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Friday January 14, 2011
Twenty-seven of the Bears’ 30 made field goals were in the paint, and JDHS once again took advantage of its size against the smaller Wolves in an 80-56 rout Thursday at Juneau-Douglas High School.
“We’re pretty big, and when we’re patient and our guys are making hard cuts, we’re tough to get around. We do a respectable job of sealing guys inside, and when we go at the rim we’re not that far away from it,†Bears coach Steve Potter said. “They may not be high-flyers, but they’re big.â€
The Wolves began the game trying to push the tempo and did so successfully for the majority of the first quarter. Sitka’s dribble-drive penetration gave the Bears fits until Potter elected to go to a zone defense. It was all Juneau-Douglas from there.
“I think in the beginning our pressure was OK, but not as good as it could have been,†Juneau-Douglas junior guard Tony Yadao said. “We’ve been working on our defense a lot, and in the second half we started using our pressure zone. I think that was one of the main causes of all their turnovers, and I think that led to easy baskets for us.â€
The Bears’ defense forced 18 turnovers on the night, 11 of which came in the second half, and the combination of quickness and size in the paint overwhelmed the Wolves as the Bears turned a 13-point halftime lead into a 26-point blowout victory.
“We’ve been trying to use our size as much as we can and we’ve been going over plays that were successful in Kodiak,†Yadao said. “We’re just always looking to get the ball to them (inside) because it also opens up shots for everybody else.â€
But the Bears didn’t need the outside shot on a night where they scored 54 points in the paint. Senior big man Jazz King, junior point guard Lance Ibesate and senior forward Colin Gozelski each scored 12 points to lead the way for Juneau-Douglas. Yadao and senior post Ryan Baldwin were the other Bears in double figures with 10 apiece.
After the Bears’ man-to-man defense allowed 15 points during the first quarter, Potter said the change to zone was necessary.
“We tried to get into them early, and sometimes when that happens you give stuff up. But we stayed with it and I think they started to wear down a little bit. Then we had opportunities to make plays,†Potter said. “We’re getting better at finding each other and beginning to understand our schemes, but we’re not there yet. I thought this was a good game for us at the end of finals week.â€
Mic Potrzuski led the Wolves with 13 points. Sitka never led in the game.
The JDHS JV team won 64-27, and Sitka C Team won 59-39.
Crimson Bears overpower Wolves - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The Wolves wanted to run and gun on the bigs of Juneau-Douglas, but the Crimson Bears’ size down low proved too much in the end.
Friday January 14, 2011
The Crimson Bears were tabbed the team to beat by Ketchikan coach Erik Stockhausen and Thunder Mountain coach John Blasco, as the Kings reload after losing three-quarters of their scoring punch from last season, and the freshmen- and sophomore-heavy Falcons are still figuring out how to play together.
Juneau-Douglas is blessed with a ton of size inside this year, while Ketchikan and Thunder Mountain will be more perimeter-oriented.
The Kings went 7-1 in the regular season last year against the Falcons and Bears, dropping only their conference opener at TMHS, before getting upset in the tournament’s final game on a last-second steal and lay-up by Juneau-Douglas’ Lance Ibesate.
All three teams and coaches are well aware of the possibilities come tournament time, where any team can get hot and win a few games in the double-elimination format.
TMHS and JDHS are at Juneau-Douglas on Saturday at 8 p.m., and the Falcons face the Kings on Feb. 4-5 in Ketchikan. The Bears and Kings don’t meet until Feb. 11-12 in Juneau.
Ketchikan Kings (4-2)
Coach: Erik Stockhausen
Ketchikan is going through the difficult task of replacing top scorer Jeff Whicker and the versatile Tyller Bell, who combined to put up 37.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and six assists per game last season. Whicker was one of the state’s top scorers at 25.2 points per game, while the Kings made 49 percent of their shots from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc.
“We lost a lot from last year’s group with Jeff and Tyler, I think around 75 percent of our offense — we had a big senior class last year,â€
Stockhausen said. “We’ve got some kids who have been in our program who are in their third year, and they’re starting to understand some things. We feel very fortunate to have played well enough to have gotten off to a good start, but we know we’ve got a long way to go.â€
Taking up the scoring slack this season is the quartet of Chas Allen (13.3 points per game), Jesse Lindgren (12.8), Kyle Day (11.8) and Alex William (8.5).
“I think our kids are very unselfish and they play a fairly cerebral ball game,†Stockhausen said. “At this early stage, they’re doing well. We all need to get better but I think the kids have really worked on their skills, and we shoot the ball fairly well at times.â€
Stockhausen said rebounding is a major factor with his team’s success.
“In our wins, we outrebounded our opponents. The two we lost, we didn’t,†he said. “And I think cutting down on turnovers is big. We’re at 18 a game and when you’re playing with five guards it’s imperative to take care of the ball, and we should be able to do that.â€
Stockhausen said he likes how Blasco is building the program at Thunder Mountain.
“I think Coach Blasco’s got a great teaching situation with a lot of young guys that are playing their hearts out,†he said. “He’s a good coach and they’re going to do well, and I think they’ve already shown marked improvement. They’re definitely building for the future and doing it the right way, with young kids learning as they go. I think come March, they’ll be very dangerous because of how many bodies they can throw at you and the energy they have.
JDHS is loaded from top to bottom, Stockhausen said, and the Bears’ size down low is going to present a challenge.
“Juneau(-Douglas), they’ve got a lot of good players. I think Tony Yadao is fantastic, and Colin (Gozelski) is a heck of an athlete,†he said. “I just really respect their kids and what they do. They’re going to be what everyone is shooting for between Thunder Mountain and us, and until we play them we won’t really know what we’ve got.â€
Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears (6-1)
Coach: Steve Potter
The Crimson Bears were tabbed the early favorites by Stockhausen and Blasco, but JDHS coach Steve Potter said his team still has a long way to go.
Potter said the Bears are much more effective when patient and making fundamental basketball plays in the flow of the offense, as opposed to trying to make flashy plays.
“We are capable of making some pretty dynamic passes and shots, but we’re not effective when that’s our goal,†he said. “When we reverse the ball and go inside, we’re pretty effective.â€
One of Juneau-Douglas’ biggest strong suits is its depth. Eighteen Bears have seen the floor this year, and JDHS can go big or small when the situation calls for it.
“We’re pretty big. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to play with more than 1,000 pounds of guys on the floor,†he said. “We can put some girth out there and we’re not short.
JDHS has six players listed at 6-foot-4 or taller, and swingman Colin Gozelski (22 points in two games played) stands 6-foot-3. Junior center Evan Gross is 6-foot-7, big man Ryan Baldwin is 6-foot-6 and forward De’Andre “Jazz†King is 6-foot-4. Baldwin (13 points and 17 boards in two games) and King (10.8 points and 7.8 boards) are too strong for anyone else in the conference to push around underneath.
Backcourt starters Lance Ibesate (7.4 points, 2.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game) and Tony Yadao (8 points, 3.6 assists, 3 boards and 2.2 steals) stand 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-8, respectively, but the duo is lightning quick with strong ball-handling skills. Potter said he just wants the pair to play under control.
“We definitely have some talented ball handlers but sometimes they forget that the goal is not to display the ball-handling talents, but to use them to get out of trouble, not to get into trouble,†he said. “I prefer the pass and the cut to the dribble-drive, but we have guards that are capable of doing that so it’s been a little bit of an adjustment for me.â€
Taking high-percentage shots, Potter said, has been the team’s biggest weakness.
Potter said even though the Kings are rebuilding, he expects them to surprise some people this year.
“The reports I’ve gotten are they are going to dribble, penetrate and kick, and they’ve got guys that can shoot it,†he said. “I’m familiar with the Kyle Day kid and I know he’s a really good shooter, and has apparently expanded his game. I don’t think they’ll be as big as us, but if we try to play on the perimeter and match 3-pointers, we’ll be in trouble.â€
Potter’s thoughts of Thunder Mountain echoed Stockhausen’s. Both like how hard the Falcons play, and both feel that constant effort means they’ll always have a chance to win.
