The 900 Degrees Pizzaria Division II Semifinal Scouting Report
2014-03-13
Pembroke Academy takes their act to Durham
As we do in both basketball and football we hand over our semifinal previews to the people that know the four teams better than anyone; the coaches who competed against them all year. The following are scouting report from Division II coaches we spoke to using blind quotes.
Pete Tarrier and Jennifer Chick will bring you all the play by play, highlights and post-game interviews from tonight’s Final Four in Durham and Eliot Bless & I will be on hand just for good measure..
Remember you can buy full game DVDs of any of the games we cover right here on our website.
(4) Pelham at (1) Pembroke Academy
Matt Alosa and his Pembroke Spartans are two wins away from becoming the ninth program in Division II (Class I) history to win back to back titles. To do so they will have to first beat Matt Regan’s Pelham Pythons, who are off to Division III next season and looking to go out with a bang.
First we asked coaches to break down the champions. “ They are the champs and have the best player as well in Pat Welch. The thing is, as much attention at Pat gets and deserves Kafani (Williams) is the tougher guy to match-up with.” Another coach we spoke to agreed, “ When we played them tough he (Williams) was in foul trouble and that sort of allowed us to hang right in there. When he got back in there he was the difference in the game. He just has the ability and strength to get off the floor quickly both on his shot and on offensive rebounds.” Coaches talked about how to attack Pembroke, “ We tried to keep the ball out of Pat’s hands because the other guards are not as good and they can be exploited. Force other people to handle the ball. I also feel like Dominic Timbas is their silent scorer, he doesn’t get the touches he would get on other teams but he is fully capable of beating you.” What about the Spartans defense? “They play that 1-2-2 half-court trap with Kafani up top and they do a really good job of not allowing you to get comfortable or into your sets.” Another coach agreed with that assessment, “They make you think it will be easy to flash a guy middle and break pressure but they pinch the middle with Kafani really well and they do a very nice job trapping you on the sidelines. “
Coaches also talked about what to expect when Pembroke takes the floor tonight. “ One thing you can count on is when Williams gets a rebound he is putting it on the floor and going. He’s like a freight train heading down the floor. The other thing you can count on is that Welch will play very well on that big stage. If you saw him last year you know he steps up when they need it.”
We then asked the coaches to break down the four seed Pelham. “They are so , so good at getting the ball up the floor with the pass and they are just as good with their transition defense. Matt (Regan) has really drilled that into their heads.”
“ It sounds simplistic but they have to make shots, I think if they are making shots they win and knock off Pembroke. They are not a great rebounding team, they are a lot like Lebanon in that size on the block is their weakness. If Pembroke limits them to one shot they are in trouble but I feel like they are going to play well in Durham on that big floor.” Coaches we spoke to raved about Pelham guard Jake Vaiknoras, “I love that kid. Some of our fans were grumbling about him after the game and I told them we’d love him on our team and take him in a second.” “ I love Vaiknoras,” echoed another coach, “ When your best player is also your glue guy and the heart of your team you are doing pretty well. The relationship he has on the floor with Regan seems really good, same page on everything.” Coaches also spoke about all-state forward Keith Brown, “ He’s immense…he plays like a men’s league player; big, physical and he just has a knack for scoring. He gets it in the basket one way or another.”
How would you attack Pelham? “ You can wear Brown down, you can run him to the point where he is slower and what we also tried to do was make him have to move to get the ball. Make him move around a lot on defense too…he can be worn out.” Another coach talked about the four coaches meeting in Durham. “ I honestly think that when you look at who made it you are talking about the four best coaches in the division. There are certainly other coaches in that discussion but in Regan, Alosa, Matte and Mulvey these are very best in our class.”
(3) Lebanon at (2) Portsmouth
Keith Matte’s team has survived to this point in the tournament, there is no other word for it, with an overtime win over Goffstown in the first round and a buzzer beating put back to beat Hollis-Brookline Saturday night. Plenty of champions though have seen the end of their season right before their eyes before surviving & advancing and Lebanon tonight gets a crack at a Portsmouth Clippers team with the longest winning streak in Division II.
