8th Grade Blue-Reno Jam-On-It Memorial Day Tournament 2011

Congratulations on

3^rd Place

GAME 1 – Win 43-31 - YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Redding Wolf Pack 

First game on the big stage in Reno and YBA played a solid game.  The first half saw YBA applying good ball pressure on defense and orchestrating well on the offensive end with Ish able to penetrate and lead the offense and the team making good overall decisions and passing the ball effectively.  Redding rallied after a somewhat sluggish start understandably likely nerves and their quickness on defense became at times problematic translating into easy scores for them.  The second half YBA was able to withstand a tough stretch which saw them making poor decisions but they were able to pull out of this lull and attain a 10 point lead.  Seeing the writing on the wall Redding went to a full court press to try to climb back into this one but it proved ineffective and YBA was able to exploit it for easy transition baskets and put this one in the W column, great start to a big event.

GAME 2 – Win 68-38 - YBA Xtreme Blue vs. NBBA

Game 1’s finishing effort proved contagious as YBA took hold of this game early and never let go.  Offensive execution was solid in this one effectively able to exploit the opponent with the pick and roll.  But as all good teams do NBBA made a run and cut a 15 point YBA lead down to 9.  But Ish lead the team back to what got the team the 15 point lead and transition baskets allowed YBA to put this one away for a 2-0 start on the grand stage of Reno.  Lots of smiles and the team seemed to savor this one and rightly so…Excellent team effort and excellent start to the event.    

GAME 3 – Loss 46-24 - YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – NCYS Cobras

Funny thing with Cobras like everyone they can have a bad day but these Cobras came to fight in this one.  This game pitted YBA against a very athletic and poised team that was able to create a lot of turnovers and convert them into easy transition baskets.  The pace of this game was a little too quick for YBA and they were never quite able to get their bearings and control the tempo and flow of this game which kept YBA on its heals and eventually this caught up and this one slipped away.  Excellent effort and YBA competed until the last whistle and that is all you can ask.  But this is what playing big events is all about matching your skills against excellent competition and given a second match-up with this team YBA gives them a better game and the YBA players got better for having played this team and can take this memory into the summer for their workouts and off season training to get to that next level for freshman try outs next year.

GAME 4 – Win 46 – 43 - YBA Xtreme Blue  vs.  – NBBA

Coming off what of course was a disappointing loss for the players in Game 3 there is a choice a team can make…fold the tent or go out with some class and 3^rd place.   This was a hard fought game and went right down to the wire…no one wanted that long trip home with 4^th place to stew on.  YBA played as a team and everyone contributed to this win.  In the end, effort and execution proved to be the difference in this one and YBA was able to end the season and the big Reno event on a positive and capture 3^rd place under the white hot spotlights of Reno.  An excellent showing and effort in this tournament and 3^rd place is something to be proud of as it was hard earned and well deserved.  Winning is nice but it’s the lessons learned in losing that make us all better human beings and better basketball players.  Take this experience with you as you take your young careers into high school next year and as the late great Jimmy Valvano of the N.C. State Wolf Pack used to say, “Never Give Up, Never Ever Give Up.”

8th Grade Blue-May 21-22

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Chico   

Saturday 5/21/11 YBA played Chico and lost 35-32…must be Center High or morning games because YBA teams played 3 morning games in a row (freshman and both Xtreme teams) and not one YBA team won.  YBA came out solid and lead at the half 22-8.  But the second half saw an onslaught of turnovers and momentum shifted to Chico and they were allowed to “believe” a very powerful emotion in athletic competition.  YBA was not able to match Chico’s intensity in the second half and this parlayed into a lack of offensive execution and a lack of rebounding at both ends of the floor. It happens but this one definitely got away.  Keys for improvement from this game: focus and intensity for 28 minutes = 4 quarters, rebounding, offensive execution, help side defense and defensive rotation, aggressively attacking the basket on the offensive end for 4 quarters. 

• Defense player of the game:    none            
• Offense player of the game:    none
• Best Hustle:   none     
• Best Attitude:  none        

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Carson Valley

Saturday 5/21/11 YBA won 52-33. Coming off a let down in the morning game YBA came out ready to play from the tip.  Defensive rotation and ball pressure were greatly improved and rebounding was ok but we failed at times to maintain body contact when boxing out and this hurt our rebounding at times.  Offensively we played sound and executed the offensive sets effectively attacking the rim for 28 minutes…the big men were able to finish off interior baskets and this was key to this win.  Ish continued to provide leadership at both ends of the floor and played a solid game at the guard position. Keys for improvement from this game: boxing out and maintaining body contact (ball - you -man principles) until our team secures the rebound, play with this level of intensity every game for 28 minutes win or lose.    

• Defense player of the game:   Team
• Offense player of the game: Ish (leading the team)
• Best Hustle:  Team
• Best Attitude:  Ish   

YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – Jackson Allstars

Sunday 5/22/11 YBA won 42-12.  YBA came out with good energy and put this game away in the first few minutes and Jackson was never able to recover and make this a game.  Simply put this performance was 4 quarters of a team working as one cohesive unit and competing, playing hard, rebounding and executing the game plan and the result was a dominating victory. Keys for improvement from this game: stay mentally tough, bring this intensity to Reno, play within yourselves, make good decisions on defense and offense and be aggressive and confident at both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, play like you belong there in Reno. 

• Defense player of the game:  Team 

• Offense player of the game: Team 
• Best Hustle:   Team 
• Best Attitude: Team 

8th Grade White-May21-22

Thank you for a great season everyone improved and I hope had fun.