“Any time guys play hard, they have a chance,†Potter said. “We’re certainly older, bigger and more experienced, but they have some ability and they’re going to challenge us every game.â€
Thunder Mountain Falcons (3-7)
Coach: John Blasco
Thunder Mountain enters Year 2 of its program a little behind where they were last year at this time. Last year’s Falcons had seniors, including All-State swingman Cody Grussendorf and guard Reese Saviers, anchoring the starting unit, and King, who has since transferred to JDHS, in the post. Nine of this season’s 13 players on varsity are either freshmen or sophomores, led by guard Keith Ainsworth’s 12.1 points per game. The Falcons, like the Kings, are balanced. Freshman guard Matt Seymour adds 10.2 points per game, sophomore guard Ty Grussendorf 8.4 and sophomore forward Sam Jahn 5.0.
“We didn’t know what we were going to look like coming back with such a young group. They’re developing quite nicely and coming into their own,†Blasco said. “They’re still young, but they’re gaining confidence and learning how to play together, which I’m excited for. That really bodes well for the future.â€
Blasco said the biggest plus he’s seen from his young group is their willingness to compete and mix it up.
“The kids never quit,†he said. “We’re smaller and athletic so we like to get out and run. We brought up a few kids from the JV that have some good size, so that should help us be more balanced.â€
Rebounding and post defense are the Falcons’ biggest weaknesses.
“Definitely rebounding and guarding the bigger posts are going to be tough for us, but the main things we’re trying to focus on are pure ball handling,†he said, “and getting more consistent in our flow of the offense and playing a full 32-minute game.â€
Blasco said Ketchikan looks solid from what he’s seen this year.
“Coach Stockhausen does a great job with those guys and they work really hard in the offseason from what I hear,†he said. “They’re going to be about the same size as us but they’re older and might have a little bit more talent at this point in the season.
“They have the edge right now but I think it’s going to be a better matchup for us in terms of size.â€
Like Ketchikan, Thunder Mountain will have trouble matching Juneau-Douglas’ strength down low.
“Obviously, they’ve got a big front line down there, and they’ve got two really solid guards,†he said. “They’re pretty balanced and they can get out and run or slow the game down and pound you inside. It’s going to be a game of valuing each possession against them because every one will be important against a team like JD. Once you’re in the hole against a team like that, it will be tough to climb out of.â€
Big Bears favored in SE - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
The Southeast Conference boys’ basketball season gets underway tonight with a crosstown showdown between Thunder Mountain and Juneau-Douglas at 6 p.m. at TMHS.
Thursday January 13, 2011
However, the C and JV teams will will not have much time to lick their wounds because they look to bounce back today against the Sitka Wolves at 1:00pm and 2:45pm respectively.
The varsity will also face the Wolves tonight and play their first home games since winning the Capital City Classic tournament. The Bears will try to sharpen their claws tonight at 8:00pm before beginning their own conference games against Thunder Mountain Friday.
The games against the visiting Wolves will will be played at JDHS.
Round one ends in defeat; More games to be played
The Crimson Bears C-team and JV's suffered defeat in the first of four regular season conference games with Thunder Mountain. They will have to wait for the chance to play them again until Saturday, due to the high number of games being played locally this week.
Wednesday January 12, 2011
The action continues Thursday when 3A Sitka visits the JDHS gymnasium with their C, JV, and Varsity teams. The games begin early in the afternoon with the C-team playing at 1:00 pm and the JV game at 2:45 pm. The Varsity game will tip-off at 8:00 pm.
On Friday the Varsity will get their first conference game when they hit the road and visit Thunder Mountain at 6:00 pm.
Saturday will see a trio of games played at JDHS against the Thunder Mountain Falcons. The C-team begins at 11:00 am. The JV team plays at 12:45 pm. The Varsity will end the evening's festivities with their game held at 8:00 pm.
Big Basketball Weekend; Cross town rivalry games kick things off.
The JV and C-teams get the action going tonight with games at Thunder Mountain in an extended basketball weekend. The C-team plays the Falcons at 4:45 pm this afternoon, followed by the JV team at 6:30 pm.
Monday January 10, 2011
The Crimson Bears rolled to a 75-54 win over host Kodiak, meaning three teams finished the tourney with one loss. JDHS thought a 20-point win would earn it the tournament crown, but that turned out not to be the case.
“We were under the impression that if we won by 20 we would win the tiebreaker,†JDHS coach Steve Potter said. “However, they reinterpreted the rule for the point differential and so we got second. But either way, we went into the game with a goal to try and get that differential and we got it.â€
JDHS ran to a 15-8 lead in the first quarter but led by just four, 34-30, at the half.
“We had a shaky end to the first half,†Potter said. “They went on a 6-0 run and we lost our focus a little bit. But we got back together, got down to business and really started looking inside again. That softened things up and we got a little bit more movement out of our wings, which created some more opportunities.â€
A 20-10 run through the third quarter blew the game open, and the Crimson Bears outscored the Bears 21-14 in the fourth.
Potter said it was an up-and-down game throughout.
“It was really our first chance to play in a game where there were a lot of shot opportunities,†he said. “There were a lot of possessions and we were much better about going inside. We weren’t perfect, but we were much better. I think we’ve grown a little bit each game, but we’re still not a finished product. But I think we’re starting to understand that sometimes, the best thing you can do is make a hard cut or quickly pass the ball.
“You don’t have to make great plays all the time. Make basketball plays first, and then great things will happen.â€
Junior guard Tony Yadao hit five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 27 points. Senior big man Ryan Baldwin added 20 points for Juneau-Douglas.
JDHS knocked off West Valley for the second time of the season on Friday, 56-51, this time on the second day of the tournament.
The Crimson Bears led 11-6 after the first quarter and 40-30 after the third. West Valley’s fourth-quarter rally came up short as JDHS held on behind 14 points from sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate, and 10 from senior forward De’Andre “Jazz†King.
Luke Carson, who did not play when Juneau-Douglas defeated West Valley in the Capital City Classic championship game, made three 3-pointers and totalled 17 points for the Wolfpack.
Juneau-Douglas held a big advantage at the free throw line, making 19 of 27 compared to just 6 of 9 for West Valley.
The Crimson Bears (5-1) host Sitka on Thursday before opening Southeast Conference play Friday at Thunder Mountain.
Bears bounce back - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
The Juneau-Douglas boys’ basketball team rebounded from its first loss of the season Thursday to finish second in the 44th Annual Joe Floyd/Era Aviation Winter Classic Basketball Tournament at Kodiak High School.
Sunday January 09, 2011
Jeffrey Pusich won the tournament's freethrow contest by defeating his teammate, Trevor Clauder in a shoot-off. Jackson Lehnhart and Jesse Miller represented the Crimson Bears on the All-Tourney team.
J.V. Bears finish 2-1 at Don Hather Tournament in Skagway
In a tournament that pitted Alaskan teams against Canadian teams (Whitehorse, YT, Ca) the Junior Varsity recovered from a first game defeat against Porter Creek to win their next two games. Following a half-time tie with Vanier, the Bears used a 3rd quarter run to put the game out of reach for the Crusaders. In the final game against F.H. Collins the Bears needed overtime to secure victory.
Saturday January 08, 2011
The Bears play Kodak tonight.
The game can be heard live on KINY beginning at 6 p.m.
Bears notch win against West Valley, face host Kodiak at 6 pm
The Juneau Douglas Crimson Bears men's basketball team defeated West Valley by a score of 56 to 51 at the Joe Floyd Tourney in Kodak Friday.
Friday January 07, 2011
JDHS coach Steve Potter said the Braves jumped on the Crimson Bears out of the gate.
“We were down 7-0 before you could even bat an eye,†he said.
Juneau-Douglas trailed 16-6 after one quarter but closed within four at the half, 24-20, and actually took a 10-point lead after outscoring the Braves 16-3 in the third.
Mt. Edgecumbe then went on a 20-6 run to retake the lead for good over the final eight minutes.
“We relaxed a little bit and they extended their defense. We got casual, threw some light passes and they stole them and got lay-ups,†Potter explained of the fourth-quarter collapse. “We didn’t adjust very well, and then we started feeling a little bit of pressure and got impatient. We were basically getting one shot, not making it and we weren’t getting any offensive rebounds.â€
The Braves took advantage of an 18-12 foul discrepancy, though they shot just 12-for-27 from the line. JDHS shot just eight free throws, making three.
Potter shouldered the blame, saying the team was ill-prepared for Mt. Edgecumbe’s 2-3 zone.
“It seemed to get our guys in a funk and I didn’t prepare them well enough for that zone,†he admitted. “We were unsure and it showed, especially early in the game. And then late in the game when it was close, we were unsure. We didn’t play horrible, but we certainly had guys making mistakes from top to bottom that they shouldn’t make. We need to tighten it up.â€
Potter said mistakes were made across the board.
