What is wrong with the run defense: Browns Film Room
November 20, 2014Toward an Indians Off-Season Strategy
November 20, 2014The Cleveland State Vikings improved to 2-1 Wednesday evening, defeating the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 60-46. Junior guard Kaza Keane led the Vikings with 13 points, while Anton Grady scored 12 and Marlin Mason added 10. Cleveland State won the rebounding battle, 39-24, including 15 offensive boards. The Vikings forced 12 Gamecock turnovers, although it felt more like 21.
Head Coach Gary Waters summed it up with his opening remarks at the post-game presser: “That was an ugly game. Really ugly game. I thought it was ugly coaching it, and watching it while I was on the sideline, and then when I look at the stats…I know it was an ugly game.”
He could have just played this clip and everyone would have gotten the idea:
I would write about the flow of the game, but there was no flow to speak of. Every time play opened up, a whistle blew. There were media timeouts and team timeouts and injury timeouts. There were 39 total fouls, 21 called against the Vikings. The refs performed a symphony with their whistles, and it was as enjoyable as a class of third graders honking into their recorders.
So, in lieu of cobbling together a narrative with the misshapen bricks that comprised this contest, here are some notes about the people who put their stamp on the evening.
Trey Lewis and Anton Grady were both in foul trouble and sat for much of the second half. Grady scored 12 in limited minutes, but shot 4-of-11 and scored just four points after halftime.1 Lewis had six points, four rebounds, and three assists in a very-poor-man’s-Jason-Kidd type effort.
If only for one night, Terrell Hales was the Horizon League’s Russell Westbrook. The 6-4 freshman guard scored just two points, but he played with a beautiful manic energy and provided CSU with a vital boost. He had three steals, two assists, and six (!) offensive rebounds. His elevator went up to the fifth floor while everyone else’s stopped at the third. Coach Waters calls him “a gain possessioner,” a Rodmanesque player who cares about little more than snatching the ball away from anyone fool enough to handle it. Excellent effort from the rookie.
Kaza (KAY-za) Keane bounced back after going 0-for-8 from the field Monday. The Ajax, Ontario native scored his 13 on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. He played solid defense and took over some of the ball-handling duties when Lewis was in foul trouble. Keane also provided the highlight of the night when he swished a seventy-footer to beat the halftime buzzer—an appropriately nice game for a Canadian.
“My Cousin” Vinny Zollo played well—at least offensively and in the first half. He scored eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in 15 first half minutes, including two triples. The 6-8 transfer from Northwest Florida Junior College can shoot it from deep, and it would behoove him to develop into a reliable stretch four-type. Alas, his rebounding and defense were Bargnanian Wednesday,2 and he found himself nailed to the bench for nearly the entire second half.
On the other hand, it is a joy to watch Andre Yates play defense. He’s all outstretched arms and wide eyes, constantly searching for a way to eliminate his man’s will to live. He gets so low in his stance that it looks like he’s trying to make a certain part of his anatomy touch the floor. Marvelous stuff.
The Jacksonville State roster is laden with fantastic names. Among those who saw the court against the Vikes were JaQuail Townser, Darion Rackley, Joe Kuligowski, Undra Mitchum, and Malcolm Drumwright. Those monikers made the game at least six percent more fun. Thank you to all of their families.
Last but not least, I learned Wednesday that Coach Gary Waters and Mrs. Coach Gary Waters are high school sweethearts. That is adorable, and I immediately motion to nominate them for Cleveland Prom King and Queen. Do I hear a second?
The Vikings are on the road for their next three games: at Savannah State (11/22), at Louisville (11/26), and at Marshall (11/28). The latter two matchups will be among their toughest of the season. Their next home game is December 3rd against Toledo.