By Mike Comparato
Indy Metros Coach
Going in thoughts
This is a great team to watch and coach. The players have demonstrated a tremendous amount of synergy that has helped them advance this summer. However, few of them have been exposed to the competition level they are about to experience.
I���?�m not sure that enough of them recognize how different this will be from their high school and routine AAU tournament format. Their learning curve will be steep. It will also be quick.
We���?�ve taken June off as kids have spent the month with their high school teams. We���?�ll see if the time apart has any impact on our chemistry.
As a summer coach, I have every confidence in this group. That is comforting to me, as I concern myself with managing this process to their benefit.
Pool play
As usual, we draw the earliest game at the most remote location, battling construction, traffic, and poor signage. Just a few distractions — and Iâ�?��?�m referring to the coach. The kids are probably oblivious. At 8 am, Iâ�?��?�m sure theyâ�?��?�re oblivious to just about everything. I wonder if Iâ�?��?�m the only coach who consistently has had teams that struggle with early morning games.
* Game 1: I was right!! The combination of early morning and a month���?�s worth of rust didn���?�t help us this morning. We played well enough to compete, but lost a heartbreaker by two points. Now we���?�ve got our work cut out for us to finish strong in our pool.
* Game 2: Much better. We established a lead early and maintained it most of the game. We let them back in it a little bit late in the second half by not executing, but did what we had to do to win the game. This pool is very evenly matched. I could foresee a three-way tie, where point spread can enter into the tiebreaker. We needed to maximize that spread just in case. We were fortunate to pull out an 11-point win.
* Game 3: A clone of Game 2. The difference is a 22-point lead in the second half that literally evaporated. We hung on to win the game, but learned a hard lesson about playing the game the right way and managing possessions. Hopefully, that lesson will now carry over into bracket play.
Bracket play
Uh-oh! A big, strong, quick, athletic, good basketball team. The good AND BAD news about finishing first or second in your pool is that you are playing first- or second-place teams from the other pools in your bracket. We need to rely on our system to manage the game on our half of the court or run the risk of getting blown out of the gym.
My fears were realized. We started out well, but once the running game started, it was over quickly.
Now, hopefully the kids have learned that a two-point loss early in pool play can make a huge difference in seeding going into bracket play. Winning our pool would have meant us playing a second-place team and, quite possibly, going further, playing longer, and getting more exposure.
Playing a good team like this is like a double-edged sword. Because of their strength and ability, it is a tremendous challenge early in the tournament. On the other hand, because of that same strength and talent, they bring with them many more coaches who might, otherwise, not have had the chance to see any of our kids play.
Going home thoughts
I **** going home, especially this early. Remember me wondering if the kids would grasp the different level and format? Well, they do now.
Normally, you are rewarded for finishing high in your pool by playing a lower-place finisher in bracket play. Not in July. As I said earlier, the stronger you finish, the stronger your competition. That���?�s the way it should be.
They also learned a hard lesson about using the system as an equalizer when we play bigger, stronger teams. If the ball is on our half of the floor, the other team doesn���?�t score. We hopefully learned to manage possessions better.
Overall, it was a good first tournament. We got some good exposure for our kids that are being recruited. We opened some new eyes that will be watching us in Kentucky. And the lessons we learned can help us in the next three tournaments. Most of all, with a short bench, we survived with no injuries.
It was nice to see coaches from Indiana consistently watching our kids. We are beginning to see some mid-major and Division II schools more regularly. North Dakota, Ashland, and Alabama-Huntsville are some that we���?�ve noticed around a lot so far. The new staff at IP-Fort Wayne was very visible, not only for our games but at other games with Indiana teams. That was great to see.
It was nice to see players step up with extraordinary effort and exceed expectations. Some of the kids I just expect to depend on, and they seldom let me down. I expect things from Michael Teller. He is so dependable as a scorer, inside or out. I expect very few turnovers and good floor leadership when Mark Comparato is running the team. I haven���?�t been disappointed yet. I expect Brad Poynter to be all over the floor, and Tyler Brand to knock down the open jump shot. They normally do.
Ryan Sichting has been a big surprise to me playing in the post. I have been impressed thus far with him at the 5 spot. We should have him at the 4, but he has had to carry the load inside and has stepped up well. David Thacker has given us great depth off the bench and helped significantly in the backcourt. Josh Gard from Kokomo had a great game for us off the bench during pool play. As a younger player, Evan Long has stepped in and given us some minutes to help.
Now we hit the road for Louisville. Until then â�?�¦
Mike Comparato
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