“We weren’t as sharp as we could’ve been and I think I missed some opportunities where I could have changed things to slow them down and break up one of their runs,†he said. “I tried to let the guys play through it and that didn’t work out. It was clearly the wrong move on my part.â€
The silver lining, Potter added, is that it was just the fourth game of the season for 3-1 JDHS.
“We certainly don’t like to lose but if nothing else, this was direct notice to our guys that they can’t just show up and win,†he said. “We looked really good and everybody was telling us how big we were, and we were big. Their little guys went around us a few times and we tried to block shots instead of just keeping guys in front of us. They got to shoot free throws and we didn’t.
“But when it comes down to it, we have to make shots and we didn’t. We only made one three and against a 2-3 (zone), there were plenty of opportunities for us to make them,†he continued. “We shot, for the most part, good shots. But I would have liked to have seen us go inside more. When we went on our run, we were going inside.â€
Senior forward Colin Gozelski led JDHS with 12 points in his season debut, and senior forwards De’Andre “Jazz†King and Ryan Baldwin, along with sophomore guard Tony Yadao, scored seven each.
The round-robin boys’ bracket features JDHS, Mt. Edgecumbe, West Valley and Kodiak, and the Crimson Bears look to rebound at 3:45 p.m. today in a rematch of the de facto championship game of the Capital City Classic against West Valley.
Poor shooting dooms Bears against Mt. Edgecumbe in Kodiak
The Juneau-Douglas boys’ basketball team dropped its first game of the season Thursday, 47-42 to Mt. Edgecumbe on the opening day of the 44th Annual Joe Floyd/Era Aviation Winter Classic Basketball Tournament at Kodiak High School.
Thursday January 06, 2011
On the Road - Joe Floyd Tournament, Kodiak
The boys have headed to "The Rock" for the Joe Floyd Tournament in Kodiak. This is the state's longest running basketball tournament and provides the Crimson Bears games against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves, West Valley Wolfpack, and the home team Kodiak Bears. The team will be at full strength for the first time this season with Ryan Baldwin, Colin Gozelski, and Phillip Fenumiai back from their All-Star Football game.
Wednesday January 05, 2011
JV's Headed to Skagway
The Junior Varsity will take to the court in Skagway this weekend for some international competition against F.H. Collins, Vanier, and Porter Creek.
Sunday January 02, 2011
The boys’ team made it to the de facto championship game of the round-robin tournament with little resistance from outmanned 2A Hoonah — a late addition after a team from Los Angeles backed out — and defending 3A state champion Haines.
JDHS managed to defeat West Valley by five points on the tournament’s final day without three key players who were out of town to play in an All-Star football game.
The defending 4A state champion girls, on the other hand, had a few obstacles to overcome. The Crimson Bears put on a clinic on Monday against South Anchorage, annihilating the Wolverines 76-17 in one of the most dominant performances I’ve ever seen in a prep basketball game. Simply put, it was stunning.
But it didn’t come without cost.
All-State point guard Karli Brakes suffered a badly sprained ankle, and JDHS needed overtime the next night to defeat Crescent Valley (Ore.).
The game wasn’t pretty for long stretches, but the finish sure was fantastic. The Crimson Bears then went out and defeated an Australian club team with relative ease to claim their second straight Classic title, winning their fifth straight tournament in doing so, dating back to last season.
Here are few notes about what we saw.
Ladies first:
For me, there’s just something about teams that get after it defensively that I really appreciate. It’s a sign of good coaching, competitive fire and a burning desire to be better than just good. Good teams coast along. Great teams don’t have to rely on offense and talent alone to win.
Off night shooting the ball? Scoring drought? Key player out for a game or two with an injury?
No worries. We know we can still play defense. They might score on us, but nothing will come easy.
Great defensive teams want to rattle you and then step on your neck when they know they’ve taken your heart, figuratively speaking, of course.
Last year at this time I wrote a column suggesting the Crimson Bears could win a few more tournaments if they continued to play the type of defense they had in the Capital City Classic.
They won three more tourneys that year, including the one that ended with a 4A state championship.
Juneau-Douglas suffocated teams defensively during stretches in the Classic every bit as much as last year’s Bears, with help from a couple of newcomers.
Sophomore Marissa Brakes garnered screams of approval from the bench Monday in her home varsity debut when she dove on top of a South Wolverine to fight for a loose ball. She looked just like her big(ger) sis, Karli, the Bears’ defensive pit bull at the point who never saw a ball she didn’t think she could get her hands on.
You don’t see that sort of effort — and subsequent appreciation from teammates and coaches — in a box score, but the younger Brakes did something that does on Tuesday. More on that later…
Six-foot-2 senior center Hannah Swofford showed a greatly improved game around the basket, flashing a couple of nice post moves and an unstoppable jump hook.
I’m no coach and will never presume to be an expert, but one thing I’d like to see Swofford and fellow 6-footer Maria Weyhrauch do is attack the glass with more ferocity. Use that size to your advantage and own those 50-50 balls that come off the rim.
Swofford averaged 3.25 rebounds per game, playing 14.66 minutes.
Weyhrauch had to play away from the basket more than normal because of a lack of depth in the backcourt due to Karli Brakes’ injury, but she did have seven big rebounds in 23 minutes against Crescent Valley. She also made a huge basket with under a minute to go to cut the Bears’ deficit to two points on a play where she wasn’t timid at all.
Juneau-Douglas has a rare blessing in girls’ prep basketball of tremendous size and strength in the post. The Crimson Bears could be nearly unstoppable underneath.
Senior forward Taylor Larson is capable of getting a double-double every night, and she somehow finds a way to score on anyone, now matter how much taller they are. Many are taller, few, if any, are stronger. However, it’s clear she’s going to draw a lot of attention — triple teams at times — around the basket.
If the much-improved Nani Ostrom and Esra Siddeek can knock down shots as they did at times during the tournament, it’s going to be a huge benefit to Larson underneath. Siddeek made 5 of 7 triples in the final game, and Ostrom made 3 of 5 treys in scoring 15 points against South.
Perhaps most impressive was senior forward Sarah Tarver. The 5-foot-10 Tarver plays like she’s 6-foot-2 but with a handle, and she’s going to be a nightmare matchup for any team she faces. She’s capable of defending nearly every position and has great anticipation.
Length, of course, never hurts.
Not only can she defend in the full- and half-courts, but she also stuffed the stat line every night in winning MVP honors for the girls.
She averaged nearly 8 points, better than 8 boards, four assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes a game,. Against South on Monday, she nearly pulled off the rare rebound-assist double-double.
If Tarver, a prep All-American soccer player as a junior, transforms on the basketball court this year the way she did on the volleyball court, I have two words for you: Watch. Out.
OK, one more word: Beast.
Area for concern: defensive communication.
Former Crimson Bear and 2010 First Team All-State selection Brittany Fenumiai was in attendance and she was impressed with what she saw.
Fenumiai noted the Bears’ lack of communication on the defensive end.
She makes a great point, and coach Lesslie Knight agreed.
“One of the things we’ve talked about is our inability to talk on defense,†she said. “We talked about it at halftime (of the Crescent Valley game), and I screamed and yelled — I’m quite hoarse — and I chewed my bench (out).
“Whether they’re playing or not, their job is to be vocal and involve themselves by talking when we’re on defense. I think the tempo changed when we started talking.â€
What we think: The JDHS girls are really good.
What we know: They’ll be even better before it’s all said and done. They can be as good as they want to be and, really, who doesn’t want to win another state title?
That’s what I thought.
What we saw: Who knows how big of a factor she’ll be for the Bears this season, but Marissa Brakes’ monster 3-pointer in the overtime win against Crescent Valley was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten. Not only did she make the big shot, but then she got planted for the second time of the game before shaking it off and coolly knocking down two free throws with 15.5 seconds left to extend the Bears’ lead back to three points.
The 5-foot sophomore point guard scored five of the Crimson Bears’ seven points in the extra four minutes, and proved exactly why guts can’t be measured in height. No doubt, that runs in the family.
Karli fondly remembers her welcome-to-big-time-varsity-basketball coming out party against Colony a couple of years ago.
Welcome to big-time varsity basketball, Marissa.
JDHS Boys:
Area of concern: Is there such a thing as too many players?