 (Note: Solid weekend- lack of rebounding and failure to convert lay ups and free throws hurt us)

YBA Xtreme White vs. Cal Reign  

Saturday 5/21/11 at 10:05 a.m. YBA lost by double digits.  YBA came out with some energy but players lost their cool and failed to play as a team.  Too many turnovers and a lack of offensive and defensive rebounding and often our fundamentals were lacking at the offensive end with poor shot selection at times and failure to take our shots with square shoulders and proper footwork- two areas that really need to be addressed before high school try outs.  Disappointing effort.  Keys for improvement from this game: move the ball and stop dribbling up the sidelines, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, look for the screener who is rolling, screener roll more aggressively, boxing out on defense, and contesting all shots on defense, free throw %, running the floor.

• Defense player of the game:  Josh O’neal on boards
• Offense player of the game:  none
• Best Hustle: none
• Best Attitude: Awful

YBA Xtreme White vs. North Bay Basketball

Saturday 5/21/11 at 4:35 p.m. YBA won by 18. Coming off a very poor morning effort both physically and mentally I was honestly not looking forward to this one not not sure how to recollect the team from the morning debacle.  But YBA showed up from the tip to turn in one of it’s best performances of the season. Our YBA press proved very effective ball movement was excellent and every player attacked at the offensive end and converted a very high % of our transition baskets.  Even a volleyball tipped rebound went in for us everything was going our way I wanted to call timeout and run by a lotto ticket while we still had the Mojo.  Our defense and effort won this game and every player really played hard and fundamentally sound for 28 minutes.  Impressive win.  Keys for improvement from this game: stop standing so much on offense and move the ball better, catch the ball on pick and rolls, be expecting passes from the guards, maintain perimeter spacing on offense.

• Defense player of the game:   Josh O’neal     
• Offense player of the game: Josh O’neal effort on the boards – whole team       
• Best Hustle: Whole Team
• Best Attitude: Whole Team

YBA Xtreme White vs. Sonics

Sunday 5/22/11 at 3:30 p.m. YBA squared off against an old foe now in the Sonics and lost big.  Maybe it was the Round Table pizza or last game jitters but coming off one of our best efforts we reverted back to arguing and simply not giving the effort required to win basketball games on the offensive and defensive ends and looked like we did frankly two seasons ago on day one when we became a team...not good.  We remained passive on defensive and somewhere around the 3^rd quarter mid point simply packed it in and quit jacking up careless shots barely drawing iron.  Sad way to end the season really considering how far we came as a team so that leaves a sour taste in my mouth and both Ryan and I got our balls stolen so that was nice.  Hats off to Gavin for hitting some shots and Ryan, Taylor, Josh and Matt woke up but it was too late…One to forget and move on.  Keys for improvement:  stop whining and play, run the floor, flat out effort, defensive aggression, offensive spacing, get lose balls, (reduce turnovers better passing decisions in transition), attack the basket on offense, free throw %, Play hard nose defense on the ball pressure at all times.

• Defense player of the game:  None
• Offense player of the game:  None (honorable mention Taylor, Josh, Ryan on glass, Gavin shooting)
• Best Hustle:  None - simply none
• Best Attitude:  Not in this one

The End 2011 Spring Season 2

Drive Safe

7th Grade Blue-May 21-22

We had a good weekend winning 2 games and losing 1. Our growth and improvement continues as we scored 55, 53, 48 this weekend, while allowing only 17, 23, & 49 points. With a points differential of +67 points that's a dominant performance coming into the championship game. In the Championship game against Davis we played tough, and lost the championship game by only one point! We have never done that well against that team and I know we could've beat them. We had 3 starting players miss time w/ minor injuries throughout the game. Davis is a tough physical team who didn't allow us any freedom in the key, we had to score on fastbreaks throughout, but we never backed down from them and played them as tough as they played us as it went to the final minute before the game was decided.

 

Offensive MVPs- TJ "Cap" & Matt "Flash"

Defensive MVPs- Davion "3G" & "Big" Tony

Super Subs-Daniel "Danu" and Tyler "Quiet Storm"

 

3rd Grade-May 21-22

The 3rd grade xtreme team finished out the spring session with a great 2-1 tournament record.

Playing in a 4th grade bracket again, they faced off early in the morning on Saturday against a 916 Select team that was clearly in the wrong bracket. 916 was a good team and had some great players, and the age and skill difference was too much for the Xtreme team. All of the YBA players played hard, and did not quit, and the coaches were very proud of that.

With a loss under thier belt, the YBA Xtreme team was determined to redeem themselves. Playing against an unfamiliar opponent in North Bay Basketball 4th, the team came out hungry with pressure all over the court. Great defense, along with great team offense resulted in a 30-12 win.

Sundays game was against Carson Valley 4th. Having played the team a few times in the past, the team was confident their defense would be the key to a win. Playing on a smaller court (Court 8) and full court pressure gave the Xtreme team the advantage. In the end, the Xtreme team won 45-26.

It has been a great ride watching these kids grow and mature. The coaches are very happy with where the kids are at right now, and look forward to helping them to improve their skills and keep moving forward as players and as people.

They have had to play a majority of 4th grade teams, and they have fared really well. It has helped in their growth as a team and as individuals. While the coaches would have loved to have won a tournament (or two), what we are most proud of is how far the players have all come.