We asked the coaches to break down Lebanon. “ They spread the floor really well. Four guys out and one guy in and it really comes down to spacing because each guy on the floor can hurt you in different ways. When we played them I was really impressed with their freshman point guard KJ Matte and Dom Morrill was a really tough match-up. He really is their X-factor because he is stronger than most of the guys you put on him and he has a lot of confidence that he can make shots.” Another coaches talked about how Lebanon plays as a team, “ They are funny because I’ve seen them live and on film and they do go through stretches where they look a little disorganized. That’s why I think you see them getting down in some of these games. To their credit though, and really a credit to Keith (Matte), they pick up their play and work well as a unit. Each guy knows their role, better than any other team I’ve seen and they know where each guy wants and likes the ball.”
What weaknesses does Lebanon have? “ Their size, like Pelham, is their weakness. They really have to work to get rebounds and a bigger team could give them issues. That’s what you watch for Thursday night because I think a team like Plymouth would have given them trouble and with Pat & Joey Glynn they could be a problem.”
We then asked the coaches to break down Jim Mulvey’s Portsmouth Clippers. “ They are really physical and very good defensively. They play man to man but you almost have to attack it likes it’s a zone by going over the top on them.” A fellow coach agreed, “Their ball pressure is as good as it gets and Donovan Phanor is the best defensive guard in our division and frankly I haven’t seen one better at Division I. Lebanon does have four or five guys who can handle the ball so that goes a long ways. You need multiple guys who can handle pressure.”
What are the strengths of this Portsmouth team? “ Pat Glynn is a force down low, his post defense is really impressive. If Joey Glynn (17 rebounds against Plymouth) plays the way he did against Plymouth in the next two games they are going to win it. I couldn’t get over how well he positioned himself for rebounds and at 6’5 he can really get off the floor. On the other hand if one of those two guys or both gets in foul trouble they are really in trouble. They are really thin now along the frontline.”
What were other impressions of the Clippers. “ Jim (Mulvey) will take away what you do best, that’s a given. He game plans as well as anyone in our division. I really think Nick Mackey is their X-factor; when he is hitting shots they are awful hard to stop and the (Charlie) Lehoux kid off the bench is really good too.” Coaches we spoke with agreed, “Jim does a great job. We started getting comfortable against their defense this year and he then mixed up his defense and it halted our run. I feel like if you gave Jim Mulvey four good players and a fifth guy with little ability he would fit that fifth kid into a role that worked for everyone. His reputation in our division amongst coaches is that he takes what he has and always seems to make it work.”
Remember you can buy full game DVDs of any of the games we cover right here on our website.
(4) Pelham at (1) Pembroke Academy
Matt Alosa and his Pembroke Spartans are two wins away from becoming the ninth program in Division II (Class I) history to win back to back titles. To do so they will have to first beat Matt Regan’s Pelham Pythons, who are off to Division III next season and looking to go out with a bang.
First we asked coaches to break down the champions. “ They are the champs and have the best player as well in Pat Welch. The thing is, as much attention at Pat gets and deserves Kafani (Williams) is the tougher guy to match-up with.” Another coach we spoke to agreed, “ When we played them tough he (Williams) was in foul trouble and that sort of allowed us to hang right in there. When he got back in there he was the difference in the game. He just has the ability and strength to get off the floor quickly both on his shot and on offensive rebounds.” Coaches talked about how to attack Pembroke, “ We tried to keep the ball out of Pat’s hands because the other guards are not as good and they can be exploited. Force other people to handle the ball. I also feel like Dominic Timbas is their silent scorer, he doesn’t get the touches he would get on other teams but he is fully capable of beating you.” What about the Spartans defense? “They play that 1-2-2 half-court trap with Kafani up top and they do a really good job of not allowing you to get comfortable or into your sets.” Another coach agreed with that assessment, “They make you think it will be easy to flash a guy middle and break pressure but they pinch the middle with Kafani really well and they do a very nice job trapping you on the sidelines. “
Coaches also talked about what to expect when Pembroke takes the floor tonight. “ One thing you can count on is when Williams gets a rebound he is putting it on the floor and going. He’s like a freight train heading down the floor. The other thing you can count on is that Welch will play very well on that big stage. If you saw him last year you know he steps up when they need it.”
We then asked the coaches to break down the four seed Pelham. “They are so , so good at getting the ball up the floor with the pass and they are just as good with their transition defense. Matt (Regan) has really drilled that into their heads.”