It’s certainly possible if people forget about the team-first concept — especially as the rotation starts to shrink later in the season and guys get less minutes than they did at the start of the year.
What we think: The JDHS boys will be better than last year’s state tourney team.
What we know: When Tony Yadao is on his game, he’s one of the most exciting players around.
What we saw: It was tough to get a good read on the JDHS boys because they played against a 2A and a 3A school, and had three key players missing the tournament.
But a few things are certain: The Bears are very quick in the back court, have good size and muscle in the post and are going to be much improved, especially with the addition of strong man De’Andre King, the tourney MVP, in the middle.
And, hey, they made the state tournament last year.
With senior swingman Colin Gozelski, sophomore wing Phillip Fenumiai and big man Ryan Baldwin back on the court, this is an incredibly intriguing team with a lot of potential and possibilities ahead.
And on top of that, all of the returnees, to a man, have stepped their games up to the next level...
It’s going to be a fun season in Juneau for fans of prep basketball.
No doubt.
Tourney hints at great possibilities, potential for JDHS boys and girls - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
The past week was good to the local prep basketball teams from Juneau-Douglas high School as both won their respective brackets of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic.
Thursday December 30, 2010
The Crimson Bears were on fire early, especially guard Tony Yadao. After struggling to shoot the ball through the first two games, Yadao scored 11 first-quarter points off three 3-pointers and a nifty up-and-under move, and then added five more in the second quarter for 16 in the first half on 5 of 11 shooting.
The junior finished with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Yadao said he had feeling it was going to be a good night when the first 3-pointer dropped through the net.
"I'm just glad that I was able to get my teammates involved and they were able to find me, too," he added.
The JDHS press wreaked havoc in the early going, and the Bears had 11 points off turnovers in the first half.
A Yadao triple broke a 4-all tie, igniting a 12-0 run. Another Yadao 3-ball made it 16-4, and Kade Campbell broke the Wolfpack dry spell with two free throws, but Yadao sank another triple to make it 19-6, and JDHS led 21-9 after the first eight minutes.
"Tony got some better looks," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of Yadao, who struggled shooting the ball in the tournament's first two games. "I think he was pressing a little bit and taking high-degree-of-difficulty shots. He's capable of making those, but he was entering with those shots instead of letting the easy ones come, and then working his way up."
The Bears cooled off in the second quarter as West Valley began to heat up. Yadao made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot to make it 24-11, JDHS, but Kent Ariola answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 10. Down 26-14, the Wolfpack went on an 8-0 run to further cut into the Bears' lead.
Campbell broke free for a lay-up to start things off. Anthony Vealy scored inside, Will Vealy drove the lane for a tough bucket and John Renfroe scored underneath the basket.
An Evan Gross free throw broke the dry spell for JDHS, and then the 6-foot-7 center swatted the final shot attempt of the first half with the Bears ahead 27-22, igniting the crowd.
"I think in the first half, we got that first lead and started relaxing a little bit and taking it slow," Yadao said. "At halftime, Coach gave us a good speech on what we weren't doing and what we needed to do. We started playing more as a team after that."
"I thought we started off playing at our tempo and either we relaxed, or we got into the individual part," Potter added. "We lost our rhythm and we didn't respond very well. Their zone gave us trouble that it probably shouldn't have and when we finally got patient, we got looks inside for Jazz (De'Andre King)."
Juneau-Douglas went inside to King for four straight points to start the second half.
King, later named the tournament MVP on the boys' side, then scored three the old-fashioned way, Hurtte drained a 15-footer and sophomore Jeffrey Pusich came off the bench to splash a long jumper as JDHS took a 38-30 lead into the fourth quarter.
"Our guards started being patient, and believing in Jazz gave him the opportunity to be the deserved MVP of the tournament," Potter said. "In the beginning of the game, we went inside to him four times in a row and they fouled him every time. They were fouling him because they couldn't guard him, and we went away from it."
A six-point spurt by West Valley cut the deficit to 3, 39-36, at the 5-minute mark.
JDHS answered with its own 6-0 run, including another 15-footer by Hurtte and another bucket inside for King to push the lead back to nine, 45-38.
West Valley again closed within three after a lay-up by Anthony Vealy with just 24.7 seconds remaining, but Hurtte sank two free throws and the Wolfpack turned it over on the ensuing possession on a five-second violation.
Joining King on the All-Tournament team was Hurtte, Ibesate and Yadao, as well as West Valley's Renfroe, Anthony Vealy and William Vealy, Hoonah's Cameron Smith and Haines' Tyler Swinton.
JDHS (3-0) is at Kodiak on Jan. 6.
Capital City sweep - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
Juneau-Douglas made it a boys-girls sweep of the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic on Wednesday with a 47-42 win over West Valley.
Wednesday December 29, 2010
Juneau-Douglas (2-0) faces West Valley today at 7 p.m. for the championship trophy.
"We're getting better and that's the whole point. We'll have a true championship game against West Valley, and they've got some pretty exciting players and it will be a good test for us," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of tonight's matchup. "They've got a long, athletic guy (John Renfroe), and had four guys in the dunk contest. They have a really quick, left-handed point guard (William Vearly), and it will be a nice challenge for our guys."
The Crimson Bears held the quickness advantage in the backcourt, and Juneau-Douglas sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate took advantage, racking up nine steals.
"Coach always has something to say before games and the first thing he said was, 'Their guards won't be able to handle our pressure,'" Ibesate said. "We came out ready to defend and we got good pressure, and they turned it over."
Juneau-Douglas scored 17 points off turnovers to Haines' two.
The Glacier Bears' Logan Simpson went scoreless and had six turnovers, while Austin Badger had nine points but committed seven turnovers.
"That was our plan going in, to not back off," Potter said. "(Badger) made some nice plays but as the game wore on and we kept putting other guys on him, he wore down. That's the advantage of having more guys."
Juneau-Douglas scored the first 11 points of the game, all within a couple of feet of the basket. Senior forward De'Andre King, who finished with 11 points, scored six of the first 8 points of the game. Ibesate scored off a steal and then an old-fashioned 3-point play, followed by a steal and lay-up for senior guard Eddie Hurrte.
Haines answered with six straight, but junior Alec Calloway splashed a triple from the wing before scoring inside off a dish from sophomore guard Tony Yadao, who had five assists on the night. JDHS led 18-9 after the first quarter, and extended its lead to 12, 30-18, at the half.
The lead was 11 midway through the third period as Haines continued to hang around, but the Bears closed the frame with a 12-0 run to blow the game open.
Junior center Evan Gross hit a jump hook, Yadao and senior Travis Godfrey made back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by four straight points for Hurtte inside to close the quarter.
JDHS outscored Haines 18-16 over the fourth quarter.
The Crimson Bears held the Glacier Bears to 29.5 percent shooting for the game, and Potter was pleased with the overall defensive performance of his team.
"I thought Evan did a nice job on their big kid (Tyler Swinton)," Potter said. "He kept him in front of him and he scored some, but I think he got a lot of his points from the line."
Swinton scored 5 of his 14 points from the charity stripe.
King knotted a double-double, matching his 11 points with 11 boards. Ibesate just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine steals.Hurtte also scored 10, and Yadoa added nine.
Crimson Rolls - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
Juneau-Douglas harassed and pressured Haines into 29 turnovers Tuesday, and the Crimson Bears blitzed the defending 3A state champion Glacier Bears 66-41 in the second round of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic.
Tuesday December 28, 2010
Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball coach Steve Potter said late last week his team's matchup with 2A Hoonah on the first day of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic would be David versus Goliath.
This time, it was David who got flattened.
The Crimson Bears blasted the outmanned Braves 72-37, running 14 different players at Hoonah, which had just five that played all 32 minutes.
Hoonah, which will reclassify to 1A next year, was a late addition to the tournament, filling in after a previously committed team from Los Angeles backed out last month.
Juneau-Douglas rolled to a 29-9 lead in the first quarter behind 10 points from senior guard Eddie Hurtte, and stretched its lead to 53-20 at the half. JDHS blistered the nets in the first two frames, shooting 23 of 44, including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line.
"We shot the ball much better in the first half - 52 percent to 24 percent (in the second half), so I was a little disappointed about that," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "And (Cameron) Smith did a pretty good job for them. I wasn't all that pleased with our ability to contain him, but they played really hard and that's all you can ask.
"But we got off early on and a lot of guys got a chance to play, and that's important for us."