8th Grade White-May 14-15

4^th Place

 (Note: Solid weekend- lack of rebounding and failure to convert lay ups and free throws hurt us)

YBA Xtreme White vs. Davis Hotshots  

Saturday 5/14/11 bright and early at 9:00 a.m. in Lincoln YBA squared off against and beat Davis 45-42.  YBA came out with good energy but failed to maintain a solid lead and did not finish strong.  Too many turnovers at the guard position allowed the opponent to hang around.  A lack of offensive and defensive rebounding also kept this one closer than it should have been and often our fundamentals were lacking at the offensive end with poor shot selection at times and failure to take our shots with square shoulders and proper footwork- two areas that really need to be addressed before high school try outs.  But talent got us by this first game and a win is a win.  Keys for improvement from this game: move the ball and stop dribbling up the sidelines, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, look for the screener who is rolling, screener roll more aggressively, boxing out on defense, and contesting all shots on defense, free throw %.

• Defense player of the game:  Josh O’neal on boards
• Offense player of the game:  Ish (running the team)  Matt, Jesse and Stephen
• Best Hustle: Team
• Best Attitude: Team

YBA Xtreme White vs. Reno 7th

Saturday 5/14/11 at 12:15 p.m. YBA squared off against and lost to Reno 51-48. This was an odd match up.  1 big man and a lot of smaller match ups. We again started slow failing to convert on the offense end and let them believe they could play with us.  We stayed ahead on talent but effort was lacking at the defensive end and our defensive rebounding was non existent as a team.  We did manage to come back by recognizing inside mismatches on Stephen and Jesse and while we did not finish as many as we should this was promising that we attacked the basket better from the post.  2^nd half Stephen shut down 40 who killed us first half and we turned it up on defensive but again too many missed lay ups, passes through our hands, and missed free throws cost this win sad because this is one we should have won.  Keys for improvement from this game: stop standing so much on offense and move the ball better,  offensive execution run our offense and catch the ball on pick and rolls,  be expecting passes from the guards, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, contest all jump shots, boxing out on defense, recognizing miss matches on offense and take your man to the rack.

• Defense player of the game:   Josh O’neal on #55    
• Offense player of the game: Ish (court leadership), Stephen and Jesse
• Best Hustle: Matt, Taylor, Ish
• Best Attitude: Team

YBA Xtreme White vs. IQ Ballers

Sunday 5/15/11 at 10:05 a.m. YBA squared off against IQ and lost 52-41 giving us 4^th place out of 8 teams.  We came out a little flat and so did they chalk it up to a rainy Sunday morning playing for 3^rd place perhaps but make no mistake this was a well coached and fundamentally sound team who potentially could have blown us out they won their first game 63 - 28.  So in mind mind this was a win for us to be down 4 with under 2 minutes to play but then they awoke and scored 10 unanswered easy transition baskets on us and based on scouting them Saturday what I expected to see all game.  We through a box and 1 at them but our man proved more effective and our bench did an excellent job and cut into their lead leading a come back for us more so than our starters did.  Jesse turned it on and brought us to within 4.  But in the end a poor shooting percentage and missed free throws hurt us.  Again this was an excellent team we did not see them at their best I did on Saturday.   Keys for improvement:  offensive spacing, get lose balls, (reduce turnovers better passing decisions in transition), attack the basket on offense, free throw %.

• Defense player of the game:  Taylor, Josh
• Offense player of the game:  Ish (floor leadership),  Jesse, (Ryan/Gavin off the bench)
• Best Hustle:  Matt, Ish, Sanam
• Best Attitude:  Bench – gave some solid minutes

7th Grade Blue-May 14-15

Sorry for the shortage of blogs lately, I apologize, it's been hectic. I will have blogs up for the final 2 weeks to include Reno. Moving on, we played very well this weekend and the scoreboard showed as much with a 2-1 record and a very impressive +33 point total. We had great individual performances as well as almost everyone contributed on a team that suited up 11 players. We also beat two rivals of ours who have been beating us up until this weekend. A really satisfying thing is that when we played teams that were not as good we took care of business and won easily, this is what good teams do they play against themselves and don't play "down" to the level of the competition. That shows that we are learning what good teams do and are trying to become a good team. We executed well and played unselfishly all weekend and even in our defeat we played our game and had our chances to win the game we just couldn't make a basket when we needed them most. We have a great group of young men and I will do my best to maximize their success by properly preparing them in the limited time we have until Reno. We showed great improvement this weekend and that's what is going to happen when we put forth the effort, energy and focus that we have in the last few weeks. I'd like to personally welcome Tyler Jacobs to the team, in YBA he's now to be known as the "quiet storm". Here are some quick recaps and game performance leaders.

EHD TROJANS 29 YBA-X 53

Easily our best performance against an EDH team this year. We started well except we couldn't get the ball to actually go in the basket in the first half. However, we gained confidence and became more aggressive as the game wore on. We played outstanding in the second half (once we got to switch from the closed rim) and dominated the game as it was a showcase of what we can be. I was very impressed with our overall team play and was very pleased with how well we passed the ball and how unselfish we were. We continually showed patience and made the extra pass to get the best shot. 

