Hawaiian Points, Introductions, and Thorpe is Found

#1 posting 3.22.2006

Thorpe has been found. After a two day absensce he mounts the soap box again.
Also Hawaii has started their HS season and that starts the parade.

POINT PARADE Hawaiian Style
Artevia Wily, Kahuku 29 vs Kalaheo 74-76 2ot (m18)
Ashley Medcalf, Christian Academy 29 vs Hawaii Baptist 32-62 (m17)
Kendra Fischer, Kalaheo 27 vs Kahuku 76-74 2ot (m18)
Shanadee Canon, Kalaheo 27 vs Kaiser 63-50
Shanadee Canon, Kalaheo 25 vs Kahuku 76-74 2ot (m18)

BUZZER BEATERS
HI
Shanadee Canon, Kalaheo scored the game winner with 3.6 left in a 76-74 two overtime win over Kahuku on March 18.
Brittany Stafford, Leilehua made two free throws with five seconds left in a 33-32 win over Kapolei.

ONE MORE THING THAT BUGS ME....
At the state tournament there are these grand choreographed routines when a player is announced in the starting lineups. Some are quite theatrical and, it appears, takes a lot of time, effort and planning to get the dust offs, pat downs, or tweaks, dance moves what have you. I just wish the players would spend as much time, if not more time on basic ball handling and passing skills than theatrics. It would make for a better game.


THORPE ON A SOAP BOX

Kevin finally located me .
A beautiful day in Florida. I missed my Monday deadline but didn’t miss Happy Hour at Nancy Lopez’s Country Club last night.

First congratulations to all the State Champions as well as all the teams that had the opportunity to participate in the Minnesota State Tournament. Kevin mentioned that the attendance was terrible and asked me why?? I remember that we played to over 10000 fans in ‘89 and I don’t know what it was this year but it sounds like a lot less. I can only guess as to why.
I think I will risk looking like an old dinosaur and play devils advocate by supporting the old class A and AA system. I know all the arguments:

Small out state teams would never make it to the big show. Don’t sell outstate short. Some of the best team we faced were teams outstate. I remember in ‘89 Little Falls took us down to the wire in the State Championship. I remember being so proud of breaking Rochester Lourdes State winning streak one year only to return the next year to be totally destroyed by Rochester Lourdes. Teams like Marshall, Willmar, New London Spicer are quality programs along with many others. Are there weak small schools outstate? Sure, but there are also very weak programs in the city that get hammered week in and week out.

More kids get a chance to play in the State Tournament. Yes that’s true. However I think the tournament feel had been diluted and is not as big as it once was. Also a big school like Osseo has so many kids that often even though you have a better chance of going to State you have kids on the bench(in both big metro and outstate schools) that would be a starter and playing many minutes in small schools. What is better for kids. Sitting on the bench in a big school and going to a diluted State or playing all season and having a smaller chance of going to State??

Second, Basketball is not a numbers game like football. Yes bigger schools have an advantage but you can win a basketball state championship with 6 or 7 player and sometimes less. Who can forget Edgerton in the ‘60s winning their State Championship? I know you are know saying Thorpe are you still talking about the 60s. Well could Edgerton have won a football championship? I think not. I truly believe that Basketball is still one sport where small schools have a chance to win it all.

I will take a chance on boring you with a flashback to our ‘89 mid season game with Little Falls. We were ranked 1 Metro and Little Falls 1 outstate. The gym was packed and people came from small towns miles around to see the Metro get kicked by the outstate team. This was always a good rivalry and there were times were went back to the city humbled.

I know there are many people that disagree with my arguments and, to be honest, I see your side as well, but wanted to throw out an idea or two. I do think what ever system we have there are changes that could be made to make it a better experience for kids. I see some of the changes over the years and the high school league’s standard line is it’s" best for kids." I appreciate all the things the high school league has done over the years and I truly believe they care about young people. However, I don’t thing many of the changes they have made is “best for kids” but has to do with money. I wish they would just say that.

Dave Thorpe

You can locate old postings with the archives. Go to the month you are interested in and scroll and roll. The "Out & Abouts" go back to early December. I have postings on who is going where back in October and November, with periodic updates throughout the year. If you have news let me know by e-mail. Go to the profile area and send me the information.

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