“ It sounds simplistic but they have to make shots, I think if they are making shots they win and knock off Pembroke. They are not a great rebounding team, they are a lot like Lebanon in that size on the block is their weakness. If Pembroke limits them to one shot they are in trouble but I feel like they are going to play well in Durham on that big floor.” Coaches we spoke to raved about Pelham guard Jake Vaiknoras, “I love that kid. Some of our fans were grumbling about him after the game and I told them we’d love him on our team and take him in a second.” “ I love Vaiknoras,” echoed another coach, “ When your best player is also your glue guy and the heart of your team you are doing pretty well. The relationship he has on the floor with Regan seems really good, same page on everything.” Coaches also spoke about all-state forward Keith Brown, “ He’s immense…he plays like a men’s league player; big, physical and he just has a knack for scoring. He gets it in the basket one way or another.”
How would you attack Pelham? “ You can wear Brown down, you can run him to the point where he is slower and what we also tried to do was make him have to move to get the ball. Make him move around a lot on defense too…he can be worn out.” Another coach talked about the four coaches meeting in Durham. “ I honestly think that when you look at who made it you are talking about the four best coaches in the division. There are certainly other coaches in that discussion but in Regan, Alosa, Matte and Mulvey these are very best in our class.”
(3) Lebanon at (2) Portsmouth
Keith Matte’s team has survived to this point in the tournament, there is no other word for it, with an overtime win over Goffstown in the first round and a buzzer beating put back to beat Hollis-Brookline Saturday night. Plenty of champions though have seen the end of their season right before their eyes before surviving & advancing and Lebanon tonight gets a crack at a Portsmouth Clippers team with the longest winning streak in Division II.
We asked the coaches to break down Lebanon. “ They spread the floor really well. Four guys out and one guy in and it really comes down to spacing because each guy on the floor can hurt you in different ways. When we played them I was really impressed with their freshman point guard KJ Matte and Dom Morrill was a really tough match-up. He really is their X-factor because he is stronger than most of the guys you put on him and he has a lot of confidence that he can make shots.” Another coaches talked about how Lebanon plays as a team, “ They are funny because I’ve seen them live and on film and they do go through stretches where they look a little disorganized. That’s why I think you see them getting down in some of these games. To their credit though, and really a credit to Keith (Matte), they pick up their play and work well as a unit. Each guy knows their role, better than any other team I’ve seen and they know where each guy wants and likes the ball.”
What weaknesses does Lebanon have? “ Their size, like Pelham, is their weakness. They really have to work to get rebounds and a bigger team could give them issues. That’s what you watch for Thursday night because I think a team like Plymouth would have given them trouble and with Pat & Joey Glynn they could be a problem.”
We then asked the coaches to break down Jim Mulvey’s Portsmouth Clippers. “ They are really physical and very good defensively. They play man to man but you almost have to attack it likes it’s a zone by going over the top on them.” A fellow coach agreed, “Their ball pressure is as good as it gets and Donovan Phanor is the best defensive guard in our division and frankly I haven’t seen one better at Division I. Lebanon does have four or five guys who can handle the ball so that goes a long ways. You need multiple guys who can handle pressure.”
What are the strengths of this Portsmouth team? “ Pat Glynn is a force down low, his post defense is really impressive. If Joey Glynn (17 rebounds against Plymouth) plays the way he did against Plymouth in the next two games they are going to win it. I couldn’t get over how well he positioned himself for rebounds and at 6’5 he can really get off the floor. On the other hand if one of those two guys or both gets in foul trouble they are really in trouble. They are really thin now along the frontline.”
What were other impressions of the Clippers. “ Jim (Mulvey) will take away what you do best, that’s a given. He game plans as well as anyone in our division. I really think Nick Mackey is their X-factor; when he is hitting shots they are awful hard to stop and the (Charlie) Lehoux kid off the bench is really good too.” Coaches we spoke with agreed, “Jim does a great job. We started getting comfortable against their defense this year and he then mixed up his defense and it halted our run. I feel like if you gave Jim Mulvey four good players and a fifth guy with little ability he would fit that fifth kid into a role that worked for everyone. His reputation in our division amongst coaches is that he takes what he has and always seems to make it work.”