Offensive MVP: The whole team

Defensive MVP: Davion Andrews for his defensive impact

Rocktown 40 YBA-X 55

The first time we've beaten Rocktown with #15 Cody Lane (brother of UCLA scholarship basketball player Brendan). The most impressive thing about this game was the impact that Daniel had on the game. He came in and dominated the game 1st example: he dominated by ABSOLUTELY SHUTTING CODY DOWN. I haven't seen the game film but I don't think Cody scored when Daniel was on him. He frustrated him and completely took him out of the game from both aspects, offense and defense. 2nd example: If he wasn't guarding Cody he (not a doubt in my mind) would've had a triple double w/ scoring, assists, and rebounds. He still had the most assists on the team and he was playing the post position for us! example #3: He made everybody on the team better, case in point, he assisted on at least 3 of Matt's baskets and showed the team the blueprint for how to execute the tempo we want by getting the ball ahead quickly and precisely. His new YBA name is "Danu" because he's Manu Ginobilli's little clone. It wasn't all Danu though, he just set the tone. We played very well in the 2nd half after a close 1st half. We ran them out of the gym and showed that our tempo can be a weapon. Everybody who wanted one got a break away lay-up, especially when we recognized that their press didn't extend past the back court. I know Brandon, Tony, & Matt had at least 2 break away lay-ups, and Matt probably had 5 or 6 at least. We showed great growth in this game from the 1st to 2nd half and that's impressive.

Offensive MVP: Matt Stockman

Defensive MVP: Danu Claydon

Thunder 43 YBA-X 36 

We played well but they were tough inside, and we just couldn't get a basket in the 4th quarter when we needed them most. We absolutely learned some lessons from this loss and I have no doubt that we will take our lessons with our lumps and learn and grow stronger as a team. We played 3 very good quarters against a very well coached and gritty team. They were tough minded as a team and played hard the entire game. We have to learn from them and get gritty and show the consistent effort level that great teams have. Individually, I know that Davion, Adam and Matt all learned and either showed growth in game or will show it moving forward. This was a game that we wanted to win, but it didn't hurt us to lose it either. 

Offensive MVP: TJ "Cap"  Aldrich Shadle for his knifing and one layups.

Defensive MVP: The whole team for shutting down all but one player basically

Coach's Thoughts

I am tremendously proud of us for the growth and heart that we showed this weekend, and although we didn't get a trophy we got something better. Confidence, trust, unity, & the chance to grow from a set back, which is the true measure of success for us. Seven thousand quotes exist about how it's not how many times you fall but how many you give up. There's a reason that there are so many...       

8th Grade Blue-May 7

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Sutter   

Saturday 5/7/11 YBA won.  YBA came out solid and at times played solid fundamental basketball. YBA failed to maintain this intensity and solid play throughout all 4 quarters of the contest.  Defensively we were a little too porous allowing the offensive opponent to beat us with their first step and our teammates neither hedged nor stopped the ball…instead with stagnant feet we would reach from behind with little success resulting in a clear path to the basket for our opponent.  Offensively we became stagnant and passive and did not maintain offensive intensity throughout the game nor did we continue to aggressively attack the basket which is what gave us an early advantage.  This was a win but the margin of victory should have been larger with better execution both offensively and defensively which got us in game 2 and game 3. Keys for improvement from this game: rebounding, offensive execution, help side defense and defensive rotation, aggressively attacking the basket on offense for 4 quarters. 

• Defense player of the game:    none            
• Offense player of the game:    Ryan Forrest
• Best Hustle:   Team    
• Best Attitude:  Team       

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Clovis

Saturday 5/7/11 YBA lost 49-37. YBA played well but was unable to come up with an answer for the opponent’s physical style of play.  #23 proved to be the difference.  YBA held the lead at half time but Clovis was the aggressor in the second half attacking the basket on the offensive end.  YBA panicked and began making poor offensive decisions and this along with missing easy shots and taking quick shots allowed for the deficit to grow.  Being out rebounded, trouble negotiating the opponent’s half court trapping and the opponent’s ability to covert at the free throw line allowed the deficit to be maintained in the end but YBA did play until the final whistle.  Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, braking half court pressure, boxing out and rebounding, overall decision making on offense and poise.    

• Defense player of the game:   None
• Offense player of the game: Ish (leading the team)
• Best Hustle:  Jade, John, honorable mention Cody
• Best Attitude:  Team    

YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – Cal Reign

Saturday 5/7/11 YBA lost 43-27.  YBA came out with good energy but like game 2 allowed one player on the opposing team to dominate the game… our defensive presence was simply not there.  We lost focus and started missing easy shots and turning the ball over.  Mentally we somewhat imploded leading to a cold 3^rd quarter.  Our opponent had great success against us utilizing back screens, spreading the floor and attacking baseline we simply need to become more of a presence defensively and play better help side defense when our teammates are getting beat. Keys for improvement from this game: stay mentally tough, help side defense, call out screens, will a way to score by attacking the basket with guard penetration and getting to the free throw line when things are not going our way turn their aggression into fouls with ball fakes at the basket. 

• Defense player of the game:  none

• Offense player of the game: none
• Best Hustle:   Team 
• Best Attitude: Team 

3rd Grade-May 7

In the one-day tournament, the team started off by facing the CJBA 3rd grade team. In a previous game, the CJBA team defeated the Xtreme team by a LARGE margin (25+ points). An early game saw the team still sleeping in the first half, but they came alive in the second. They fought their way back to within seven points, but could not get over the hump. In the end, the Xtreme team lost by 11 points - a victory in the coach's eyes, since they had lost by such a large margin before.

A Sutter team that the Xtreme team had beaten a week before by 1 point was back for more. A fourth grade team, the Sutter boys were MUCH BIGGER than the 3rd grade Xtreme team. But, never ones to back down, they used strong defense and sharp shooting to keep the game close through the fourth quarter. In the end, size was too much to overcome, and the Xtreme team was left with no gas in their tank and lost to a good team.