Smith scored 28 of Hoonah's 37 points, and led the Braves with six rebounds and three steals.
The second half was fairly even as the Crimson Bears outscored the Braves 12-8 in the third quarter, and Hoonah won the fourth quarter 9-7 to set the final score.
Like the JDHS girls' in their matchup with South, the Crimson Bears dominated nearly every statistical category. Juneau-Douglas scored 19 points off 24 turnovers, and outrebounded Hoonah 59-27, scoring 19 second-chance points. JDHS also got 31 points off its bench, while Hoonah didn't have a bench.
Hurtte led the Bears with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Senior forward and newcomer De'Andre King scored 15 points and had five boards. In all, 11 Bears broke into the scoring column and JDHS had 25 assists on 31 field goals.
"The guys look for each other for sure," Potter said of his team's willingness to share the ball. "It would have been nice if we had made a couple more shots, but we're doing a pretty decent job of passing the ball."
The Crimson Bears were short-handed as well, with three players missing the tournament to play in the Tanoa Bowl on Jan. 1 in Auburn, Wash., an All-Star football game pitting Alaska against Washington.
Senior swingman Colin Gozelski, sophomore wing Phillip Fenumiai and big man Ryan Baldwin are all out of town for the game.
Tour de force - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox and Matthew Tynan
JDHS cruises past Hoonah
Monday December 27, 2010
The 2010-11 Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team plans to run and gun, and overpower people in the post - whether out on the floor or in half-court sets.
It's almost a new year and there's a revamped squad of Crimson Bears, set to be unleashed today as Juneau-Douglas prepares for the Capital City Classic.
"Speedy, which is OK, because we have pretty good speed," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of his new team. "But, now, we're pretty big. We have too much speed to not try and run, so we're going to defend in the whole court - which is our plan - and we expect to rebound and push it down the floor."
Five-foot-6 junior speedster Lance Ibesate has the reigns at point guard, but the Bears' true depth lies on the wings. Classmate Tony Yadao, 5-foot-8, gets the nod at shooting guard with senior swingman Colin Gozelski at small forward. Fellow seniors Cort Saviers, 5-foot-9, and Eddie Hurtte, 5-foot-11, will come off the bench, along with 6-foot-4 junior Alec Calloway, who was tabbed by Gozelski as the most improved.
"Really, for us, (shooting guard) and (small forward) are interchangeable," Potter said. "All of our guards can play the off guard, but where we are the thinnest is at the point."
Depth at point guard is a concern, but the another key loss from the 2009-10 Southeast Conference Tournament champs will be at shooting guard, where All-State honorable mention Alex DeRocher was the team's go-to guy on the perimeter and a leader in the locker room.
But the Bears' best bet for 2011 might be his replacement - Yadao, who showed flashes of defensive brilliance, scoring ability and athleticism as a sophomore; not to mention that DeRocher-like 3-point stroke during Thursday's alumni game.
"We'll miss DeRocher's scoring, but Tony has done a lot of work in the offseason, (Alec) Calloway's done a lot of work, and I think those guys can help fill that role," Potter said. "Tony, I thought he was pretty good last year and he played hard. The thing for him is maintaining that intensity and hunger.
"If he still wants to dominate people, then he's going to have a monster year."
Yadao, who let his game speak for itself last season, said he's ready to take on a leadership role.
"The thing that I've gotten better at is communicating. I've been quiet most of my high school career, but I've been trying to develop that leader mentality," he said. "Over this past summer, I've been working with my coaches on being a leader. I think with our supporting cast, all the pressure won't be on me.
"We're more athletic, and we have a lot of returning guards who can step in."
The Bears graduated a wealth of bulk, depth and fouls down low, but should be more of a scoring threat. Six-foot-4 senior DeAndre King and 6-foot-2 sophomore Gary Speck transferred from Thunder Mountain and will add both size and experience in the post, along with 6-foot-6 senior big man Ryan Baldwin and 6-foot-9 junior Taylor Swofford.
"We lost some bigs but out of the blue, we replaced them with some even bigger bigs," Potter said. "I think that last year, we had an advantage in that a lot of guys could play hard. We have the same situation and if we can get everybody to play hard, then I think we can be pretty good."
Gozelski said this year's post players are more skilled on both ends of the court.
"We're a lot different from last year. We're a lot bigger," he said. "Because of the big guys, we're going to try some new zones. Our big guys are more experienced and we've put in a lot of work over the summer."
King and Baldwin will both get a shot at power forward, but everything will depend on matchups, Potter said. The 6-foot-3 Gozelski also will see time down low.
"It just depends on how we move guys around," Potter said.
At center, 6-foot-7 junior Evan Gross has the upperhand on the starting role.
"We'll also look at Baldwin there," Potter said, "plus we have two sophomores in Jeff Pusich and Gary Speck with good size and good skill."
The X-Factor for this team is sophomore Phillip Fenumiai. The Crimson Bears' All-State quarterback shed more than 30 pounds before the school year started, and has shown increased mobility, along with a better handle. So much so he's grown from a JV post player into a versatile weapon Potter plans to play all over the floor.
Fenumiai played point guard at times during the recent alumni game and Southeast Holiday Hoops Classic, a JV tournament at Thunder Mountain last week.
"Phillip can play anywhere from one to five," Potter said. "He's transitioning from a post player into a wing player. He's grown a little bit and he's so much faster. He's always had pretty good ball-handling skills, and he's evolving into a guard for us."
Potter said he's happy with the team's athleticism and depth up front, and overall communication is much improved. Perimeter shooting, he said, could be the biggest hurdle.
The way to make up for any deficiencies, Potter said, is "for guys to play to exhaustion," while recognizing they will get back in the game.
"Guys are afraid that once they come out, they'll never go back in," he said. "I think that we're deep enough, and I think the guys know that. When a big subs in for another big, they're not worried about it. And our guards are pretty intense."
Everything accounted, Potter said this year's team should be "fun to watch."
Gozelski was more definitive.
"I want to get out of the first round (of the state tournament), and I think this is the team to do it," he said. "I think this is the best team I've ever been on."
Bears revamped, reloaded - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Speed thrills, post power kills. Depth and versatility seal the deal.
Sunday December 26, 2010
Capital City Classic Tournament Begins!
The Crimson Bears will face Hoonah, Haines, and West Valley (Fairbanks) in the 2010 Capital City Classic. Boys games will begin at 7pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Thursday December 23, 2010
Juneau-Douglas will unveil the girls' and boys' basketball teams tonight against Crimson Bears alumni at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively.
Alumni Game 7 pm Tonight!
Come watch your current edition of Crimson Bears take on the former players in a battle for the ages. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Wednesday December 22, 2010
Trailing 37-33 after three quarters, the JDHS-1 girls reeled off an 11-0 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to grab their first lead of the game. They would never relinquish it on their way to a 48-41 victory and the first-place trophy.
Juneau-Douglas trailed the entire game until the early moments of the final frame, and Bears coach Madison Swofford said the team finally got itself going in time to send the Kings home with a loss.
"We started communicating, we got our posts going and we got some leadership going," she said. "Everyone finally came together at the end of the tournament."
Although they led most of the game, the Kings finally buckled under the pressure of the Bears' size inside.
Malin Murray and Gabi Fenumiai combined for 21 points, and JDHS's post play proved too much for Ketchikan.
"We lit a fire under them and they finally took off," she said.
Ketchikan wing Faith Clark and forward Kaylynn Haywood scored 10 and 15 points, respectively, to pace Ketchikan. Bears point guard Monica Ashenfelter scored ten points, including the team's only 3-pointer of the game.
The Thunder Mountain-2 boys' team had a chance to win the tournament in front of the home crowd, but Phillip Fenumiai and Juneau-Douglas stole the show Wednesday night.
The Falcons cut a 38-20 third-quarter deficit to 42-29 behind a six-point stretch by sophomore guard Ty Grussendorf, but Fenumiai ripped off 10 straight points to end the quarter. The 6-foot-3 forward hit a 3-pointer from the left corner before getting in the lane for three consecutive lay-ups, and the Bears took a 54-32 lead into the fourth quarter, a lead the Falcons never challenged the rest of the way.
"Thunder Mountain plays really hard and made us adjust some of the things we wanted to do," JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. "We were able to answer their runs and I was really pleased to see that."
Fenumiai scored 21 points to lead all scorers and combined to score 40 points in the past two games.
