As I watched the Buchtel Griffins totally humiliate a decent Alliance team at the Canton District tournament last Friday night, it was a case of deja vu.
I've seen Buchtel play a suffocating full-court pressure defense all season. I was remembering where I had seen this same type of defense played before. Only once in my career covering high school hoops have I seen such a lethal defense. It was back in the '70s when I was a young sports director at a local radio station.
The last team I've seen that so totally dismantled an opponent was the state champion Barberton team coached by the legendary Jack Greynolds in 1976. The tallest player on that squad was 6-2 center Carter Scott. Just like Buchtel, the Magics routed much taller teams with good athletes by keeping them from getting the ball up court.
The undefeated state championship team of '76 would totally demoralize their opponents by turning double-digit steals into easy baskets for lopsided victories. This is the first time since that great Magics team that I've seen with such an effective defense on the high school level. Buchtel coach Stephen White says his team works on defense 80 percent to 90 percent of the time in practice and it pays off by turning into offense for the Griffins.
That's why the Griffins have several players who can score in double figures.
The only team so far that's been able to solve that full-court pressure is City Series runner-up East. The Orientals gave the Griffins all they could handle in three games this season but Buchtel still managed to win because of depth at the end of the game.
Seniors denied their night
Garfield basketball coach Harold Ickes is upset with Walsh Jesuit coach John Norris.
Garfield was scheduled to play Walsh in the Golden Rams last regular season home game on Friday, Feb. 26. The game was postponed because of a winter storm and was to be played Saturday, but Norris called to cancel the game, telling Ickes he wanted to rest his team for the beginning of the state tournament.
Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal.
But Ickes had scheduled the contest as Senior Night for his squad. By not playing the game, Ickes says his seniors were denied their night to be properly recognized and say a final goodbye to Garfield students and fans.
The state tournament is going just about as I expected for city teams so far. Buchtel, East and Kenmore are still alive. They were the three best teams in the city. Kenmore has the toughest obstacle to staying alive, facing St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Division II tournament at the Canton Fieldhouse.
Spring is almost here
The temperature has been in the 50s this week and the birds have resumed their chorus, so you know spring is right around the corner. So is the baseball season for City Series teams. The first game is March 29. At first glance the teams expected to compete for the title this season are traditional powers Ellet, Firestone and Kenmore. Kenmore took the championship last year and there's no reason to believe the Cardinals won't slug it out again this year. In the weeks ahead I'll preview the teams as the season begins.
If you haven't seen a high school baseball game, this should be the year you show up to support these athletes who many times achieve in obscurity. Many of the games start at 5.p.m, meaning you may have time after work to drop by for a few innings.
The girls softball season also begins at the end of the month. I'll also take a closer look at the teams expected to contend.
Bowled over
Finally, an update on Ellet's outstanding bowler Joe Wittman. The city's best bowler, who is only a sophomore, finished 13th in the state bowling tournament this past weekend, and while Wittman was disappointed in his performance, he has two more years to try to fulfill his dream of being a state champion. Wittman didn't score below 200 in any of his tournament matches. He will only get better.