The last game of the day was against the Predators 3rd grade team. A very quick team, the Xtreme team had to be on their toes and ready to run. And they were. Using great defense and a balanced team effort, while being a little short on players (seven), the team beat the Predators to end their day with a nice victory.

8th Grade White-April 30-May 1

First and Foremost

Congratulations on Second place

Last 4 Tournaments we’ve gone 1^st, Tied 1^st, 2^nd, 2^nd (playing up) so ALL should be excited

(Note: 2 seasons ago this team went 1 win - 14 losses
yes that is not a misprint with half our current roster on that team so persistence pays off

It’s not a sprint but a marathon)

YBA Xtreme White vs. Sierra Sonics  

Saturday 4/30/11 at 1:20 p.m. at Del Oro High YBA squared off against and beat the Sierra Sonics 44-41.  YBA came out with good energy and took a large early double digit lead.  Then we became passive on offense and stopped attacking the basket and moving without the ball.  On defense we stopped playing with our feet and reached getting in foul trouble.  Our bench was not able to maintain our lead and momentum shifted to the Sonics.  We finally stepped it up on defense and won the boards. This was closer than it should have been but we stayed mentally tough and some late key free throws from Jesse sealed the win.  Keys for improvement from this game: move the ball and stop dribbling up the sidelines, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, look for the screener who is rolling, screener roll more aggressively, boxing out on defense, and contesting all shots on defense.

• Defense player of the game:  Ish, Cody Abendschein, John Voter, Josh O’neal on boards
• Offense player of the game:  Ish (play making, court vision)
• Best Hustle: John Voter, Matt Dzwilewski
• Best Attitude: Team

YBA Xtreme White vs. Sutter Dawgs

Saturday 4/30/11 at 3:30 p.m. YBA squared off against and beat Sutter in OT 60-57. This was an odd match up.  1 big man who could go coast to coast and a lot of smaller match ups. We went down 25 – 12 and it was over but we fought back to single digits by half.  We figured it out on defense and stayed aggressive.  Mental discipline won us this game our opponent lost theirs but our defense caused this.  We won this game with pure hustle and effort on defense and the defensive and offensive boards.  Highlights - Josh battling 3 times on def boards and getting the opponent to foul him in frustration, Matt late crazy 3 off glass, John put back to send it to OT with .2 left in regulation, Matt hitting key late free throws.  Keys for improvement from this game: stop standing so much on offense and move the ball better,  offensive execution run our offense,  maintain perimeter spacing on offense, contest all jump shots, boxing out on defense, recognizing miss matches on offense and take your man to the rack.

• Defense player of the game:   Josh O’neal on #21 – Hon. mention John, Cody   
• Offense player of the game: Matt Dzwilewski (willing a win), Ish (court leadership)
• Best Hustle: Ish, John, Josh – honorable mention team
• Best Attitude: Team – gut check effort

YBA Xtreme White vs. YBA Dawgs Blue

Sunday 5/1/11 at 10:05 a.m. YBA squared off against YBA Dawgs Blue and lost 61-32 - in the Championship game.  We came out a little nervous and settled for a heavy dose of long jumpers not us and hit none leading to easy transition baskets for our opponent and an 11-0 start. Then we got back to our game moving the ball well and attacking the seams and getting to the basket.  We did a nice job on defense and handling their full court pressure I thought and I think we competed.  At the end of the day they were simply the better team today and that’s how sports go at the competitive level.  We can tuck this in our hats as a great learning experience and feel proud we left it all out on the floor and be ready for our next opportunity like this one.  So congratulations on 2nd place. Keys for improvement:  run the offense, offensive spacing, get lose balls, improve ball security (reduce turnovers better passing decisions), attack the basket on offense show more patience and take better shots to start the game.

• Defense player of the game:  Ish, John, Cody, Josh
• Offense player of the game:  Ish (floor leadership),  Jesse Savage finishing strong
• Best Hustle:  Ish (on the floor several times), John Voter, Cody Abendschein, Josh
• Best Attitude:  Bench – gave some solid minutes

7th Grade Red-April 30-May1

7th Grade White-April 30-May 1

6th Grade Blue-April 30-May 1

6th Grade White-April 30-May 1

5th Grade Blue-April 30-May1

5th Grade White-April 30-May 1

After having the previous week off for Easter, the boys have been working hard at practice and were eager to avenge a previous loss to E-Time. E-Time was much taller and faster, nevertheless strong defensive play from Zack Book (5 steals, 2 Blocks) and Travis Ausmus (4 steals) kept it close and we only trailed by four at the half. In the second half our shots didn’t fall- theirs did-and the boys eventually lost 34-16.

With one loss under our belt, the team faced the Norcal Pharaohs and their 6-1 inch 230 pound 5th grade center? Yes 230 pound 5th grade center?? Our strategy was to get him in foul trouble. Harmon Khela (9 rebounds, 3 steals) and Zack Book (9 rebounds) were strong for three quarters keeping his minutes low and putting a body on him inside. Trailing 26-20 going into the fourth the 6-1 230 pound big man took over and scored 10 of their last 12 points and we fell 38-21. I was very proud of our effort against this beast. Harmon Khela had a great individual performance scoring 16 of our 21 points.

In our final game of the weekend we faced another much taller opponent the Rocktown Ballers A team. The Ballers came at us with a full court trapping press and jumped out to an early 14-10 first quarter lead. With two players in foul trouble and struggling to score, I looked down the bench and turned to Max Briggs for some instant offense. Max responded and took over the game offensively (18 points-8 for 15 field-2 for 2 line with 35 seconds left)-He dominated Rocktown and fearlessly got to the rack leading us to a 40-34 victory. This was a great team effort-Travis Ausmus had 3 assists, Noah Slate drew 2 charges and had 6 steals, and James Crump had 8 points,10 rebounds, and 5 steals.