"Phillip has been that dynamic as a player since I had the opportunity to coach him in middle school," Casperson said. "If you put a big guy on him he can handle the ball on the perimeter, and if you put a small guy on him he'll take him inside. He's very gifted offensively, I'm just looking forward to seeing that defense come up to his offensive capability."
Sophomore Sam Jahn paced the Falcons with 15 points, while freshman Ryan Lee pitched in 10. Grussendorf finished with 12 points for Thunder Mountain. The only other scorer in double figures for the Bears was sophomore forward Gary Speck with 10 points.
Juneau-Douglas will unveil the girls' and boys' basketball teams tonight against Crimson Bears alumni at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively.
Crimson Cleans up - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The inaugural Southeast Holiday Hoops Classic JV basketball tournament concluded Wednesday night at Thunder Mountain High School, but it was the Juneau-Douglas boys' and girls' teams that took home the first-place hardware.
Wednesday December 22, 2010
Bears JV wins close contest
The Bears earned an opportunity to play for the championship of the first annual Holiday Hoops Classic by defeating TMHS JV-1 Tuesday 57-56. They will face the TMHS JV-2 team in a winner take all contest tonight at 8 pm.
Tuesday December 21, 2010
Holiday Hoops Classic- Day 1 result
The Juneau-Douglas JV's defeated the Sitka JV's 41-17 in Monday's action. Up next for the Crimson Bears will be Thunder Mountain JV 1 tonight.
Sunday December 19, 2010
JV's in Holiday Hoops Classic Tournament
The JDHS Junior Varsity will participate in the 1st annual Holiday Hoops Classic Tournament hosted by Thunder Mountain High School. The first game is against the Sitka JV team at 2:00 pm on Monday the 20th.
Friday December 03, 2010
2010-2011 Crimson Bears Selected
The teams have been selected for this year. Check back for roster updates and game schedules.
Monday November 29, 2010
Alaska High School Basketball Begins!
The season is upon on us with the first official day of practice today. Stay tuned for updates and information.
Friday March 12, 2010
About 18 seconds later, sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate stole the ball from the conference's leading scorer, Ketchikan's Jeff Whicker, and raced the length of the court for the game-winning lay-up. The Crimson Bears were headed to the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
Ibesate and Yadao are the future of Bears basketball, but it's the seniors that are the bedrock of all good programs. And it's this year's seniors who have laid the foundation over four years, culminating in one last shot at state glory for the soon-to-be graduates.
"No one really expected us to make it, but we did and everyone is really excited. I thought we had a definite chance as we all progressed," said senior forward Paul Tupou. "Ketchikan was obviously a really tough opponent and we struggled a lot against them all year, but I really had a feeling that we were going to make it. We pulled it together and I'm really proud of us for doing that."
For the outgoing seniors, this means they have one last chance to go out on top.
"I'm just glad I get to play some more in my last year," said Eric Sele, another senior forward. "I didn't want it to end in a loss in regions, so I'm excited to go up (to Anchorage) and hopefully do well.
"We're just going to play hard and do what we do."
The current edition of the Crimson Bears is much different than last year's version, which has been well-documented following the departure of key players to Thunder Mountain High School. Senior guard Alex DeRocher, who hit the game-winner to beat the Kings in their first Southeast Conference Tournament matchup, said both the upperclassmen and underclassmen have stepped into roles that were undefined at the beginning of the season.
"Last year, different people had different roles and we had a couple of go-to guys, but we have more of a team this year, which is why we won the Southeast," he said. "A couple of the guys had experience, but a lot of people didn't even play because we were so old last year."
DeRocher said last year's frontcourt was comprised mainly of seniors, so Tupou and Sele have made the best out of their opportunities this season with the extra playing time. He also said senior point guard Victor Wilson's return to the team after a two-year hiatus has been crucial.
"Victor has done a phenomenal job at point guard. He didn't even play last year and he just stepped in and starting dishing the ball to everybody," DeRocher said. "Our bigs have also really stepped up because most of the playing time was given to the senior bigs last year, so they really didn't get that much experience.
"Just playing with these senior guys is kind of weird because it's our first year actually playing together as a full unit, and our last year at the same time," he continued. "But we've meshed pretty well throughout the season. Going into the Southeast tournament we started to click really well, so that's probably why we won."
Wilson said he is glad he decided to return to basketball, especially with the impending trip to Anchorage.
"Coming into the season I didn't know what to expect for myself or for the team, so making it to state is awesome. We're not ready to stop playing," he said. "It was definitely worth coming back. It's been a lot of fun. I've played with a lot of these guys since elementary school, so (jelling) was pretty easy because we've all been friends.
"I love these guys," he continued. "There's no fighting and we don't do anything to make each other mad - maybe sometimes, but for the most part it's all good. It's awesome for team chemistry."
If you ask the players, it's the team chemistry that got them through the regional tournament.
"We really pulled together as a team when we needed to; they didn't," said Tupou of archrival Ketchikan. "They were really good, but we were just that much better.
"(The seniors) are all pretty close friends, and that helps because at any given time there's at least one or two seniors on the floor to take a leadership position if they need to."
For senior guard Terrence Wheat, the first year on the team has had a bittersweet ending. Wheat suffered a high-ankle sprain on senior night at Juneau-Douglas High School, and his availability for the state tournament is uncertain.
But he's excited for the experience.
"It's amazing that we get to go to state because I've never been to state for anything in my whole career here," he said. "I've known these guys from playing football, so this is really cool. It's been a good first year. I've made a lot of new friends.
"But I'm hoping I'll be able to play," he continued. "I've been trying to practice and do what I can."
Bears coach Steve Potter said though Wheat is injured, he's been a great contributor to the team, along with the other seniors.
"Terrence has been a tenacious practice player all year, and when he's gotten a chance to play he's been just as tenacious in the games," he said. "I also think Eric and Paul have done a great job. Sele had played a lot when he was younger, but as a junior he pretty much didn't. This year, I think he's the only guy that has started every game for us, and Paul (Tupou) has come from nowhere to be a valuable contributor to the team."
With key backcourt players leaving last year's squad, Potter also mentioned how valuable his senior guards have been.
"Alex is our leading scorer and Victor's given us some strength and leadership at (point guard)," he said. "He's a natural leader - it probably would have been nice if he would have played a couple more years of basketball, but we're happy with what we got out of him this year."
With one final chance to bring home the state title, the Bears are playing their best basketball at the right time. And if the seniors have it their way, they'll still be playing late into next week.
Bear boys' seniors flourish in new roles - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
With 22 seconds to play in the championship game of the Southeast Conference tournament, the Crimson Bears were down by three points as sophomore guard Tony Yadao squared up for what would be the game-tying 3-pointer, giving new life to the surging Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team.
Thursday March 11, 2010
Player of the Year - Travis Thompson, Dimond
Coach of the Year - Rob Galosich, Dimond
FIRST TEAM
Travis Thompson, Dimond; Devon Bookert, West; Damon Sherman-Newsome, Bartlett; Justin Kauffman, West; John Palmer, Colony.
SECOND TEAM
Tom Feeney, West; Jeff Whicker, Ketchikan; Juwan Harris, East; Cody Pfeifer, Wasilla; Cody Grussendorf, Thunder Mountain.
THIRD TEAM
Jesse Ward, North Pole; Ryden Hines, Dimond; Stefan Johnson, East; Conner Devine, Wasilla; Dustin Theis, Chugiak.
HONORABLE MENTION
A.J. Banks, East; Kody Broderick, North Pole; Tyller Bell, Ketchikan; Boomer Blossom, Soldotna; Blaine Carver, Soldotna; Adam Klie, Service; Malik King, Bartlett; Keith Mays, Lathrop; Colby Mitchell, Chugiak; Kyle Titus, Palmer; Alex DeRocher, Juneau-Douglas.
Senior Alex DeRocher is boys' All-State Honorable Mention - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Class 4A Boys All-State Basketball Team
Monday March 08, 2010
A little more than two months ago, Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball coach Steve Potter had more questions than answers.
After losing several key pieces from last year's team, in particular those who transferred to Thunder Mountain, Potter said he was trying to find leaders at the beginning of the season.
"I thought we were going to have some experienced continuity, but it didn't work out that way," said Potter in the Dec. 21 season preview. "Everybody is finding new roles."
