Logan Elm vs Washington CH, Logan Elm @ Circleville, Logan Elm @ Athens ... Warren vs Meigs, Warren vs Valley, Warren vs Logan, Warren vs Fairland ... Athens vs Logan Elm, Athens vs Circleville, and Athens vs Valley ... NONE of these TEAMS are playing the same as they did back in early December, ALL 3 of these TEAMS have improved leaps and bounds ... Which TEAM has improved the most based on the "eye test" (not EVEN including input from the Ouija Board at ALL) - I give that one to Athens - early on in the season the Bulldogs were recovering/playing themselves "out of" football mode into basketball mode ... what you saw on the floor was great athletes playing basketball while "thinking" about "how to play basketball ... NOW? the practices, the repetitions , the familiarity of being on the court ... knowing where everyone else is on the court ... playing with the physicality of the game of basketball not that of the game of football ... NO LONGER "thinking" - but doing, reacting ... I told Coach Skinner prior to Athens taking on Valley that his team had completed the transition from Football to Basketball, I saw it in the Circleville game, Joe Burrow IS NOW not just a great athlete/football player playing basketball , Joe Burrow IS NOW 100% a great basketball player on the court - football is on hold until April, his head is 100% into hoops ... as a basketball team, with basketball players Athens has ALL of the components of a great TEAM ... role players Zacchia Saltzman, the Leuhrmans NONE of them can carry a team but playing as PART of a TEAM they ARE OUTSTANDING ... case in point Zacchia Saltzman was I'm guessing 1-7 from the floor in 4 qtrs of regulation, and 1 OT period BUT he played outstanding defense, never quit being an offensive threat - he showed he could/would put the ball up from the perimeter... in the final OT Saltzman DID what I feel he does best - on 2 straight possessions he put the ball on the floor, took it to the rim, results: 2 buckets plus an "and one" - 5 points for "Z" ; Athens wins by 6 in double OT ... Burrow/Watson/Lutz ARE basketball players at both ends of the floor ... Burrow THE catalyst , he's the face of the Athens TEAM, Ibi Watson is as good of basketball player as you will see in SEO, and he hasn't reached his potential - scary ... Griffin Lutz is THE piece of the Athens puzzle that will eventually determine how much MORE Athens will improve as a TEAM ... right now as a cheap seat guy I can see where he has 1) found himself defensively 2) he is a major part of the AHS transition game being able to finish in the open court ... my thinking is that for the Athens TEAM to continue to improve Lutz will need to BE the 3rd consistent perimeter threat - he will have to take the perimeter shot AND make it, he has to have the confidence in his game to KNOW he can score from behind the arc - Burrow/Watson both have "IT", Burrow didn't have "IT" at the beginning of the season .. Now? Burrow doesn't think he can score behind the arc he KNOWS the ball is going in every time he releases it - "IT" ... in order for Lutz to get "IT" TEAM Athens will have to allow him to find "IT" - encourage him to shoot the perimeter shot/MAKE him shoot the perimeter shot ... Athens with 3 perimeter scorers that have "IT" (Watson/Burrow/Lutz) ... Saltzman - a streaky outside shooter, more comfortable putting his body ON the defensive player going the the rim ... the big bodies in the paint of Ryan/Adam Leuhrman can score off the dribble at the rim both need to develop that "elbow"/foul line jumper to be threats - they don't have to shoot it a lot - they just have to show it, so defenses have to respect the fact that they WILL shoot it and make it if they are left to shoot it ... Athens has shown me the most improvement so far if nothing else but through putting football behind them ... wow - didn't mean to ramble! maybe I should finish my thoughts and do a breakdown of Warren and Logan Elm as well LOL ...