4th Grade-April 30-May 1

The weekend did not start well for us.  We came out flat and failed to play defense up to our capabilities.  I saw no effort to help on defense or pressure the ball.  Against an aggressive team, we gave up far too many points.  I noticed a lack of focus in the huddles and did everything in my power to bring us back.  As it turned out, it was just one of those days.  We couldn’t play defense or hit a layup, which is a dangerous combination. 

The second game we blew out an under matched Hurricanes team.  Our intensity was back and we played great defense.  This is the team we are used to seeing!

In our third game we had great fun.  We were able to break up the teams with our 3^rd grade Xtreme brothers.  We matched the teams up evenly and all the kids took the game seriously and challenged each other.  This was fun to watch and gave me a chance to see how some of the 3^rd graders interacted with out team.  We might see a couple of them in the coming weeks filling in for us if necessary.

I love how the weekend finished on a high note.  I think that they first game was a nice little wake up for our team.  We have 3 weeks left until Reno to rekindle our inner fire.  I will be working with Jesse on ways to bring that back.  Our practices are going to be VERY intense leading up to Reno.  We will finish the season with a flurry!!!

Thanks,

Coach Mack

3rd Grade-April 30-May 1

The team faced off against a scrappy 916 Select Team. Having a 9AM game, they came out a little "sleepy". Once they woke up, they play a very hard fought game. Though they ended up losing by three points, the lesson learned was you must come to play EVERY TIME.

The second game placed us against a very tall Sutter 4th grade team. The game plan was this: We had them on a back-to-back game, they were tired from the first game so get the ball and GO! That's just what the Xtreme Team did. They did a great job at securing the rebounds from the taller kids, and passing the ball up court for many easy layups. This enabled them to hold on for a one point victory!

In the third game, the team found themselves faced off against their own club's 4th grade Xtreme Team.  The coaches decided to mix teams and play. It was a fun game to coach, and it was a fun game for the kids! The kids played hard and played very well together!

8th Grade Blue-April 23

Congratulations on winning the Tournament

3-0

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Red Raiders   

Saturday 4/23/11 YBA won 31-29. YBA came out with great energy in the first quarter and was able to score some easy transition baskets. The opponent made some adjustments and the game became a close back and forth game.  YBA began to miss some shots and had trouble with the opponents post player but managed to battle and get the win. Great effort.  Keys for improvement from this game: rebounding, offensive execution, making the extra pass in transition, post defense and free throw %. 

• Defense player of the game:    Jade            
• Offense player of the game:    Garret and Ryan Forrest
• Best Hustle:   Team    
• Best Attitude:  Team       

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Davis Wildcats White

Saturday 4/23/11 YBA won 53-26. YBA played well and dominated this game from the start.  Everyone contributed on the offensive end and the 13 defense was very effective… disrupting the opponent and not allowing them to get any rhythm or execute offensively.  Overall the team executed well on offense and played a solid game at the defensive end. Great team effort and team win. Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, boxing out and rebounding, making the extra pass in transition, free throw %.    

• Defense player of the game:   Jade, Garret rebounding - Hunter (2 blocks)
• Offense player of the game: None
• Best Hustle:  Team
• Best Attitude:  Team    

YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – Davis Wildcats Black

Sunday 4/23/11 YBA won 55 -23.  YBA dominated this game from the start taking a 16-0 lead demoralizing the opponent and putting this game away early.  The team executed well at both the offensive end attacking the basket and the defensive end rebounding and taking away second chance baskets.  Keys for improvement from this game: finish our inside shots, execute inbounds plays, make our free throws.   

• Defense player of the game:  Spencer, Hunter – rebounding

• Offense player of the game: Ryan Rivas, Ryan Forrest
• Best Hustle:   Team 
• Best Attitude: Team 

7th Grade White-April 23

It was a mixed tournament this weekend as we had half of the blue and white teams there for the tournament. We played well and had fun, which was the goal. However, we couldn't get the scoreboard to go our way. I was pleased with our effort & the unselfishness we showed out there. Our halfcourt Defense was also pretty solid, although our unfamiliarity with each other hurt. I was impressed by the following individuals;

 

Defense: Ryan Pham played great on ball Defense.

Offense: Eh.. I saw flashes of great play by many players including Sam, Trent, Daniel, & Mitch

Teamwork: Chris Hurley is one of the best teammates that I've ever coached and I would've loved to play with him.

 

This next weekend will be a better tournament as we will have the regular roster. I am pleased with the progress we are making.

6th Grade White-April 23

Game #1

Early morning games seem to be a challange for us..  We came out a little slow, but picked it up and played hard the whole game.  Justin was a great leader again in this game.

 

Game #2

Again the guys played well.  Brenden played some great defense.  The guys didn't give up and played until the end.

 

Game #3

This was a great game.  The guys played the other team even all the way to the end.  This was a very tough loss by one in overtime.

 

This weekend best Hustle goes to CJ

Best Offense goes to Justin

And Brenden has Best Defense

5th Grade Blue-April 23

8th Grade Blue-April 16-17

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Top Notch   

Saturday 4/16/11 YBA lost 48-45. YBA came out with great energy. The team started off well but struggled with shooting % over the course of the game. Slow rotation on defense was an issue in the 4^th quarter allowing the opponent to maintain their lead. A hard fought game but the opponent played a solid 28 minutes and simply would not go away. Keys for improvement from this game: rebounding, offensive execution, making the extra pass in transition, free throw %. 

