goes in cycles who attends your school in what year. And so forth.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
Much gets made around the water cooler over how much the Vikings basketball team depends on one player. Actually, the Buccaneer case shows it's not that uncommon an issue.
For the visiting Bucs, guard Justin Moore, who averages 22.9 points a game, netted 22. Big man Armstrong Ojunkwu scored 15. He averages 9.5 points. Finally, James Burdette put in 8 points. Burdette scores at a 10.2 ppg clip.
Which is all to say, you're not always going to have scoring evenly balanced in the prep game. Players are young. It goes in cycles who attends your school in what year. And so forth.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
LJ BB: Winning shot
The Vikings, down 50-49, took the ball out with 29 seconds left against Mission Bay Feb. 17.
Coach Paul Baranowski had called a timeout after Buc big man Armstrong Ojunkwu missed a seven-foot jump shot from the left side of the basket.
La Jolla waited five seconds, from 34 to 29 seconds on the clock, before calling a timeout to set up the final play. The Vikes had the ball on their offensive end of the court.
The 35-second shot clock was turned off.
Let Reed Farley take over from here: "We were looking to get a drive and kick starting at around 14 seconds. On the kick from Ladd (Castellano) I noticed I wasn't open, and tried to see if I could get Zach (Duffy) open for a kick.
"He couldn't get a good look, and when he gave it back I wanted to see if I could penetrate the zone and get a good look, and I guess I got a good enough one."
Farley drove from the perimeter into the left top of the key, lofting a leaping shot in the lane. It went in with three seconds on the clock.
As time transpired, the clock clicked down to zero. But the referees directed that two seconds be put back on the clock for Mission Bay to take the ball out. That meant further nervous time for La Jolla fans.
Coach Dennis Kane's squad, though, was the full court length from their basket. The half-court attempt thrown in the air didn't come close.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
Coach Paul Baranowski had called a timeout after Buc big man Armstrong Ojunkwu missed a seven-foot jump shot from the left side of the basket.
La Jolla waited five seconds, from 34 to 29 seconds on the clock, before calling a timeout to set up the final play. The Vikes had the ball on their offensive end of the court.
The 35-second shot clock was turned off.
Let Reed Farley take over from here: "We were looking to get a drive and kick starting at around 14 seconds. On the kick from Ladd (Castellano) I noticed I wasn't open, and tried to see if I could get Zach (Duffy) open for a kick.
"He couldn't get a good look, and when he gave it back I wanted to see if I could penetrate the zone and get a good look, and I guess I got a good enough one."
Farley drove from the perimeter into the left top of the key, lofting a leaping shot in the lane. It went in with three seconds on the clock.
As time transpired, the clock clicked down to zero. But the referees directed that two seconds be put back on the clock for Mission Bay to take the ball out. That meant further nervous time for La Jolla fans.
Coach Dennis Kane's squad, though, was the full court length from their basket. The half-court attempt thrown in the air didn't come close.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
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