Seconds after a last-second three-point heave from Ketchikan's Jeff Whicker missed its mark, the Crimson Bears community celebrated together at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Fans, players, coaches and cheerleaders all gathered at mid-court after a thrilling two-point victory over the Ketchikan Kings.
At that point, Potter started to get some answers.
"Our defensive rotations were probably better than they've been all year, and it's always nice when it comes together at the right time," he said. "Ketchikan's a pretty darn good team, and for us to get them twice - that was big for us."
Whicker, whose 27 points gave him the Kings single-season scoring record, had his pocket picked by sophomore guard Lance Ibesate who raced the length of the court for a lay-up and a two-point lead with only three seconds to play.
"We knew Jeff (Whicker) was going to get the ball, so my first thought was he was going to drive," said senior guard Alex DeRocher, whose 16 points led the Bears. "As soon as Lance got the ball, my hopes started leaping. Then as soon as he made it and we called time out, my hopes for the game just escalated.
"I really didn't want it to be my last senior game for the Crimson Bears. We pulled it off - it was great."
With the game tied 59-59 with 21 seconds left, Potter preached defense to the team during the timeout.
"We talked about keeping the guys in front of us and not fouling. We were going to get our hands up and only give them one shot," he said. "Whicker went to the middle and Lance got the strip really low to the ground and came up with it.
"To get that big, left-handed lay-up over (Tyler) Bell - we were pretty excited about that."
Only 18 seconds earlier, another sophomore guard, Tony Yadao, hit a game-tying three-pointer that set the stage for Ibesate to make the play on defense.
"They completely left Tony, almost daring him to shoot," Potter said. "Well, he did."
Senior forward Eric Sele was the Bears' second leading scorer with 9 points in what was a very balanced offensive attack. DeRocher was the only player for the Bears who scored in double figures. Tyler Bell had 13 points for the Kings as well.
Just three nights prior, DeRocher hit a baseline jump shot with eight seconds remaining to give the Bears their first victory over the Kings all season. The loss forced the Kings into a win-or-go-home situation heading into their Thursday night tilt with Thunder Mountain.
After pulling out the victory over the Falcons, the Kings turned their sights back on the Bears. Thursday, Ketchikan had to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback bid by JDHS for the win. That forced a final game Saturday night with a trip to state on the line.
Potter said there were some changes made for that final game, especially on the defensive end. After trailing by 14 points in the second half Friday night, the Bears deployed a zone defense that helped fuel their late-game comeback attempt. Juneau-Douglas, who rarely played zone defense during the season, found something that worked for them.
"We got down early (Saturday) and we decided what we were doing wasn't working, so we switched to the zone trap," Potter said. "Our halfcourt defense was struggling against them and our full-court defense hasn't been our strength this year.
"So we tried a zone-trapping scheme and it seemed to disrupt them."
Potter said he couldn't take credit for the zone defense that gave the Kings trouble, however.
"(Assistant coach) Robert Casperson had been pumping me all year to try it out, so I finally let him talk me into it," he said. "It was his idea to go to that. That defense is kind of his baby."
The Bears undoubtedly peaked at the right time as they worked their way through early-season struggles to find their identity. And as the clock turned to zero and the Bears celebrated, it was two young role players that stepped up when given the opportunity.
Ibesate and Yadao were not only big in the final minute of Saturday's championship game, but they, along with the rest of the Bears' bench, are crucial to the Bears' run in the home-stretch of the season.
"Tony has done a phenomenal job. He drives to get other people open and he can go up with it because he's got great ball control. He's just a great team player," said DeRocher. "Lance has really stepped it up at a point guard position. It's great relief for Victor (Wilson) when he starts getting tired from handling the ball up and down the court.
"I think in the next couple of years they're going to be phenomenal basketball players."
But the future is now for the Bears as they prepare for a trip to Anchorage for the state tournament, and DeRocher said they're as close to the top of their game as they have been all season.
"We all came into the (conference) tournament really hungry, and we used that fire to help get some extra pep in our step," he said. "Going into that game it was more of a team togetherness, not a one-man thing. We've peaked at the perfect moment, I'd say."
Potter said he expects the Bears to be a seventh or eighth seed when the seedings are released later today, which means they will have a first-round match up against one of the top teams in the state.
But there is still reason for hope as not every state champion has been a top seed going into the tournament, something of which Potter and his Southeast Conference champion Crimson Bears are well aware.
Two Fantastic finishes in SE - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
Boys pull out two last-second victories over Ketchikan for state berth:
Sunday March 07, 2010
Juneau-Douglas sophomore guard Lance Ibesate stole the ball from Ketchikan star Jeff Whicker and raced the length of the court for a lay-up and a thrilling 61-59 Crimson Bears victory in the late-night Southeast Conference championship game to earn a state tournament berth.
Fellow sophomore guard Tony Yadao splashed the biggest 3-pointer of his young career to tie the game at 59 with just 21 seconds remaining, and then Whicker drove to the basket from the left wing. As Whicker got to the front of the rim, Ibesate picked his pocket and too off for what proved to be the game-winning basket.
Whicker's deep 3-pointer as time expired missed, and the Bears and their fans celebrated the win at midcourt.
The Kings led 12-6 after one quarter of play and 26-24 at the break after sophomore guard Tony Yadao missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for JDHS.
The Kings started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 33-24 lead as Ketchikan began to take control of the game.
But the Bears refused to go away, pulling within four, 38-34, before trailing by five, 41-36, after three quarters of play.
A Colin Gozelski steal and lay-up brought the Bears within three, 45-42, with just more than five minutes left, but Whicker answered with an and-1 that fouled out Victor Wilson for the Bears with 4:46 left in the game.
Gozelski got another steal and lay-up to make it 48-45 with less than four minutes to go.
Whicker set the Kings' single-season scoring record with on the play that fouled out Wilson.
Check Monday's Juneau Empire for more information and stats, and the full boys' All-Conference team.
Crimson Bears win! - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
The girls aren't going alone.
Wednesday March 03, 2010
The Bears are 5-0 against the Falcons this season.
"We started out pretty slow again. We only had eight points in the first quarter," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We had a big second quarter and our depth wore on them a little bit.
"(Alex) DeRocher exploded for three 3-pointers and we were up five at the half."
Potter said the Falcons came out swinging in the third quarter to tie the game heading into the fourth. The score was tied at the end of regulation as well, and Potter said his team was able to hit their free throws. The Bears converted on 7 of 8 attempts down the stretch.
"We made a push and were almost able to close it out at the end. They hit some free throws and sent it into overtime," TMHS coach John Blasco said. "Our buckets didn't fall and their free throws did."
Despite the loss, Blasco was happy with his team's offensive production.
"We played really strong collectively offensively," he said. "Juneau kept pressuring and we kept attacking the basket - I think we got to the free throw line 30 times, something I'm very pleased with.
The Crimson Bears had 28 points off the bench, outscoring the Falcons' second unit by 22.
Cody Grussendorf and Reese Saviers led all scorers with 20 points each for TMHS, while Jazz King pitched in 10 points.
Tony Yadao had 16 points, DeRocher had 14, and Colin Gozelski and Paul Tupou each contributed 13 for the Bears, who play Ketchikan today at 8:15 p.m. as Thunder Mountain awaits the loser of that game for a 4:45 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.
Bears edge Falcons in OT - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team pulled out a 78-73 overtime victory over Thunder Mountain in the opening round of the Southeast Conference basketball tournament Tuesday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Wednesday February 24, 2010
The crowd was very supportive and helped push us to two conference game wins. The crowd's energy really helped to fuel us to victory. It was the largest crowd attendance of the season and we would like every game to be that way. Every point we scored and every good play we made was backed up with roars from the crowd; it was a great atmosphere to play in.
We would love for everyone to keep showing their support by continuing to attend another pair of games to end the regular season against Thunder Mountain High School on Feb. 25 and 27.
Once again, we really appreciate the support and urge everyone to come to the last two games of our regular season before we head to the Southeast Regional tournament.
Victor Wilson, Alex DeRocher and Colin Gozelski
Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears boys basketball team captains.
Juneau
Thanks for supporting JDHS basketball games
The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears Boys Basketball Team would like to thank everyone who showed their support by attending the games against the TMHS Falcons.
Monday February 22, 2010
"I had somebody that used to be a sports reporter for Ketchikan that let me know that he believes it was 1973-74 (since the Kings have swept the Bears)," Ketchikan coach Erik Stockhausen said Saturday after his team did just that.