• Defense player of the game:    None            
• Offense player of the game:    Ish, Jade
• Best Hustle:   Team    
• Best Attitude:  Team       

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Predators

Saturday 4/16/11 YBA won 48-40. YBA played well, first time beating this team. Overall the team executed well on offense and played a solid game at the defensive end. Great team effort and team win. Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, making the extra pass in transition, free throw %, take higher percentage shots.    

• Defense player of the game:   Ryan Forrest, Spencer
• Offense player of the game: Ish, Jade
• Best Hustle:  Team
• Best Attitude:  Team    

YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – Seasides Finest

Sunday 4/17/11 YBA lost 42 -38.  Last time playing this team we lost 41-23.  This is the best the team has played in 2 seasons but lack of scoring at the 3, 4, 5 positions was a key to the loss.  7 players and 2 fouled out and there was still a good chance of winning in the end so nice team effort.  Guard play was commendable nice job attacking the basket on offense. Ish hit a big 3 in the 4^th quarter to keep us in the game.  Keys for improvement from this game: finish our inside shots, execute inbounds plays during last minute of games, take care of the ball, make our free throws.   

• Defense player of the game:  Ryan Forrest, Spencer

• Offense player of the game: Ish, Jade
• Best Hustle:   Team 
• Best Attitude: Team 

8th Grade White-April 16-17

First and Foremost

Congratulations on Second place and second straight tournament barely missing first place

YBA Xtreme White vs. Davis Hotshots  

Saturday 4/16/11 at 10:05 a.m. at Del Oro High YBA squared off against and beat the Davis Hotshots 53-50.  YBA came out with good energy Davis was an aggressive team that kept making runs at us. Our defense was excellent and our ability to pass to the middle of the court in transition and find the open man allowed us to hold off their runs at us. When we move the ball and find the open man and then attack the basket under control we are a very effective team when we dribble 1 on 5 we are not. Solid team effort this was a gutsy win. Keys for improvement from this game: move the ball and stop dribbling up the sidelines, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, look for the screener who is rolling, screener roll more aggressively, boxing out on defense, and contesting all shots on defense.

• Defense player of the game:  Cody Abendschein, John Voter, Josh O’neal on boards
• Offense player of the game:  Matt Dzwilewski (clutch free throws), Cody 3 point play
• Best Hustle: John Voter, Matt Dzwilewski
• Best Attitude: Team

YBA Xtreme White vs. Chico Tarheels Grey

Saturday 4/16/11 at 4:35 p.m.YBA squared off against and beat Chico 42-26. Frankly this was one of our weaker opponents.  But this was a good opportunity to work on our sets.  We got better as the game went on with our spacing and we still need to improve our execution on Zone offense. We stand too much and seem to refuse to move the ball and insist on dribbling instead of moving the ball side to side this must stop.  We got some transition baskets and some good passes high low but can be much more crisp in our offensive sets against zone understanding our roles and the opportunities we are looking to exploit against our opponents.  The bench did an nice job with their minutes in this one and this will pay off down the road and allow us to go to the bench more over the course of the season I hope.  Nice to have an easy win here and there though.  Keys for improvement from this game: stop standing so much on offense and move the ball better,  offensive execution run our offense,  maintain perimeter spacing on offense, contest all jump shots, boxing out on defense.

• Defense player of the game:   John Voter, Josh O’neal, Cody Abendschein
• Offense player of the game: Matt Dzwilewski
• Best Hustle: team
• Best Attitude: Bench Players

YBA Xtreme White vs. Cal Reign

Sunday 4/17/11 at 3:30 p.m. YBA squared off against Cal Reign and lost 48-44 in the Championship game.  We came out with good energy and good transition play finding the open man and finishing strongly with good focus and took an early lead. Our defense was excellent to start as well they were a solid team. Then like the wind out of the sails of a sail boat we became very passive on offense, losing our spacing and ball movement that we had early success with.  On defense we began getting out hustled to lose balls. We went back to too much dribbling at the guard position and no ball movement in transition or half court sets, we stopped attacking the basket in the 2, 3 quarter.  Our excellent transition play left us because we were content to dribble 1 on 5 full court allowing their guards to strip us and score in transition. We stopped the earlier give and go passing to the middle we used to quickly advance and score in transition which is also how we defeated Davis.  This was a tough loss because we got out hustled and beat ourselves with too many turnovers and untimely offensive poor decisions.  I think we competed but a couple of lulls allowed our opponent the hope they needed and then they made a few timely 3 pointers when we did not close out to extend and maintain a lead.  Our talent kept it close so ultimately we took 2^nd place.  So congratulations on 2nd place. Keys for improvement:  run the offense, offensive spacing, get lose balls, improve ball security (reduce turnovers better passing decisions), attack the basket on offense show more patience and ob play execution (run them as drawn up).

• Defense player of the game:  Josh O’neal (on the big kid shut him down)
• Offense player of the game:  Stephen Bober (offensive boards) Jesse Savage finishing strong
• Best Hustle:  John Voter, Cody Abendschein
• Best Attitude:  Team - stayed in it to the final horn

6th Grade Blue-April 16-17

Saturday

Game #1

We came out little slow.  We weren't really ready to play.  They were full court pressing us, this caused us to turn over the ball.  After the first quarter we started breaking the press.  Our half court man defense got better and we started getting some shots up.  After the first quarter we started playing them even and fighting back.  The kids showed a lot of fight and heart.  They didn't let their spirits get down.  The fought to the end.