Ketchikan led 11-9 after a back-and-forth first quarter that saw neither team take control, with the Kings holding the biggest edge at four points after a 5-0 run. Senior forward Colin Gozelski hit senior forward Paul Tupou for a leaner in the lane just before the buzzer to cut into the deficit.
The second quarter was more of the same, but this time with more shots falling for both teams.
There were four ties at 11-, 13-, 15- and 17-all, but JDHS could never get over the hump to retake the lead.
At 17-17, junior Jesse Lindgren scored inside, followed by a nifty reverse lay-up for senior Jeff Whicker, who had 12 points in the first half, to push the Kings back out front by four, 21-17. JDHS closed 6-4 with sophomore guard Lance Ibesate going straight the basket for a tough runner to set the first-half score at 25-23 heading into the locker room.
The Bears were lucky to be that close after shooting just 8 of 31, good for 25.8 percent, in the first half, while the Kings shot 8 of 19 for 42.1 percent.
And it didn't get any better in the third quarter as Ketchikan began to extend its lead. JDHS scored just eight points in the entire third period on 21 percent shooting, with two coming at the buzzer after Ibesate got to the basket for a tough lay-up.
The lead ballooned to 20, 53-33, in the fourth quarter after an 11-2 run in the first minutes, though JDHS was able to get it back down to a more respectable margin late in the game after the Bears started furiously attacking the basket.
"I told them at halftime that if we didn't come out with more purpose, then we were going to lose by 20," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "Then we caught a little bit of fire, but it's got to take more than getting down by 20 to have that fire."
Potter threw out a laundry list of areas he thought his team was outplayed.
"We've got to get back to doing what we're trying to do. We did not do a very good job," he said. "Ketchikan was quicker to the ball, they were more aggressive on offense, they cut harder, they had more purpose... .
"We just can't allow that to happen and continue to be successful."
Whicker followed his 30-point performance on Friday with 28 more to lead all scorers. Stockhausen also credited Whicker for keeping DeRocher off balance. DeRocher finished with 17 points, most of which came in a fourth-quarter flurry after he started attacking the basket and abandoning the 3-point line, where he shot just 1-for-17 in the two games. DeRocher said that's the worst he remembers ever shooting.
"In my whole high school career, I don't remember going that bad, even in JV games," said the senior. "I just had some off nights, and it happens to everybody. I was just lucky to be able to get some points driving in. We have a couple of practices before Thunder Mountain, so we're going to refocus. We've got to get that (focus) back."
"That's not indicative of that young man," Stockhausen said of DeRocher. "We game planned a little bit for him and tried to limit his good looks, and I thought Jeff Whicker did a fantastic job all weekend defensively. But we know that if we get a chance to play them again, those numbers are going to be a lot different.
"He's an All-Conference player, no question."
The Kings (17-5, 5-1) shot almost 49 percent to the Bears 33. Ketchikan also outrebounded JDHS 42-34 with a lineup of basically three guards and two small forwards.
"That's ridiculous," Potter said in disgust of the deficit on the glass. "It's ridiculous that we would ever get outrebounded."
Wilson and Yadao were the other Bears in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Wilson also had nine boards, three assists and two steals.
JDHS (10-9, 2-4) is at crosstown rival Thunder Mountain (7-11, 1-5 not counting Saturday's second game) for the Falcons' senior night on Thursday.
Bears can't catch up to Kings
Down two with 15.5 seconds to play Friday, Juneau-Douglas got off three shots to either tie or take the lead but none found the bottom of the net, as Ketchikan hung on for a 63-61 Southeast Conference-clinching victory on the Crimson Bears' home floor.
Senior wing Victor Wilson got two good looks underneath with time winding down, but neither would drop. And sophomore guard Tony Yadao's desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer was wide, dooming the Bears to the No. 2 seed at best in next month's conference tournament.
"We missed it," JDHS coach Steve Potter said simply of the Bears' final chances, shaking his head. "We did what we wanted to do, we got the shot we wanted and we just couldn't make it."
With three minutes to go and Ketchikan clinging to a 58-53 lead, Wilson scored inside off a dish from senior guard Alex DeRocher to make it a three-point game. A couple of King free throws pushed the lead back to five, 60-55, but Yadao found senior forward Paul Tupou inside for the hoop and the harm, though Tupou missed the freebie.
Wilson went off the glass with a pull-up jumper to cut the deficit to two with 31.5 on the clock, and sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate made it a one-point game, 62-61, after sprinting in for a lay-up after grabbing a loose ball.
A Jeff Whicker free throw with 15.5 seconds left set up the final sequence.
"Oh, man, this is a great place to play. Win or lose, that was a great high school basketball game," an emotionally drained Eric Stockhausen, the Kings coach, said afterward. "We're very fortunate to have the outcome the way we have (it). Hats off to the Juneau kids and coach Potter, coach (Robert) Casperson. Their kids played their hearts out and we just got a lucky bounce here and there."
The Bears pounded the ball inside early, with senior forward Paul Tupou scoring the game's first bucket on the block. Wilson stuck a pull-up jumper in the lane and junior forward Colin Gozelski got a lay-up after a steal by DeRocher under the King' basket for a 6-2 Bears lead in the early going.
Yadao buried a triple from the top of the key for an 11-5 JDHS lead, but the Kings caught fire from behind the arc thereafter.
Whicker stuck a 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 Ketchikan run, then went to the cup for a deuce before Chas Allen nailed another triple for a 14-11 Kings lead, forcing a Bears timeout.
Senior Lawrence Fenumiai answered inside for the Bears, but Jesse Lindgren went straight to the basket for a score and Allen splashed another 3-ball. A baseline jumper from Gozelski made it a 19-15 game after one quarter.
Whicker hit another 3-pointer to start the second quarter, but the Bears went on an 8-3 run to cut into the deficit. Two straight buckets inside by Fenumiai, one a tip-in of a blocked shot, the other off a dump-down pass from Gozelski, made it 27-25, Kings.
A Yadao stickback, a Tupou steal and lay-in and a breakaway Gozelski lay-up tied the game at 29-all midway through the second quarter. But the Kings closed with an 11-4 run, including Whickers' third and the Kings' sixth triple of the first half. Ketchikan blistered the nets, shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the game's first 16 minutes.
"I thought Whicker was really good for them. He killed us in the first half," Potter said. "It was good shooting by them, and a lot of bad defense by us. We weren't any where near them when they were shooting those."
The Bears caught a break with seven seconds to go as the Kings turned it over. Wilson took the inbound pass, dribbled, drove to the cup and spun in the lane with a banker off the glass at the buzzer to set the halftime score at 40-33, Kings.
JDHS went right back inside to Tupou after the break, but Whicker went the other way for three more the old-fashioned way before hitting a pull-up jumper in the lane for a 45-35 Ketchikan lead.
The Bears cut it to five, 49-44, after two straight Gozelski buckets inside, but Whicker buried a big 3-pointer with Yadao all over him after a Gozelski turnover to momentarily quiet the crowd as time ran down in the third.
Gozelski led three Bears in double figures with 18 points to go with nine boards, six assists and two steals. Tupou had 12 points, and Fenumiai had 10. Tupou also had eight rebounds.
Whicker led all scorers with 30 points on 9 of 14 shooting, propelling the Kings to a 54.8 percent night shooting the ball. Bell added 12 points for the Kings, eight rebounds and six assists.
"I thought we did a little bit better job defending in the second half," Potter said. "Tony did a great job defensively. We just need to get the other guys playing at that same level of intensity."
Where Potter was unhappy with his team's patience offensively at times, screaming for at least four passes per possession, Stockhausen was pleased with his team's execution.
"We have a couple of marquee players and other guys who fill their roles well," he said. "They understand what we want offensively and that's to get the best shot that we can."
JDHS won the battle on the boards 38-27, but the Kings outscored the Bears 21-3 from behind the arc and took 16 more free throws.
Phillip Fenumiai and Travis Godfrey led JDHS to big 62-40 JV win over the Kings. Twelve Bears scored, and seven had at least five points. Keagan Lervick led all scorers with 10 points.
The JDHS C Team also won big, 68-50, behind 15 points from Jackson Lehnhart and 11 from Darien Stanger.
Kings take two - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Ketchikan pulled off the nearly unthinkable Saturday in boys' basketball, earning a season sweep of Juneau-Douglas with a 66-58 victory over the ice-cold Crimson Bears at JDHS.