 

Game #2

This was a tough game.  The center, number 13 on the other team was unstoppable.  He scored most of their points.  We never gave up, we just couldn't stop him.

 

Sunday

Game #3

Everyone played great defense and with a lot of energy.  Grant was a monster, he scored a career high of 15 points this game.  He also walked away with a double/double.  We won by 40-50 points.  

 

Best offense goes to Eric Lundy this weekend 

8th Grade Blue-April 9-10

Great Season Xtreme Blue everyone improved over the course of the season so focus on that not this tough final weekend against some very solid opponents.

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Rocktown Ballers   

Saturday 4/9/11 11:10 a.m. YBA lost 47-27. YBA came out with great energy. The team started off well but struggled with shooting % and decision making. Lack of ball movement and slow rotation

on defense put Rocktown on the free throw line in the 2nd quarter. Lack of help side defense on the post hurt us through out the game. Rocktown was simply the better team today. Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, post defense, press break execution, make better decisions, take higher percentage shots. 

• Defense player of the game:    Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer            
• Offense player of the game:    Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer
• Best Hustle:   Team    
• Best Attitude:  Team       

YBA Xtreme Blue vs. Seasides Finest

Saturday 4/9/11 1:20 p.m. YBA lost 41-23. YBA didn’t play ball pressure defense, rebound or execute on the offensive end in this one. In the end too many poor decisions and too many turnovers lead to the loss. Seaside was simply the better team today. Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, post defense, press break execution, make better decisions, take higher percentage shots. 

clearing the ball quicker on the defensive glass. 

• Defense player of the game:   Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer
• Offense player of the game: Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer
• Best Hustle:  Team
• Best Attitude:  Team    

YBA Xtreme Blue vs.  – NBH Renegades

Sunday 4/10/11 at 11:10 a.m.YBA lost 41 -24.  Coming off two losses YBA came out with good energy but were not able execute on the offensive end in this one. In the end too many poor decisions and too many turnovers lead to the loss in addition to not boxing out and rebounding. NBH was simply the better team today. Keys for improvement from this game: ball security, offensive execution, post defense, press break execution, make better decisions, Boxing out and rebounding, defending pick and role, take higher percentage shots, finish at the basket. 

clearing the ball quicker on the defensive glass. 

• Defense player of the game:  Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer
• Offense player of the game: Ryan, Ish, Forrest, Spencer
• Best Hustle:   Team 
• Best Attitude: Team 

8th Grade White-April 9-10

First and Foremost

Congratulations on Tying for first losing in a tie system by 1 pt

Nice season overall all players improved this season nice job.

YBA Xtreme White vs. Ukiah Warriors 

Saturday 4/9/11 at 5:40 p.m. at Rocklin High YBA squared off against and beat the Ukiah Warriors 63-44.  YBA came out with good energy but gave up some early transition baskets. It took until the later part of the second half but aggressive rebounding, defense and good transition ball movement allowed us to score in transition and put this one away. Solid team effort. Keys for improvement from this game: get off to a quicker start on offense with better decisions, finish off transition baskets and lay ups, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, look for the screener who is rolling, screener roll more aggressively, boxing out on defense, and contesting all shots on defense.

• Defense player of the game:  Cody Abendschein, John Voter, Josh O’neal on boards
• Offense player of the game:  John Voter (passing/vision), Stephen and Jesse
• Best Hustle: Team
• Best Attitude: Cody Abendschein, John Voter

YBA Xtreme White vs. Sierra Sonics   (Special thanks to JB for helping us nice job)

Sunday 4/10/11 at 10:05 a.m.YBA squared off against and fell to Sierra 49-46. I would call this an upset.  After a slow start Sunday mornings are tough this was a sloppy back and forth game. YBA opened a lead but failed to maintain solid defensive pressure and failed to control the defensive boards and let Sierra hang around.  YBA was unable to capitalize on some solid interior offensive looks and solid offensive sets and simply could not get the ball in the basket for long stretches in this one.  In the end giving the other team hope and letting them hang around well we simply let this one get away.  But we fought hard until the final whistle which was great. Keys for improvement from this game: closing out games we clearly should win and maintaining that lead, better decisions and passing in transition, offensive execution run our offense, finish off transition baskets, maintain perimeter spacing on offense, boxing out on defense.

• Defense player of the game:   John Voter on a big 55
• Offense player of the game: none
• Best Hustle: team
• Best Attitude: Cody Abendschein, John Voter

YBA Xtreme White vs. Del Oro Jr. Eagles

Sunday 4/10/11 at 3:30 p.m. YBA squared off against and beat Del Oro 34-31.  We came out with good energy but again failed to run the offense early in the game. A little mental hang over from a tough loss in the morning but we competed.  A 2-3 zone proved to be the answer and we were able to gain a lead with some transition baskets and hung on in the final minutes and willed out a win tying for first place in the tournament and ultimately we took 2^nd place in a tying system.  So congratulations on 2nd place the team came a long way this season last season the previous team was 1-15. Keys for improvement: come out and run the offense, improve ball security (reduce turnovers better passing decisions), offensive and ob play execution (run them as drawn up), finish inside on offense.

• Defense player of the game:  Josh O’neal
• Offense player of the game:  John Voter
• Best Hustle:  John Voter, Cody Abendschein
• Best Attitude:  Team - gutted out a win